Tuchel wants an England ‘brotherhood’ as Rashford and Henderson return: football – live
Key events
Everton: With one senior cap to his name, Jarrad Brantwaithe had high hopes of being included in Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad but has had to settle for a call-up to Lee Carsley’s Under-21s instead. His omission from the seniors was raised at David Moyes’ presser ahead of Everton’s match against West Ham tomorrow.
“I don’t pick the England squad, so I can only say if you’re looking at the last six or seven weeks Jarrad Branthwaite would be up there playing as well as any English centre-half in the country,” he said. “But the big thing he needs to do? Go and play for England Under-21s and be the best player again, and then he gets selected again.
“That’s the instructions I’ve been giving him – go and show what you can do for the 21s and Lee Carsley will pass good information back to the manager and hopefully it will get you back in. He doesn’t need picking up because he’s a young centre-half at the moment. You’ve got to learn your trade, keep improving, and I told him go and play really well for the Under-21s and show Thomas he should have taken you into the squad.”
Everton are currently 15th in the table, 16 points clear of the relegation zone after going unbeaten in the last eight games and losing only once since Moyes returned in January. West Ham, the club he left last summer, are once place behind having also made a managerial change in January when they appointed Graham Potter.
Sunderland: The Championship club have revealed their players will be sporting a special crest this weekend to put the global spotlight on Green Football’s Great Save initiative. The club’s iconic coastal crest will be altered to demonstrate the potential impact of rising sea levels.
“Since 1880, global average sea levels have risen 21–24 centimetres and predictions estimate that parts of the English coastline could be submerged by 2050, including the iconic Roker Pier and Sunderland Marina,” announced the club.
“The highest temperature in any year since 1850 was recorded in 2024 (Met Office) and the speed at which the temperature is increasing is having devastating impacts on our planet, including heatwaves, flooding, droughts, wildfires, rising sea levels, and health risks.”
Thomas Tuchel: Having been roundly criticised by certain sections of the English media for apparently neglecting his duties as England manager before he had actually started the job, it was no great surpise that Thomas Tuchel had to face questions this morning about his work-life balance.
The former Chelsea head coach has faced brickbats for his decision to skip certain Premier League fixtures across the first 10 weeks of his new job, but when the subject was raised at his press conference, he cut a relaxed figure.
“I think you confuse the time a little bit between October [when he got the job] and January [when he started the job],” he explained. “I was many times in Germany and enjoyed my time off because I was not on the job. Since I’m actually on the job, I am based in London, I spend many, many days regularly in St George’s Park.
“We watched, I think, almost 25 matches live to see every player at least once in the stadium, so it was a lot of travelling. And yes, you’re right, from time to time I was in Germany to see my children, but the majority of the time I was here in London, so I don’t really get the point of the story.”
Us neither but get used to it, Thomas. Get used to it.
Fabian Hurzeler: “Honestly, I love pressure”
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler has been attending to his media duties ahead of his side’s visit to Manchester City tomorrow on the back of six consecutive wins in the Premier League and FA Cup. Brighton currently sit ixth in the table but will overtake Newcastle and Manchester City and go fifth if they win tomorrow.
“Honestly, I love pressure,” said Hurzeler. “So, I always find a way to deal with it. I never feel pressure from the owner or from outside [influences] because I put it on myself. In the end, the biggest pressure I put on myself because I’m the most demanding person.
“I want the best for the club, which is success. We do this by our daily behaviour, pushing our limits every day and getting the best out of the group. And then we will see where we end in our season.”
While Matt O’Riley and Joel Veltman are both out injured, Hurzeler said his captain Lewis Dunk is “getting closer” and should be available after the international break. Tariq Lamptey is available for tomorrow’s game after serving a suspension.
Leicester City: Second from bottom of the table, six points from safety and going into their game against Manchester United on Sunday night on the back of 12 defeats from their last 13 league games, it would be fair to say that things are looking bleak for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side but the Dutchman did his best to sound upbeat ahead of the game at the King Power Stadium.
