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The Alex Ovechkin Eras: Eight spans that define the career of the Great 8
Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin has tied Wayne Gretzky's all-time record of 894 career goals.
Ovechkin scored his first goal in his first NHL game as a fresh-faced rookie in Oct. 2005. Everything that happened after led to this history-making moment for the superstar winger, years of joy and pain that made Ovechkin the player -- and eventually the champion -- he'd become.
Welcome to the Alex Ovechkin Eras Tour, eight distinct epochs that defined "The Great 8" over the past 20 years.
The Rockstar Rookie Era (2004-06)
Goals scored: 52
The 2003-04 season wasn't the lowest point in Capitals' history, which was the 1974-75 team that earned eight wins in 80 games and had the worst points percentage (.131) ever in the NHL. But it was the culmination of a slow slide into mediocrity for a team that played for the Stanley Cup in 1998.
The Capitals had taken an enormous swing under owner Ted Leonsis, who had purchased the team in July 1999, when they traded for Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Jaromir Jagr in July 2001. It didn't work out: Jagr's output was a far cry from his MVP-level play for the Penguins. After 190 games in Washington, he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2004.
From that moment on, the Capitals were in "everything must go" mode, trading Peter Bondra, Robert Lang, Sergei Gonchar, Michael Nylander, Anson Carter and Mike Grier in a six-week span. The Capitals won only twice in their final 13 games.
Yet Washington had only the third-best chance of securing the first overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft. They had a 14.2% chance of winning the lottery, behind Pittsburgh (25%) and Chicago (18.8%). But after their worst regular season in 26 years, something finally went right: The Capitals secured the first overall pick, and with it, the chance to select Alex Ovechkin.
Or would it be Evgeni Malkin instead?
Ovechkin was already a rock star, and not just because he wore fire-engine red jeans to the scouting combine. His 14 goals in eight games at the 2002 U18 World Championships announced his arrival. Scouts had him at the top of the 2004 prospect class. He was a playmaking center in his younger years but had refocused his game on scoring goals rather than creating them while playing for Moscow Dynamo. If it was a center that a team wanted, the choice was clearly Malkin, who earned pre-draft comparisons to Joe Thornton while closing the gap with Ovechkin.
(One of the NHL's greatest "sliding doors" moments is the fact that the Penguins could have drafted Ovechkin instead of Malkin if they had won the lottery.)
The Capitals never wavered in wanting to draft Ovechkin. In fact, when GM George McPhee found out the team had won the lottery, his first call was to director of amateur scouting Ross Mahoney to ask for his initial impression. That impression? "It's gotta be Ovechkin."
Ovechkin played in Russia during the NHL lockout that cancelled the 2004-05 season. He joined the Capitals in 2005-06 to find a franchise that had been stripped to its foundations in order to draft him. Players like Jeff Halpern, Brian Willsie and Chris Clark were among their leading scorers.
While his arrival was greeted with fanfare in Washington, the hype for Ovechkin league-wide was eclipsed by the arrival of another rookie: Sidney Crosby, the 18-year-old center and the league's best draft pick since Eric Lindros in 1991. The Penguins missed out on Ovechkin but won a specially designed lockout-season lottery -- one that gave every team a chance at the top pick -- to select Crosby.
The two players couldn't have been more diametrically opposed: Ovechkin was the flashy Russian rock star with a buoyant personality and a power game; Crosby was the Canadian golden boy, a hyper-focused hockey savant predestined for NHL stardom since his early teens.
The opening salvo in this rivalry was when Ovechkin was named Rookie of the Month in October. He'd go on to win the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in a rout: 124 first-place votes to four for Crosby.
The NHL's version of the Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird rivalry had begun, both in personal juxtaposition and impact on their sport. Ovechkin finished with more points (106) than Crosby (102) and scored 52 goals -- including one in January 2006 against the Coyotes that would thereafter simply be known as "The Goal."
The Capitals improved by 11 points in the standings in Ovechkin's rookie season. He helped, but he couldn't do it alone.
The Young Guns Era (2006-2009)
Goals scored: 167
In 2008, Alex Ovechkin found himself onstage at a club in Falls Church, Virginia, pretending to play guitar and pumping his fist to the crowd of Capitals fans who were instructed to keep the energy up during filming.
This music video would be a perfect time capsule for the "Rock The Red" movement in Washington -- in which the home stands would be a sea of red jerseys and shirts -- and not just because Ovechkin's rock star status went from figurative to literal. The Caps won the Southeast Division in 2007-08, returning to the playoffs after a three-season drought. Under head coach Bruce Boudreau, who took over after 21 games, they played an electric offensive game that catered to Ovechkin's skills and created a renewed fan buzz.
On stage with Ovechkin were fellow members of "The Young Guns," as the players would be known. Center Nicklas Backstrom would become a driving force behind Ovechkin's goal-scoring domination. His biggest takeaway from playing alongside Ovechkin: "Probably explaining to him that he wasn't always open, but he wanted the puck all the time anyway," Backstrom said recently with a laugh.
Defenseman Mike Green, who was in the video, would pilot their power play and become a two-time Norris Trophy runner-up. Winger Alex Semin, Ovechkin's young countryman, would become a 40-goal scorer. Beyond them were Brooks Laich, an essential "glue guy," and, eventually, standout defensemen John Carlson and Karl Alzner.
But the music video was also demonstrative of the Capitals' swagger, something else Ovechkin brought to the franchise. Washington lost in seven games to the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, but it was clear they were pointed toward greater success. Something Sidney Crosby's Penguins had already achieved.
