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AXEL TUANZEBE RETURNS TO ASTON VILLA ON LOAN FROM MANCHESTER UNITED

Aston Villa have signed defender Axel Tuanzebe from Manchester United on a season-long loan.

Tuanzebe returns to Villa Park two years after helping the club gain promotion to the Premier League via the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.

The 23-year-old made 30 appearances for Villa in all competitions that season before returning to Old Trafford.

Tuanzebe played 10 times for Manchester United’s first team in the 2019-20 campaign and appeared in a further 18 games in all competitions last season, picking up seven yellow cards in his first 13 matches.

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HEUNG-MIN SON SCORES WINNER AS SPURS BEAT ARSENAL IN PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

Son Heung-Min’s 79th-minute strike gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over north London rivals Arsenal in a feisty friendly on Sunday.

Son’s left-foot drive after good work from substitute Japhet Tanganga ensured Spurs completed their preseason preparations with a hard-fought victory in front of around 25,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

It was the final match in The Mind Series — a competition between Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea organised to promote better mental health — with Spurs drawing 2-2 at Chelsea on Wednesday after Chelsea had beaten Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium last weekend.

Harry Kane was absent as he continues to isolate at the club’s training ground hotel after returning for preseason on Saturday but Spurs otherwise named a strong line-up with Hugo Lloris returning in goal and Son leading their attack.

Despite his absence, Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “Harry is with us… I will speak with Harry probably as soon as possible because he is already at [Spurs’ training ground where he is isolating]. Not today, today was the day of the match but we have a training session [on Monday] and with social distancing I will hopefully speak with Harry.”

Spurs’ new signing Cristian Romero also didn’t feature because of a knee injury and Nuno added: “He didn’t train yet with the group, it is true. He finished the last game with a problem. It is much better now but we have to be very careful first, not take any chances. Like all the players, [Giovani Dos Santos], didn’t have many sessions, Hugo [Lloris], we have to manage a lot of aspects until we decide to put the player on the pitch. But he is here, he looks good. When he starts training in a normal way, he will become an option.”

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta partnered Albert Sambi Lokonga, an £18 million summer signing from Anderlecht, with Granit Xhaka in midfield and that pairing gradually gave the visitors a degree of control in the first half after a lively start from Spurs.

Son volleyed wide from the edge of the box in the sixth minute and should have scored 10 minutes later when side-footing straight at Bernd Leno from five yards out after good work from Lucas Moura.

However, Alexandre Lacazette began to influence proceedings and tested Lloris with a 25-yard shot which the Spurs goalkeeper turned behind before hitting the post with another effort from a similar distance.

Dele Alli was then booked for a late tackle on Nicolas Pepe, a sign of the competitive undercurrent which ran throughout a first half which ended with Arsenal on top yet Tottenham creating the best chance.

A good passage of play from the hosts saw Son tee up Alli as he arrived in the box but he could only hit the post from close range with the goal at his mercy.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Arteta exchanged words early into the second period after the former came close to colliding with the latter as he attempted to keep the ball in play. Arteta poked his finger into Hojbjerg’s chest as the Spurs midfielder argued he was out of his technical area, prompting an intervention from referee David Coote.

Arsenal duo Kieran Tierney and Xhaka were booked for late challenges before Spurs hit the woodwork again just before the hour mark.

Davinson Sanchez flicked on Son’s free kick from the right to the far post where Alli tried to turn it goalwards but he hit the upright again.

A brief cessation in hostilities saw Spurs fans warmly applaud Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka onto the pitch as he was introduced in the 63rd-minute for his first outing since missing a penalty in England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy last month.

Spurs continued to look the more likely to score and eventually broke the deadlock when Tanganga persevered to force his way into the box before finding Son, who beat Leno with a powerful finish.

Eric Dier clipped the crossbar with a late free kick but Spurs saw the game out to condemn Arsenal to their second consecutive preseason defeat.

Asked postmatch about the absence of Rob Holding and Joe Willock, Arteta said: [They were missing for] two different reasons. Rob wasn’t available, he wasn’t fit enough to play today and with Joe, we will explain the reasons when we can. That’s all I can say now. When I can say more, I will let you know.”

Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign on Friday night at Brentford while Spurs host champions Manchester City next Sunday.

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TEARFUL LIONEL MESSI GETS STANDING OVATION AS HE SAYS GOODBYE TO BARCELONA

An emotional Lionel Messi has revealed he expected to extend his stay at Barcelona.

