The kind of moment you already know will be looked back on, maybe in the title race, almost certainly in the burgeoning career of one of the brightest talents in world football. You don’t even have to say “remember the name”. Max Dowman is everywhere, just as he was in a 22-minute appearance that also made him the youngest scorer in Premier League history.
That such a talent is the name on a stat like that feels both fitting and also the least of what this was about.
Because this really isn’t about the numbers, astounding as Dowman’s mere 16 years and 73 days are, given his ability. It was about the feeling that you could certainly sense around a rapturous – and relieved – Arsenal stadium after this late 2-0 win over Everton.
A beaming Mikel Arteta later admitted that he’d had “a gut feeling that it was a moment for him” after watching Dowman in training this week. And just before the teenager went on, the manager’s very message reflected that feeling.
“Go and do your thing and win us the game.”
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Dowman streaks upfield to score Arsenal’s second goal (AFP via Getty Images)
The moment – and the release – was all the more special because of how testing and trying everything before it had been.
Just before Dowman offered the incisiveness that Arsenal had been lacking, there was a piece of play that had seemed to sum up everything that was wrong with them; that would have been pointed to had they only drawn 0-0.
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David Raya had the ball at his feet on 88 minutes, but couldn’t seem to even see a pass. The goalkeeper had to play it sideways, which Arsenal had been doing so much of for those 88 deeply frustrating minutes. There was a strain to everything they were doing. They weren’t high enough or urgent enough. You could see the desire to get this done, but that was actually a bad thing. It was resulting in hurried long shots that were dragged wide, or even impatient pushes where players were giving away needless free kicks as they tried to do anything to just get play further up the pitch.
More than anything, Arsenal just couldn’t get beyond Everton.
Eberechi Eze was persistent, and offered two brilliant passes in behind, but something was always missing. Or, rather, there was always an Everton body right there.
Arteta admitted he was “pushing with every inch of my body to go to that goal, and somehow we score a goal”.
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Max Dowman celebrates after scoring Arsenal’s second goal (Getty Images)
David Moyes had marshalled his side too well, and they were successfully reducing everything to physical duels. This was also despite James Tarkowski surprisingly missing, with the manager twice saying “nothing to add” on that afterwards. It left some intrigue, but his players were clearly up for a battle. This was a proper fight.
You wouldn’t usually describe such a situation as the opportune moment for a child to come in, but it was exactly that.
Almost immediately, Dowman was properly winning the ball, nicking it off Everton players, but also then going past them. Crucially, he was also cutting inside. Arsenal were actually making inroads for the first time since the game’s early stages.
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Arteta admitted as much afterwards.
“It’s not only the goal that he scored. I think he changed the game. Every time he got the ball, he made things happen. It looked like we were more of a threat. To do that at that age, in this context, with this pressure, it is just not normal.”
Arsenal did need something out of the ordinary. And, on 89 minutes, Dowman offered the kind of cross that the team had been missing. It was a delivery that brought indecision to the Everton defence for the first time.
Jordan Pickford, who has recently been producing his own save of the season competition, came for the cross. It was his first mistake. Piero Hincapie was left to square for Viktor Gyokeres to just tap in.
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Such an easy finish after such difficulty in getting there. It almost felt surreal.
What it meant in reality could be seen and heard in the celebrations, even Arteta was leaping with joy.
Viktor Gyokeres put Arsenal ahead in the 89th minute (Andrew Matthews/PA)
As bad as Arsenal had been, that can have a transformative effect.
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“Then you turn around and you see the bench and those eyes just with that happiness, that joy that you’re almost not believing what has just happened,” Arteta said.
Not long afterwards, Dowman got to live his own dream.
With Arsenal really digging in – Piero Hincapie celebrating an abrasive late challenge that might have risked a penalty – Everton claimed a corner. Pickford this time hurried up to the other end… only to allow that opening.
