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New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The big talking points at your Premier League club on the final day of the season
Sunday marks the end of the 2024-25 Premier League season and though the title and relegation spots are all sorted, there is still a fight for the European places. Plus, clubs will be fighting for the best league placing they can muster, while many will be saying goodbye to leaving stars, or celebrating with teams who have won silverware for the first time in years. Advertisement At the other end of the scale, some managers and players may not be looking forward to the send-off they get from their fanbases after a disappointing season. So before the final 10 matches of the season, we asked our writers to highlight what we will be talking about at your Premier League club on Sunday. Last weekend's 1-0 win over Newcastle meant second place was all but secured. Arsenal can still be pipped by Manchester City, but it would require defeat at Southampton, victory for City over Fulham, and a goal difference swing of eight. Arsenal fans aren't going to get particularly excited about whether or not they finish as runners-up. Instead their focus might well be on whether Kai Havertz is fit to start for the first time since February. James McNicholas Can Villa sneak into a Champions League place? Can they, as the Premier League's in-form side, complete a turnaround in form which went from six wins in 21 games between September to February to near faultless ever since, with eight wins in their previous nine? Villa must banish a wretched record at Old Trafford on the final day, having only won twice in 29 fixtures. Currently in sixth place, Villa know they have to win. Only then will attention turn on hoping, wishing, Newcastle United and Chelsea drop points. Jacob Tanswell Any faint hopes of a European sojourn next season disappeared with the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Tuesday. Bournemouth's final match against relegated Leicester City is simply a chance to finish ninth, matching the club record achieved by Eddie Howe's 2016-17 team — though only if Brentford and Fulham fail to beat Wolves and Manchester City respectively. Despite the club breaking their top-flight points record for the second season in succession, the way their bid for Europe has nosedived with a run of three wins in their last 14 league games will be viewed as a missed opportunity. Advertisement The final game will provide a glimpse of the work that lies ahead this summer. Dean Huijsen, set to join Real Madrid next month, will play his last game for the club, as could Milos Kerkez, who has repeatedly been linked with a move away. If Antoine Semenyo — another player whose future at Vitality Stadium is in doubt — scores, Bournemouth will have three players with 10+ Premier League goals in a season for the first time (alongside Justin Kluivert on 12 and Evanilson on 10). Anantaajith Raghuraman Brentford cannot break their record points total (59), set in the 2022-23 season, but they can record their highest finish in the Premier League. They need to beat Wolves and hope that Spurs, who might have a hangover from winning the Europa League final, upset Brighton. This sequence of events would give them an eighth-place finish and potentially a sneaky route into Europe next season depending on the outcome of the Conference League final. Also, fans might not want to hear this but they should reluctantly accept that the incredible partnership of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa is about to end. Mbeumo is attracting interest from other top-flight sides and it feels inevitable he will leave this summer. Mbeumo and Wissa have been thrilling to watch and the supporters should enjoy what will probably be their final outing together. Jay Harris Brighton can qualify for Europe, but even if things fall into place at Tottenham, they will not know their fate until three days later! Four things have to happen to reach the Conference League. First, retain eighth place, which is guaranteed unless Brighton lose at Tottenham and Brentford leapfrog them on goal difference with a win at Wolves. Also, Chelsea have to lose at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa have to avoid defeat at Manchester United. That pushes Chelsea out of the Champions League spots to seventh. Advertisement Lastly, Chelsea have to win the Conference League final against Real Betis in Poland next Wednesday. The winners of the final qualify for the Europa League. Newcastle's Conference League place for winning the Carabao Cup then goes to the team finishing eighth, since they are guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League or Europa League. Andy Naylor There will be no gentle kick-about, thinking of their summer holidays, for the Chelsea players. Rightly or wrongly, how the league season will be perceived by much of the fanbase and people outside the club is on the line at the City Ground. Chelsea can end up as high as third or as low as seventh, the latter being a worse finish than last year even though they have accrued more points. The permutations to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in three seasons are as follows: victory should see them through, a draw means they are relying on favours from elsewhere, and