“We showed against Chelsea, we showed up, we were there,” he said. “I think if you saw us playing and you don’t know any context, then you would see a team and say, ‘OK, this is a proper team’. A positive result would do us really good. That is really clear, it’s what we’re working for and what we took from the Chelsea game.
“It’s what we’ve worked on this week to develop the structures we’ve put in place. We were able to build on that and bring it into Sunday’s game. With the [international] break, it would give a good boost to get a positive result.”
Chelsea: Enzo Maresca takes his side to the Emirates on Sunday and says his team are capable of hurting Arsenal on the break if forced to break from the rigid, plodding tactics that have prompted audible frustration from supporters during recent games.
Maresca has repeatedly said he will substitute players who do not adhere to his style, even as fans havevoiced their displeasure with the way their team are playing. Ahead of the meeting with second-place Arsenal, he admitted his side could be forced to be flexible.
“The intention will be that [to control the ball],” he said. “Our plan is to control the game but it’s a team that is going to press high and try to be aggressive, and probably we will have more space to attack in behind.”
Robert Sanchez is set to start in goal after winning his place back for the win over Leicester. He had previously missed four league games in a row following a series of errors, but after understudy Filip Jorgensen played against Copenhagen, Maresca said Sanchez is his pick for the Arsenal game. “I think Robert needed some days off or at least rest mentally,” said Maresca. “He’s back and hopefully we are not going to change until the end [of the season].”
Newcastle United: Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has been flapping his gums ahead of Sunday’s showdown and saying all the right things. “It is a good opportunity,” he said of the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool. “We feel the same as them, we just want to make the fans happy.
“We know football sometimes can affect you in every way but my message is to stay positive. We are going to do our best to get this trophy back to the city. Hopefully we can go there and play our best football because on our best day I think we are really a great team.”
Ed Aarons
Arsenal: Mikel Arteta believes that Myles Lewis-Skelly’s England call-up at the age of 18 can be an inspiration for other young players in Arsenal’s academy.
Lewis-Skelly has played at various youth levels for England but has been fast-tracked to Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad after establishing himself as Arsenal’s first-choice left-back this season.
“We were all really, really happy because it’s a really nice story and a story that gives a lot of hope to a lot of young players and that in six or seven months your career can change dramatically, drastically for the good,” said Arteta. “It’s something for people to be inspired. I think it hasn’t happened because he was lucky. I think he pushed for every chance to happen and the way he’s done it.”
Ethan Nwaneri is part of Lee Carsley’s Under -21s squad despite his impressive displays for Arsenal and Arteta believes it is important to allow them to develop independently.
“I think they have a very similar pathway because obviously they’ve played so many years together, but after that they’re going to have different moments and each career will be unique and individual for them and they’re going to have to earn it,” he said.
“What one does is not going to reflect or affect the other one in a positive or negative way, so that needs to be totally independent. It’s great, it’s a luxury to have someone that you spend so much time, trust and love next to you on that journey. Use it in that way, that’s it. And the rest, throw it away.”
Brighton: The rank outsider Poniros (100-1) won the opening race at Cheltenham this afternoon and is owned by the professional gambler Tony Bloom, who also numbers highflying Brighton & Hove Albion among his portfolio of sporting interests.
Whether or not it’s a portent of things to come when Bloom’s football club visit Manchester City tomorrow remains to be seen, but a Brighton win over Pep Guardiola’s side would be nothing like the seismic shock pulled off by the four-year-old who won on his first trip over hurdles less than an hour ago.
Willie Mullins, who trains Poniros, looked as shocked as anyone by his charge’s victory and the conspicuous absence of Bloom from the prize presentation ceremony suggests he wasn’t expecting it to win either and probably hadn’t put his 50p each way on the horse either. “If he backed it it wasn’t on my advice,” said a genuinely gobsmacked Mullins.
The Guardian’s racing correspondent Greg Wood, who is obviously at Cheltenham, is a Brighton season ticket-holder, so it will be interesting to learn if he had a few pence on plucky little Poniros. My educated guess is that he almost certainly did not.
Barry’s back so that’s me done. Over to you Barry.
An email from Peter arrives, entitled: “It’s… fine”.
