… A seven-game unbeaten run was eventually ended in March, but subsequent key victories over Champions League rivals Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool helped to ensure a return to Europe’s elite club competition. …
… The former Liverpool man appeared to be facing an uphill battle to make the squad, with Tuchel preferring Chelsea’s Reece James, Newcastle’s Tino Livramento and Arsenal’s Ben White in the position. …
… Mariani worked the Champions League quarterfinals, second-leg game at Anfield last month where he awarded a penalty to Liverpool against PSG then overruled himself after a video review. …
… Ex-Liverpool midfielder Alonso, who left his position as Real Madrid manager in January, is known to be optimistic about his chances in getting the role despite sources at Chelsea insisting the race is still wide open. …
… This is Chelsea’s worst run of league games since 1993, and at Thursday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s away match at Liverpool, McFarlane was asked if his players had stopped trying. …
… And in 2019, Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League final in the same week Chelsea defeated Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku. …
… United have won 10 of their 14 matches under Carrick, including victories over Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, to climb to third in the Premier League and seal a berth in next season’s Champions League. …
… In December, the chair of funding agency UK Sport told BBC Sport a bid “has to be an aspiration”, suggesting Liverpool and Manchester could be co-hosts. …
Wayne Rooney has called Mohamed Salah "selfish" and said he should be dropped from Liverpool's final match against Brentford, criticizing Salah's public comments about the club needing to return to "heavy metal attacking football" as a dig at manager Arne Slot.
Wayne Rooney has called Mohamed Salah "selfish" and said he should be dropped from Liverpool's final match against Brentford, criticizing Salah's public comments about the club needing to return to "heavy metal attacking football" as a dig at manager Arne Slot.
Dani Carvajal, 34, will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires in June after two spells at the club covering 23 years. The right-back made 450 appearances, won 27 titles including six Champions League titles, and is among only five players to win the Champions League six times.
Irish President Catherine Connolly is on a three-day visit to Britain, where she is expected to meet King Charles. During the visit, she visited the Irish Cultural Centre in London and addressed Irish emigration, noting that some Irish people are leaving Ireland due to lack of housing.
Xabi Alonso has been appointed Chelsea manager on a four-year contract, beginning July 1 after the season ends. The 44-year-old Spanish coach, recently fired by Real Madrid, said he shares Chelsea's ambition to compete at the highest level and win trophies.
Swatch shuttered stores in Manchester, Liverpool, and other UK cities for a second day after large queues formed around the Saturday launch of a £335 "Royal Pop" pocket watch collaboration with Audemars Piguet, which some resellers listed online for up to £16,000. The Swiss firm asked shoppers not to rush stores in large numbers, warning that queues exceeding 50 people in some countries would force sales pauses, and noted the watches would remain available for several months.
Mohamed Salah has called for Liverpool to return to a "heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear" following a 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa that has left their Champions League hopes uncertain. Salah, who will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years and six major trophies, appeared to criticise head coach Arne Slot, saying their identity under former manager Jurgen Klopp must be "recovered and kept for good."
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior's replacement, Xabi Alonso, was announced following the club's 1-0 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The 44-year-old former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen boss will begin his contract on 1 July and be unveiled in pre-season.
Former Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has been appointed Chelsea manager on a four-year contract starting in July. The 44-year-old Spaniard previously led Bayer Leverkusen to its first Bundesliga title in 2024 and replaces Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, who were the club's two permanent managers this season.
Antoine Semenyo scored a 72nd-minute flicked finish to secure Manchester City's FA Cup victory against Chelsea. The 26-year-old, who was on loan at non-league Bath City eight years ago, said the goal "happened perfectly" and reflected on competing for trophies at the top level after a long journey.
More than 1,000 passengers aboard the UK-operated Ambition cruise ship in France are being held after 49 people fell ill from gastrointestinal sickness. Local health authorities isolated three passengers in their cabins and prevented disembarkation at Bordeaux; a 92-year-old passenger died on board, though his cause of death has not yet been established.
Manchester United's senior executives plan to recommend Michael Carrick as permanent manager to Sir Jim Ratcliffe this week, following his successful caretaker spell that lifted the club from seventh to third in the Premier League and secured Champions League qualification.
