Arsenal will take on Nottingham Forest in their penultimate match of the Premier League season after their title hopes were essentially crushed by a loss at the hands of Brighton. Although Arsenal is unlikely to win the league title, they are expected to end the season with a win over Forest to maintain their competitive edge. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest must grab points to secure their safety after a mediocre season. The match is due to begin at 5.30pm BST, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 5pm BST.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has praised the influence of the City board and players on his team's success this season and downplayed his own contribution. Speaking ahead of his side's final Premier League game at home to Chelsea, which is likely to be a celebratory fixture after City's league win and progress to the FA Cup and Champions League final, Guardiola also highlighted the role of sporting director Txiki Begiristain. City are unbeaten in their last 23 games, during which they have won 19, and have not lost at home since November.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi believes his team deserves to qualify for the Europa League as a result of their performances this season. Brighton head into Sunday’s match against Southampton knowing two wins from their last three games will secure a European berth. De Zerbi has urged his team to write themselves into the club’s history by being the first team from the south coast outfit to qualify. Brighton are currently one point ahead of Tottenham and Aston Villa but have a game in hand on both teams.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said the champagne must stay on ice until the end of the season despite the team being one win away from the club's fifth Premier League title in six years. City will be champions if they beat Chelsea on Sunday, but a defeat or Arsenal winning their match against Nottingham Forest earlier on Saturday would delay the celebrations. Guardiola said he hoped Arsenal would do the necessary to make City have to complete their "serve" for the title against Chelsea. He also encouraged his players to "play on the edge".
Tottenham lost 3-2 against Brentford in what has been described as a depressing, humiliating season, which culminates next week. While Harry Kane has had a good run, culminating in a personal record of Premier League goals, the majority of his teammates have floundered. While Tottenhams fans may have wanted their team to be able to sneak into the Europa Conference League next season, they are merely relieved for the season to finish. Tottenham's Chairman, Daniel Levy, issued a message apologizing for the disappointing season, and promising fans to work relentlessly to position their club for on-pitch success.
The retrospective exhibition of British photographer, Tom Wood, in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, promises to provide some rare views of Britain dating back over the past half century. Wood’s work: a mix of portrait, still-life and landscape photography, aims to catch the emotions of real life in his pictures. From young women snapped drinking juice under the crumbling sign for a gentlemen’s lavatory, to working men posing in industrial work settings, Wood’s photography is both visually stark and poignant. His work capitalises on a personal connection with his sitters, based on repeated visits to specific locations. Indeed, Wood’s photography has been a labour of “sheer love”, as he only ever received a letter from HM Revenue & Customs telling him: “we suggest this is a hobby”. Wood’s “Sheffield” collection was published as a book in 1989, followed later by his seminal “All Zones off Peak” series of pictures.
The Independent is providing live coverage of the FA Women's Super League, the top tier of English women's football, which features international players from around the world. Three of the past four titles have been won by Chelsea, with challenges expected from Arsenal and Manchester City, both of which have been runners-up for the past four seasons. The top three sides qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League. The 12 teams in the league are vying to avoid relegation to the FA Women's Championship.
Nantes vs Montpellier in Ligue 1 today is being covered live by The Independent. The article notes that Paris Saint-Germain, with some of the world's best players including Lionel Messi and Neymar, are the box-office draw of the French top flight. Additionally, Saint-Etienne are the record winners with 10 league titles in their illustrious history, but none since 1981, with Marseille having won it nine times and Monaco eight. Nantes hold the record for the most consecutive matches without defeat, with 32, and boast the least number of defeats in a single season, having lost only one match in 1994/95.
Manchester City won their fifth Premier League title in six seasons after a four-month turnaround that saw Arsenal gradually beaten down to submission. Pep Guardiola went on the attack at the training ground on February 10 accusing their opponents of a witch hunt against the club and even cited Julius Caesar, claiming the club had already been “condemned” and “sentenced” by those out to get them. Victory against Aston Villa unleashed a relentless machine that went 23 matches unbeaten. The season was almost like a repeat of their 2018/19 season. City won their final 14-league matches to clinch the title by a point from Liverpool.