With Arsenal desperately trying to get the ball away, it eventually landed with Dowman. Unlike his teammates, though, the teenager didn’t just look to get it away. Nor did he rush it and go for the shot, in the way many players would. He instead showed the composure and quality to get around Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and just keep going, dribbling from his own half to score in Everton’s box.
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“Nothing seems to faze him,” Arteta said.
The anticipation was building.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, left, says ‘gut feeling’ made him bring on Max Dowman (Andrew Mat)
“You could sense that he was – ooh – building up, building up,” Arteta smiled. “And there’s no goalie there, it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. It was incredible. It was so loud, so energetic.
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“What a moment.”
As regards what next for Dowman, there was already talk of a World Cup, and starting the game on Tuesday.
“Calma!” Arteta laughed.
That will be hard for anyone at Arsenal to do after this.
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Dowman, however, looks like he’s going to keep going. This was where he really started, and it might yet prove defining for Arsenal in the title race.
Marwan Rahiki vs. Harry Hardwick had the makings off an memorable recent banger after two rounds, but then the UFC Fight Night 269 main card bout was waved off.
After Rahiki (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) unloaded a barrage of heavy shots over two rounds in the featherweight bout at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, while also taking some blows of his own, Hardwick (13-5-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) was unable to make it into the third round.
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Hardwick told his team his jaw was broken and he was unable to continue. The fight was waved off and Rahiki was awarded the TKO win after two rounds.
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Although it was a strong showing for his debut, Rahiki admitted he wasn’t thrilled with the way it unfolded and wanted to close the show in a more spectacular fashion.
“I wanted to get my win in the cleanest way,” Rahiki said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “But broken jaw, got it done. But I really wanted a big knockout.”
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 269 results:
Marwan Rahiki def. Harry Hardwick via TKO (retirement) – Round 2, 5:00
Joao Neves and Ousmane Dembele returned from injury to help Paris Saint-Germain rout Chelsea 5-2 in the last 16 of the Champions League.
They combined to set up the first goal after 10 minutes and Dembele scored with a brilliant solo effort late in the first half.
The third goal followed a blunder from Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jrgensen, who passed the ball straight to PSG forward Bradley Barcola. He fed substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who then passed inside to Vitinha and he neatly lobbed Jrgensen.
Kvaratskhelia added two late goals allowing PSG to take a healthy lead into next Tuesday’s second leg at Stamford Bridge in London.
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“We showed we are capable of anything. We have to carry on like this,” Kvaratskhelia said. “We conceded goals but we have to analyze the mistakes we made.”
Ballon d’Or moment
Dembele’s speed and lucid thinking on his goal showed that the Ballon d’Or winner is getting back to his best in an injury-hit season.
He latched onto a pass near the halfway line and then accelerated clear before cutting inside and then outside to beat defenders Marc Cucurella then Wesley Fofana before firing a low shot across Jrgensen and into the bottom left corner.
“He played very well, he played like Ousmane Dembele knows how to and it’s very good news for us,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “We look forward to him doing it again in London next week.”
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Dembele came off midway through the second half but it appeared only as a precautionary measure rather than another injury flare up.
“When a player returns you have to give them the right amount of playing time,” Luis Enrique said.
On the opening goal, Dembele’s cross from the right was headed down by Neves for Barcola to score from inside the penalty area.
Dembele hit the crossbar moments later with a rasping shot. He came off midway through the second half.
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Neves had been nursing an ankle injury since PSG advanced past Monaco in the Champions League playoffs last month.
Dembele shook off a calf injury. He had come on as a second-half substitute in Friday’s 3-1 home defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1.
Their return allowed PSG coach Luis Enrique to name a near-full strength side, although midfielder Fabian Ruiz remained sidelined with a left knee injury.
PSG last played Chelsea in July in the final of the Club World Cup, when Chelsea won 3-0.
India will take on England in the final of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers on Saturday, March 14, at the G.M.C. Balayogi Hockey Ground in Hyderabad. Both sides will be aiming to lift the tournament title after impressive campaigns.
