All posts by h716a5.icu

Sri Lanka’s stand-in T20 captain Angelo Mathews has said that the seniors have not delivered, which has put their Asia Cup final chances in jeopardy

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur02-Mar-2016Angelo Mathews looked like a man who didn’t want to be at the press conference, following Sri Lanka’s five-wicket defeat against India. Inside the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s belly, Mathews gave one answer after another about his team’s lackluster showing at the Asia Cup.Only thanks to same late blows, Sri Lanka reached 138 for 9 in 20 overs against India on Tuesday. Their first productive over came in the 11th, when they scored 10. Overall, there were only four overs that fetched more than 10 runs. Dinesh Chandimal and Tillakaratne Dilshan struggled to get going while Chamara Kapugedara gave it away after a good start. Thisara Perera hit out at the death, but was wrongly adjudged stumped in the penultimate over of the innings.Sri Lanka were eventually put out of their misery by a cameo from Yuvraj Singh. Sri Lanka’s stand-in T20 captain Mathews has said that the senior batsmen have not delivered. Mathews also wanted the youngsters to step up and help spark a turnaround.”I am repeating myself every day,” Mathews said. “We have the team we have here; we are depending on a handful of seniors most of the time. If the seniors fail, we are in a spot of bother most of the time. Specially in a tournament like the Asia Cup and the World Cup you need a lot of seniors in the team. Unfortunately we haven’t clicked. It will take a little time for the younger guys to start performing. We have to be patient, but this is not the right time to be patient.”I think firstly that it’s not just the seniors who have to perform. The selectors have picked a squad and everyone has to perform. This is a big stage and no one is here to learn. This is a stage where you have to perform. You can’t rely on a handful of seniors. We all know Dilshan has been a great servant of Sri Lankan cricket for a long time, and I don’t think this is the time to make that massive change. I am just the stand-in captain. I don’t really know what the selectors and the captain are thinking. But I think we have to be patient and hope the batting lineup fires in the next game.”Mathews conceded that Sri Lanka’s confidence was shot, but said that he saw glimpses of positive intent during their batting. “It is quite damaging, especially the confidence level and the morale,” Mathews said. “You can’t keep losing, it’s difficult to digest. So close to the World Cup, we have to connect the dots together and maybe try a few combinations.”We just have to be positive. But I kind of sensed a positive approach in our batting today and that’s how we have to play.”Dilshan’s form has been a big worry for Sri Lanka. After a hand injury forced him out of the first T20 against India in Pune, Dilshan managed only a run in the next two matches. The struggle seeped into the Asia Cup as well. He made only 57 runs in three games in Mirpur. Mathews, however, backed Dilshan to come good.”I think everybody hits a rough patch, and he has had a few rough patches here and there and his last few innings were not very bad,” Mathews said. “We all need to take responsibility. Not just the seniors.”The selectors and the captain have picked a squad, which they think is good. And so we have to try and go out there with who we have in the squad. We need to have faith in them and move forward.”The losses against Bangladesh and India have put Sri Lanka’s final chances in jeopardy. Sri Lanka need Pakistan to beat Bangladesh and then defeat Pakistan themselves and wait on the net run rate.If Bangladesh put it across Pakistan on Wednesday, Sri Lanka are out of the tournament. Already on Tuesday, Mathews looked and spoke like the stand-in captain of a team that was on its way out.

The rematch of the 2012 final is likely to devolve into West Indies’ batsmen v Sri Lanka’s bowlers and if that is the case, Angelo Mathews and his team would sorely miss the injured Lasith Malinga

