Richard pushes to 25; Pete vaults into second

The big guns delivered. Richard’s Argentina beat Tega’s Austria 2-0 for a second win, Nichola’s France swept Emily’s Iraq aside 3-0, and Ella’s Egypt came from behind to beat Tega’s New Zealand 3-1. A double-losing day for Tega - both Austria and New Zealand beaten - though she clings on in the leading group.

This morning brought the day’s thriller: Pete’s Norway edged Henry’s Senegal 3-2, a second win that vaults Pete up to second on 17 and leaves Henry stranded on 9, propping up the field.

The table: Richard 25, now eight clear, then Pete 17, with Tega, Emily and Ella all locked together on 15 (split on goal difference in that order), Nichola 14, Henry 9 and Sophie 8. Richard hasn’t finished outside the top of a single matchday.

Still to come today, with Jordan 0-0 Algeria (Emily v Sophie) already in play: England v Ghana is Henry’s tier-1 against Richard’s tier-6, Panama v Croatia pits Tega against Sophie, and Portugal v Uzbekistan is Sophie’s tier-1 against Nichola’s tier-5.

Odds watch

Richard firms to his shortest price yet, 2.82 (35.5%), after Argentina reclaimed top spot for the World Cup itself (24.6%, back ahead of Ella’s Spain on 22.4%) on the back of a second clean-sheet win. Behind him the chasing pack is tightly bunched and barely moved - Ella 5.63, Emily 8.12, Nichola 8.44 - while Henry drifted out to 12.58 on Senegal’s defeat and Sophie eased to 27.61. With 44 of 72 group games now locked the market is stiffening: the swings are shrinking as fewer outcomes remain to move it.