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A club with a long and proud tradition of homegrown players clinches their league title by beating their major rivals with a spectacular goal by Marcus Rashford. For Manchester United, it may have long seemed the dream. Although the reality is that the newly anointed champions are Barcelona, Rashford’s curling free-kick setting them on their way to a Clasico win over Real Madrid.

History for Rashford, becoming the first Englishman to win LaLiga with Barca, and joining what remains a select group to triumph with anyone, alongside Laurie Cunningham, David Beckham, Kieran Trippier and Jude Bellingham. If the circumstances were different, it would surely prompt Barcelona to take up the €30m option to turn his loan into a transfer.

Although, were the circumstances different, Rashford may not have got the move to Camp Nou he seemed to covet when his relationship with United broke down; the Catalan club were also interested in the costlier Luis Diaz and Nico Williams last summer. Rashford seemed like Plan C, available without an immediate transfer fee in part because of United’s inability to sell him.

He has nevertheless been a success as a high-calibre squad player, his outings split almost equally between starts and substitute appearances. A tally of 14 goals in 47 games is decent, if unexceptional. More impressive, though, is that he also has 14 assists, giving him 28 goal contributions, an average of one every 87 minutes on the pitch. There is an argument that Rashford has been flattered by the figures and, unlike United, Barcelona have been in Europe, but he has as many goal involvements this season as Bruno Fernandes.

Which, in its own way, may offer an insight into what United are missing. Though arguably not missing too much, given that they have qualified for the Champions League and have taken the most points in the Premier League since Michael Carrick’s return to Old Trafford.

Yet that has been built on a small core. With European commitments next season, United require more players. It is also evident they need attacking reinforcements; it was clear even before Joshua Zirkzee laboured ineffectually in Saturday’s stalemate at Sunderland to show why he is not good enough.

Their squad, reshaped by Ruben Amorim in his quest to play a 3-4-3 that didn’t suit Rashford – or virtually anyone else, for that matter – does not contain a natural left winger. Patrick Dorgu started Carrick’s reign there, acquitting himself well before getting injured, but it remains to be seen if that was a short-term gambit or a long-term strategy. Matheus Cunha has occupied the role more often, but is essentially a No 10. Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo have taken turns there. Rashford would have the potential to be a regular.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesko is the only specialist No 9 in the squad and if Rashford probably would not describe himself as such, he is better qualified to fill the role than anyone else on United’s books, with the exception of Rasmus Hojlund, whose loan to Napoli is set to become a permanent deal.

As United’s recruitment drive last summer shows, when they spent around £200m on Cunha, Sesko and Mbeumo, they can end up paying at least £60m for forwards; the club would concede that they paid towards the upper end of their valuations for players who, in some cases, are less gifted than Rashford.

And selling him for €30m would represent a figure at the lower end of his valuation, even accounting for his sizeable wages and the fact he turns 29 in October. The numbers have significance when the summer spending has to be focused on the midfield, with what might be a £200m rebuild, with at least two signings required and preferably three. They may want other additions, too: perhaps a left-back, unless Dorgu is pencilled in for defensive duties.

Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that Barcelona, their funds ever tight, their preference for trying to get quality players on the cheap, their greatest need arguably for an out-and-out centre forward to replace Robert Lewandowski, would even try to buy Rashford anyway. They may prefer the brinkmanship of aiming to borrow him again.

The sense has been that Rashford feels his United career is over, even beyond the feeling his first choice is to be at Barcelona. Certainly, there may be some at Old Trafford and in the fanbase who do not want him to return. As things unravelled in the 18 months following his outstanding campaign in 2022-23, there were more incidents beyond those that got into the public domain.

But it was nevertheless true that he was exiled with remarkable speed by Amorim, whose United then scored very few goals. It was a damaging decision, but Amorim is gone. Carrick is a former teammate and coach; indeed, no player scored more goals or got more assists for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United than Rashford.

Last month, United’s temporary manager said no decision had been made on Rashford. Nor on Carrick either, perhaps, though he is likely to get the job on a lengthier basis. And if he provided a non-answer last week, Rashford may yet be a logical answer for United.

Some bridges may have to be rebuilt, but he is a scorer of 138 United goals, a player good enough to excel for Barcelona. They are not obliged to give him to the new champions of Spain on the cheap. Especially not when he could fill in at least two gaps in United’s plans for next season.

She suffered a serious knee injury when she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament in November 2022 and was forced to miss the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The 2022 BBC Sports Personality of the Year returned after 11 months out and was part of the England squad as the Lionesses retained their European title at Euro 2025.

Mead came on as a substitute in her side’s Champions League final against Barcelona last season and, in one of her “greatest highlights in an Arsenal shirt”, set up the winner for Stina Blackstenius as Arsenal won the title for the first time in 18 years.

This season, she has made 27 appearances in the WSL and Champions League, with 11 of those as a substitute, and scored five goals.

Arsenal have also announced Victoria Pelova, who joined them from Ajax in January 2023, will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

The midfielder has made 87 appearances for the Gunners, scoring six goals.

Peter Schmeichel has slammed the VAR decision to disallow West Ham’s last-gasp equaliser against Arsenal, accusing the Gunners of set-piece hypocrisy as they close in on the Premier League title

Peter Schmeichel has hit out at the decision to disallow a late goal in Arsenal’s narrow victory over West Ham for a foul on David Raya, noting that the Gunners have employed identical set-piece tactics throughout the entire season.

Leandro Trossard struck in the 83rd minute at the London Stadium to hand Arsenal a crucial advantage in their pursuit of the Premier League title. Drama then unfolded when Callum Wilson appeared to snatch a 95th-minute equaliser for the Hammers, who are desperately battling to avoid the drop.

