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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says that his team have “gone a step backwards” in the Premier League this season.

After missing out on the title to Manchester City by two points last season, the Gunners are currently 15 points behind champions Liverpool, who they face at Anfield on Sunday (16:30 BST).

Having reached 84 points in 2022-23 and 89 points in 2023-24, Arsenal will end this campaign with a maximum of 76 points.

“In the Premier League we’ve gone a step backwards,” Arteta said.

“With the points that we have created it is clear that we have not done as good as last season, and that’s obvious.

“But with the amount of points that we have generated in the last few seasons, we could have won two Premier League titles. So you know how close we are. We are providing the numbers that win you titles.”

However, the Spaniard stood by his claims after the second leg that Arsenal have been the best team in the competition this season.

“One hundred per cent,” he added. “I’m watching it back, I’m watching all the statistics.

“And when you look at the important stats that normally give you the best platform to win football matches, it is crystal clear who was better.

“But it is not about the winning probability, or what you’ve managed, it is actually about making it happen and making it count.”

It was prior to Wednesday’s match that Arteta first claimed Arsenal would have had two Premier League titles with the number of points they posted in the past two seasons, as Liverpool won the league this year with fewer points.

However, Liverpool, who have 82 points with three games remaining, could yet surpass the Gunners’ points totals in each of those seasons.

Arteta confirmed his side would give Arne Slot’s team a guard of honour before Sunday’s match.

“They deserve that,” he said. “They’ve been the best team, and they’ve been the most consistent.

“What Arne and the coaching staff have done has been fascinating, and they fully deserve it.

In what has been the worst kept secret in the footballing world, Xabi Alonso has finally told his Bayer Leverkusen players he will be leaving the German club at the end of the season.

He will be soon be announced as the new head coach of Real Madrid – once the departure of current boss Carlo Ancelotti is officially confirmed.

An inevitable, if bittersweet, conclusion to Ancelotti’s second spell at Real Madrid.

And finally, the much expected transition, with the Italian legend stepping aside to take charge of the Brazil national team, and the young pretender Alonso returning to the Bernabeu as his successor.

This changing of the guard, from the club’s most decorated coach to a rising star in management, is symbolic. It marks the end of an era and the beginning of a fascinating new one.

Madrid are now preparing for a future led by their former midfielder, with president Florentino Perez viewing Alonso as the long-term answer.

The 43-year-old’s success at Leverkusen has elevated his profile, and Real believe he possesses the tactical sharpness and emotional intelligence to lead a generational transition.

Last year, he led Leverkusen to a Bundesliga title, without losing a game, and the German Cup in his first full season as a senior club manager.

But the task Alonso faces at Real is enormous.

He will inherit a squad in flux, needing to balance Kylian Mbappe’s presence and Vinicius Jr’s leadership, with the Brazilian about to sign a longer contract.

Alonso will also need to integrate youngsters like Endrick and Arda Guler, phasing out the old guard and delivering trophies immediately.

He’ll also need to navigate a boardroom that wants influence, a fanbase that demands instant success, and a media environment that will hold him to impossible standards from day one.

Alonso has the tactical credentials, but this is Madrid where talent alone doesn’t guarantee survival.

Before his tenure starts, Real must win at Barcelona on Sunday to retain any realistic hopes of retaining their La Liga crown. Victory for the Catalans would put them seven points clear at the top with just three games to play.

More likely, the goodbyes have already begun.

After winning La Liga and the Champions League last season, a campaign without a trophy would serve to justify the club’s decision to end the Ancelotti era.

But before then, the Bernabeu will get its chance to applaud him one last time, to give the Italian the send-off that accurately reflects and acknowledges the enormity of his contribution to the club.

Fifteen trophies, more than any manager in the club’s history, in two eras of success, steadiness, and quiet revolution. Ancelotti brought dignity and calm to chaos. He won with style, without needing to shout, and restored order when the club was on the edge.

When Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid in 2021 following Zinedine Zidane’s unexpected resignation, the club was drifting.

The stadium redevelopment was mid-construction, the squad was thin, and there was a palpable lack of direction. Yet Ancelotti brought calm, clarity, and credibility. And with it, a remarkable resurgence.

In his first season back, after the departure of key players Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, the Madrid side secured a La Liga and Champions League double, plus the Spanish Supercup, an achievement few believed possible given the structural limitations at the time.

Key areas of the squad remained unaddressed due to financial pressure caused by escalating stadium costs. But through man-management, tactical pragmatism, and the brilliance of individuals, Madrid triumphed.

That same success though planted the seeds of future discord as the squad was not improved dramatically and departures, Toni Kroos especially, were not replaced adequately.

When Mbappe finally arrived from Paris St-Germain last summer, Perez believed the team would take another leap forward.

Fractures though had already begun to appear, not just tactically, but inside the changing room.

Behind closed doors, disagreements surfaced over physical preparation and discipline and Perez, always deeply involved, became more vocal in his frustration.

From the directors’ box came disdainful comments, on the lack of defensive work by the main stars, despite meetings between the manager and them to turn things around, and Ancelotti’s management of emerging talents.

Questions were raised over the cautious handling of Guler, and doubts cast over whether Brazilian forward Endrick would thrive under Ancelotti’s approach.

On the pitch, the team lost coherence. The dressing room – once unified by Ancelotti’s steady hand – began to fragment. Key players stopped listening to him, others grew weary of his hands-off approach.

Perhaps most destabilising was the rivalry between Vinicius and Mbappe. Both wanted to be the face of the team.

Mbappe preferred to play centrally, but Vinicius believed he had earned top billing. There was no open conflict, but the on-pitch dynamic spoke volumes. In critical moments, they did not look for each other. The tension was visible to staff and team-mates alike.