It was announced on Thursday the six-time Ballon d’Or winner would not sign a new contract with his boyhood club, with president Joan Laporta saying a day later that the former regime at Barca in addition to LaLiga spending rules had thwarted any hopes of the Argentinian staying in Catalonia.

Speaking at his farewell press conference on Sunday morning, a tearful Messi got a standing ovation after speaking.

He said: “This year, my family and I were convinced we were going to stay at home, that’s what we all wanted more than anything.

“We’d always made this our own, we were at home. We thought we would be staying here in Barcelona. But today, we have to say goodbye to all of this.”

The 34-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a move to Paris St Germain, had been set to remain at the Nou Camp but is now a free agent.

He added: “I did everything possible and the club, Laporta, they couldn’t do it because of LaLiga.

“I’ve heard things said about me, that I didn’t want to continue, but on my life, we did everything we could because I wanted to stay.

“Last year, I didn’t want to stay and I said it; this year, I wanted to stay and we couldn’t.”

PSG appears the most likely next destination for Messi and while he confirmed that joining the French giants was a possibility, he insisted nothing was yet agreed.

He said: “That’s honestly one possibility, to reach those heights, but I’ve got nothing confirmed with anybody.

“When the press release was published, I had a lot of calls and a lot of clubs were interested.

“At the moment, I’ve not got anything closed, but we are talking about a lot of things.”

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CANADA WIN WOMEN’S OLYMPIC FOOTBALL GOLD AFTER DRAMATIC PENALTY SHOOT OUT AGAINST SWEDEN

Canada have won gold in the women’s Olympic soccer tournament after a 3-2 sudden death penalty shootout win against Sweden, following a 1-1 draw at the end of extra-time.

Stina Blackstenius put Sweden ahead in the first half before Jessie Fleming equalized with her second penalty of the tournament.

Sweden started the stronger of the two sides, controlling the ball and peppering the Canadian goal with shots.

Some lovely link-up play between Kosovare Asllani and Blackstenius saw Peter Gerhardsson’s side break the deadlock on 34 minutes.

The European team went into the break looking confident but Canada came out in the second half with renewed energy.

Their tenacity was rewarded on 64 minutes when Amanda Ilestedt brought Christine Sinclair down in the penalty area.

Initially the referee waved away the challenge but after a lengthy VAR review she awarded the spot-kick.

Fleming, who had scored a penalty against the United States women’s national team in the semifinal, was handed the ball by Sinclair and sent Hedvig Lindahl in the wrong direction to bring the sides equal.

With the match ending 1-1 after 90 minutes, the game went to extra-time and then penalties.

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OLYMPICS 2020: MEXICO BEAT JAPAN TO CLAIM FOOTBALL BRONZE MEDAL

Mexico eased to the bronze medal in the men’s Olympic football tournament with a 3-1 victory over hosts Japan at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama on Friday.

First-half goals from Francisco Cordova and Johan Vasquez put El Tri in control and Alexis Vega added a third after the break before Kaoru Mitoma got a late consolation in a repeat of the 1968 bronze medal match, which Japan won in Mexico City.

Mexico, beaten on penalties by Brazil in their semifinal, were ahead within 13 minutes after Vega was fouled by Wataru Endo. Following a VAR review, the penalty decision was upheld and Cordova sent Japan goalkeeper Kosei Tani the wrong way to open the scoring.

Cordova then turned provider as his free kicks led to headed goals from Vasquez, on 22 minutes, and, on 58 minutes, Vega to put Mexico in total control.

Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa pulled off a stunning stop to Mitoma pulling a goal back on 75 minutes as Japan piled on the pressure but the Kawasaki Frontale striker eventually did find the back of the net with an emphatic strike three minutes later.

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PSG CONFIDENT IN SIGNING LIONEL MESSI, HOPE TO COMPLETE DEAL WITHIN THE WEEK

Paris St Germain are confident signing Lionel Messi would be profitable in the long run and hope to complete a deal within a week, the PA news agency understands.

Barcelona announced on Thursday night that the Argentina superstar would be leaving the Nou Camp, with financial restrictions preventing them from offering him a new contract.

LaLiga has a salary cap, calculated based on a club’s financial health, which was reduced in November in the wake of the financial pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and Barca have been hit hard.