defeat sees them needing a miracle. Given their terrible away record in 2025, a costly loss has to be considered a high possibility. That will probably see them drop to seventh and needing to win the Conference League final on Wednesday to avoid having to play in the weakest European competition again next season — lifting that trophy will guarantee Europa League football. Simon Johnson Take your pick, really: whether Liverpool should give Palace a guard of honour; how impressive Oliver Glasner has been; what potential European adventures await next season; how Palace eclipsed their record Premier League points total (49); and whether they can extend their final tally to 55 and even sneak up a few places in the table. But this is one time where Palace fans will be looking back and celebrating, or looking forward with anticipation, rather than living entirely in the present as Glasner rightly and impressively always appears to do. Matt Woosnam Not much intrigue for Everton on the final day. They head to face Newcastle United at St James' Park already assured of a 13th-place finish after Wolverhampton Wanderers' midweek defeat to Crystal Palace. Supporters will get to say goodbye to Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ashley Young before the pair leave the club when their deals expire at the end of the season. There will also be a final chance for loanee Carlos Alcaraz to stake a claim for a permanent move. Everton have the option to sign the Argentine from Flamengo for a fee of €15million (£12.6m; $17m). Patrick Boyland When the full-time whistle blows at Craven Cottage on Sunday, the eyes of home fans will turn to Marco Silva. Regardless of the result against Manchester City, Fulham can finish no higher than ninth, no lower than 12th. Instead, with the future of their head coach a constant talking point this season, supporters will be watching Silva for any clues. Advertisement Is that a wave goodbye or a 'see you soon'? Has he just kissed the badge? Are those tears in his eyes? Fulham's dip in form has left some fans feeling this summer is the time to part ways. They won't know for sure who will be sat in the dugout in August, but on Sunday, you can bet there will be plenty of theories. Justin Guthrie When will Portman Road next see Premier League football? Ipswich fans have been here before — a 22-year absence followed the club's last relegation from the top flight in 2002. Ipswich's underdog status and Kieran McKenna's style of play saw comparisons drawn with both Luton Town and Burnley this season — the two clubs have had vastly contrasting fortunes following their relegation. After buying the makings of a Championship super team last summer, how quickly will Ipswich find their feet back in the second tier? Sunday's game could also signal final Ipswich appearances for the highly coveted Liam Delap, popular loan players Jens Cajuste and Julio Enciso, and front-of-shirt sponsor Ed Sheeran. Ali Rampling Who is going to be the manager next season and which players will still be at the club in the Championship? Every week, Ruud van Nistelrooy has said he has heard nothing from the club about their plans for next season after he had told them what he wants to do this summer. That would suggest they are planning without him and the Bournemouth game could be his last as manager of the club. The identity of his successor and the direction they want to take the club in will determine who will still be playing for the club next season, although it is expected assets will be sold, including goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Rob Tanner The most rewarding feeling of the entire season will be felt at Anfield when Liverpool lift the Premier League trophy. Freed From Desire will probably make it onto the playlist again. They'll be another guard of honour — honestly they're getting a bit boring now — and Arne Slot will make notes and avoid a scouting session ahead of the Community Shield. Premier League champions vs FA Cup winners on the final day of the season has a nice ring to it, too. Gregg Evans Can we have one final Kevin De Bruyne encore? Just one more, please. City have to secure Champions League qualification but it is as much about the Belgian midfielder. His farewell to the Etihad in midweek was emotional but the trip to Craven Cottage, presumably his last in English football, will be the end of an era. Advertisement De Bruyne has dominated the last decade of English football, creating the joint-most chances in Premier League history, alongside Cesc Fabregas. If he can add to the existing 846 and produce another magical assist, it will give the fans one last dopamine hit before they step into the unknown next season. Jordan Campbell What now? Defeat in the Europa League final has confirmed this will be remembered as United's worst season in 51 years. The only real intrigue on the pitch will be whether Ruben Amorim's side can avoid finishing 17th against a highly motivated Aston Villa. Old Trafford is invariably supportive of United managers and — except on the odd occasion — players too, but Sunday's atmosphere will be fascinating to gauge. Fan group The 1958 will march ahead of kick-off to mark the 20th anniversary of the Glazer family's takeover, but do not be surprised if Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also in their crosshairs after a dismal