Category Sports News

Chelsea may have reached the Europa Conference League semifinals, but the cheers that followed Legia Warsaw’s surprise defeat summed up the current dissension at Stamford Bridge.

The tie’s outcome was largely determined by the Polish side’s 2-1 defeat at home, which gave the Blues a 4-2 aggregate victory over Djurgarden.

The faithful in the stands were enraged by the players’ failure to rise up in response to manager Enzo Maresca’s pre-game challenge to “engage” the fans, but how they succumbed to defeat, despite a formidable starting lineup.

Reece James appeared to question the team’s preparation for a match that was settled by Steve Kapuadi’s 53rd-minute winner after Tomas Pekhart’s penalty opener was cancelled out by Blues left-back Marc Cucurella, prompting him to address the incident and admit it was a “poor performance.”

We had a 3-0 lead, James, 25, James, 25; perhaps that contributed to that. “We are making progress, but that is not progress,” the statement read. It was a step back, in my opinion.

Maybe we harmed the competition. You will pay if you don’t prepare properly.

“The mindset will be affected by it. It will remain hidden in people’s minds forever. I get it, but I’m frustrated. Fans can see the excitement, but we were irritable to watch it.

Boss Maresca felt that Chelsea, as they attempted to deal with increased pressure in the climax of the season, “probably” did not respect Legia enough rather than the competition.

In their quest for a top-five Premier League spot on Sunday, the Italian’s side face a west London derby at Fulham. “I didn’t see any bad moments from the fans,” said the Italian. After the final game, I already said that we needed to engage them, so that’s what we needed to do.

Chelsea has eight league games to go without worryingly winning, which comes back to a thrilling 4-3 victory over Tottenham on December 8th.

Although they were unbeaten in eight home games before being defeated by Legia, the performances have not been enough to acquaint supporters who demanded and demanded better from their expensively assembled squad and raft of internationals.

They are now sixth in the table, meaning they have a difficult task of reaching the Champions League next season, after recent results, including a goalless draw at Brentford and a 2-2 home draw against relegation-threatened Ipswich.

Newcastle are now in third place, while Manchester City are one point clear of Chelsea in fifth and Aston Villa in seventh, but Maresca’s men share 54 points.

The various goal droughts occurring simultaneously among the attacking players in all competitions are another cause of concern for Chelsea:

Before scoring against Ipswich last Sunday, Jadon Sancho was also having a four-game goal drought.

Palmer and Jackson, who have both had injuries, were initially given the idea to improve their physical condition, but Maresca said he wanted to give them a “boost” if they could score.

Chelsea struggled up front, highlighting the fact that Spanish left-back Cucurella has scored six goals since December 15.

We are missing very simple objectives, Maresca remarked. We only had two chances in the opening five minutes, but it is possible. Because they are so crucial to us, we can hopefully start to score goals very soon.

When Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette put an end to Manchester United’s season, Old Trafford had 109 minutes left.

With 11 minutes left, United was 4-2 down overall and 4-4 overall. Finished the game.

Rio Ferdinand stated on the TNT Sports commentary that “united needs more than a miracle.”

Man Utd will never pass away, as the song’s famous lyrics suggest.

Kobbie Mainoo’s 120th-minute substitution tapped into the bottom corner with a stunning, curling strike.

After reaching stardom last season, the young England midfielder’s campaign has been difficult, but this was a moment appropriate for his level.

Harry Maguire, the ultimate scapegoat for United’s constant decline and one who steps up in significant ways, is not to be sung today.

After heading in the winner less than a minute after Mainoo struck, Maguire was wheeling away in agonizing celebration. . Bedlam .

As a spectator, I’ve never seen anything like that. It was incredible. Rio Ferdinand, a former United defender, said on TNT Sports, “We saw so many fans leaving when it was 4-2 and you thought that was over.”

Paul Robinson, a former England goalkeeper, received a similar amount of abuse on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He claimed that “Old Trafford’s scenes are something else.”

Nothing can compare to it, I said. . Bedlam . The staff, fans, and stewards are all on the pitch. André Onana holds back celebrations. This kind of scene hasn’t been seen in Old Trafford in a while.

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a game that way. They appeared to be buried and dead. That character from them hasn’t been in the entire season.

You run out of adjectives, superlatives.

In a European knockout game, five goals have never been scored in extra time.

Although United’s comeback was improbable and absurd, strange things have happened in the Theatre of Dreams.

“You’ve witnessed some extraordinary things at this club,” he said. I recall Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s game against Liverpool in 1999. Former United midfielder Paul Scholes told TNT Sports, “I know that’s only 2-1 and this was 5-4”.

“I always believe you have a chance when you get one here,” he said.

Leny Yoro, the United defender, might have done the best to sum up the situation.