Guardiola’s decision to loan out Joao Cancelo gifted the team extra balance without a recognised left-back. Nathan Ake excelled in his role as a left-sided centre-half instead. Sources point out that the club has successfully absorbed the loss of key players such as Vincent Kompany, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero over the years. Last summer, departing captain Fernandinho did not shake the squad’s resilience, and has shown Guardiola’s extraordinary recycling powers. England midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ signed for £45 million and did not start a single league match.
Guardiola said he would not have delivered his scathing criticism of Man City’ ‘happy flowers’ team if they had lost to Tottenham on January 19. In the aftermath of this comment, the club took a while to pick up and two weeks after their win against Arsenal, the Premier League delivered legal papers to the Etihad detailing 115 alleged breaches of their financial regulations. The bombshell news could have been a huge distraction and headache and had the potential to derail their campaign, but for Guardiola, it was an opportunity. The staff reacted positively and the players lapped it up. City has survived yet again and proven its critics wrong.
Manchester City has secured its third successive Premier League title after Arsenal’s title bid was shut down by Nottingham Forest. The 1-0 victory also secured Forest a place in the top division. Manchester City is now four points ahead of Arsenal and its players will receive a guard of honour before their tie against Chelsea on 12 May. The win reflects the club’s fifth title in six seasons and is part of the team’s pursuit of the Treble, which includes the FA Cup final against Manchester United on 3 June. However, coach Pep Guardiola believes City must secure the Champions League title to make a place amongst the great European teams.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored twice on his return to the Fulham starting line-up in their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. Mitrovic had been serving a ban, but his goals ensured Fulham ended the season with a club-record 15 league wins, staying clear of relegation worries. Eagles attacker Wilfried Zaha missed the game with a hamstring injury, while teammate Joel Ward rescued a point with a late equaliser. Palace and Fulham can both look upon this season as a success, having avoided relegation comfortably, with the Eagles having won 12 games.
Arsenal has lost out on a chance to win their first Premier League title in 19 years, finishing second in the table to Manchester City. The crushing defeat was ultimately secured by City who have won five titles in six years. A win against Nottingham Forest would have secured Arsenal the title, but the side slumped to defeat. Forest ensured their top-flight survival with one final game to spare, and supporters showed up in force to support the club. Despite Arteta setting strong foundations for Arsenal, the team will go into the summer with a chance to improve after City won the league.
Premier League champions Manchester City secured their third successive campaign and fifth in the past six years after Arsenal lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. The Gunners needed a win to delay City’s celebrations ahead of their home match against Chelsea the next day. Pep Guardiola’s team is unbeaten in their previous 23 games across all competitions and also reached the finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League final. City captain Ilkay Gundogan praised the collective effort and thanked the club for their support. The Premier League trophy will be presented to City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, when they face Chelsea.
Also securing their Premier League status for next season after securing victory over Arsenal are Forest. Some players are beginning to turn their attention to the upcoming summer tournaments such as the European Championship. During the 2019/20 season, football was suspended between March and June due to the pandemic, meaning the season ran into late summer. This time around, it’s unlikely that matches will be held if UEFA doesn’t announce a short-term pause in the tournament. The concerns of fans and authorities outweigh high-net-worth clubs such as Manchester City, which have a relatively large squad of international players, giving some insight into the complexity and uncertainty of the situation regarding summer scheduling for players.
