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Manchester United kick-started 2026 in underwhelming fashion, playing out a 1-1 draw away to bitter rivals Leeds United at Elland Road.

Ruben Amorim started the game with six defenders, including Patrick Dorgu as a number 10 amidst some attacking absences, although his side struggled to create many chances going forward.

That was certainly apparent from the match stats. Across the 90 minutes, the Red Devils only managed to accumulate an expected goals tally of 1.46 xG, not much more than the home side notched up. Leeds overachieved on their total, which was 0.92 xG by full-time.

Cagey would be a good way of describing the affair, with both sides attacking in spells rather than the game being very open. It took until just after the hour mark for the opening goal to go in, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin hitting the post in the first half being the best chance up until that point.

The goals came within three minutes of each other. Brenden Aaronson put Leeds ahead, but United hit back almost immediately through Matheus Cunha. Benjamin Sesko had a golden opportunity to win it a little later on, but neither side’s defences could be breached again, and United had to settle for a point.

A couple of United’s attackers really stood out, despite the result.

Man United's best attackers vs. Leeds

There were two standout players in Red at Elland Road. One of those was goalscorer Cunha. The Brazilian got himself on the scoresheet to bag United’s equaliser, but was a real livewire outside of that moment.

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The goal itself was a very well-taken finish. Cunha ran onto a pass into the Leeds box and fired home first-time on his right foot. It was a large part of why Goal journalist Richard Martin gave him a 7/10 post-match rating.

The Red Devils’ number 10 was not their only standout attacker. Joshua Zirkzee came off the bench and had a fantastic impact. The silky Dutch attacker set up Cunha with a perfectly weighted pass, just his second touch since coming off the bench.

However, his contributions went a lot further than just teeing up his teammate for United’s equaliser. The attacker was constantly involved in linking up play, always providing a final third threat and causing issues for the Leeds defenders. That was best highlighted in the fact that he created two chances in less than 30 minutes on the pitch.

It was not just Cunha and Zirkzee who stood out at Elland Road, though.

United have found a new Rashford-like figure

At the other end of the pitch, 19-year-old Ayden Heaven shone once again.

True, he was involved in Aaronson’s goal, which gave the home side the lead, with the American getting ahead of him and running in behind.

Aside from that, the teenager once again played like someone with a decade of experience at the highest level. One person who Heaven impressed was football writer Paul Kwestel who wrote that “it’s insane how good Ayden Heaven is”.

The numbers Heaven put up at Elland Road showed how well he played. The defender had 70 touches and completed 83% of his passes. Defensively, he was superb, winning four tackles and six duels.

Heaven key stats vs. Leeds

Stat

Number

Pass accuracy

83%

Touches

71

Ground duels won

5/6

Tackles won

4/5

Ball recoveries

3

Aerial duels won

1

Stats from Sofascore

There is a case to be made that Heaven’s performances at the moment are reminiscent of Marcus Rashford when he first broke into the first team at Old Trafford.

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Of course, the Wythenshawe-born star was shining up front rather than in defence, but the similarity is still there.

In the ex-Arsenal academy star, United have a top young talent, who has cemented his spot in the side and has now started the last seven Premier League games. Just as Rashford did when he first broke through, Heaven is making a huge impact at a very young age.

It must be pleasing for United fans to see the youngster performing at such a high level already. He has stepped up in Matthijs de Ligt’s absence, and, just like Rashford did a decade ago, continues to have a big impact on the United first-team.

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Enzo Maresca’s position at Chelsea has come under intense scrutiny following a catastrophic December that has seen the club’s title ambitions evaporate.

Bookmakers have also slashed odds on the Italian becoming the next Premier League managerial casualty.

Football Insider report that Maresca’s odds have been cut to just 8/1 to lose his job, making him joint-third favourite behind only Nuno Espirito Santo and Scott Parker.

Media sources suggest BlueCo are already making contingency plans in the event they’re forced to sack Maresca, though no formal decision has been taken regarding Maresca’s future.

