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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will have to beat one of the most influential figures in his football life when the Gunners face Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-finals.

Arteta’s side host PSG in the first leg on Tuesday as the Spaniard aims to lead Arsenal to only the second Champions League final appearance in their history.

Standing in his way is a close friend who, along with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, played a major role in his compatriot’s impressive transition from the pitch to the dug-out.

Luis Enrique was a senior star at Barcelona when Arteta started his playing career at the Camp Nou, a period that had a major impact on his managerial philosophy with Arsenal.

“He was extremely supportive with the young players, he was one of the main characters by far. I have really good memories of him,” Arteta said.

“What I love about him is wherever he’s been, as a player or a manager, his fingerprints are all over the place.

“You can sense it’s his team with the way his players behave, the way they want to attack and dominate games.”

The pupil has already got the better of his mentor once this season, when Arsenal eased to a 2-0 win over PSG in the league phase at the Emirates in October.

But PSG have improved dramatically since then, in large part because Luis Enrique’s decision to drop Ousmane Dembele against Arsenal for disciplinary reasons has inspired the France forward’s superb run of form.

It was the kind of ruthless gamble that Arteta is willing to take himself.

“I admire his honesty. He will look in your eyes and tell you what he thinks. In the end, players appreciate that,” Arteta said.

“An unbelievable personality, huge character, huge energy. I learnt a lot of things from him.

“For me he’s one of the best coaches in the world and someone who helped me a huge amount. I have the utmost respect both for how he is as a person and his way of working.”

The feeling is mutual, with Luis Enrique saying: “He is one of the best coaches at the moment.

“He changed Arsenal’s fortunes from a somewhat winless streak to one of the best teams in the world that is competing for titles.”

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‘Electric Atmosphere’

While Arteta and Luis Enrique are sure to share a private moment together after the tie, they will put their friendship on hold to focus on finally delivering Champions League glory to their clubs.

Arsenal have never won the tournament, losing to Barcelona in the 2006 final, while PSG have a tortured recent history, beaten by Bayern Munich in their only final in 2020.

Securing the European holy grail would make Arteta immortal in north London and banish any questions about his ability to win major trophies.

The Gunners have gone five years without silverware since Arteta won the only prize of his reign in the FA Cup.

Arsenal head into the PSG tie emboldened by their swaggering 5-1 aggregate dismissal of holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

However, they have spluttered in the Premier League, effectively surrendering the title to Liverpool after a series of lacklustre draws.

In Arteta’s defence, Arsenal have been hampered by injuries for much of the season, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus still sidelined.

PSG have already knocked out Liverpool and Aston Villa, setting them up for a hat-trick of English scalps if they get past Arsenal.

In their first Champions League semi-final since losing to Manchester United in 2009, the key for Arsenal could lie in their ability to recreate the fevered atmosphere that swept away Madrid in the last eight.

“With the home crowd behind us, there needs to be an electric atmosphere, and they will push us forward,” Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard said.

Trossard could lead the attack against PSG, with makeshift forward Mikel Merino expected to revert to midfield in the absence of the suspended Thomas Partey.

“We want the same as last time. The fans were incredible in the home game against Madrid. If we can do that again it would be amazing,” Trossard said.

After overcoming Nottingham Forest to win the FA Cup with a 2-0 advantage on Sunday at Wembley, Manchester City will face Crystal Palace in their third successive finale.

Rico Lewis gave Pep Guardiola’s side an early lead before Josko Gvardiol’s second-half goal made it 2-0.

After the Eagles defeated Aston Villa 3-0 in the other semi-final on Saturday, City can anticipate a showdown with Palace at Wembley on May 17.

City have a chance to win the FA Cup for the eighth time since Guardiola took over the title in their 14th appearance since Guardiola took over the reins in 2016.

After defeating cross-town rivals in the 2023 showpiece, City lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup final last year.

Guardiola hopes to win the FA Cup and earn a place in the Champions League by placing in the top five in the Premier League, salvaging a turbulent season.

City will advance to the final as favorites after beating Palace 5-2 earlier in April at the Etihad Stadium. They are currently fourth in the league with four games left.

However, Guardiola will need no recollection of that season’s success after their four-year reign as English champions was officially ended by Liverpool’s victory against Tottenham at Wembley just as the final whistle blew.

With a game in hand, Forest must lick their wounds and concentrate on their quest to become the first team to reach the Champions League since 1980-81, just two points behind third-placed Newcastle.

It was Forest’s second appearance at Wembley since it reopened in 2007, making City’s 28th appearance there.

As kick-off approached, there was no surprise that the Forest hordes who traveled there were much more vocal, and that large swathes of empty seats were prominent in the City sections.

However, as City’s fans stormed into the lead in the second minute, they quickly made themselves heard.

Slick City –

Guardiola claimed this week that City will be much stronger next season because they have since rediscovered their spirit and drive.

In a crucial 2-1 win over Villa on Wednesday, the City manager was encouraged by his team’s wild celebrations of Bernardo Silva’s opening goal.