“Why the hyperventilation? There are some sound reasons for calling up Henderson, which Tuchel explained clearly. And it may well be that he’s just picked for this squad to ease Tuchel’s transition to the job. Others will get their chance. Henderson’s selection may be a surprise, but I really don’t quite get why people are bursting blood vessels over it.”
If he’s picked Henderson planning to dump him again after these matches or at some point soon, that would seem pretty bizarre, given the limited amount of time he has to build a team for the World Cup. We shall see but it’s natural that it’s being questioned.
Vitor Pereira is having a chat. His Wolves team are away to rock-bottom Southampton tomorrow.
“Having a fully fit squad is important,” he agrees with a questioner.
Good. (Matheus Cunha is suspended, but other than that, Wolves are said to have a fully fit panel.)
Next question: How big does this game against Southampton feel?
I can answer that. It’s massive. But here is what Pereira said, which in fairness, is the main thing:
“We must realise they are fighting for the same target as us, to be in the Premier League next season. They played very well in the first half against Liverpool. They have a good team, good players, and if they are consistent, they are a very good team.
“The Premier League is about being consistent. If we forget to play the first five minutes, as happened against Fulham, they punish you with goals. This is what a team must be in this league. From the first minute until the end. You cannot play a good match today and a bad match tomorrow. We must increase our level. Looking for our game, our game model … and increasing, increasing, increasing. To not concede goals. Increasing the set pieces … appear on the box, creating movements in space … finishing the plays … these are things we need to improve every day.”
Sorted, thanks Vitor.
“You need lots of help with recruitment,” Moyes says of the structure at Everton. “It’s not like the old days, popping in and watching Leighton Baines play for Wigan. You need lots of help from your scouts.”
David Moyes of Everton, Premier League manager of the month for February, is having a chat before tomorrow’s match against West Ham.
The Bayer Leverkusen coach, Xabi Alonso, said their league game at VfB Stuttgart on Sunday was a much-needed challenge after the midweek Champions League exit against Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen lost 2-0 at home to Bayern on Tuesday for a 5-0 aggregate defeat in the last 16. They also suffered a shock home loss to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga last week to make it three defeats in a row across all competitions.
“It is good that this game is now but it is also a hard match,” Alonso told a press conference. “We have to be professionals and take it game by game. Stuttgart are one of the best teams in Germany. They are ready to deliver a tough game,” Alonso said of last year’s Bundesliga runners-up.
“In this situation after the Champions League exit the goal is clear and the focus is on the Bundesliga and to win as many matches as possible, and of course the Cup.”
Last season’s domestic double winners Leverkusen are currently in second place in the Bundesliga, eight points behind Bayern.
If you missed it: Bruno Fernandes didn’t like Jim Ratcliffe’s disparaging comments about some of the players in the Manchester United squad.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things obviously,” he said. “I don’t think any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about; that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever. Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to the contracts at the time you come here, or at the time you do a new contract, and it’s about proving that you can be important for the club.”
That was after Fernandes knocked in a hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the Europa League last night. A very dynamic, upbeat performance from Ruben Amorim’s side, by the way.
For the record, Jordan Henderson will turn 36 six days after the tournament in the US begins. I can just picture him now, getting hopelessly overrun in the middle of the park in a group-stage showdown against Uruguay.
(If Tuchel isn’t planning to take Henderson to the tournament, clearly he wouldn’t have involved him now?)
A handy recap on telly just then of some key thoughts from Tuchel:
“The Premier League is a very physical league, a demanding league, a direct league … we should not copy other styles too much. It [England’s playing style] should reflect the values of the best league in the world … A direct style, an attacking style.”
But a key question (as mentioned below) will that be possible in the stinking heat of the USA?
“Can we cross that bridge when we are at the river? It’s already now in our discussions. Conditions will be very, very challenging [in the USA in 2026].”
“Wharton is just coming back from a long term injury and only just had his first almost full game last weekend,” emails Mark of the Crystal Palace midfield general. “We know that he’s good enough for the main squad so I really don’t see what a Under-21 call up accomplishes?”