After losing Rookie of the Year to Ovechkin, Crosby won his first NHL MVP trophy as a 19-year-old in 2006-07. By 2008, he was playing for the Stanley Cup, losing in the Final to Detroit. Like Ovechkin, he had some new friends, too: Malkin, Kris Letang, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal.
Ovechkin did Crosby one better between 2007-09: He became the first skater to win back-to-back Hart Trophies since Wayne Gretzky in 1985-87. (Goalie Dominik Hasek won consecutive MVPs from 1996-98). It was clear he was a franchise player, and Leonsis gave him a contract commensurate with that status: In 2008, Ovechkin signed a 13-year, $124 million deal he negotiated himself. The first $100 million contract in NHL history, it had its critics at the time, although they'd fall silent years later when his $9 million cap hit was re-contextualized as a bargain as the salary cap rose.
In 2008-09, Ovechkin scored 56 goals in the regular season to lead Washington to another division title and then had seven points in seven games to win his first playoff series over the New York Rangers -- setting up the first meeting between Crosby and Ovechkin in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Game 2 of that series would provide one of the defining moments of their rivalry: The "Double Hat Trick" game in Washington, as both Crosby and Ovechkin completed hat tricks in the Capitals' 4-3 win. Fans threw so many hats on the ice after Ovechkin's third goal that Crosby asked if the officials "could make an announcement to ask them to stop."
Ovechkin (14 points) outscored Crosby (13) in that series, but the Penguins outlasted the Capitals in seven games -- advancing to win the Stanley Cup, which would become a recurring theme in their rivalry. Ovechkin had a chance to turn Game 7 in Washington's favor with a breakaway in the first three minutes of the first period but was robbed by Fleury.
It was a missed opportunity. The Capitals would miss more of them to a much greater degree in the next few seasons.
"The Drop" discuss Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin's first playoff meeting and the importance of their double hat-trick game.
The Crisis Era (2009-14)
Goals scored: 203
Ovechkin was given the Capitals' captaincy in Jan. 2010 after Chris Clark was traded to Columbus. He scored another 50 goals in 2009-10 and was driving a team that had pushed deeper into the playoffs than it had in any season since 1998. Washington finished that campaign with a .738 points percentage and captured their first Presidents' Trophy in franchise history -- along with all the supernatural misfortune associated with being the league's best regular-season team.
The Capitals faced the Montreal Canadiens, who ranked 16th out of 16 playoff teams in regular-season success. After dropping the opening game in overtime, Washington won three straight games. Then it happened: a combination of Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak with the Capitals' sputtering offense and unmistakable jitters led the Canadiens to win the series in seven games. The Washington offensive machine was limited to one goal in each of the final three losses. Ovechkin didn't have a goal in the final two.
This wasn't just playoff disappointment for Ovechkin's Capitals, but postseason regression. It sparked the first wave of conversations about Washington as a playoff underachiever and whether the Caps' regular-season offensive wizardry could ever translate to Stanley Cup success. Despite respectable postseason numbers, Ovechkin wasn't immune to that criticism either.
Things briefly looked up in 2010-11. The Capitals won their division for the fourth straight time and then beat the Rangers in five games in the opening round, where Ovechkin had six points. He had four points in four games in the next round, but playoff embarrassment was getting old for the "Young Guns": The Tampa Bay Lightning swept the Caps out of the playoffs.
Skepticism about Washington being able to get over the hump due to their style of play had morphed into a full-on crisis of faith. They slumped after a hot start in 2011-12, with Ovechkin going through a stretch of one goal in eight games. Boudreau paid for that slump with his job, as Washington fired him in Nov. 2011 after 22 games (12-9-1). Ovechkin's relationship with his former coach was scrutinized. Some labeled the Capitals star a "coach killer" in the wake of the popular Boudreau's dismissal.
"It is complete nonsense that I would get Bruce fired," Ovechkin said to Yahoo! Sports in 2011. "How is it on me? How can I, a player, get a coach fired? How can I quit playing for the coach who gave me so much in my career?"
The Capitals hired Dale Hunter, a franchise icon who had been a head coach in Canadian junior hockey, to replace Boudreau, with the explicit mandate to get Ovechkin and his teammates to defend to a championship standard. In other words: fewer pretty passes, more blocked shots.
Ovechkin saw his ice time drop to under 20 minutes per game for the first time. He called the season "a hard year, mentally" and his stats reflected that: Ovechkin had 65 points, a career low, although his goal-scoring rose from 32 to 38 year over year.
The Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round that season and then were eliminated by the Rangers in seven games in the second round. Ovechkin had four points against New York.
Hunter left the Capitals after the season to return to juniors. The Capitals hired New Jersey Devils assistant coach Adam Oates to take over. While Ovechkin led the league in goals in both of Oates' seasons in Washington, the Capitals' postseason misfortunes continued: losing to the Rangers in the first round in 2013, after a lockout-shortened season in which Ovechkin won his third MVP; and then missing the playoffs in 2013-14 for the first time since 2006-07, and only the third time in Ovechkin's career, which led to both Oates and GM McPhee being fired.
Ovechkin was now the lightning rod for criticism about the Capitals' lack of playoff success and diminishing returns. The criticism was carried to extremes, like when The Hockey News published an article in May 2014 titled "Alex Ovechkin to KHL would be a blessing in disguise for Capitals."
All of it left Ovechkin baffled and frustrated. He actually clarified after the season that he was still having fun and wasn't going to ask for a trade.
"If you remember when Hunter was here and I didn't score goals, you guys said, 'Why don't you score goals?' I said, 'My job [is] to block shots'. The whole world says, 'Ovi stop playing what he used to play, he's gone. We [are] never going to see him again,'" he said after the 2013-14 season. "I don't want to turn my back on this kind of position again. I get paid to score goals. I scored 50."