Although India have already secured qualification for the 2026 Women’s Hockey World Cup by reaching the semi-finals, the final presents an opportunity for the hosts to cap off their home campaign with a trophy.
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India booked their place in the final after edging past Italy 1-0 in a tightly contested semi-final on Friday. The decisive moment came in the 40th minute, when Manisha Chauhan converted a drag flick following a series of penalty corners earned by the Indian team.
Italy made a strong start and created early opportunities, but India gradually took control of the midfield. Goalkeeper Bichu Devi Kharibam played a key role with crucial saves, while the defensive unit remained solid to protect the slender lead.
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In the closing stages, Italy pushed hard in search of an equaliser, but India’s disciplined defence ensured they held on to seal victory and confirm their World Cup berth.
England secured their spot in the final after defeating Scotland 2-0 in the other semi-final played on March 13.
Currently ranked ninth in the world, India enter the final as slight underdogs against sixth-ranked England. The Indian squad features a mix of experienced players and rising talents such as Bansari Solanki, Sakshi Rana, Annu, Ishika, and Deepika Soreng, all of whom have gained the confidence of returning head coach Sjoerd Marijne.
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Marijne, who has begun his second stint with the team, prefers a style built around high pressing, quick transitions, and aggressive counterattacking play, which will be tested in the high-stakes final.
India are without veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia, who is unavailable due to personal reasons, while forward Sangita Kumari was also not included in the squad. As a result, the team will rely heavily on experienced defenders Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam and Nikki Pradhan. Improving penalty-corner defence remains a priority, something captain Salima Tete has emphasised.
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The hot and humid conditions in Hyderabad, with temperatures close to 34°C, could also influence the contest. Teams such as Wales reportedly used sauna sessions during the tournament to adapt to the challenging weather.
In the group stage, India were placed in Pool B alongside Scotland, Uruguay, and Wales, while Pool A featured England, South Korea, Italy, and Austria. The top two teams from each pool progressed to the semi-finals.
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Across both the Hyderabad and Chile legs of the qualifiers, the top three teams from each tournament, along with the best fourth-placed side overall, secure qualification for the Women’s Hockey World Cup.
India vs England FIH Women’s Hockey WC 2026 qualifier final live telecast and streaming details
When will the India vs England final of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 take place?
The India vs England final will be played on Saturday, 14 March, at the G.M.C. Balayogi Hockey Ground in Hyderabad.
What time will the India vs England final of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers 2026 take place?
The India vs England final will be played on Saturday at 7:30 PM IST.
Where will the live telecast of theFIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers be available?
The live telecast of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers will be available on the Star Sports Khel TV channel.
Where will the live streaming of theFIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers be available?
The live streaming of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup Qualifiers will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.
No. 1 seed St. John’s defeated No. 2 seed UConn 72-52 on Saturday in the Big East Tournament championship game for its second consecutive conference tournament win under coach Rick Pitino. The Red Storm recorded a wire-to-wire win for the third consecutive day.
On the eve of Selection Sunday, St. John’s (28-6) made one final statement to the committee with a convincing victory over UConn (29-5), a team vying for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
After struggling in the last matchup against UConn, St. John’s star big man Zuby Ejiofor had a performance to remember. He finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks — which set a record for the most blocks in a Big East title game. The other player who accomplished the feat was Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) in 1984.
Now, UConn and St. John’s will await their seeding on Selection Sunday. The Big East is expected to send three teams to the tournament: UConn, St. John’s and Villanova.
“We changed to make the players more dynamic, with Rayan, Jeremy [Doku] and Phil [Foden],” Guardiola told his post-match news conference. “But we could not win the game.
“We could be more aggressive in the first half maybe, but with the creativity, the crosses and dribbles this season, we are struggling. The team, they did everything, but they need to be better in the final third, and it has happened in many games this season.”
