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• Southgate not planning on swift return to management

  Gareth Southgate will not be taking another management job within the next year, and he is unlikely to work with another national team.

  Southgate resigned as England manager following the Three Lions' 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024, bringing to an end an 11-year association with the FA.

  The 54-year-old was in charge of the senior team for eight years and, within that period, led them to the finals of both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, as well as the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup.

  In terms of tournament performance, he was the most successful England manager since Alf Ramsey, who led England to the 1966 World Cup – their only major honour.

  "Sometimes when you are in a big role you don't realise the weight until it's gone," Southgate told the European Club Association's general assembly, as reported by Reuters.

  "It is one of those jobs where everybody has an opinion."

  On life after the England job, Southgate was relaxed about where his next move would be. Despite that, he made it clear that he wasn’t going to take any coaching job in the near future.

  "I am enjoying my life, so there is no rush. For 11 years I committed fully to the national federation," he said.

  “I won't coach in the next year for sure. I am certain of that. When you come out of a big role you need to give your body time, your mind time."

  Southgate has, in recent times, been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United's decision-makers having reportedly considered him as a possible replacement for Erik ten Hag.

  While it is unclear how his self-enforced break from working will impact that, he confirmed that he would be open on a return to domestic football as long as the role was right.

  "Club football? Depending on what role that is," Southgate said.

  "I have been fortunate to have worked with fantastic players. You got to have excitement, passion to go to work every day.

  One thing it seems like Southgate will not do, meanwhile, is work with another national team.

  "It is unlikely to be another national federation. England was from the heart," he said

• Szczesny refuses to quit smoking after joining Barcelona

  Experienced goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has said that he will not quit smoking despite having gone back on his decision to retire from football to join Barcelona.

  With Marc-Andre ter Stegen having suffered a serious knee injury last month, which will keep him out for a long period of time, Szczesny was persuaded to get back into football having left Juventus in August.

  But the goalkeeper is of the opinion that what he does off the pitch in his personal life should be of no interest to anyone.

  "There are things that I don't change in my personal life," said Szczesny in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

  "It's nobody's business if I smoke. I believe it doesn't affect what I do on the pitch, I work twice as hard."

  Szczesny did admit that, while he has no intention of stopping, there are certain boundaries he puts in place.

  "I don't do it in front of kids because I don't want to have a bad influence on them," he said.

  Despite that, he went on to make it clear that he won't be put off by people trying to catch him out with it.

  "Sometimes somebody will take a photo from the trees where I have a cigarette, that's on them, not on me.

  "If somebody thinks that I will change the way I am in my personal life they can think again because I am who I am. I've been this way my whole life."

• Women's Super League Predictions: Arsenal look to end Bompastor's perfect start at Chelsea

  Matchday four of the Women's Super League promises drama, with key matches taking place at both ends of the table.

  Chelsea are back in WSL action after having their match against Manchester United postponed due to a fixture clash last weekend, and kick off the weekend against fellow title challengers, Arsenal, who are looking to recover from a slightly underwhelming start to the season.

  On Sunday, Brighton, who were tipped as relegation favourites at the start of the campaign, are looking to build on their emphatic start against promoted Crystal Palace, who got their first-ever WSL win against Leicester City last weekend.

  Elsewhere, Man United meet Tottenham for the first time since their FA Cup triumph in May as they try to close the gap to current leaders Manchester City, who take on Liverpool.

  Aston Villa face Leicester City, and Everton host West Ham, with all four teams still searching for their first win of the campaign.

  But who does the Opta supercomputer predict will come out on top in this round?

  ARSENAL V CHELSEA

  The blockbuster clash will kick off the weekend of WSL action, with both teams fresh off their Champions League openers – Chelsea narrowly overcame Real Madrid 3-2 on Tuesday, while Arsenal were beaten 5-2 away at Bayern Munich. 

  Chelsea won the most recent meeting between the sides 3-1, and are the slight favourites for this one too, winning 42% of the supercomputer's simulations, while there is a 25.5% chance of a draw.

  Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four home meetings with Chelsea in the top flight (W2 D2), but they have not won back-to-back such games against them since June 2013 (three in a row), and they are given just a 32.5% chance of that on Saturday.

  However, the Gunners have struggled at home so far this season, drawing both of their matches – they last went on a longer such run in October 2014, a six-match streak that included a 3-2 loss to Chelsea.

