He worked as interim director of cricket before being suspended on allegations of misconduct
Firdose Moonda25-Feb-2020
Corrie van Zyl’s role within CSA is yet to be announced•Getty Images
Corrie van Zyl will return to work at CSA after the completion of his disciplinary process, although his role within the organisation is yet to be announced.Van Zyl was working as interim director of cricket before he was suspended in October last year on allegations of misconduct related to unpaid commercial rights fees to the South African Cricketers’ Association during the 2018 Mzansi Super League. Graeme Smith has since taken over as director of cricket in an acting capacity until he begins an IPL commentary stint in late March.Two other staff members, chief operating officer Naasei Appiah and commercial manager Clive Eksteen were suspended for the same reason. Their cases, along with that of four other members of staff including CEO Thabang Moroe, are expected to be decided by early March.Smith has indicated his interest in taking on the role permanently, which, if confirmed, would leave van Zyl to fill a different role at CSA. Van Zyl has worked as interim national coach and took the team to the 2011 World Cup, as general manager of cricket and in high performance.
Whilst Everton's Premier League safety may still hang in the balance with six games to go, those at Goodison Park have reportedly turned their attention towards summer reinforcements for Sean Dyche.
Everton transfer news
Of course, caution should be the name of the game for the Toffees no matter what this summer. The last thing they need is another punishment sent their way due to further profit and sustainability issues. And that could see departures steal the headlines at the start of the window, rather than incomings. The big two names linked with a move on that front have so far been Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite in two departures which would go a long way in easing Everton's FFP fears.
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He spent five years at Goodison Park.
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Branthwaite has been particularly impressive this season, providing a rare bright spark in an otherwise frustrating campaign for the Toffees. But those performances look likely to come at a cost for those at Goodison Park, with the likes of Manchester United and even Real Madrid linked with a move to sign the young defender in recent months.
As one defender potentially departs, however, another could arrive in another area of Dyche's backline. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Everton are eyeing a move to sign Ben Johnson this summer alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers. It's not a transfer that would spark concerns over FFP either, with the West Ham United right-back out of contract at the end of the season and, therefore, on course to sign for free.
As things stand, Dyche has just Seamus Coleman, who is now 35 years old, and Nathan Patterson to call on in the right-back role, creating the need for Johnson to potentially step in this summer.
Meanwhile, the fact that Johnson is represented by the same agency as Dele Alli should provide Everton with a minor boost in negotiations, should they push on for Johnson's signature this summer.
"Important" Johnson may replace Coleman
With every season, Coleman edges closer and closer to retirement and it could simply be a case of waiting for a player to take his place in Dyche's side, which Johnson could do. The West Ham right-back, whilst not always first-choice under David Moyes, earned the praise of the Hammers boss when he first broke into the squad in 2021.
Ben Johnson for West Ham
Moyes said via Football London: "He’s a really important player for us. In the squad and the group he’s really important. Quite often we’ve brought him on and used him in different roles and he’s had a chance to have some games under his belt, he’s not let us down and scored a good goal in midweek.
“It’s good because it’s competition for Vladimir, and I’ve got Ryan Fredericks as well. I think at the moment Ben has done really, really well and stepped in at a period where we didn’t have either of the other two right backs available. He’s done as well as anybody.”
Now, Johnson may have the chance to play regularly with his next step and finally hand Dyche an option to replace Coleman at Goodison Park.