Asked about picking Semenyo over Cherki as number 10, he said: “Absolutely, for that role there is no-one better than [Cherki]. That is bad selection, you can criticise me, I deserve it.
“Sometimes for the balance, we are learning. We played Cherki and Haaland – incredible, but we do not have the stability teams in the Premier League must have. I try to handle that, and the team is still growing.
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“Rayan’s impact off the bench is unbelievable, but sometimes he does not have the pace so we play Semenyo. I am still finding the best way to have stability and to balance the team.”
Haaland’s form is thrown into sharp focus by the fact he struggled against West Ham, a team against who he has scored 11 Premier League goals – more than any other side.
“It’s not about the lack of goals,” Guardiola said of the Norway striker. “We need to create more. He will be back.”
City cannot win well, and they struggle to win ugly too.
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They have only lost once in their past 18 league matches, but during that period they have given up 10 points from winning positions – enough to cost them first place in the current standings.
Given the latter came a couple of hours after Arsenal, starring Max Dowman, spectacularly dug out victory over Everton, this one will sting.
Guardiola laughed it off afterwards, saying he had been having a beer pre-match rather than following the Arsenal match with his team, as he served a touchline ban.
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He also joked he would look to get more yellow cards as he preferred the view from the stands – and light-heartedly batted away a question on whether Haaland was limping.
It felt like if Guardiola didn’t laugh, he would cry.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola spoke about what next for the team in their Premier League title race with Arsenal
22:36, 14 Mar 2026Updated 22:37, 14 Mar 2026
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Pep Guardiola insisted his Manchester City team will fight Arsenal with everything they have left in the race for the Premier League title. The Blues dropped points for the second successive match with a 1-1 draw leaving them nine points off top spot with a game in hand.
Arsenal had left it late to beat Everton on Saturday night and broke the deadlock as City were going through their final preparations at West Ham. Bernardo Silva gave City the lead in the capital but some poor defending allowed the home team to level with a corner and Guardiola’s side were unable to get back in front.
City’s manager had suggested on Friday that the race would be over if they did not win at West Ham, but had a new reality after the draw at the London Stadium. As jubilant as Arsenal will be at another excellent day for them, they will go to bed knowing City will not roll over.
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“No. It’s not over. Because we didn’t lose. No, it’s not over. We continue,” Guardiola told TNT Sports. “We have an incredible team, spirit, we fought after an incredible amount of effort in Madrid with the result. How we played the first half with the shape, more control for the quality of players and about the energy in the second half with incredibly talented players. The last two games with Nottingham Forest we played much better, we are an incredible team. We played so good and until the end we continue.
Asked at the end of his interview if the title race was still on, he said: “Now we rest and I don’t know how many days off I will give and prepare Madrid and I ask to our people these guys deserve it. Nine points is a lot against Arsenal but we have a game in hand, we have the game at home (against Arsenal), we have to try it until the end. When it is not possible we congratulate the champion.”
Guardiola was left to rue another display where City hadn’t made the most of the chances they had created while letting in a goal from a rare defensive lapses. The manager thinks a lack of goals has cost them – especially in the second half of the season – as he reeled off a handful of games where they have been punished despite being the better team.
“We didn’t score enough goals when we had the quality to score and they scored and punished us,” he said. “We always had the ability to score a lot of goals – I don’t know how many times we scored five goals in 10 years – and this season we had chances: Sunderland, Brighton at home, Chelsea at home, today, Nottingham Forest.
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“Except two games, Arsenal away and United away, we didn’t deserve anything. The rest, we deserved better but we didn’t score enough goals. That punished us this season.”
Josh Emmett and Kevin Vallejos square off in a bout between rising stars in the featherweight division. Main card action starts at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+.
Ireland U20s play Scotland at Virgin Media Park in Cork on Sunday, with a 3.15pm kick-off.
The game will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2.
With three consecutive victories this spring, Ireland are bidding to finish their Championship on a high against the Scots.
