Saliba and France through with a clean sheet
France 3–0 Iraq on Wednesday, and William Saliba kept his second clean sheet of the World Cup (5). France are into the knockout rounds with a game to spare. Mbappe, Olise, and Dembele got the goals. Saliba recently revealed he has been playing through pain for months to stay available for this tournament.
Ødegaard captains Norway into the knockouts
Your captain delivered. Martin Ødegaard led Norway to a 3–2 win over Senegal, a result that sends them through to the Round of 32 (6). Haaland scored, Ajer got one, and Holmgren Pedersen added the third. Koulibaly and Sarr replied for Senegal with Mane assisting. Ryerson also started for Norway.
Rice concern after England 0–0 Ghana
England 0–0 Ghana on Tuesday, and the bigger story is what happened after. Declan Rice walked through the mixed zone with his left calf strapped and a noticeable limp, David Ornstein reported. Severity unclear ahead of Saturday's group finale against Panama.
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Jamie Carragher already weighed in before the Ghana match: "You don't rest when you're at the World Cup" (7). Rice did play the full 90, and his post-match take was honest: "You have to give credit to Ghana, they played in a very compact 4-5-1, with short spaces" (10).
Arsenal in club-to-club contact over Monga
David Ornstein also reports that Arsenal are now in direct club-to-club contact with Leicester City over winger Jeremy Monga (3). No agreement yet, but talks have advanced. The same gossip round also placed United and Arsenal among clubs tracking Alex Scott (3).
Spurs closing on Savinho after City reject Arsenal loan
Manchester City turned down Arsenal's loan approach for Savinho, and Tottenham are now closing in on a permanent deal (4). Bradley Barcola of PSG remains a name on the list as Arsenal hunt wide attackers.
Calafiori rated at €100m, Madrid test the waters
Real Madrid made an approach for Riccardo Calafiori. The answer: he is happy in England and has no intention of forcing a move. Arsenal consider him not unsellable, but only an offer above €100 million would even start a conversation (2). That valuation has deterred every suitor.
Bouaddi chase, Lille want €80m+
Arsenal are preparing an opening bid for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi after his standout World Cup (1). Lille are demanding more than €80m. PSG, Bayern, and Liverpool are also in the race. Ibrahim Afellay on Bouaddi: "He doesn't suffer from stage fright" (1).
Fan-reaktioner
The Rice injury dominated the subreddit after Ornstein's mixed-zone report, with fans bracing themselves for bad news ahead of the Panama match. The Calafiori news landed well: supporters saw Madrid's failed approach and the €100m price tag as the club showing strength in the market. Elsewhere, the Ramsey vs Wilshere managerial derby in League One sparked a wave of nostalgia, with multiple users admitting it made them feel old. Read the Rice thread
