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Bairstow leads new leadership shake-up at Headingley with Dawid Malan to captain in the T20 Blast

Vithushan Ehantharajah27-Mar-2025Jonny Bairstow has been announced as Yorkshire captain, following in the footsteps of his late father, David, who skippered the county between 1984 and 1988.Bairstow will lead the club upon their return to Division One of the County Championship next week as part of a new leadership set-up at Headingley which will see Dawid Malan captain in the T20 Blast.Born in Bradford, Bairstow came through the ranks at Yorkshire, playing a prominent role in their last County Championship title win in 2015, with 1108 runs at an average of 92.33 from just nine appearances that season. By then, he had broken into the England team, and played three Tests against Australia that summer to help England secure the Ashes – the last time they won the urn.Now 35, Bairstow finds himself out of the international reckoning, despite the fact he has six months remaining on an ECB central contract. He earned his 100th Test cap in the final match of England’s tour of India at the start of 2024, and made his last international appearance in June as England lost to India in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup.Related

• Dawid Malan, England's former No.1-ranked T20I batter, retires from international cricket

• Jonny Bairstow: 'I'd be stupid not to push for England recall'

• Do England players not care about the IPL anymore?

Captaincy had been on the table for Bairstow since last summer following the decision to part ways with Shan Masood, now at Leicestershire, who had held the role for two years as the club began emerging from the racism scandal that mired them in turmoil. Conversations progressed over the winter when Anthony McGrath left Essex to return to Yorkshire as head coach following the depature of Ottis Gibson, who secured promotion from Division Two in his final season.After not being picked up in the IPL mega auction, and with the ECB blocking players with red-ball commitments from taking part in the PSL, Bairstow will be available from the start of the season, which begins next week away to Hampshire.”I am incredibly proud to have been named captain of Yorkshire,” Bairstow said. “The county is embedded in my heart, and I take immense pride in representing the club on the field.”I’m very pleased and excited for what the season holds. We’ve got a great bunch of lads that have been working really hard over a period of time.”It was fantastic, first of all, for us to get promoted last year after what has been a very tough couple of years for the club. But what I will say is how resilient the guys, especially the younger guys, within the group – who three years ago went through turmoil – have been.”They’ve now got that in-built within them, and it’s started to come through not only because of the promotion but with the challenges that lead into Division One this year.”While Bairstow makes no secret that he intends to force his way back into the England set-up, particularly with a five-Test series against India this summer, followed by an Ashes tour at the end of the year, he has his sights on ending Yorkshire’s wait for meaningful red-ball silverware.”We need to be grounded in everything we do but you never say never. I firmly believe we are good enough to do it, whether it’s this year or further down the track, we’ll find out.”Malan, who moved to Yorkshire from Middlesex at the end of 2019, was as enthused about the prospect of his own captaincy. Having signed a two-year extension last summer on what was initially a white-ball only contract, he will be involved for the start of Yorkshire’s Championship campaign given the limited availablility of Joe Root and Harry Brook for the first six rounds leading into the opening men’s Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, on May 22.Dawid Malan will lead Yorkshire in the Blast•Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images

“To be appointed captain in any format of cricket for Yorkshire CCC, with the history it’s got, is a proud moment and exciting moment as well,” Malan said. “It’s not only me with the new leadership, we’ve got a whole new leadership behind me with coaches and director of cricket. So it’s an extremely exciting time for the club and hopefully, you know, we can put some things in place that put white-ball cricket in a good place at Yorkshire.”Malan has a distinguished record in the shortest format, helping England to their 2022 World Cup success having broken into a settled team through a run of form that propelled him to the top of the ICC T20 batting rankings in September 2020.The 37-year old retired from international duty last year with 114 caps across all formats, having made his final appearance at the end of England’s botched 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, the first of three poor showings at ICC events in the space of 18 months.”Do I still think I was good enough to play last year? Yeah, I do I think I was good enough to play,” Malan said when asked if his enforced retirement had been premature. “That’s ultimately not my decision.”I wouldn’t say I was hard done by, I probably didn’t score as many run as I’d have liked in the T20 stuff for a little bit of a period, but especially … the 50-over cricket, I think the last year, year and a half, I had performed in every series.”But look, time moves on, cricket moves on, decisions need to be made and if you’re going to look back at every decision with regret or with bad or ill thoughts, it’s going to be a lonely world. I enjoyed my time with England and my time is done. My time has now been putting everything that I have into Yorkshire being as good as they can be.”Despite Yorkshire’s recent pedigree across all formats, certainly in terms of personnel, they remain huge underperformers in white-ball cricket. They are one of only four counties out of 18 who have yet to lift the T20 Blast, reaching Finals Day just three times, in 2012 (finishing as losing finalists), 2016 and 2022.Malan is keen to change that, drawing from his wealth of international and franchise experience. Domestically, he was part of the 2008 Middlesex side that lifted the Twenty20 Cup, and was a vital cog for Oval Invincibles last year as they won The Hundred. Having been picked up by Headingley-based Northern Superchargers for this season’s competition, a stand-in captain for Yorkshire’s One-Day Cup campaign will be announced in due course.”It’s surprising, actually because when you look at the teams and the players they’ve had, they’ve had some fantastic players over the years,” Malan said on Yorkshire’s limited-overs drought.”I think that’s the challenge for us, trying to look at what we can to put things in place to make us a better team. We’ve come close at times, we’ve made in the last four years a quarter-final and a Finals Day, and we haven’t managed to go one better. It means we have a good base of white-ball cricket and it’s just fine-tuning a few things here or there.”We’ve made some really, really good signings in Will Sutherland and Will O’Rourke. I think they’ve been really good additions.”If you look at over the last couple of years, we’ve really struggled with injuries and being able to nail down overseas players for the full Blast and we’ve had them for bits and pieces. But to have guys that are going to be available for a good bit and that are actually going be able to bowl in the tough times, which we’ve probably not had the personnel available to us at all times with injuries. I think that’s going be a massive plus for us.”

