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      F1 British Grand Prix LIVE RESULTS: Verstappen to start from POLE ahead of Hamilton after sprint qualifying – latest

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      SILVERSTONE is packed with F1 fans ahead of TODAY’S British Grand Prix.Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      Though the Brit will be starting the race from second place, with leader Max Verstappen claiming pole following his win of the inaugural sprint qualifying.

      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV
      Sunday, July 18: Grand Prix (3pm BST)

      F1 betting offer: GET HAMILTON AT 45/1 TO WIN THE BRITISH GP*(MOBILE ONLY)

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…
      YOUR SAY
      What were your thoughts on the first ever F1 sprint race? Let us know by voting below!

      HAMILTON REACTION
      Lewis Hamilton was audibly gutted after losing the sprint race to Max Verstappen.
      He said after the historic event: “Every point counts, but I’m grateful to have finished and tomorrow we fight again.
      “They’re just so strong, there was nothing I could do to hold onto him.
      “They’ve done a great job with their engine, their starts are really good and we’ve lost a bit of performance in the starts.”

      VERSCHOOR WINS F2 RACE
      Richard Verschoor won the F2 race at the British Grand Prix, his first victory at that level.
      The 20-year-old Dutchman was promoted from F3 at the beginning of the season and impressed in front of thousands of fans at Silverstone today.
      Here’s Verschoor’s winning moment…

      MORE ON RUSSELL
      F1 bosses have explained their reason for punishing George Russell ahead of tomorrow’s British Grand Prix.
      The Williams driver has been penalised for making contact with Ferrari star Carlos Sainz at turn six of the first lap.
      Russell is alleged to have locked up and gone into Sainz, causing the latter to go into the grass and qualify in P11 – seven places behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
      The stewards ruling said: “Cars 63 [Russell] and 55 [Sainz] approached turn 6 with Car 63 on the inside, in the middle of the track, and Car 55 on the outside.
      “Car 63 locked the front brakes briefly and then understeered towards the edge of the track at the exit of the turn and contacted Car 55, which was forced off the circuit and on to the grass.
      “Car 63 is judged at fault for the incident.”
      BREAKING NEWS – RUSSELL DROPS TO 12TH
      George Russell has been given a three-place grid penalty ahead of the British Grand Prix.
      The Williams driver had qualified in P9 – an impressive return considering team-mate Nicholas Latifi could manage only P17.
      But he will now start the race in P12 for his role in the incident with Ferrari star Carlos Sainz during the F1 Sprint.

      REMINDER – TOMORROW’S GRID
      Here’s how the drivers line-up for the British Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon…

      F1 CALENDAR 2021
      F1 race organisers are certainly earning their salaries this year, with more changes to the calendar than in living memory.
      Click here to see how the F1 calendar unfolds in 2021 with our race by race schedule

      WHAT IS F1 SPRINT?
      F1 Sprint finally happened TODAY at the British Grand Prix, with the new race format dazzling spectators and exciting the masses.
      It’s set to be used three times this season – but how does it work?
      Click here to find out more
      Credit: Getty
      VERSTAPPEN REACTION
      Max Verstappen will start tomorrow’s British Grand Prix on pole.
      He told the press: “Around here it is difficult to pass but we had a good start.
      “I had a good fight with Lewis on the first lap, then we just tried to do our own pace. We were trying to push each other hard but you could see by the end of the race, the tyres were blistering hard.
      “Nevertheless, Happy to have scored us three points. It’s a little bit funny to be stood here but you’ve scored a pole position, so we’ll take it. Again, it will be an exciting battle tomorrow.
      “We start the race on lower fuel and then we can really push these cars through the faster corners, lap after lap, so it’s very hard on the tyres. But it’s the same for everyone, so we have to deal with it.
      “We can’t touch the car. We are quick in corners, so hopefully we can do the same tomorrow. But the straight-line speed, after FP1, you can not make any changes, so it’s a bit tricky for us now, we’ll have to deal with it. I still think we can have a strong race.
      “Big thank you to the fans. I know they are here for the British drivers, but it’s still great to see them cheering and giving support.”
      BOTTAS REACTION
      Valtteri Bottas has qualified P3 for the British Grand Prix.
      He told the press: “We tried to do something different and the target was to try and get [Verstappen] in the first lap.
      “It didn’t happen, I think he had a good start as well. In Turn One I was slightly blocked, I couldn’t really use the momentum but we tried.
      “In the end, it’s nice to keep the place with the soft tyres, even though there was some blistering.
      “Today shows that tomorrow is not going to be easy.
      “If it’s going to be a bit warmer, then we might see more issues, but at least now we are definitely aware and anything can happen.”
      YOUR VIEW
      Come on then, let’s have the readers’ verdict!

      DOUBLE DUTCH
      Saturday has very much been a day for the Dutch at Silverstone.
      The second F2 race was won by Richard Verschoor before Max Verstappen claimed F1 sprint qualifying.
      Can a Brit win on home tarmac tomorrow?
      Credit: Getty
      Credit: Getty
      REPORT
      Catch the full lowdown from today’s sprint qualifying with Ben Hunt’s report here.
      GOOD DAY FOR THE OTHER BRITS
      Lando Norris starts fifth in tomorrow’s race with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo for company on the third row.
      And while George Russell lost a place to finish ninth, he held his own and is well set for a shot at a point in the Grand Prix.
      First, he’ll await the result of an investigation into his collision with Carlos Sainz on Lap 1.

      FINAL STANDINGS
      Here is how sprint qualifying ended, which will be tomorrow’s grid – barring any penalties.

      TOO SOFT
      Valtteri Bottas started on the softer tyre than the front two, but it provided little help in chasing them down.
      He notes: “The target was to get [Max] at the start, it didn’t happen. But we tried and I still managed to keep the place.”
      LEWIS REACTS
      Lewis Hamilton is very audibly gutted after that, the sprint race certainly mattered to him.
      He adds that qualifying on a Friday was great fun but that race may not have been great entertainment, with the Brit suggesting he’d keep a somewhat rejigged sprint format.
      He says: “Every point counts, but I’m grateful to have finished and tomorrow we fight again.
      “They’re just so strong, there was nothing I could do to hold onto him.
      “They’ve done a great job with their engine, their starts are really good and we’ve lost a bit of performance in the starts.”
      MAX THANKS THE FANS
      There are no doubt a few Max Verstappen fans out at Silverstone.
      The Dutchman says: “I know the British drivers have a bit more support but it’s been great to see and I want a great battle at the front.”
      LORRY LOAD
      The top-three drivers jump on a truck for a ‘victory lap’ around Silverstone, during which Jenson Button grabs their reaction.
      Max Verstappen, donning his retro wreath, says: “We had a really good start and a good fight with Lewis.
      “We tried to run our own race but they pushed us hard and our tyres were blistering quite bad towards the end.”
      TOP TEN ON THE GRID FOR SUNDAY’S RACE
      1. VER2. HAM3. BOT4. LEC5. NOR6. RIC7. ALO8. VET9. RUS10. OCO
      Credit: AFP
      ‘GOOD JOB’
      Max Verstappen somewhat understated after claiming three points towards his first world title, one more than Lewis Hamilton took today.
      He tells team radio: “That was nice.”
      ALONSO HOLDS ON
      Fernando Alonso takes seventh after making up four places in the race, a tally nobody could better.
      Kimi Raikkonen, in 13th, also took four with Sebastian Vettel and Esteban Ocon also gaining places.
      VERSTAPPEN WINS
      The first-ever F1 sprint qualifying crown goes to Max Verstappen!
      PEREZ OUT
      Sergio Perez is told to retire the car – he’s down in 18th after spinning across the gravel.
      LAST LAP
      The sprint qualifying is nearly over, about 25 minutes after it began.
      Will there be any late drama?
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      F1 British Grand Prix sprint race qualifying LIVE: Latest with new format UNDERWAY – Hamilton starts ahead of Verstappen

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      SILVERSTONE is packed with F1 fans ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.We’ve a weekend of exciting racing ahead, with Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      And the Brit champion has pole for today’s sprint race after a terrific drive during qualifying.

