fullback

Destiny Udogie: Tottenham full-back allegedly threatened with a gun in London

Tottenham say they are supporting Destiny Udogie after confirming the Italy defender was allegedly threatened with a gun by a football agent.

On Monday, BBC Sport reported an unnamed Premier League footballer was targeted in London on 6 September.

Another man is also alleged to have been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual during the incident in question. No injuries were reported.

The Metropolitan police, who are investigating, said a 31-year-old man was arrested on 8 September on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a licence. He has been bailed while enquiries continue.

In a statement on Tuesday, Spurs said: “We have been providing support for Destiny and his family since the incident and will continue to do so. Given this is a legal matter, we cannot comment any further.”

The 22-year-old Udogie joined Spurs from Udinese for £15m on a five-year deal in the summer of 2022, before immediately returning to the Serie A club on a season-long loan.

He returned to Tottenham for the start of the 2023-24 campaign and has made 76 appearances for the club.

The Italian has played 10 times this season, including Tuesday night’s 4-0 win over Copenhagen in the league phase of the Champions League.

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Liam Williams: Newcastle Red Bulls sign Wales full-back

Williams said it was “an exciting time to be joining Newcastle” as they enter a period of new ownership, reflected in their team name.

“I came up to speak to [director of rugby] Steve Diamond, to see the set-up and hear his plans for how it is all going to evolve, and I’m just keen to get into it,” Williams said.

Williams is the 14th player signed by Newcastle since energy drinks company Red Bull became involved with the club.

They begin their league campaign on Friday with a home match against Saracens.

Williams has featured in five Tests for the British and Irish Lions and made 93 appearances for his country, and he remains hopeful of reaching his century of Test caps.

“I’ve not called time on that, but it would be impossible without a club,” he told the BBC this month.

“If I start playing regularly and there are some injuries in the back three, then Steve [Tandy, Wales head coach] may give me a call.”

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Ellie Kildunne: England full-back returns to face France in Women’s Rugby World Cup semi-final

Ellie Kildunne returns from a concussion suffered in England’s final pool-stage game against Australia a fortnight ago to take her place as starting full-back in the Rugby World Cup semi-final against France on Saturday.

The 26-year-old World Player of the Year sat out the quarter-final win over Scotland, but has come through the necessary medical checks to add pace and attacking intent to England’s back three.

Prop Hannah Botterman, who has been a force in the loose and at the breakdown so far at the tournament, returns at loose-head prop after back spasms, replacing Kelsey Clifford, who scored two tries against Scotland in her absence.

Zoe Harrison’s game management means she is preferred at fly-half to Holly Aitchison, who impressed at times against Scotland, but whose higher-risk game did not always come off in wet conditions.

Aitchison, 28, had been John Mitchell’s regular starting fly-half until Harrison’s form led to her taking the spot during this year’s Women’s Six Nations.

Despite being known for her kicking game and control, since 2023 Harrison’s involvement in tries per 80 minutes is nearly double that of Aitchison at 1.8 to 1.0.

Saracens fly-half Harrison started the World Cup final defeat by New Zealand in 2022 and is now in pole position to do so again if Mitchell’s side make the final.

Abbie Ward is promoted from the bench and will partner Morwenna Talling, whose player of the match performance against Scotland earns her the nod over Rosie Galligan, in the second row.

Holders New Zealand and Canada meet in the other semi-final on Friday night.

Defeat by the Black Ferns in the last World Cup final is England’s only loss in their past 62 matches – a statistic that stretches back to 2019.

However, Saturday’s semi-final is likely to be the Red Roses’ toughest game by far of a World Cup campaign in which they are yet to be tested.

France, who fought back to beat Ireland 18-13 in the quarter-finals, are the side who have come closest to ending England’s record 31-match winning run, losing this year’s Six Nations Grand Slam finale 43-42.

But World Cup hosts England are on a 16-game winning run against Les Bleues – last losing to their cross-Channel neighbours in the 2018 Six Nations.

Mitchell has consistently rotated his side to build depth for the World Cup and now appears to have settled on his strongest matchday 23.

England, who last won the tournament in 2014, have lost the past two finals to New Zealand.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson: End of one of the great full-back duos

Alexander-Arnold and Robertson played together on 279 occasions – an average of 35 games a season in all competitions in their eight seasons together.

And each of them only played more games with Mohamed Salah.

Robertson joined from Hull City for £8m in 2017-18 with Alexander-Arnold, an academy product, having made his debut the season before.

They won 185 of those 279 games, losing 43 times.

The two full-backs played attacking roles in former boss Jurgen Klopp’s high-energy football – and had a hand in nearly unprecedented numbers of goals.

In isolation their assist hauls would be remarkable but the fact they were both doing it at the same time is even more amazing.

In March 2019 Alexander-Arnold told the BBC: “We both thrive off each other’s performances.

“We have got a competition between ourselves this season to see who gets more goals and assists. It’s a healthy competition.”

Only on 10 occasions in Premier League history has a defender created 10 or more goals in a Premier League season – and Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have each done it three times.

In 2019-20 they assisted 25 goals between them.

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Rico Lewis: Decision to dismiss Man City full-back ‘unnecessary’ – Pep Guardiola

“He thought the leg was a little bit high, but he (Lewis) was on the grass, he touched the ball,” said Guardiola.

“For the speed they go to touch the ball. Rico had no intention, he is a person who never has an intention to hurt anyone.

“It was unnecessary, honestly, the red card, but the referee had a different opinion and he’s the boss. They checked VAR, so we accept it.”

First-half goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku gave City victory against the 22-time Moroccan champions in Group G.

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