Newcastle secure Champions League spot on final day
NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United squeezed into the Champions League places despite losing 1-0 to Everton at home in their final game of the Premier League season on Sunday, thanks to Manchester United's 2-0 home win over Aston Villa.
The Magpies, who ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought by beating Liverpool to win the League Cup earlier in the season, ended up in fifth place on 66 points, edging out Villa on goal difference.
Newcastle dominated throughout but were undone by poor finishing and sloppy passing and they were punished for giving away the ball in the center of the pitch in the 65th minute, with Vitaliy Mykoloenko crossing for Carlos Alcaraz to score with a brilliant header.
The home side poured forward late in the second half as they sought to salvage some pride with an equalizer but Everton were in no mood to accommodate them and defended doggedly to the bitter end, finishing their season in 13th place on 48 points.
Meanwhile, Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League as Levi Colwill sealed a 1-0 win that shattered Nottingham Forest's bid for a top-five finish.
Colwill struck early in the second half at the City Ground to ensure Enzo Maresca's side returned to Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence.
The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League, four points above seventh-placed Forest, who were consigned to the UEFA Conference League after failing in their attempt to play in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.
Chelsea won five of their last six league games to earn their Champions League berth despite criticism of Maresca's conversative tactics from frustrated fans.
With their Champions League fate successfully resolved, Chelsea can focus on winning their first trophy since the Club World Cup in 2022 when they face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday.
Leading Chelsea to Champions League qualification and silverware would be a fitting riposte to Maresca's doubters after a turbulent debut season in charge for the Italian.
Chelsea had won only seven of their previous 18 away league games, in contrast to their impressive record of 12 wins from 19 at Stamford Bridge.
But they rose to Maresca's challenge after he urged them to prove they could cope with the pressure of a must-win match on the road.
Forest, who were third for several weeks, paid the price for failing to win any of their last four home games.
Despite missing out on the Champions League, Forest's highest finish since coming third in 1994-95 was an impressive achievement for a club that battled to avoid relegation on the final day of last season.
Forest's players were greeted by hundreds of fans waving red flares and balloons when they stepped off the team bus, setting the tone for a raucous atmosphere that peaked when Taiwo Awoniyi came onto the pitch just before kick-off.
Awoniyi sustained a serious abdominal injury after colliding with a post against Leicester and has been recovering after being placed in an induced coma following surgery.
Nuno Espirito Santo had urged Forest to use the Nigerian striker's recovery from his horrific injury as their inspiration.
There was no lack of endeavour from Nuno's team as they worked tirelessly to rattle Chelsea, but chances were at a premium in a tense clash.
It took Chelsea half an hour to create a chance of note when Pedro Neto shot wastefully over from five yards after Cole Palmer's cross picked out the winger.
Forest striker Chris Wood squandered a similar opportunity just before half-time as he met Ola Aina's cross with a volley that flashed over from close range.
With an average age of 24 years and 36 days, Chelsea's starting line-up was the youngest over the course of an entire season in the Premier League era.
Chelsea's lack of experience has been an issue at times in a rocky season, but they got the job done in the 50th minute.
Neco Williams' weak attempt to head clear was seized on by Neto and his low cross reached Colwill for a tap-in at the far post.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
12 hours ago
- Arab News
Mbappe ‘not bitter' about PSG's Champions League triumph
STUTTGART, Germany: France captain Kylian Mbappe said Saturday he is not bitter Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League the year after his departure for Real Madrid. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 'I didn't leave too soon; my story with PSG was over. I am not bitter; I had reached the end of the road,' Mbappe said in a press conference ahead of Sunday's Nations League third place match against Germany in Stuttgart. PSG crushed Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League in Munich last Saturday, the first time the club has won the competition. 'I tried everything, and it was destiny that meant it had to happen without me,' said Mbappe. 'PSG winning the Champions League without me doesn't affect me. I was happy, I think they deserved it. 'They've had so many years where they struggled. I've been there too; I've played in every Champions League stage in Paris except for the victory. 'They're the best team in Europe. 'I don't remember seeing a team win 5-0 in a major final.' Mbappe has repeated his desire to win Europe's biggest club competition, but the closest the Paris-born forward got with his boyhood club was losing the final in 2020 to Bayern Munich. The 26-year-old moved to Madrid in the summer of 2024 hoping to lift the Champions League, but the Spanish giants crashed out in the quarter-finals of the competition to Arsenal in April. Real failed to win a trophy in the 2024-25 season, their first campaign without silverware in four years.
