Archive July 1, 2025

Arsenal sign goalkeeper Kepa from Chelsea for £5m

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Arsenal have completed the £5m signing of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea.

Spain international Kepa joins the Gunners on a three-year deal after spending last term on loan at Bournemouth, where he made 35 appearances in all competitions.

“I’m really, really happy to be here, really excited and looking forward to what is coming,” he said.

“The ambition that is shown in this club, when I talk with Mikel [Arteta] and Inaki [Cana], how much they show me their desire to win… I think we are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it. “

The 30-year-old is still the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, having moved to the Blues in 2018 from boyhood club Athletic Bilbao for £71m.

His arrival at the Emirates will provide competition for his compatriot David Raya.

Neto was on loan at Arsenal from the Cherries during the 2024-25 campaign but they elected not to sign the Brazilian on a permanent basis.

Kepa played 163 times for Chelsea and was in the squads that lifted the Champions League, Europa League and Club World Cup.

Victim of his price tag at Chelsea – analysis

Kepa was a victim of his £71m price tag at Chelsea.

He was deemed the best possible option when Thibaut Courtois forced his exit from the Blues in 2018 and Alisson turned down Chelsea to join Liverpool.

Athletic Club then forced the Blues to pay Kepa’s full release clause.

After his wobble early in his Chelsea career, Kepa quickly proved he was not worth either the fee nor his previous £190,000-a-week wages.

However, he was still highly respected behind the scenes. He was rated as a top professional, a good squad member and a positive character – despite his strange episode in refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final in 2019.

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Lana Del Rey Wembley – Stage times, banned items and setlist

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Lana Del Rey’s London tour dates this week – from set times, to banned items and the likely set list

Lana Del Rey performs live on stage at Principality Stadium on June 23, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales.(Image: Photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images for ABA)

Lana Del Rey is heading to London this week for two huge shows at Wembley Stadium. The tour that has led the US songstress from Cardiff to Liverpool and Dublin will reach its close in the capital this weekend.

If you’re lucky enough to have tickets, here’s everything you need to know before venturing down to north-west London from the likely setlist to the all important stage times and how to really make the most of your trip.

Stage times

Doors will open at 5pm

What time does the Lana del Rey concert start at Wembley?

Stage times: Addison Rae 19:15

After being joined by London Grammar at her concert in Cardiff and by Banks in Glasgow, Liverpool and Dublin, Lana del Rey will be supported by Addison Rae for her two Wembley Stadium shows.

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Lana Del Rey 20:30 (Thu) / 21:00 (Fri)

What time does the Lana del Rey concert end?

22:30 (Thu), 22:45 (Fri)

Setlist

The precise setlist is currently under wraps, but that hasn’t stopped fans sharing their predictions on what they might hear when they see Lana del Rey at Wembley Stadium. Some of the favourite predictions include:

A&W

Serial Killer

Shades of Cool

Sad Girl

West Coast

Lighthouse

Summertime Sadness

Prettiest Girl in Country Music

Venice Bitch

Honeymoon

Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard?

Ride

Margaret

Jealous Girl

Let the Light in

How to get to Wembley Park on the tube

Wembley Park offers a range of travel options, including three stations and three tube lies. As the area is so well-connected, it is an easy journey from central London, as well as further afield. Wembley Park is in Zone 4 and you can easily travel by London Underground to see Lana del Rey in Wembley.

The official TFL (Transport for London) website can help you plan your tube journey, estimating journey times and advising of any current station closures or other disruption.

London Underground lines that go to Wembley Park include:

  • Jubilee Line: This takes you to Wembley Park station.
  • Metropolitan Line: This serves Wembley Park station as well. The journey time from Baker Street is just 12 minutes.
  • Bakerloo Line: This takes you to Wembley Central Station. It’s a great choice for connections from Paddington, Charing Cross and Waterloo.
  • London Overground Line: This serves Wembley Central Station. Trains from Clapham Junction take as little as 22 minutes.

Tube station services this July:

  • Wembley Park station: No disruptions reported.
  • Wembley Central station: No disruptions reported.

