Premier League
Man United candidate Rodgers keeps focus on Europa League
Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers will put aside speculation linking him with the vacancy at Manchester United to focus on beating Legia Warsaw on Thursday (Nov 25). This is to ensure the Foxes keep their hopes of automatic qualification to the Europa League knockout stages alive.
The 48-year-old Northern Irishman has been among those linked with the United role after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked last Sunday.
It comes, though, at a time when Rodgers is encountering his rockiest patch since he took over in 2019.
The Foxes have for the past two campaigns been right in the mix challenging for a Champions League spot.
However, this term they are 12th in the English Premier League table, eight points off a Champions League spot with almost a third of the season gone.
An illustration of how much their form has dropped off was the easy manner in which Chelsea, the team they defeated in May’s FA Cup final, beat them 3-0 last Saturday.
Rodgers needs a quick pick me up against the Polish side, who beat them 1-0 in Warsaw in their earlier group-stage meeting.
Leicester are third in the group, two points off leaders Napoli and one adrift of Thursday’s opponents.
Victory over Legia would keep them in the hunt with one match to play to top the group and progress to the knockout stages.
The runners-up would be consigned to a play-off which also features the eight third-placed Champions League group teams.
Napoli are away to bottom side Spartak Moscow, who need to win to stay in the race themselves on Wednesday.
A win for Rodgers’ side could set up a winner-takes-all trip to Napoli in their final match.
Leicester winger Ademola Lookman – on loan from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig – is predicting a tough encounter with Legia.
“Whenever you’re playing in Europe, you’re coming up against a good team,” he told the Leicester website.
“Unfortunately, we lost to them over there, but we will be looking to use that experience to win our game here.
“In that game over there, they were very intense, they fought a lot and they made it difficult for us.
“We couldn’t get a victory out of the game, but hopefully this game will enable us to force ourselves on them, take the fight to them and show our true qualities.”
‘All Bravado’
Celtic, where Rodgers re-established his managerial credentials after a sour end to his term at Liverpool, are also battling to book their ticket into the next stage.
Celtic can still qualify automatically and could take a huge step in doing that if they beat table-topping Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.
Victory would leave them one point off Leverkusen and with a final home game against Real Betis.
“I feel we are in a good place to have a go at them,” said Celtic’s Australian manager Ange Postecoglou.
“Can we take the game to them and come away with a result?
“Otherwise it’s all bravado without any substance.
“The reason we play as we do is because that is the kind of team we want to be.
“If we fall short we fall short. We get back up and go again.”
Jose Mourinho’s ‘Special One’ status has taken a battering in recent years and his spell with AS Roma is showing few signs of it being revived.
Way off the pace for the Serie A title, they are also second in their third-tier Europa Conference League group a point behind Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt.
Mourinho’s side realistically need to beat third-placed Zarya Luhansk in Rome if they are to entertain hopes of finishing top, as Bodo/Glimt host bottom side CSKA Sofia.
Tottenham – the latest club where Mourinho failed to deliver – are also second in their Europa Conference group but should have little trouble in beating point-less NS Mura.
That should set up Antonio Conte’s team with a winner takes all clash against French table-toppers Rennes in London on Dec 9.
-AFP
Premier League
Arsenal Paint London Red with Premier League Victory Parade Despite Champions League Heartbreak
Thousands of jubilant Arsenal supporters flooded the streets of north London on Sunday as the club celebrated its first Premier League title in 22 years, putting aside the disappointment of losing the UEFA Champions League final just 24 hours earlier.
The celebrations came less than a day after Arsenal suffered a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final in Budapest. Yet the setback did little to dampen the spirits of the club’s faithful, who turned out in huge numbers to honour a historic domestic triumph.
Players and coaching staff paraded through north London aboard an open-top bus, proudly displaying the Premier League trophy that Arsenal had finally reclaimed for the first time since Arsène Wenger’s legendary “Invincibles” side lifted it in the 2003-04 season.
Arsenal had wrapped up the title before the final round of fixtures after establishing an unassailable lead over defending champions Manchester City, who eventually finished seven points adrift of Mikel Arteta’s side.
The league crown marked Arsenal’s first major trophy since Arteta guided the club to FA Cup success in 2020 during his debut season as manager. It also ended years of frustration after the Gunners had finished runners-up in the Premier League in each of the previous three seasons.
Red flares, fireworks and the sound of vuvuzelas filled the air as supporters celebrated a long-awaited return to the summit of English football.
“We’re not European champions, but we are champions of England, and that’s what matters right now,” said Arsenal supporter Julien Guillenenat. “We’re happy to celebrate with everyone.”
Another fan, 44-year-old Mathieu Garnier, believes the Premier League triumph has finally removed the psychological burden that had weighed heavily on the team.
“Three years in a row we finished second, and now that pressure is gone,” he said. “These players are going to be flying next season. I really believe that.”