      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV
      Saturday, July 17: Practice 3 (12pm), Sprint race (4.30pm)
      Sunday, July 18: Grand Prix (3pm)

      F1 betting offer: GET HAMILTON AT 45/1 TO WIN THE BRITISH GP*(MOBILE ONLY)

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…
      FORMATION LAP
      The drivers cruise around Silverstone to allow the grid to clear for this 17-lap showdown.
      WHO’S GONNA DO IT?!
      Huge anticipation for this sprint qualifying event. Will it be an epic, changing the state of F1 as we know it? A flop? Or something in between..?

      SPRINT QUALIFYING GRID
      A reminder of how the front of the pack sets up for the sprint event in ten minutes’ time…
      1. HAM2. VER3. BOT4. LEC5. PER6. NOR7. RIC8. RUS9. SAI10. VET
      FAN-DEMONIUM
      There are 140,000 fans across Silverstone today with Lewis Hamilton well backed for the win in sprint qualifying.
      A wealth of papaya can be seen too, supporting McLaren, and arguably the biggest roar yesterday was for George Russell after his stunning qualifying run.
      Credit: Reuters
      NOT LONG TO WAIT
      The first-ever F1 sprint qualifying is almost upon us.
      Just a reminder: This 100km race will last 17 laps, or around half an hour, and will decide the grid for tomorrow’s race.
      The top three will win points for the main championship – and Lewis Hamilton starts on pole.
      Credit: EPA
      VER-Y GOOD
      We have the first (and maybe only?) Dutch driver named VER to win today.
      That’s because Richard Verschoor has claimed the second F2 sprint race.
      The first half of the race was spent almost entirely under the safety car after two incidents left a handful of drivers stranded.
      British youngster Dan Ticktum makes up some ground in the title fight with third place here at Silverstone.
      CRASH IN F2
      An early safety car after a hefty smash on Lap 1 of the Formula 2 sprint race.
      Ralph Boschung caught the grass ahead of the Wellington Straight and spun back across the track, collecting Alessio Deledda and wiping them both out of the race.

      TURN IT UP
      A Ferrari darting through Silverstone in glorious sunshine with packed grandstands… is there a better sight?

      PLENTY OF ACTION
      Lots going on here at Silverstone.
      A pair of Spitfires have just flown over the track in a Battle of Britain display and in 20 minutes the second Formula 2 race of the day starts.
      W SERIES JOY FOR POWELL
      Alice Powell has claimed victory in the W Series race at Silverstone to go top of the championship.
      Qualifying on pole yesterday, the Brit struggled off the line but fought back to take the lead off Fabienne Wohlwend with a stunning overtake at Club.
      Jamie Chadwick comes home third to relinquish her lead in the title fight, with the next race in Hungary two weeks from today.
      Powell tells team radio: “Thank you guys, oh my days. What a great crowd.”

      CHRISTIAN HORNER EXCLUSIVE
      Red Bull chief Christian Horner has revealed to SunSport’s Ben Hunt how he beat Mercedes to youth prodigy Max Verstappen.
      He tells us: “It was at Hockenheim in 2014 and I went for dinner with Helmut Marko.
      “He was saying how Niki Lauda was trying to sign Max for Mercedes and he was asking me my thoughts.
      “Once I knew that, I said, ‘sure, let’s go for it. It is something Mercedes cannot offer him’.”
      Check out the full interview here.
      SESSION DONE – VERSTAPPEN LEADS THE WAY
      Advantage Red Bull? Hold on, remember this was just a warm up. Nothing won here, we still have the sprint race later on.
      But that is still encouraging for Red Bull, who have made changes over night.
      Mercedes could have their work cut out.
      Ferrari in 2 and 3 in what was a good session for the Italian team.

      GREAT TO SEE FULL STANDS HERE AT SILVERSTONE
      A crowd of 140,000 is expected today. Another 140,000 tomorrow. HUGE numbers.

      UNDER 10 MINUTES ON THE CLOCK
      And the running order is: Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Ocon, Perez, Norris, Ricciardo, Hamilton, Bottas and Gasly for your top 10.

      HAMILTON WANTS TO SAVE HIS ENGINE
      He’s asked his race engineer to turn the engine down, effectively preserving its life.
      However, Merc say they want to keep running at that power as the data they are gathering is proving useful.
      MAX IS BACK
      The Red Bull man is top of the time sheets again. And look at those sector times. He is quick everywhere.

      A LITTLE OVER 20 MINUTES INTO THE SESSION
      Verstappen leads Perez in a Red Bull 1-2.
      Esteban Ocon is currently P3. Bottas P4, Mazepin in P5 and Hamilton in P6.
      But this session is not necessarily reflective of pace – more of an experiment.
      BIG CHEERS FOR RUSSELL
      The Williams driver was eight in qualifying yesterday, as he reached Q3 for the second time running.
      He was treated to a big cheer as he took to the track for the first time on Saturday.
      He will have to wait a few weeks though until he discovers if he will be partnering Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year.

      LEWIS HAMILTON IS GETTING READY TO HEAD OUT
      The world champion took pole for the sprint race, beating Max Verstappen by just 0.075seconds in qualifying.
      Can he take that slender advantage into this session?
      GREEN LIGHT – FP2 FOR THE BRITISH GP IS GO
      Now, not too get your hopes up, but this is likely to be a 60 minute tyre test.
      But it is ok, the good stuff is coming later, with F1’s first sprint race to select the grid for the British GP.

      SPRINT FINISH
      Lewis Hamilton is fired up for today’s sprint race and has vowed to take the new concept very seriously – with points on offer for the top three finishers.
      He said after qualifying: “It’s just all guns blazing,
      “I need to bring out the lion tomorrow and give it everything. It starts with the start so we’ll be practising on that, we’ve got the long run practice in FP2.
      “I mean passing the Red Bull is not easy, so it really helps to be where we are. But we’ve got to get off the line, and we’ve still got so many things and obstacles up ahead of us.
      “The sprint race is going to be an interesting one, I think I’ve got the car where I need it, so we’ll see.”
      WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA TODAY?
      Formula One second practice is at noon before the sprint race at 4.30pm.
      The first of two F2 races has already taken place this morning, Rob Shwartzman winning despite causing a red flag with a spin in qualifying yesterday.
      Their second race, on live on Sky Sports, is at 2.45pm.
      And the W Series has its second race of the weekend at 1.25pm, shown live on Channel 4.

      NEVER FORGOTTEN
      As we prepare to go racing today, F1 takes a moment to remember one of its own who sadly passed away on this day six years ago.