Example distances from the tube stations in Wembley Park:

  • Bond Street: 19 minutes via Jubilee Line (from Wembley Park station)
  • King’s Cross: 20 minutes via Metropolitan Line (from Wembley Park station)
  • Paddington: 24 minutes via Bakerloo Line (from Wembley Central station)
  • London Bridge: 27 minutes via Jubilee Line (from Wembley Park station)
  • Liverpool Street: 30 minutes via Metropolitan Line (from Wembley Park station)
  • Charing Cross: 30 minutes via Bakerloo Line (from Wembley Central station)

Pricing information:

From 2 March 2025, the peak fare to travel to Wembley Park from Zone 1 is £4. 60, while the off-peak fare is £3. 40.

Wembley Stadium location:

  • 10 minutes’ walk from Wembley Park tube station
  • 22 minutes’ walk from Wembley Central tube station
  • 34 minutes’ walk from North Wembley tube station

Accessing Wembley Stadium:

Once you arrive by tube, it’s a quick walk from Wembley Park station to Wembley Stadium via Olympic Way. You can see the stadium in front of you as you walk, so be sure to snap a selfie or two on the way.

When you leave the stadium after the concert, please note that average wait times to enter Wembley Park station can range from 15 to 60 minutes.

Alternative routes:

If you plan to avoid the post-concert crowds, you can walk to either Wembley Central or North Wembley station. The Bakerloo line and overground trains serve both stations.

 Lana Del Rey performs live on stage at Principality Stadium on June 23, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales.
Lana Del Rey performs live on stage at Principality Stadium on June 23, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales.(Image: Photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images for ABA)

Bag Policy

Wembley Stadium’s bag policy says you cannot take any bag larger than an A4 piece of paper (H 297mm, W 210mm and D 210mm) into the venue. Check the dimensions of your bag before you leave the house, as you won’t be able to enter the stadium if your bag is oversize.

What Items Are Prohibited Inside the Stadium?

Note that several items are prohibited from Wembley Stadium, including selfie sticks, pushchairs, umbrellas, alcohol and food and drink (amongst others), so all visitors are advised to read up on what is permitted in advance.

Official Merch

Buying yourself some official Lana del Rey merch is a lovely way to remember her 2025 concert. If you buy it in Wembley Stadium, the merch will come in a clear plastic bag. If you buy it outside the stadium, it will come in a sealed clear plastic bag, which you must leave sealed until you’re inside the stadium.

There will be Lana Del Ray 2025 Tour merchandise stands on Olympic Way and at other key locations in Wembley Park. You can find directions to these on the digital wayfinding signs around the neighbourhood. Based on items available on Lana’s website, tour merchandise could include t-shirts, hoodies and music.

How to make Lana’s concerts extra special

On 1st July 2025, Wembley Park is hosting an incredible, open-air orchestral concert, from 7-8pm. Free to attend, Lana Del Rey: The String Sessions will be performed by the City String Ensemble as part of Wembley Park’s Summer Rocks event series. The renowned string quartet will perform captivating cinematic versions of some of Lana’s most popular hits at the Sound Shell in Wembley Park’s Samovar Space, with the famous Wembley Stadium arch as a backdrop. No tickets are required – simply turn up and enjoy. Seating is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The full Summer Rocks programme includes a season-long series of free events, from a wellness festival and outdoor art classes to weekend live music performances marking 10 years of Busk in London.

On Lana’s concert days, BOXPARK Wembley is hosting the official Lana del Rey Wembley fanpark for her 2025 London concert dates. Amazing entertainment, drinks specials and more will all serve to get you into the party atmosphere and warm up your vocal cords before the gig.

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Bordeaux and Saints drawn in same Champions Cup pool

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Holders Bordeaux-Begles and last season’s finalists Northampton Saints have been drawn in Pool 4 for the 2025-26 Investec Champions Cup.

In May, Bordeaux defeated Saints 28-20 in Cardiff to lift their first Champions Cup title.

Premiership semi-finalists Bristol Bears, Scarlets, Top 14 side Pau and United Rugby Championship (URC) runners-up Bulls are also in Pool 4.

Three-time winners Saracens are in Pool 1 alongside record six-time champions Toulouse.