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu19-Mar-20164:45

Jayawardene: West Indies have match-winners

Match factsSunday, March 20, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1400 GMT)Big PictureSri Lanka have been happy to fly under the radar. As a matter of fact, they are the defending champions, but they cling to the underdog tag like it’s a life vest. Just as well, because they are heading straight into a storm.Chris Gayle is in his home town – A cosy little realm of flat pitches, short boundaries and spoilt fans called Bangalore. Gayle loves it here – he hit 175 at the M Chinnaswamy and has it emblazoned on his RCB jersey – and the fans love him right back. Of course, that does not mean they will stop expecting him to hit another 175.So do Sri Lanka have a sufficiently skilled kill joy among them? Nuwan Kulasekara has the wiles. Angelo Mathews can certainly annoy. Rangana Herath has to have a magic wand stowed somewhere on his person. But there is a name missing from that list. A man who can remove the 22 yards from the equation, match the West Indian gunslingers’ for firepower. What’s more, he had done it all before too. Lasith Malinga was part of a Mumbai Indians line-up which forced Gayle to plod on for 10 off 24 balls in a chase of 210 in April 2015. He won’t be part of the Sri Lanka team tomorrow, a proper blow considering the rematch of the 2012 final is likely to devolve into West Indies’ batsmen v Sri Lanka’s bowlers.Form guideWest Indies WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WLLLWWatch out forMarlon Samuels is one of eight men still standing from West Indies’ title triumph in 2012. And it was his innings that refused Sri Lanka the joy of becoming world champions at home. A man capable of taking your breath away with his strokeplay and tear your hair out when he is out of form, Samuels continues to be an enigma 15 years since his debut.Dinesh Chandimal is remaking himself as a T20 opener. Some of that is because most reckon he can slip into Mahela Jayawardene’s shoes. While that can be a heavy burden, Chandimal can turn it to his advantage. Presently he tries to hit the ball a bit too hard. For a batsman whose skill lies in timing and imagination, he does not need to rely on such crude tactics. Jayawardene certainly did not.Team newsIndications from West Indies’ training session on the eve of the match are that they would keep to the same XI that played England. They might be tempted to find a way to include Jason Holder, who had come out as an opener during the warm-up stage.West Indies (probable) 1.Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Marlon Samuels, 4 Dinesh Ramdin (wk), 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Samuel Badree, 10 Jerome Taylor, Sulieman Benn.Sri Lanka do have plenty of bowling options, and that is bound to come useful. They may retain the same XI that beat Afghanistan last Thursday.Sri Lanka (probable) 1.Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Milinda Siriwardana, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Thisara Perera, 7 Chamara Kapugedera, 8 Shehan Jayasuriya, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Rangana Herath.Pitch and conditionsDharamsala and Nagpur have been slow on the take. Mumbai has been in the batsmen’s pockets, and if history is anything to go by, Bangalore will be too. There was a tinge of green to the pitch at M Chinnaswamy stadium, but it is unlikely to hinder strokeplay. If anything, it might help the ball come onto the bat quicker. Chasing has been the favoured route here, even without the complication of dew. The forecast is for a clear day, but a cloudy night.Stats and trivia Chris Gayle averages 54.37 and and strikes at 168.84 at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. He has three hundreds, eight fifties, 115 fours and 132 sixes. Nuwan Kulasekara is Sri Lanka’s third highest wicket-taker in T20Is – but his tally of 56 is well short of Malinga’s 78Quotes”It’s a plus for us. Chris has played, I think five IPL seasons here in Bangalore. I played here last year. We have a lot of knowledge of the conditions here in India”
“Very often when you have this kind of tournament, the defending champions have that burden of defending the title. The high expectations of media and fans does create extra pressure. In quite a nice kind of way, quite a lot of that is not present at the moment. With a younger group it’s quite nice not to have that pressure.”

Coming off a six-day break, Sunrisers Hyderabad will look to the returning Yuvraj Singh to help them to the top half of the table when they meet Gujarat Lions on Friday

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu05-May-2016Match factsFriday, May 6, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)4:27

