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• Slegers maintains unbeaten Arsenal start with statement Juventus win

  Renee Slegers claimed the biggest win of her time as Arsenal's interim head coach as they beat Juventus 4-0 in the Women's Champions League on Tuesday. 

  Since taking over from Jonas Eidevall, Slegers has led the Gunners to four wins from her five games at the helm, though their most recent result was their most impressive.

  After seeing Alessia Russo and Emily Fox denied by smart stops from Pauline Peyraud-Magnin, the Gunners eventually made the breakthrough seven minutes from half-time. 

  A well-worked team move saw Caitlin Foord pick out Frida Maanum inside the box, with the Norwegian remaining calm and finishing into the far corner. 

  Fox again went close with an effort that crashed the crossbar, but Arsenal finally got their second when substitute Stina Blackstenius fired the ball home in the 75th minute.

  Mariona Caldentey, another substitute made by Slegers, grabbed the Gunners' third before Foord sealed a statement win at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora. 

  Heading into Tuesday's match, Arsenal were winless across their last three Champions League away matches (D1 L2), but were worthy winners in Italy this time around. 

  They accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 2.5 from their 17 shots, compared to Juventus' 1.06 from their 12 attempts during the contest. 

  In the other early kick-off taking place on Tuesday, Barcelona romped to a comfortable 7-0 victory over St. Polten, helped by a flurry of goals at the end of the first half. 

  With the game level after half an hour, Ewa Pajor opened the scoring in the 32nd minute after turning home Ona Batlle's cross at Carina Schluter's front post. 

  Kika Nazareth then doubled Barca's advantage six minutes later before Pajor notched her second of the game after being picked out by Ballon d'Or Feminin winner Aitana Bonmati. 

  Keira Walsh then curled a wonderful effort into the far corner from the edge of the box as Claudia Pina concluded the 13-minute onslaught on the stroke of half-time. 

  Barca notched their sixth from the spot after Kamila Dubcova brought down Batlle, with Pina sending Schluter the wrong way, before Caroline Hansen completed the scoring to move her side onto six points in Group D. 

• England-born Rhea Dixon ready to shine bright for Sunshine Girls in Vitality Netball Horizon Series

  To say that Sunshine Girl Rhea Dixon stands ready to make a powerful mark in the highly anticipated four-match Vitality Netball Horizon Series against England, would be a great understatement.

  In fact, the England-born goal attack, whose Jamaican roots trace back to her grandparents from St. Elizabeth, is not only brimming with confidence and excitement, but more importantly, feels a renewed sense of purpose heading into the series which she believes represents an incredible opportunity to make Jamaica proud.

  Dixon, who had an impactful debut for the Sunshine Girls at last year’s Fast5 Netball World Series, is ready to once again showcase her talent alongside her Sunshine Girls teammates.

  England will host the first two games scheduled for November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with Jamaica set to host the last two encounters on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Centre.

  

  “I’m very excited to be back with the Sunshine Girls this year. I’m so grateful that this opportunity has come around, and I’m ready to take it with both hands,” Dixon told SportsMax.Tv from the team’s base in Manchester, her enthusiasm unmistakable.

  This series, Dixon believes, is a chance to contribute to her team’s success while showcasing the growth and resilience that have defined her journey.

  While she admits that her netball journey has had its share of ups and downs, the 27-year-old considers singing the Jamaican national anthem with her teammates one of her proudest moments.

  “There have been plenty of highs and lows,” she reflected.

  “Winning the last two Netball Superleague championships (with Loughborough Lightning) and being named MVP in the final was a huge accomplishment, but nothing compares to representing Jamaica and sharing that connection with my team,” Dixon declared.

  

  But Dixon also knows well the sacrifices and challenges that come with professional sport, as she has endured setbacks, including a foot injury that saw her miss almost an entire season and also being overlooked by teams early in her career.

  Yet, Dixon, who represented England at the Under-21 level before switching allegiance to Jamaica, turned those hardships into fuel for her ambitions.

  “Injury and non-selection can feel like huge blows, but they make you stronger. These moments taught me resilience and have shaped who I am as an athlete. I’ve learned to keep pushing and to trust that hard work and dedication always yield results,” she reasoned.

  Though new to the longstanding rivalry between the two nations, Dixon is all-in, having been working hard individually over the summer to ensure she’s at peak performance to assist her number four-ranked Sunshine Girls teammates topple the now number two-ranked England and make a move up the rankings.

  “I’ve been working on my fitness and mental game throughout the break, so I feel strong both physically and mentally. As a team, we’ve been doing video analysis on England’s recent games to make sure we’re as prepared as possible,” Dixon shared.

  

  “These girls are never less motivated to win. They all want to win and will do whatever it takes to get there. So I really believe that we will come out on top; we have so much knowledge, skill and experience in this group, and they are all winners that will fight until the end,” she noted. 

  Beyond her ambitions to excel with the Sunshine Girls, Dixon is also focused on her continued development as an athlete.

  "I want to keep building my experience with this team, performing consistently on the international stage and bringing what I learn back to my play in England, and hopefully gaining some more silverware in the NSL,” Dixon who recently signed with Nottingham Forest Netball ended.

• Upamecano: Mbappe shown 'lack of gratitude' in latest France omission

  Dayot Upamecano believes a "lack of gratitude" has been shown towards France team-mate Kylian Mbappe after his latest omission from Les Blues' Nations League squad. 

  Mbappe was not included for France's upcoming fixtures against Israel and Italy as a "one off", according to Didier Deschamps. 

  The France captain also missed Les Bleus' last two matches, being rested despite his return to fitness in time for the October international break, with Mbappe coming under scrutiny for his absence.

  The 25-year-old played the duration of Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Osasuna at the weekend, but was unable to find the target for the fourth game in a row. 

  Mbappe has netted six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances since his move from Paris Saint-Germain, but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.

  He has also scored 48 goals in 86 outings for his nation, along with helping them claim the 2018 World Cup and 2020-21 Nations League title. 

  Despite the recent speculation about Mbappe's absence from the side, Upamecano leapt to the defence of his team-mate and is hopeful for a swift return to the France set-up.

  “Am I worried [about Mbappe]? No. You can’t forget what he’s done for the France national team. We lack a bit of gratitude towards him," Upamecano said. 

  "I hope to see him again quickly. You can’t forget that he is our captain."

  When asked if Mbappé’s absence could be due to physical or mental fatigue, Upamecano expressed understanding for his team-mate’s situation.

  “There are many games, and I mentioned this at the start of the season. We’re human, and mental well-being is a big factor for us.

  "I won’t go into details, but as I said, he’s our captain, and I hope he’ll be back with us soon. He’s very important to us.”