Former England allrounder addresses accident and aftermath in documentary set for release this week

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-20251:45

‘Flintoff’ on Disney+: An exclusive look at Freddie’s story

Andrew Flintoff, the former England allrounder, says he still “remembers everything” about the near-fatal crash he suffered while filming an episode of Top Gear, after addressing the incident and its aftermath in a new Disney+ documentary about his life and career.Flintoff, 47, was airlifted to hospital in December 2022, after the open-topped three-wheeled Morgan Super 3 that he was driving around Dunsfold Aerodrome overturned at 130mph. He was left with broken ribs and serious facial injuries, with the BBC paying him a reported £9 million in compensation after agreeing to “rest” for the foreseeable future.The documentary, directed by John Dower, is set for release on April 25, and in a Disney+ trailer that features previously unseen footage of the crash site, Flintoff is seen entering hospital for treatment on his facial wounds.”I remember everything about it,” Flintoff says. “It’s so vivid.”Flintoff retreated from public life for months in the aftermath of the accident, and in the trailer, he expresses his “frustration” with the media speculation about his crash.”This is what I’m left with … I’ve lived under the radar for seven months,” he says. “One of the real frustrations was the speculation, that’s why I’m doing this now, [talking about] what actually happened.”Everyone wants more, you’re just a commodity. I’m not saying I’m embracing them, but I’m not trying to hide my scars.”It’s almost like a reset, I’m trying to find out what I am now. I’ve always seemed to be able to flick a switch, I’ve got to find that switch again.’Flintoff’s return to the sport of cricket has been a key aspect of his rehabilitation. At the behest of his friend and former team-mate, Rob Key – now England men’s director of cricket – he made an incognito appearance at the 2023 Ashes, and went on to take up a series of roles within the game, including head coach of Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, and most recently head coach of England Lions.He has also appeared as the host of the rebooted ITV darts show, Bullseye, as well as filming a second series of his acclaimed series, Field of Dreams, in which he travelled to India with his team of new cricketers, and opened up about his struggles to recover from what happened.”‘I struggle with anxiety, I have nightmares, I have flashbacks, it’s so hard to cope,” he said during the series. “I genuinely should not be here with what happened.”It’s going to be a long road back and I’ve only just started. I’m going to need help. I really am. I’m not the best at asking for it.”The new documentary features also interviews with his wife, Rachael, former team-mates including his 2005 Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, and close friends including Jack Whitehall and James Corden.Speaking to the podcaster Joe Rogan, Top Gear’s co-host, Chris Harris – who witnessed the aftermath of the crash – said that Flintoff was lucky to be alive.”He’s a physical specimen, Fred, he’s a big guy – six foot five, six foot six, strong. And if he wasn’t so strong, he wouldn’t have survived.”He’s a great advert for physical strength and conditioning, because if he hadn’t been that strong, he’d have just snapped his neck, he’d be dead.”In a statement released after the crash, a BBC spokesman referred to an independent health and safety review of the show, and said: “[The review] found that while BBC Studios had complied with the required BBC policies and industry best practice in making the show, there were important learnings which would need to be rigorously applied to future Top Gear UK productions.”‘Flintoff’ is available exclusively on Disney+

They have won just one out of four completed matches at home this season, and take on RR, who are already knocked out

