England laboured to a 34-12 bonus-point victory over Japan in their second error-strewn World Cup match in Nice on Sunday to set themselves up...

Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United for 26 years and 1500 games, but he only attended 1497 of them. He missed three: one for his son Mark’s wedding, one for his sister-in-law’s funeral, and a League Cup tie against Scunthorpe in 2010 when he went on a scouting trip. The sense then was that he was watching United’s Champions League opponents Valencia; instead the teenage goalkeeper in the opposition side, Atletico Madrid, was the focus of his attention. A dozen years since he was signed, David de Gea’s departure removes the last survivor of the Ferguson era: for the first time since the relegation season of 1973-74, United in 2023-24 will not feature anyone who has made or will make an appearance for the great Scot. For the first time since 1934-35, there will be none who have played or will play for Ferguson or Sir Matt Busby. Erik ten Hag calls upon Ferguson’s counsel but there are ways in which he makes a break with the past, as Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo can testify. But De Gea was always intended to be part of Ferguson’s legacy: bought when the manager was approaching his 70th birthday, signed with his successors in mind. Ferguson could be selfish and selfless and De Gea reflected the latter: United got 545 appearances from the Spaniard, the seventh most in their history and second only to Wayne Rooney among those Ferguson bought, and 190 clean sheets, 10 more than even Peter Schmeichel. And yet his is a legacy that leads itself to different conclusions. De Gea’s dozen seasons brought a lone league title: the previous 13 produced eight, with four Champions League final appearances and two victories on the biggest stage. De Gea’s last decade comprised of United’s wilderness years; in the worst of them, 2021-22, one of their most eloquent critics was the goalkeeper himself, when his own excellence gave him freedom to express his frustration. But his last game provided a sadly fitting end: De Gea was beaten inside 13 seconds in the FA Cup final, then horribly culpable for Ilkay Gundogan’s ultimately decisive second goal. His final year felt a series of indignities: United’s Europa League exit to Sevilla owed much to a De Gea shocker, capped by an embarrassing error. His last few years at Old Trafford were pockmarked by two problems: an increasing number of mistakes – far more forgivable in his good years – and his limitations in distribution; many of his best saves were with his feet, but he struggled to use them to find teammates. Perhaps August’s 4-0 defeat to Brentford was the beginning of the end in that respect; it was evident he was an imperfect fit for Ten Hag’s style of play. It underlined the way that De Gea seemed old before his time, an old-fashioned goalkeeper in a fast-changing role. He is only two years older than Alisson, three older than Ederson, less than five the senior of his probable successor Andre Onana, but seemingly plucked from another generation, one where a goalkeeper’s job did not extend beyond stopping shots. The hashtag at his peak was “DaveSaves”. The issue was that Dave did not kick as well. De Gea was the future once; at 32, he has become the past. He almost joined Real Madrid in 2015, but for a faulty fax machine, but there is no such scramble for his services now. Even before his contract talks with United ended, it became likelier he would not be first choice. Staying would have always involved a sizeable pay cut; in part because his previous deal was so lucrative. He was famously the world’s best-paid goalkeeper; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used to lazily parrot the line he was the world’s best long after evidence suggested otherwise. But at his peak, he was surely in the top five. He had days when he seemed unbeatable. His 14 saves against Arsenal in 2017 came in an extraordinary display of defiance. United branded him a “legend” in the announcement that he would go. Perhaps he both was and wasn’t: De Gea was sometimes a beacon of excellence in mediocre teams, especially in the years immediately after Ferguson’s retirement. He was named United’s player of the year a joint record four times, but that often reflected a lack of competition. Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar never won the award but they were Ferguson’s two greatest goalkeeping signings. Each chose his exit and each played his last game in a Champions League final, Schmeichel lifting the trophy in 1999. De Gea’s departure has more common denominators with that of the only other goalkeeper to play 500 games for United: Alex Stepney ended up being dropped by Dave Sexton, his fifth manager. He, too, had had his greatest days in his mid-twenties. There was a point when it seemed like De Gea would be a fixture for years to come, perhaps ending up second only to Ryan Giggs in United’s all-time appearance list. But he started to look a man out of time, even before the interest in Onana suggested he would be a man out of the team. But outstanding as De Gea was in the mid-2010s, as the last link to Ferguson is severed, it serves as a reminder that the last decade has scarcely gone to plan. Read More Why Onana is such an upgrade on De Gea for Man United De Gea confirms Man United exit with ‘farewell message’ to fans Man United transfer news: Mount signs and bid made for Onana

Miami slugger Jorge Soler left in the seventh inning of the Marlins’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays because of an injury

