‘A magical high in rollercoaster Arsenal campaign’

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How did Arsenal manage to win the Women’s Champions League semi-finals and what they needed to do special.

Perhaps the most significant outcome under manager Renee Slegers so far was the 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 3-2 aggregate lead.

Arsenal’s season looked set to be a huge disappointment six months ago when she took over as interim manager under Jonas Eidevall.

They are now among the elite, and they are gearing up to face legendary eight-time European champions Lyon, who are being led by former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro, in a quest for a place in the final.

Slegers emphasized that it is crucial for both the club and the players. They join Arsenal because they want to advance in competitions, triumph, and compete on the biggest stage.

It’s therefore crucial to us. We are entering the semi-finals, and I’m very pleased with the outcome.

Alessia Russo scored twice and had two more goals for offside when the ball was in the sky at Emirates Stadium.

In a brutal second-half display that saw the Gunners score three goals in 13 minutes, England team-mate Chloe Kelly added two assists and Spain forward Mariona Caldentey added one more.

In the quarter-finals of the competition, Arsenal had previously overturned a two-goal deficit against Torres in 2004, where they had lost 2-0 away before winning 4-1 at home. This is only the second time a team has done so.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, Steph Houghton, a former England captain, stated, “It’s without a doubt that Arsenal team ran all over Real Madrid.”

Gunners show character in comeback in ” Electric ” andamp; ” masterful “

Beth Mead and Leah WilliamsonImages courtesy of Getty

As the players walked around the pitch receiving their deserved plaudits, the fans were dancing and waving scarves at full-time.

The Gunners’ entire performance had been a complete turnaround from their ebullient performance in Spain a week prior, when they lost with a 2-0 lead.

With Kelly’s teasing balls, Real Madrid’s defense was tested, and they could rely on Russo’s sharpness in front of goal.

Karen Bardsley, an ex-England goalkeeper, described the game plan on 5 Live as “electrifying; a masterful gameplan from Renee Slegers and well executed by the Arsenal players.” They had to make a decision.

They had a lot of opportunities in the first half, and they were able to capitalize on them in the second, they said. There was nothing left in Real Madrid.

At Emirates Stadium, there have been plenty of success stories for Arsenal. However, this was a fantastic high in a rollercoaster campaign, and it will be remembered as they advance to their eighth semi-final appearance.

Slegers’ first success as interim manager came in this competition when Arsenal defeated Valerenga 4-1. Eidevall left the day after taking over.

Then, after claiming their spot in the last four, Slegers acknowledged this was “probably the clearest” example of their character to fight back, which at the time seemed tiresome.

She continued, “We have done really good things before, coming back from bad losses and putting up strong performances against top teams.”

Russo’s “fire” as a forward demonstrates “maturity.”

Alessia RussoImages courtesy of Getty

Russo could have been forgiven for feeling frustrated at full-time because he had just scored his first Arsenal hat-trick.

She had two goals scored for offside as a result of two video assistant referee (VAR) interventions, either side of a missed opportunity to play one-on-one with visiting goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez.

The England forward, however, expressed surprise at the breakup and claimed that the idea of joining the quartet had “not yet sunk in”.

Russo told BBC Sport, “It just doesn’t get old; the result, the fans, the Emirates.”

“We were disappointed when we arrived in Madrid, but we knew what we needed to do and the belief we shared. It quickly turned into fire as a result of the disappointment.

Her contribution, along with that of team-mate Kelly, was crucial to Arsenal’s brave comeback, according to Houghton, who attributed it to Russo’s “maturity.”

She now has her best goalscoring season to date, with six goals and 17 in all competitions. She is now the top scorer in the Champions League.

She received a lot of criticism at the start of the season, according to Houghton, who thought she was doing too much work for the team because she wasn’t selfish enough as a striker.

She displayed real maturity in her performance [at Real Madrid]]. Nearly everything she touched was hidden on the internet.