Sreshth Shah03-May-20251:36

Rayudu: Narine completely dismantles oppositions

Big picture: Time running out for KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) aren’t out of the playoffs race yet, but the margin for error has all but vanished. They can still reach 17 points, but that requires a perfect run in their final four games. Two of these games are at Eden Gardens, where they’ve managed just one win in four completed matches this season. Saturday afternoon’s match marks their penultimate home game.To stay in the hunt for a top-four finish, KKR need to break new ground this season by stringing together back-to-back wins for the first time. Their last game, against Delhi Capitals (DC), wasn’t perfect, but a few performances offered some hope that there’s still fight left in them. Rinku Singh and Andre Russell found their spark, Sunil Narine dismissed three high-quality batters, and the openers finally laid a solid foundation. For KKR, replicating all of that – and getting more out of Venkatesh Iyer – is essential for their playoff hopes. A loss wouldn’t eliminate them outright, but it would leave them hanging by a thread.Up against them are Rajasthan Royals (RR), already eliminated, but a side that’s hurting. The Vaibhav Suryavanshi – Yashasvi Jaiswal show against Gujarat Titans was scintillating, but what followed was a tame submission against Mumbai Indians, when they went down by 100 runs.Lifting themselves up to produce a performance with Sanju Samson still injured and Sandeep Sharma out of the tournament will be difficult, but a hurting side with nothing to lose can be a dangerous unit. And as their bowling coach Shane Bond suggested on the eve of the game, there’ll be some players waiting to make full use of any opportunities afforded to them in their last few fixtures, with the management having one eye on IPL 2026 and beyond.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders: WLLWL
Rajasthan Royals: LWLLL

The big question

KKR have three overseas players locked in: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Narine and Russell. But how do their best use their fourth? It appears Spencer Johnson and Anrich Nortje are not in the mix right now. Rovman Powell, the current preference, has been carded at No. 8 for their last two games, and a batter at that position averages fewer than six balls per game.

In the spotlight: Venkatesh Iyer and Dhruv Jurel

Venkatesh Iyer is being plagued by inconsistency. In seven innings this season, a struggling top order has offered him ample opportunity. But he has been out in single digits four times, and has crossed 40 only once. Compared to last season, Venkatesh’s average has dropped from 46.3 to 20.3, while his strike rate has fallen from 159 to 139. Only Rishabh Pant and and Abdul Samad have poorer averages this season (minimum 100 runs). With the batters above and below Venkatesh beginning to stitch together scores, it’s time for KKR’s vice-captain to do the same with qualification for playoffs still a possibility.5:35

What all went wrong for Rajasthan Royals this IPL?

RR have shown a lot of faith in Dhruv Jurel, but his role this season has been a bit muddled. He has always been inventive and attacking against pace, but at both No. 4 or No. 5, his game against spin has been tested. Jurel strikes at only 110 against spinners this season, and it’s 179 against pace while boasting an average of 81.5. Is it time for RR to utilise him differently?

Team news and probable XIIs

With only two right-handers in the RR top five, and KKR trusting Russell more with the ball, Anukul Roy, who picked up 1 for 27 against DC, might make way for Ramandeep Singh to get more batting power. Ajinkya Rahane had his right hand bandaged after being injured against DC, but Powell suggested he should be available.Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 5 Venkatesh Iyer, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Rovman Powell/Moeen Ali, 9 Ramandeep Singh/Anukul Roy, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Varun Chakravarthy, 12 Vaibhav AroraAkash Madhwal got his first opportunity with Sandeep’s injury in RR’s last game, and should keep his place. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya remains a tempting option against KKR’s line-up. Wanindu Hasaranga could be back for his googlies against Russell.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Vaibhav Suryavanshi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag (capt), 5 Dhruv Jurel (wk), 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Shubham Dubey, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana/Wanindu Hasaranga, 10 Fazalhaq Farooqi/Kwena Maphaka, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Yudhvir Singh/Kumar Kartikeya

Pitch and conditions

A look at the surface showed rough marks outside both off and leg stump, and it could be a drier pitch that assists spin just a bit more. The last few days have been hot, with a short stormy period to cool the city down every evening. Chances of the game being affected by rain remain high.Yashasvi Jaiswal has struck four fifties in his last six outings•BCCI

Stats and trivia

• RR’s spinners have the second-lowest average (36.7) and economy (9.4) this season. Only SRH are worse.
• While Angkrish Raghuvanshi has a dazzling strike rate of 170 in his first ten balls in IPL 2025, it dips to 106 by the time he moves on to play his 21st ball and beyond.
• Jaiswal has struck four fifties in his last six outings. He has also hit the most sixes (18) in the powerplay this season. It has helped RR maintain the highest powerplay run rate (10.8) this time.
• The middle-order struggles for KKR and RR are evident in their dot-ball percentage between overs 7 and 16: KKR (37.2%) are the worst, while RR (32.9%) are right behind them.