They are joined by Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks, Clermont Auvergne and South African side Sharks.

Premiership champions Bath, who won last year’s Challenge Cup, are in Pool 2 with Munster, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Castres and three-time winners Toulon.

In Pool 3, Leinster, who lost to Northampton in last year’s semi final, again are drawn in the same pool as Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle, who defeated the Irish province in back-to-back finals in 2022 and 2023.

Leo Cullen’s team squeezed past the Top 14 side 16-14 in last year’s pool stage.

Leicester Tigers and Harlequins are also in Pool 3, with Bayonne and South African side Stormers.

Each team will play four different opponents in the pool stage, but not teams from their own league, with fixtures still to be announced.

In the Challenge Cup, Ulster, who finished 14th in last season’s URC have been drawn in the same pool as Parisian rivals Racing 92 and Stade Francais in Pool 3.

Champions Cup draw

Pool 1: Toulouse, Clermont, Sharks, Saracens, Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks

Pool 2: Bath, Toulon, Munster, Castres, Edinburgh, Gloucester

Pool 3: Leinster, Leicester Tigers, Harlequins, La Rochelle, Bayonne, Stormers

Challenge Cup draw

Pool 1: Ospreys, Connacht, Zebre, Montpellier, US Montauban, Black Lion

Pool 2: Newcastle, Dragons, Benetton, Lions, Lyon, USAP

Fixtures – Champions & Challenge Cup

Round one: 5-7 December

Round two: 12-14 December

Round three: 9-11 January

Round four: 16-18 January

Last 16: 3-5 April

Quarter-finals: 10-12 April 2026

Semi-finals: 1-3 May

Challenge Cup final: Friday, 22 May

Champions Cup final: Saturday, 23 May

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Ukraine drone attack on central Russia kills three, wounds 35

A Ukrainian drone attack at an industrial plant in central Russia has killed three people and injured 35 others, a Russian regional governor has said.

Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurt Republic, said in a post on Telegram on Tuesday that the attack took place at a factory in Izhevsk city. Ten of the wounded were in a serious condition, he noted.

There was no immediate official comment from Kyiv. But a Ukrainian security official confirmed the attack, telling the news agency Reuters that the Kupol plant had been hit, with a fire breaking out as a result.

The facility, which produces air defence systems and drones for the Russian army, is located roughly 1,300km (800 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

If confirmed, the Ukrainian mission would be one of the deepest attacks of its kind inside Russia since the start of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.

However, it is not as far as one Kyiv claimed last May, which reportedly hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800km (1,120 miles) from Ukraine.

Speaking to the AFP news agency on Tuesday, an unnamed Ukrainian security service (SBU) official hailed the most recent drone mission.

“Each such special operation reduces the enemy’s offensive potential, disrupts military production chains and demonstrates that even deep in Russia’s rear, there are no safe zones for its military infrastructure,” they said in written comments.

The attack came a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would increase its drone production, following a surge in Russian drone attacks.

Moscow fired some 5,438 long-range drones at Ukraine in June, its highest monthly total yet, according to an analysis by AFP.

“The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,” Zelenskyy said on Telegram late on Monday about Ukraine’s manufacturing drive.

The message followed a promise last month by Ukraine’s top military commander to improve the “scale and depth” of strikes on Russia.

In other developments, the Kremlin has denied the suggestion from one of United States President Donald Trump’s special envoys that it was deliberately stalling ceasefire talks.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, said on Monday, “Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine. ”

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russia was “not interested in drawing out anything”.

A date for a third round of negotiations has yet to be agreed.

Chelsea defender Lawrence joins Lyon

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Canada international Ashley Lawrence has left Chelsea to join Lyon after two years at the club.

The 30-year-old won four trophies during her time at Chelsea, including the Women’s Super League title in both seasons.

She made 60 appearances, scoring three goals and picking up eight assists as an attacking full-back.

Last season she featured 30 times for Chelsea and helped them win an unbeaten domestic Treble in manager Sonia Bompastor’s first season.

Prior to joining Chelsea, Lawrence played for Paris St-Germain, ending Lyon’s run of 14 successive French titles in 2021.

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