The 45-year-old retains some credit from last season’s Conference League and Club World Cup triumphs alongside securing Champions League qualification, yet December’s collapse has severely undermined confidence in his ability to deliver sustained progress.

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Chelsea rank a lowly 13th for home form this campaign, collecting just seven points from a possible 21 during their dismal recent stretch.

The defeat to Aston Villa and dropped points against a Bournemouth side winless in nine matches have proven particularly damaging, with supporters questioning whether Maresca is the right man to take them forward.

Former Barcelona manager Xavi has emerged as the bookmakers’ favourite replacement at 5/1, ahead of Marco Silva at 6/1.

Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior remains a candidate favoured by the BlueCo ownership should change prove necessary, though the club’s preference remains conducting a formal summer review rather than making knee-jerk decisions mid-season (Simon Phillips).

Maresca’s public comments referencing his ‘worst 48 hours’ at the club following the Everton victory sparked speculation about internal tensions with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Former Man United striker Wayne Rooney warned that such remarks may have cost Maresca crucial protection from ownership if results continue deteriorating, suggesting the Italian has undermined his position by appearing to challenge those who employed him.

The upcoming fixtures against Man City and Arsenal may well prove critical in determining whether Maresca survives, but in the meantime, Chelsea are looking to solve their striker problem.

Liam Delap has underwhelmed since his move from Ipswich this summer, which is partly down to injury, but Chelsea believe they lack quality up top.

Chelsea making 'new move' for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa

That is according to Simon Phillips, who has also heard whispers from his sources of a fresh approach for FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa.

The Spaniard, who’s taken the Primeira Liga by storm since his move there from Atlético Madrid in 2024, has re-emerging interest from Chelsea after they nearly signed him that same summer.

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Phillips reports, via his Substack, that Chelsea could try to sign Aghehowa once again, despite his seismic £87 million release clause. He also shares what is ‘rare’ about this story from his sources.

According to other reports, Chelsea face stiff competition from Tottenham for the 21-year-old, who themselves are looking for an alternative to the likes of Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

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Pakistan marched into the final of the Under-19 Asia Cup with a clinical eight-wicket win over Bangladesh in the rain-hit semi-final in Dubai, after a dominant bowling performance led by Abdul Subhan set up a straightforward chase. The victory sets up a final clash against India, who won the first semi-final against Sri Lanka earlier in the day.Opting to field after winning the toss in the rain-reduced 27-overs-a-side contest, Pakistan made early inroads as Bangladesh slipped to 24 for 2 inside six overs. Captain Azizul Hakim offered brief resistance to steady the innings, but wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.Fast bowler Subhan was the standout with the ball, picking up four wickets to dismantle the middle order. From 55 for 2 in the 13th over, Bangladesh lost five wickets for just 38 runs, collapsing to 93 for 7. The lower order struggled to rebuild, and Bangladesh were eventually bowled out for 121 in 26.3 overs, with no batter able to convert a start into a big score.In reply, Pakistan’s chase was smooth. After the early loss of opener Hamza Zahoor in the first over, Sameer Minhas anchored the innings with a composed, unbeaten 69, ensuring there were no further hiccups. He struck six fours and two sixes as Pakistan cruised to 122 for 2 with 63 balls to spare.With this knock, Minhas took his tournament’s tally to 299 to be the highest run-getter.

