England booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in Miami, but it was far from straightforward.

Stale Solbakken’s side led through Andreas Schjelderup’s early strike and will rue Alexander Sorloth’s decision not to play the ball to Erling Haaland in a glorious two-on-one soon after.

Jude Bellingham dragged Thomas Tuchel’s men level just before the break, and Norway saw a second goal chalked off by VAR when Haaland was penalised for pushing Elliot Anderson ahead of Torbjorn Heggem’s effort. England survived a testing second half before Bellingham struck again in extra-time, pouncing on a mistake from goalkeeper Orjan Nyland to send the Three Lions through.

Norwegian Outlets Fume Over Camera Wire Controversy

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VG, Norway’s biggest newspaper, were adamant Nyland’s goal-kick was interfered with before Bellingham’s equaliser, reporting that the Norwegian camp believes Orjan Nyland’s shot from goal was stopped by a camera wire before England equalised, adding:

NRK echoed the fury, insisting the officials should have intervened: “The Norwegian team was furious after England tied the game 1–1. Before the goal, Orjan hits the camera wire across the field, so the ball is shorter than it should have been. The referees should have looked into that. If it turns out that the ball hit the cable, we are in for the refereeing scandal of the ages.”

Dagbladet Praise Solbakken’s Side Despite Exit

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Not every outlet dwelled on the controversy. Dagbladet instead focused on the mood back home, writing: “Snipp, snipp, snoot… last night the World Cup adventure was over for Norway. England won 2-1 in the quarter-finals. But rarely have Norwegian players been more cheerful after a loss. The World Cup ended up as a huge, Norwegian party.”

The paper noted that Solbakken’s squad will be honoured at Oslo’s Castle Square in the coming days, crediting the manager with uniting the nation “in a way no one else has done before.”

The ever-controversial Conor McGregor has received an immediate medical suspension following his 69-second loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

‘The Notorious’ was competing in his first bout for more than five years, having last fought when he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

From the outset, former two-division world champion McGregor made it clear that his comeback wasn’t about titles or money. Instead, he was adamant that his return was about proving something to himself and inspiring his children.

The charismatic 37-year-old was in rare form on the microphone in the days leading up to the fight, telling his fans: “The Mac is back!”

However, anyone expecting a vintage McGregor performance was soon given a sudden jolt of reality as the Irish superstar injured himself with the very first strike he threw in the contest.

Conor McGregor Suffered A Devastating Injury at UFC 329

McGregor began the fight aggressively, leaping in with a jumping roundhouse kick in an effort to put Holloway on the back foot. The daring move, though, essentially cost Conor all chance in the bout.

Landing awkwardly on his right leg after throwing the kick, McGregor immediately suffered an injury that left him unable to stand. The biggest star in UFC history showed amazing heart to try and continue, but simply couldn’t keep his footing, slipping to the mat every time he attempted to deliver a blow.

Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

To his credit, Holloway bellowed at the referee to try and let him know what had happened. After a brief hesitation, official Mike Beltran waved the contest off, with Max taking the victory.

McGregor was so devastated afterwards that he limped straight out of the arena. For the first time in his UFC career, he failed to give a post-fight interview, and he even reportedly refused to use a set of crutches when he arrived backstage.

While he didn’t make any comment at the arena, McGregor did take to social media late on Saturday evening, where he expressed his mood as being “beyond dark” following the bitter disappointment of his loss.

Following Saturday’s bout, McGregor now has just one more fight remaining on his current UFC deal. It remains to be seen if he will take up that option, although he seemed adamant that he would see the contract through just a few days ago.

However, if Conor does decide to fight on, he won’t be doing so any time soon. No firm update has emerged regarding the fighter’s leg injury, but we do know that the polarising star is now under a suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

UFC 329 Suspensions Explained

Credit: Mark J. Rebilas via Imagn Images

The commission, which oversees all relegated combat sports activities in Las Vegas, requires all participants to serve a minimum suspension of one week. This means that even victorious fighters on the UFC 329 card such as Holloway and Paddy Pimblett must sit on the sidelines as a precaution for seven days before returning to training.

In cases where a fighter has fallen to a TKO loss or suffered “significant damage” they are likely to be subject to a far longer ban. Given the relatively serious-looking nature of McGregor’s injury, he is facing a maximum of 180 days out of action and is likely to only be allowed to resume full contact training when cleared by a physician.

McGregor, who turns 38 next week, must now take some time to consider his future. On the basis that his body broke down within seconds of the start of his comeback fight, many observers would like to see the UFC legend hang up his gloves for good.

No matter what he decides, though, he faces an extended spell on the sidelines after one of the toughest nights of his professional life in Sin City.

Arsenal are expected to intensify their efforts to sign Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in the coming days, as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield department ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Gunners are yet to get going in the transfer market, with a permanent deal for Piero Hincapie and a move for back-up goalkeeper Illan Meslier the only deals that have developed thus far. However, with the World Cup now in its latter stages, sporting director Andrea Berta is expected to accelerate transfer proceedings in the coming weeks.

