West Ham finally got back to winning ways in the Premier League, smashing Ipswich 4-1 for their second win of the campaign.

The Hammers had 53% possession, generating 3.79 xG, and scoring four goals, with Michail Antonio, Mohamed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta all on the scoresheet.

Victory for Julen Lopetegui’s West Ham took them to 12th in the league table, now sitting on eight points after seven games played, having scored ten goals and conceded 11 times.

The Hammers attacking quartet vs Ipswich

The Hammers lined up with Bowen and Kudus on the flanks, Paqueta in the central attacking midfield role, and Antonio leading the line against Ipswich. It’s safe to say it worked a treat for the club’s Spanish head coach.

All four of the attacking quartet got themselves on the scoresheet, including a first of the season for Antonio who nearly ran riot at the London Stadium, missing two big chances including one which struck the woodwork.

Bowen managed to get himself a goal and an assist, taking five shots in the game and making five key passes, whilst Kudus – who had started the season fairly slowly – also took five shots, made one key pass, and also hit the woodwork.

This is the highest xG West Ham have generated in a Premier League game this season, with their forwards finally clicking, and finding their shooting boots, but it wasn’t just the forwards who performed well.

Jean-Clair Todibo's performance in numbers

Jean-Clair Todibo put in a superb performance against Ipswich, making it back-to-back Premier League starts for the Frenchman. He was awarded an 8/10 match rating by West Ham insiders Claret and Hugh, who alluded to his “decent” partnership that is forming with Max Kilman.

In the game, Todibo made five clearances, two interceptions, two tackles, won four of his five ground duels, and won one of his three aerial duels, putting in a big defensive shift for the Hammers. But he also added a lot of quality on the ball, with a 95% passing accuracy, and a 100% dribble success from two attempts.

The partnership of Todibo and Kilman is finally blossoming, with Lopetegui finding that balance between his two central defenders. Kilman is slightly more ball-dominant, having a bit more responsibility to pick passes further forward -indicated by long pass volume – and having more touches.

However, his centre-back colleague adds brilliant athleticism to the backline, and more mobility for defending both on the front foot and recovering, plus he can use his athletic frame to carry the ball out, giving West Ham more options to progress play.

Allowing these two to build and form a connection in central defence is Lopetegui’s best bet at finding defensive balance for his side, whilst also retaining a good level of on-ball tools for progression, both with passing and carrying.

West Ham face Tottenham next in the Premier League, who have scored 12 goals in six games so far, so it will be a good test for the Hammers’ new defensive duo against a potent attack like Spurs.

Moyes wanted West Ham to replace Rice with £50m ace but got Alvarez instead

West Ham could have signed “monster” but got Alvarez instead

By
Connor Holden

Oct 3, 2024

Mathys Tel will not join Manchester United from Bayern Munich despite agreeing to make the transfer before Monday's deadline.

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Tel agreed to make Old Trafford switchMan Utd walked away from Bayern talksArsenal still interested in forwardFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 19-year-old reportedly agreed to join the Red Devils in the final days of the transfer window, allowing United to enter negotiations with the Bundesliga giants.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

Talks between United and Bayern have broken down, however, as reports the German giants' excessive demands have resulted in the Premier League side walking away from the deal.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While the road to Old Trafford has been blocked for Tel, he could still leave the Bavarian side before the coming deadline, with Arsenal said to be interested in him.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR TEL?

After losing 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday, and reportedly giving the green light for Marcus Rashford to join Aston Villa on loan, coach Ruben Amorim will hope the Red Devils can still bring in some more firepower on deadline day after walking away from Tel.

An attacking star at a major European club is reportedly no longer wanted by his current manager, with his agents reaching out to Manchester United over a possible move.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils continue to be linked with new signings following a poor start to the Premier League season that has outlined the need for more quality to be added to Erik ten Hag’s squad.

One such figure is Fluminense forward Kaua Elias, with the youngster no doubt seen as a long-term acquisition who could grow into a real force as the years pass. He has already scored six times for his current club at senior level and has also netted 9 times in 12 caps for Brazil’s under-17s.

Bayern Munich and Germany star Leroy Sane has also been mentioned as an option for United, but they are far from alone in expressing an interest in the winger, with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle United also thought to be in the mix.