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  • Football
  • Women’s Football

‘A magical high in rollercoaster Arsenal campaign’

Images courtesy of Getty
  • 56 Comments

How did Arsenal manage to win the Women’s Champions League semi-finals and what they needed to do special.

Perhaps the most significant outcome under manager Renee Slegers so far was the 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday, which gave them a 3-2 aggregate lead.

Arsenal’s season looked set to be a huge disappointment six months ago when she took over as interim manager under Jonas Eidevall.

They are now among the elite, and they are gearing up to face legendary eight-time European champions Lyon, who are being led by former Arsenal boss Joe Montemurro, in a quest for a place in the final.

Slegers emphasized that it is crucial for both the club and the players. They join Arsenal because they want to advance in competitions, triumph, and compete on the biggest stage.

It’s therefore crucial to us. We are entering the semi-finals, and I’m very pleased with the outcome.

Alessia Russo scored twice and had two more goals for offside when the ball was in the sky at Emirates Stadium.

In a brutal second-half display that saw the Gunners score three goals in 13 minutes, England team-mate Chloe Kelly added two assists and Spain forward Mariona Caldentey added one more.

In the quarter-finals of the competition, Arsenal had previously overturned a two-goal deficit against Torres in 2004, where they had lost 2-0 away before winning 4-1 at home. This is only the second time a team has done so.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, Steph Houghton, a former England captain, stated, “It’s without a doubt that Arsenal team ran all over Real Madrid.”

Gunners show character in comeback in ” Electric ” andamp; ” masterful “

Beth Mead and Leah WilliamsonImages courtesy of Getty

As the players walked around the pitch receiving their deserved plaudits, the fans were dancing and waving scarves at full-time.

The Gunners’ entire performance had been a complete turnaround from their ebullient performance in Spain a week prior, when they lost with a 2-0 lead.

With Kelly’s teasing balls, Real Madrid’s defense was tested, and they could rely on Russo’s sharpness in front of goal.

Karen Bardsley, an ex-England goalkeeper, described the game plan on 5 Live as “electrifying; a masterful gameplan from Renee Slegers and well executed by the Arsenal players.” They had to make a decision.

They had a lot of opportunities in the first half, and they were able to capitalize on them in the second, they said. There was nothing left in Real Madrid.

At Emirates Stadium, there have been plenty of success stories for Arsenal. However, this was a fantastic high in a rollercoaster campaign, and it will be remembered as they advance to their eighth semi-final appearance.

Slegers’ first success as interim manager came in this competition when Arsenal defeated Valerenga 4-1. Eidevall left the day after taking over.

Then, after claiming their spot in the last four, Slegers acknowledged this was “probably the clearest” example of their character to fight back, which at the time seemed tiresome.

She continued, “We have done really good things before, coming back from bad losses and putting up strong performances against top teams.”

Russo’s “fire” as a forward demonstrates “maturity.”

Alessia RussoImages courtesy of Getty

Russo could have been forgiven for feeling frustrated at full-time because he had just scored his first Arsenal hat-trick.

She had two goals scored for offside as a result of two video assistant referee (VAR) interventions, either side of a missed opportunity to play one-on-one with visiting goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez.

The England forward, however, expressed surprise at the breakup and claimed that the idea of joining the quartet had “not yet sunk in”.

Russo told BBC Sport, “It just doesn’t get old; the result, the fans, the Emirates.”

“We were disappointed when we arrived in Madrid, but we knew what we needed to do and the belief we shared. It quickly turned into fire as a result of the disappointment.

Her contribution, along with that of team-mate Kelly, was crucial to Arsenal’s brave comeback, according to Houghton, who attributed it to Russo’s “maturity.”

She now has her best goalscoring season to date, with six goals and 17 in all competitions. She is now the top scorer in the Champions League.

She received a lot of criticism at the start of the season, according to Houghton, who thought she was doing too much work for the team because she wasn’t selfish enough as a striker.