Head Coach Andrew Browne has named an unchanged backline from last weekend’s victory over Wales.
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Noah Byrne, Derry Moloney and Daniel Ryan continue in Ireland’s back three.
James O’Leary and Rob Carney are the centres, with scrum-half Christopher Barrett once again partnering out-half Tom Wood in the half-backs.
In the pack, Max Doyle, Duinn Maguire and captain Sami Bishti are in the front row. Joe Finn and Donnacha McGuire are named in the engine room. Josh Neill continues at blindside flanker, Ben Blaney is named at openside and Diarmaid O’Connell completes the Ireland starting team at number eight.
On the Ireland U20 bench, Lee Fitzpatrick, Christian Foley, Luke Murtagh, Dylan McNeice, Billy Hayes, James O’Dwyer, Charlie O’Shea and Johnny O’Sullivan are the replacements named.
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Ireland U20s Team
15. Noah Byrne, 14. Derry Moloney, 13. Rob Carney, 12. James O’Leary, 11. Daniel Ryan, 10. Tom Wood, 9. Christopher Barrett.
1. Max Doyle, 2. Duinn Maguire, 3. Sami Bishti (captain), 4. Joe Finn, 5. Donnacha McGuire, 6. Josh Neill, 7. Ben Blaney, 8. Diarmaid O’Connell.
Ireland U20s Replacements
16. Lee Fitzpatrick, 17. Christian Foley, 18. Luke Murtagh, 19. Dylan McNeice, 20. Billy Hayes, 21. James O’Dwyer, 22. Charlie O’Shea, 23. Johnny O’Sullivan.
Speaking to FightHype, former multi-weight ruler Roy Jones Jr backed Haney quite clearly, though did warn of Romero’s ‘abnormal’ power, making a rare comparison to British enigma ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed.
“Rolly’s only chance is if he can get lucky and hit Haney, which I doubt he can do. I think Haney beats him, but Rolly does have a puncher’s chance. What people fail to realise is Rolly is not your everyday, average boxer, but he has abnormal punching power. He hits anybody, he can knock them out. He’s like Prince Naseem, just not quite as skillful as Prince Naseem. Same kind of punching power, though.
“His boxing IQ ain’t the best, that’s why they underestimate him, but his punching power is beyond best. It’s abnormal … It makes it kind of balance out.”
Romero’s confidence will be boosted by the fact that when Haney faced Garcia, he was dropped three times and suffered a points loss on the night. However, the result was later overturned to a no contest after Garcia tested positive for a banned substance.
The winner of this match-up, should Bill Haney’s assurance come good, sets up a rematch with Garcia, who won the WBC belt from Mario Barrios last month.
Saturday night brings a top-half clash in Liga MX as Cruz Azul and Pumas UNAM will meet. As their midfield has gotten settled, Cruz Azul have risen close to the top of Liga MX alongside steady performances, winning seven consecutive matches in all competitions since drawing against Toluca in February. With only seven matchdays remaining in the Clausura portion of the season, the race for playoff seeding will begin, and this is a match where that battle takes center stage.
How to watch Pumas vs. Cruz Azul, odds
Date: Saturday, March 14 | Time: 11:10 p.m.
Location: Estadio Olímpico Universitario — Mexico City, Mexico
With Pedro Vite and Adalberto Carrasquilla and Pumas facing off with Agustin Palavecino and Cruz Azul, this match is going to be a showcase of midfield power. Any ball that’s played to the wrong place will immediately head the other way and turn into a chance, but when you have a maestro like this in midfield, it’s easy to see why Cruz Azul are leading the league right now.
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Palavecino does everything well on the attacking end and is able to ensure that Cruz keep ticking over. With his skill, he’ll be impossible to mark out of the game, but Pumas will need to find a way. Teams like Cruz Azul are the sides that they’ll need to push by to show that they’re actual contenders. The team are improving, but to take the next step, they have to defeat the top of the table sides, and there’s no better chance than hosting them at home.
