- Young Lions claim continental crown
- Palmer involved in only goal
- Mass brawls on the touchline
WHAT HAPPENED? A fiery fixture in Georgia on Saturday saw the Young Lions savour continental glory for the first time since 1984, with a deflected free-kick from Palmer on the stroke of half-time – which flicked in off Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones – proving to be the difference on the day. A mass brawl was sparked when the only goal of the game went in, with Palmer figuring prominently in that melee after celebrating near the benches. Another scuffle broke out after James Trafford saved a stoppage-time penalty from Abel Ruiz, with Gomez less than impressed with the antics of England’s players and coaches.
WHAT THEY SAID: The 22-year-old full-back, who joined Treble winners City in the summer of 2022, told Cadena SER of Palmer’s behaviour: “It surprised me. He didn’t want to apologise or anything like some of his other team-mates. I don’t know, I would have celebrated it in a different way and my team-mates would have done it in a different way as well.
“They [England] have the attitude they want to have. This is not the first time something like this has happened with this team. We have tried to represent our country in the best possible way and have the utmost respect for all our rivals. They wanted to celebrate it like this and also after the missed penalty.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Gomez took in 23 appearances for City last season – many of those off the bench – and now has Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League winners’ medals to his name.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Gomez has been unable to land another international honour, having previously captured European crowns with Spain at U17 and U19 level, and it remains to be seen what kind of welcome he will give Palmer when the pair return to pre-season training at City ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.