Thomas Tuchel has submitted England's 55-player provisional squad for the World Cup, which begins on 11 June in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Luke Shaw, Danny Welbeck, Alex Scott and Trent Alexander-Arnold are believed to be included, though the final squad of 26 players will be announced on 22 May.
UEFA has appointed German referee Daniel Siebert to officiate the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain on May 30 in Budapest. Siebert has already handled two Arsenal matches this season and will be working his tenth Champions League game overall this campaign.
Chelsea has begun contact with managerial candidates including Andoni Iraola, Xabi Alonso, Marco Silva, and Oliver Glasner to appoint a permanent head coach to replace Liam Rosenior. The club hopes to complete the appointment before pre-season training begins in early July.
Liverpool have released images of a planned memorial to late forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash on 3 July in the Spanish province of Zamora. The sculpture, titled 'Forever 20', features a flowing heart design, the brothers' shirt numbers, and lyrics to Jota's fan song, and will be located at Anfield on 97 Avenue.
Chelsea interim manager Calum McFarlane said his players have not downed tools despite six successive league losses that have ended their Champions League hopes, though he acknowledged the performances have not been good enough. McFarlane, preparing for a match at Liverpool on Saturday, said the team remains focused and training well but has failed to translate that into results.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace have all reached the finals of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League respectively in the same season for the first time. Villa will face Freiburg in the Europa League final on 20 May, and Crystal Palace will play Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on 27 May.
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has endorsed Michael Carrick for the permanent manager's job, saying Carrick has demonstrated the qualities needed after winning 10 of his 14 matches in interim charge, including victories over Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
The UK government says it is in discussions about supporting potential bids for the Olympics and Paralympics in the 2040s, with initial work to examine potential cost, socio-economic benefit, and chance of success. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport also wants to make the UK a "go to destination" for major sports events and is considering bids to stage golf's Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup in the 2030s.
Kylian Mbappe's holiday to Sardinia during his injury recovery has angered Real Madrid fans despite club approval, fuelling an online petition calling for his departure as frustration grows over his difficult second season at the club.
Merseyside Police arrested a 71-year-old man during Everton's 3-3 match against Manchester City on suspicion of shouting racist abuse toward Ghana international Antoine Semenyo. The suspect was bailed with conditions including a stadium ban during match days, and Everton stated it has a zero-tolerance approach to racism.
The UK government is in discussions about supporting potential bids to host the Olympics and Paralympics in the 2040s, and will examine factors such as cost, socio-economic benefit, and chance of success. Ministers are also considering whether to support bids for golf's Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup in the 2030s.
Rio Ferdinand posted a photo on Twitter of himself and Manchester United teammates celebrating a 2004 goal in front of a dejected Jamie Carragher ahead of a Liverpool-United match. Carragher replied with criticism, and Ferdinand later responded via his YouTube channel, saying he was simply sharing a celebration moment.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk described the club's season as "unacceptable" following an 18th defeat in all competitions against Manchester United, and stressed the need for significant work to prevent repeating their poor Premier League title defence, which has included 11 league losses.
Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha says interim boss Michael Carrick has the "magic" of the Sir Alex Ferguson era and has been instrumental in securing Champions League qualification with three games to spare after a 3-2 win over Liverpool.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk described the club's season as "unacceptable" following an 18th defeat in all competitions to Manchester United, and said "a lot of work has to be done" to prevent a repeat of their disappointing Premier League title defence. Liverpool have lost 11 league games this season, making them the defending champions with the most league losses since Leicester lost 18 in 2016-17.
Kobbie Mainoo scored the winning goal as Manchester United defeated Liverpool 5-0 at Old Trafford, confirming United's qualification for the Champions League after a two-year absence.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot complained about a VAR decision not to disallow Manchester United's second goal for handball, but acknowledged his side must stop conceding "ridiculous goals" after a 3-2 defeat that marked their 11th Premier League loss of the season.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe looks set to lead the club into next season after talks with the Saudi Arabian leadership. The 48-year-old, appointed in November 2021, faced difficult questions in a presentation to owners and the board but has felt their support this week as the club looks to bounce back after a difficult campaign that included 16 Premier League defeats.
Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after falling unwell at Old Trafford shortly before Manchester United's Premier League match with Liverpool on Sunday. Club officials are optimistic he will soon be fit enough to return home.