Nannes: Yuvraj getting a game for his bowling

Big pictureA six-day break since their last match has left Sunrisers Hyderabad in the bottom half of the IPL 2016 points table. They will look to move back up when they host Gujarat Lions, a team they had thrashed earlier in the season.Sunrisers have plenty of muscle at the top, with David Warner scoring 386 runs in seven matches at an average and strike rate of 77.20 and 168.55, but the middle order seemed thin. Kane Williamson’s fifty after recovering from a hamstring injury should help in that regard. Sunrisers will like some of the Indian batsmen to increase their productivity. Maybe Yuvraj Singh can help with that. An ankle injury had kept him out for over a month, but he batted and bowled fluently in the nets in Hyderabad and is set to make his debut for the franchise.Dwayne Bravo had been under an injury cloud as well – he missed Lions’ previous game against Delhi Daredevils – but was quite active at training and is expected to slot back in the XI.Lions coach Brad Hodge had been concerned about his batsmen’s Powerplay failures a couple of days ago. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mustafizur Rahman will want to take advantage of that. The two Sunrisers fast bowlers have taken 18 wickets, swinging the ball, slowing it down and nailing the yorkers.Dinesh Karthik, meanwhile, has sensibly built or rebuilt the innings from the middle order with 215 runs at an average and strike rate of 35.83 and 127.21. That Jadeja struck his first 30-plus score after 27 IPL innings should boost Lions.Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Lions LLWWWIn the spotlightAn inclination to play the ball as late as possible makes Williamson adept against pace or spin. He accumulates runs in risk-free fashion and it was on display during his first IPL half-century, against Royal Challengers. His presence at No. 3 will take some pressure off Warner and Shikhar Dhawan.Praveen Kumar has taken only two wickets in nine matches, but has been a vital to Lions’ plans at the start and end of every bowling innings. His yorkers denied a rampaging Chris Morris on Sunday and it is with his assistance that Dhawal Kulkarni is the team’s second-highest wicket-taker, with seven in seven matches.Team newsYuvraj is set to make his debut for Sunrisers, perhaps in place of Deepak Hooda, who has five single-digit scores in six attempts. Sunrisers may also consider bringing in left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma or legspinner Karn Sharma for seam-bowling allrounder Ashish Reddy.Sunrisers Hyderabad (probable): 1 David Warner(capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Yuvraj Singh/Deepak Hooda, 5 Naman Ojha(wk), 6 Moises Henriques, 7 Ashish Reddy/Bipul Sharma/Karn Sharma, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Barinder Sran 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ashish NehraIf Bravo is fit, he is likely to replace either Dwayne Smith or Aaron Finch. Ishan Kishan, who has looked uncertain whether his role in the side is to attack or defend, may make way for Akshdeep Nath.Gujarat Lions (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum, 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Suresh Raina(capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik(wk), 5 Ishan Kishan/Akshdeep Nath, 6 Ravindra Jadeja ,7 Dwayne Bravo/Dwayne Smith, 8 James Faulkner, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Shivil KaushikPitch and conditionsFour of five games at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium have been won by the chasing side this season. Pre-monsoon rains have given Hyderabad relief from the scorching heat, and showers have been forecast for Friday evening too.Stats and trivia Bhuvneshwar and Mustafizur have a combined dot-ball tally of 123 from a sample size of 318. Dwayne Bravo could play his 300th T20 and 100th IPL match on Friday.Quotes”Yuvraj adds a lot to our side because it is not only his ability with the bat and being a left-hander which is going to add to our strengths; it is also about what he can do with the ball.”
“It is important not to start changing things up just because things have not gone your way for two games.”

United's latest signing has been confirmed as the new owner of the iconic shirt, so GOAL looks at some of the others to have worn it over the years

Manchester United, of course, have had some truly iconic players wear the famed No.7 shirt, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, George Best, and Bryan Robson. There have also been some major flops, namely Michael Owen and Alexis Sanchez, and new signing Mason Mount will be hopeful he eventually falls into the first category having been handed the iconic jersey following his £60-million move from Chelsea.

The England international has plenty of experience behind him having become a regular contributor both at Stamford Bridge and for the Three Lions – but how will he deal with the weight of expectation that comes with wearing United's most legendary number?

GOAL takes a look at the history of the No.7 shirt at Old Trafford and how others have coped with it…

Getty ImagesGeorge Best

An icon on and off the pitch, Best remains the only Northern Irishman to win the Ballon d'Or having finished as United's top scorer for six consecutive seasons before leaving in 1974.

He helped the Red Devils win two league titles as well as the European Cup in 1968, with his goal in the final contributing to a 4-1 victory over Benfica.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesBryan Robson

'Captain Marvel' was voted United's greatest ever player in a poll of their former players back in 2011, and for his all-action midfield displays it was easy to see why.

Playing 461 times for the Red Devils, Robson scored 99 goals and became their first English captain to lift the FA Cup as well as helping to secure Premier League and Cup Winners' Cup triumphs.

Getty ImagesKeith Gillespie

Part of the United side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, Gillespie followed in his fellow countryman Best's shoes and was handed the No.7 shirt by Sir Alex Ferguson.