Lewis took advantage of the far too much space on the edge of the Forest area with a fierce drive into the bottom corner after a questioning period of City passing.

Forest was too busy for Forest to handle City’s pressing, so Nico O’Reilly waltzed through Forest’s defense to deliver a fizzed blast just wide.

Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest manager, gambled on Zach Abbott at right-back while Neco Williams was suspended and Ola Aina and Ryan Yates were injured, and Anthony Elanga was unsurprisingly sat on the bench.

Abbott, who had only played 60 minutes this season, was repeatedly exposed by City’s attacks and Forest, who was lacking in a cutting edge without Elanga, who was the backbone of Nuno’s moves for the majority of the first half.

In the City area, Forest only had one touch after the first half when he couldn’t pull off a single shot.

Elanga should have celebrated his 23rd birthday with a goal when Nuno sent him on from Callum Hudson-Odoi’s pass.

However, in the 51st minute, City displayed the same ruthless resolve as Forest did.

Gvardiol rose highest to head home after Matz Sels pushed his effort away for a corner and Omar Marmoush’s set-piece left him essentially unchallenged.

Morgan Gibbs-White of Forest slammed another effort off the post after Morgan Gibbs-White crashed a volley off the crossbar.

With a back-heeled movie, Taiwo Awoniyi also made a Woody Woods debut for Forest.

In Sunday’s 1-1 draw with 10-man Bournemouth, Rasmus Hojlund saved Manchester United from a third successive Premier League defeat with a last-gasp equalizer.

Antoine Semenyo’s first-half opener at the Vitality Stadium shocked Ruben Amorim’s struggling side.

With 20 minutes left, Evanilson, a Bournemouth forward, was controversiously sent off.

Evanilson was dismissed after being initially charged with kicking Noussair Mazraoui, even though he appeared to have slipped before making contact with the United defender.

Man United fought back from deep into stoppage time, just in time for their fourth league defeat.

United left feeling better than they did after bitter rivals Liverpool, who were hoping to win their 20th English title by avoiding defeat against Tottenham later on Sunday.

Hojlund’s late goal, however, did not help moribund United, who are currently 14th in the Premier League, make an encouraging display.

When they are crowned champions, Liverpool will join United as England’s joint most successful top-flight team.

Man United hasn’t won a trophy since 2013, and next season’s goal is to return to the top five rather than compete with Liverpool for the 21st title.

Amorim asserted this week that despite being concerned about how he should have delayed his arrival, he has “no regrets” about joining United.

Since joining Sporting Lisbon to take the place of the burned Erik ten Hag in November, Amorim has endured a hell of a time.

Under the Portuguese coach, Man United have only managed six victories in the top six, have unquestionably the lowest points total in the Premier League, and have the potential to have their worst season since 1973-74.

United has one more chance to wrap up the season with a semi-final first leg against Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.

They will need to take the most of this success to defeat the top-flying La Liga side.

United arrive late

After last weekend’s defeat against Wolves, Amorim made five changes, starting with left-back Luke Shaw as a temporary central defender in his first start since February 2024.

In the opening moments, Man United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo used a curler to put a pressure on Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Alejandro Garnacho hit the spot with a powerful strike that soared wide from the edge of the area.

However, Semenyo’s 23rd minute winner gave Bournemouth a bad result in the south-coast sunshine despite Man United’s promising start.

After Shaw made a difficult pass, Patrick Dorgu, a panicked Ghana midfielder, gave up possession and fired a clinical finish past Semenyo, who had scored his eleventh goal of the season.

When Bruno Fernandes’ pass was mistaken by Illia Zabarnyi, allowing the winger to race clear for a shot Kepa did well to tip over, Garnacho almost had the lead.

Andre Onana, a Man United goalkeeper out of position, was almost deceived by Dango Ouattara’s audacious shot that smacked off the post.

Evanilson’s 70th-minute red card gave Man United a lifeline, and Bournemouth grew furious as referee Peter Bankes changed his decision to a red card after consulting the pitchside monitor.

As the final nine minutes of stoppage time drew near, Amorim’s men continued to appear unhurried.

As Liverpool prepare to defend their 20th English title against Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday, they are ready for a spectacular Premier League title party.

With only four games left, Liverpool will be 13 points adrift of second-placed Arsenal, who are mathematically out of reach with a draw.

The manager believes they have a “big responsibility” to seal the deal in front of their own fans after they have been a “hot favorite” to win just their second title in the Premier League era for months.

Five years ago, the Reds won their final championship game with a slightly anticlimactic theme due to the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving Anfield almost empty when the trophy was presented due to restrictions.

In the matchday program, Slot said, “What we have now and what we have in the rest of the season is a wonderful opportunity that we should take advantage of with both hands.”

We now need to finish the work that began in the summer of last year, which would have been an incredible achievement.

In anticipation of Liverpool’s coronation, tens of thousands of fans flocked to Anfield to watch the home team bus arrive, setting off flares in the warm spring sunshine.

From stalls outside the stadium were “Liverpool 20-time Champions” banners and scarves available.

