Football

Cole Palmer's penalty and Trent Alexander-Arnold's stunning volley propelled England to a 3-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Euro 2024 warm-up match at St James' Park.Palmer, making his first start for the Three Lions, showcased his clinical finishing with a spot-kick in the second half. The Chelsea forward has been in impressive form for his club this season, and his goal against Bosnia underlined his credentials for a place in Gareth Southgate's Euro squad.Alexander-Arnold, deployed in midfield by Southgate, was another standout performer for England. The Liverpool star scored a superb goal with a volley from Jack Grealish's cross, capping a lively display.Harry Kane, returning from injury, came off the bench to score England's third goal in the final seconds. The Tottenham Hotspur striker's goal put a flattering gloss on an inconsistent performance from an understrength England side.Southgate praised the performances of Palmer, Alexander-Arnold, and Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, who all bolstered their chances of making the Euro squad. However, Ollie Watkins, Conor Gallagher, and Jarrod Bowen may rue missing their opportunity to impress.Despite the victory, Southgate acknowledged that England still have questions to answer before the Euros. The team's passing was ponderous and their movement sluggish in the first half, but they improved in the second half.Southgate must now cut seven players from his provisional 33-man squad by Friday's deadline. England's final warm-up match before the Euros is against Iceland at Wembley on Thursday.

Manchester City's visit to Liverpool on Sunday has been billed as a potential Premier League title decider, but the reality is more complex. With just two points separating the top three teams, the race for the championship remains wide open.Liverpool, currently leading the pack with 63 points, holds a slim one-point advantage over City. Arsenal, with 61 points, is lurking just behind. The hype surrounding the upcoming clash has been amplified by Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold's assertion that the trophies his team wins "mean more" to City's squad due to the latter's financial resources.City's Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias have responded to Alexander-Arnold's comments, while both managers, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, have attempted to downplay the significance of the pre-match chatter. Guardiola has emphasized that his players' dignity is not dependent on responding to such remarks but rather on their consistent performances on the pitch.City is aiming to become the first team to win four consecutive English league titles, but they have spent little time in the lead this season due to Liverpool's impressive campaign. Despite some key injuries in February, the Reds appear to be nearing full strength, with leading scorer Mo Salah making his return in Thursday's Europa League victory.City's star duo of Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne are also in top form, with Haaland scoring in five of his last eight matches and De Bruyne providing assists in five of his past eight contests. While Sunday's match is crucial, both Klopp and Guardiola believe that a negative result for either side will not be decisive.Klopp, who is stepping down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, has stated that he does not expect any team to celebrate prematurely after the match. The quality on both sides suggests that the title race will remain competitive for the foreseeable future.