first full season in control. Mark Critchley Whatever happens against Everton on Sunday, Newcastle have made history this season. By winning the Carabao Cup in March, Eddie Howe's team ended a 70-year wait for a domestic trophy and guaranteed themselves a place in the Conference League. So why the tension, the nerves, the excitement? Because after being 12th in December, an astonishing run of form has seen Newcastle shoot upwards and one more win will bring them Champions League football. This will mean more money, more prestige, a greater chance of signing elite players and keeping the ones they already have. A truly transformative season might just become one of their best ever. George Caulkin Will Nuno Espirito Santo's side be able to sneak back into the top five and secure Champions League football? A win over Chelsea at the City Ground would definitely secure a Europa League place. A draw or defeat could lead to the slight — as ridiculous as it sounds — disappointment of a place in the qualifying rounds of the Conference League. Having transformed Forest from relegation fodder into challengers for Europe, does Nuno have one last ace up his sleeve? Paul Taylor When will we see you again, Premier League? Right now, an immediate return feels optimistic at best and so it's easy to wonder how much bleaker this period could become. That's sure to be a hot topic in the stands on the final day. And a big factor in that, as Southampton explore a list of possible managers for next season, is who might be leading the team forward on the pitch. Nothing looks completely settled for the future, which is all a bit scary but could yet work out if Southampton get the next phase of their evolution right. Advertisement So, refreshingly, quite a lot to talk about compared to the eternal discussion point this season of whether Saints would hit 12 points once it became very clear they were doomed for relegation. Nancy Froston The only thing Spurs fans are going to be talking about all summer, let alone on the final day of the season, is winning the Europa League. They have lifted silverware for the first time in 17 years following Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Manchester United. This might be the last time the supporters get to show their adulation towards head coach Ange Postecoglou. There has been doubt over his long-term future for months due to their poor performances in the league. Becoming the first manager since Keith Burkinshaw in 1984 to win a European trophy with Spurs might not be enough for the Australian to cling onto his job. Instead, this game probably will turn out to be a fond farewell for Postecoglou and the atmosphere will be incredible. The 59-year-old's place in Tottenham's history books is secured and he will love parading the trophy around all four corners of their stadium, even if it will feel bittersweet to say goodbye. Jay Harris Before the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, West Ham United announced that Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Vladimir Coufal and Danny Ings would be leaving when their contracts expire at the end of the season. Michail Antonio's contract is also set to expire but the forward is yet to be offered a new deal. It would be an ill-advised move for the club to allow Antonio to leave without saying farewell to supporters. Antonio is West Ham's all-time Premier League goalscorer and a fan favourite. When Angelo Ogbonna sustained a cruciate ligament injury, he was given a one-year deal so he could continue his rehabilitation. Given Antonio's years of loyalty to the club, he also deserves the same treatment. Advertisement Regardless, this is an opportunity to bid farewell to those who are departing. Roshane Thomas Who are we saying goodbye to? There is little riding on the final game of the season for Wolves, who have been safe from relegation for several weeks and whose form has fallen away since survival was secured with an unexpected six-game winning run. But the separate agenda for Wolves supporters will be working out which first-team players they are watching in gold and black for the final time. It seems highly likely that Matheus Cunha will be off this summer and, despite Wolves continuing to discuss a new deal with captain Nelson Semedo, he appears likely to go on a free transfer. Pablo Sarabia is also expected to leave as a free agent while it is possible that Jose Sa, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Hwang Hee-chan will be sold. Steve Madeley (Top images: Eddie Howe and Kevin De Bruyne via Getty Images)
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The unusual atmosphere at the Emirates for Arsenal vs PSG: A discussion