“To be honest, I have no idea what has occurred. It was insane! Fans assisted us in doing it. Even at 4-2, he told TNT Sports, “When you hear the fans, you know we can do it.”

“We had to believe, and you can’t win if you don’t believe,” he said. Fans deserve this because they give everything at every game.

United will finish the season with their lowest-ever Premier League points total, 14th place, and finish the season with that statistic.

But they now have a competitive advantage. Next month’s semi-finals of Athletic Bilbao will feature them in the final at San Mames in Bilbao.

If they win, they’ll next year play in the Champions League.

You’ll have to endure this for a while.

Ange Postecoglou admitted on Wednesday that he had no idea if he would still be employed following their Europa League quarter-final second leg trip to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Tottenham are now in the hunt for a trophy after winning it 1-0 in Germany against Bodo/Glimt, Norway, and have secured their first trophy in 17 years.

“Our fans have been through a difficult time,” said the manager. With Spurs’ 15th-placed Premier League team, Postecoglou expressed hope that this will give them something to look forward to.

“I’m the same coach I was yesterday. Never have the players lost faith. I won’t make anyone laugh at my accomplishments and make them lessenough, though.

I don’t care, it’s not bothering me, and what I do is unaffected by it. It’s always about the dressing room, in my opinion. The players’ beliefs are they true? The staff seems to believe it.

That is much more important than what other people might think of me.

You’re going to have to put up with me for a little while, sadly for many of you.

Postecoglou claimed he never lost faith in his players and feels that his players have continued to do so despite their lowest Premier League finish since 1994, despite the fact that they were on the verge of reaching their lowest finish.

The Australian manager said, “They’ve been so united in believing in what we’re trying to achieve here. And that is what made me feel so strongly that if we had a chance to recover some players from injury, we could accomplish something. That’s what keeps me going.

Postecoglou lives to fight another day when his back is against the wall.

If Tottenham had left the Europa League on Thursday, we’ll never know whether they would have let him off of his duties, but he was certainly under enormous pressure heading into a match that was probably his biggest so far.

You can’t see a scenario where Tottenham would fire the Australian before the semi-final because Victory buys him some time.

He is still in the woods at this point, though, despite it keeping the wolves out of the way for the time being.

Spurs will take into account whether Postecoglou becomes their head coach next season, despite their success in the Europa League.

Both Postecoglou’s and their Premier League form, which has been incredibly subpar, will be taken into account.

Few other famous comeback victories in Manchester United’s history surpass their Champions League triumph in 1999.

Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjr scored the most coveted trophy in European club football that night at the Nou Camp, turning Bayern Munich’s early 1-0 lead into the winning goal.

Although the dramatic and unexpected comeback victory against Lyon on Thursday night did not inspire Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim to go back in time like it did 26 years ago, Amorim was inspired by the experience.

After the 5-4 victory over 10-man Lyon, in which United scored three goals in the final six minutes of extra time to seal a 7-6 overall victory, Amorim revealed to TNT Sports that he had been “watching again the 1999 documentary to have some inspiration for these moments.”

You think the night was over because you thought it was over because it was 4-2, but it never is. I believed that anything is possible here.

After Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot scored decisive goals in the opening half, United had the idea of moving on.

However, they continued to lose the two-goal lead when Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico scored the winning goal in extra time to bring the tie level.

Rayan Cherki put the French side ahead before Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty appeared to have blocked them, prompting some United fans to leave and stop the flow of traffic. Tolisso was sent off in the final minute of normal time.

Then, with seconds left, Bruno Fernandes’ penalty and Kobbie Mainoo’s cool finish levelled the playing field, and Old Trafford erupted when Harry Maguire headed in the winner.

Amorim continued, “The stadium’s sounds were the best ever.”

Some people collect shirts and scarves, but I want to preserve the world’s best sound, which is a tee-shirt.

“I feel bad for the people who had to leave at 4-2 because of the traffic,” he says.

We are aware of our underperformance and merit criticism, but we still have time to create something special for this season.

The players put together one of the most memorable comebacks, according to Maguire and his manager, because of the Old Trafford atmosphere.

He claimed that opening ourselves up to 10 men in extra time was too much for us to lose 4-2.

After their Europa League defeat to Athletic Bilbao, Rangers’ manager, Barry Ferguson, claims that their future “needs to be sorted soon” because they still have a “lot of work to do.”

Rangers made it to the quarter-finals after Ferguson had pushed them past Fenerbahce in the last 16 with goals from Oihan Sancet and Nico Williams at San Mames.

The former club captain has won four, lost four, and drawn two of his ten matches as the manager, replacing Philippe Clement in February until the end of the season.

When Ferguson was asked about his future, Ferguson responded, “Where this leaves me now is that I’m going to finish the season as strongly as possible.”

“I haven’t sat down and discussed it,” but it needs to be resolved quickly because the club needs to do a lot of work.

