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Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United’s first-half performance in their 2-1 win at Sheffield United was not a fitting way to remember Sir Bobby Charlton. United are mourning one of their greatest ever players following Charlton’s death aged 86 on Saturday morning and goals from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot ensured they remembered him with victory. But Ten Hag’s side could not be much further away from the one that Charlton famously led to European Cup glory in 1968 as they were lacklustre against a team who have picked up just one point this season. Defender Dalot was the unlikely hero as he saved their blushes with a 20-yard curler 13 minutes from time after Oli McBurnie’s first-half penalty had cancelled out McTominay’s opener. Ten Hag said: “We are happy we did that, we have to pay attention and do it in a good way and first half I think it wasn’t the standard for Sir Bobby Charlton and the second half was a bit better. “But of course the news arrived and we are very sad and our thoughts are with his family and especially his wife Lady Norma, his children and his grandchildren. “I heard some players got some inspiration from it and they wanted a win to mark it. It was an extra motivation, absolutely. “But the first half was not a good game. We can talk long or we can talk short, it was a poor game from our side and you see it often after internationals, especially us with so many changes, the routines are not there. In the first half we allowed them to make it their game. “We were too direct, no good organisation, second half we made some changes and you saw we got better, we were more composed and kept the ball. “We controlled the game and created the chances and then finally we deserved the win and it was a beautiful goal.” Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom began his playing career at Old Trafford as a teenager and remembers Charlton fondly. “He was there the day I signed as a 14-year-old,” he said. “He is a man that represented everything that United wanted to be, certainly in terms of developing youth players and getting youth players into the first team. “It is not only Manchester United that will miss him, English football and I think he was a football icon across the world as well, so there will be a lot of people remembering him, stories they have heard, games they have seen.” The Blades may feel they deserved something out of the game, especially on the back of a lively first-half performance, but they slipped to an eighth defeat from nine games and a long winter looks on the cards. But Heckingbottom took the positives. “In most games we have shown more than enough that we can compete,” he added. “Lots of things that please me in that. “We have suffered horrendously with injuries in the last 10 days, captain, vice-captain and a couple of other players. We are not going to sulk about it, it is an opportunity for others. “We looked more of a threat tonight. There are lots of things tonight that we have to build on. It was close. What we had today was more of an all-round threat.”

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Anthony Joshua will fight Robert Helenius on Saturday after securing the Finn as a late replacement for Dillian Whyte. “An adverse finding” from a doping test was returned by Whyte last week, with Matchroom confirming the rematch between the British rivals was cancelled. Whyte, 35, revealed he is “devastated” and maintains he is “completely innocent”. But Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has moved quickly to find a late replacement, with Joshua eager to continue his rebuild under new trainer Derrick James. “This wasn’t in the script,” Joshua said, after it was announced that he will be fighting Helenius, 39. “I respect Helenius and may I say, I respect any male or female who steps into the ring. “I am laser focused on the win. I can make steps forward to bigger and better things, but the road map has a checkpoint, Saturday night. May the best man win.” Helenius added: “I am excited. I am a true Viking that is willing to face any challenge at a moment’s notice. This is not an opportunity I was going to let slip away. I plan to make the most of it!” Joshua rebounded from back-to-back defeats against IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk with a points victory over American Jermain Franklin in April. More to follow... Read More Robert Helenius replaces Dillian Whyte as Anthony Joshua’s opponent for Saturday Anthony Joshua news LIVE: Next fight revealed after Dillian Whyte fails doping test Reaction as England reach World Cup quarter-finals – Monday’s sporting social

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College GameDay location, schedule, TV info, and guest picker for Week 13 of the 2023 college football season to get your Saturday started off right

Goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio kept West Ham’s dreams of a first trophy in 43 years alive after a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar. The Hammers were big favourites to beat the Dutch dark horses, but were put on the back foot at a sold-out London Stadium when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola gifted AZ the lead before half-time. But another goalkeeping error from Australia international Mathew Ryan gave West Ham a penalty which Benrahma converted. Antonio then prodded home from a corner after a goalmouth scramble to give the Hammers a crucial lead going into next Thursday’s second leg in the Netherlands. There was a sense of optimism before kick-off with West Ham almost safe from relegation and captain Declan Rice confidently predicted ‘the good times are back on their way’ in his programme notes, even though it remains unlikely he will be here to enjoy them for much longer. Still, a European final in Prague on June 7, against Fiorentina or Basel, would be a fitting way for the England midfielder to sign off before a big-money summer move. But AZ, a progressive club based around the moneyball model also used by Brentford, are a slick, attacking young side who had beaten Lazio and Anderlecht to reach the last four. They were watched from the directors’ box by Billy Beane, the real-life inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in the baseball movie Moneyball, who owns a stake in them. Ominously, AZ goalkeeper Ryan was unbeaten in his five previous matches against West Ham during his spell at Brighton, and he set about trying to maintain that record when he got down well to tip Benrahma’s curler behind. West Ham were given a painful lesson in last season’s Europa League semi-final, conceding in the first minute of the first leg and losing Aaron Cresswell to a red card in the second as they crashed out to Eintracht Frankfurt. They got an early warning when former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie fizzed a low shot just past the post. And history repeated itself when West Ham allowed AZ to take a shock lead five minutes before half-time, Areola letting Tijjani Reijnders’ shot in at his near post. It was not a gaffe on the scale of the one West Ham benefitted from in their win over Manchester United on Sunday, when David De Gea let Benrahma’s tame shot roll in, but it was still not a good look for the Hammers’ cup keeper. West Ham protested that there had been a foul on Lucas Paqueta in the build-up – Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler even put the whistle to his lips before opting to play on – but the goal stood. However, the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Ryan missed his punch at a corner and caught Jarrod Bowen square in the face. Meler, who had infuriated the home crowd all match, pointed to the penalty spot and Benrahma stepped up to bury a perfect spot-kick just inside the post. Eight minutes later West Ham went ahead, Antonio stabbing home the rebound after Nayef Aguerd’s header was cleared off the line to give them a slim advantage and, if they improve next week, every chance of moving a step closer to a first European trophy since 1965. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ronnie O’Sullivan shows how versatile his book is – Thursday’s sporting social Counties cast rivalry aside and honour the life of Matt Dunn’s daughter Overseas territories should have representation in Parliament, ministers told

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