Karl-Anthony Towns capped a 29-point performance with a running floater off the glass with 5 seconds left, and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 14-point deficit in the final 7:32 to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 121-120

Texas A&M quarterback Conner Weigman will miss the remainder of the regular season with a right foot injury he sustained during last week’s win against Auburn

The Denver Nuggets' first NBA championship cements Serbian center Nikola Jokic as one of the game's preeminent player

Police have charged 46 men after Legia Warsaw supporters attacked police outside Villa Park in Birmingham on Thursday. West Midlands Police said five officers, two police dogs and two police horses were injured when missiles were thrown by visiting fans during the Europa Conference League fixture. In a statement confirming details of the charges, the force said 43 men have been charged with a public order offence, two with assaulting police officers and another with possession of a knife. The statement added: “Those charged are aged between 21 and 63, and around 40 are believed to be from Poland. A small number are believed to be UK residents. “All apart from one of the men is due in court today. He has been bailed to appear at a later date. A special court has been set up at Birmingham magistrates and will begin hearing the cases this morning.” Officers are continuing to review CCTV and body-worn video footage to identify further suspects after “what was an appalling and violent public disorder”. Two West Midlands Police officers, two from West Mercia and one from Derbyshire Police suffered minor injuries during the violence. Detective Superintendent Jim Munro, who is overseeing the criminal investigation, said: “Our investigation is very much continuing and we’ll be reviewing footage and speaking to witnesses over the coming days. “To charge this number of people so soon after such a major disorder has taken a huge effort by staff who have been working around the clock. “We’ve had a number of messages of thanks from the club and fans who were present on Thursday night and saw the policing operation first hand, and we are really grateful for that support.” Police said fans of the Polish side were not allowed into the stadium after missiles were thrown at officers before the start of the match. West Midlands mayor Andy Street has called for European football chiefs to take “strong action” as he thanked the “brave officers” and criticised the “deeply unpleasant scenes”. In a previous statement, Chief Inspector Tim Robinson said: “This should have been a great evening of football which was enjoyed by fans from both clubs. Unfortunately, there were appalling scenes which saw away fans dangerously throw flares and other missiles at our officers.” He said the “extreme violence” left police with no other choice but to prevent away fans entering the stadium, adding: “The safety of everyone is our priority and clearly we had no other option.” Read More Discipline has ‘let us down’ and must improve, says Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou Pep Guardiola: Spurs under Ange Postecoglou an ‘incredible advert’ for football ‘We never lost trust’: Sarina Wiegman remained confident of England comeback Erik ten Hag backs under-fire Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana Mauricio Pochettino understands reason behind early struggles for Moises Caicedo Ange Postecoglou knows he can succeed at Tottenham by sticking to plan

Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus fired Arsenal to a stunning 3-1 stoppage-time victory against Manchester United as a thrill-a-minute clash came to an unforgettable conclusion. Last year’s Premier League runners-up hosted the side that finished third on Sunday afternoon as these teams looked to kick on from more unconvincing starts than their respective points tallies suggested. Marcus Rashford brilliantly put Erik ten Hag’s United ahead in the first half at the Emirates Stadium, only for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to impressively level 110 seconds later. The match looked set to end in an absorbing draw after a penalty for a foul on Kai Havertz was overturned following a pitchside review, before the VAR ruled out substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s late winner for narrowly straying offside. United’s wholehearted celebrations were cut short and there was still time for more drama in a jaw-dropping ending. A deep corner found Rice to slam home his first Arsenal goal off the heel of Jonny Evans in the sixth minute of stoppage time, before substitute Jesus coolly added gloss for Mikel Arteta’s men. United left the capital shell-shocked at the end of an afternoon that began with their fans chanting for the Glazers to sell and their team surviving a scare. Havertz failed to get away a clean shot when Diogo Dalot’s headed clearance deflected off team-mate Anthony Martial, with Lisandro Martinez’s quick thinking then denying Eddie Nketiah. Arsenal looked emboldened by that moment. Rice headed over from a corner that followed some important interventions by under-the-cosh United, who did not manage a shot until the 27th minute. It proved worth the wait. Christian Eriksen cut out a pass from Havertz deep in United territory and burst forwards through the middle, before picking the perfect time to pass through to Rashford. The United forward showed skill and composure to cut inside away from Arsenal defenders and hit a right-footed drive that Aaron Ramsdale could only tip onto the inside of the post. Andre Onana celebrated wildly in front of the away end, but United’s goalkeeper was calling for calm after Arsenal struck straight back. Gabriel’s ball forwards was flicked on by Gabriel Martinelli, who continued down the left and got the ball back before cutting back for Odegaard to slam home from 16 yards. The Emirates erupted and it felt like a wild end to the half would unfold, yet it petered out as both sides had efforts without seriously threatening. Arsenal returned brightly from the break but United nearly scored against the run of play in the 54th minute, with Martial seeing a shot saved before Rashford’s follow-up was blocked. Arsenal appeared to have the ideal chance to capitalise on that let-off when referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot five minutes later. Havertz hit the deck as Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro closed in on him, but the decision was overturned after Taylor reviewed the pitchside monitor on the VAR’s advice. Ten Hag turned to summer signing Rasmus Hojlund for his debut as he looked to change the flow of the game, which was further altered when Martinez was hurt fouling Nketiah. The Argentina international was booked before being replaced by Harry Maguire, whose name was chanted by Arsenal fans as he came on for the visitors. Martinelli fizzed a first-time struck narrowly wide and Bukayo Saka fired straight at Onana, with Rashford and Hojlund causing a headache for Arsenal. Casemiro’s threaded ball put Garnacho in to coolly strike past Ramsdale and spark wild celebrations that eventually turned to nerves during a VAR review that ended up in an offside call. It was a gut punch for a United side that would soon be left reeling from a knockout blow. Saka’s deep corner was picked up at the far post by an inexplicably free Rice, who saw a drive go in via a slight Jonny Evans touch as Arsenal fans celebrated a killer blow in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The cherry on the cake was provided by Jesus in the 101st minute. The substitute run through on goal, cut away from a sliding Dalot and turned the ball past Onana. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool’s stance on keeping hold of Mohamed Salah will not waver He has got better and better – Roy Hodgson lauds improving Odsonne Edouard England need 203 to beat New Zealand at Edgbaston and wrap up T20 series