An improved offer for Guimaraes, repeatedly called ‘magnificent’ by Alan Shearer in the past, is reportedly set to be lodged, although Newcastle are said to be holding out for upwards of £90million for their talisman. Whether the Gunners are willing to reach this figure remains to be seen, although the Brazilian’s purported desire to swap the north-east for North London could see him agitate for a move – he’s already made it clear he wants to join Arsenal – which would set the deal in motion.

With that said, GIVEMESPORT has taken a look at the winners and losers of Guimaraes’ prospective move to Arsenal.

Winners from Arsenal Signing Bruno Guimaraes

Declan Rice

Arsenal were not able to give Declan Rice regular rests last season. The England international played well over 4,000 minutes across all competitions, and this has resulted in him reportedly playing through back and hamstring issues throughout the World Cup.

The reason why Arteta likely felt this was unavoidable is that the Gunners cannot cope without Rice. The 27-year-old is essential to everything the North London outfit do in midfield, from their ball progression to their ability to prevent transitions to crashing the box and getting on the end of moves.

With Guimaraes at the Spanish manager’s disposal, he’d all of a sudden have a viable alternative to Rice who can do almost everything across every area of the pitch. This would give Rice some respite, allowing the Englishman to recover from his niggling injuries and be used more sporadically.

Martin Odegaard

Martin Odegaard has faced plenty of criticism over the past two seasons, with many Arsenal supporters frustrated by his reduced output in the final third. While he remains integral to the Gunners’ build-up play and continues to set the tone with his pressing, a decline in goals and assists has inevitably affected how his performances are perceived.

Guimaraes could ease some of that creative burden. The Newcastle captain registered nine goals and seven assists in all competitions last season, consistently making decisive contributions in advanced areas. Whether it’s arriving late in the box, threading a killer pass or putting the finishing touch on a flowing move, Guimaraes has a habit of influencing matches where it matters most.

Having another midfielder capable of producing those numbers would allow Odegaard to play more to his strengths. Rather than feeling the weight of having to provide the decisive moment in and around the penalty area, the Norwegian could focus on dictating play, linking attacks and leading Arsenal’s press—qualities that remain central to his value to the team.

Eberechi Eze

If Guimaraes arrives in North London, he’s likely to form a midfield trio with Rice and one of Odegaard or Eberechi Eze. Regardless of who the third man is, the advanced player is likely to benefit from Guimaraes’ arrival, but for different reasons.

While for Odegaard it’s about reducing his need to impact the game in the final third, for Eze it’s the opposite. The bulk of the criticism aimed at Eze last season was that he wasn’t able to drop deep and progress the ball, while his pressing was often unsynchronised with the rest of the team.

The former Crystal Palace man was largely playing instead of Odegaard, and the Arsenal captain’s primary attributes were missed. However, Guimaraes is capable of taking the ball progression mantle when Odegaard isn’t available, allowing Eze to focus on what he does best — making decisive contributions in the final third.

In turn, Eze’s output should improve, while he can be appreciated for the aspects of his game that make him so effective.

Losers from Arsenal Signing Bruno Guimaraes

Martin Zubimendi

Via Reuters

Arsenal signed Martin Zubimendi for in excess of £50million last summer to provide Rice with a new long-term midfield partner following the departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho. Zubimendi excelled in the first half of last season, but struggled in the latter stages after being overburdened with minutes.

It appears this underwhelming late form may have cost the Spaniard his status as the undisputed Rice partner in the middle of the park for the Gunners. Berta is moving aggressively to secure a new midfielder this summer, and a player of Guimaraes’ pedigree wouldn’t go to Arsenal to sit on the bench.

While there wouldn’t be a shortage of minutes for Zubimendi with the new man in the mix, his prominence would certainly take a hit.

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Myles Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a late resurgence in the Arsenal team last season, replacing the fatigued Zubimendi and seemingly rediscovering himself as a midfielder. He’d no doubt have believed this form would’ve done enough to convince Arteta to invest more time in him in this position moving forward.

However, Guimaraes’ potential arrival raises questions on this front. With the Brazil international, Rice and Zubimendi all on Arsenal’s books, it’s uncertain how many minutes will be made available for Lewis-Skelly to continue to adequately develop in this new role.

This signing may even push the Hale End graduate out the door on a temporary basis.

Mikel Merino

Like Zubimendi and Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino’s role in Arsenal’s squad will be thrown into doubt by the potential acquisition of Guimaraes. After being unavailable in the back half of last season due to injury, the Spain international was already facing an uphill battle to re-establish himself in Arteta’s squad.

Again, due to the number of competitions Arsenal are in, there should be minutes to go around for all of these players. However, Merino’s days as a key player at the Emirates would surely be numbered, with his profile no longer necessary in a squad that has everything you could ask for in a midfield department.