Ovechkin scored 203 goals in this era. That was seven fewer in this span than Steven Stamkos, the new goal-scoring marvel in the NHL. But while Ovechkin had his struggles, he was still piling on the goals to his career total.
In 2010, ESPN's John Buccigross was among the first to publicly suggest that Ovechkin might break Gretzky's goals record. "This will take a lot of health, a lot of hockey love and a lot of luck. But it's not far-fetched."
The Frustration Era (2014-17)
Goals scored: 136
General manager Brian MacLellan hired former Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz to take over the Capitals for 2014-15. Other new faces had joined Washington in recent seasons, too, augmenting the core around Ovechkin: forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson, defensemen Brooks Orpik and Dmitry Orlov and goaltender Braden Holtby. Soon, T.J. Oshie would arrive from the St. Louis Blues.
Trotz would have a critical relationship with Ovechkin, whose goal total rose back to 51 in Oates' last season in Washington. Trotz was aware of Ovechkin's reputation as a "coach killer" and accusations of selfish play. From their first meeting, Trotz got to know a player who liked being challenged and was summarily obsessed with winning the Stanley Cup.
MacLellan and Trotz agreed that surrounding Ovechkin with enough talent to ease his burden was the best move. Sometimes, that led to overcorrections -- like when Ovechkin's ice time dropped to 18:22 per game and his goals dropped to 33 in the 2016-17 season. But Trotz insisted it was to serve the ultimate goal.
Trotz got Ovechkin back to the playoffs in 2014-15, winning in seven against the New York Islanders before losing again to the Rangers in seven games. They were sixth in the NHL in offense and seventh in defense, after being 13th and 21st under Oates.
This started a run of three straight postseasons in which the Capitals had their run end in the second round. The next two instances had a common theme: Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
Ovechkin's archrival had two assists in the Penguins' six-game victory over the Capitals in 2016, a series where Ovechkin had seven points to lead the Capitals. Five of the six games were determined by one goal. Like they did in 2009, the Penguins vaulted over the Capitals and eventually won the Stanley Cup against San Jose.
The same thing would happen in 2017. The Capitals eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games to earn a rematch with Pittsburgh. This time, Crosby had seven points in six games and Fleury shut out the Capitals in Game 7 to eliminate Washington. Two rounds later, Crosby was hoisting the Cup after defeating Nashville.
Three Cup wins for Sid The Kid, each time at the expense of Ovechkin.
He was a nonfactor for much of it. Ovechkin criticized his own performance in Game 4. Trotz shifted his superstar winger to the third line against Pittsburgh in Game 5. In Games 6 and 7, Ovechkin didn't register a point and was a minus-2 in the series finale.
As one veteran coach told ESPN at the time: "He just doesn't have that body language that says, 'I'm taking over.' Normally, he's like an assassin."
The Capitals' defeat in 2017 earned Washington the moniker of "saddest sports town" from the New York Times: "The issue is no longer whether the Capitals will ever win the Stanley Cup with Ovechkin and the immensely talented core around him. It's whether this group can ever get past the playoffs' second round."
The Stanley Cup Era (2017-18)
Goals scored: 49
Alex Ovechkin was on stage again in front of Capitals fans. It was June 2018. His long beard hung over red party beads around his neck. On his head was something only previously attainable through photoshop edits: a hat with a Capitals logo and the words "Stanley Cup Champs."
Ovechkin was giving a victory speech to a packed National Mall. "We're not going to f---ing suck this year!" he bellowed. "We're STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS. Yeaaaaaaaaah!"
All of those playoff disappointments. All of those harsh lessons learned. All of that criticism Ovechkin shouldered for his team, whether it was personally warranted or not. As he lifted and kissed the Stanley Cup -- with his Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP beside him -- the burdens he carried as a franchise savior and NHL superstar were lifted, too.
This is what catharsis looks like.
By this time, it was clear Ovechkin had a career that likely would put him in the Hall of Fame, with a goal total that was going to end up among the highest ever. Winning the Stanley Cup meant that there would be no caveats, no "but he never won a championship" detractions when it came to his hockey immortality.
The postseason was its own Eras Tour for Ovechkin's Capitals. They defeated Columbus in the first round, coached by their old Rangers rival John Tortorella. Then came the third straight meeting with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. After losing Game 1, the Capitals rallied to take a 3-2 series lead. Ovechkin, who had seven points in the series, had the primary assist on Kuznetsov's overtime goal in Game 6 that eliminated Pittsburgh and put Ovi in a conference championship round for the first time.
With those demons from Pittsburgh exorcised, the Capitals defeated another postseason tormentor in the Lightning in seven games, shutting them out in Games 6 and 7. (Somewhere, Dale Hunter smiles at defense winning championships.)
The Final Boss was Vegas, as the Golden Knights shocked the NHL by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. That team's architect? GM George McPhee, who drafted Ovechkin and surrounded him with the "Young Guns." Their starting goalie? Marc-Andre Fleury, who had previously made Ovechkin's postseason life miserable.
Washington won the Stanley Cup in five games. Ovechkin had five points in the series, including a goal in the clincher. He was finally a champion. Ovechkin ended the postseason with 15 goals in 24 games and won the Conn Smythe.
The Capitals did not, in fact, suck that year.
Elder Statesman Era (2018-23)
Goals scored: 215
This era is the greatest tribute to the transformative effect that winning the Stanley Cup had on Ovechkin.