Before Arsenal's Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, Mikel Arteta stressed how important the home crowd could be. 'I'm not exaggerating when I [say] bring your boots, bring your shorts, bring your T-shirts and let's play every ball together,' he told his pre-match press conference. 'We want to do something special, that place has to be something special, something that we haven't seen.' Advertisement On match day, Arsenal even released a video on social media with Arteta addressing supporters to say, 'I count on you. Let's make it happen.' But television coverage of the 1-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain was critical of the stadium's atmosphere, with Wayne Rooney telling TNT, '[I was] disappointed with the fans … I thought tonight they were a bit subdued… almost like an anti-climax because Arsenal beat Real Madrid, that they are going to walk into the final [and] win the competition.' There has also been some social media criticism of the steps Arsenal took to augment the atmosphere, with the cannon tifo draped from the roof of the North Bank the subject of some barbed comments. Arsenal turned down the fans tifo design request to produce this monstrosity. Champions League semi-final and this was the best they could come up with? So disappointed. — Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) April 29, 2025 The Athletic's James McNicholas, Art de Roché and Kaya Kaynak were all in attendance on Tuesday night and discussed their thoughts on the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium. James McNicholas: The atmosphere was absolutely electric for the first leg against Real Madrid. How do you think this compared? Kaya Kaynak: Prior to the game, the atmosphere was really good. In the concourses, people were singing, which wasn't the case against Real Madrid. Everyone seemed to be in their seat nice and early. The pre-match choruses of 'allez, allez, allez' were just as good as the Real match. Art de Roché: I wasn't at the Real Madrid game, but ahead of kick-off I felt like this was the loudest I had experienced the Emirates pre-match. I even asked James just before the game if it was this loud for Madrid and posted a video because it felt different. Great noise ahead of kick off — Art de Roché (@ArtdeRoche) April 29, 2025 Kaynak: I think a combination of the awkwardly-timed minute's silence for Pope Francis, PSG's early goal and Arsenal's jittery start poured cold water over any flames of atmosphere that were building up. McNicholas: That minute of silence happened, and of course, it dampened everything down. I understand that Pope Francis is a much-loved figure, but as a fan, you just want to keep that cauldron of noise at boiling point. The same thing happened in the Bernabeu when they had a period of silence for Leo Beenhakker and Mario Vargas Llosa — it took the sting out of it, and that helped Arsenal. Advertisement Kaynak: The fact that the players weren't ready for it and that the referee seemed confused as to when to blow the whistle really didn't help either. It was tricky to get back up to the levels that had been built so perfectly when the players walked out. It might have made more sense to do the minute's silence before the Crystal Palace game. De Roché: It took ages for the majority of the stadium to fall into silence, and even then, patches of the ground couldn't hold in their noise for long. Kaynak: This may seem minor, but Arsenal switched up their pre-match routine slightly. Normally the players' names will be read out by the stadium announcer once the players have walked out on the pitch and after the Champions League anthem has been played. It keeps fans engaged as the players do the pre-match rituals like the squad photo and coin toss, and usually builds a pretty nice atmosphere as fans cheer the players. This time, though, they were read out before the players had even walked out. I think it left people sort of milling about on the terraces in that weird gap between when the players walk out and when the game actually kicks off. Like I say, small fry in the grand scheme of things, but something that felt a bit out of kilter. McNicholas: That's interesting. I think UEFA matchdays have their own rhythm, and Arsenal also had to accommodate the silence. What did you make of Arteta's pre-match rallying cry? A post shared by Arsenal (@arsenal) De Roché: That was not too surprising. Arsenal have used Arteta in similar types of videos ahead of big matches for years, so it made sense for another to come for arguably the biggest game in the Emirates era. Particularly after his pre-match press conference, it felt like Arteta was making possibly his biggest effort yet to generate an energy with fans who would be at the stadium. To be fair to him, it seemed to have worked early on. Kaynak: To be honest, I'm not sure how much of a difference it makes. Arteta had been talking about fans bringing the atmosphere in his press conferences since the Crystal Palace game, so this video felt a bit like overkill. The fact that the videos are so widely shared on social media beforehand means that they don't have that much of an effect when they're played in the stadium just before kick-off too. Everyone has seen them by that point already, so the novelty kind of wears off. Advertisement McNicholas: And what of the tifos? I must admit, I was pretty excited by the talk of a huge tifo being hung from the roof of the North Bank. In reality, however, it was pretty underwhelming: it looked a bit limp, and the design felt quite corporate as compared to some of the tifos you'll see across Europe. Kaynak: With all the wiring in the stadium, there was a lot of hype before the match about what it would be, but when the flag was unfurled, it was a bit of a damp squib. Arsenal have done things like putting plastic bags on seats for fans to hold up as the players walk out in the recent past, and they've made for stunning visuals. But this was nowhere near that. McNicholas: Those bags worked brilliantly for the