PSG were understood to initially be of the view that a deal could not be done when the announcement came, but sources close to the matter say a direct approach from Messi to PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino later on Thursday changed the dynamic.

Overnight the French club undertook a commercial analysis and determined that signing Messi would work within the confines of Financial Fair Play rules.

The personal connection between Messi and fellow Argentinian Pochettino and the fact the deal is a free transfer are both factors in PSG pursuing the deal.

They believe Messi’s signing would drive up their commercial revenues, both in Europe and in South America should he link up with Brazilian star Neymar.

The French club had been in contact with Barcelona earlier in the summer regarding Messi but thought the chance to sign him had passed when it was indicated he would be staying in Catalonia.

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RAPINOE, LLOYD SCORE BRACE AS USWNT WINS OLYMPIC FOOTBALL BRONZE VS AUSTRALIA

The United States women’s national team beat Australia 4-3 to win the Olympic bronze-medal match Thursday, with Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd both scoring braces.

It was a record-breaking evening for Lloyd, who became the USWNT’s top scorer in Olympics history with 10 goals and its second-most-capped player of all time, after Kristine Lilly, with 312 appearances.

Sam Kerr also became the Matildas’ all-time top scorer with her first-half strike, while Caitlin Foord added a second for Australia.

Emily Gielnik scored in the final moments of the game to set up a tense finish.

The seven-goal thriller was a marked difference to the group-stage game between the two, which ended 0-0.

Rapinoe — who said during the week she was “gutted” not to be competing for the gold medal — opened the scoring after eight minutes with an Olimpico goal.

Kerr pulled one back to bring the game level on 17 minutes. Foord found the Chelsea star in plenty of space, and while USWNT goalkeeper Adrianna Franch did get a touch on the ball, it wasn’t enough as it slid under her and into the goal.

Rapinoe added her second on 21 minutes after Australia defender Alanna Kennedy failed to clear the ball in the box and instead handed it straight to Rapinoe, who volleyed the ball perfectly into the back of Teagan Micah’s net.

Lloyd scored her first goal at the end of the first half with an assist from Lindsey Horan and completed her brace on 51 minutes after another mix-up from Kennedy.

It looked like the USWNT was going to dominate for the rest of the second half, but Foord headed home for Australia on 54 minutes after a cross from Kyah Simon to keep Vlatko Andonovski’s side on its toes.

Lloyd could have had a hat trick 20 minutes from the end of the match but was called offside, the 10th time the USWNT have been found offside in this tournament.

Gielnik’s superb strike on 89 minutes gave the Matildas a final chance to draw the game level, but they were unable to find an equalizer.

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TOTTENHAM TO SIGN SERIE A DEFENDER OF THE YEAR CRISTIAN ROMERO FOR 55M

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to confirm the €55 million ($65m) signing of Atalanta defender Cristian Romero within the next 48 hours, sources have revealed.

The 23-year-old underwent the final part of his medical on Thursday and assuming no complications, he is then expected to fly to London to finalise the paperwork.

Spurs have agreed a deal believed to worth €50m with €5m in add-ons in a transfer that will rank as the second most expensive in the club’s history after Tanguy Ndombele’s €60m ($71m) arrival from Lyon in July 2019.

It would also be the third signing of new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure after goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini arrived on loan also from Atalanta and Bryan Gil joined the club from Sevilla in a move which saw Erik Lamela travel in the opposite direction.

Spurs’ pursuit of Romero is believed to have been influenced by the club’s managing director of football, Fabio Paratici. The centre-back was named Serie A’s Defender of the Year last year during a campaign in which he made 42 appearances across all competitions as Atalanta finished third and lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus.

Romero joined Atalanta on a two-year loan from Juventus at the start of the 2020-21 season with the option to make the deal permanent for €16m ($19m), payable in three instalments.

Spurs were keen on signing a centre-back throughout last season and with former boss Jose Mourinho identifying Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar as his preferred target. However, the clubs could not agree a fee and the arrivals of Nuno and Paratici have seen Tottenham shift their focus elsewhere.

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JACK GREALISH COMPLETES MANCHESTER CITY MOVE ON SIX YEAR DEAL

Manchester City have announced the signing of Jack Grealish on a six-year deal from Aston Villa.

Grealish (25) leaves Villa having made 213 appearances over the course of eight seasons, scoring 32 goals.

The Premier League champions had been heavily linked with England midfielder Grealish all summer, with a reported £100 million British record deal agreed.

