LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.

Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.

But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.

The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.

Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.

But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.

Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.

Jordan Pickford: 4

Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6

Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.

John Stones: 5

Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.

Levi Colwill: 7

Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.

Rico Lewis: 6

Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.

Declan Rice: 6

Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.

Phil Foden: 4

Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. 

Cole Palmer: 6

Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. 

Bukayo Saka: 5

Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.

Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN

Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.

Anthony Gordon: 5

Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.

SUBS: 

Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6

Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7

Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7

Manager Lee Carsley: 4

Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.

Francis Ngannou thinks the moment could be too big for Renan Ferreira.

Ngannou (17-3) takes on Ferreira (13-3) in the PFL: Battle of the Giants main event on Oct. 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (ESPN+ pay-per-view, DAZN).

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou certainly marks the most notable name Ferreira has ever faced, which “The Predator” expects to get to him.

“This has two effects: It can be a lot of pressure for him, or it can really get him in his space,” Ngannou told MMA Junkie. “Usually when people manage the hype, they either overdo it, or handle it properly. It has two effects, he’s excited and he knows this is his ticket for the first class. So yes, (it might be too much).”

Despite Ngannou’s devastating knockout threat, two-time PFL heavyweight champion Ferreira will have both a height and reach advantage. The Brazilian looked amped in their first face-off where he pounded Ngannou’s chest, but Ngannou was unfazed.

“I think it was him being excited for the fight, because regardless, this is a big fight, a massive fight for him,” Ngannou said. “For him, this is his first time at that level. I think he’s being a little excited before getting in the cage for the fight. He’s getting a little pump up in adrenaline that might drop down really quick when we’re going to fight.”

PFL CEO Peter Murray said the plan is to have the winner defend the super fights belt, which Ngannou is open to.

“I still have a couple MMA fights, so obviously it will be good to be the defender (of the title rather) than the challenger,” Ngannou said. “I think there is a lot of people (to defend against), even on the PFL roster – right now or someone that is coming up.

“I remember last year when this contract was signed, Renan Ferreira wasn’t even in the picture, and I was telling people, ‘Watch out for this guy.’ Now he managed to prove to people that he is the guy. He fought like four or five times and won. If I wasn’t in his way, he would’ve continued. But unfortunately, I’m in his way.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL: Battle of the Giants.

Chelsea remain interested in Victor Osimhen, Liverpool prepare for life without Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Manchester United consider re-signing Alvaro Fernandez.

Galatasaray have no plans to make 25-year-old Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen’s loan move from Napoli permanent, but Chelsea remain interested. (Teamtalk), external

Napoli director Mauro Meluso has confirmed that Osimhen is free to leave the club for the right price in January. (Metro), external

Liverpool have identified Bayer Leverkusen’s Dutch 23-year-old Jeremie Frimpong, Monaco’s Brazilian 23-year-old Vanderson and Fiorentina’s Italian 20-year-old Michael Kayode as potential targets should they lose right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. (Caught Offside), external

However, Liverpool are making some progress in their contract negotiations with England international Alexander-Arnold, 26. (Football Insider), external

Italy midfielder Jorginho, 32, is concentrating on his Arsenal future despite being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. (Caught Offside), external

Manchester United are weighing up whether to activate the buy-back clause in 21-year-old Spanish defender Alvaro Fernandez’s contract with Benfica. (O Jogo – in Portuguese), external

Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel was spoken of as the most likely successor to Erik ten Hag when Manchester United’s football hierarchy met earlier this week. (Independent), external

Manchester City could move for Sporting Lisbon‘s Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, if Barcelona are able to lure 24-year-old Norway forward Erling Haaland from Etihad Stadium. (Football 365), external

Newcastle lead the race to sign Bournemouth’s Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 24, amid competition from Premier League rivals. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool are desperate to agree a new contract with Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk amid growing speculation over the 33-year-old’s long-term future. (Football Insider), external

The Reds are continuing to assess transfer targets to bolster Arne Slot’s central defence, having made the position a priority for next summer, with Sevilla’s French 24-year-old Loic Bade and Sporting’s Portugal international Goncalo Inacio, 23, among the candidates. (Caught Offside), external

Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rejected talks over taking the Denmark job because he is in negotiations with a major club over a head coach role. (Tipsbladet – in Danish), external