Adding to the festivities was Arsenal’s women’s team, who joined the celebrations after their successful FIFA Champions Cup campaign this season.
Midfielder Declan Rice, signed from West Ham United in 2023 for a club-record £105 million, said the title triumph had silenced many of the club’s critics.
“People were pointing and laughing at us before,” Rice told Sky Sports. “What happened? They’re not laughing anymore. I love this team, I love this manager, and to see the joy we’ve brought to the fans is incredible.
“Next season we’re coming back for more.”
Despite the pain of falling short in Europe, many Arsenal supporters remain optimistic that the club will soon challenge again for continental glory.
Twenty-two-year-old fan Theo Grant believes the Champions League disappointment will only strengthen the squad’s resolve.
“Honestly, this loss will give the players even more motivation,” he said. “We’ll be back. I believe we’ll reach the final again next season.”
For Arsenal supporters, however, Sunday was not about what might have been in Europe. It was about celebrating the end of a 22-year wait to be crowned champions of England once again.
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Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Tuesday and still face the risk of relegation from the Premier League in their final game of the season this weekend after goals either side of halftime from the home side’s Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos.
Fernandez let rip with a dipping shot from over 25 metres that Antonin Kinsky could not get close to in the 18th minute, electrifying the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge as the home fans revelled in the misery of their North London rivals.
The Argentina midfielder turned provider for Chelsea’s second goal in the 67th, cushioning a high ball into the feet of Santos, who scored from close range.
Richarlison got one back for Spurs in the 74th minute, but the defeat means Tottenham remain two points above West Ham United, who currently occupy the last relegation spot.
However, Spurs have a much better goal difference, meaning a draw at home to Everton on Sunday would all but guarantee their Premier League survival.
Chelsea, fresh from announcing former Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso as their next manager after a limp 2025/26 campaign, climbed to eighth place, which offers a berth in the UEFA Conference League next season
The Blues, who lost to Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, are one point behind Brighton & Hove Albion, who currently occupy the last of the Europa League spots.
Spurs had only themselves to blame for Tuesday’s defeat.
After Mathys Tel hit the post with a header in the 11th minute, they allowed Chelsea to dominate until Richarlison’s goal raised their hopes of rescuing the point they needed.
Substitute James Maddison looked sure to equalise in the 84th, but Chelsea defender Jorrel Hato stretched out a leg to block his angled shot.
The win was Chelsea’s first in the Premier League since March 4, giving their fans something to celebrate after a miserable run that included six consecutive league defeats.
It also means Spurs have only won once at Stamford Bridge since 1990.
-Reuters
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Arsenal F.C. have been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City F.C. were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Bournemouth, ending the most dramatic title race of recent seasons and completing a remarkable transformation under manager Mikel Arteta.
The title triumph marks Arsenal’s first league championship since the legendary “Invincibles” side led by Arsène Wenger went unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 campaign.
For Arteta, it represents the crowning moment of a rebuilding project that began when he replaced Unai Emery in December 2019. The Spaniard inherited a struggling Arsenal side but gradually rebuilt the club into genuine title contenders, guiding them to second-place finishes in each of the previous three seasons before finally ending Manchester City’s dominance.
Arsenal appeared in danger of suffering another late collapse after surrendering a nine-point lead earlier in the campaign, particularly following City’s crucial victory over them at the Etihad Stadium in April.
However, the momentum shifted again when City stumbled with a draw against Everton, allowing Arsenal to seize control of the race.
The North London club responded impressively, winning four consecutive matches without conceding a goal, including Monday’s tense 1-0 victory over Burnley F.C. that piled pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side heading into their trip to Bournemouth.
City’s failure to secure victory finally confirmed Arsenal as champions, triggering emotional celebrations among supporters gathered around the Emirates Stadium.
Fans watching the decisive match in nearby pubs poured onto the streets at the final whistle, while thousands more marched toward the Emirates within minutes of the title being secured.
Arteta had admitted before the match that he expected it to be difficult watching City’s game because of the enormous stakes involved, but the Spaniard ultimately witnessed the completion of one of the most significant managerial achievements in modern Arsenal history.
The Gunners will officially receive the Premier League trophy after their final game of the season against Crystal Palace F.C. at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
Arsenal’s triumph could yet become part of an even greater achievement.
The club now have the opportunity to complete a historic double when they face Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in the UEFA Champions League final on May 30.
Only five English clubs have previously managed to win both the league title and the European Cup in the same season, with Manchester City the last side to achieve the feat in 2023.
The title success also signals a changing of the guard in English football.
With Guardiola expected to leave Manchester City after a decade in charge, Arteta — once his assistant at City — is poised to become the longest-serving manager across England’s top four divisions, underlining how dramatically his status has risen since arriving at Arsenal less than seven years ago.
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