Quotes

“Whatever happened before in the first half of the competition is history. We all know that in the IPL, it is important for teams to find their momentum at the back end of the competition. If we can do that, we give ourselves the best chance of being back-to-back champions.”
“Regardless of whether you’re in the competition or not, you’ve got the RR badge on your chest, and you’ve got players with the attitude of wanting to turn up, compete, win, and that shouldn’t matter if you’re in the competition or not. So that energy and intensity is expected from the players regardless of the points table, and we didn’t do that very well the other night [against Mumbai Indians]. It will be a hot day in Kolkata, and it will be challenging, but that’s what’s expected, and I want to see that from the boys.”

Kent fight back with unbeaten century for Ben Compton and Daniel Bell-Drummond’s fifty

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-May-2025Caleb Jewell and Wayne Madsen achieved personal milestones to drive Derbyshire to a record-breaking score before Kent fought back on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Derby.Australian opener Jewell made a career-best 232 from 361 balls out of 587 for 5 declared, Derbyshire’s highest ever total against Kent.Madsen scored 100, the Derbyshire captain’s 40th first-class century for the county, out of a third-wicket stand of 176 with Jewell before Luis Reece plundered an unbeaten half-centuryThe Kent bowling figures made for sorry reading with leg-spinner Matt Parkinson becoming the first to concede 200 runs in an innings against Derbyshire, eclipsing a record which had stood for 121 years.Derbyshire’s bowlers also struggled as Ben Compton with an unbeaten 105 and 61 from Daniel Bell-Drummond helped Kent to 210 for 3 at stumps, still 377 behind.After Jewell had sparkled in the sunshine on day one, it was more of the same despite contrasting conditions on an overcast and breezy morning.Any hopes Kent had of making inroads with a relatively new ball under grey clouds quickly faded as Jewell and Madsen did pretty much as they pleased.Kent lost fast bowler Jake Ball who was forced to leave the field with an injury nine overs into the session and there was more frustration when Grant Stewart had a good shout for lbw against Jewell on 164 turned down.After Madsen lofted Parkinson for four to secure a fourth batting point, Jewell drove the leg spinner for six to move to within two runs of his double century which he reached with a scampered single to mid off.In the same over, Madsen completed his second hundred of the season before he drove Leaning into the hands of long on.Parkinson beat Brooke Guest’s drive but it was easily Derbyshire’s morning with 131 runs scored in 30 overs and there was more to come.Jewell passed his previous best of 227 for Tasmania against Western Australia but five runs later he tried to swing Leaning over mid wicket and was bowled, bringing to an end the highest score by a Derbyshire batsman against Kent.There was still no respite for a weary attack as Reece motored to a 46 ball 50 and Martin Andersson cleared the ropes four times before the declaration came four runs after Derbyshire had passed their previous biggest total against Kent of 583- 4 at Derby in September 2009.Not surprisingly there were some bruised bowling figures with Parkinson’s analysis of 1 for 204 from 46 overs the most expensive against Derbyshire since Bill Reeves conceded 192 for Essex at Chesterfield in 1904.Derbyshire also discovered there was little margin for error despite taking the early wicket of Joe Denly who was playing his first innings of the season after recovering from a broken arm.Denly was lured into aiming a big drive at Zak Chappell and the edge flew to second slip where Madsen pouched a waist high catch.Compton and Bell-Drummond responded with a stand of 125 balls from 179 balls and although Anuj Dal tempted the Kent skipper and Tawanda Muyeye into loose strokes, Compton completed a fine century from 151 balls by cutting Chappell for his 13th four.

Over 1,200 players have found the target on the grandest of footballing stages, but only 13 have reached double figures in the competition's history

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  1Best of the rest

  Some iconic figures have recorded nine goals at World Cup finals, including Eusebio, David Villa and Roberto Di Baggio. Rivaldo and Diego Maradona are among those with eight efforts to their name, while Davor Suker, Hristo Stoichkov, Dennis Bergkamp, Bebeto, Arjen Robben, Thierry Henry, Mario Kempes and Lothar Matthaus have six. Modern day icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be back for more in 2018, have managed five and three goals respectively.

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  2Grzegorz Lato | Poland | 10

  A Golden Shoe winner in 1974 having inspired Poland to a third place finish. Netted twice against Argentina and Haiti before recording match-winning efforts against Sweden and Yugoslavia. Also grabbed the only goal of the game in a third place play-off win over Brazil. Would go on to find the target twice at the 1978 World Cup and record his last international goal in 1982.