He failed to fully establish himself at Old Trafford, however, with Andrei Kanchelskis keeping him out of the team for long periods before he was eventually sold to Newcastle in 1995.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesEric Cantona

When permanent squad numbers were introduced to English football in the 1993-94 season, there was only really one option for United to hand their No.7 to – 'King Eric'.

Signed from Leeds United in 1992, Cantona terrorised opposition defences for five years at Old Trafford, scoring outrageous goals for fun as Ferguson's side began to dominate the English game.

He will likely always be remembered for his infamous kung-fu kick at Selhurst Park, but his playing legacy will never be forgotten on the red side of Manchester.

Goal takes a look at the coaches who have upset their birth nation by beating them while in charge of a foreign country

SocialOtto Gloria

Nationality: Brazilian
Defeated Brazil 3-1 with Portugal at the 1966 World Cup

Brazil were aiming for a third consecutive world crown when they travelled to England for the 1966 World Cup, but the Selecao failed to get out of the group stage when they were beaten by Portugal in the last game of the round.

Led by Brazilian coach Otto Gloria, Portugal overcame the likes of Pele and Jairzinho to knock the South Americans out and seal first place in Group 3. Gloria guided them to third place in the competition before leaving for Atletico Madrid.

AdvertisementGettyStefan Kovacs

Nationality: Romanian
Beat Romania 1-0 while in charge of France

Romanian Stefan Kovacs was in charge of France when he came up against his own country in a friendly match in 1974. In front of 22,000 spectators at Parc des Princes, Les Bleus won 1-0.

He left a year later and his next job was at the helm of Romania.

GettyJack Charlton

Nationality: English
Beat England with Republic of Ireland at Euro 88

One of Ireland's greatest achievements in a major international competition is their 1-0 victory over England at the 1988 European Championship.

Ray Houghton got the only goal of the game as a side led by 1966 World Cup winner Jack Charlton upset the Three Lions in Stuttgart.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSergio Markarian

Nationality: Uruguayan
Won 1-0 three times with Paraguay in friendlies and 2002 World Cup

Markarian masterminded three 1-0 victories over his native Uruguay while in charge of Paraguay – all within an 18-month period between November 1999 and March 2001.

He almost recorded the same feat over a decade later while in charge of Peru, claiming two victories and a draw against his home nation.

With 2020 almost upon us, Goal picks out the top 15 players to have joined a club for nothing during the past 10 years

Getty ImagesZlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United

After a successful spell at Paris Saint-Germain, where he won 12 trophies, including four Ligue 1 titles, Ibrahimovic decided to join Manchester United in 2016.

The Swede scored 28 goals in all competitions as he helped the Old Trafford club win the League Cup, Europa League and get back into the Champions League – despite a serious injury keeping him out of the latter stages of the season.

He did return to play five matches for the Red Devils the following season, but moved on to MLS side LA Galaxy in March 2018.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMiroslav Klose to Lazio

After a difficult final season with Bayern Munich in 2010-11, Miroslav Klose was allowed to join Lazio on a free transfer. 

The striker was 33 at the time but he took Italian football by storm, netting 63 times across 171 appearances for the Roman club. 

Klose also claimed his final piece of silverware with Lazio, helping the Biancocelesti win the Coppa Italia in 2013. 

GettyTeemu Pukki to Norwich City

The Canaries snared the Finnish striker from Brondby to spearhead their Championship campaign in 2018-19 after he failed to agree to a new contract with the Danish club.

Pukki repaid the faith with an extraordinary 29-goal campaign that helped propel Norwich into the Premier League after a three-season absence from the top flight.

The 29-year-old has impressed during his first campaign in England's top-flight, with nine goals in 20 games – including six in five to start the season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesMathieu Flamini to Arsenal

Incredibly, former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger signed Mathieu Flamini twice on a free transfer – in 2004 and 2013.

The midfielder's first spell in north London ended in 2008 when left as a free agent to join Serie A side AC Milan.

But Wenger decided to bring him back from Italy five years later and Flamini went on to play a further 93 times for the Gunners, winning two FA Cups with the club before leaving for Crystal Palace in 2016.

Exactly how much money have the Hammers spent on new players in this millennium?