Pakistan’s dismal tour of Australia has hurt the “pride of the nation” according to Test captain Azhar Ali. The Tests ended in innings defeats; the T20Is were not any better even though the perception was Pakistan, ranked No. 1 in the format, would compete better.”We are a proud cricketing nation and definitely our pride has been hurt,” Azhar said upon the team’s return home. “We did prepare to the best of our abilities, we went there with positive intent but unfortunately sometimes results don’t come as per your expectations.”ALSO READ: Samiuddin: Pakistan down and under – bowling’s to blameThe team management picked a young bowling attack with two rookies in 16-year old Naseem Shah and 19-year old Muhammad Musa. They were so excited that they even played Naseem at the Gabba ahead of the experienced Mohammad Abbas. The bowling fortunes didn’t change.They failed to pick up wickets, watched David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne make runs for fun and the resulting pressure was too much for their batting to take. This amounts to their 14th straight loss in Australia, a streak dating back to 1995.Amidst the gloom, they had some positives too. Babar Azam made a second-innings ton in Brisbane and a quality 97 in Adelaide. Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed’s replacement, held his own in two innings. Yasir Shah showed signs of improvement as a batsman, scoring a century in the Pink-ball Test, much to the delight of his team-mates.”When you play in Australia and don’t avail your opportunities, it’s never easy to make a comeback,” Azhar said. “The bowling attack was young and couldn’t perform as expected, but still the world is talking about them today. They have pace and with little bit more experience they will be great for Pakistan in the future.”Pakistan next play Sri Lanka at home. The tour marks the return of Test cricket to the country for the first time since the 2009 terror attacks in Lahore. The series is important on a number of other counts too.Firstly, Pakistan will be up against a team coached by Mickey Arthur, a man who they had recently let go. Secondly, the series is part of the Test championship, and Pakistan are yet to open their account. And thirdly, Pakistan lost 2-0 the last time these two sides played each other in Test cricket.”The next series is against Sri Lanka which is a momentous occasion for all of us, all players will be playing their first test match in Pakistan,” Azhar said. “Sri Lanka is bringing their full strength side and we have to play very good cricket to beat them.”We will try our best and whatever time we have in between we have to freshen up our minds and look forward to play good cricket and get back on track. It is very important for us and we have to play this series very good.”Azhar also brushed aside talks of his poor form. In Australia, he managed scores of 39, 5, 9 and 9 in four innings. He has averaged 24.08 over the last two years. He has also suffered knee injuries.”As far as I am concerned, it’s not that ball is not coming onto my bat or when I am at the crease my footwork is not working,” Azhar said. “Unfortunately it’s not working. I know I need runs whether captain or any other player nobody can play without giving performance.””It’s true that after knee injury my form is not the same, but I passed all the fitness test, I do all the sprinting and it’s not the only reason (injury). Lots of players go through surgeries and play and if there’s a fitness issue, the PCB staff do tell it. I realise, I do have to score, I am working hard, I am feeling good in nets unfortunately runs are not coming but I know when runs do come it will be in bulk.”
Star of 2016 tournament is paying price for lack of opportunities as power-game grows
Matt Roller13-Dec-2019″Oh yes, oh goodness” purred Pommie Mbangwa as Joe Root reverse-paddled an attempted yorker from Chris Morris over third man for six. “You’ve just got to appreciate the batsmanship these days. Who thinks to do that?”It was perhaps the best T20I innings ever played by an Englishman: in the cauldron of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, amid the pressure of a gargantuan 230 target in a do-or-die encounter with South Africa at the 2016 World T20, Root took only 44 balls to make a showpiece 83, exemplifying the combination of orthodoxy and innovation that secured him his place among the vanguard of modern batting talents.But since the final of that tournament (in which he scored another key half-century and also claimed two first-over wickets), Root has played only 23 T20s – approximately one every two months. There is little complicated about the diagnosis: as England’s Test captain and one of their few all-format players, Root simply hasn’t had time to keep up with a format that continues to evolve at startling pace.ALSO READ: Buttler, Stokes, Archer back for SA T20Is, no room for RootSince that tournament, Root has played 136 games of international cricket, more than anyone in the world except Virat Kohli. He has regularly reiterated his desire to play more and to improve, turning down the opportunity to be rested for the Trans-Tasman tri-series after the 2017-18 Ashes and even spending last winter eking out 99 runs in seven innings for Sydney Thunder.