Washington would lose in the first round in the next four seasons after skating the Cup, under head coaches Todd Reirden -- who replaced Trotz when the coach had a contract dispute with the Capitals -- and Peter Laviolette, who replaced Reirden in 2020. But the afterglow of the Cup was bright enough to obscure any disappointment. Ovechkin's MVP performance -- and his continued ascent up the all-time goal-scoring rankings -- were a shield from any criticism.
Ovechkin led the NHL in goals in 2018-19 and 2019-20. In total, he won the Richard Trophy in seven of eight seasons from 2012-2020. He remained a dominant goal-scorer even as he aged into being one of the NHL's elder statesmen, something emphasized by Ovechkin's hair and beard having gone gray.
Another hallmark of Ovechkin's maturity -- and, more importantly, how winning the Cup unburdened him -- was his burgeoning friendship with Crosby. The two would bond at the NHL All-Star Game, chatting during the skills competition, the old school watching the new school.
At the 2023 All-Star Game in South Florida, Crosby, 35, and Ovechkin, 37, was a dual-entry in the breakaway challenge trick-shot competition: skating in on a three-on-none with Ovechkin's 4-year-old son, Sergei, who had watched the event with his father near the benches while wearing an "Ovi Jr." jersey.
"Before we ever played a game against each other, there was a rivalry," Crosby said at the time. "It was always set up that way. I think over time, you understand that it gets heated and intense on the ice. We both want to have success. But you appreciate you playing against each other for as long as it's been."
Off the ice, Ovechkin's public statements courted controversy.
In 2017, Ovechkin announced that he was spearheading a social media campaign in support of Russian president Vladimir Putin that was called "Putin Team." Ovechkin had been a vocal supporter of Putin before. "I never hid my relationship with our president, always openly supported him," he said. "I'm certain that there are many of us that support Vladimir Putin. Let's unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia."
That support was put under a microscope in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. The NHL suspended its dealings with the KHL in March 2022. It also terminated its broadcast agreement with Russian television. Russia has been frozen out of the hockey world since its invasion of Ukraine. It was banned, along with Belarus, from international hockey tournaments by the International Ice Hockey Federation starting in 2022. That ban was extended last month through the 2025-26 season.
Ovechkin received backlash from fans who were angered by the invasion -- he has a photo with the Russian president as his social media profile.
"He's my president. But like I said, I'm not in politics. I'm an athlete," he said. "I hope everything is going to be done soon. It's a hard situation right now for both sides."
Ultimately, Ovechkin's statement on the matter was a plea for peace: "Please, no more war. It doesn't matter who is in the war -- Russia, Ukraine, different countries -- we have to live in peace."
This era was also defined by Ovechkin's decision to remain in Washington. He signed a five-year, $47.5 million deal in July 2021 to potentially play out his career with the Capitals -- including his pursuit of Gretzky's record. At that point, he was sixth on the all-time list, with 730 goals.
The Catching Gretzky Era (2024-present)
Goals scored: 67 (and counting)
One condition Ovechkin put on the Capitals before signing his extension in 2021: He wanted to play for a contender, not a rebuilding team.
Leonsis promised that a rebuild wouldn't happen. "To me, a rebuild is when you look the players, the coaches, the fans in the eye and say we're gonna be really, really bad. And if we were really, really bad, I don't think Alex would break the record," the owner said.
In turn, Ovechkin promised Leonsis that he'd stay in shape and his eyes wouldn't be fixated on breaking Gretzky's record of 894 goals, but on bringing another Stanley Cup to Washington.
The Capitals missed the playoffs in 2022-23 and decided to change coaches. They hired 42-year-old Spencer Carbery, an assistant coach with the Maple Leafs who had history in the Capitals' farm system. A candid speaker and a strong tactician, Carbery returned Washington to the playoffs as a wild card in 2023-2024 and has them threatening to win the Presidents' Trophy in 2024-25.
Leonsis kept his promise to Ovechkin, as the Capitals smartly added talent around him in players like forwards Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois, defenseman Jakob Chychrun and goalie Logan Thompson. The prospect pipeline that had produced so many of Ovechkin's teammates through the years gave him impact players in Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas. Considering how Crosby's Penguins trended after their championship runs, the fact that the Capitals were a contender again was nothing short of remarkable.
Ovechkin scored 31 goals in 2023-24, but there was reasonable concern about whether he'd be able to catch Gretzky. He appeared to be slowing offensively, with an 11-goal and 10-point drop year over year. He had perhaps the worst playoff series of his career against the Rangers in 2024, with no goals or assists and five shots on goal in New York's sweep.
Ovechkin put those concerns to rest with 17 goals in his first 20 games of the 2024-25 season, the hottest goal-scoring start of his career. Not even a fractured fibula could slow him down for long. After being injured on Nov. 18, he returned to the Capitals lineup on Dec. 28 -- scoring another goal in his comeback game. As was often said about Ovechkin during a career built on good health: Russian Machine never breaks.
The gap between Ovechkin and Gretzky became one of single digits. Breaking the record was no longer just possible. It was inevitable.
"The Drop" discusses where Alex Ovechkin falls in the conversation of greatest hockey players in NHL history as he closes in on Wayne Gretzky's goal record.
The Legacy Era
Ovechkin's contract expires after the 2025-26 season. He has indicated it might be his last one in the NHL. If healthy enough, finishing his playing career with Dynamo Moscow in the KHL is a possibility.
It won't be the last of Ovechkin in North America, of course. He would have been a Hockey Hall of Fame player with or without the goals record, but will be inducted in Toronto the moment he's eligible.
Where Ovechkin ranks on all-time NHL player lists is subjective -- criticisms of his defensive game will undoubtedly put him below a more well-rounded player like Crosby, for example. Being "the greatest goal-scorer of all-time" is more quantifiable, especially when one considers how Ovechkin achieved his career total against goaltenders, defensive systems and a depth of talent that Gretzky didn't face for most of his career.