Asharq Al-Awsat
15 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sinner Beats Djokovic to Set Up Final Against Defending Champion Alcaraz
After beating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) in the French Open semifinals on Friday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner must find a way past defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Sinner has not dropped a set en route to his first final at Roland-Garros, but Alcaraz has won their last four meetings and leads him 7-4 overall. Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title and Alcaraz his fifth. 'We try to push ourself in the best possible way,' Sinner said. 'And the stage, it doesn't get any bigger now.' Djokovic is the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner's relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier. 'I tried to stay there mentally, trying to play every point in the right way with the good intensity,' Sinner said. 'You have to be ready to counterattack. That's why it's very important to be focused, no? Because if you sleep, then the match is gone.' Sinner became the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros in the Open era, which began in 1968, after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion. Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net. 'These are rare and special moments,' Sinner said. 'I'm very happy.' Djokovic was emotional and said it might have been his last ever match at Roland-Garros. He kissed his hand after the defeat, then put it on the clay, as if saying farewell to the stadium. Sinner's tennis legacy here, and elsewhere, is still growing. He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches, after winning the US Open and the Australian Open. Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final and eighth at the French Open, a tournament he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper. 'I felt constantly under pressure, and he didn't allow me to have time to swing through the ball. He was just constantly on the line, trying to make me defend,' Djokovic said. 'So that's why he's the No. 1 in the world. I wish him best for the finals. I think it's going to be an amazing matchup with him and Carlos, the two best players at the moment.' Sinner praised Djokovic after beating him for a fourth straight time. 'It was such a special occasion playing against Novak in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,' Sinner said. 'I had to step up. I had to play the best tennis I could.' When they met at the net, Djokovic gave Sinner a warm embrace and bumped his chest several times. Djokovic seemed unsure how to trouble the Italian. He tilted his head back in frustration when, in the second game of the second set, his attempted drop shot landed short. Then, his lob was not quite high enough and Sinner smashed it easily. Finally, when a 26-stroke rally went his way — featuring sliced drop shots and even improbable retrieves — Djokovic got a huge ovation from the crowd, who bellowed out 'Novak! Novak!' as he milked their applause. That made it deuce. But Sinner took the game. Sinner was becoming the Roland-Garros showman Djokovic so often was on the main court, where he won three of his major titles. One improvised flick-of-the-wrist drop shot from back of the court was majestic, too good even for Djokovic to get back. Djokovic had a brief massage on his upper right thigh during the changeover at 6-5 down. Serving for the second set for a second time, Sinner clinched it when Djokovic could not return his strong serve. Djokovic took a medical time out immediately and received massage treatment on the same leg for a few minutes. He looked sharper in the third set, but Sinner held his nerve. What was wrong with Musetti? Earlier, Musetti was struggling with his left leg. He was 5-0 down after 16 minutes of the third set when he called for a trainer. Alcaraz broke Musetti in the next game to clinch the set in 21 minutes, winning 24 of 29 points. 'It's not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,' Alcaraz said. 'I wish him all the best.' Musetti called for the trainer again after the third set and, after Alcaraz broke his serve to lead 2-0, Musetti walked slowly up to the net and received a hug from Alcaraz. 'I felt at the beginning of the third when I was serving, I start losing a little bit of strength on the left leg behind,' Musetti said. 'Tomorrow I will do exams.' Frustration got to Alcaraz during the second set, and at one point he aimed a side-footed kick at his changeover seat. 'The first two sets were really tough,' Alcaraz said. 'When I won the second set, I was relieved.' Musetti was playing in only his second major semifinal after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon last year. Alcaraz said he feels in top shape physically for the final. 'Really good. It's been three intense weeks but I'm feeling great,' he said. 'I have a lot of confidence right now.' Alcaraz improved to 21-1 on clay this year, winning titles on the dirt in Rome — beating Sinner in the final after the Italian returned from his doping ban — and Monte Carlo.
Asharq Al-Awsat
16 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Man Utd Raise Profit Forecast despite Turbulent Season
Manchester United on Friday raised its estimate for annual core profit to between £180 million ($244 million) and £190 million after a run to the final of the Europa League boosted club coffers. The adjusted EBITDA figures (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), which exclude items such as profits on player sales and finance costs, are up from an earlier projection of between £145 million and £160 million, said AFP. Ruben Amorim's side reached the Europa League final, where they lost 1-0 to Tottenham. But United endured their worst top-flight campaign in more than 50 years, finishing an embarrassing 15th in the table. Nevertheless, driven by the Europa League run, United's total revenue increased 17.4 percent to £160.5 million in the quarter to March 31 from a year previously. Matchday revenue for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 was £44.5 million, an increase of more than 50 percent, due to more home games. Total operating costs were down 20.4 percent, sparked by a reduction in the wage bill due to United's involvement in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, plus the January loan exits of Marcus Rashford and Antony. A redundancy program affecting non-playing staff, which began last year under minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, also helped cut costs. Chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement that there was a "clear expectation of improvement" next season. "We were proud to reach the final of the UEFA Europa League but ultimately we were disappointed to finish as runner-up in Bilbao," he said. "We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards and we have a clear expectation of improvement next season." Amorim has started what is expected to be a significant squad rebuild at Old Trafford that will likely involve several high-profile arrivals and the exits of some key players. United have acted quickly during this month's transfer window. They agreed the £62.5 million signing of Wolves forward Matheus Cunha and are reported to have a firm interest in Brentford winger Bryan Mbeumo.