“For me to get into the T20I side, it will mean that I have to keep getting better,” Root said before England’s series in New Zealand. “If someone like Tom Banton comes in and sets the world alight, I’ve got to try force him out in the limited opportunities I get to play.”If that happens, it raises the standard of English cricket in that format. That’s the food chain that cricket is sometimes. You have to be at the top of it otherwise you get swept away and eaten up.”In the event, it wasn’t Banton that swept Root away but Dawid Malan, and it is hard to think of a more suitable candidate to drive home the point about Root’s lack of T20 exposure.While few would argue that Root lacks any quality that Malan possesses in terms of natural talent or work ethic, his playing time in short-form cricket has been minimal in the last three-and-a-half years. Malan, meanwhile, has played in the Bangladesh Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Mzansi Super League and the Abu Dhabi T10 in the last 12 months, in addition to the Blast and four T20Is; he has hit more sixes in 2019 than Root has in his T20 career.And so with ten months to go until England’s first T20 World Cup fixture, Root finds himself sidelined, and with almost no hope of getting an opportunity to impress in short-form cricket.
“I’ve always felt that when I have had a block of that format, to really get stuck into it, I’ve generally done pretty well,” Root said in October. “I felt that was the case with the last T20 World Cup. It took me a couple of warm-up games over a two-week period beforehand to really get back into it, but then once the tournament started, I found my way in.”But when can that run realistically come? Perhaps burned by his failure to get a contract two years ago, he did not put himself forward for next week’s IPL auction, and the way England’s international schedule fits in with domestic cricket next summer, it is hard to see how he could play more than once for Yorkshire in the T20 Blast. Aside from three outings in the Hundred ahead of the Pakistan Test series, he will have precious little chance to press his case.Compare that with the case of Banton, the other top-order option who finds himself on the outside looking in. He is currently in Brisbane ahead of the Big Bash, will play in the PSL in February, and could go straight into the IPL season if – as expected – he is picked up in next week’s auction. He would then return in time for the start of the Blast, then head into the Hundred before England’s World Cup preparations ramp up.It begs the question: why would England take the risk of picking Root? They are blessed with a surfeit of top-order batsmen, all of whom play top-level T20 cricket much more regularly than him. Perhaps, given his record against spin, he might come back into the picture before the 2021 tournament in India, but again his opportunities to play in the format are likely to be scarce.And yet, counterintuitively, England maintain that Root is part of their T20 plans, and that they simply wished to look “in another direction” at other players in South Africa.That explanation reflects an uneasy impasse, with all parties apparently unwilling to accept what seems to be obvious: that circumstances have not allowed Root to play enough short-form cricket for him to be among the country’s best T20 batsmen. If the long-term solution is unclear, perhaps accepting that hard truth is a necessary starting point – with the World Cup hurtling into view, it must be time to break the gridlock.
Manchester United have another busy pre-season planned ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, so here's everything you need to know.
Erik ten Hag will be looking forward to leading Manchester United into the 2024-25 campaign, with the Red Devils undoubtedly aiming to challenge for a spot in the Champions League.
Man Utd finished the campaign on a high, beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final, and Ten Hag will be hoping he can add more silverware to his collection in the new season.
The Dutchman's side are due to a play a series of pre-season friendlies across the globe before opening up their new Premier League campaign against Fulham at Old Trafford on August 17.
Manchester United’s official hotel loyalty partner, Marriott Bonvoy, brings Reds around the world closer to their biggest passion in its latest series, United: Near & Far. If you travel to watch United players in action for pre-season in the United States, Norway or Scotland, Marriott Bonvoy has a hotel experience for you.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about Manchester United's pre-season plans ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Man Utd's 2024 pre-season fixtures in full
Date
Game
Kick-off time
Venue
Mon, Jul 15
Rosenborg vs Man Utd
12 pm ET (5 pm BST)
Lerkendol Stadion, Norway
Sat, Jul 20
Rangers vs Man Utd
11 am ET (4 pm BST)
Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Sat, Jul 27
Arsenal vs Man Utd
8 pm ET (1 am BST, Jul 28)
SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Wed, Jul 31
Man Utd vs Real Betis
12 am ET (5 am BST)
Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego
Sat, Aug 3
Man Utd vs Liverpool
6:30 pm ET (11:30 pm BST)
William-Brice Stadium, South Carolina
Manchester United will kick off pre-season with a trip to Norway to play Rosenborg and will then head to Scotland for a friendly with Rangers. After that, it's time to jet off to the United States for games against Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool.