Real Madrid game, creating that red-and-white mosaic effect that stretched all the way around the ground. Kaynak: There were some suggestions for alternative tifo designs doing the rounds on social media that were supposedly rejected by the club, and, to be honest, I get why. Arsenal didn't want to give PSG any extra impetus. But in what was probably the biggest game since the club moved to the Emirates, there was surely a balance to be struck. Arsenal only needed to look to the last away game PSG played in the Champions League, where Aston Villa stayed comfortably on the right side of the thin line between intimidation and offence with a beautiful tifo that celebrated the heritage of Villa Park. They could have done the same, but this half-hearted effort just ended up feeling pretty sterile. De Roché: I thought the 'Make it Happen' tifo fit the occasion, but the cannon one missed the mark. Ahead of the Real Madrid game, a tifo of Thierry Henry's celebration from 2006 was shown — that's another example of getting it right. That tifo wasn't massive, but it was emotive in many ways and got a clear message across. The cannon was a bit lacklustre after seeing the strings up in preparation the day before. Arsenal have tried using tifos before but, as Kaya has said, I think there are many better examples of how to get it right in the Premier League. Other than Aston Villa's pre-PSG, Crystal Palace's are probably the standout tifos in England. The makeup of their stadiums may help, but that does still feel like an area for Arsenal to improve in. Advertisement McNicholas: I know Arsenal have engaged with fan groups about the tifos. It's such a difficult balance to strike between taking active steps to improve the atmosphere, and that tipping over into feeling corporate or inauthentic. I actually think Arsenal have trodden that line really well in recent years, and there's been a significant benefit in terms of atmosphere. The club, as well as fan groups, deserve credit for helping to foster that. Maybe the execution was a bit off this time, but I can be sympathetic to that. It's good that they're prepared to try new things. Changing subject slightly, there's an ongoing debate among Arsenal fans about ticket access and the ballot system. Art and I were sitting in the press box — did the ground feel like it was full of authentic, passionate supporters? Kaynak: There was a bit of a split. Where I sit, there are a bunch of regulars who come to every game. To my right, all the usual people were there, but to my left it was mostly strangers. If I'm being honest, though, that was similar at the Real Madrid game. I think there are some serious flaws with the ballot system that Arsenal use, but I have my reservations over how much that really impacted the atmosphere on the night against PSG. McNicholas: So, what did impact the atmosphere? A goal for PSG within the first four minutes certainly didn't help! Kaynak: Yeah, that was a real sucker punch. Since Covid, pretty much whenever Arsenal have conceded at the Emirates, fans have reacted with an encouraging roar to try and get the team going again, but it didn't really happen here. I think, from that point on, the atmosphere turned quite anxious, particularly with how well PSG were pressing, and I think that translated onto the pitch where usually cool customers like William Saliba, Jurrien Timber and David Raya looked quite nervous. De Roché: Other than the minute's silence and early goal, I think PSG keeping the ball as well as they did in the first 10-15 minutes had an impact too. One of Arsenal's biggest improvements in recent years has been how they perform away from home, and a big part of that is how they keep the ball to take the energy out of a home crowd before taking the game where they want it to go. It was unfortunate they had that happen to them, as their noise seemed to come in flashes after what appeared to be a promising build-up. McNicholas: I think in that first half an hour, there was a bit of a collective reassessment as the home fans recognised and came to terms with the scale of the task. I haven't seen Arsenal dominated like that at home for a long time. Advertisement Kaynak: I do wonder if all the pre-match fervour created a bit of mental fatigue in the second half as well. After Merino's goal was disallowed, Arsenal looked shattered, and given they've had a week off, physical tiredness can't really be an excuse. When there was nothing dynamic happening off the pitch, it was hard to build an atmosphere in the stands. The stop-start nature of the game didn't help either. The officials seemed to really sweat the small stuff, like where players were standing on throw-ins, and when that happens, it's really hard to build any momentum. McNicholas: I think that's the key word: momentum. The momentum of team and crowd was derailed by that early PSG goal, and I don't think the atmosphere fully recovered. Had Arsenal scored first, it would undoubtedly have been a different story. It'd also be remiss not to mention the PSG fans, who certainly played their part on the night. I wonder if the fact that their chanting was so audible on television has played into the subsequent discourse around the fans and the atmosphere. I can't remember many noisier sets of travelling supporters. Hopefully, the Arsenal fans can match their efforts in Paris next week.