Ancelotti, usually the master of ego management, struggled and admitted privately it was one of the hardest changing rooms to manage in his career.

On some occasions, pre-match media briefings became short and irritable, with Ancelotti feeling he was not getting the club support he thought he deserved.

He had asked for right-back Kyle Walker in January to cover for long-term injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, but the request was rejected.

Outwardly, the 65-year-old remained respectful. He repeated the same line, “I will stay at Madrid until the club no longer wants me.”

To fans, that echoed loyalty. But to Perez, it sounded like pressure.

Now, as the season nears its end, the Brazil job stands as Ancelotti’s next frontier.

Discussions with the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) have intensified, with meetings held in London and Madrid.

Brazil, amid a turbulent World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, had hoped to secure his signature immediately, but Ancelotti insisted “nothing until after the season ends”.

There is also a financial situation to resolve. Real might not want to pay the rest of his contract until 2026 as Ancelotti has shown, with those meetings, his desire to leave.

Ancelotti wants the club to recognise they are the ones letting him go and, consequently, he should have a pay-off.

The plan now is clear. Finish the La Liga season and, if the financial situation is resolved, allow someone else to coach at the Fifa Club World Cup, perhaps Santi Solari, one of the club’s decision-makers and a former player.

And then the club and manager will begin new chapters. This time it can be a graceful, fitting transition – if all the pieces fall into place.

One of the most interesting subplots is the future of assistant Davide Ancelotti.

The younger Ancelotti has built a formidable reputation alongside his father, from PSG to Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and now Real.

But with his profile higher than ever, and interest from top European clubs growing, this will be the moment he sets out on his own.

Down to the final four.

It is a bumper weekend in the men’s and women’s Challenge Cups with all four semi-finals scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday.

In the men’s competition, Super League leaders Hull KR face 2018 winners Catalans Dragons while 2023 winners Leigh Leopards take on last year’s beaten finalists Warrington Wolves.

You can watch both games on BBC television, on iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final – Hull KR v Catalans Dragons

As seasons go, Hull KR have looked pretty slick so far in 2025.

They have two derby victories over Hull FC in their locker, a hard-fought win against Leeds Rhinos and a thrashing of Salford at Magic Weekend last week leading into Saturday’s Challenge Cup semi-final against Catalans.

Coach Willie Peters’ side occupy top spot in Super League, with April’s defeat by Wigan Warriors a solitary blot on an otherwise flawless copybook in league and cup this term.

Peters has lifted his side since his arrival, leading them to the Challenge Cup final two seasons ago and last season’s Super League Grand Final, but silverware has evaded the Robins so far under his tenure.

However, forward Elliot Minchella believes KR are wiser for their near misses in the recent past.

“You have to learn from your experiences. Twelve months ago we lost and we had to watch another team go on to win the trophy,” he told BBC Radio Humberside.

“We were really honest with ourselves. We weren’t good enough that day and Wigan were the better team in last year’s semi-finals.

“We have to learn from that and that’s the business we’re in. We want to win and to do that you have to learn from your losses.

Hooker Jez Litten goes into the trip to York after scoring two tries against Salford at Magic Weekend.

Having lost their opening three Super League games, Steve McNamara has stabilised Catalans’ form to the point that they have won four of their past five games in all competitions heading into Saturday’s semi-final.

Their one loss during that run came in a tight game at Magic Weekend against Leigh.

But Litten is wary of the threat the Dragons pose given their squad depth this season.

“They’re good. Catalans are always a physical side. They always play well against us. I thought they were unlucky against Leigh. They’re a big strong, solid pack. They’ve got some strike players out wide,” Litten told BBC Radio Humberside.

“They’ve got players like Sam Tomkins, Tommy Makinson and Luke Keary who have been in big finals.

“We’ve got to focus on what we can do and get the job done.

Betfred Challenge Cup semi-final – Warrington Wolves v Leigh Leopards

Rugby league is adapting to a new era, with radical new ideas such as Wigan’s Super League fixture with Warrington taking place in Las Vegas – a venture which has been heralded as a success.

The Challenge Cup has mostly called Wembley its spiritual home for much of its history, but is there still a place for its iconic arch in the calendar?

For Leigh boss Adrian Lam, who has tasted success as both a player and coach in the competition, its history means the stadium should remain part of the furniture.

“There’s always a place for Wembley in the Challenge Cup final. I was fortunate to play in one myself and I’ll forever hold that in my heart as close as anything,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.

“Not too many players get the chance to play in a Challenge Cup final or to coach in one, so we’re really looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

As for Lam’s son Lachlan, who kicked the winning drop-goal in their historic win at Wembley two years ago, he did not have much time to reflect on his achievement given the club’s swift turnaround back to Super League action.

“I don’t think I’ve watched the game from start to finish since the day it happened. It just all happened very quickly,” Lachlan Lam told BBC Radio Manchester.

Warrington Wolves hooker Sam Powell has plenty of pedigree in the Challenge Cup, but is yet to experience victory in a final.

Powell was on the losing side for Wigan as Hull FC won in 2017, while he also lost to his former side when Warrington reached last season’s final.

Should the Wire beat in-form Leigh on Sunday, it would set up the chance for the 32-year-old to tick off an honour missing from an impressive career.

“I’ve not actually played in a Challenge Cup final and won it yet. For one reason or another I’ve been banned or I’ve lost in a couple of them,” he said.

“It’s one I’d like to get my hands on.

“I’d love the opportunity to take my girls down there and let them see me win it.”

Warrington were on the losing side when they faced Leigh over the Easter weekend last month and Powell believes his side are the underdogs when they take them on again on Sunday.

“They’re a physical and big team,” he added. “They had a big turnover of players at the start of the year. We had a good crack against them a couple of weeks ago and this time it will be similar.