Ferguson acknowledged that Rangers were defeated by a “qualitative side” at Bilbao.

He lamented two decisions, including a shirt pull on Cyriel Dessers that might have earned him a penalty and a red card despite the goalless game, that he believed could have altered the game.

However, Athletic continued to dominate the tournament despite the officials’ objections, winning in the end.

With only five league games remaining and the title almost over, Rangers will be looking at Ferguson’s fate as part of their plan to overhaul their squad and takeover.

He said, “I was enjoying myself, but I also had an opportunity that not many people get.” It would have been crazy if I had pushed it back.

Following the Athletic defeat, Rangers captain James Tavernier backed Ferguson.

The 33-year-old claimed he was organizing but “switched off” as Oscar de Marcos picked out Williams for the second goal in Bilbao, and that he also accepted responsibility for it.

The defender continued, “We need to reflect on this season because it hasn’t been good enough.” There will be a lot of change, according to the statement.

Steven Thompson, a former Rangers striker,

In the next five games, I would be watching the younger players if I were Barry’s age. Incorporate them in the squad to determine their level of maturity.

Because you always want something to play for, it’s a terrible situation to be in.

Steven Naismith, a former Rangers striker,

It’s past time for this month. It will be very difficult to motivate everyone until the takeover is confirmed.

Unconsciously, the level drops when there is nothing to play for.

Andy Halliday, a former Rangers midfielder,

Fans of Rangers, please let us know what you think.

Should Ferguson take over as Rangers’ permanent manager? What strategy should he use for the season’s final five games?

On a night of shocks in Rotterdam, Chris Dobey defeated Stephen Bunting to claim his first Premier League victory on 2025.

Few would have anticipated the all-English final, with the bottom two going into night 11;

Dobey reached the semi-finals with a 6-2 victory over Nathan Aspinall, his first final since a 6-1 loss to Luke Humphries on opening night.

The 34-year-old Northumberland-born player won his second consecutive Premier League nightly win 5-1 over Bunting and sealed an impressive victory with an average of 101.84.

Dobey, who is currently sixth in the table, is only three points clear of the four play-off spots, while only five points keep Aspinall, who is seventh, and Rob Cross, who are both seventh.

“I think I can still make it to the top four,” she said. If I keep this performance, I have a good chance the following week, he said.

“I’m a fighter, I’ve won big matches and been cruising all the way back to the top.” I’m going to stay until the end, and I’m here to win.

With the defeat of world champion Luke Littler and Dutchman Michael van Gerwen, Bunting won two of the final three matches.

Premier League champion Littler defeated Rob Cross 6-5 in the quarter-finals despite his opponent’s 110 average in the gloomy Ahoy Arena.

In an effort to keep his arrows on track, the 18-year-old, who is leading the league and aiming for a fifth nightly win of the year, went for heavier darts, up three grams to 26g.

After being defeated by Aspinall in the final eight, Gerwyn Price was unhappy with the breeze on stage in Rotterdam, according to several players.

Aspinall initially warned him that he had a shoulder injury, but his Welsh opponent saw off against him without any symptoms.

After that, Price said on Instagram, “We move on to the next week, and this week was pointless.” Everywhere, the darts were exploding.

“I’m hoping we’ll stop coming here and look for alternative locations.” You look just as foolish as you appear if you believe that the situation applies to both players.

Cross had a five-match losing streak against Littler, but he appeared to be on the verge of victory before his rival clinched a 145 finish.

Littler was the 2018 world champion, but the teenager held on for the win again, 110.15 to 108.56.

Dutch fans disappointed when home hero Van Gerwen lost to Bunting 6-5.

The seven-time Premier League champion has only advanced to the top ten games in the first ten weeks, only to reach a single nightly final.

Final

Stephen Bunting defeated Chris Dobey 6-2.

Semi-finals

Nathan Aspinall defeated Chris Dobey 6-2

Luke Littler 6-5 Luke Bunting

Quarter-finals

Luke Humphries defeated Chris Dobey 6-3

Nathan Aspinall 3-6 Gerwyn Price

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Stephen Bunting

Premier League Darts is played in 16 league starts, with quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals on each night.

In the quarter-finals in weeks one through seven and nine through fifteen, with the eight and sixteen fixtures being eliminated from the table, each of the eight players is guaranteed to face the other seven. On the final league-stage night, Sheffield will play host to fourth-and-fifth place teams, with potential playoff spots also in the cards.

Players are awarded two points for each quarter-final victory, five for each semi-final victory, and five for each night’s victory.

In a best-of-19-leg competition, the top four players will advance to the play-off night on May 23 at London’s O2 Arena, with first facing first and second facing third. The best leg of the 21 legs is the final.

Liverpool on Thursday, April 24.