However Ovechkin is remembered, his legacy is the culmination of all the eras he toured throughout his NHL career. The highs, the lows, the turbulence and the triumphs combined to create one of the singular superstars in NHL history.
Cody Froggatt/PA Images via Getty Images
Wrexham look to be closing in on a third straight promotion and a place in the second-tier Championship.
Wrexham, owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, beat Burton Albion 3-0 on Saturday thanks to three goals in a 16-minute spell in the second half.
Just as important for second-place Wrexham was a 1-0 loss for third-place Wycombe Wanderers at Reading in a match that took place at the same time.
It left Wrexham six points clear of Wycombe, who have a game in hand. Only two teams are automatically promoted and one of them looks sure to be Birmingham, the leader by eight points over Wrexham.
Wrexham have five games left to complete their latest promotion campaign. Just two years ago, the team was playing in the fifth-tier National League but has surged through England's football pyramid thanks to the injection of cash from famous owners Reynolds and McElhenney.
Paul Mullin, a star player in recent promotion campaigns, was omitted from the squad again by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson.
Everton did neighbours Liverpool a massive favour by holding title-chasing Arsenal to a 1-1 Premier League draw at Goodison Park on Saturday when Iliman Ndiaye's penalty cancelled out a Leandro Trossard opener for the visitors.
Second-placed Arsenal have 62 points from 31 games, 11 behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game-in-hand when they go to Fulham on Sunday. Everton climb to 14th place with 35 points from their 31 matches, 15 points clear of the relegation zone.
Arsenal took the lead in the 34th minute with the first shot on target in the game as a poor header in midfield allowed Raheem Sterling to race clear and feed Trossard, who took a touch and drilled his shot low into the far right corner.
Everton were awarded a penalty two minutes into the second period when Myles Lewis-Skelly hauled down Jack Harrison in the box and Ndiaye netted his ninth goal of the season in all competitions to leave Arsenal's flagging title hopes in tatters.
"It is a tough one, in general we played well but how we started the second half was not good enough," Trossard told TNT Sports. "We know this is a tough place to come and you need to score the second goal to put the game to bed.
"In the second half we played too much into their game-plan and not enough of ours."
Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
There was a touching moment before kickoff as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta embraced the man he calls his "football father" David Moyes, who had given the former midfielder his introduction to the English game when the Spaniard spent almost seven years at Everton.
It was a scrappy contest for the most part with neither side able to be at their best, but Arsenal had the better chances and will be disappointed they could not force a second goal.
For Everton it was another point towards safety in the fourth-last game at their famous old stadium before moving to a new home next season.
But it was also a 14th draw of the campaign, more than any other side has managed, including Arsenal, who are now joint second on that list with 11.
"It is a great point," Ndiaye said. "We were not good enough in the first half, but we were able to turn things around and everyone came more into it."
Trossard's goal lit up a tepid opening period devoid of chances, as Arsenal profited from one of the many times Everton gave the ball away cheaply.
But Arsenal switched off early in the second half and twice Everton caught them with long diagonal balls, with teenager Lewis-Skelly caught the wrong side in the second of those, bringing Harrison to the floor.
Arsenal had two free kicks in excellent positions, but Bukayo Saka hit the wall and Declan Rice saw his powerful effort beaten away by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who also made a superb stop from Gabriel Martinelli's rasping drive.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said there is "no way" Everton should have been awarded a penalty in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
David Moyes' side put another dent in Arsenal's faltering Premier League title hopes when Iliman Ndiaye converted a second-half spot-kick to cancel out Leandro Trossard's earlier strike on Merseyside.
Referee Darren England awarded the penalty after Myles Lewis-Skelly appeared to bring down Jack Harrison inside the area, with the Video Assistant referee (VAR) Stuart Atwell choosing not to overturn the onfield decision. However, replays showed the contact from Lewis-Skelly appeared to be minimal, and Arteta voiced his frustration with the decision after the match.
"The referee decides to give a penalty that changes the course of the game," Arteta said. "I'm here to give my opinion and, after seeing it 15 times, there is no way in my opinion that is a penalty because if it is then [Jake] O'Brien has to be out, and Everton have to play with 10 men. That's clear."
Arsenal are now 11 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, who could extend their advantage with a victory over Fulham on Sunday.
Arteta will quickly have to pick his players up ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Real Madrid at the Emirates.
"It's one of the most beautiful games you can play in football," Arteta said of Tuesday's match. "In the highest European competition against the team that dominated that competition the last 20-25 years, so we're really looking forward to it."
Saturday's result moves Everton up to 14th in the Premier League table and 12 points clear of the relegation zone.
"I'm really satisfied," Everton boss David Moyes said in his postmatch news conference. "We didn't start well but we showed a little bit more in the second half which got us back in the game. It's been a difficult week. We've had the team at the top of the Premier League, the team who's second in the league, and I think we've given them both decent games."
He added: "Obviously mathematically we're not safe yet but I'm hoping to take a visit to the [new] stadium this week which would indicate that I think we're pretty close. I want us to keep getting ready now for Premier League football [next season]. I know we've got a bit to do, and I hope I'm not speaking too soon."
Sources: Pitt transfer Lowe commits to Kentucky
Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe, one of the best point guards in the portal, has committed to Kentucky, sources told ESPN on Saturday.
Lowe reportedly met with the Kentucky staff earlier this week, where the Wildcats made their pitch.
A third-team All-ACC selection, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season. He started the season with back-to-back 20-point performances, and also had 28 points against Ohio State in late November. In the month of March, he had a 16-point, 10-rebound, 5-assist performance against Louisville and went for 15 points and 10 assists in a win over Boston College.
