The WRC2 title fight could be set for another twist following confirmation that a previously rejected protest from Oliver Solberg’s Toksport Skoda team will be reheard by Rally Chile stewards.

A petition led by FIA road sport director Andrew Wheatley has resulted in the case regarding a notional time being awarded to Solberg’s title rival and Rally Chile WRC2 winner Yohan Rossel to be reviewed.

Solberg’s Toksport Skoda team lodged a protest asking the stewards to re-evaluate a notional time awarded to Rossel that helped the Citroen driver to victory. Rossel vaulted from third to WRC2 class lead when stewards deemed Solberg had hindered the Frenchman during stage 11 and subsequently knocked 40s off his stage time.

Solberg was leading the class in the test when he suffered a puncture which cost the Swede 1m30s to change a wheel. Solberg rejoined the stage ahead of Rossel who felt he had been held up by the Skoda driver while passing through the stage affected by thick fog.

The incident is likely to play a part in determining the outcome WRC2 title as Solberg could have secured the championship with a victory in Chile.

Stewards initially deemed the protest inadmissible “because under the FIA International Sporting Code, it is not permissible for the Stewards to review/re-hear their decisions through a protest.”

However, a subsequent stewards report released on Friday states that “significant and relevant new element which was unavailable to the parties seeking the review at the time of the decision concerned.”

Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toksport WRT Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

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The case will be re-opened and reviewed at a date yet to be announced.

“The Stewards examined video evidence and GPS tracking data provided by the FIA, which was information that was not in the possession of the Clerk of the Course, nor of the Stewards, at the time of the decision was made. The Stewards consider this to be new information,” read the stewards report.

“The FIA explained the relevance of the videos and the GPS tracking data and indicated that if this information had been available at the time the request from the Competitor of Car No. 21 for a new time was received, then a different representation would have been made to the Stewards in relation to the Competitor’s request on SS11 (Lota 2). The Stewards consider the FIA’s submission to be significant and relevant.

“Having considered the matter extensively, the Stewards decide to re-examine their decision in accordance with Article 14.1.1 of the 2024 FIA International Sporting Code and wish to hear from the parties concerned, namely the Competitor of Car No. 21 and a representative of the FIA, at a time and place to be determined thereafter.”

Solberg currently leads the WRC2 championship standings by 12 points over Rossel, but will now have to rely on results elsewhere to keep his title hopes alive having completed his seven points-scoring events.

Rossel and Sami Pajari (15 points adrift of Solberg) remain in title contention with the pair set to complete their final rounds at the Central European Rally and Rally Japan respectively.

Liverpool defender Gemma Bonner says there is “no reason why we can’t aim” to challenge for a Women’s Champions League spot.

Matt Beard’s side finished fourth in the Women’s Super League table last season, one place below the European qualification spots.

They beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal during the campaign, their second back in the top tier following promotion.

They have five points from their opening three games this season but will face their biggest challenge yet on Sunday, at Anfield against league leaders Manchester City, fresh from a 2-0 win over European champions Barcelona.

“In the last few years we have shown we can compete with these teams. We have beaten Manchester City, we have beaten Chelsea, we have beaten Arsenal,” Bonner told BBC Sport.

“The key is the consistency. City are always up there in the Champions League places because they do everything consistently, whether that be in training or performing in the games.

“Of course the game is still growing but we can go to that next level with consistency. For so long, the top three has been set but now we’re waiting to break that.

“Everyone is pushing to get better. Why not aim for Champions League? I’d love nothing more than to get back there.

“We have shown we can do more than compete, we can beat these teams. But we have to do it every single week.”

Bonner says Liverpool “have to be realistic” about their ambitions but the potential they showed last season gives them plenty of optimism.

While other clubs around them – including Manchester United, Brighton and Aston Villa – spent significantly in the summer, Liverpool were fairly quiet.

They did, though, add club record signing Olivia Smith, who has impressed early on.

“We don’t go out and spend fortunes on players,” Bonner said. “But the strength we have is already there. We will grow together and that is what makes you successful.

“We are ambitious, we want to improve. We know we’re still young and have a lot of learning to do but if we can keep going and develop in the way we did last year, we can use those experiences.

“It will be tough because we’re maybe not the surprise package that we were last season and teams will be more prepared. That throws more challenges at us.

“We will let other teams recruit and we can focus on ourselves and keep growing.”

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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.