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With a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest, Chelsea secured their place in the Champions League, breaking their goal’s path to the top five on Sunday.

After missing two years, Colwill’s opener at the City Ground made it 2-0 for Enzo Maresca’s side to regain its top club competition.

The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League, four points clear of Forest, who was forced to join the UEFA Conference League after failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.

Chelsea’s fans’ criticism of Maresca’s conversative tactics was criticized, but they still won five of their previous six league games to earn a spot in the Champions League.

READ MORE: Liverpool Wins Premier League Trophy, Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle Secure Champions League, and Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool.

Chelsea can now look ahead to winning their first trophy since the Club World Cup in 2022 when they face Real Betis in Wednesday’s UEFA Conference League final. After that, they will face Real Betis in the final.

Following a turbulent debut season in charge of the Italian, leading Chelsea to silverware and Champions League qualification would be a fitting response for Maresca’s skeptics.

Chelsea’s impressive 18-game away league win streak at Stamford Bridge contrasts with their impressive record of 12 wins from 19 at Stamford Bridge.

After Maresca urged them to demonstrate that they could handle the pressure of a must-win game on the road, they accepted Maresca’s challenge.

Forest, who finished third for a while, had to pay the price for their four previous home losses.

For a club that struggled to avoid relegation on the last day of last season, Forest’s highest finish since 1994-1995 was impressive despite missing out on the Champions League.

Chelsea keep their nerves, &nbsp.

When Forest’s players exited the team bus, hundreds of fans greeted them, setting the stage for a raucous environment that reached its peak just before kick-off.

Awoniyi has been recovering after being placed in an induced coma following surgery after suffering a serious abdominal injury after colliding with a post against Leicester.

Forest was urged to use Nuno Espirito Santo’s horrific injury as their inspiration when he recovered from his ordeal.

In a tense match, Nuno’s team showed no signs of weakness as they worked tirelessly to thwart Chelsea.

Chelsea waited half an hour before Pedro Neto’s wasteful header over five yards after Cole Palmer’s cross beat the winger.

Just before half-time, Forest striker Chris Wood wasted a similar opportunity when he met Ola Aina’s cross with a volley that flew over from close range.

Chelsea’s starting lineup was the youngest in the Premier League history, with an average age of 24 years and 36 days.

Chelsea’s lack of experience has occasionally caused issues during a difficult campaign, but they did so in the 50th minute.

Neto intercepted Neco Williams’ weak move to leave, and his low cross tapped Colwill for a tap-in at the far post.

The 22-year-old defender’s second goal this season suffocated Forest fans, before reports of Newcastle’s top five rivals’ defeat at Everton gave rise to renewed roars of hope from the stands.

It was that kind of afternoon, with country-wide momentum swings, but Chelsea held their ground to claim a lucrative Champions League spot.

Arsenal produced a shock 1-0 victory over Barcelona to win the women’s Champions League on Saturday in Lisbon, with Stina Blackstenius’ goal earning the Gunners their second European crown against the odds.

The Swedish striker’s drilled effort in the 74th minute allowed Renee Slegers’ team to dethrone a feted Barcelona side who had won the trophy three times in the previous four seasons.

Arsenal, back in the final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2007, outplayed Barca in the first half and staved them off in the second, before Blackstenius struck on the counter-attack.

The only British Champions League winners showed their mettle in a superb victory over record eight-time winners Lyon in the semi-final and they stopped Pere Romeu’s Barca from claiming the trophy for a third consecutive season.

Spanish champions Barcelona probed in the opening stages under a fierce Lisbon sun, with Arsenal struggling to track two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati’s darting movement.

Arsenal coach Sleger brought Dutch compatriot Daphne van Domselaar back in goal and she scrambled away crosses to keep her team afloat early on.

The Gunners struck midway through the first half when Irene Paredes tried to cut out a cross and diverted the ball into her own net, but it was disallowed for offside against Frida Maanum in the build-up.

It rattled the normally composed Catalans and filled Sleger’s team with belief.

READ ALSO: Five Dramatic CAF Champions League Finals

Maanum came close with a drive which Cata Coll tipped over the crossbar and veteran Scot Kim Little smashed high over the bar when a corner broke invitingly to her.

At the back Leah Williamson was at her best for Arsenal, battling well with Polish striker Ewa Pajor and doing well to stifle her run as she surged into the box from the left.