Andrew Symonds has found India a “hostile” place to play cricket © Getty Images

Andrew Symonds has described playing in India as “hostile” and says Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh have been the major instigators of on-field conflicts between the two sides. However, Symonds seemed less concerned by the off-field dramas at Vadodara on Thursday, where he was reportedly subjected to racial taunts in the form of monkey chants from the crowd.”You have to be pretty thick-skinned to survive in the Australian dressing room, let alone out on the paddock,” Symonds wrote in his column in newspapers. “It is a sensitive issue and guys have been made an example of in the past, but what do you do in this instance if it’s coming from the crowd? I’m not allowed to comment on exactly what went on, but I’m not the most deadly serious bloke. Life goes on.”While Symonds appeared to brush off the spectators’ behaviour, he was less inclined to forgive Sreesanth for his repeated clashes with the Australian players this series. Symonds said Sreesanth had crossed the line of acceptable on-field conduct and had acted “like a goose”.”I get on well with most of them. Sachin Tendulkar is a gentleman and I have played in England with Murali Kartik, he’s a good guy,” Symonds said. “There are just a couple of them who seem to spark things. Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh are the ones we are clashing with most.”The thing that annoys us the most is when they are going well, they will have a shot at you. But when they aren’t going well, they forget to shake hands at the end of the game. That’s not on in my opinion. If you play the game properly, shake hands, get over it, and move on to the next game.”Relations between Symonds and Sreesanth have become strained several times, notably during the fourth match at Chandigarh when Sreesanth, the 12th man, reportedly taunted Symonds after he was dismissed for 75. “I was wild. I was really angry when I got out and then for him to run past and say things I didn’t think were right,” Symonds said. “I thought: ‘Right, I’ve had enough of this bloke’.”His carry-on in this series has been way over the top. We don’t mind blokes having a go and standing up for themselves, but he has gone above and beyond what’s acceptable. Information in this game travels and people remember when someone is carrying on like a goose.”Symonds said such incidents, combined with the major celebrations in India following their ICC World Twenty20 triumph, had made Australia even more desperate to win the series. After the first five games in the seven-match tour Australia held an unbeatable 3-1 lead.

‘The guys … want to prove themselves as worthy contenders of retaining the trophy’ – Brian Lara © Getty Images

When Brian Lara dropped down the order in the tournament, several eyebrowswere raised. He was, after all, far and away the best batsman in theline-up, and the others had not really proved themselves consistently -Ramnaresh Sarwan aside – to hold places in the middle-order ahead of him.But now, looking back with the ample benefit of hindsight, it has proved amaster-stroke. His controlled 71 against Australia, which set up a win,was the proof that his thinking had worked.Come final, though, there’s a chance that Lara could come up the order -not because the West Indians are trying to pull a fast one, but becausethey have been playing according to the situation all tournament, and thishas been integral to their success. With pitches and conditions varyingfrom venue to venue adaptation has been the key to success, and WestIndies have done that so far.And Ricky Ponting will, by no means, be surprised if Lara reverses thetrend and comes out to bat early in the do-or-die final. “If they loseearly wickets, I don’t think he’ll come in that early. But if they get offto a good start, I think he’ll come higher up the order,” said Ponting.”We saw the game against India when he probably regretted the way in whichhe came so low because the game nearly got away from them. I don’t thinkthey will do that again.”It’s always dangerous to say that a team has turned a corner, or come ofage, because these days it takes just one bad tournament to undo all thegood work done before. But there have been times in the past when WestIndies have been over dependent on Lara, and collapsed in a heap once theopposition got him out of the way. It has not been the case here. DwayneBravo has scored his first ODI hundred, Runako Morton has gone fromlongest duck to unbeaten near-hundred against world champions, IanBradshaw is on the verge of toppling Brett Lee as the No. 1 bowler in theICC rankings . Lara admitted that this team’s resurgence was well oncourse. “It’s been tremendous. All the guys have been supportive,” hesaid. “Some have played 50 Tests and 100 ODIs. There can only be onecaptain at any time, but there must be a group of leaders within any team.It’s not just on the field, but in practice, in team meetings, you have tobe able to see all of that to realise the contribution some of these guysmake. I’m happy with the way the nucleus of this team is coming together.I’m very confident of the immediate future of West Indian cricket. I justhope it does not break down at any point.”