New York Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Arsenal live Q&A: James McNicholas answers your post-PSG questions
April 30, 2025 at 9:00 AM EDT And so to Paris we go after a disappointing 1-0 defeat at home against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League semi-final first leg. There was a bluntness in Arsenal's performance, partly down to PSG's impressive midfield, while Ousmane Dembele and Gianluigi Donnarumma put in game-changing displays. But the difference is still only one goal. What should Mikel Arteta do for the second leg next week to make a difference? It is away at Parc des Princes next Wednesday and before then, there is a match in the Premier League (remember that?) against Bournemouth on Saturday. There is also, as always, transfers and contracts to discuss as new sporting director Andrea Berta settles into his new role before a big summer. Get your questions in now and and James McNicholas will be with you between 2pm and 3pm BST (9am to 10am ET) to answer as many as he can. James McNicholas April 30, 2025 6:30 am EDT
New York Times
18-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Are Arsenal the favourites to win the Champions League?
Arsenal's 2-1 victory against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday not only sealed a famous 5-1 aggregate victory over the 15-time winners, but it also sent them to their first Champions League semi-final since 2009. The Champions League remains the one major trophy that has eluded Arsenal throughout their history, but after knocking out the defending champions and with a semi-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain — who they beat 2-0 in the league stage — Mikel Arteta's side will undoubtedly believe this could be their year. Advertisement On the latest episode of Handbrake Off, James McNicholas, Ian Stone, and Art de Roche discussed whether Arsenal should be considered favourites to win the competition. A partial transcript of his interview has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the Handbrake Off feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. James McNicholas: The last few weeks of this season could be so spectacular that we forget about almost everything that came before. Football's a strange game in that respect. We've suffered at times this season. It's felt like everything has gone against us and it's not been our year. But suddenly, there's this path to glory opening up in front of us. Sometimes it defies analysis. Arsenal sense their moment, sense their opportunity, and it's difficult to disagree. Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals, and what a tie that promises to be. London and Paris, Arsenal, with all the French heritage in the club historically. PSG have been in brilliant form and were superb against Liverpool and Aston Villa. But Arsenal are the vanquishers of Real Madrid, the conquerors of the holders, and perhaps favourites at this point. If you knock out Madrid, it's very hard to dismiss that idea. Ian Stone: I really love what James said there, Art. The way he talked about it and how important this is for the status of the club, for where we are now. We are the favourites. The bookies have us as favourites although, obviously, that would be in the UK, where more money would be lumped on Arsenal rather than the other teams. We are missing some players and the suspended Thomas Partey will miss the first leg as well, which was the one annoying moment aside from Bukayo Saka's missed penalty. It showed by the way Declan Rice had a go at him, he was like, 'What are you doing? That's making it harder for us?'. Rice will just have to do more work now, but that's all right. Are we the favourites now, Art? Advertisement Art: Arteta and the players have to be bold and view themselves that way. Otherwise, there's no point being in a semi-final. From an observer's point of view, they might edge it as favourites. I'd rather face Bayern Munich than Inter from the other semi-final because Arsenal and Inter have had the two best defences in the Champions League this season. That would be very attritional to watch. Ian: I said I'd prefer to get Real Madrid than Atletico Madrid for the same reason. Art de Roche: Right, and in the semi-final against PSG, Arsenal have that edge of beating them already this season. They're a different team, but Arsenal will also be a different team heading into the tie. You can listen to full episodes of Handbrake Off free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
New York Times
17-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
TAFC: How Arsenal silenced the Bernabeu, Kevin De Bruyne future, best fit for Dean Huijsen