      ‘WEIRD’
      F1’s trial of a sprint race format at this weekend’s British Grand Prix has led to a timetable overhaul.
      F1 has elected to stick with the final free practice session before Saturday afternoon’s sprint qualifying, a move Max Verstappen has questioned.
      He said: “What I find weird is you do qualifying and then you can’t change anything on the car.
      “Then you have another free practice and then the sprint race. Then I think to myself: why not drop that second free practice, as it doesn’t really matter any more?
      “It feels a bit weird to do a qualifying where there is nothing at stake. You don’t really get that pole feeling or whatever. But hopefully we can attack on Saturday, we’ll see.”
      ‘HAS THE TALENT’
      David Coulthard believes George Russell can push Lewis Hamilton in the same way that Max Verstappen has in the title race this season.
      “We saw George’s hunger and racing spirit when he came together with Valtteri in Imola. He probably overreacted there, which is just an opinion.
      “But what we did see was his passion behind the wheel and that’s the sort of passion he’s going to need to beat Lewis.
      “He’s not going to beat Lewis with pure speed, Lewis is one of if not the fastest drivers of the last decade, George I believe has the talent to match that speed.
      “He’s going to beat him with that passion, that hunger, that ‘you might be Lewis Hamilton but when we go on track, I don’t care who you are’ Which is exactly what Max Verstappen delivers when he’s in the race car.”
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      Rangers vs Arsenal LIVE: Stream, TV channel as Nketiah equalises for Gunners after Tavares scores on DEBUT

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      ARSENAL continue their pre-season preparations with an all-British friendly at Scottish champions Rangers in Glasgow.The Gunners lost 2-1 to Hibs in their opening match of the tour, which saw Emile Smith Rowe score but Nicolas Pepe miss a penalty.

      TV channel/Live stream: Arsenal TV and Rangers TV
      Rangers team: 1 McGregor, 2 Tavernier, 3 Bassey, 4 Lundstram, 6 Goldson, 7 Hagi, 9 Defoe, 10 Davis, 18 Kamara, 25 Roofe, 26 Balogun.
      Arsenal team: 33 Okonwo, 17 Cedric, 16 Holding, 22 Mari, 20 Tavares, 25 Elneny, 5 Partey, 32 Smith-Rowe, 19 Pepe, 38 Balogun, 14 Aubameyang.

      COMPETITION: SPOT THE BALL TO WIN A CAR AND CASH
      Stay up to date with all the latest in our live blog below…
      STAT ATTACK
      Here’s a look at the full time stats from Ibrox.
      Set pieces are still Arsenal’s downfall with the Gunners conceding both goals from the only two corners Rangers had in the 90 minutes.

      FT: RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      So the two sides can’t be separated at Ibrox.
      After the two sides went in level at the break following goals from Leon Balogun and Nuno Tavares it was Rangers who once ahead went ahead in the second half.
      Cedric Itten nodded the home side ahead with fifteen minutes to play as Arsenal conceded from yet another corner, before Eddie Nketiah levelled things up with eight minutes remaining.
      Overall it was a very entertaining game and a good run out for both sides so both managers will be pleased with how their sides played.
      PEEEEEEEEEEP!
      THAT’S FULL TIME!
      HONOURS EVEN AT IBROX!
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL!
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      90. And it’s a blue shirt that gets his head to it!
      Edmundson meets Middleton’s cross but can only head over the bar.
      That might be that.
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      90. Or maybe Rangers could nod themselves ahead.
      Itten is fouled on the left to give Rangers a chance to cross the ball into the Arsenal’s box.
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      89. This one seems to be heading towards a draw.
      60 seconds left of the 90 minutes at Ibrox.
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      86. GOOD SAVE!
      Nelson plays the ball into the path of Bellerin on the Rangers box.
      He cuts inside onto his left foot, freeing up space to shoot and letting fly.
      His effort is goalbound but McGregor dives to his right to deny the Arsenal right back.
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      85. Five minutes left to play at Ibrox.
      Will either of these two sides be able to conjure up a winner?
      RANGERS 2-2 ARSENAL
      83. Middleton initially does well to cut out a through ball from Bellerin into the box but then he’s caught dithering.
      Nketiah sneaks in to poke the ball away from Middleton, before turning onto his left foot and firing past McGregor at the front post.
      It’s a smart finish and Arsenal are level!
      GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!
      ARSENAL ARE LEVEL!
      IT’S EDDIE NKETIAH!
      RANGERS 2-1 ARSENAL
      80. WHAT A CHANCE!
      IT SHOULD BE 3-1 RANGERS!
      Glenn Middleton breaks down the left and sends a low cross across the face of goal towards the back post.
      Stephen Kelly meets it unmarked and has to score from six yards out but can only shoot straight at Hein who makes a fine save in goal.
      RANGERS 2-1 ARSENAL
      78. Glenn Middleton tries his luck from the free kick but sends his effort crashing into the Arsenal wall.
      He’d have been better off crossing the ball in from there.
      RANGERS 2-1 ARSENAL
      77. Another set piece chance for Rangers.
      Nketiah brings down Patterson right on the edge of the Arsenal box for a dangerous looking free kick opportunity.
      RANGERS 2-1 ARSENAL
      76. Again it’s a corner that’s Arsenal’s undoing after they’ve dominated the play in the last 15 minutes.
      Itten out jumps Tierney at the back post to nod the ball across Hein and into the Arsenal net to give the home side the lead with 15 minutes left to play!
      GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!
      RANGERS TAKE THE LEAD!
      ARSENAL CONCEDE FROM A SET-PIECE AGAIN!
      RANGERS 2-1 ARSENAL!
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      75. Rangers corner.
      Tierney is forced into putting the ball behind to stop Edmundson from breaking forward into the Arsenal box.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      74. Middleton and Bellerin slide in for a 50/50 on the Arsenal right that goes the way of the Rangers man.
      Bellerin is furious with the assistant referee but fails to change his mind with his protests.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      72. Reiss Nelson has looked sharp for Arsenal since coming on.
      He’s playing on the right hand side and looks eager to dribble at his man at every opportunity.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      70. Twenty minutes left to play at Ibrox.
      Rangers win the ball off Arsenal and look to counter-attack through Jordan Jones.
      He sprints through the middle but is pulled down by Maitland-Niles for a Rangers free kick.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      68. Maitland-Niles passes to Tierney on the left who takes a touch and gets the ball out of his feet.
      He crosses into the box but only finds the arms of Allan McGregor.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      67. PENALTY APPEAL!
      Lacazette goes down in the box in between two blue shirts and looks pleadingly at the referee.
      He shakes his head and waves play on but Arsenal are starting to dominate here.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      66. The corner comes to nothing as the home side clear easily.
      It’s coming straight back at them though.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      65. CHANCE!
      Nketiah is involved straight away!
      Kieran Tierney bursts down the left and pulls the ball back to Nketiah on the edge of the box.
      He takes a touch and lets fly but a blue shirt is there to block the ball behind for a corner.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      63. And these are the Arsenal changes.
      Holding, Elneny, Partey, Smith Rowe, Pepe and Aubameyang are replaced by Kolasinac, Willock, Maitland-Niles, Nelson, Willian and Nketiah.
      RANGERS 1-1 ARSENAL
      62. Changes aplenty for both sides.
      Itten, Kelly, Edmundson, Jones, Middleton, Hastie and Arfield are on for Goldson, Lundstram, Davis, Bassey, Tavernier, Roofe and Hagi for Rangers as Steven Gerrard shuffles the pack for the last half an hour.
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      F1 British Grand Prix qualifying LIVE: Hamilton stuns Verstappen to take pole for sprint – Silverstone latest updates

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      SILVERSTONE is packed with F1 fans ahead of Sunday’s British Grand Prix.We’ve a weekend of exciting racing ahead, with Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      And the Brit champion has pole for Saturday’s sprint after a terrific drive during qualifying.