In terms of possible exits from Old Trafford, the Red Devils are reportedly happy to see Antony sold, even if it means making a £40m-plus loss on him. The Brazilian has struggled to impress since joining from Ajax, drifting out of Ten Hag’s plans this season.

Man Utd linked with move for attacking "presence"

According to a new report from The Boot Room, Randal Kolo Muani’s agents have reached out to Manchester United over a potential switch to Old Trafford, ahead of a likely move away from Paris Saint-Germain.

The update states that the Frenchman “has been offered to a number of Premier League clubs ahead of the January transfer window” – one of which is the Red Devils. Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Newcastle have also apparently been contacted.

Kolo Muani joined PSG for £70m but has struggled to make a telling impact, with manager Luis Enrique not seeing him as a key man.

There would certainly be a risk in United signing Kolo Muani considering he hasn’t set the world alight at his current club, only scoring 11 goals in 49 appearances, which is a disappointing return for a striker playing for France’s top team.

The 25-year-old is still a player with plenty of quality, famously making a difference for France in the 2022 World Cup final and being denied by Emiliano Martinez in the dying seconds of extra-time against Argentina.

Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps has heaped praise on him in the past, saying: “He’s interesting, he’s radiant. He is confident and has a very specific profile, where in his runs with the ball, [he] has a presence. He is a good header [of the ball] and with us, he is very often successful.”

Ten Hag desperate for Man Utd to sign "extraordinary footballer" he loves

Erik ten Hag wants yet another of his old Ajax players.

6 ByBarney Lane Oct 17, 2024

Having scored an impressive 26 goals in 50 matches for Eintracht Frankfurt, it could simply be that PSG are the wrong fit for Kolo Muani and he can find his feet in a United shirt, by adding firepower to Ten Hag’s attack while having his peak years ahead of him.

Chelsea chiefs are now very keen to sign a rising star, as chairman Todd Boehly is handed the possibility of striking a deal for a potential bargain £25 million price.

Stewart and Winstanley's possible Chelsea signings in 2025

Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley are tasked with overseeing the club’s transfer activity, under the guidance of Boehly and BlueCo, who have the final say on all key decisions at the club.

Related Maresca says £62m player is a slower learner than his other Chelsea stars

He needs to keep improving.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Oct 25, 2024

New manager Enzo Maresca – barring defeats to English champions Man City and fierce title contenders Liverpool – has guided Chelsea through a very promising start to the new Premier League season.

Over their accompanying six league games, Chelsea boast four wins so far, and they were arguably pretty unlucky not to beat both Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest – drawing 1-1 to each side in thoroughly entertaining clashes where Maresca’s side created plenty of chances.

Chelsea’s next Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle (home)

October 27

Man United (away)

November 3

Arsenal (home)

November 10

Leicester City (home)

November 23

Aston Villa (home)

December 1

Next, Chelsea take on Newcastle United this Sunday, and they’re going into the clash fresh off the back of a 4-1 demolition of Panathinaikos in the Europa Conference League.

In the background, Stewart and Winstanley are divising ways to bolster Maresca’s ranks in 2025, and there a few key items on the transfer agenda. Chelsea are scouting South America for centre-backs, according to journalist Simon Phillps, and the same reliable source claims that a new striker could arrive at Stamford Bridge as early as January – despite Nicolas Jackson’s excellent form.

Chelsea are prepared to make a bid for Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo too, according to reports in Spain, as the Uruguay defender’s talks over a new contract remain at a standstill.

Chelsea are very keen on signing Chris Rigg from Sunderland

Now, as per CaughtOffside, it is believed Chelsea’s hierarchy have their eyes on Sunderland attacking midfielder Chris Rigg.

The teenage sensation has helped his side climb the Championship table to first, scoring three goals in 11 second tier outings, and this is believed to be turning heads in both west London and at Old Trafford.

Chelsea are eager to sign Rigg, alongside Man United, while a trio of other Premier League sides in Brighton, Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also in the mix and keeping tabs on his situation.

A price tag as low as £25 million has been mooted for the Englishman, despite Rigg being a “history maker” at the Stadium of Light already.

“He’s a history maker,” said pundit Carlton Palmer to Football League World. “Being the club’s youngest ever outfield player, and I think it was the right decision, whoever is advising him has told him the right thing. It is a great place. They look to blood the young players early, and with Chris’ talent he is going to go for big money later on, but at 17 he’s at a place where he is going to play regular first-team football.