Wolves are considering a move for Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin, should they decide to sack Gary O’Neil. (Sun), external

West Ham have opened talks over a new deal with 18-year-old English goalkeeper Fin Herrick. (Football Insider), external

Torino could move for Napoli‘s Argentine forward Giovanni Simeone, 29, following 33-year-old Colombian Duvan Zapata’s knee injury. (Tuttosport – in Italian), external

Senegal midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate, 34, is one of a small number of free agents Leeds United are considering signing. (Yorkshire Evening Post), external

Bukayo Saka suffered an injury to his right leg during England’s 2-1 loss to Greece at Wembley on Thursday.

The Arsenal forward was replaced in the 51st minute by Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.

Saka, 23, was seen stretching and holding the back of his right leg before eventually sitting on the turf after Greece opened the scoring through Vangelis Pavlidis.

England interim head coach Lee Carsley said: “He’s being assessed. Obviously in the build-up to the first goal, you can see he felt something in his leg.”

The Three Lions were without injured duo Harry Kane and Jack Grealish for the defeat but both are expected to be fit for Sunday’s trip to Finland.

Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side are already without captain Martin Odegaard, who suffered an ankle while playing for Norway in September.

The Gunners return to Premier League action on 19 October when they take on Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium.

Belal Muhammad is preparing for his first title defense with the reigning UFC welterweight champion most likely returning in December.

That’s according to his manager Ali Abdelaziz, who confirmed that Muhammad is training and ready to fight before the end of the year.

“Belal is ready to go in December,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting. “No problem. We’re ready to go, but the UFC has to announce. I can’t be announcing a fight on your podcast. Most likely you’re going to see for sure Belal in December. Against who, where, when, this is a Dana White question.

“It can be Shavkat [Rakhmonov]. It can be [Kamaru] Usman. It can be whatever the UFC wants. I said if you’re the champ, you have to defend the title against [whoever] they’re going to give you. It doesn’t matter who.”

If December happens, Muhammad would almost certainly fight at UFC 310, which is scheduled on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As far as potential opponents, Muhammad has seemingly singled out undefeated contender Shavkat Rakhmonov as his most likely challenge, although he’s definitely engaged in a war of words with former champion Kamaru Usman as well.

Abdelaziz actually manages both Muhammad and Usman and he expects that fight to happen at some point in the future, but it’s just unclear if that’s the one that happens next.

“Kamaru is one of my best friends, my brother, Belal is my brother, I love both of these guys,” Abdelaziz said. “At the end of the day, two alpha males. Kamaru hold this crown for a long time, Belal has earned the crown. He’s the king now. Kamaru believes he can still be the king. I think these guys don’t respect each other too much, to be honest with you.

“You can pretty much see these guys fight in the future for sure. I think one of the biggest fights in the welterweight division is Kamaru vs. Belal. It’s not even close. Nobody even close. Belal needs big names to certify himself as one of the greatest welterweights of all time. He needs Kamaru Usman. Kamaru is the king of the welterweight division. Dana White says he’s the greatest of all-time. When these two guys fight, it will be one of the biggest fights in the welterweight division at the time.”

For his part, Abdelaziz promises that he’s not going to get involved in the war of words between two of his fighters. He’s been here before. Abdelaziz says his only job is making sure the fighters stay healthy, they get everything they need from him, and both end up with bigger bank accounts when it’s all over.

“They will fight,” Abdelaziz said. “At the end of the day, they’re two grown men. They both want the same thing. I’m in the middle of this and my job is when they both fight I’m going to make sure they make a whole bunch of money and they got everything they need.

“Look, Marlon Moraes fought Henry Cejudo. Kamaru fought Gilbert [Burns]. Justin Gaethje fought Khabib [Nurmagomedov], all for the title, and I stay neutral. I will remain the same.”

Whether it’s Rakhmonov or Usman, Abdelaziz says that Muhammad isn’t going to back down from any challenges thrown his way. He waited so long to get his title shot that his manager believes Muhammad is very anxious to begin his championship reign.