Agreed. Henderson over Wharton is a bit BazBall. Or is it anti-Bazball? It looks strange anyway.
Arsenal v Chelsea kicks off at 1.30pm on Sunday. Firstly and quite naturally, there are some England questions.
Myles Lewis-Skelly has been called up by Thomas Tuchel. “Proud,” says Mikel Arteta. “Very proud. Huge moment for him. For the club as well. One of our graduates getting a call up. Very happy.
“Thomas is a top coach. I know a few people around him and the set up. I know they will do the right thing with him.
Also is seems like Ben White is back in the England reckoning: “I heard there have been some positive concversations … it’ll be about timing, with how long he has been our injured.
Nwaneri is in the England frame too. Personal pride? “Yeah I think we all do [feel proud]. We’re involved in the development. It’s one of the proudest things you can achieve as a footballer. Being part of that is great.
“The English core [in the squad] is important. We are an English club. To have that DNA … very proud of it,”
How is Bukayo Saka doing? He’s getting closer, he’s stepping up and making progress. We’ll see how quickly he can get involved.”
Looking ahead to Real Madrid in the Champions League, the first leg of their quarter-final is on 8 April: “A fascinating draw. You’re going to play against a club with the biggest history in the competition. Excited. But before that, we have to play in the Premier League.
It’s Chelsea at lunchtime on Sunday for “The Arsenal”: “It will be a difficult game,” Arteta says. “The way they have developed, and the work Enzo Maresa is doing, is impressive … we have to be at our best.”
How does Arteta keep himself in the right mental state? “Day by day, surround yourself with the right people. After that … unpredictability is a big factor in this industry. For sure things will happen that you have to adapt.”
How can Ben White help Arsenal for the rest of the season? “Very much. He’s been involved for two weeks almost. Ben is a really important player for us. Thrilled to have him.
Back to that British core in the squad: “It attaches people to the club. It makes them proud, people want to see English players driving the club … Hopefully there are many more [internationals being developed at Arsenal.] Time will tell. They have to really earn it to play at this level.”
Mikel Arteta will be up before the world’s media soon. Here he is!
Anyone else reckon Tuchel should go the whole hog and call up Jake Cooper of Millwall to play alongside Dan Burn? A centre back pairing with 12ft 11in between them: 6ft 4in (Cooper) and 6ft 7in (Burn). Maybe play a back three with Marc Guéhi and that’s all the options covered.
“As a Forest fan, I’m delighted that Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi have been ignored by Thomas Tuchel,” writes Jim. “It means they get a rest and Nuno can work with them for another couple of weeks. In that respect, it’s a bit of a shame that Elliot Anderson has made the U21s squad.
“There is an England friendly at the City Ground in June though – no doubt the FA’s money men will want at least one Forest player in the squad for that game to help the attendance. Cynical? Me?”
An email, entitled “Bring it home”, has arrived from Paul.
“Maybe, you might consider that the remark is ironic and possibly humorous as it was asked by a German TV company to a German. A case of teutonic humour, methinks.”
I’m all about the humour Paul. And yes, maybe you are right. Although I think it’s more likely that our friends in the German media know how ludicrous the whole “It’s Coming Home” thing is – and are more than happy to perpetuate it on that basis. German fans adopted the song after they won Euro 96 too, of course.
Sophie Downey
What happens when a leader departs a sporting dynasty? How can the transfer of power cause as little disruption to the team as possible? History has all too often illustrated that it is a far from easy adjustment; that it will take a little time to regroup and recalibrate.
For Chelsea, however, the transition from Emma Hayes’s decade-long reign to new beginnings under Sonia Bompastor appears to have caused barely a ripple.
Are Brighton an example of the improvement in the Premier League’s “middle class”?
“Absolutely, yes,” says Guardiola.
And that concludes the non-embargoed section of Guardiola’s media duties today.
Pep Guardiola is having a chat now before Manchester City v Brighton at 3pm tomorrow. He is asked a quite odd question first up about what the club means to him.