“They will have to know when to take him out and give him a rest, but he is a player of huge talent. When you bring a player up, and you’ve spent all that time bringing him through the youth ranks, and it’s a rarity to get a kid of his ability to come through and play at the age of 15, you don’t want to be losing that type of player.”

MLS labels Kendrick Lamar’s 2025 Grammy haul as 'Generational haul' and compares it to Martinez’s sensational 2018 MLS season

• Lamar won five Grammy Awards at the 2025 ceremony
• Martinez became the most decorated single-season player in MLS history in 2018
• The 31-year-old currently plays for the San Jose Earthquakes

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• USA Today Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  The 2025 Grammys were a big night for Kendrick Lamar as the rap star swept the awards show, winning five of the seven Grammy awards he was nominated for. That includes Record and Song of the Year as well as Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best Music Video. It makes the 34-year-old one of the most awarded rap artists in the show’s history, with 22 wins and MLS has become the latest to praise the rapper.

  In a post, the MLS called Lamar’s 2025 Grammy swoop a ‘Generational run’ and equated it to striker Josef Martinez’s now iconic 2018 MLS season. The now 31-year-old became the most decorated single-season player in MLS history at the end of that season, winning every individual title available to him.

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• WHAT THE MLS SAID

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Martinez’s 2018 season went down in history after the striker ended the season by winning the League MVP, All-Star Game MVP, Golden Boot, and MLS Cup Final MVP in a MLS Cup-winning season. Not only that, he also netted 35 goals in the process.

  Furthermore, Martinez cemented himself as an MLS star during his spell with Atlanta, as he formerly held the record for most goals in a single season (31) and holds the record for most career hattricks in the MLS (six).

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  WHAT’S NEXT FOR JOSEF MARTINEZ?

  After leaving Atlanta United at the end of the 2022 MLS season, Martinez signed for Inter Miami and while he did find his footing after an injury-laden ending to Atlanta, the club opted against keeping him. That was despite the forward netting 11 goals in 23 appearances while being limited to just 13 starts for the club.

  He was traded to CF Montreal and while he managed to contribute to 14 goals in 26 appearances, the club declined to take up the option to extend his time by another year. That saw him sign for the San Jose Earthquakes as a free agent in January 2025 just before the start of the 2025 MLS season.

  The 31-year-old signed a one-year contract with the club and bolsters the Quakes’ front line even further after their blockbuster trade for RSL star striker Cristian "Chicho" Arango.

Chennai Super Kings, in their three-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals, got to 48 for 2 by the end of the powerplay, but then slowed down so much towards the middle that they did not score a single boundary for the next five overs. Ambati Rayudu eventually broke free at the death to end with an unbeaten 55 off 43 balls, but MS Dhoni could not make up for lost time: he dawdled to 18 off 27 balls before edging behind, having hit zero boundaries. This slowdown was not down to lack of intent, coach Stephen Fleming said after the game, pointing out that Dhoni wasn’t the only batter who struggled to get the ball away on a challenging Dubai pitch.”Well, he [Dhoni] wasn’t the only one who struggled,” Fleming said. “It was a difficult day for strokeplay. When 137 [136] is almost enough, I think it was a tough wicket to score big on in terms of the big shots. So both teams struggled with that towards the end of the innings. Sometimes you set your sights too high, [want] too many, and probably we were only 10-15 runs short of having a match-winning score.

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Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

“So, the difficulty at the moment is to assess what the conditions are in all three different grounds and, batting first, getting a score that is par or just above. It was no lack of intent, it was just we had to stabilise after a couple of mistakes and then we were reasonably well-placed for 150. The other thing was their attack bowled very well in the last five overs. They were very smart, so it was tough going.The result might still have gone Super Kings’ way had substitute K Gowtham hung on to a fairly straightforward chance offered by Shimron Hetmyer at long-on, in the 18th over bowled by Dwayne Bravo. The ball burst through Gowtham’s hands and rolled to the boundary, leaving Capitals needing 18 off 15 balls. Hetmyer went on to usher Capitals home – and to the top spot on the table. Fleming rued his team’s “clumsy mistakes”, but said he would rather face these setbacks now than during the playoffs.”I’d rather have two defeats [Super Kings lost their previous game as well, to Rajasthan Royals] now than in the two semi-finals, if I ever had a wish list,” he said. “Today was good, today was scrappy and I think there were a lot of mistakes on both sides. Sometimes, when you’ve qualified, I know there are one or two [things] that we were trying hard for… and things do change a little bit.”We try to work very hard on keeping the intensity. We’re on the back of three games in five days and a bit of travel, so there were probably clumsy mistakes from us, which was the most disappointing aspect, but in terms of the competition one of the key things is rebounding. Second on the table [with] a chance to get to the top two is still a positive position, but we need to just maintain our intensity or get the flow and rhythm that we had before these two games.”Related