West Ham’s celebrations were swiftly cut short as VAR scrutinised replays of the incident before recommending an on-field review. Pablo was spotted gripping Raya’s arm as he leapt for the ball, with referee Chris Kavanagh subsequently ruling the goal out.

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However, Schmeichel, the iconic former Manchester United goalkeeper who also played for Manchester City, argued that Arsenal — the Premier League’s most prolific side from set-pieces — would be nowhere near the summit of the table if such actions are to be considered a foul.

“That decision today, it’s just so wrong on so many levels,” the Dane told Viaplay. “What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that’s a free kick.

“That’s how they’ve scored so many goals by blocking people, holding people, doing all kind of things, and then we get to this point… it takes VAR five minutes.

“Darren England the VAR official, (it takes him) five minutes. He starts the replay over and over again. That in itself puts so much doubt into that decision. It cannot be a free kick, it cannot.”

Schmeichel added: “I think it’s so wrong, I just don’t understand why all of a sudden that’s a free kick, because it’s not been for any teams all the way throughout the season.

“All of this, it’s just crazy, and that decision today is just so wrong on so many levels.”

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Schmeichel wasn’t the only one challenging VAR’s intervention, with West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen expressing similar sentiments in his post-match remarks.

Mikel Arteta, however, commended the match officials for their courage in reaching such a significant decision. He said: “A call from the refs that I think is very brave, but very consistent with what they’ve been talking about all season.

“So when I have to be critical, I have been. And it is a free kick and the goal has to be disallowed. So congratulations because they made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances.”

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Former MLB All-Star Yasiel Puig wasted absolutely no time making headlines in his debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the independent Canadian Baseball League. And honestly, it looked like vintage Puig. Playing at Christie Pits Park against the Kitchener Panthers, Puig put on a show in Toronto’s 8-6 win.

His final line: 2-for-2, 2 home runs, 4 RBI, and 2 walks. For one afternoon at least, it felt like the electric version of Puig baseball fans remember from his MLB days.

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MORE: Brewers star pitcher makes MLB history Friday night against Yankees

Career Overshadowed by Serious Legal Issues

Unfortunately, Puig’s baseball comeback comes alongside a major legal cloud. He is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty earlier this year to:

• Making false statements to federal investigators

The charges stem from a federal investigation into an illegal sports gambling operation in Southern California. According to reports, Puig allegedly placed hundreds of sports bets and accumulated nearly $1 million in gambling losses that were never repaid.

He faces a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison, though many legal experts believe the actual punishment could be far less severe.

A Former MLB Star Still Has Pop

Puig spent seven seasons in Major League Baseball with the:

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At his peak, he was one of baseball’s most exciting and polarizing stars:

The talent has never been questioned.

Toronto Took a Massive Gamble

Despite the legal situation, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved forward with signing Puig anyway.

For an independent league, the move is enormous. Puig instantly becomes:

• The biggest name in the league

• A major attraction for fans

• A credibility boost for the CBL

Reports even suggest his deal is the largest contract in league history.

A Legacy Defined by Talent and Turmoil

Few players in recent MLB history have had a career as complicated as Puig’s. At times, he looked like a future superstar capable of becoming one of baseball’s faces. But throughout his career, inconsistency and controversy repeatedly followed him.

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Now, this latest chapter may be the most uncertain of all. Yasiel Puig reminded everyone Sunday that he can still electrify a baseball crowd with a star-level performance. But as impressive as the debut was, the bigger questions surrounding his future still remain unanswered.

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Daniel Dubois secured a phenomenal victory over Fabio Wardley at the weekend, but one of the most viral moments of the bout came in-between rounds, when ‘Triple D’ was slapped by lead trainer, Don Charles. Reflecting on his performance, Dubois revealed how Charles’ approach helped him in the fight.

Dubois was dropped in round one and three, looking set to become the latest to succumb to the power of Fabio Wardley, who had knocked out all 19 of his opponents since his 2017 debut until that point.

Additionally, Dubois has been accused of ‘quitting’ in the past, due to him taking a knee in defeats to both Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk. Although, after being dealt a slap from his cornerman, Charles, the 28-year-old showed no such weakness and instead rallied to an extraordinary win to become a two-time world champion.

DUBOIS CORNER JUST SLAPPED HIM 👀😅

🎟️Buy WARDLEY vs DUBOIS HERE –>https://t.co/FoiaUucafv#WardleyDubois | Live NOW on DAZN pic.twitter.com/qeXugfWo0w

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 9, 2026

Speaking in the post-fight press conference, Dubois admitted that Charles’ two-slap combination helped him to focus and ‘stay in reality’, as captured by iFL TV.

“I needed that slap just to wake up and stay in reality, you know. I’ve got to dig deep, as a warrior, you have to dig deep. You have to go to that dark place and come out on top.”

Now in possession of the WBO heavyweight world title, ‘Triple D’ has proven that he is amongst the heavyweight elite and that any lack of mental fortitude has been extinguished.

For Dubois, Moses Itauma is expected to be named as his mandatory challenger, but it remains to be seen whether the 21-year-old will pursue the WBO crown or a seek an alternate route to world honours.

Krunal Pandya (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Krunal Pandya battled cramps on a difficult Raipur surface where stroke-making remained challenging throughout the thrilling IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians in Raipur. Krunal anchored RCB’s tense chase with a fighting 73 while wickets kept falling regularly at the other end. Battling cramps in the latter half of his innings, the left-hander combined resilience with calculated aggression to keep RCB alive before Bhuvneshwar Kumar sealed the tense chase with a six in the final over.His innings was applauded by many fans, cricketers and former cricketers as well.