Ten Hag won't have a full squad available, as 11 players are away on international duty, with the Copa America, Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics all taking place over the summer.
Manchester United will allow players a three-week holiday after international commitments, which means the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo wil miss at least some part of pre-season.
Yet Ten Hag will have a strong squad to choose from. Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Marcus Rashford will all be available to travel, and they will be joined by Casemiro and Antony, who are not part of the Brazil squad at the Copa America.
Victor Lindelof, Andre Onana and Amad Diallo will also be part of the pre-season tour, while Scott McTominay should also be available following Scotland's group-stage exit from Euro 2024.
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Rosenborg vs Man Utd
Manchester United's first pre-season match is a trip to the Lerkendal Stadion in Trondheim to take on 26-time Norwegian champions Rosenborg. Perhaps surprisingly, the game will be the first meeting between the two famous clubs in 30 years. Despite several friendly clashes, Manchester United and Rosenborg have never met in a competitive fixture, but will come up against each other once more on July 15.
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Rangers vs Man Utd
Ten Hag's side then fly over to Scotland to face Rangers at Murrayfield on July 20. The venue is home to Scotland's men's rugby team but was used by Man Utd last year in a 1-0 pre-season win over Lyon. This time around it's the Scottish giants and a first meeting since 2010, when a certain Wayne Rooney popped up with the winner for the Red Devils at Ibrox in the Champions League.
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Arsenal vs Man Utd
Manchester United's first game of the United States tour will be played on July 27 in Los Angeles at the 76,000-seater SoFi stadium against Premier League rivals Arsenal. It's a chance for the two sides to check on each other before they get back to business in the English top flight. The two teams met last year in New York in pre-season, with United running out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho.
With Arsenal's need for a centre forward well documented, it appears that Edu Gaspar has now turned away from previous targets and is interested in one of Europe's most promising strikers.
Arsenal's search for a striker
Don't let the eighteen goals in their last four Premier League games fool you, Arsenal are still in dire need of a number nine. This season has seen Mikel Arteta opt to play without a traditional centre forward for much of the campaign, relying on goals to come from his wingers.
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Whilst Bukayo Saka's thirteen league goals are impressive and Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard have all chipped in, it still feels that the Gunners are missing the leading man to take them to the next level. Players initially signed to fulfill these duties have not gone to plan with Gabriel Jesus struggling with injury and the aforementioned Havertz adopting a deeper role.
Despite the clear need for a striker, Arteta made it clear such a move was not possible this January, telling beIN Sports that: "At the moment it doesn't look realistic. My job is to improve the players we have."
Whilst the Gunners' boss declines any interest in a new number nine, it hasn't stopped the rumour mill from turning. A strong return following his ban has seen Ivan Toney's name back in contention for the vacancy however, reports now suggest that Arsenal have an interest in a teenage talent who could be a better alternative to the Brentford man.
Edu eyes exciting Toney alternative
According to Football Insider, sources within the club have said that Brighton forward Evan Ferguson is on Arsenal's radar with Edu's talent spotters at the Emirates regarding him as a "huge talent" who will go on to become a world beater.
Making his debut for Brighton in early 2022, the 19-year-old has had a rapid rise on the South coast, scoring 12 Premier League goals in just 44 appearances. The most impressive of this catalogue was the Irishman's hat-trick against Newcastle that saw Ferguson tipped to go all the way by his current boss Roberto De Zerbi:
"He can become big, big, big. His qualities are enough to become a great player. He can become one of the best, the top scorer in Europe. He was born in 2004, he's 18. I don't know how many players are young, that score like him."