On paper, Spurs, who are 16th in the table and haven’t won at Anfield since 2011, have little to worry about for Liverpool.

Liverpool will be even more pleased with their upcoming title win because it will bring them two league goals ahead of bitter rivals Manchester United in terms of both club’s combined success in English top-flight history.

Salah stars:

Liverpool kept their foot on the gas as their rivals struggled, with the relentless Mohamed Salah as inspiration.

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola team was the first team to win five titles in a row, extending their dynastic Premier League dominance at the start of the campaign.

After two straight runners-up finishes behind City, Mikel Arteta was viewed as the driving force.

However, neither club has been able to match Liverpool’s consistency and intensity.

After nine glittering years at Anfield, it was believed that Liverpool’s players would need some time to adjust to Slot’s methods. He took over as Jurgen Klopp’s replacement in June.

However, the former Feyenoord manager quickly resigned and switched to a more controlled, possession-based game, replacing Klopp’s “heavy metal” style of football with a high press.

In his third game in charge, Slot celebrated a statement victory at Old Trafford, winning 3-1, before conceding defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield.

As Chelsea struggled before City, Liverpool won 11 of their first 13 league games, going one-game clear of City.

Arsenal made an appearance as their closest rival, but they drew too many games, failing to capitalize on the frequently missed Liverpool mistakes.

Despite constant rumors about the futures of three of his biggest stars, Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Slot has flown peacefully throughout the season.

Van Dijk and Salah both recently signed two-year extensions, though Alexander-Arnold is rumored to be close to joining Real Madrid as England’s defensive partner.

Salah has shown the difference by contributing 18 assists and 27 league goals thus far, which is a record for total goal involvements in a 38-game campaign.

After a fiery 2-2 draw with Everton in February, the normally calm sloth lost his cool and was given a two-game touchline ban, despite having acknowledged that “emotions got the better of me.”

When Liverpool lost to Fulham earlier this month, marking just their second league defeat of the season, they hit yet another roadblock, but the title victory was already a formality.

After surviving the Champions League group stage, Slot’s men fought back against Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 before suffering a surprise defeat to Newcastle in the final match.

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia won the London marathon on Sunday, breaking the women’s only world record for two hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds, while Sabastian Sawe of Kenya put an all-star men’s field to the test.

Assefa, 28, was compensated in large part for placing third overall in both London and the Paris Olympics last year, especially when his bitter Dutch rival, Sifan Hassan, who was born in Ethiopia, did so.

As the race, which took place in blazing sunshine and with thousands of runners lining the route, entered its business end, Assefa dropped Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei.

She was almost three minutes ahead of the Kenyan when she returned home. &nbsp,

Hassan was well adrift in third place after beating her in a sluggish Olympic race last year.

She stated to the BBC in an interpreter: “To win here this year is very special. I was second last year.”

“Last year, I had a hamstring injury and trouble with the cold.

“I found it much more suited to me and much simpler this year.”

As they approached the 90-minute mark, Sawe made the decisive break at a bar and won the men’s race in two hours, two minutes, and 27 seconds.

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The 29-year-old finished second only to Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who holds the world record for the half marathon, in the Valencia race last December.

Eliud Kipchoge, the defending champion, finished sixth while Alexander Mutiso Munyao, the defending champion, finished third behind Abdi Nageeye for the photo.

Olympic triathlete Alex Yee, who finished 14th on his debut, was very proud of himself.

Sawe, who won the Valencia marathon last December, said, “I am very happy that I have won a major marathon.”

I was so relaxed and confident because I had everything I needed to do to prepare for this.

“Now I’m hopeful that there will be more success in marathons,” I said.

Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner, both Olympic champions, won the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the wheelchair category.

Hug, 39, won his fifth successive London crown and seventh time. Debrunner, 30, claimed her third overall and second consecutive victory.

She Was Perfect, p.

Although the organizers claimed the race to be the most popular marathon in the world, there were plenty of runners attempting to raise money for charities or suffer a personal loss, it wasn’t just about the stars.

Since 1981’s first marathon, the marathon has raised more than £1.3 billion ($1.72 billion) for charity. It is the largest single-day fundraising event in the world.

In honor of their daughters, the fathers of Alice da Silva, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, who were the three young girls who were killed in Southport, northern England, took part in a memorial service.

The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, sent a video message to them.

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David Stancombe, who watched the race with Alice last year, said, “Elsie was my best friend, she was perfect, it’s like therapy, it’s more than just a race,” and Sergio Aguiar, Alice’s father, said, “I wanted to do something for her.

Isla, the 18-year-old Paula Radcliffe winner, made her Children with Cancer UK debut by running for the charity. She was 13 years old when she was diagnosed with cancer.

The 45th edition of the race had a goal to surpass the most competitors in the marathon format.

More than 56, 000 people were expected to participate this year, including Sarah Louise Haddock, who was appropriately dressed as a fish, from the elite field.

At the New York Marathon last year, there were 646 runners, which is the highest total of finishers. 56,950 runners entered the Paris Marathon this month, but there were fewer runners overall.