West Ham United have been a household name in the Premier League for the most part of three decades now and they are one of eight clubs to have never fallen below the second tier of English football.

Some high-profile names have represented them throughout their illustrious history and they have made some incredible signings since the turn of the century.

The surprise capture of Argentine superstars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in the same window in the 2006-07 season in particular made plenty of headlines.

They have made plenty more big-money signings since then, though!

But who have been West Ham's most expensive transfers each campaign and who are their most expensive signings?

West Ham United most expensive transfers by season

SEASON

MOST EXPENSIVE SIGNING

FEE

TOTAL SPENDING

2022/23

Lucas Paqueta

£38.66M

£163.80M

2021/22

Kurt Zouma

£31.50M

£67.05M

2020/21

Said Benrahma

£20.79

£49.23M

2019/20

Sebastien Haller

£45M

£107.82M

2018/19

Felipe Anderson

£34.20M

£90.81M

2017/18

Marko Arnautovic

£20.07M

£51.12M

2016/17

Andre Ayew

£21.69M

£75.15M

2015/16

Dimitri Payet

£13.50M

£47.43M

2014/15

Enner Valencia

£13.50M

£31.64M

2013/14

Andy Carroll

£15.75M

£21.60M

2012/13

Matt Jarvis

£8.55M

£21.51M

2011/12

Kevin Nolan

£3.06M

£10.88M

2010/11

Pablo Barrera

£4.32M

£16.22M

2009/10

Alessandro Diamanti

£6.12M

£19.49M

2008/09

Savio Nsereko

£7.65M

£14.40M

2007/08

Kieron Dyer

£10.80M

£42.44M

2006/07

Carlos Tevez/Javier Mascherano

£13.14M

£62.87M

2005/06

Dean Ashton

£9.80M

£19.43M

2004/05

Malky Mackay

£405,000

£1.36M

2003/04

Nigel Reo-Coker

£675,000

£2.57M

2002/03

Lee Bowyer

£270,000

£360,000

2001/02

Tomas Repka

£7.43M

£19.85M

2000/01

Frederic Kanoute

£5.06M

£16.78M

Total

£953.81M

West Ham top 10 most expensive player signingsGetty10Andre Ayew | £21.69m | Swansea | 2016

After a one-season spell at Swansea in which he scored 12 goals in 34 appearances, Ghana international Ayew joined West Ham in the summer of 2016.

The striker arrived for a then club-record fee of £21.69 million on a three-year contract, with an option of extending it for a further two years.

After making 43 appearances and scoring just nine goals, Ayew returned to Swansea in 2018 for a £20.52m fee.

AdvertisementWest Ham United9Issa Diop | £22.50m | Toulouse | 2018

Born in Toulouse in France, Diop went on to feature for his local club at youth level before making his debut in 2015, aged just 18.

The centre-back scored his first goal in just his second game for the senior team and helped Toulouse avoid relegation that campaign.

Towards the end of his spell at the club, Diop was made club captain and helped them reach the quarter-final of the Coupe de France.

The 2017-18 campaign was his last season at the club before West Ham came calling in June 2018, agreeing to pay £22.50 million for his signature.

After four years at the club, Diop moved to Fulham in the summer of 2022 for a £16.02m fee.

Getty Images8Pablo Fornals | £25.20m | Villarreal | 2019

Fornals arrived at West Ham on a five-year contract from Villarreal in the summer of 2019 for £25.20 million, making him their second-most expensive transfer at that time.

His debut came in a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City, a game in which he came on as a substitute in the second half.

Since 2019, Fornals has made well over a 100 appearances for West Ham.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images7Nikola Vlasic | £27m | CSKA Moscow | 2021

Croatian attacking-midfielder Vlasic signed for West Ham from CSKA Moscow in the summer of 2021 for £27 million on a five-year contract.

However, he only appeared for 552 minutes over 19 games in his first season at the club.

Due to immense competition in the attacking midfield space at West Ham, the former Everton man moved to Italian club Torino on a one-season loan in the summer transfer window of 2022.

The Gunners are in good shape ahead of Sunday's top-of-the-table Premier League clash, but will the Leandro Trossard deal be done in time?

