Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Friday night in the English Premier League at Old Trafford. Despite being outplayed in possession, attack creation, and shots, the home side clinched the win through a decisive strike from Danish left-back Patrick Dorgu. The goal, coming from a corner in the 24th minute, marked Dorgu’s first for United and ended the team’s three-match winless run under coach Ruben Amorim. With this result, United climbed to fifth place in the league table with 29 points from 18 matches.

Newcastle created several chances but failed to convert. Bruno Guimaraes’ header was denied by goalkeeper Sen Lammens, while Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley both missed key opportunities, including one that struck the crossbar. Dorgu nearly doubled his tally in the 34th minute, but his close-range effort was saved by Aaron Ramsdale. The match ended with United holding on to their narrow lead despite sustained pressure from the visitors.

The win provided a much-needed boost for Manchester United after a series of draws and losses, strengthening their position in the top five of the Premier League standings.

Argentine World Cup winner Cristian Romero delivered a remarkable performance for Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League clash against Newcastle United, scoring twice to secure a 2–2 draw. Tottenham fell behind twice, but Romero equalized on both occasions, with his second goal — a spectacular bicycle kick in stoppage time — drawing comparisons to Hamza Choudhury’s stunning goal for Bangladesh against Nepal in Dhaka just 20 days earlier. The goal came after Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes had put his side ahead in the 71st minute, followed by Romero’s first equalizer from a Mohamed Kudus cross in the 78th. When Newcastle regained the lead in the 86th minute, Romero responded again in injury time, sealing the draw with his acrobatic strike. The rare feat of a defender scoring twice, including a bicycle kick, evoked memories of iconic goals by Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, marking Romero’s first such goal in European football.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced a 12-member squad for the first Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on Friday in Perth. The squad includes off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and four frontline pace bowlers, emphasizing England’s focus on pace-friendly conditions. Mark Wood, who recently recovered from an injury, has been retained after proving his fitness in the nets, while Josh Tongue has been left out. Brydon Carse earns a place in the squad, and Ollie Pope is set to bat at number three, replacing Jacob Bethell. England’s pace attack will feature Carse, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, and Wood, with Ben Stokes leading the side. The squad aims to balance experience and youth as England looks to start the Ashes series strongly in Australian conditions.

Former England cricketer and long-time ICC match referee Chris Broad has accused the International Cricket Council of showing open favoritism toward India during his 21-year career. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Broad claimed that he received direct phone calls instructing him not to impose penalties on the Indian team for offenses like slow over rates. He said that despite wanting to act impartially, he was pressured to overlook violations because of India’s influence in world cricket. Broad also alleged that similar interference occurred in matches led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, suggesting deep-rooted politics within the ICC. Having officiated over 600 international matches since 2003, Broad said that working under such political and administrative pressure was one of his toughest challenges. His ICC contract was not renewed in 2024, ending more than two decades of service as an international match referee.