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  3Thomas Muller | Germany | 10

  The fifth German on the list and another player to have been a model of consistency throughout his World Cup appearances to date. Took the Golden Boot in 2010 courtesy of having added three assists to his five-goal haul, with the Best Young Player award also coming his way. Scored a hat-trick against Portugal in 2014, the only goal in a win over USA and the first in a 7-1 mauling of Brazil as Germany restored global dominance.

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  4Teofilo Cubillas | Peru | 10

  Peru’s all-time leading goalscorer and the first man to net at least five times at two World Cups – a feat since matched by Miroslav Klose and Thomas Muller. Found the target in all four of his outings at the 1970 event, including one effort in a quarter-final defeat to Brazil. Repeated his five-goal haul in 1978 by bagging a brace against Scotland and a hat-trick in victory over Iran.

This year, the Red Devils will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their treble win – Goal takes a look at their historic side

It was 20 years ago when Manchester United clinched their historic treble, winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup trifecta under the heroics of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1999.

To celebrate the feat, Ferguson will return to the dugout for a special reunion match to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the treble-winning campaign to manage a United Legends side against a Bayern Munich Legends team at Old Trafford on May 26.

The match will be a repeat of United's famous 2-1 Champions League comeback win, with the funds going to charity. Goal marks the occasion by rounding up the players who made up the victorious team.

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  GK | Peter Schmeichel

  Manchester United's most iconic goalkeeper (that includes you, David de Gea) celebrated his final appearance for the Red Devils in the best way possible – by lifting the Champions League trophy in 1999.

  The victory cemented his legacy at Old Trafford, wrapping up seven seasons in Manchester that included winning the Premier League an incredible five times.

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  DEF | Gary Neville

  Nobody wants to grow up to be a Gary Neville – two Champions League trophies and eight Premier League titles aside, of course. Former club captain Neville has been heralded as one of the greatest right-backs in English football, and his legacy as a Red Devil continues to live on.

  Nowadays, you can catch him as a pundit on Sky Sports, if he isn't busy owning a football club or managing another.

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  DEF | Ronny Johnsen

  Johnsen was always an underappreciated hero under Ferguson, used mainly as a replacement when positions in midfeld and defense needed to be filled.

  After six seasons at Old Trafford where he picked up three Premiership titles in addition to the Champions League trophy, the Norwegian moved on to Aston Villa and Newcastle.

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  DEF | Jaap Stam

  The former Dutch international was a key part of United's defensive line-up, a sturdy rock at centre-back. After just three seasons with the Red Devils where he won three consecutive Premier League titles in a row, Stam went to Lazio, Milan and Ajax before retiring in 2007. 

GOAL rates the performance of Aliou Cisse's men after they defeated Egypt 4-2 on penalties to win the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

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  Edouard Mendy – 8/10

  He produced fine saves when called to action and he ultimately saved a penalty that led to Senegal's triumph.

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  Abdou Diallo – 8/10

  Continued his fine partnership with Kalidou Koulibaly and he made crucial stops to limit the attacking threat from the Egyptians.

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  Kalidou Koulibaly – 8/10

  The Napoli centre-back was solid at the heart of Senegal's defence and he also coordinated the team from the back. 

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  Saliou Ciss – 8.5/10

  Ciss was a constant threat for Egyptian defenders. He was more involved as a left-winger and he won a penalty for Aliou Cisse's men in the first 10 minutes of the game. 

Manchester United kept alive their hopes of finishing top of their Europa League group with a convincing 3-0 win against Sheriff at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will go into next week's game against Real Sociedad knowing that a win by two goals or more will see them avoid a play-off against one of the teams dropping out of the Champions League.

Although, for much of the first half, it didn't look like that was going to be the case. The hosts were regularly thwarted by their opposition before Diogo Dalot was able to ease worries with a well-placed header on the stroke of half-time.

After the interval, it was pretty straightforward for Erik ten Hag's side as they were never troubled by the visitors. It took a while for the second goal to come but it was worth the wait as Marcus Rashford sent a thumping header into the back of the net from fellow substitute Luke Shaw's perfect cross.

At that stage, the only thing the evening was missing was a Cristiano Ronaldo goal after he had been restored to the starting XI. He missed a few chances – including a sitter in the first half – however he finally got on the scoresheet as he reacted quickest after Maksym Koval kept out his initial header. A big moment for Ronaldo there – but maybe not enough to convince anyone he's back to top form.

GOAL has winners, losers and ratings from the match below…

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  Winners

  Diogo Dalot:

  There was a collector's item for the Portuguese right-back as he scored just his second goal for Manchester United with his well-guided header towards the end of the first half. The goal comes as another indicator of Dalot's increasing importance in Ten Hag's side.