      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…

      JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)

      LEW LOST HIS VOICE
      Emotional Lewis Hamilton says he lost his voice amid the excitement of an 86,000-crowd returning to Silverstone and winning pole position.
      Britain’s world champ said: “We have been missing this for a whole years, I have lost my voice a little.
      I am so grateful to see everyone here. To come to Silverstone and have a full crowd like this. You feel the energy.
      “I was hopeful with the great work we did at the team and the energy of the fans would get us here. This is down to the fans.”
      HAM ‘OVER THE MOON’
      Pole-winner Lewis Hamilton says it was an “incredible” to finally match – and better – Max Verstappen’s pace on home turf.
      Watched by 86,000 at Silverstone, Hamilton’s Mercedes took top spot ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull by 0.075 second.

      Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas was third, in front of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
      McLaren’s Lando Norris was sixth, with Williams’ George Russell a brilliant eighth.
      Hamilton said: “We have tried to stay focused on our job and I have been trying to layer it up in the simulator.
      “I went to the factory in the morning to use it as a practice and try and give it everything and not leave any stone unturned.
      “I was free and I said to the team that rather than sit around and waste time, I wanted to get to it and had a practice session.
      “We are trying to squeeze everything from this car and it was holding together, so I am over the moon.
      REPORT
      Get the full lowdown on today’s qualifying with Ben Hunt’s report from Silverstone here.
      Credit: Reuters
      TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
      Is this the start of a Mercedes fightback?
      They will need both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas on form to keep up the pressure tomorrow, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez demoted to fifth after having a lap time deleted for exceeding track limits.

      HERE’S THE GRID
      Take a look at the grid for tomorrow’s sprint race.

      FIRST JOB DONE
      Lewis Hamilton adds: “It feels like such a long time since we’ve been able to get anywhere near [pole].
      “We’ve got the car in a good place and the work gets done in the next two days.”
      Credit: Reuters
      HAMILTON ALL SMILES
      Lewis Hamilton has almost lost his voices as he gives his response.
      The top qualifier says: “We’ve been missing this for a whole year, I’m so grateful to see everyone here.
      “To have a full crowd like this, you see the energy. This is down to the fans.
      “It was reminiscent of my first pole here in 2007 and I couldn’t have done it without those fans.”
      VERSTAPPEN ‘WEIRD’ QUALY
      Max Verstappen says: “We just need to look at ourselves, just a lot of understeer so I couldn’t really attack any corners.
      “A bit of a weird feeling to drive, I don’t think it was setup related. We’re still quite close.”
      BOTTAS CONTENT
      Valtteri Bottas speaks to the broadcast coverage and has to battle over Lewis Hamilton’s response from the crowd.
      He says: “It was a good qualifying based on how good Red Bull was in practice.
      “It’s all to play for, it’s quite interesting.”
      HAM IT UP
      Lewis Hamilton runs straight to the stand on the Hamilton Straight to mark that pole triumph in front of over 90,000 fans.
      CROWD GOES WILD
      Silverstone and Lewis Hamilton enjoyed that one.
      The Merc star tells his radio: “Get in there! Cracking job.”
      LEW KNOW IT
      Lewis Hamilton will start Saturday’s Silverstone sprint race on pole after a blistering 1:26.134 in Q3, edging him past Max Verstappen.
      Valtteri Bottas completes the front three with Lando Norris sixth and George Russell a staggering eighth.
      HAMILTON ON POLE
      Max Verstappen also fails to improve his time, he misses out by less than a tenth!
      MERCS SET THE BENCHMARK
      Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are first to finish, and it’s no quicker for the Brit as he almost loses it at Club!
      ONE LAST TIME
      The other nine drivers are on their out laps for the final shot at pole position for tomorrow’s sprint race…
      RUSSELL GOES IT ALONE
      With a quiet track, George Russell heads off around Silverstone and receives a standing ovation at every corner – even before his time comes in.
      A 1:26.971 puts him above both Ferraris! That’s seventh again!
      Credit: Reuters
      MAX UNHAPPY
      A stream of complaints about the tyres from Max Verstappen over the radio. Testing times for Red Bull, can they pull through?
      HAMILTON ON TOP
      Lewis Hamilton has a 0.172 second advantage over Max Verstappen after the first run.
      A big cheer from the British crowd, with Valtteri Bottas third, Sergio Perez fourth and then Lando Norris leading the two McLarens.
      WILL FIRST LAPS BE KEY?
      Track temperature is plummeting at Silverstone, down by over two degrees since we started this evening qualy. Such fine details may prove crucial.
      STAND OFF
      After a bit of a wait, Carlos Sainz is the first man out of the pits.
      THIS IS IT
      Ten drivers, 12 minutes. Strap in for Q3…
      TOP FIVE IN Q2
      1. HAM – 1:26.0232. VER – Almost three tenths back3. BOT4. SAI5. LEC
      Joining them in Q3 are Sergio Perez, George Russell, Sebastian Vettel and both McLarens.
      Credit: PA
      TWO IN A ROW
      That is the second weekend in a row George Russell has put the Williams among the top ten of the grid. What an achievement.
      Fernando Alonso will start the sprint race in 11th, ahead of Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Antonio Giovinazzi and Lance Stroll.
      RUSSELL INTO Q3 – SEVENTH!
      He is Mr Friday! What a lap from the Williams star… again!
      Silverstone goes wild!
      MERCEDES THE FIRST TO TAKE THE FLAG
      Lewis Hamilton goes fastest and Carlos Sainz also puts in a good time.
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      F1 British Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying build-up, Verstappen fastest in FP1, Hamilton third – Silverstone latest updates

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      THE stands are packed at Silverstone with F1 action underway at the British Grand Prix.We’ve three days of exciting racing ahead, with Lewis Hamilton looking to continue his stunning record at this track and stop the Red Bull charge.
      But Max Verstappen was in irresistible form during FP1, beating Lewis into third and seven-tenths faster than Lando Norris in second.

      Qualifying time: 6pm BST
      TV/Live stream: Sky Sports F1/NOW TV

      Follow ALL the action from Silverstone with our live blog below…

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      MERC CHASING SHADOWS
      Toto Wolff has downplayed the effect of the Mercedes upgrades this weekend.
      He says: “This is a performance gap, we must step up with the tools available to us. We must keep fighting.
      “It’s a test for the team, we’ve had seven fantastic years and are definitely not ready to give the baton to [Red Bull].”
      On Valtteri Bottas, the Merc boss confirms it is the plan to seal the Finn’s future, one way or another, before the summer break.
      MAC ATTACK
      Lando Norris put his McLaren in second during FP1.
      Team boss Zak Brown says: “You never quite know what others are running in engine modes, fuel weights…
      “Red Bull and Mercedes continue to be in a league of their own. Ferrari are always quick and the other teams have all taken a turn at being third quickest.
      “We’re hoping to be as quick as in Austria, or there or thereabouts.”
      ONE EYE ON THE FUTURE
      This week, Formula One revealed the car for the 2022 rule overhaul.
      Read up on the finer details of the new design with our rundown here.

