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• Republic of Ireland 0-2 England: Rice and Grealish hand Carsley winning start

  Lee Carsley made a winning start to his England tenure with a comfortable 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League, helped by two players who previously represented the hosts.

  Both goals came in the first half on Saturday, with Declan Rice's powerful finish followed up by Jack Grealish's sweeping effort to hand England their first win in Dublin in over 60 years.

  Jayson Molumby's early chance offered the visitors a warning, but Harry Kane headed over as Carsley's team swiftly took control.

  The England captain, now one shy of his 100th Three Lions cap, was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher moments later inside the box after a fast break from an Ireland free-kick. 

  But England had the lead after 11 minutes. Having made three senior appearances for Ireland, Rice pledged his international future to the Three Lions in 2019, and it was the Arsenal midfielder who opened the scoring with an emphatic finish into the roof of the net.

  Rice turned provider for another who switched their international allegiance, as Grealish rounded off a fine move to double England's advantage 15 minutes later.

  Ireland improved after the interval, though rarely came close to truly testing Jordan Pickford.

  Bukayo Saka went close to adding further gloss to an impressive display in added time, only to see his effort repelled by Kelleher with substitute Eberechi Eze firing over on the rebound. 

  Data Debrief: Rice and Grealish haunt Ireland

  In a game where all the focus was placed on former Ireland international Carsley, it would be two of the Republic's former hopes that stole the headlines in Dublin. 

  Rice's goal at the Aviva Stadium came six years and 97 days after making his only previous appearance there for Ireland against the United States in June 2018.

  He completed 88 of his 93 passes and ended with an accuracy rate of 94.6%, a total only bettered by Pickford (96.3%) of those that started the game.

  Grealish, meanwhile, netted his third goal for England, and his first as a starter. While he was on the pitch, no England player won more fouls (four) or created more chances (two) than him.

• Martinez 'ready to compete' for Ballon d'Or after glory with Inter and Argentina

  Lautaro Martinez believes he is worthy of being in consideration for the Ballon d'Or after leading Inter and Argentina to silverware in recent months.

  Martinez was, unlike his compatriot Lionel Messi, one of 30 players nominated for world football's most prestigious individual prize earlier this week.

  He fired Inter to their 20th Scudetto last season, topping Serie A's scoring charts with 24 goals in 33 matches, eight more than his closest rival, Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic. 

  He then carried that form into the Copa America as Argentina won a record-breaking 16th continental crown, winning the Golden Boot with five goals – including the winner in the final versus Colombia – in just 221 minutes on the field.

  Martinez finished 20th in the voting for the 2023 award but expects to be higher up the rankings this time around.

  "Considering the season I had, I deserve to be where I am," Martinez said. "I worked hard and suffered so much in the previous years. 

  "This is the second year in a row that I will participate in this ceremony. I think that I am ready to compete for this recognition."

   

  With Messi out injured, Martinez partnered Julian Alvarez in attack as Argentina thrashed Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday, the Atletico Madrid man scoring with a stunning long-range strike.

  Albiceleste boss Lionel Scaloni was impressed with how the forwards dovetailed in that match, saying: "The duo of Julian and Lautaro performed well. They complement each other well, they don't give up a single ball.

  "Lautaro assisted, Julian also went very well, he scored. They worked for us and they are two strikers who can continue to play together, we will see.

  "I don't think there is so much superiority to the rest. They leave everything out there, the key is not to give anything up in advance. 

  "They are always hungry. Football is very strange, at any moment it can put you in your place."

• Hayes: Men's game still not ready for female coach

  Emma Hayes believes men's football is still not ready for the prospect of female coaches, saying there is much work to be done to bring about true equality in the game.

  Hayes won seven Women's Super League titles during a glittering 12-year spell in charge of Chelsea before leaving to take charge of the United States in May.

  Like England coach Sarina Wiegman, Hayes has sometimes been suggested as somebody who could make the transition from the women's game to men's football, but no female coach has ever taken charge of a team in England's top four tiers on a permanent basis.

  Forest Green Rovers made Hannah Dingley caretaker manager last year while in the fourth tier, only to overlook her and go through three permanent bosses – including former Watford striker Troy Deeney – as they dropped out of the Football League.

  Speaking during an appearance on the Today programme on BBC, Hayes said barriers remain in place to prevent women succeeding in the men's game.

  "I think you need to get more owners in to ask them that question, because they're the people you have to ask that question to. I'm not the one in charge of that," Hayes said.

  Asked whether club owners are ready to appoint a female coach, Hayes said: "Of course they're not, otherwise it would have happened by now.

  "I've said this a million times over – you can find a female pilot, a female doctor, a female lawyer, a female banker, but you can't find a female coach working in the men's game, leading men. 

  "It just shows you how much work there is to be done."

  Hayes has been nominated for the Women's Coach of the Year prize at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, which will take place on October 28.

  Wiegman, Filipa Patao, Arthur Elias, Jonatan Giraldez and Hayes' Chelsea successor Sonia Bompastor are also in the running.