She displayed real maturity in her performance [at Real Madrid]]. Nearly everything she touched was hidden on the internet.

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  • Football
  • Women’s Football

Southampton want £100m-plus for Dibling – Thursday’s gossip

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Tyler Dibling, a highly sought-after winger at Southampton, Jadon Sancho, a target for a return to Germany, and Alexander Isak declines a Newcastle contract offer, all for £100 million.

With the Englishman wanted by Tottenham and Manchester City, Southampton will demand more than £100 million for the 19-year-old winger. (Telegraph)

This summer, Newcastle hope to lure Liverpool and England’s Jarell Quansah, 22, to St James’ Park, with a £30 million bid. (Times: A subscription required)

Newcastle have halted contract negotiations with Liverpool and Arsenal‘s Alexander Isak in the wake of their initial offer, which the 25-year-old striker rejected. (Caught Offside)

In response to Liverpool‘s interest, Bournemouth will hold a meeting this week to discuss the futures of Hungary’s Milos Kerkez, 21, and Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo, 25. (Teamtalk)

Jadon Sancho, a winger for Manchester United and Chelsea, wants to return to the Bundesliga. His “dream” is to re-join Borussia Dortmund, but Bayer Leverkusen is also interested in the 25-year-old Englishman. (German) (Bild)

Sancho is a subject of discussion at Chelsea, who must purchase him from Manchester United. Chelsea may decide to permanently sign the England international before selling him. Football Insider

Nottingham Forest are considering extending Nottingham Forest’s current contract, which expires in June 2026, for Wales full back Neco Williams, 23. (Romano-Fabrizio)

In the race to bring 19-year-old Dutch-born Spain defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth this summer, Chelsea has joined Real Madrid. (Sports) in Spanish

If Real Madrid want to have Trent Alexander-Arnold available for the Fifa Club World Cup, which begins on June 14th, Liverpool can still pay a fee for the 26-year-old right-back. (Mail+-subscription required)

Before the summer transfer window, a number of clubs are keeping an eye on 17-year-old Chris Rigg, who plays for Sunderland and England Under-19s, closely. (Sky Sports)

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‘So surreal’ – teenager Eala stuns out-of-sorts Swiatek

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Iga Swiatek, a five-time major champion, endured a massive shock as Filipina teenager Alexandra Eala continued her long-awaited dream to reach the Miami Open semi-finals.

After being verbally abused by an “aggressive and taunting” fan, second seed Swiatek completely out of sorts as she lost 6-2 7-5 to the world number 140 in Miami.

The 23-year-old’s serve was broken eight times as she worked to hold serve, and her baseline game was shaky and caused numerous forehand errors.

Eala, 19, managed to maintain her concentration and self-control as she won her most competitive job.

Swiatek, a Polish woman who has received a one-month ban for a doping offence and who doesn’t want to “step on the court,” recently spoke about the emotional strain she has endured.

She hasn’t made a final since winning the French Open in June because of this defeat.

In the semi-finals, Eala will face American fourth seed Jessica Pegula or British tennis player Emma Raducanu who was given a wildcard to play at the WTA 1000 tournament.

She will be among the top 100 in the world next week.

Eala later told Sky Sports on court that “my mind is really blank because I don’t believe I’ve thought through what I just did.”

Eala triumphs against Swiatek as a student to become a master-trailblazer.

Even though she is only a teenager, Eala is already accustomed to leading the country and has a low tennis pedigree.

With the 2022 US Open title, she became the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour match and the first to claim a junior Grand Slam.

The teenager gracing the cover of Vogue back home as a result of their success in New York.

After defeating some of the biggest names on the WTA Tour to reach the last four, Eala has now made an announcement to a wider international audience.

She was a Rafael Nadal Academy graduate before making a stunning run in Miami. She had only won two major-drawn matches.