• Report – Axar, Hetmyer key drivers in tight win for Capitals

In the previous game he played, against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bravo came into the attack as early as the seventh over and took 2 for 17 in his four overs, including the prized scalp of Kane Williamson. However, on Monday, that 18th over turned out to be Bravo’s first. Fleming reasoned that Bravo’s particular strengths and the two-paced Dubai track prompted this late introduction.”The pitch was very difficult when the taller fast bowlers hit the back of a length hard,” Fleming said. “There was inconsistency there. Dwayne Bravo is not really a player who bangs the ball into the pitch. His death yorkers and changes of pace are his key weapons. When there are other resources that are making in-ways and creating opportunity, brought us back into the game… Dwayne’s death [bowling] is very effective. I thought the tactics were spot on. Throughout the game the faster bowlers banging it on a back of a length had a good day out. That was our tactic and we did we did it really well.”

India captain also believes pitches for T20 World Cup will be better for batting than they were in IPL

Deivarayan Muthu23-Oct-20214:19

Virat Kohli: ‘Team will cover all bases’

Hardik Pandya, who didn’t bowl a single ball in IPL 2021 across both legs in India and the UAE, is still not fit enough to bowl. Virat Kohli, however, has said that India value his big-hitting so much that he will start the T20 World Cup as a specialist batter. Pandya has had to deal with a long-standing back issue, which has severely limited his bowling since he underwent surgery in 2019.”Honestly, I feel that Hardik presently with his physical condition is getting better in terms of being prepared to bowl at least two overs for us at a certain stage in this tournament,” Kohli said on the eve of India’s T20 World Cup opener against Pakistan in Dubai. “We strongly feel that we can make the most of the opportunity at hand till the time he starts bowling, we’ve considered a couple of other options to chip in for an over or two. So, we’re not bothered about that at all. What he brings at that No.6 spot is something you cannot create overnight.”Related

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Although Pandya’s recent batting form isn’t too encouraging – he managed only 127 runs in 11 innings in IPL 2021 – Kohli pointed out that his middle-order power-hitting had played a vital role in India winning the T20I series 2-1 in Australia last year. Pandya’s finishing salvo – 42 off 22 balls – had helped India hunt down 195 and wrap up the series in Sydney.”I was always in favour of backing him in Australia as a batter purely, and we saw what he did in the T20 series and how he can take the game away from the opposition when he is in full flow,” Kohli said. “So these things from a talking or discussion point of view seem very interesting that if he doesn’t bowl, will he be left out. But we understand the value he brings to the team as a No.6 batter, and in world cricket, if you look around, there are specialists who do that job. It’s very important to have that guy, especially in T20 cricket, who can play an impact innings at that stage. Even when the chips are down, he’s someone who can play a long innings in that way. So for us, that is way more valuable than forcing him to do something he’s not ready for at the moment.”The pitches in the UAE for the recent IPL were largely slow and low, curbing stroke-making. While Kohli was still wary of the relaid Sharjah tracks, he reckoned that the ones in Dubai and Abu Dhabi would play better at the T20 World Cup.”Looking at the IPL finals, I believe the quality of pitches is definitely going to be far better in this T20 World Cup,” he said. “Also it being an ICC tournament, we know that the standard of pitches has to be maintained to a certain degree, which is consistent across all venues. I understand that to protect the pitches for a tournament like the World Cup, there had to be some kind of compromise in terms of the playing conditions when we played the IPL. So, we all understood that the wicket in the IPL finals was very, very good.”I think the dew factor is becoming prominent as we head into this time of the year in Dubai and that is also going to help the pitches play much better. I presume Abu Dhabi and Dubai are probably going to be the best pitches out of all the venues. Sharjah, more or less, will stay true to its true nature, which is slow and low. I don’t see many high-scoring [matches] unless dew becomes such a massive factor there as well.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos não conseguiu fazer o necessário para triunfar sobre o Ituano e não vai prosseguir no Campeonato Paulista. De forma perigosa, a péssima campanha do time no estadual pode refletir na trajetória nacional da próxima temporada.