  And they meet a Chelsea side in fine goalscoring form, with the Blues winning their last five WSL games by an aggregate 23-0, though they have not won six straight league matches without conceding since April 2021.

   

  MANCHESTER UNITED V TOTTENHAM

  Manchester United were also not in action last weekend due to Chelsea's fixture clash, but they are favourites to capitalise on their perfect start to the season against Tottenham, who they beat 4-0 in the FA Cup final in May.

  And they are overwhelming favourites to get a third win on the bounce at 66.7%, which would extend their 10-match unbeaten streak against Spurs, who are given just a 15.1% chance.

  Only against Everton (nine) have United won more games than against Spurs (eight), and the Red Devils have history on their side as they look to add to that, having never lost a WSL game in October, going unbeaten across their last 14 such matches (W11 D3).

  Spurs will also come up against an in-form Grace Clinton, who scored four goals in 20 WSL appearances while on loan last season. The 21-year-old is aiming to become the first United player to score in each of their first three WSL appearances.

  EVERTON V WEST HAM

  Everton and West Ham are both sitting at the bottom of the table, having only claimed one point each from their first three matches.

  Despite still waiting for their first WSL goal of the season, Everton are tipped to win this one at 51.2%, while West Ham have nearly equal chances of coming away with a draw (24.8%) or a win (24%).

  The Toffees have won their last three meetings with West Ham in the league, and if they make it four, they will become the third team in WSL history to reach 200 wins (199 as it stands). However, they could also be the first team to register 100 losses in the competition (99 as it stands).

  West Ham are also in desperate need of a turnaround in form though, as they have not won any of their last 12 WSL matches and have not scored more than once in a game during that run.

  CRYSTAL PALACE V BRIGHTON

  Palace and Brighton are meeting for the first time since the 2019-20 FA Cup fifth round, and it is the newcomers who are favourites in this one, winning 43.9% of the simulations compared to Brighton's 29.3%.

  The Seagulls' two wins so far are as many as they managed in their last 11 outings in the WSL last season, and they are sure to cause problems at the top of the field – they have the best conversion rate in the league this campaign (26.7%), netting eight times already.

   

  Palace put their 7-0 drubbing by Chelsea behind them last time out though, beating Leicester City 2-0, but a newly promoted side has not won back-to-back WSL games since the Foxes themselves in 2021-22.

  That heavy defeat to the Blues marked a disappointing start to their home campaign in the competition. The most goals ever conceded across a team's first two home matches is eight (Aston Villa), and Palace will be keen to avoid recording that unwanted record.

  ASTON VILLA V LEICESTER CITY

  Villa and Leicester are the other two teams sitting joint bottom with one point, and both Robert De Pauw and Amandine Miquel will be keen to get their first wins in charge.

  The hosts are favourites for this one with a 55.2% chance, as De Pauw looks to avoid becoming the first Villa manager to fail to win any of their first four matches in charge (D1 L2 so far).

  Leicester have only ever won once against Villa in the WSL and are only handed a 21.7% chance of getting a second by the supercomputer, though they did draw 2-2 the last time the sides met (23.1% chance of a draw on Sunday).

  Miquel has seen her side score just once across her first three WSL games in charge of the Foxes, the fewest goals netted in a manager's opening three matches in the competition since Scott Booth in September 2021 (also 1 with Birmingham City).

  LIVERPOOL V MANCHESTER CITY

  With all the teams back in action, City know they will need a win to make sure they keep hold of top spot, and they are the overwhelming favourites here with a 64.5% chance.

  They have won eight of their last 10 WSL meetings with Liverpool (L2), but have struggled away from home against them, losing four of their eight trips (W3 D1).

  However, this match is taking place at Anfield, a stadium where the Reds have lost all three of their previous games without scoring a goal, and they only have a 16.5% likelihood of coming away with a win.

  Gareth Taylor's side were in Champions League action in midweek though, beating reigning champions Barcelona 2-0, and Liverpool could catch them out with a fast start, having opened the scoring in the opening 10 minutes in three of their last four WSL matches.

  But they will have to be wary at the other end – Lauren Hemp scored her 50th WSL goal last time out against West Ham, and has created 14 chances in the competition, at least seven more than any other player.