Meanwhile, per Manchester Evening News, City could go on a huge summer spending spree with an unprecedented transfer budget of £200m ($277m). Following days of speculation, City officials were reported to have held talks with Harry Kane’s representatives and are ready to make a fresh bid for the Tottenham striker. City is also rumoured to be lining up a move for Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish, and Defensive midfielder Dele Alli from Tottenham.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has said he will never be satisfied, regardless of what he achieves at the club. Howe, who has guided Newcastle to the brink of Champions League qualification in his first full season in charge, said he was always looking forward to the next challenge. The 45-year-old added that he was aware that he was always on a cycle of trying to improve and more success brought extra pressure. Howe revealed he invited Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi to speak with the squad just over a week ago to ensure the club was unified. Since the takeover in October last year, which saw the Saudi-backed consortium invest more than £250m into the playing squad, Newcastle's rise has been meteoric.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said his team need to win the UEFA Champions League more than once to be considered among the all-time greats. City and Guardiola are preparing for the final against Inter Milan and seeking to win the competition for the first time. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager has guided City to three English Premier League titles and they also won the domestic cups in 2019 and 2020. However, they have consistently fallen short in Europe, with the closest they have come to success being in 2021 when they were beaten in the final by Chelsea.
West Ham manager David Moyes has said he was close to the sack several times during the season, but the Hammers have delivered when required. The club secured their safety in the Premier League and reached their first European final in 47 years in the Europa Conference League. The final against Fiorentina in Prague on June 7, which could see the club win their first trophy since 1980, represents a chance to transform the fortunes of the club and make the season an historic one, Moyes said. West Ham face Leeds on Sunday in what is expected to be captain Declan Rice’s final home match before a summer move.
Manchester City has won the Premier League yet again, seeing off Arsenal's eight-point lead to clinch the title. City won 11 Premier League matches in a row and are unbeaten in their last 23 across all competitions. They also have a chance to win the FA Cup and Champions League finals, securing a treble. The club will be lifting the Premier League trophy for the third successive year and the fifth time in the past six seasons. Erling Haaland was key to City's success and set a new Premier League record with 36 goals. Players and manager alike praised their fans, who have supported them throughout the season.
Manchester City won their fifth Premier League title in six seasons after a four-month turnaround that saw Arsenal gradually beaten down to submission. Pep Guardiola went on the attack at the training ground on February 10 accusing their opponents of a witch hunt against the club and even cited Julius Caesar, claiming the club had already been “condemned” and “sentenced” by those out to get them. Victory against Aston Villa unleashed a relentless machine that went 23 matches unbeaten. The season was almost like a repeat of their 2018/19 season. City won their final 14-league matches to clinch the title by a point from Liverpool.
Guardiola’s decision to loan out Joao Cancelo gifted the team extra balance without a recognised left-back. Nathan Ake excelled in his role as a left-sided centre-half instead. Sources point out that the club has successfully absorbed the loss of key players such as Vincent Kompany, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero over the years. Last summer, departing captain Fernandinho did not shake the squad’s resilience, and has shown Guardiola’s extraordinary recycling powers. England midfielder Kalvin Phillips’ signed for £45 million and did not start a single league match.
Guardiola said he would not have delivered his scathing criticism of Man City’ ‘happy flowers’ team if they had lost to Tottenham on January 19. In the aftermath of this comment, the club took a while to pick up and two weeks after their win against Arsenal, the Premier League delivered legal papers to the Etihad detailing 115 alleged breaches of their financial regulations. The bombshell news could have been a huge distraction and headache and had the potential to derail their campaign, but for Guardiola, it was an opportunity. The staff reacted positively and the players lapped it up. City has survived yet again and proven its critics wrong.
Manchester City have become English champions for the fifth time in six years; it was achieved following Arsenal's 1-0 loss away at Nottingham Forest. The new champions must still overcome the challenges of Manchester United and Inter Milan in the FA Cup and Champions League finals respectively to complete the treble. Liverpool could only manage a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa which left both Manchester United and Newcastle on the verge of Champions League qualification. Everton must avoid relegation after Yerry Mina's last-minute equaliser gave them a 1-1 draw with Wolves to leave them two points above the relegation zone.
Roma’s new head coach, Jose Mourinho, has built his reputation on leading teams to victory. Despite a lacklustre track record prior to taking over the Roman side, he has already managed to take them to the Europa League. It appears that when Mourinho has the latitude to manage in the way he knows best, he can turn under-resourced teams into forces to be reckoned with. However, it seems that it is not Mourinho’s tactics that are proving problematic, but his behaviour on the pitch, with a recent incident involving his assistant robbing him of his covering fire.