Arsenal kept Alexia Putellas, another Barcelona star with two Ballon d’or wins, silent, with Mariona Caldentey, formerly of the Catalan giants, superior in midfield.

Romeu’s side have faced criticism this season, lacking some of the shine of the team that won the quadruple last year, and their first half display against Arsenal was not one of a team that has dominated European football over the past few years.

They came out with more purpose in the second half and a typically slick passing move ended up with the competition’s top scorer Pina’s deflected shot looping up against the crossbar with Van Domselaar frozen in place.

WE’VE DONE IT! WE ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE ONCE AGAIN pic.twitter.com/Vta5nhZrA4

Famous victory 

Barca put 10 goals past Wolfsburg and then eight past Chelsea in the previous two rounds so it was no surprise they began to click going forward, with Ona Batlle firing narrowly wide.

Van Domselaar denied Bonmati at the near post as Barcelona clicked into a higher gear, and Batlle whistled a strike narrowly over.

Finally escaping the confines of their own half, Arsenal forged a golden chance to take the lead.

Capitalising on some slack defending by Mapi Leon, substitute Blackstenius bundled her way through but Coll brilliantly blocked her low effort with her leg.

Barcelona did not heed the warning and a few minutes later the English side took the lead.

Beth Mead, another substitute, played a clever reverse pass to Swedish striker Blackstenius, who drilled through Batlle’s legs into the bottom far corner with 15 minutes remaining.

The expected Barcelona onslaught never came in the final stages and Arsenal, who defeated them in their first ever European match in 2012, completed a famous victory in the Catalans’ 100th to claim the trophy.

This week saw some sweet victories, heartbreaking defeats, and farewells, especially in football, across the sports world. &nbsp ,

The stories revolve around the National Sports Festival in Ogun and the Super Eagles’ team list for the Unity Cup in Europe, where the leagues are at their peak, intercontinental club competitions are nearing their final stages in Africa, and the final phase of the Unity Cup’s final phase in Nigeria.

First 11‘s recap of the major stories that have shaped sports over the past seven days includes these and other important topics.

Man United Suffer Europa Heartbreak

First 11 kickoffs in Europe where Manchester United suffered a heartbreak! The 20-time English champions thought there was a way out after a disappointing campaign: winning the Europa League and making it to the Champions League next year. So they made their way to Spain’s Bilbao on a journey of redemption!

They faced a familiar foe – Tottenham – in the second-rate European club competition. The Red Devils needed the trophy to end the gloomy season’s ghosts, just like their rivals did. &nbsp ,

On the night, however, it was Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs who were crowned champions after a 1-0 win, breaking Manchester United’s heart. &nbsp ,

With just one game left, Spurs are now 16th in the league, making it their first trophy since winning a League Cup championship in 2008 with a victory in that defeat. &nbsp ,

Amorim Defiant Makes Offers to Leave the Union

In the wake of that defeat, Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim made an offer to leave the club if the Premier League side no longer wanted him. Without having a conversation about compensation, the Portuguese said he would leave. &nbsp, &nbsp,

The club will finish in their lowest league position since 1974, which adds to their disastrous season. With just one league game left, United face Aston Villa on Sunday, placing them 16th. But the former Sporting Lisbon boss, who has won just six Premier League games at United, said he still believed in his ability to turn things around at Old Trafford but would walk if he was no longer wanted.

In Turkey, Osimhen Scoops Double

Winners of the Turkish Cup! God is the Greatest ❤️ @GalatasaraySK pic. twitter.com/fyWf1TVBoB

Meanwhile, Tottenham were not the only team that scooped a trophy this past week. Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian, assisted Galatasaray’s Turkish side to claim the Super Lig, the club’s second title in a row, on the first day of the week. &nbsp ,

pic.twitter.com/g9ACyymdQG

The Super Eagle also scored a brace in the Turkish Cup match that Galatasaray won on Wednesday.