Lowe was one of the bigger breakout stars in the ACC, improving significantly from 9.6 points and 3.3 assists during his freshman season.
Mark Pope should have a loaded perimeter group next season, with Lowe joining top-25 recruits Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis. Collin Chandler, who saw an increased role down the stretch of the season, and Travis Perry could return, while second-team All-SEC star Otega Oweh will be the team's leader if he heads back to Lexington.
Lowe is Kentucky's second transfer addition of the spring, following Tulane freshman Kam Williams.
56 ESPN analysts pick men's Final Four winners and eventual champion
Which teams do ESPN analysts have winning the men's Final Four games this weekend? And which one do they predict to cut down the nets in San Antonio on Monday night?
We polled 56 personalities who have covered the men's college basketball season on ESPN platforms this season -- from past national champions Jim Boeheim and Jay Williams to Bracketologist Joe Lunardi -- on the winners of Auburn vs. Florida and Duke vs. Houston. We also asked them to pick their national champion.
The semifinals results don't stray far from the odds at ESPN BET -- but they do on the title winner.
Duke, Florida favorites to win Final Four
Walter Clayton Jr. and the Florida Gators were picked by 59% of the analysts polled (a 33 to 23 split) to beat Johni Broome and the Auburn Tigers -- almost precisely the same implied probability (60%) of Florida's -155 money-line odds.
Meanwhile, Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils were picked by 73% (or 41) of the respondents to defeat L.J. Cryer and the Houston Cougars, again closely matching the implied probability (72%) of Duke's -260 money-line odds.
Duke favored to win, No. 2 a potential surprise
Little surprise here: Most picked the Blue Devils to cut down the nets at the Alamodome on Monday night with 61% of the support (or 34 votes).
But unlike the futures market at ESPN BET, which gives Florida the second-best odds to win it all, the second-most picked team isn't from the SEC. Rather, 11 of the 15 analysts who picked Houston to win its Final Four matchup against Duke have the Cougars going all the way.
Florida (seven) and Auburn (four) split the final votes. See the full breakdown of votes below!
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Bayern Munich forward Thomas Müller has revealed that he will be leaving the club at the end of the current season, bringing an end to a 25-year career with the club.
In a club press release, the 35-year-old shared his thoughts on his time coming to an end with Bayern.
"It's clear that today is not like any other day for me. My 25 years as an FC Bayern Munich player will come to an end in the summer. It's been an incredible journey, shaped by unique experiences, great encounters and unforgettable triumphs.
"I feel immense gratitude and joy that I got to make this career with my beloved club. The special connection to the club and our fantastic fans will always remain. What I want as a farewell should be clear: titles we can celebrate together, and moments we'll remember fondly for a long time.
"We're going to give our all in the coming weeks to bring the league title back to Munich and reach our coveted 'Finale Dahoam'. Let's do it together!".
Müller, who has been with Bayern Munich since he was a child, became one of the most important figures in Bayern's modern history, winning numerous domestic and international titles, including multiple Bundesliga championships and the 2020 UEFA Champions League.
Sporting director Christoph Freund thanked Müller for his service to Bayern, currently sitting 1st in Germany's Bundesliga.
"Thomas Müller: no tricks, no show, just an incredible amount of instinct and extraordinary reading of the game - a pure footballer. There'll never be another one like him, that's for sure, and he internalised FC Bayern from a young age.
This decision was extremely hard, as everyone can understand. In the end it was for reasons of squad planning, and the most important thing is that you can look each other in the eye afterwards. That's the case here. Now we will do everything we can to finish with more trophies."
He also retired from Germany duty after their exit from Euro 2024, ending his international career with 131 caps and 45 goals.
Curry: Dubs 'level up,' playing like title contenders
SAN FRANCISCO -- Stephen Curry split two Denver Nuggets defenders, knocked down a 20-foot pull-up shot while being fouled and let out a scream while stomping his feet.
Curry and the Golden State Warriors continued to make noise Friday night, winning their fifth straight game with a 118-104 victory over the Nuggets at Chase Center.
"[There's a] sense of urgency down the stretch," Curry said. "The feeling of where you are in the standings, every game mattering. And the idea that the chess match of 'how do we win this particular game?' becomes a little bit more important.
He added: "We thrive off of that. That's why we've been so successful for this many years. Because as the stakes rise, the lights get brighter, we tend to level up."
Curry has raised his level. He made seven 3-pointers and scored 36 points to beat the Nuggets. In the past three games, Curry has scored a total of 125 points, second only to LeBron James for most points in a three-game span by a player age 37 or older, according to ESPN Research.
"In three different cities at 37," Warriors coach Steve Kerr added. "He looked so fast out there tonight, and I think maybe it's the most underrated part of his game, is his conditioning. Just incredible what he does out there, especially considering how much attention he draws defensively, how much pressure people put on him, and he handles it night after night and flourishes."
Since Golden State acquired Jimmy Butler before the trade deadline, the Warriors have been a completely different team, going 21-5 since Butler made his debut in Chicago on Feb. 8.
Draymond Green proclaimed during All-Star weekend that the Warriors will win the championship with Butler. This week, they made a statement. The Warriors won three straight games that have felt like playoff games, beating teams that were or are currently above them in the Western Conference standings.
Golden State (46-31) won a critical game in Memphis on Tuesday to gain the tiebreaker over the Grizzlies. They beat the Lakers in Los Angeles on Thursday and then returned home after spending 14 days on the road and took care of Denver in the second game of a back-to-back. Friday's win snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Nuggets (47-31).