  There were worries amongst the fan base at Old Trafford when it was made clear that he would be the starting right-back but he is quite quickly eradicating any of that lingering doubt on the terraces. Of course, there are shortcomings in his game, but he continues to play a key role in the side and will be looking forward to the World Cup more and more as it creeps ever closer.

  Marcus Rashford:

  Another substitute performance in the Europa League and another goal. After a very disappointing last season for the Red Devils, he looks back to his best, or close enough to it.

  He looks so much more confident this season than he had in the 18 months prior to Ten Hag's arrival and that is only good news for Manchester United – and perhaps England – supporters. Like Dalot, the World Cup will be in Rashford's mind and he will know that a continuation of his great form could put him right in the discussion for a place in Gareth Southgate's squad even at this very late stage.

  Erik ten Hag:

  The Europa League campaign has caused plenty of problems for the Manchester United boss so far this season so it was nice for him to see his team cruise to a win instead of stumbling into one. His team selection was, once again, strong but his players rarely needed to get out of second gear.

  He made changes at half-time and in the second half and they all worked. Shaw and Rashford combined immediately after the former's introduction to seal the victory while Maguire got a useful run out on his return from injury. A successful evening all round for the Dutchman.

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  Losers

  Antony:

  Yet another disappointing European outing for the big-money summer signing. He has contributed effectively in the Premier League with a few goals but has not been able to contribute to anything meaningful in five Europa League games with four of those against very weak opposition.

  Antony's 45 minutes on the pitch at Old Trafford will only be remembered for a couple of pointless 360-degree turns that ultimately ended with the ball being passed harmlessly out of play. He can be thankful that Roy Keane wasn't on punditry duty because there would have undoubtedly been a very scathing assessment of his nonsensical showboating.

  Cristiano Ronaldo:

  It may seem strange to find Ronaldo on the losers list given he returned to the starting XI with a goal but he still looks a mile from his best level at the moment. A Ronaldo even at 50% of his capacity would have come away from Old Trafford with the match ball this evening and the one he did score perhaps should have been put away with the header at the first time of asking.

  There may have been a goal but he continues to show exactly why Manchester United's current best team doesn't include him. Given his recent behaviour and tonight's performance, it's hard to imagine the 37-year-old starting on Sunday afternoon against West Ham.

  The substitute goalkeepers:

  What do Tom Heaton and Martin Dubravka have to do to get a game? This evening's visit of Sheriff provided the perfect opportunity for the latter to be handed his Manchester United debut but, instead, De Gea was the man chosen between the sticks for the 16th time this season.

  It would have been a very boring evening for either of the two back-up goalkeepers given the lack of threat posed by the visitors but it would have been nice for one of them to be given a game. If they can't get a start in a match like that, I'm not sure they'll play at all this season. Although, that won't be particularly concerning for anyone at the club!

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  Ratings: Defence

  David de Gea (6/10): I'm not even sure Manchester United needed a goalkeeper. Sheriff didn't register a single shot throughout the game so the Spaniard's impact was limited to nothing.

  Diogo Dalot (7/10): Another very good performance. Defended without problem, attacked frequently and got his second goal in a Manchester United shirt. A decent evening's work.

  Victor Lindelof (6/10): Won't have many easier evenings in a red shirt. Defended well but some of his passing could have been more accurate.

  Lisandro Martinez (6/10): A relatively easy 45-minute performance for him before being replaced by Maguire at half-time. The change perhaps made in the knowledge that another booking would leave him suspended for the final group-stage game next week.

  Tyrell Malacia (6/10): A quiet evening for the youngster when he could have really pushed on to help Garnacho down the left wing. He moved over to right-back when Dalot was substituted but didn't play much of a part over there either.

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  Midfield

  Casemiro (6/10): Like many of his defensive teammates, a very comfortable evening. His passing could've been better at times but he did what he needed to do before being replaced by McTominay after an hour.

  Christian Eriksen (7/10): In the games where he's given time and space on the ball, he shows just how good he is. He had the ball on a string for the 90 minutes and picked out passes that plenty of other players can only dream of. It was his corner that brought Dalot's opening goal.

  Bruno Fernandes (6/10): No goals or assist for the midfielder who is always so keen to be in the thick of the attacking action but a solid performance otherwise. Rarely gave the ball away and linked the attack nicely at times. Certainly should've got an assist for Ronaldo who somehow missed the first-half sitter.

GOAL is celebrating 22 football moments that have never happened before on the World’s biggest stage as they keep taking place in Qatar

The Qatar 2022 World Cup is special for so many different reasons. It's the first to be played in the Middle East. It's the first to be played during November and December. It's the first in nearly 100 years to have most of the stadiums in one city. And for a number of players & teams it will be the World Cup where they do something that's never been done before. From fearless football feats to fancy footwork, record breakers to break through players, if a World Cup first happens on the pitch, this is the first place you'll hear about it.