“Belal will fight anybody, too, don’t get it twisted,” Abdelaziz said. “Belal is not afraid of any man on this planet. He’s the champ for a reason. Kamaru also is not afraid of anybody. I’m sure Shavkat is not afraid of anybody. When you come to these top five guys, nobody can say these guys are afraid or ducking anybody.

“The guy who’s been ducking people for years and he never fights is Colby Covington. He only fights when it’s convenient for him. That’s the only guy I can say ducks people. Not anybody else.”

LEE CARSLEY’S tactical experiment of playing no strikers backfired as Vangelis Pavlidis’ double secured an emotional shock win for Greece at Wembley.

Interim England boss Carsley played all three of our nation’s gifted No10s – Phil Foden, Jue Bellingham and Cole Palmer – in varying positions.

But it did not work and the Greeks took a deserved lead thanks to Pavlidis’ belting second-half finish.

The visitors then held up a shirt in celebration bearing the name Baldock – in reference to their team-mate George Baldock, whose passing at the age of just 31 on Wednesday rocked the world of football.

Bellingham looked to have ensured the points were shared with a thunderous strike with three minutes to go.

But there was still time for Pavlidis to expose some woeful defending deep into injury time by firing past Jordan Pickford.

Here are SunSport’s player ratings from a dire night for England under the arch.

Jordan Pickford: 4

Wandered into no-man’s-land territory outside his box early on and lost the ball, allowing Greek skipper Tasos Baksetas a free shot at goal – only to be saved by Levi Colwill’s last-gasp clearance. Did not instil confidence, despite his experience.

Trent Alexander-Arnold: 6

Some tasty passes – they are his speciality, after all – but not great at the back. He, John Stones and Cole Palmer were weak in their attempt to close down Vangelis Pavlidis before the Benfica man smashed home the opener.

John Stones: 5

Made captain for what was his 82nd cap, surpassing Rio Ferdinand’s haul. But it was a shaky display from his defence and Stones should have done better to stop Pavlidis.

Levi Colwill: 7

Greece would have been ahead far sooner were it not for Colwill’s athletic hack away to deny Bakasetas. Replays showed it would have crossed the line had the Chelsea man been a split second later with his incredible intervention.

Rico Lewis: 6

Tried to bomb up the left flank where he could but, just like Kieran Trippier at the Euros, was hamstrung by constantly having to cut back onto his favoured right foot.

Declan Rice: 6

Played as England’s only holding midfielder, as fans had been imploring Gareth Southgate to use him for years. It was not like he was overrun but his side did look vulnerable on the counter.

Phil Foden: 4

Spent most of the game pressing the Greek backline as a false nine without really getting on the ball and causing any damage. Ineffective. 

Cole Palmer: 6

Deployed in a deeper, central-midfield role which at least meant he saw plenty of the ball, though he blazed England’s best chance of the first half over the bar. Remarkably, his first competitive England start, despite being named on Tuesday as Three Lions player of the 2023-24 season. 

Bukayo Saka: 5

Struggled to get into the game and then was forced out of it, worryingly limping off early in the second half. The last thing Arsenal fans wanted to see.

Jude Bellingham: 7 STAR MAN

Played in a false nine position and had a belting early shot well saved. The system did not work but Bellingham still so nearly emerged as the saviour by banging in his first goal of the season for club and country.

Anthony Gordon: 5

Caused Greece few problems and his touch looked off it. Had a decent chance from Alexander-Arnold’s peach of a delivery but headed over.

SUBS: 

Noni Madueke (for Saka 52): Played out on the left, rather than his natural right, when coming on. Went down in the box deep into injury time but no penalty was given. 6

Ollie Watkins (for Gordon 60): Almost scored with his first touch when played through by Palmer, but smashed just over. 7

Dominic Solanke (for Foden 72): Grabbed an assist when laying the ball back to Bellingham who thumped in the leveller. 7

Manager Lee Carsley: 4

Seemed to gamble unnecessarily with this experimental system instead of playing it safe to add another win to boost his case to earn the job full-time. Carsley played without a natural centre-forward when winning the Under-21 Euros because he had to after Flo Balogun switched the USA and Rhian Brewster got injured, but here he did it by choice and it did not work. Bellingham looked to have saved his bacon – but then Pavlidis struck again.