      QUALY TONIGHT
      So, tonight we do a classic qualifying session – Q1, Q2, and Q3.
      That will decide the grid for tomorrow’s sprint race – which in turn decides the grid for Sunday’s main race, while handing out some points for the top three.
      Sounds simple enough, let’s hope the drivers give it some welly!
      TOP TEN IN FP1
      1. VER – 1:27.0352. NOR – Seven tenths off but on slower Medium tyres3. HAM – 1:27.815 and some way off Verstappen4. LEC5. BOT – Joint most laps, 30, with Hamilton6. SAI – Both Ferrari drivers post good times7. VET8. RIC9. OCO10. GAS
      Credit: PA
      CHEQUERED FLAG
      Max Verstappen cruises into first place in first practice – seven tenths clear of anybody else.
      And a very impressive lap on the Medium tyre puts Lando Norris second, just 0.001 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton in third.
      FINAL LAPS
      The field settling into longer runs on the Softs now, with two minutes to go.
      Lance Stroll, in 18th, complains over the radio about lacking confidence in his Aston Martin. However, Sebastian Vettel is seventh.
      LEWIS NOT HAPPY
      On the radio, Lewis Hamilton asks: “Seven tenths, where’s that come from?”
      That’s Max Verstappen’s advantage over the reigning champ with eight minutes to go of FP1.
      HOW ABOUT NOW?
      Lewis Hamilton is out on the Softs – and immediately complaining of ‘vibrations’ over the radio.
      It’s only P3 and still seven tenths off Max Verstappen for the Brit, with Valtteri Bottas going fourth.
      Elsewhere, Verstappen is out for another run on the Softs – perhaps with more fuel as a sprint race practice run.
      And Lando Norris is SECOND on the Mediums, with McLaren team-mate Daniel Ricciardo sixth. Going nicely.
      IT IS EARLY, BUT…
      Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are outside the top ten.
      Sat in the pits, they are behind a fair few drivers who have also only used the Medium tyres for their best time.
      Surely it’s only a matter of time before Lewis lifts himself from 12th. Surely.
      Credit: Getty
      AROUND WE GO
      Carlos Sainz produces the first 360 of the weekend, spinning his Ferrari at Village.
      He’s back in the pits in one piece.
      SOFTLY SOFTLY
      It’s time for some real pace from Max Verstappen, as if he wasn’t quick enough before…
      On the Soft tyre, he registers a 1:27.035, a seven-tenths improvement on his time with the slower Mediums.
      Sergio Perez is over a second back after his first run on the quicker tyre.
      Meanwhile, Lando Norris bumps himself up to third with Charles Leclerc fourth.
      MCLARENS EMERGE
      Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris have been stuck near the bottom of the timesheets for most of the session.
      But a strong lap on the Mediums has the Aussie into sixth… ahead of the two Mercedes cars.
      TOP TEN AT HALFWAY
      1. VER2. PER3. VET4. BOT5. HAM6. OCO7. STR8. GIO9. RAI10. MSC
      Credit: Reuters
      MAX POWER
      Mercedes might have to turn it up a notch, or twelve.
      Sergio Perez shaves a couple of tenths of his time before Max Verstappen goes quicker to put a whopping 1.7 seconds between himself and Lewis Hamilton.
      That’s a 1:27.745. Anyone fancy topping it?
      RED BULL ALERT
      We had a Mercedes one-two for far too long and now the championship leaders are getting involved.
      Sergio Perez, on the Mediums, breaks into the 1:28s before Max Verstappen launches into the lead.
      That’s over half a second quicker than his team-mate and over a second clear of the Mercs. Ominous.
      Credit: Getty
      TESTING THE LIMITS
      Drivers are wasting no time pushing the boundaries with stewards deleting a handful of times for running outside of the kerbs.
      Valtteri Bottas goes quickest, three tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton and it is allowed to remain despite the fact that he ran wide at Club.
      SETUP TO FAIL?
      Lots and lots of running will be necessary in this hour due to the rejigged race weekend.
      Regular qualifying tonight means cars go in Parc Ferme after that session, so any setup changes and tweaks must be made on the basis of a single practice runout.
      Typically, drivers have all three practices before having to nail down their particulars.
      Credit: Getty
      HOME FAVOURITES
      George Russell puts himself in ninth after a strong first outing around his home track – a place behind emerging rival Fernando Alonso.
      Fellow Brit Lando Norris is currently 13th in the McLaren.
      FIRST TIMES IN
      The Medium tyre is pulled on first off by Lewis Hamilton who eases into top spot with a 1:30.048.
      Almost everyone else has got out on the track with the Hards.
      LIGHTS OUT
      Let’s go racing!
      We have Ferraris and McLarens among the first out on track.
      HERE WE GO
      The grandstands are packed, the sun is (kind of) shining…
      What more could we want?
      The British Grand Prix first practice is about to get underway.
      Credit: Getty
      TRACK GUIDE
      We all know Silverstone inside out, from the twists and turns of Maggots and Becketts to the Hamilton Straight on the start/finish line.
      But where will the overtakes be taking place?
      The home straight is not the longest so, barring a daring dive down the inside at Village, the Wellington Straight into Brooklands is the best chance in the early part of the lap.
      Anybody trying to overtake at the blisteringly fast Copse corner will be a brave man – but it has been done before.
      After the S’s, the Hangar Straight into Stowe is a popular opportunity, as is a last-ditch make-or-break dive at final corner, Club.
      In other words. There are many overtaking places on this track. Many.
      WEATHER FORECAST
      Is this glorious sunshine set to continue?
      Continue?! It’s going to get hotter!
      Track temperature right now is hovering just below 24°C with clear skies and 28°C predicted for Saturday.
      The race on Sunday currently has a zero per cent chance of rain, and lots more sunshine.
      START YOUR ENGINES
      The tenth round of the 2021 Championship features the first-ever sprint race and practice begins in just an hour’s time.
      Today, we have a session at 2.30pm followed by the typical qualifying runout at 6pm.
      That will be the typical Q1, 2 and 3 affair to determine the grid for tomorrow’s sprint race.
      It promises to be a wild ride that could well change the future of the sport as we know it… So join us for the latest updates and news throughout the weekend!
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      Hibs 2 Arsenal 1 LIVE REACTION: Gunners LOSE first pre-season game of summer as Okonkwo has nightmare debut – updates

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      ARSENAL lost their first pre-season game of the summer against Hibernian 2-1. Emile Smith Rowe pulled a late goal back but goals from Martin Boyle and Daniel Mackay for Hibs were enough for the win.