Churchill Downs will suspend racing on Wednesday and move the remainder of its spring meet to Ellis Park to conduct a “top-to-bottom” review of safety and surface protocols in the wake of 12 horse fatalities the past month at the home of the Kentucky Derby

Arsenal set an unwanted Premier League record in their 2-2 draw with Fulham, conceding in the first minute for the third time this calendar year.

Sir Keir Starmer has called for a celebratory bank holiday should England win Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final. The Labour leader said he was “never complacent” as he backed the suggestion in the event of the Lionesses beating Spain. The Government has said an extra bank holiday is not currently in its plans, adding it will find the “right way to celebrate” if England win. Sir Keir – writing on X, formerly known as Twitter – said: “It’s almost 60 years since England won the World Cup. “I’m never complacent about anything… but there should be a celebratory bank holiday if the Lionesses bring it home.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey added: “The Lionesses have made history by reaching the final, they are an inspiration to athletes across the country already. “Winning the World Cup would be a phenomenal achievement. It absolutely deserves to celebrated with a bank holiday.” Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha, when told the Government was pouring cold water on the bank holiday idea, replied on Channel 4 news: “Well I think if the men’s team won the World Cup, I’d definitely think they wouldn’t think twice, right? “So it deserves some kind of marking, it deserves some kind of national holiday definitely or something.” Ms Chadha praised the players who have “absolutely driven” the Lionesses, adding: “Spain is a great team, but I do believe it’s theirs (England) – this is their World Cup, our World Cup.” TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “We all hope our amazing Lionesses can get over the line on Sunday. “And if they do bring it home, the Government should do the right thing and allow the country to celebrate with a special bank holiday. “It would be mean-spirited not to do so.” A Government spokesperson said: “Winning the World Cup would be a massive moment for the country and make no mistake we’ll find the right way to celebrate. “As Sarina Wiegman herself has said, the first thing to do is focus on the final and the whole country will be rooting for the Lionesses this weekend.” It deserves some kind of marking, it deserves some kind of national holiday definitely or something Gurinder Chadha The remarks followed an earlier statement to the BBC which also said: “The current pattern of public and bank holidays is well established and there are no plans to change this.” A petition on the Parliament website has been set up asking for a bank holiday. It states: “I’d like the Government to declare a bank holiday for all workers in the United Kingdom. Then we can celebrate in the achievements of England’s football team.” A 2010 House of Commons library report said the then government estimated an additional bank holiday would cost the economy £2.9 billion. Official figures released last month showed the UK economy contracted in May after businesses across the country downed tools for the King’s coronation. Gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.1% for the month, after increasing by 0.2% in April, the Office for National Statistics said. The contraction was driven by the extra bank holiday weekend for the royal occasion, meaning sectors like construction and finance lost a working day in the month. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ella Toone’s PE teacher reveals why it’s no surprise she’s in the World Cup final Erling Haaland one of three Man City treble winners on shortlist for PFA award Football rumours: Liverpool ramp up bid for Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure

Australia's semi-final against England drew the highest TV viewership recorded nationally in decades.