Grand Slam winners have faced off against Grand Slam champions in three of her four victories at the WTA 1000 event, which is the lower category of tournaments.

Alexandra Eala poses with her graduate certificate from the Rafael Nadal Academy, presented by Nadal and Iga SwiatekInstagram

When Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa withdrew injured in the fourth round, Eala was given a walkover, but she showed once more why she is regarded as an emerging star in Wednesday’s quarter-final.

In her first professional game against Swiatek, Eala put on a strong performance by being fearless, ferocious, and hitting a flurry of winners.

However, they had previously spoken when Swiatek and 22-time major winner Nadal presented Eala with her diploma two years ago.

Eala, who had Nadal’s uncle and former coach Toni in her coaching role against Swiatek, exclaimed, “It’s so surreal.” “I’m so happy and blessed to be able to compete with such a player at this point.

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Ayuso wins stage three to lead Volta a Catalunya

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Juan Ayuso, a member of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG, won the stage three photo finish competition, leading the Volta a Catalunya.

After the two pre-race favorites had cleared the field as the finish line approached, the Spaniard descended to the front of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s Primoz Roglic, who was the Spaniard’s team, by the width of a tyre as the Spaniard advanced to the first major mountain stage.

With only four stages left, Ayuso now leads his Slovenian rival by six seconds in the overall classification.

Third-placed Spanish Soudal-QuickStep rider Mikel Landa, who is fifth overall in stage three, is five seconds further back.

The 218.6km climb from Viladecans to La Molina was a race for the climbers, despite the sprinters’ first two stages being in the favor of the sprinters, with British riders Matthew Brennan and Ethan Vernon each taking home one stage each.

results from stage three

1. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 5 hrs 49 minutes 29 secs

2. Same time as Prince Roglic (Slo/Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe).

3. 2secs for Melikel Landa (Spa/Soudal-QuickStep).

4. 4 seconds added for LENNY MARTIN (Fra/Bahrain Victorious) + 4 seconds

After stage three, classification generally.

1. Juan Ayuso (Spa/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 14 hrs 30 minutes 49 secs

2. Prioroz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) + 6secs

3. 11secs of Melekel Landa (Spa/Soudal-QuickStep) + 11 seconds

4. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) + 14 seconds

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‘Rancour & disruption’- Beaumont warns against rebel vote

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If a rebel motion to remove former Rugby Football Union executive Bill Sweeney is rejected on Thursday, interim chair Bill Beaumont warned that the organization would fall into months of “rancour and disruption.”

A group of clubs, led by those competing in the second-tier Championship, have forced a decision regarding Sweeney’s leadership.

They claim that the organization has lost touch with the grassroots game, citing Sweeney’s salary, which has significantly increased as a result of a pay raise and bonus program in the wake of the RFU’s record-setting losses.

A rival motion from the RFU promises to decentralize decision-making and rebuild club funding and support in the region.

Former England captain Beaumont accused those trying to remove Sweeney of running a campaign that had been, at times, “deeply regrettable, with demonstrably deceptive claims, especially around the game’s finances.”

“All of this playing out publicly has detracted from so many of the brilliant things happening in English rugby, including the strong men’s Six Nations performances, the focus on our Red Roses, who are building a home World Cup,” he continued.

However, RFU executives bear the brunt of the blame for the upheaval, according to Whole Game Union, who has organized the rebellion.

The game’s hostility and disruption was only brought on by their indolence and unwillingness to consider and address the issues that participants, club members, and referees’ organizations have raised over the course of several years, the statement said.

Additionally, it revealed that it has suggested structural changes to the RFU’s membership, which consists of 1,200 clubs and stakeholders, to give the organization’s wider membership more control over key decisions and leaders.

The changes would require a 66% majority to pass at the RFU’s annual general meeting in the summer.

If they were to be rejected, the RFU’s remodelled structure would conflict with the standards set by funding organizations Sport England and UK Sport, which support rugby union and the staging of major events.

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  • Rugby Union