      RESULT: Hibs 2-1 Arsenal
      Hibs XI: Macey, McGinn, Hanlon, Porteous, Stevenson, Newell, Gogic, Boyle, Allan, Bradley, Nisbet
      Arsenal XI: Okonkwo, Cedric, Clarke, Mari, Kolasinac, Nelson, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Willian, Nketiah, Aubameyang

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      COMPETITION: WIN ONE OF FOUR SUPERCARS OR A DREAM CAR AND £100k IN CASH
      GOODNIGHT FROM EASTER ROAD
      Arsenal got their pre-season off to a nightmare start with a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road, conceding two howlers and missing a penalty while they were at it.
      Mikel Arteta’s side will hope to bounce back against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday before heading to the USA to take on Inter Milan in the Florida Cup.
      Hibs face Raith Rovers on Friday in their final pre-season game before the SPL kicks-off on 1st August, when they take on Motherwell.
      Jack Ross’ side will be brimming with confidence after tonight’s display and will hope to get the new season off to a good start and continue the fine form which saw them qualify for Europe last year.
      One month to go until Arsenal kick-off their Premier League campaign against Brentford and Mikel Arteta’s side clearly have a lot of work to do before then if they want to improve upon their 8th place finish last season.
      That’s all from us, see you next time.

      THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
      Last week it was confirmed that Arsenal’s upcoming season will be documented by Amazon in their notorious ‘All or Nothing’ fly-on-the-wall style documentary series.
      If that game is anything to go by, you can be sure that it’ll be highly entertaining, whether you’re an Arsenal fan or not… Bring on the drama!

      MAN OF THE MATCH
      Hibs gave their Man of the Match award to defender Lewis Stevenson, who put in a solid shift at the back to keep Arsenal’s forwards at bay.
      A fantastic defensive effort from Lewis Stevenson this evening and a deserved Man of the Match 👏Well played, Lewy! 💚 pic.twitter.com/GNAkXNvjet— Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) July 13, 2021

      FT: HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      Eddie Nketiah missed a glorious opportunity to put his side a goal up within the opening five minutes which promped a series of missed chances by the Gunners, with Nelson and Aubameyang also failing to convert.
      Hibs then pounced on a big mistake by Arsenal’s young goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to go a goal up after 20 minutes, with Martin Boyle finding the back of the net to give Hibs the lead against the run of play.

      Arsenal dominated, but despite all their possession they struggled to break down the stubborn and committed Hibernian defence in the first 45 minutes, prompting Mikel Arteta to make wholesale changes at the interval.
      The Gunners were much improved in the second half, with the creativity and influence of Emile Smith-Rowe and the potent attacking threat of Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette making a real difference.
      Credit: The Sun
      Nonetheless, Hibs managed to withstand the Arsenal attacking barrage and scored a second goal against the run of play, as an unmarked Daniel Mackay put them two goals to the good with his close range header from a corner.
      Arsenal were then awarded a penalty for a foul inside the box on Nicolas Pepe, which he then failed to convert thanks to an excellent save down low by Dabrowski.
      Credit: Getty
      Despite Smith-Rowe’s 82nd minute equaliser from a Hector Bellerin cross, Hibs held on for an unlikely win and Jack Ross will be delighted with their performance, along with the 2,000-odd fans who were in attendance.
      Mikel Arteta will take heart from the attacking intent his side showed in the second half, but will ultimately hope for a much improved performance against Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.

      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPP!!!!!
      THAT’S THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE.
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      90. Just two added minutes. Bellerin tries to chip one over the top for Balogun but there’s just too much on it and it goes out for a goal kick.
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      88. Hutchinson makes a good run down the right hand side and wins Arsenal a free-kick from just outside the box. Pepe tries to play a clever one across the box to Lacazette but it’s well intercepted and cleared.
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      86. CHANCE! Nicolas Pepe gets into that position he loves so much just outside of the box on the right hand side and attempts to curl one in the top corner but he looks on in disappointment as it goes well over.
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      83. CHANCE! Lacazette wrestles free from his markers and somehow manages to wriggle through into the box following an excellent display of close control and strength but he’s well tackled just in front of goal in the end.
      That would have been some goal…
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      79. ARSENAL SUBSTITUTIONS:
      OFF: Mohammed Elneny, Sead Kolasinac.
      ON: Omari Hutchinson, Jack Henry-Francis.
      HIBERNIAN SUBSTITUTION:
      OFF: Kevin Nisbet.
      ON: James Gullan.
      GOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
      HIBERNIAN 2-1 ARSENAL
      The Gunners are back in it after Emile Smith-Rowe fires home from close range after an excellent floated cross by Hector Bellerin.
      Two-One Hibs.
      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      77. CHANCE! Balogun does extremely well to turn his marker and runs towards goal and unleashes a strike with his left foot, but it goes comfortably wide.
      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      75. The momentum is well and truly with Hibs now after their second goal, the missed Arsenal plenalty and the effective substitutions by Jack Ross.
      Arsenal are shellshocked and look like they’re not quite sure what’s just happened, but continue to press with Smith-Rowe and Lacazette trying to pressure the Hibs backline.

      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      72. MISSED PENALTY!
      Nicolas Pepe is fouled in the box and steps up to take the penalty, hitting it low and to the left but it is well saved by Kevin Dubrowski. Still 2-0 Hibs!

      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      71. PENALTY TO ARSENAL!!!!!

      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      67. ARSENAL SUBSTITUTION:
      OFF: Cedric.
      ON: Hector Bellerin.
      HIBERNIAN SUBSTITUTIONS:
      OFF: Scott Allan, Steven Bradley, Joe Newell, Ryan Porteous, Martin Boyle.
      ON: Daniel MacKay, Melker Hallberg, Kyle Magennis, Drey Wright, Josh Campbell.

      GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
      HIBERNIAN 2-0 ARSENAL
      69. MacKay has been on the pitch for about two minutes and scores after Hanlon heads an excellent corner back across goal and MacKay, unmarked, nods it in from a yard out.
      Two-nil Hibs.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      67. CHANCE! Hibs win the back back after a prolonged period of Arsenal pressure and break with purspose.
      Kevin Nisbet strikes from just inside the box and forces a strong hand from Karl Hein, who saves well.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      65. YELLOW CARD! Gogic sticks a clumsy foot out which Lacazette tumbles over on the edge of the box. The free-kick amounts to nothing, but Gogic was shown a yellow for the challenge.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      64. CHANCE! Arsenal have a free-kick from about 30 yards out and Thomas Partey absolutely whacks it and it cannons off the bar. The keeper didn’t move. That would have been some goal if it had been six inches lower.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      61. CHANCE! Balogun goes on a mazy run into the Hibs half and has Lacazette as an option to his left, but opts for the shot from just outside the box. It lacks any real power or convinction and is saved easily.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      59. CHANCE! Pepe and Smith-Rowe combine again down the right and Pepe tries to whip one in the top left corner with his favoured left foot but is unable to get it quite right as it is deflected out for a corner.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      57. Arsenal have had more width since the break with Cedric and Pepe looking particularly dangerous down the right flank.
      The Hibs defence is struggling to cope and is having to get physical with Arsenal to stop them from breaking through their lines.
      The the referee rejects Arsenal’s claims of foul play and waves play on as Pepe appeared to be obstructed.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      55. CHANCE! The ball is whipped across goal from the right hand side by Cedric and Balogun stretches to meet it at the back post but it’s well defended and he can’t quite reach it.
      HIBERNIAN 1-0 ARSENAL
      54. Arsenal’s new attack has brought more directness and purpose to their attack, with Smith-Rowe and Pepe in particular looking sharp and causing problems for the Hibs defence.
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      Hibs vs Arsenal LIVE: Stream FREE, TV channel, team news as Nuno Tavares MISSES OUT, Okonkwo debut – latest updates

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      ARSENAL are back in pre-season action this evening as Mikel Arteta’s side take on Hibernian at Easter Road.The Gunners have been busy in the transfer window so far, and are hoping to show off new signing Nuno Tavares.