A partir de 2024, as vagas da Copa do Brasil serão preenchidas com mais acessos via campeonato estadual. Como o Peixe não ficou entre os primeiros seis colocados da competição, perdeu uma grande chance de ingressar no torneio.

+ Confira rebaixados e classificados para a próxima fase do Paulistão

RelacionadasSantosATUAÇÕES: Santos faz a pior partida do ano, defesa tem performance horrenda e perde no PaulistãoSantos05/03/2023SantosSantos tem atuação desastrosa, perde para o Ituano e cai na primeira fase do PaulistãoSantos05/03/2023SantosJoão Paulo esbanja sinceridade sobre derrota do Santos em duelo importante: ‘Não encaramos como decisão’Santos05/03/2023

+ATUAÇÕES: Santos faz a pior partida do ano, defesa tem performance horrenda e se classifica

Por conta disso, para estar na milionária copa nacional, sobraram apenas duas formas de acesso para a competição. Uma delas é pela Copa Paulista, campeonato em que o vencedor tem entrada para a Copa do Brasil. O Santos não participa desse torneio desde 2021 e, na época, o clube utilizou o time B e foi eliminado na primeira fase.

Outra forma de ingressar na copa é conseguir uma vaga na Libertadores. Seja por conquista da Copa do Brasil, Sul-Americana ou vagas presentes na Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Dessa forma, o Peixe não pode desperdiçar oportunidades que aparecerem durante a temporada. Portanto, vencer o Iguatu-CE, na próxima quinta-feira (9), pela Copa do Brasil, é essencial.

KL Rahul and his men will be hoping their competition loses big as well

Alagappan Muthu06-Oct-20215:30

Do Rayudu and Agarwal get the credit they deserve?

Big pictureWith Royal Challengers Bangalore’s defeat on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings are assured of a top-two spot. They’re free. They’re clear. They can almost relax.For Punjab Kings, however, it’s as complicated as it gets. Their hopes of making the playoffs hinge on so many things. Bottom line, they have to win. Big time. Then they have to hope their competition loses. Big time. It’s unlikely but stranger things have happened.Cricket on ESPN+

If you’re in the USA, sign up for ESPN+ and watch CSK vs Kings in English or in Hindi.

In the newsSomewhere hidden deep beneath the Super Kings’ revival this year is a fragile middle order. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina have been the backbone of this team for many years, but right now they look like weak links. Moeen Ali is okay but he does this thing where he looks a million bucks one ball but the next one goes down the throat of a fielder in the deep. Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja, in particular, have done well to mask the problem. But it is still there and a good bowling unit will know just how to exploit it. The Delhi Capitals already did to go top of the table.PS – Super Kings have signed West Indies seam-bowling allrounder Dominic Drakes as a replacement for the injured Sam Curran. Drakes was the highest wicket-taker for CPL champions St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, while also contributing important runs, including an unbeaten 48 in the final that earned him the Player-of-the-Match award.1:41

Is Dhoni no longer a threat with the bat?

Likely XIsChennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Robin Uthappa/Suresh Raina, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Josh HazlewoodPunjab Kings: 1 KL Rahul (capt & wk), 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Sarfaraz Khan/Deepak Hooda, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Moises Henriques, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Arshdeep SinghStrategy punt Given Dhoni’s struggles this season – 84 runs at a strike rate of 98 – Super Kings may want to think about pushing him as far down the order as possible. It’s not like they don’t have other options to play the finisher’s role. Jadeja, for example, has a death-overs strike rate of 203 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 3.45 this IPL. Dwayne Bravo is even better: 269 and 2.66. The Kings’ opening pair have contributed 49% of their runs this campaign, so it would probably be best not to mess with that. Still Nicholas Pooran’s struggles down the order have been so horrible (average 7.72) that the time has come for drastic measures. Send him out to open. See what happens. Stats that matter Shardul Thakur has a middle-overs (7-16) economy rate of 5.53 (minimum of 25 balls) in this second leg of the IPL. That’s the second-best by any fast bowler in the tournament. Shahrukh Khan is the only middle-order batter (Nos. 4-7) in the Kings line-up with a strike-rate in excess of 130 this year. Raina’s average of 17.8 is the second-worst out of all the batters who have made at least 150 runs this season.