Eight years the junior of Toney, Ferguson would offer the kind of player better suited to the project Edu and Arteta are building in North London. Boasting the third-youngest squad in the league, it would be within their interests to go for the younger option.
Whilst Toney would deliver the short-term impact needed to deliver immediate success, a club as process driven as Arsenal would see the benefits that Ferguson would bring in the long run. Giving one of Europe's most promising talents the chance to develop would prove far more beneficial overall than signing a proven goalscorer who may have only a few seasons left in the tank.
‘She’s getting better and better with age. She’s only 28, it’s quite scary, really, to think what she can achieve in the next few years’
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2019Former England captain Charlotte Edwards has lauded Ellyse Perry, the Player of the 2019 Women’s Ashes, as the “greatest” the women’s game is “ever going to see”, following Australia’s emphatic run in the multi-format series where they beat the hosts 12-2, losing only the tour-ending T20I.A record 7 for 22 – the best figures by an Australian woman in ODIs – in the third ODI, a second consecutive Ashes Test hundred – a first-innings 116 in the one-off Test at Taunton, which she followed up with an unbeaten 76 in the second dig – headlined Perry’s 378 runs and 15 wickets in the series overall. She averaged 94.50 with the bat and 12.86 with the ball across all three formats.Currently the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ODIs, Perry topped both the batting and bowling charts – across formats – rounding off her England tour with a gritty 50-ball 60, albeit in a losing cause, in the third T20I on Wednesday.”I loved playing against her, and she’s definitely improved a lot since I stopped playing,” Edwards, who retired from international cricket in 2016, said of first playing against a 17-year-old Perry in 2008, when the Australian was known more for her bowling than her batting skills.”You knew then she’d become an unbelievable batter,” Edwards added. “She was mainly a bowler in my career, and now we see what an unbelievable allrounder she is, and the greatest female player we’re ever going to see.”The last Ashes, hosted by Australia in 2017, saw Perry hit an Australia record 213 not out in the historic day-night Test in Sydney, her maiden international hundred. In this edition, it took her only two balls to make an impact, bowling Amy Jones on her way to a match-winning three-wicket haul in the first ODI.”In one skill alone, in terms of bowling or batting, she’d be a great,” Edwards said. “And she’s getting better and better with age. She’s only 28, it’s quite scary, really, to think what she can achieve in the next few years.”Unstoppable: Ellyse Perry topped both the batting and bowling charts in the 2019 Women’s Ashes•ESPNcricinfo LtdPerry’s dominance across formats in the recent past has fetched her records and rewards aplenty. In 2017, she become the inaugural recipient of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year. The Test double-hundred was the crowning glory in a year that saw her score 756 runs across formats, pick up 20 wickets at an average of 32, and bag her the Belinda Clark Award for the second time her career, after 2016. In November last year, during the World T20 in the Caribbean, Perry became the first Australian cricketer, male or female, to play in 100 T20Is.There was another milestone during the second T20I of the Ashes this year at Hove, where her unbeaten 47 in Australia’s seven-wicket win made her the first player – male or female – to accomplish the career double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets in T20I cricket.In Edwards’ assessment, much of Perry’s success since her earliest days of juggling dual international careers in cricket and football, and then committing herself exclusively to the former, has been down to a standout aspect in her approach towards sport: competitiveness.”One thing all the great players share is that competitiveness, the desire to want to be better,” Edwards said. “That just strikes me every single time I watch her warm up, and she treats the last game of the series like the first game of the series.”She wants to win, and it’s something, sometimes you can’t coach. That’s something very special about her. She’s so competitive and hates getting out and that’s a good thing. She values her wicket, but, equally, she knows her game very well.”