      Start time: 6pm GMT
      TV/Live stream: Arsenal TV/Hibs TV
      Hibs XI: Macey, McGinn, Hanlon, Porteous, Stevenson, Newell, Gogic, Boyle, Allan, Bradley, Nisbet
      Arsenal XI: Okonkwo, Cedric, Clarke, Mari, Kolasinac, Nelson, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Willian, Nketiah, Aubameyang

      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      COMPETITION: WIN ONE OF FOUR SUPERCARS OR A DREAM CAR AND £100k IN CASH
      When is Hibs vs Arsenal?

      Hibs vs Arsenal takes place on Tuesday, July 13.
      The match kicks off at 6pm BST.
      Easter Road plays host to the friendly.

      What TV channel and live stream is Hibs vs Arsenal on?
      Hibs vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Arsenal Player and Hibs TV.
      HIBERNIAN TEAM NEWS
      XI: Macey, McGinn, Hanlon, Porteous, Stevenson, Newell, Gogic, Boyle, Allan, Bradley, Nisbet.
      SUBS: Dabrowski, Brydon, Campbell, Hallberg, Magennis, Wright, Mackay.

      ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
      XI: Oknokwo, Cedric, Clarke, Mari, Kolasinac, Nelson, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Willian, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
      SUBS: Hein, Rekik, Hutchinson, Pepe, Partey, Balogun, Smith-Rowe, Lacazette, Bellerin, Henry-Francis.

      BLACK AND YELLOW
      The Gunners will be in their neon-yellow away strip and if squad numbers are anything to go by, it looks like Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian, Pablo Mari and Nicolas Pepe will be involved in some capacity at Easter Road.

      GOOD AFTERNOON FROM EASTER ROAD
      WELCOME to our live coverage of this Tuesday evening friendly clash between Hibernian and Arsenal in the Gunners’ first pre-season game of the upcoming 2021/22 campaign.
      Jack Ross guided Hibs to a superb third-placed finish in the SPL last season, their highest league position for 16 years, as well as suffering an agonising 1-0 defeat to St. Johnstone 1-0 in the Scottish Cup Final.
      They kicked off their pre-season campaign against with a 1-0 to Accrington Stanley last week, followed by a 1-1 draw with Stoke City, but that by no means suggests that this will be a walk in the park for Mikel Arteta’s side.
      The Edinburgh outfit notched up an impressive 18 wins last season to book their place in the Europa Conference League’s second qualifying round, their first taste of European football since the 2018/19 season. 
      Arsenal, meanwhile, kick-off their Premier League campaign in exactly one month, facing the newly-promoted Brentford in what looks to be a suitably exciting all-London clash to kick-off the new Premier League season.
      Fans will hope for a glimpse of new signing Nuno Tavares in an Arsenal shirt this evening, having sealed his £6.8m move to North London from Benfica over the weekend.
      The Gunners also appear on the brink of confirming the signing of Belgian midfielder Albert Lokonga from Anderlecht, whilst also advancing in talks with Brighton for England defender Ben White.   
      Hector Bellerin has returned to training and is with the squad, but is touted as likely to leave the Emirates this summer, with interest coming most notably from Inter Milan, who are seeking to replace Achraf Hakimi.
      The Gunners will also be without England hero Bukayo Saka, after the 19-year-old played in the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday and bravely stepped up to take the deciding spot-kick for The Three Lions against Italy.
      After a disappointing campaign in which the Gunners finished 8th and failed to qualify for a Europe for the first time since 1994/95, Mikel Arteta will hope his side can set the tone for a much improved campaign this evening.
      We’re expecting team news shortly and will bring it to you as soon as we have it, so stay with us and we’ll keep you updated. Kick-off is at 6pm.
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      England Euro 2020 fall-out LIVE: Overwhelming support for Three Lions stars Saka, Rashford and Sancho – latest reaction

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      ITALY are Euro 2020 champions after beating England on penalties at Wembley.Luke Shaw netted early for a rampant Three Lions, before Gareth Southgate’s men were pegged back in the second half by Leonardo Bonucci.
      And after a tense and hard-fought draw over the full 120 minutes, it came down to spot-kicks once again.
      Ultimately it was to be heartbreak for England, with Gialuigi Donnarumma saving from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka, while Marcus Rashford’s penalty hit the post.

      Follow all the reaction with our live blog below…

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      SAKA SUPPORT
      Arsenal stars have rallied around youngster Bukayo Saka after his penalty agony handed Italy Euro 2020 glory over England.
      The likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli sent messages of support to their teammate, who was subject to vile racist abuse online.

      HIT LE SPOT
      Matt Le Tissier has joked he would become England’s penalties coach for free, writes TOM BARCLAY.
      The Three Lions lost the Euro 2020 final on Sunday night after more shoot-out heartbreak.
      It added to similar painful exits at Italia 90, Euro 96 and Euro 2004 among other tournaments.
      Le Tissier, who won eight England caps in his playing career, had a phenomenal record from 12 yards, netting 47 out of 48 spot-kicks.
      The Southampton legend, 52, told GB News: “That’s a job I would quite happily do for nothing.
      “Unfortunately in 20 years nobody has picked up the phone and asked me.
      “But if somebody did pick up the phone I would be more than happy to help!”
      BONUCCI BANTER
      Leonardo Bonucci celebrated Italy’s Euros 2020 final triumph with a brutally mocking rendition of Frank Skinner’s and David Baddiel’s ‘Three Lions’.
      A clip of the Italy centre-back raucously singing “it’s coming Rome” alongside Chelsea ace Jorginho has been shared more than 100,000 times on Instagram.
      Italy beat England at Wembley in a dramatic penalty shootout to claim their second European Championship crown.
      RIO’S RAGE
      Rio Ferdinand has taken to Twitter to call out “idiots” using social media to send abusive messages to England aces.
      And the former Three Lions and Man United centre-back is urging Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to take action against account users targeting players with racist posts.
      Ferdinand tweeted: “You can bet ya last pound also that they would have sung the Raheem Sterling song almost bursting the veins in their bodies doing so.
      “But England lose and that joy and sense of being United immediately evaporates and our black players become the target. It’s a disgrace that anyone should have to receive this type of online hate
      “And just think about these same idiots only days ago would have been celebrating the brilliance of a Sterling or a Saka or a Walker for their efforts in an England shirt.
      “These people I am talking about have shown us again who they really are!
      “Social media companies please can we come together in creating a way to protect people on your platforms please…. Our young heroes need your attention too!”
      GREALISH PEN GRIPE
      Jack Grealish has taken a swipe at criticism directed at him following England’s Euros 2020 finals loss on penalties to Italy.
      The dramatic shootout saw Gianluigi Donnarumma save two England spot-kicks from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka with Marcus Rashford’s effort hitting the post.
      ITV Sports pundit Roy Keane criticised Grealish and Raheem Sterling for not taking a pen ahead of Saka who at 19 is England’s youngest player.
      But the Villa skipper retorted on social media quote tweeting a Sky Sports story featuring Keane’s comments.
      On his Twitter account, the midfielder wrote: “I said I wanted to take one!!!!
      “The gaffer has made so many right decisions through this tournament and he did tonight!
      “But I won’t have people say that I didn’t want to take a peno when I said I will…”
      I said I wanted to take one!!!! The gaffer has made so many right decisions through this tournament and he did tonight! But I won’t have people say that I didn’t want to take a peno when I said I will… https://t.co/3mBpKyMoUV— Jack Grealish (@JackGrealish) July 12, 2021