Arsenal host Manchester United on Sunday looking to make yet another huge statement in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners will go into the game in buoyant mood having cruised to a morale-boosting 2-0 victory at local rivals Tottenham last weekend.

And they will be looking to get their own back on United, who remain the only side to beat them in the league this season.

So how are things shaping up for Mikel Arteta’s men ahead of Sunday’s game? Below, GOAL takes a look.

Getty ImagesArsenal team news

Arsenal are in decent shape heading into Sunday’s game having had a week to prepare following their north London derby success at Spurs.

Leandro Trossard could be involved for the first time after completing his transfer from Brighton.

The Gunners say they submitted all the necessary paperwork before Friday's 12pm deadline, so the winger should get clearance to feature against United.

Elsewhere, Mikel Arteta does not have many concerns to worry about, although Mohamed Elneny is expected to miss out once again with the knock that forced him to sit out the visit to Tottenham.

Reiss Nelson (hamstring) is also still sidelined, as is Cedric Soares, while Gabriel Jesusis still several weeks away from returning following knee surgery.

AdvertisementKey man

Martin Odegaard: Arsenal’s captain is in the form of his life and played a starring role in their superb start to the season.

With Manchester United without Casemiro due to suspension, Odegaard will be looking to take full advantage of the space just in front of the Manchester United defence.

And if he can get on the ball in those dangerous positions in the final third then the visitors could be in for a long afternoon.

GettyTalking point

Having beaten Manchester City last weekend there were many suggesting that Manchester United were ready to mount a title bid over the second half of the season.

But their slip up at Crystal Palace last time out halted their momentum somewhat and Arsenal now have a chance to open up a sizeable gap over Erik ten Hag’s side.

Victory on Sunday would see the Gunners move 11 points clear of United with a game in hand. Even at this halfway stage of the season, that could prove too big a gap to make up.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWhat has Saliba said?

Speaking ahead of the game, Arsenal defender William Saliba said the Gunners were looking to avenge their 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford earlier in the season.

“We know they beat us,” he said. “They are the only team to beat us this season in the Premier League and so we want to beat them at home. We will prepare very well for this game. I hope we will win in front of our fans.”

The Three Lions bowed out at the quarter-finals stages in Qatar after a tournament that raised the stocks of some but was forgettable for others

Football, at least for England's men's team, will not be coming home in 2022, as Gareth Southgate's side came up short in their bid to win a first World Cup since 1966.

The Three Lions bowed out on Saturday, losing to France in a quarter-final that they perhaps deserved to win after putting in an attacking display that belied their recent tournament showings in crunch matches.

Despite the earlier exit than they would have liked, there was a lot to appreciate about England's performances in Qatar, and there remains real hope for the future that this group of players can win a major tournament.

Questions remain, however, about their mentality when faced with the truly elite teams in world football, while Southgate himself is yet to commit to staying on for the European Championship in 2024.

But who were the big winners from England's time at the World Cup, and who will be leaveing with some regrets? GOAL breaks it all down…

(C)Getty ImagesWINNER: Jude Bellingham

What a tournament the teenager had!

It was Bellingham who got things going for England when he broke the deadlock against Iran in their opening group-stage game and that set the tone for his performances throughout the remainder of the tournament.

His maturity for a player so young was exceptional at times, and his ability to drive forward with the ball at his feet lit up games as England cruised through to the quarter-finals.

His performance against Senegal in the last 16 was his stand out moment, and England fans should approach future tournaments full of belief knowing that they will have the Borussia Dortmund star in the heart of midfield for years to come.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Harry Kane

Kane did not disappoint with his performances. The England captain scored twice and picked up three assists during the Three Lions' run to the quarter-finals.

He would have perhaps been targeting more goals before the tournament given he won the Golden Boot in Russia, but he certainly didn't under perform, and his displays in the two knockout games were exceptional.

But unfortunately for Kane, his 2022 World Cup will now forever be defined by that penalty miss against France. It's something he is now going to have to live with and constantly be reminded of.

The good thing for Kane is that he has shown in the past that he is strong enough mentally to cope with difficult moments, and he will have to call on all of that mental strength over the coming weeks.

GettyWINNER: Bukayo Saka

It felt before the World Cup that only Arsenal fans really appreciated the talent that Bukayo Saka possesses. That is not the case any more.