City confirmed Grealish will wear the number 10 shirt, which was recently vacated by the departure of long-serving striker Sergio Aguero.

“I am incredibly happy to have joined Manchester City. City are the best team in the country with a manager considered to be the best in the world – it’s a dream come true to be part of this club,” Grealish said on www.mancity.com.

“Over the past 10 seasons, they have won major trophies consistently. Pep [Guardiola] coming here has taken them to the next level and the football this team plays is the most exciting in Europe.

“To play for Pep and learn from him is going to be special and it’s something any top footballer would want.

“The facilities are amazing, and I honestly can’t wait to get started, meet everyone and get playing.”

City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain hailed Grealish as “an incredible talent”.

Begiristain said: “Jack’s development over the past few seasons both for club and country has been plain for everybody to see. His natural talent together with his commitment to improve as a player, has seen him become one of the most exciting attacking players in world football today.

“I am certain that the fans are going to love seeing him in our team. Pep loves the way he plays, and we all feel he is an ideal fit for Manchester City.

“Our style and his style are a perfect match. I’m excited to watch him over the coming years.”

Grealish, who had four years remaining on his Villa contract, developed into one of English football’s hottest properties.

The midfielder scored six goals in the Premier League last season, also providing 10 assists, and went on to help England reach the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.

Birmingham-born Grealish admitted it was not an easy decision to leave his boyhood club.

“It was obviously a difficult few months because I have been an Aston Villa fan for my whole life,” he said.

“But when I spoke to the manager here and you see what type of players they have got here, in the end it was something I couldn’t say no to. I am absolutely delighted to be here.”

Grealish revealed the chance to play Champions League football next season and to push for top club honours were key to moving to City this summer.

“There are obviously a lot of reasons why I decided to come here. The manager has been a massive factor; playing under the best manager in the world was something I couldn’t really turn down, (and) obviously the players that we have got here,” Grealish said.

“Competing for major trophies is something that I wanted to do. It was something I couldn’t turn down. Let’s hope it is a successful one.”

Grealish feels he can earn his place in Guardiola’s starting XI.

“It is something that I thrive off and I think everyone needs to be kept on their toes for competition for places,” the midfielder said.

“There is so much talent here and I just cannot wait to get in and amongst it and speak with these guys.

“I still think I am young, I am only 25, so I can still learn from all these people.

“I can’t wait to do that, to play and train with them and just be in and around them.

“You can learn from these people and I cannot wait to get started and to get playing.”

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SKY SPORTS WINS EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO SHOE BUNDESLIGA GAMES IN IRELAND

Sky Sports has won the exclusive rights to show the Bundesliga in the UK and Ireland for the next four seasons.

As the home of German top-flight football, they said fans will be able to tune in to watch superstars including Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland and 30-time Bundesliga champions FC Bayern München as they challenge for domestic glory from the 2021/22 to 2024/25 seasons.

Sky Sports’ coverage of the league will begin at 7.30pm on Friday, August 13th with champions FC Bayern München travelling to Borussia Mönchengladbach, before eight time league winners Borussia Dortmund take on Eintracht Frankfurt on the Saturday, with kick off at 5.30pm.

In addition to the Bundesliga, Sky Sports will also broadcast the German Supercup live, with Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München going head-to-head on, August 17th at Signal Iduna Park.

Sky said the premium fixture of each weekend will be shown live every Saturday at 5.30pm on Sky Sports Football, with further matches broadcast via Sky Sports linear or digital channels including Sky Sports YouTube.

They said the deal widens the Sky – Bundesliga partnership, with deals in place across the Sky Group in UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany (including German language rights in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and South Tyrol) and Austria.

Speaking about the partnership, Sky Sports managing Director Jonathan Licht said: “We’re delighted to have acquired the rights to the Bundesliga. Sky Sports customers will have the opportunity to watch some of the best players in the world as well as some of the leading teams in Europe.”

Meanwhile, Bundesliga International chief executive Robert Klein added: “This is a partnership that will deliver the best of the Bundesliga week-in, week-out, through world-class production and multi-platform coverage.

“With Sky as our partner, Bundesliga fans will benefit from a first-class football viewing experience. This, paired with the Bundesliga’s trademark attacking style of football, means that fans can expect an action-packed season, featuring some of the world’s best players and the most exciting up-and-coming talent.”