Osimhen scored a second goal on Sunday to claim the title of Turkish champions after defeating Kayserispor. The Nigerian, on a season-long loan from Napoli, has 25 league goals this season with two matches to go. &nbsp ,

Unity Cup Misses Miss Lookman and Osimhen

Eric Chelle, the head coach of the Super Eagles, has named his squad for the Unity Cup, a competition involving four nations that celebrates cultural and football ties, as well as a friendly game against Russia. &nbsp ,

However, the team snuck in some well-known names, including Ademola Lookman, the team’s current African Player of the Year, and Osimhen. Instead, Chelle selected 25 international footballers and NPFL (Nigeria Premier League) stars. The Unity Cup is billed to start May 27th and end May 31st, after which the Super Eagles face Russia in a friendly in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. &nbsp ,

Super Falcons Are Ready for Cameroon’s Lionesses

In addition to their male counterpart, Super Falcons coach, Justin Madugu, invited 23 players to their double-header games against Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses. &nbsp ,

The powerhouses will square off on May 31 in Ikenne-Remo before a second game on June 3rd at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex in Abeokuta. The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for Morocco in July, will be a focus of Nigeria’s preparation for the event. &nbsp ,

Arsenal and Destiny Are On A Date In The Women’s Champions League

Women’s football is still being discussed! This week saw the UEFA Women’s Champions League final. Spanish giants Barcelona are up against Arsenal. Arsenal reached the final in 2007 with their first victory, while the Catalan giants have won the competition three times and six of the previous seven finals. Arsenal hope to be the sand in the gears of the Lisbon showpiece despite the fact that Barcelona are on the verge of a repeat of the quadruple from the previous season.

French Open To Serve Off Sunday

In the meantime, the French Open will begin on Sunday as players head to Paris for the second Grand Slam of the year. Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion, will no longer be a familiar face on the courts after his retirement last year. &nbsp ,

But top stars such as Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz will be among the players battling for honours. The defending men’s singles champion is Alcaraz.

Aruna Quadri’s exit from the ITTF World Championships is disappointing.

The beautiful game

All the emotions as Quadri Aruna defeats Benedikt Duda to end his two-game losing streak and defeat Germany 4-2 in the #ITTFWorlds2025 #TableTennis photo. twitter.com/tJAaPqBIFf

Aruna Quadri of Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri was eliminated from the 2025 ITTF World Championships as preparations for the French Open progress to their best efforts. Hugo Calderano, a Brazilian player, defeated the table tennis legend in Doha’s Lusail Arena’s men’s singles final-16 match. Quadri, 36, was the only African to reach the last 16 in the tournament.

Real Madrid Loss: A Legend

Os quiero mucho pic, Madridistas. twitter.com/q2GHHs6zbN

Luka Modric, a Croatian midfielder, announced his departure from Real Madrid after the Club World Cup this summer.

The Croatian has played nearly 600 games for Real Madrid since joining from Tottenham in 2012, winning the Champions League six times, the Copa del Rey twice, and four La Liga titles among 28 trophies in total. &nbsp ,

After a 35 million dollar move to Madrid, Modric struggled at the beginning of his career, but he quickly found his footing and developed into one of the best midfielders in the world. Modric, who became Madrid captain last summer, won the Ballon d’Or in 2018 for his performances with Madrid and also his country, as Croatia finished as runners-up at the World Cup in Russia.

Nigeria wins bronze medal and South Africa wins the U-20 AFCON.

No way at all na him bad pass. Make una use this one hold body. #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 image https://twitter.com/lIzPnesVj4

The Flying Eagles may have wanted to win the bronze medal at the U-20 AFCON, but the age-group team chose to go with the bronze medal. After the game ended 1-1, they prevailed over Egypt as a penalty. &nbsp ,

Following a flimsy 1-0 defeat over Morocco, South Africa, who defeated Nigeria in the semi-final, were declared tournament champions. &nbsp ,

Golden Eaglets Soar At Gateway Games, Delta Leads Chart

Medal Table for Gateway Games 2024.

With 75 medals, Delta State continues to lead the league as of Friday, May 23rd, 5:30 PM.

Where is your state ranked?
#NationalSportsCommision #NationalSportsFestival #GatewayGames2024 photo twitter.com/FJcUR5ECSi

The Golden Eaglets defeated Ebonyi State 5-0 on Friday to advance to the semifinals of the football competition at the National Sports Festival in Ogun State, Nigeria. At the time of writing this report, Delta State had surpassed Bayelsa to take the title in the first week of the competition.

Real Madrid defeated Real Sociedad 2-0 on Saturday in an emotional homecoming between Carlo Ancelotti and Luka Modric, giving Kylian Mbappe a brace and almost earning him the European Golden Shoe award.