“It’s not just a club. The area, the city … for many many years they are involved in many many things. In the toughest moments, in Covid times, this club showed amazing things for people in this city, the workers … and I’m part of that club, in good things and bad things. They are involved in that, I feel part [of it] …”
“I think Brighton is one of the best clubs on and off the pitch. It started with Graham Potter, then Roberto De Zerbi, now an incredible young manager … They are doing really well in the market, in the way they play … in the past there were many teams “in the middle” who have now made an incredible step up. That is the reality, it’s not a secret. They are in the position they are because they are doing really really good things.
“We have to reach the best possible level to qualify for Europe. We have to be consistent. We have 10 games left, six at home, four away. Brighton, Villa, Bournemouth – most of the games are really tough. We have to do it better. There are many teams with the same target [Europe] …
“Last week we missed a chance. We conceded a goal … I like to deserve the success, I like to deserve what we win. In that game [1-0 defeat against Forest] we didn’t deserve it.”
Fabio Capello recently called Guardiola arrogant, and claimed that he ‘had nearly ruined Italian football’ because of people copying his tactical style. Does he listen to things like that?
“I listen to everything that people say about me, so be careful … I am controlling you.” [Pep is joking.]
“It’s not the first time Fabio Capello said that. I’m not good enough to ruin Italian football. A big hug from Fabio. A big hug.”
The next question is about Jack Grealish, missing from Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad: “I want the best for him. His best. I cannot judge the reason why [England didn’t pick him]. I wish him all the best. The best for him, on the pitch and off the pitch.
“Is he showing the right levels in training?”
“Yes.”
Is the goalkeeper Ederson performing at the required level?
“He’s an incredible keeper. Incredible. These are my thoughts.”
And here is Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 selection, also via the magic of X.
Here’s a six-second video of Thomas Tuchel walking into this morning’s press conference and sitting down.
You know you love it.
Have you been paying attention? Have a crack at this week’s sports quiz of the week, courtesy Niall McVeigh and Paul Campbell:
Will Unwin
The Sunderland midfielder Nectarios Triantis, on loan at Hibernian, received his first Socceroos call-up for their World Cup qualifiers against Indonesia and China. He has attracted interest from Udinese, Bundesliga and Serie A in January. The Australian has impressed in the Scottish Premiership, scoring three and creating a further five goals, with Rangers and Celtic both tracking the 21-year-old.
Ed Aarons
James Maddison believes Tottenham are real contenders to win the Europa League and is hoping their victory over AZ Alkmaar can be the catalyst for Ange Postecoglou’s side to make it a “special season”.
Spurs overturned a 1-0 deficit from the first leg with a stirring 3-1 home victory over the Dutch side on Thursday to set up a quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt next month. Maddison was instrumental in the move that created Wilson Odobert’s winning goal, having earlier scored his 11th of the season to make it 2-0.
Premier League almost certain to have five teams in 2025-26 Champions League
Paul MacInnes
The Premier League is almost certain to have a fifth team in the Champions League next season, with the distinct possibility of a sixth too, after the completion of last-16 ties in European competition.
Progress for Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea, combined with the exit of Roma from the Europa League, means England is almost certain to claim one of two European performance spots (EPS) for Uefa’s elite competition next season.
One of the most impressive aspects of Tuchel’s performance was the tactful and reasonable way he refused to answer questions that he felt would give away too much information. Plenty of managers might have got a tiny bit flustered with the line of questioning taken by some of the journalists present. But Tuchel sailed through it. He said it was “surreal” to be England manager, I think meaning from the perspective of his own career path.
One of the best questions, I thought, was from Henry Winter, who asked how England will hope to impose a direct, hard-running Premier League style promised by Tuchel in the extreme heat of a World Cup in the US.
“Can we please cross that river when we reach the bridge,” I think Tuchel said in response, adding that they are of course thinking about how the team might play in different “climactic conditions.”
Thanks Barry, hello everyone, Luke here. What an impressively smooth showing that was from Thomas Tuchel speaking to the world’s media.
Less impressive, in my view, was ARD’s opening question: “Thomas, your job is to bring it home …”
Can we please stop with all that ‘It’s Coming home’ nonsense? Realistically I guess not.
What do you think of Tuchel’s selection? “>You can email me.