      GUNNER CONDEMN RACISM
      Arsenal have joined the FA in calling out the racial abuse of England’s black players following the Three Lions’ penalty shootout loss to Italy.
      The club tweeted a message of support along with a picture of England starlet Bukayo Saka who is among the players targeted on social media.
      We couldn’t be any prouder of Bukayo. But once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number black players.— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 12, 2021

      In a statement, the club said: “Last night we witnessed the leadership and character we’ve always known and loved in Bukayo.
      “However, this feeling of pride quickly turned to sorrow at the racist comments our young player was subjected to on his social media platforms after the final whistle.
      “Once again, we are sad to have to say we condemn the racism of a number of black players.
      “This cannot continue and the social media platforms and authorities must act to ensure this disgusting abuse to which our players are subjected on a daily basis stops now.
      “We have processes in place internally at Arsenal to ensure our players are supported both emotionally and practically on this issue but sadly there is only so much we can do.
      “Our message to Bukayo is: hold your head high, we are so very proud of you and we cannot wait to welcome you back home to Arsenal soon.”
      FA SLAMS ABUSE
      The FA has hit out at online racist comments directed at Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka following England’s devastating loss on penalties to Italy.
      This morning the football authority released a statement condemning the racial abuse of the Three Lions trio.
      The statement said: “The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media.
      “We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team.
      “We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.”

      ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE
      “We are all together. The players have been incredible to work with and given the country some unbelievable memories.
      “The opportunity to win trophies like this are so rare, but when they reflect on what they’ve done they should be incredibly proud of themselves.”
      .Credit: Getty
      PRIME PRAISE
      Boris Johnson has praised England for “playing like heroes” after the team lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 final.
      The PM declared Gareth Southgate’s squad “deserve great credit” for making it through to the nail-biting showdown – but described the defeat as “heartbreaking”.
      Boris, who attended the match with wife Carrie, tweeted after Italy clinched the win: “That was a heartbreaking result to end #Euro2020 but Gareth Southgate and his @England squad played like heroes.
      “They have done the nation proud and deserve great credit.”
      .Credit: AP
      ENGLAND CAPTAIN HARRY KANE
      “We couldn’t have given more. Penalties are the worst feeling the world when you lose. It wasn’t our night but we had a fantastic tournament and can hold our heads high.
      “It’s going to hurt but we’re on the right track and hopefully we can build on this. We went through our process and the players did everything we could but it wasn’t to be.
      “These things can happen. Anyone can miss a penalty. We win together and lose together, those boys will grow from it and it will give us even more motivation to do better in the World Cup next year.”
      ROY KEANE
      “If you’re Sterling or Grealish, you cannot sit there and have a young kid [Saka] go up for a penalty ahead of you, you can’t.
      “You cannot let a shy 19-year-old go up in front of you.
      “They have a lot more experience, Sterling has won trophies, they had to get in front of the young kid and stand up.”
      .Credit: Getty

      GREAL FAN
      Jack Grealish came off the bench for England against Italy in the Euro 2020 final – leaving one cheeky fan delighted.
      A blonde woman was caught on TV cameras waving a football shirt with ‘Mrs Grealish 69’ on the back as her hero came on.
      And she was not finished their with her hopefulness – she was holding up a Manchester United ‘Zebra’ shirt.
      The Red Devils are just one of the clubs Grealish has been linked with, despite his side Aston Villa being desperate to keep hold of him.
      Unsurprisingly, the clip of her showing her love for Grealish was the talk of Twitter.

      HARD TIME
      Harry Kane failed to have a single touch in Italy’s box in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday.
      The England captain was barely given a sniff by Italy’s defence as the Three Lions lost at Wembley.
      Kane had four goals to his name in England’s run to the final – one fewer than Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick.
      The Spurs forward, 27, also needed just one goal to pass Gary Lineker’s record of England goals at major tournaments.
      But the striker was kept quiet all night by Georgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci in the centre of the Italian defence.

      KATE’S PAIN
      Harry Kane consoled his teary wife Kate after England’s Euro 2020 penalty shootout heartbreak.
      Gareth Southgate’s squad were understandably devastated at the full-time whistle with the likes of Declan Rice in tears.
      Watching from the stands was Kane’s wife Kate who cut a distraught figure among the fans.
      Pictures show Kane hugging his childhood sweetheart as she wipes away her tears.

      VILE ABUSE
      THE FA are ‘appalled’ at racist abuse suffered by England players on social media after their Euro 2020 final loss.
      According to The Athletic, Rashford, Saka and Sancho had vile comments left on Instagram and sent monkey emojis.
      An FA spokesperson said: “The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media.
      “We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team.
      “We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.
      “We will continue to do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real life consequences.
      “Social media companies need to step up and take accountability and action to ban abusers from their platforms, gather evidence that can lead to prosecution and support making their platforms free from this type of abhorrent abuse.”
      .Credit: AFP
      GARY NEVILLE
      “They’ve been absolutely outstanding through this tournament and they’ll come back stronger. They need to feel this pain tonight.
      “They need to do their interviews and talk about how this feels – because this team has been honest and genuine all the way through.”
      .Credit: AP
      SPECIAL MOMENT
      What a story for Chelsea and Italy legend Gianluca Vialli.
      A true fighter and warrior.
      In November 2018, Gianluca Vialli successfully overcome a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.Nobody could begrudge him this moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/283I6HmTIb— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) July 11, 2021

      ALAN SHEARER
      “They’ve given us hope, they’ve given us something to be proud of. It’s just a devastating way to lose it after what they’ve given us the last month.
      “It’s horrible when things like this happen but it’s football and you’ve got to find a way to move on.”
      .Credit: AFP
      .Credit: Getty
      ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE
      “We are all together. The players have been incredible to work with and given the country some unbelievable memories.
      “The opportunity to win trophies like this are so rare, but when they reflect on what they’ve done they should be incredibly proud of themselves.”
      .Credit: Getty
      LING PRIDE
      proud of the boys, keep your heads up 🙏🏾❤️— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) July 11, 2021

      WHAT A JOURNEY
      📅 14 years ago, Giorgio Chiellini played against England U21s in the first official game at the New Wembley.🏆 Today he captained Italy to win #EURO2020 at the same stadium, his first international trophy at 36 years of age. pic.twitter.com/yuFJQplFdj— Betfair (@Betfair) July 11, 2021

      ENGLAND MANAGER GARETH SOUTHGATE
      “We’re hugely disappointed of course. I think the players have been an absolute credit and given everything they possibly could. At times they played really well, at times we didn’t keep the ball well enough.
      “But they’ve been an absolute joy to work with and gone further than we’ve gone in so long and there’s a lot of pain in that dressing room.”
      “At the moment the pain of the defeat is huge. We wanted to give our nation one more special night but weren’t quite able to do it.”
      .Credit: Reuters
      YOUNG STAR
      This man has a great career ahead of him.
      19 years old and one of the stars of the last month.
      Tonight’s penalty miss will not define him. He’ll be back.

      IT’S ON ME
      England boss Gareth Southgate takes the blame for tonight’s loss.

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