‘Clive Lloyd has come in and we have some good coaching staff but the ultimate thing is- the fact of the matter is – that the guys are believing in themselves a lot more’ – Lara © Getty Images

In this day and age certainly – perhaps it’s been the same all along -cricketers are sensitive to criticism, and calling a team unpredictable isnot always taken well. But Lara certainly didn’t seem to mind the factthat his team were tagged thus. “I love the tag unpredictable, which meansthat no opposition, no matter how strong they are can think that they’regoing to roll us over,” he said. “Of course Australia are the favourites.They’re world champions, No. 1 in the world, going into the match you’d beunwise to think otherwise. We’re looking to excel and carry that throughto the final. The two games where we’ve had hiccups in this tournamenthave both been after we’ve qualified for the next phase.”The Australians, especially in big matches of this kind, have a tendencyof turning up the aggro a notch or two, Batsmen go after bowlers early on,not allowing them to settle. Bowlers get under the skin of batsmen with achirp or two. But Lara did not thinking it was wise to try and fight firewith fire. “I just think you need to play sensible cricket. TheAustralians come and try to impose themselves on any opposition theyplay,” he said. “You have to play intelligent cricket, match them at alltimes, and take that extra step when the right time comes. Playing withflair or attacking cricket is not going to scare the Australians. You haveto play sensibly, put in a good team effort. The smarter team is going towin.”Very early in the tournament, a senior journalist who has watched Lara play overthe years, suggested that there was something different about him when headdressed a press conference. He suggested that the arrogance that camewith youth and stardom had given way to something more mellow. And themanner in which he answered a question on the Ashes – a fairly absurd onegiven he was playing in a big final the next day – saying, “I have a finalto play tomorrow, sorry,” showed that this was certainly a different Larafrom the one of a few years ago, when he might lost his cool a touch. Thebeauty about Lara, though, is that the slowing of reflexes thatinevitably accompanies aging has more than been compensated by thegaining of experience. He can still bat with the same authority andfearless power that he showed all those years ago.The one thing that underscores the change in Lara as a man, though, isthat he talks so little of himself and so much of the team, and even afterattending approaching a dozen press conferences of his this tournament,you don’t get the feeling that it is purely management-speak, like you dowith some other international captains or coaches. “We have grown as ateam, there’s a lot more self belief in this camp,” he said. “Clive Lloydhas come in and we have some good coaching staff but the ultimate thing is- the fact of the matter is – that the guys are believing in themselves alot more and they want to prove themselves as worthy contenders ofretaining the trophy.”

Division One

Points TableHampshire completed a slightly hollow 75-run win over Glamorgan, the day after Nottinghamshire sealed the Championship. Sean Ervine was the star with the ball taking 5 for 60, his best figures of the season, after Shane Warne had set Glamorgan 320. James Bruce did the early damage with the new ball before Ervine took over the demolition job but Hampshire are now fighting it out for second place.

Division Two

Points TableYorkshire’s victory charge against Derbyshire was held up by some stubborn lower order resistance from Ant Botha and Tom Lungley. The pair have added an unbeaten 133 with Botha just two shy of his first ton of the season. Steve Stubbings earlier made a typically dogged 91 while Mark Lawson, the young legspinner, impressed with three wickets. If Yorkshire can complete the win tomorrow it will seal their promotion to division one.

Graeme Smith – recuperating© Getty Images

South Africa’s captain, Graeme Smith, has undergone a minor operation in Cape Town to reconstruct a stomach valve.The surgical procedure, known as Nissen Fundoplication, was carried out at the Kingsbury Hospital on Monday. The chronic condition, while not debilitating in any way, had been causing Smith severe discomfort for a number of years.According to staff at the hospital, the procedure was uneventful and a success, and Smith is now recuperating at home. He intends to resume training in mid-June, before leading South Africa on a five-week tour of Sri Lanka in late July.Smith had some cause for celebration, however, when it was announced that his girlfriend, Minki van der Westhuizen, was named the sexiest woman in South Africa by the men’s magazine FHM.

A limited number of tickets will be available to the public for the Semifinals and Final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. Tickets are limited to four per purchaser.The likely semifinal lineup is Australia versus either Sri Lanka or New Zealand in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday 18 March, and India versus Kenya (day/night) in Durban on Thursday March 20.The public is advised to check ticket availability on the three ticketing channels i.e. at the CWC 2003 Stadiums, via the ticketing hotline on +27 (0) 83 123 2003 or on the ‘ticketing’ link on the official website at www.cricketworldcup.com

The Essex squad for the Cricinfo Championship matchv Northamptonshire at Northampton, commencing Friday 27th July is:A P Grayson, R S Clinton, D D J Robinson, S G Law, P M Such, R C Irani (Captain), S D Peters, J S Foster (Wicket-keeper), G R Napier, T J Phillips, A P Cowan, J E Bishop.Scorer: D J Norris

Newcastle United’s Jekyll and Hyde performance against Chelsea in the Premier League typified their season, with a ferocious start succumbing to Blue pressure after the break.