Arguably one of England’s most famous draws came against Greece back in 2001, where a last-gasp David Beckham free-kick at Old Trafford booked the Three Lions’ spot in the 2002 World Cup.

England needed to match or better Germany’s result in the final round of matches to qualify automatically. Things didn’t go to plan when Angelos Charisteas – who would become Greece’s Euro 2004 hero – put the visitors into a shock half-time lead.

Teddy Sheringham’s equaliser gave England hope as Germany continued to be held by Finland, but Greece were back in front just minutes later through Demis Nikolaidis.

It looked as if England would need to go down the play-off route of qualifying after finding themselves trailing with seconds remaining before Beckham’s stunning long-range effort. The two sides haven’t played a competitive game against each other since then, but will soon face off twice in the UEFA Nations League.

But can you remember the squad from that famous encounter in 2001? We’ve got you covered by listing all 14 players who featured that day.

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ByLewis Thompson Jun 15, 2024 1 Nigel Martyn Goalkeeper, Leeds

In goal that day was Nigel Martyn, who was the first-choice ahead of Richard Wright and starring for a Leeds United side at the top of the Premier League at the time.

His Three Lions debut came back in 1992 and his final England appearance came in a World Cup warm-up clash against Cameroon that ended 2-2.

Caps

23

Goals

0

First cap

v CIS (D 2-2), April 1992

First goal

n/a

Last cap

v Cameroon (D 2-2), May 2002

Last goal

n/a

2 Gary Neville Defender, Man Utd

Now known for his role as a pundit, Gary Neville was a regular at right-back for England in the early 2000s.

The Manchester United legend won 85 caps for his country and played the entirety of the qualifier on his home club ground.

Caps

85

Goals

0

First cap

v Japan (W 2-1), June 1995

First goal

n/a

Last cap

v Spain (L 0-1), February 2007

Last goal

n/a

3 Martin Keown Defender, Arsenal

Arsenal centre-back Martin Keown was given the nod at the back in what were his twilight years as an international footballer. The draw against Greece was the defender’s last competitive outing for his country, having retired from Three Lions duty after the 2002 World Cup.

Caps

43

Goals

2

First cap

v France (W 2-0), February 1992

First goal

v Czechoslovakia (D 2-2), March 1992

Last cap

v Cameroon (D 2-2), May 2002

Last goal

v Malta (W 2-1), June 2000

4 Rio Ferdinand Defender, Leeds

Partnering Keown was Rio Ferdinand, who at the time was still on the books at Leeds United.

As we know, Ferdinand would go on to play at Old Trafford for Manchester United on a regular basis, signing for the Red Devils a year later in 2002.

5 Ashley Cole Defender, Arsenal

Arguably England’s greatest left-back, Ashley Cole was an ever-present figure for the Three Lions for 13 years.

Interestingly, 2001 was actually Cole’s first year as an international footballer while he was playing for Arsenal.

6 David Beckham Midfielder, Man Utd

David Beckham, the hero from that memorable day, started on the right-hand side of midfield and captained the side.

His curling free-kick was arguably his most important England goal and he was even voted the BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2001.

7 Paul Scholes Midfielder, Man Utd

Paul Scholes was handed the number 8 shirt in central midfield, despite sometimes being used on the left for the Three Lions, and was the only home player booked on the day.

The Manchester United star was in the middle of his international career at the time, eventually retiring from England duty in 2004.

8 Steven Gerrard Midfielder, Liverpool

Alongside Scholes was Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who was a regular for England between 2000 and 2014. He won 114 caps in total for his country but didn’t play in the 2002 World Cup due to injury.

9 Nick Barmby Midfielder, Liverpool

On the left-hand side of midfield was Nick Barmby, who had swapped Everton for Liverpool just a year earlier. The versatile midfielder was used centrally and out wide during his career but struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford that afternoon.

He was subbed off at half-time and this game would end up being his last in an England shirt.

10 Emile Heskey Forward, Liverpool

One of two centre-forwards who started that day was Emile Heskey, who netted his most famous England goal in the 5-1 win against Germany earlier in the qualification campaign.

He didn’t have much luck at Old Trafford though, failing to find the back of the net. He did bag at the World Cup in the Three Lions’ last-16 win over Denmark.