Premier League Title Race Heats Up with Seven Games Remaining

Sports quiz of the week: Champions League, Wu Yize, Giro and F1 winners Have you been following the big stories in football, snooker, cycling, tennis, rugby and Formula One? Continue reading...

theguardian · 12 days ago

Slot expects another Liverpool transition, Bournemouth drop Jiménez amid investigation – football live ⚽ All the latest news and previews going into a big weekend⚽ Premier League preview | Fixtures | Tables | Mail DominicPremier League: The press conferences from the Premier League managers are coming thick and fast. Before we get to those, here is what can be decided this weekend.European qualification: With Manchester United joining Arsenal and Manchester City in securing Champions League football next season after beating Liverpool last weekend, there are just two guaranteed spots left in Europes top-tier club competition. Liverpool and Aston Villa currently sit fourth and fifth respectively, with the Arne Slots side hosting Chelsea on Saturday and Villa travelling to Burnley on Sunday. Both sides will confirm Champions League qualification if they win and sixth-placed Bournemouth drop points away to Fulham on Saturday. A draw will also be enough for Liverpool and Villa if Bournemouth lose. However, sixth place could yet earn Champions League qualification. That will be the case if Villa finish fifth in the Premier League and go on to win the Europa League.Relegation: Leeds and Forest both moved a step closer to securing their Premier League status thanks to 3-1 wins last week, beating Burnley at home and Chelsea away respectively. Victory for Leeds at Tottenham on Monday will guarantee their top-flight status for next season regardless of results elsewhere – though they will be safe before a ball has been kicked in north London if West Ham lose at home to Arsenal on Sunday. If West Ham draw with Arsenal, Leeds will be safe with a draw against Spurs. Forest will also be safe if they win at home against Newcastle on Sunday and West Ham fail to do so later in the day against Arsenal. A draw will be enough for Forest if Arsenal go on to beat West Ham. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

LeBron has the worst whistle of any star: Lakers rip officiating after playoff loss to Thunder Players huddle around refs to voice frustrationOklahoma City win 125-107 for 2-0 series leadCunningham lifts Pistons past CavaliersLakers coach JJ Redick criticized the way LeBron James is officiated and guard Austin Reaves complained about treatment from the referees after Los Angeles lost 125-107 to the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night.A number of Lakers players gathered around the referees at midcourt after the game and Reaves voiced his frustration to crew chief John Goble. He felt that while players were jockeying for position during a jump ball during the game, Goble crossed the line. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

Bournemouth drop Álex Jiménez amid investigation into social media posts Player stood down from Saturdays game at FulhamClub aware of posts circulating on social mediaBournemouth have confirmed Álex Jiménez, has been omitted from their squad for Saturdays game at Fulham after opening an investigation relating to social media posts.Jiménez has made 32 appearances for Bournemouth this season and started their past five Premier League matches. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

How Eli Junior Kroupi became Bournemouths next jewel … and a World Cup bolter French teenager has racked up numbers this season that put him on a par with Erling Haaland and Lamine YamalBournemouth have unearthed another diamond in Eli Junior Kroupi. Staff at the club consider the 19-year-old a generational talent and no wonder, given last weekend the forward became the first teenager to register 12 goals in his debut Premier League season since Robbie Fowler in 1993-94. If Kroupi adds to that tally there is a decent chance it will end with the club qualifying for Europe for the first time.The numbers speak for themselves: Kroupi has averaged a goal every 121 minutes – only Erling Haaland has a better ratio in the league – and of his 43 shots, 20 have been on target, the joint-best conversion rate with Brentfords Igor Thiago. Among teenagers in the 21st century, only Romelu Lukaku has scored more in a campaign in the competition (17 in 2012-13, on loan at West Brom from Chelsea), and only Lamine Yamal (16) has scored more across Europes top five leagues this term. Kroupis name is on the lips of scouts at every elite club, with Barcelona thought to have joined Manchester City and Arsenal in keeping tabs. Bournemouth do not want to sell and would demand at least £80m. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

The seven games that will decide whether Arsenal or City win the title Arsenal have the advantage in the Premier League title race but will they hold off Manchester Citys challenge?By WhoScoredSeven games remain: three for Arsenal, four for Manchester City. Seven opportunities for more twists and turns in the title race. Just as City appeared to be building their trademark relentless charge at the end of the season, they self-destructed in the space of 13 minutes at Everton. Jérémy Dokus extraordinary late equaliser has given them a lifeline, but that 3-3 draw has handed the initiative back to Arsenal. Five points separate the sides and the equation is now brutally simple: if Arsenal win their last three games they will be crowned champions for the first time in 22 years, whereas City must be flawless and hope their rivals stumble.Premier League titles turn on moments: Sergio Agüeros 94th-minute winner in 2012, Steven Gerrards slip in 2014, Vincent Kompanys thunderbolt in 2019, or Citys final-day comeback in 2022. The question now is whether the 2025-26 season has already had its defining moment in that Everton game or whether, with seven games to play, this campaign is yet to deliver the scene for which it will be remembered. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

European reaction, playoffs spy row, Premier League news and more – football live ⚽ All the latest news and previews going into a big weekend⚽ Premier League preview | Fixtures | Tables | And mail YaraEuropa Conference League: Crystal Palace followed Arsenal and Aston Villa to become the third English team to make a mens European final this season. Here is Ed Aarons verdict from Selhurst Park.There were ecstatic celebrations as Palaces players completed a lap of honour in front of their adoring supporters who are still having to pinch themselves over the events of the past 12 months. Glasner may be set to leave after what will be the 60th game of a marathon season but whatever happens after this, he will always have a special place in the clubs history. One of the loudest cheers of the night came when the stadium announcer confirmed that Nottingham Forest – who controversially replaced Palace in the Europa League – had been thrashed 4-0 by Aston Villa in their semi-final.The captain Dean Henderson, admitted that the sense of injustice has been driving the FA Cup winners. Its pretty incredible really to even get into a European competition with Crystal Palace, let alone reach the final, he said. Weve got to deliver something special. Weve got to get back what we deserve.We didnt want to leave these games with any regrets, and I think weve done ourselves massive justice. Weve had low moments. Its a demanding club to play for but what weve done in the last few years is exceptional. The margins are so slim. If we lost, were the nearly men.When we go to Istanbul, we need to make sure were not the nearly men. Im normally quite calm before games, but today I was nervous. Tonight was up with one of the best performances Ive seen from a Villa team for a long time. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

Aston Villa thrash Nottingham Forest to book spot in first European final for 44 years A 4-0 win at home sets up Europa League final with Freiburg.

thejournal · 13 days ago

Chess: Magnus Carlsen enjoys narrow win in Malmö during rare classical outing The world No 1 lost to Jorden van Foreest, but squeezed into a tie for first and won the blitz playoffThe world No 1, Magnus Carlsen, making a rare return to classical chess this week at the annual TePe Sigeman tournament in Malmö, Sweden, squeezed through to a blitz ­playoff in Thursdays final round after ­Turkeys 14-year-old ­talent Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus ­blundered fatally in the late stages after reaching a drawn position.Carlsen tied on 5/7 with Indias Arjun Erigaisi and won the blitz playoff 2-1. This was the final sudden death game. Continue reading...

theguardian · 13 days ago

No final for French club Strasbourg as Rayo Vallecano end their European journey Strasbourg suffered another defeat in the Europa Conference League semi-finals against Rayo Vallecano, bringing their European run to an end. The team were completely outclassed and had no answers. Rayo Vallecano will now face Crystal Palace in the final.

france24 · 13 days ago