A draw was the end result after Eddie Howe’s side blew their two-goal advantage. However, decisions not to award the St. James’ park side a penalty after Wesley Fofana handled in the box and Trevoh Chalobah’s shove on Anthony Gordon were inexplicable, and it cost Newcastle a precious win.

It also might have cost Nick Woltemade an emphatic hat-trick, with the German striker having fired a brace past Robert Sanchez inside 20 minutes. What a signing he has been for the Magpies.

Nick Woltemade's performance vs Chelsea

The 23-year-old Woltemade has enjoyed a fast start to life in Newcastle, scoring nine times across 23 appearances in all competitions. He was left nursing a bruise after his headed clearance careened into United’s net to seal victory for Sunderland last week, but he redeemed himself with a reminder of his talent against Chelsea.

With a long, loping frame and a natural instinct for scoring goals, Woltemade is proving himself to be a winner of a signing for Newcastle, replacing Alexander Isak for half the price and currently outshining the Liverpool man.

Combining with Gordon for the second, Howe will be delighted to see the technically shar pfrontman deepening his connection with his fellow forwards.

Could Woltemade trump Isak and become the Toon’s finest centre-forward since the days of Alan Shearer? Perhaps he could, but it was actually one of the 23-year-old’s teammates who proved he is Newcastle’s new version of the club legend against Chelsea.

Newcastle's new version of Alan Shearer

Newcastle are a deeply emotional club, and the club-city connection with Shearer was one that remains as strong as ever, with the Premier League’s record goalscorer having posted 206 goals and 58 assists across 405 appearances for his boyhood club.

Woltemade may be a striker with the skills to become an elite player, but it is Lewis Miley who proved against Chelsea that he could be the new homegrown icon.

Miley, 19, has already made 66 senior appearances for Newcastle after being reared in the club’s academy. In this he differs from Shearer, who wended his way down south to Southampton in the formative years of his career.

Praised for his incredible effort in an unnatural full-back role, reporter Andy Sixsmith said he “looked like he’s played there all his career”, stepping up amid injury issues to Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento.

He completed his one attempted dribble and won his one tackle, but the stats don’t paint the full picture here, with Alejandro Garnacho silenced by the younger man.

Lewis Miley vs Chelsea

Stats (* per game)

#

Minutes played

90′

Touches

61

Shots (on target)

1 (0)

Accurate passes

30/38 (79%)

Possession lost

10x

Chances created

0

Dribbles

1/1

Ball recoveries

9

Tackles won

1/1

Interceptions

3

Clearances

3

Duels won

4/7

Data via Sofascore

Here’s the thing: Miley has proven himself capable of standing out in a Newcastle team awash with elite quality. He could develop into the city’s greatest native since Shearer plied his craft at number nine in black and white.

Subscribe for deeper Newcastle analysis and profiles Explore fuller analysis by subscribing to the newsletter: follow Newcastle’s rising stars, tactical shifts, and player profiles like Woltemade and Miley, with clear breakdowns that deepen your Premier League understanding. Subscribe Subscribe for deeper Newcastle analysis and profiles Explore fuller analysis by subscribing to the newsletter: follow Newcastle’s rising stars, tactical shifts, and player profiles like Woltemade and Miley, with clear breakdowns that deepen your Premier League understanding.

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Chronicle Live even handed the Geordie a 9/10 match rating for his effort against the Londoners, thriving in his moonlit right-back berth.

Miley oozes confidence and maturity. He is shaping into a special player, a homegrown talent who can allay the frustrations around selling Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest last year.

Could he become the new Shearer? Certainly, the teenager has endeared himself to the Toon supporters, and he’s only going to get better over the years.

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