O São Paulo tem no ataque o seu ponto forte neste começo de temporada sob o comando de Hernán Crespo, curiosamente ex-atacante durante sua carreira como jogador de futebol. Os números vão além do melhor ataque do estadual, com 20 gols feitos.
ATUAÇÕES: Pablo marca e São Paulo bate o Palmeiras em bela atuação coletiva
O aproveitamento dos atacante do Tricolor está muito bom nesta temporada e todos vêm aproveitando as chances nessa maratona de partidas do clube em meio a disputa do Paulistão e o início da Libertadores da América.
CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021
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Dos sete atacantes inscritos no Paulistão, apenas Galeano e Bruno Rodrigues ainda não balançaram as redes adversárias.Pablo (3), Rojas (2), Vitor Bueno (1), Luciano (1) e Eder (1) já deixaram suas marcas no estadual. Crespo falou sobre o aproveitamento dos atacantes após a vitória no Choque-Rei.
– Seguramente, o sistema de jogo que temos aproveita muito a capacidade dos jogadores de frente. Então, é logico que Luciano fez gol, Pablo marcou, Vitor Bueno marcou. Somos uma equipe ofensiva, é fundamental um centroavante com vontade de fazer gols e eles têm – disse o argentino.
Com essa ‘fome de gols’, o São Paulo se prepara para estrear na Libertadores diante do Sporting Cristal (PER), às 21h30, na próxima terça-feira. O Tricolor embarca para o Peru neste domingo.
Having confirmed the arrival of Ike Ugbo on loan from French side Troyes, Sheffield Wednesday are now looking to strengthen in the middle of the park, as Danny Rohl attempts the tough task of keeping the Owls in the Championship this season.
Sheffield Wednesday confirm Ugbo deal
After Ugbo was recalled from his loan spell at Cardiff City, Sheffield Wednesday were perfectly placed to land a loan deal of their own for the forward. It's no surprise that the Owls have turned to Ugbo, as Rohl looks to find the goals that his side have so desperately been lacking in the current campaign. In fact, no side has scored fewer than Sheffield Wednesday's goals total of 21 in the Championship this season.
Rohl spoke highly of Ugbo after the forward's arrival was confirmed, saying via Sheffield Wednesday's X account: "He has good ability one v one, he can press, he has a lot of good things we can use for our style of football. He will need some time with us to adapt, we will help him, we will have meetings and I am convinced he can help us in the second half of the season. I will give him the belief."
Now, the Championship strugglers have reportedly turned their attention towards a midfield reinforcement in the form of Isaac Hayden, who has had his loan move cut short at Standard Liege.
Sheffield Wednesday make contact to sign Hayden
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Sheffield Wednesday have registered their interest in Hayden, who is back at Newcastle United and preparing to be sent on loan to the Championship.
With Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City, Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers all making contact ahead of potentially welcoming the defender this month, it certainly looks as though Hayden is not short on options in the January window.
Having previously earned plenty of experience in England's second tier whilst on loan at Norwich City and when helping Newcastle to promotion and title victory in the 2016/17 campaign, Hayden could be the man that Rohl desperately needs to stop the rot at Hillsborough.
In an ideal world, the Owls boss will have reinforcements aplenty and Championship safety well within his grasp by the end of the month. Still sitting three points adrift of safety, however, the squad have quite the task ahead of them in the second half of the campaign.
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden.
Winning the race to sign Hayden could go a long way in securing their Championship status. The former Norwich loanee is a player who has been lavished with praise in the past, including by Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who praised the Englishman's versatility: “The midfielder is doing a superb job filling in in an unfamiliar role at centre-half.”
With a number of weeks still remaining in the transfer window, Sheffield Wednesday are not messing around. The Owls’ intentions are clear and Rohl could yet get even more reinforcements following Ugbo and perhaps even Hayden this month, as he looks to take charge of a fightback towards safety.