Curry, whose three-point play pushed the Warriors up by 15 with 2:30 remaining, was asked if the Warriors are playing like a team at a championship level.
"We're playing like that," Curry said. "We have a lot of work. I've been saying that since this run started. We still have a lot of work to do to finish the year strong. You are seeing an identity on a night-to-night that we understand how to win games. Whether it's games where tempo is a lot faster, you got to score or if it's a grind-out defensive game. We've played better in fourth quarters with leads. All the things that championship-caliber teams do, we've been doing and it's clearly different than two months ago.
"For us to just be able to get into a playoffs series, we understand what we're capable of, and whether you're predicting it or speaking it into existence or whatever it is, the confidence is there. So just ride that wave."
The Warriors are riding the momentum they have had since the Butler trade. Curry and Green are rejuvenated and role players such as Brandin Podziemski, who had 26 points against the Nuggets one night after scoring 28 against the Lakers, are thriving alongside Butler.
On Sunday, the Warriors face the Houston Rockets, who are currently second in the West. Golden State's goal is to stay in the top six and out of the play-in tournament.
"We've got momentum right now," Kerr said. "The Memphis one was probably the big one to kick off this three-game stretch. And so to string these wins together against three teams all ahead of us in the standings at the time, massive.
"We've got five games left, we know we've got to win four of them to guarantee a top-six spot, so we just got to keep going."
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jose Ramirez blasted three homers and carried the Guardians to a victory Friday night. The veteran slugger claimed another place in Cleveland baseball history in the process.
Ramírez hit a solo homer in the first, a tying two-run shot in the fifth and another solo shot in the ninth inning of the Guardians' 8-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
Ramírez's 26th career multi-homer game moved him even with Albert Belle and Jim Thome for the most multi-homer performances in the history of a franchise that began play in 1901. It was also the second three-homer game of Ramírez's career, which has been spent entirely with Cleveland.
"I appreciate these types of days," Ramírez said through an interpreter. "Sometimes it's hard to hit one, and then when you hit three, you just thank God for these type of games, and most importantly because we won."
Ramírez connected twice off Angels starter Jose Soriano, homering on two low breaking balls. He got his third off a high fastball from rookie Caden Dana, adding an insurance run that helped the Guardians to survive the Angels' two-run rally later in the ninth.
Ramírez also hit three homers on June 8, 2023, at home against Boston. His 259 homers are the second-most in Cleveland history, trailing only Thome's 337.
Ramírez's coaches and teammates could only marvel at another signature night from a superstar who doesn't always get his due.
"Best player in the world," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said with a grin. "Man, he's some kind of impressive. What a great night. Really picked us up on a night where we needed a lot of offense, and our best player came through the way those guys do. They step up. They know when we need that. They just have a knack for finding ways to do that. A three-homer game, those are so rare in itself, but to be able to witness it and to have him do it the way he did was really impressive."
Ramírez did it six days after spraining his right wrist while sliding in Kansas City, a mishap that forced him to miss one game and has left him still missing a large chunk of skin on his hand.
The Guardians expect such feats from Ramírez, the six-time All-Star who made the All-MLB first team last season while leading Cleveland to 92 victories, the AL Central crown and the AL Championship Series. He led the Guardians in homers (39), RBIs (118) and stolen bases (41), barely missing the 40-40 club.
He hasn't stolen a base yet in 2025, but he's off to a strong start in the quest for his first 40-homer season.
"You always want good outcomes every time you hit," Ramírez said. "Sometimes you hit the first homer, and then you don't hit anything after that. We got good results."
Ramírez's evening wasn't all good: He botched Luis Rengifo's two-out grounder to third in the third inning for his third error in three games. Jo Adell followed with a two-run single that put the Angels up 4-2.
Vogt said he isn't worried about Ramírez's rough defensive stretch, calling it "a blip" for the third baseman who finished second in Gold Glove voting last year. The manager also knew Ramírez's next at-bats would be important to him after an error.
"You always find with the top players in the league, when they happen to make a mistake like that, they seem to make up for it right away," Vogt said. "It happens all the time. But we're going to continue working on defense."
Why the Manchester derby lost its cachet, and how it might be coming back around
It's 13 years ago this month that the Manchester derby decided the Premier League title. Vincent Kompany's goal in a 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium in April 2012 was a huge step toward Manchester City lifting the trophy, which they got their hands on after a mighty scare from Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the campaign.
The 2012 derby was supposed to mark the start of a new era of Manchester dominance, the two clubs fighting for top honors at home and abroad, with games at Old Trafford and the Etihad having the same pull as Real Madrid vs. Barcelona. It has not really worked out like that. Instead, Man United and Man City meet on Sunday in perhaps the most low-key derby of the last decade.
United are 13th in the table and have got one eye on next week's Europa League tie against Lyon. City, meanwhile, need points to ensure they qualify for next season's Champions League, but the title is long gone and on its way to Liverpool. Aside from the usual bragging rights, there's not much at stake at Old Trafford this weekend.
How did we get here, are there causes for optimism, and can the Manchester derby get back to being the biggest game of the year?
MANCHESTER UNITED
What's gone wrong for them?
You can separate United's problems into those off the pitch and those on it.
Off the pitch, they're paying the price for 20 years of mismanagement under the ownership of the Glazer family. Money has been drained from United's coffers, and what has been spent has been invested poorly. It has led to serious concerns that what was once one of the most profitable clubs in the world could breach Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) and suffer the consequences.
On the pitch, this season has been traumatic. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team dithered over whether to keep Erik ten Hag last summer. The Dutchman was eventually sacked in November and replaced with Ruben Amorim, who has tried to implement an entirely new playing style -- only with players that don't fit.