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  1First player born in the 21st century to score at a World Cup

  Jude Bellingham hadn't even made his Championship debut when the 2018 World Cup kicked off in Russia. And four years later, Borussia Dortmund's golden boy became the FIRST player ever born in the 21st century to have scored at the World Cup with a towering header in the 35th minute against Iran on Monday at the Khalifa International Stadium.

  Bellingham had a perfect first half where he not only found the net but also completed all his 40 passes. He is being touted as a generational talent and after shining in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League earlier this season he proved his mettle on the grandest stage of international football.

  But the midfielder thought that he had missed the target after latching on to Luke Shaw's cross, beating defender Hossein Hosseini in the air.

  "I thought it had missed, as it took ages to loop into the goal but it was a brilliant ball from [Luke] Shaw and I just had to flick it away," he later said to England Football.

  Bellingham showed that, despite being just 19, he belongs to Europe's elite and is a perfect example of a modern central midfielder who adds dynamism and creativity at the same time.

  Travelling English fans showered love on Bellingham by singing 'Hey Jude' and it won't be surprising if the chorus grows bigger and louder with each passing game.

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  2First Saudi Arabian ever to have scored back-to-back winners at the World Cup

  Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Salem Al Dawsari has a knack for causing upsets in the FIFA World Cup.

  Four years back, on a rare sunny afternoon at the Volgograd Arena in Russia, he stole the limelight with a dramatic late injury-time winner against Egypt. And on Tuesday, he repeated his heroics against one of the favourites Argentina with another stunning solo strike that made him the first Saudi Arabian ever to have scored back-to-back winners at the World Cup.

  The stage was set for Lionel Messi to shine and earn the plaudits. But Al Dawsari with his grit and determination not only stole the thunder from the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner but also inspired Saudi Arabia to arguably the biggest upset the World Cup has ever witnessed.

  After picking up possession on the left-hand side of the penalty box, he dropped his shoulders to wriggle past two weak tackles, escaped a despairing lunge by Leandro Paredes, churned out a bit of space for himself and then curled the ball into the top right corner of Emiliano Martinez's net.

  The celebration that followed was nothing short of unbridled euphoria and the decibel levels at the Lusail Iconic Stadium might have even rocked the skyscrapers of Riyadh.

  The last three teams to beat Argentina at the World Cup either won the trophy or reached the final. See you on December 18, Saudi Arabia? Well, to make it happen Al Dawsari will have to pull a few more rabbits out of the hat.

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  3Modric becomes first Croatian to appear in four different World Cups

  Luka Modric is ageing like fine wine! Even at 37, he is indispensable to the Croatian national team and Zlatko Dalic's aspirations to lift the World Cup trophy, especially after falling short in the last lap four years back in Russia.

  He made his World Cup debut back in 2006 during a group stage encounter against Japan and on Wednesday he led his country as the first Croatian to play in four different World Cups. With that, he also became the first player to play in both the European Championship and FIFA World Cup in three different decades.

  Indeed, the little magician knows how to roll back the years. He is a bundle of energy on the pitch and tries to cover every single blade of grass on the pitch. His tactical awareness is beyond measure and knows exactly whether to start a quickfire counterattack or pass the ball sideways to kill the pace of the game.

  However, his primary strengths are his exemplary ball control in tight spaces and extraordinary peripheral vision that helps him to slice open defences with a single through ball.

  During the 2018 World Cup, Modric almost single-handedly led Croatia to the finals and was awarded the Golden Ball for his heroics. More importantly, he broke the hegemony of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo over the Ballon d'Or as he became the first midfielder since Kaka in 2007 to win the prestigious award.

  Fancy Croatia's chances in Qatar? Well, Modric will definitely have a say in it.

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  4Herdman becomes first manager ever to have coached both a men's and women's team at a World Cup

  John Herdman is as maverick as a football coach can be. His ingenious methods helped the Canadian women's national soccer team scale new heights, as they finished with successive bronze medals in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games respectively and also reached the last eight of the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

  His success with the women's team prompted the Canadian FA to hand him the reins of the men's team in January 2018, which were going through a rough patch and had seen the back of three managers within 18 months.

  On Wednesday, when Herdman took his place in the dugout for the Canadian men's team he became the first manager ever to have coached both a men's and women's team at a World Cup.

  Under his tutelage, the Voyageurs not only qualified for the World Cup after a hiatus of 36 years, but also finished ahead of CONCACAF giants Mexico and United States in the qualifiers.

  Herdman believes in his process and knows that if they stick to it with discipline, results are bound to follow.