A goal for Fran Kirby in her last Blues game capped a super day out for the travelling fans as their side were crowned champions of England again
Ahead of Chelsea's title-deciding trip to Old Trafford, where a win over Manchester United was likely to clinch the Women's Super League title, it was all about Emma Hayes and her final game in charge of the Blues. But Mayra Ramirez's match-winning performance in a 6-0 thrashing was so good that it even overshadowed that narrative for large parts, the Colombia star returning from injury in time to put the Red Devils to the sword with two goals and two assists in an absolutely blistering individual display that helped Chelsea win a fifth successive league title.
There were only two minutes on the clock when Guro Reiten's inch-perfect cross was met by Ramirez to break the deadlock, and just six more minutes had passed when the forward turned provider with a through ball that Johanna Rytting Kaneryd finished well. United's biggest chance came from a corner, perhaps unsurprisingly given their influence on last weekend's FA Cup final triumph. But after Maya Le Tissier saw her header come back off the bar midway through the first half, Chelsea spent the next 20 minutes truly putting the game, and the title race, to bed.
The Blues' third and fourth goals were devastating from Ramirez. First, she burst past Millie Turner and even left the England defender on the floor before teeing up Sjoeke Nusken for a tap-in, then a similarly destructive run into the box ended with the striker finishing for herself, a thumping shot far too powerful for Mary Earps to stop. There was at least some brief respite for the Red Devils after the break, albeit only after Melanie Leupolz made it five straight after the restart – and there would be a sixth, as Fran Kirby came off the bench and bid farewell to the club with a goal on her final appearance.
Hayes said before the game that she wouldn't bother keeping an eye on the Manchester City score at Villa Park as she would be focused on securing a necessary win. In the end, she didn't need to anyway. As it played out, City would've needed to beat Aston Villa by nine goals to claim the title ahead of Chelsea, rather than by the 2-1 scoreline they managed. Instead, after some difficult weeks that saw a quadruple hunt fall apart, Hayes and her team got their hands on the title once more – sending their iconic manager off to the United States on a high.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Old Trafford…
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Goalkeeper & Defence
Zecira Musovic (6/10):
Hardly had anything to do.
Jess Carter (7/10):
Some solid interventions in a different role to usual.
Millie Bright (7/10):
Another encouraging display as she works her way back to her best after several months out.
Nathalie Bjorn (7/10):
Totally reliable at the back and played a superb ball to Reiten for the first goal.
Niamh Charles (7/10):
Dealt well with the lively Garcia, though was inevitably beaten from time to time. No one won possession more often.
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Midfield
Erin Cuthbert (7/10):
Her scrappy, tenacious self in the middle of the park. No one won more headers.
Melanie Leupolz (7/10):
Battled well in midfield and made a good run from deep to get on the scoresheet for 5-0. Off before the hour.
Catarina Macario (5/10):
Came off in the first half with an injury.
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Attack
Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (8/10):
Electric pace caused Man Utd real problems. Great finish to make it 2-0.
Mayra Ramirez (10/10):
Two goals and two assists all before being taken off just before the hour. Simply unplayable.
Guro Reiten (8/10):
Sublime cross to allow Ramirez to break the deadlock and her perseverance was key in the fifth goal, too.
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Subs & Manager
Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):
Had not even been on the pitch five minutes when she got on the scoresheet.
Sophie Ingle (6/10):
Slipped into midfield for the final half an hour and didn't put a foot wrong. Nice pass in the build-up to Kirby's goal.
Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10):
Came on with just over half an hour to go but the game started to peter out from there so there were not too many bright attacking moments.
Fran Kirby (N/A):
Got a raucous applause from the away end as she came on for her final Chelsea display in the final stages – and marked it with a goal.
Ashley Lawrence (N/A):
On to help see the game out. Some nice touches.
Emma Hayes (8/10):
There were a couple of surprises in the line-up but they all paid off and helped produce a dominant, title-winning display. To have Ramirez back available was an incredibly timely boost.