Saka was superb for England, scoring three times and causing defenders all sorts of problems with his determination to take them on at all times.

Saka gave France a torrid time in the quarter-final, and every member of Didier Deschamps' side would have been delighted to see him substituted 15 minutes from time.

This was the Arsenal winger's first World Cup and he can go back to his club proud of what he achieved.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesLOSER: James Maddison

A lot of the talk ahead of the tournament centred around whether Southgate would opt to select the in-form Leicester City man.

Ultimately he did, but Maddison did not get a minute of action in Qatar.

He arrived with an injury suffered in Leicester's final Premier League game before the tournament and that saw him ruled out of the opening two group-stage matches.

He did return to fitness, but played no part in any of the remaining games, with Southgate using his tried and tested players instead.

We'll never know whether Maddison could have made a difference against France in the second half, but the question will now always be there.

Where to watch Champions League clash between Manchester City and Bayern Munich – team news, kick-off time and more.

Manchester City will take on Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola's team are enjoying a strong season and will be eager make home advantage count in the first leg of this difficult tie. The Citizens are unbeaten since their defeat by Tottenham in the first week of February, a run that has now lasted 12 matches.

Thomas Tuchel started his journey as Bayern boss with a 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. Since then, they have lost to Freiburg in the DFB Pokal quarter-final and then beaten the same opponents in their previous outing in the Bundesliga.

Tuchel will want to repeat his European heroics with Chelsea as he prepares his new team for this Champions League quarter-final clash.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Manchester City vs Bayern Munich below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more…

GettyKick-off timeDate:April 11, 2023Kick-off time:4pm EDTVenue:Etihad Stadium

The game is scheduled for April 11 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

It will kick off at 4pm EDT in the US.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch Man City vs Bayern Munich online – TV channels & live streams

Country TV channel Live stream

USUnivisionParamount+, ViX+

In the United States (US), the match will be available to watch on Univision, Paramount+ and ViX+.

GettyTeam news & squadsManchester City team news

Phil Foden is still a few weeks from a return to the squad after he underwent appendix surgery recently. Aside from the forward, Guardiola has a fully-fit squad to choose his starting line-up from.

Bernardo Silva played both the legs in the previous round of the Champions League and he could replace Riyad Mahrez in Guardiola's XI.

Man City predicted XI: Ederson; Akanji, Ruben Dias, Ake; Stones, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish; Haaland

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Ederson, Carson, OrtegaDefenders:Dias, Ake, Akanji, Gomez, Walker, Lewis, Stones, LaporteMidfielders:Rodri, Phillips, Perrone, Gundogan, Silva, Palmer., De BruyneForwards:Grealish, Álvarez, Mahrez, HaalandBayern team news

Tuchel will be concerned that he doesn't have a natural striker to take on City as Eric Choupo-Moting is out of the contest due to a knee problem. Long-term absentees Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez alsoremain sidelined due to injuries.

Leon Goretzka could get into the lineup, with Jamal Musiala playing in a more advanced role to penetrate the strong City defence. It remains to be seen if the struggling Sadio Mane will feature.

Bayern predicted XI: Sommer; Pavard, De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies; Goretzka, Kimmich, Sane, Musiala, Coman; Muller

Position Players

Goalkeepers:Sommer, Ulreich, SchenkDefenders:De Ligt, Upamecano, Davies, Blind, Cancelo, Pavard, Stanisic, Sarr, Janitzek, MarusicMidfielders:Goretzka, Musiala, Wanner, Sane, Kimmich, GravenberchForwards:Gnabry, Coman, Muller, ManeHead-to-head record

The last three meetings between Manchester City and Bayern Munich have been friendlies and the team from Manchester has won the last two contests.

The last competitive fixture between the two teams was in the Champions League nine years ago. City were the winners in front of their home crowd.

Date Result Competition

July 2022Bayern 0-1 CityFriendlyJuly 2018Bayern 2-3 CityFriendlyJuly 2016Bayern 1-0 CityFriendlyNovember 2014City 3-2 BayernChampions LeagueSeptember 2014Bayern 1-0 CityChampions LeagueENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesUseful links

Man City team page

Bayern Munich team page

Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

Guardiola hoping to end Man City's long wait to win Champions League