The Italian’s departure brings a new chapter to his successful second spell at the club, which included 15 trophies in a total of six years in charge.

Croatian international midfielder Modric will represent Madrid at the World Cup, but this is his final game away from Santiago. When he was replaced late in the game, he was given a guard of honor.

On a heartfelt afternoon for Los Blancos, Madrid fans chanted both Modric and Ancelotti’s names and displayed banners expressing their love for them.

Mbappe also had a successful experience when he scored twice to take Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres’ Golden Shoe lead.

Mohamed Salah’s four goals against Crystal Palace on Sunday, in the final round of Premier League games, could still earn him the trophy.

Read more about the Five Dramatic CAF Champions League Finals here.

Unai Marrero initially denied Mbappe, and he then fired a respectable opportunity over.

Sergio Gomez should have scored with a clean run through, but his effort was weak. Andriy Lunin made a good save.

After a VAR review, Madrid were given a penalty for handling Arda Guler as a result.

Marrero saved Mbappe’s subpar penalty, but the French superstar redirected it for his 30th league goal.

After Brahim Diaz suffered a knock in a disappointing season, Madrid looked set to end the season without a major trophy in style ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States. Ancelotti replaced Vinicius Junior.

Lucas Vazquez, a wide player for Madrid who has been out of contract this summer after spending the majority of his career there, aside from one season on loan at Espanyol, received a standing ovation as he was substituted.

In the race to become the La Liga top scorer, Mbappe scored his second after Vinicius scored his second goal to move six goals clear of Robert Lewandowski.

When Modric left late in the match, Toni Kroos, a former Madrid midfielder, embraced him on the touchline, causing a stir at the Bernabeu.

Madrid came in second place in La Liga, trailing only champions Barcelona, who also triumphed in the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup finals. In their final La Liga game on Sunday, the champions travel to Athletic Bilbao.

With a typically stunning comeback victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the Geneva Open final on Saturday, Novak Djokovic won just the third time to win 100 ATP titles.

After three hours and five minutes on the court, the 38-year-old returned from losing the first set to claim a 5-7, 7-6 (7/ 2), 7-6 (7/2) win.

Only two other players have a century of tour victories, Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer.

That’s for sure, I had to work for it. Djokovic, who is the first man to win titles for 20 consecutive years, said he probably was closer to winning the match.

This is what happens at this level, I thought I was just trying to hang in there. An incredible match ends with a few points, and I’m thrilled to have won.

The former world number one won his first tournament title since winning his first gold medal at the Paris Games last summer against Carlos Alcaraz.

Prior to the Geneva tournament, Djokovic had lost to Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi at the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, respectively, in both of his previous clay matches.

In order to prepare for the start of the year’s second Grand Slam event on Sunday at Roland Garros, where the Serb will aim for a record-breaking 25th major singles trophy, he made the decision to play at the low-key clay-court event.

Djokovic split from his coach and former teammate Andy Murray for his first tournament, but he didn’t have any negative effects.

Hurkacz, a former world number six in Poland, is currently ranked 31st and waiting for his first title since April 2024.

Hurkacz told Djokovic, “It’s really inspiring how you act on and off the court.”

On either Monday or Tuesday, the three-time Roland Garros champion will face American Mackenzie McDonald in the French Open.

Also read: Five Tragic CAF Champions League Finals

Hurkacz’s strong debut

As Hurkacz battled to keep the first set on serve in the fifth game, Djokovic saw two break points come and go.

After a loose forehand at deuce with a double-fault on set point, Djokovic cracked in game 12 to give Hurkacz a one-set advantage, giving the opener an impression of going straight into a tie-break.

Hurkacz advanced to a close-range hold to end the second set before attempting a third break point.

Similar to the first set, but this time, Djokovic could hold it at 6-5 to make a tie-break with an ace.

Four straight points from the Serb’s collection helped the match move into the decisive set.

In the first game of the third set, Djokovic gave up his serve by hitting a backhand long on break point after serving a double fault at 40-30.

After pulling three successive holds to love, Hurkacz fell victim to two unforced errors and a double-fault to give Djokovic a chance to reclaim the title in the eighth game of the decisive.

In a tense 12th game, The Pole gathered himself to secure a decisive tie-break.

However, he made back-to-back errors from 3-2 down in the tiebreaker, giving Djokovic another milestone in his glittering career with an ace.