Amorim warned in December that a "storm will come," and that's exactly what has happened. United are on course for their lowest league finish in the Premier League era and the campaign now rests on how they fare in the Europa League. They play their quarterfinal first leg against Lyon four days after the derby.
The biggest issues affecting performances are a propensity to concede the first goal in games and a struggle to find the net at the other end. The problems scoring goals predates Amorim's arrival, but he hasn't yet been able to find a solution.
Are there reasons for optimism?
The biggest reason for hope that things may eventually start to turn around is that the Glazers aren't in charge anymore. They're still majority owners; it's clear, though, that they aren't calling the shots. Ratcliffe and his new hires have made an underwhelming start to life as custodians, but there's at least a new set of eyes and the makings of a plan to move United forward.
Ultimately, the aim is to get back to the top of domestic and European football -- and that's a long road back from where they are. The people in charge -- Ratcliffe, CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox -- need to make a lot of right decisions quickly, particularly in recruitment, and that's tough to do. Even with that, United have a lot of ground to make up: They kick off on Sunday 14 points behind City, and Pep Guardiola's team are nowhere near title challengers Liverpool and Arsenal.
The main reason for optimism is that this, hopefully, is rock bottom and there can be some kind of upward trajectory from here. The other option is that things are set to get even worse before they get better, and that's almost unthinkable. Another season worse than this one, and you're talking about a genuine battle against relegation. -- Dawson
MANCHESTER CITY
What's gone wrong for them?
There are many factors involved and it's subjective as to which are the most significant, but ultimately, they have all combined to leave City on course for the worst season under Pep Guardiola since 2016-17 -- and potentially the team's lowest league finish in a complete season since Sheikh Mansour's takeover of the club in September 2008.
Rob Dawson says it's a "no brainer" for Manchester United fans to pick victory over Lyon in the Europa League over beating Manchester City.
Injuries to key players, most notably Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, poor recruitment dating back to the post-Treble summer of 2023 and a core of long-serving players beginning to fade have been major on-field issues, but off-pitch issues have also had an impact. In addition to the ongoing uncertainty over City's fate in the hearing into the 115 Premier League charges, there are lingering doubts over Guardiola's future until he signed a new contract last November.
Ultimately, it is on the pitch that City have fallen short, though, and that can be attributed to Guardiola and the club's recruitment team failing to act sooner to evolve the squad -- namely replacements for Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Kyle Walker. Re-signing Ilkay Gündogan last summer at the age of 33, a year after his free transfer move to Barcelona, was a rare example of a short-term move by City when they've previously been so good at making astute long-term signings.
Are there reasons for optimism?
Let's leave aside the outcome of the 115 charges hearing for now, because nobody knows how that will play out, but the good news for City is that Guardiola has pledged his future to the club until June 2027, Erling Haaland signed a 9-year contract in January and mid-winter signings Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez have shown signs of being good additions.
With Guardiola and Haaland at the club, City have arguably the best the coach in the world and also the most prolific goal scorer, so both give them a huge advantage.
The structure at City is also so well established now that their Academy continues to produce top-quality youngsters -- too many of them, including Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, were allowed to leave to shine at other clubs -- and the likes of Nico O'Reilly, Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis highlight the depth of homegrown talent still at the club.
But let's revert back to the 115 charges because if the verdict goes against City, it could change everything. Right now, they're locked in a battle for Champions League qualification and even a small points deduction this season would likely see them miss out on next season's competition.
If City miss out on the Champions League, it would be a significant blow to their finances, especially if they are found to have previously inflated sponsorship and also face heavy fines. City deny all charges, but if the hearing doesn't go their way, the years ahead will be extremely challenging. -- Ogden
How will we get back to this derby being the biggest game on the calendar?
To be the biggest game on the fixture list, the Manchester derby has to be the game that decides the title, and that won't happen until United get their act together.
City have had a poor season, but unless the Premier League hits them with massive sanctions, it's likely to be a blip rather than anything more significant. United's decline is far more terminal. Liverpool are going to be champions, and Arsenal have already given notice that they're planning a major spend in the summer to bridge the gap. Newcastle United will eventually unlock their financial capability, and Chelsea also have the resources to compete.
It's going to take some turnaround for United to go from bottom half of the table to contenders, and they're probably looking at a four- or five-year rebuild before they're legitimately in the conversation. The first job is to consistently qualify for the Champions League.
It would be fantastic for Manchester if the derby was deciding the title year after year, but right now, it feels like that's a long way off. -- Dawson
A harsh perspective of the Manchester derby is that it hasn't been the biggest game on the calendar since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as United manager in 2013 because the Reds have been miles away from challenging City for the biggest honors.
Between 2008 and 2013, when United were the dominant team and City the emerging force, this was the absolute No. 1 game in England and as competitive and significant as Real Madrid vs. Barcelona, Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund, Celtic vs. Rangers. Name a great rivalry, and United vs. City was as big and meaningful as them all. It's why Ferguson called City the "noisy neighbors" -- they had been insignificant to United for decades until Sheikh Mansour's money changed everything.
So while City have their issues to address, the onus is on United to restore the box office appeal of this game. Until they start to challenge for the Premier League title again, United will be behind Liverpool and Arsenal in terms of being a threat to City, who have dominated the city's football landscape for over a decade now.
City will continue to be serious contenders for all the major honors unless they are hit incredibly hard by the Premier League. United? They are at base camp in their rebuild, and nobody can be certain it will work out, but unless they get their recruitment right and coach Ruben Amorim can revive a fallen giant, it's the blue side of Manchester that will be the chasing the biggest trophies. -- Ogden
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