  To put things into perspective, when he took charge Canada were 95th in the FIFA rankings. Just over four years later they have broken into the top 50 and are currently ranked 41st.

  Once a primary school teacher, Herdman, is now a man on a mission in Qatar.

  “To upset some teams, I get out of bed for that.”

The Argentine scored twice in injury time, including a free-kick that his compatriot would have been proud of, in Atlanta's 2-1 win over San Jose

If you thought it would take some time for the 2023 MLS season to warm up, think again.

It took just a few hours for the league to descend into its typical chaos with the league's first weekend providing its fair share of highlight moments. Several late winners, a few goal of the year candidates, some massive results and some big stars stepping up to the plate… What else could you ask for?

Saturday, the first day of the season, saw two game winners scored in the 98th minute. One of those came off the foot of the league's brightest young star who, moments earlier, had scored a stoppage-time equalizer that had stunned anyone watching on. It proved to be just an appetizer, much like this wild Week One might be for this MLS season.

There's plenty to discuss and break down so, without further ado, here are the winners and losers of MLS' opening weekend…

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  WINNER: Thiago Almada

  What more can you say about Thiago Almada?

  MLS' first World Cup winner entered the 2023 season with increased expectations. He was good in 2022, perhaps even very good, but after lifting the trophy alongside Lionel Messi in Qatar, the 21-year-old is now expected to be great.

  And great he was in the first game of the season, doing his best Messi impression as he single handedly lifted Atlanta to three points through sheer force of will.

  His first goal, a 93rd-minute equalizer, was dazzling, a long-range stunner to level the score at one apiece against the San Jose Earthquakes. His second, though, had all the flair of a Messi winner as he buried a free kick that, in hindsight, you have to say you always knew was going in.

  Almada is special, there is no doubt. Enjoy him while you can, Atlanta United fans. He won't be here for long, especially with magic like this.

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  LOSER: NYCFC

  In their 2-0 loss against Nashville, NYCFC looked like a team that is shorthanded. Coincidentally, they are a team that is very, very shorthanded.

  The club lost much of its heart and soul during the offseason, with veterans like Sean Johnson, Maxi Moralez, Alexander Callens and Anton Tinnerholm departing. All four were key starters for their MLS Cup run, and all left this winter after previously seeing star forward Valentin Castellanos move to Europe last summer.

  The club never really replaced Castellanos, instead jamming Brazilian starlet Talles Magno at striker. At some point, hopefully, the club will get its number nine. It's desperately needed.

  And that won't be the only addition they need. This team needs a bit of help all the way up its spine if they are to compete at the top level.

• WINNER: St. Louis SC

  Heading into their debut season, expectations weren't exactly high for St. Louis SC. And, to be fair, they probably still aren't high, even after a stunning season-opening win at Austin FC?

  But, hey, you always remember your first, right?

  St. Louis will remember this one for quite some time as one of America's great soccer cities has arrived in MLS.
  St. Louis SC went to Austin to face a legitimate MLS Cup contender, and they left with a 3-2 win thanks to goals from Jared Stroud and Joao Klauss after falling behind 2-1.

  There are still plenty of questions about this team, as there are about any expansion team, and, over the course of a grueling MLS season, we'll find out the answers to those questions.

  But, at least this weekend, St. Louis has a big reason to celebrate after making a perfect first impression in their debut match.

  "I said to the group before the game, there's 34 chapters to this book that we are writing," said head coach Bradley Carnell. "Today was No. 1 of 34 in the regular season, right?

  "So, do we get to 40 games this season, 45, I don't know. But today we started the story off in the right way. We started off a story to reward ourselves."

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  LOSER: Lorenzo Insigne

  That wasn't the start anyone in Toronto would have wanted.

  The sight of Insigne limping off will be a backbreaker for Toronto FC, who may now need to continue on without the league's highest-paid player. Head coach Bob Bradley said the Italian "felt something in the lower leg [and] couldn’t continue," and it remains to be seen how long TFC will be without the former Napoli winger.

  Expectations are high for Insigne this season as he begins his first full campaign in MLS. He had six goals and two assists in 11 appearances last season, a solid haul, but the expectation is that he'll be an MVP candidate this year. This injury complicates that, at least for now.

  Making matters worse, though, was the result of the actual game itself: a 3-2 loss to D.C. United that saw TFC throw away a win. Up a goal in the 90th minute, D.C. came all the way back thanks to goals from Christian Benteke and Theodore Ku-DiPietro, who played the hero with a 98th-minute finish.

  TFC will likely be fine, even without Insigne for a bit. They have too much talent to not be in the mix. This will most likely be forgotten at some point soon.

  Even so, it isn't the start they would have expected as a loss to last season's last-place team got TFC's season off on the wrong foot.