The Athletic FC is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Pump out the white smoke, we have our Champions League semi-finalists and some breaking news from Anfield. On the way: Real Madrid insisted it was going to be different, a comeback, or 'Remontada', of epic proportions. 'Ninety minutes at the Bernabeu are very long,' they posted on social media, in 20 languages. And because they had done it so many times before, many believed their manifestation. But Arsenal did not. They managed the game calmly to secure a 2-1 win on the night and a 5-1 aggregate triumph — as Arsenal writer James McNicholas says, this was a night that Mikel Arteta's team came of age. Advertisement Real Madrid, meanwhile, flew out with emotion, but it was only realised in white shirts flying into Arsenal players. They ended the game with the same number of yellow cards as shots on target (three). Bukayo Saka, who made up for a fluffed Panenka penalty with his second-half goal, was halved by David Alaba and later confronted by Madrid's injured club captain, Dani Carvajal, at half-time. After scoring, he shushed the Bernabeu a la Thierry Henry in 2006 (above). Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger used 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly, outstanding throughout, as a dancefloor (below). But the night was typified by Declan Rice's duel with Jude Bellingham. England's midfield pairing tangled and quarrelled several times, but while Rice saw a penalty given against him overturned, Bellingham was left on the verge of tears and reduced to tossing Arsenal players to the floor. This was arguably the biggest win of Mikel Arteta's career, but for Carlo Ancelotti, Madrid's first quarter-final exit in 21 years leaves questions about his future. 'Your final Champions League game?' he was asked. 'This season, yes,' the Italian replied. Dermot Corrigan has written about how Madrid lacked fundamentals. While Arsenal enjoyed one of their greatest nights, two former players of rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Harry Kane and Eric Dier, were scoring for Bayern Munich against Inter. But it was to no avail as Inter went through. Vincent Kompany's debut season looks likely to bring the Bundesliga title, but as Seb Stafford-Bloor writes, quarter-final exits are not viewed as successful seasons in Bavaria. Bayern were left frustrated — Josip Stanisic even pushed a ball boy off his stool in exasperation. As for the semi-finals, the line-up is set. Paris Saint-Germain will play a Premier League side for the third round in a row, travelling to Arsenal for the first leg on April 29. One night later, Barcelona will host Inter — the competition's most prolific attack against its tightest defence. They are ties that show European football at its best and as Michael Cox notes, with the final in Munich, the competition's final five games will be played in the homes of each of the continent's big five leagues. Some piping hot news for your Thursday newsletter. Virgil van Dijk will play for Liverpool next season — the club captain has signed a new two-year contract that will keep him at Anfield until 2027. His contract, along with the club's other central player, Mohamed Salah, was set to expire at the end of season, leaving it unclear for many months whether this era of Liverpool was over. Both players received approaches from elsewhere. Advertisement Salah re-signed last week and now, just six days later, Van Dijk has followed. David Ornstein has all the details. The Athletic's senior writer Simon Hughes has analysed the news: 'Only the most unreasonable observers would dispute Van Dijk's status as a Premier League legend. There is equally no quibbling that someone of his size, speed and personality would have been able to cope with English football's more bruising era. 'The best defender in Liverpool's history? He is surely the most complete.' Each transfer window, there are a handful of blue-chip players on which the market rests. More often than not, this is a striker or winger. But this summer, one of the central characters will be a centre-back, Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen. David Ornstein reported last week that Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are all interested and that he has a £50million ($64.8m) release clause. Born in the Netherlands but having already represented Spain at senior level, the 20-year-old's passing range and defensive nous means he is widely viewed as having one of the highest ceilings in the game. As Anantaajith Raghuraman points out, Huijsen is excellent at progressing play with switches or line-breaking passes (see above). And that release clause makes him affordable to many top clubs. The Athletic's club writers have covered why their sides want him, but whose style of play would he fit the best? (Selected games, all 3pm/8pm kick-offs unless stated) Europa League quarter-final second legs: Athletic Club vs Rangers — Paramount+, Fubo/TNT Sports; Frankfurt vs Tottenham — Paramount+/TNT Sports; Lazio vs Bodo/Glimt— Paramount+/TNT Sports; Manchester United vs Lyon — Paramount+/TNT Sports Conference League quarter-final second legs: Chelsea vs Legia Warsaw — Paramount+/TNT Sports; Fiorentina vs NK Celje, 12.45pm/5.45pm — Paramount+/TNT Sports I'd like to fist-bump TAFC reader Matheus Fiuza, who flagged this bizarre penalty incident in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship. With the ball bouncing around the box, an Atletico Mineiro player decides to catch it, before dropping it like a scalding baking tray when he realises his mistake. Well, they say the best defenders never need to make a challenge to stop an attack… (Top image: OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images)
