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Arsenal highlight everything that is wrong with Pochettino’s Chelsea

LONDON — What should embarrass Chelsea most is Arsenal are everything that they are not. Tuesday’s 5-0 thrashing at Emirates Stadium showcased the Gunners’ shrewd spending and stylish structure, a combination which threatens to push Manchester City the distance in the Premier League title race. Mikel Arteta’s side have played two games more but they are now four points clear of third-placed City with Liverpool sandwiched in the middle, at…

Forest call for PGMOL to release VAR audio

Nottingham Forest have written to refereeing body PGMOL to request the release of the VAR audio from Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Everton which saw them have three penalty appeals denied, the club said in a statement on Monday. Forest had slammed PGMOL for ignoring their concern that the VAR for Sunday’s defeat, Stuart Attwell, was a supporter of Luton Town — a club who, alongside Forest, are battling against relegation…

7 things from women’s soccer: Barcelona crumble, Lyon fight back, City top WSL

With domestic leagues starting to wind up across Europe and some teams edging closer to landing silverware in cup competitions, the main focus of the weekend was the first legs of the UEFA Women’s Champions League semifinals. – Stream on ESPN+: NWSL, LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Champions League holders and hot favourites to retain their crown this season, Barcelona were stopped in their tracks on Saturday by an impressive Chelsea…

Bellingham all but clinches Real Madrid title in Clasico thriller as Barca begin rebuild

MADRID — Jude Bellingham scored a late winner as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-2 in a thrilling edition of El Clasico on Sunday, leaving Madrid 11 points clear at the top of the table and — with six games left — closing in on the LaLiga title. Barca went ahead early on at the Santiago Bernabeu through Andreas Christensen, before Vinicius Junior equalized from the penalty spot. Barca might have…

Ten Hag makes Man United’s FA Cup semifinal win over Coventry feel like a defeat

LONDON — Manchester United are into the FA Cup final, but the manner with which they scraped past Coventry City will do nothing for Erik ten Hag’s prospects of remaining as manager. If anything, the supporters who streamed out of Wembley and back to Manchester after watching their team win a penalty shootout at the end of a dramatic day will be more convinced than ever that the Dutchman is…

Pep blasts ‘unacceptable’ schedule after SF win

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lashed out at the FA Cup schedule after his side reached the final by beating Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday, three days after their treble bid was ended by defeat on penalties by Real Madrid in the Champions League. A late goal by Bernardo Silva got holders City over the line, although they rode their luck in a 1-0 win over Chelsea, who were punished for…

Transfer Talk: Barcelona, PSG eye Man City star Bernardo Silva

The summer transfer window won’t reopen in Europe for a while yet, but there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals! Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva is a priority target for Barcelona in the summer transfer window, though they will face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, according to Sport. The…

FA defends replay scrapping: Cup will be stronger

The Football Association (FA) has defended its decision to scrap replays for the FA Cup from the first round next season, saying they discussed the move with the Premier League and English Football League (EFL). The EFL has denied any involvement in the announcement of the new format. The FA said the call was made with the intention of strengthening the competition despite having fewer dates available and with player…

Wonderkid XI: Yohannes, Kafaji, Ortega among top young women’s players to watch

From youngsters making their Champions League debuts, to 16-year-olds dazzling at the World Cup, 2023 was the year of the wonderkids in women’s football. In recent times we’ve seen the likes of Lauren James, Sophia Smith and Mary Fowler graduate from youth teamers to fully fledged professionals, but now the next generation are chomping at the bit to prove themselves. While there is still a large disparity in access and…

FIFA to rebuild Blatter-era committee system

FIFA is set to create dozens of new committees and expert panels, reversing a governance reform passed in 2016 when the world football body was in turmoil during corruption scandals. FIFA’s plan to increase its number of standing committees from seven to 35 — with the option to let its president Gianni Infantino create and appoint extra panels of experts — was detailed in a draft update of its legal…