Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole claimed that this weekend’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester City will be decided by “mistakes” and “moments”, with Pep Guardiola’s side “absolutely the favourites” to win.

Arsenal currently have a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League though City have a game in hand, and they could cut the lead to just three points with a win at the Etihad this weekend.

While City have found form in recent weeks, with big wins over Liverpool and Chelsea, Arsenal have stumbled domestically, exiting the FA Cup at the hands of Southampton and losing in the league last weekend to Bournemouth.

And though the Gunners fought to a 0-0 draw to Sporting on Wednesday night to secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals, Cole was quick to “encourage perspective”, explaining that Mikel Arteta’s side “are not playing well” at the moment.

Cole explained that “there wasn’t much between the teams” during City’s 2-0 win in the Carabao Cup final, adding that he expected it to be the same this weekend.

“I still think in this one-off it’ll be moments within the game, it’ll be mistakes [that decide the game]. It’ll be edgy, blocked off,” he added.

“Absolutely City are favourites. I don’t think it bothers them. He’s [Pep Guardiola] playing mind games with everyone else,” explained Cole, though he insisted that “if Arsenal can avoid defeat, I think they win the league”.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown said that his old side just need to “find form” in the run-in, though he did concede that “City have found their mojo again” in recent weeks.

While City’s last loss in the league came as far back as January, they have recently drawn to both West Ham and Nottingham Forest, while they were soundly beaten by Real Madrid in the round of 16 in Europe.

However, Arsenal have had their own struggles in recent weeks too, notably in that League Cup final loss in late March, though they will head to the Etihad knowing that even a draw could be enough to secure the title down the line.

The Gunners have just six games left in the league as they look to land a first Premier League title since 2004, while City have seven matches to go, with the date for their game in hand against Crystal Palace not yet set.

Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor are worried about the fitness of Paul Onuachu as the season enters a crucial stage.

The Super Eagles striker has been one of the club’s most important players this campaign, scoring 24 goals and providing two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions. His sharp finishing has made him a reliable presence in front of goal, contributing a significant share of Trabzonspor’s total goals in the league.

His form has played a key role in keeping the Black Sea Storm in the title race. The club are currently third in the table, just four points behind leaders Galatasaray, as they chase their first league title since the 2021/22 season.

However, concerns have grown after the 31-year-old missed their recent match against Alanyaspor. Trabzonspor dropped points in that fixture, highlighting his importance to the team’s attack.

Onuachu is dealing with a thigh injury, and his condition remains uncertain. The club are monitoring him closely, but there is no clear return date yet, making his situation a major concern.

The Nigerian forward is now a doubt for Trabzonspor’s upcoming clash against İstanbul Başakşehir on Sunday. The match is vital for their title hopes, and any slip could damage their chances in the closing weeks of the season.

With five games left to play, Trabzonspor will be hoping Onuachu recovers quickly and returns to lead their attack as they push for a strong finish in the Super Lig.

Shakur Stevenson is looking to build his star power, with his skills already proven to be amongst boxing’s best.

Now, the Newark southpaw has named his solitary condition, in order for a showdown with Conor Benn to take place.

Stevenson has claimed world titles at featherweight, super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight, becoming boxing’s third-youngest four-division world champion with a victory over Teofimo Lopez back in January.

Following that career-best triumph, Stevenson has earned recognition as a pound-for-pound fighter, but whilst his talent is appreciated, he has not yet become the global superstar that his quality merits.

As a result, former 126lb fighter Stevenson is aiming to take on some of boxing’s biggest names and has been linked with a potential clash against Britain’s Benn.

Benn, who boxed twice at middleweight in 2025, was last out against former world champion Regis Prograis in a 150lb catchweight bout. The Brit secured a comfortable decision victory, though the performance proved underwhelming against a visibly injured opponent.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Stevenson shared his willingness to move up again to fight Benn, despite their obvious size difference, providing that they can agree to a rehydration clause.

“I’ve been told y’all I’m better than him. I’ve been told y’all he’s not on my level. I’ve been told y’all that his skills is not up to par with mine.

“Like I said, if he’s ready to fight, tell him to stop going on social media and making up lies, saying that I said, ‘Oh, I won’t fight that weight class’, I said I will. I said, with a rehydration clause, because he did it to Eubank.

“He’s not on my level. I’ve been said this, and I will beat the holy sh*t out of Conor Benn.”

It remains to be seen whether Stevenson will make the step up to welterweight or attempt to defend his WBO super-lightweight world title in his next fight, but he vows to knock Benn out if they can agree to a bout up at 147lbs.

Bayern Munich and Arsenal booked their places in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after dramatic quarter-final second-leg matches on Wednesday night.

At the Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich produced a thrilling performance to defeat Real Madrid 4-3 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate in one of the most entertaining ties of the competition.

The German champions came into the game with a narrow 2-1 advantage but were stunned early on when Arda Güler scored inside the opening minute to level the tie. Bayern responded quickly through Aleksandar Pavlović, who headed home from a corner just five minutes later.

Güler struck again with a fine free-kick in the 29th minute, before Harry Kane netted his 50th goal of the season to swing the momentum back in Bayern’s favour. However, Kylian Mbappé restored parity before half-time, ensuring the tie was level at 4-4 on aggregate.

The second half was tense, with both sides pushing for a decisive goal. The turning point came late on when Eduardo Camavinga was sent off, reducing Real Madrid to 10 men.

Bayern capitalised almost immediately, as Luis Díaz curled in a stunning effort in the 89th minute to put the hosts ahead. Moments later, Michael Olise sealed the victory with another brilliant strike, sending Bayern into the last four.

In London, Arsenal secured a more controlled passage after a goalless draw against Sporting CP at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners advanced 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Kai Havertz’s late winner in the first leg.

The result means Arsenal have reached the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season, marking a historic achievement for the club. Their solid defensive display ensured Sporting rarely threatened, as the English side maintained their impressive unbeaten run in the competition this season.

Arsenal will now face Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals, while Bayern Munich are set to take on Paris Saint-Germain in what promises to be another blockbuster encounter.

The semi-final matches are scheduled to take place later this month, as Europe’s elite clubs continue their quest for continental glory.

Champions League analysts Stephen Warnock, Nedum Onouha and Julien Laurens look at why the semi-finals between PSG & Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid & Arsenal are both really hard to call who will win.

MATCH REPORT: Champions League – Arsenal 0-0 Sporting (1-0 agg)

When a visibly drained looking Alvaro Arbeloa stepped into the press room in Munich, questions about his future felt unavoidable. His expression echoed the same sense of disappointment he showed after his very first match in charge, the defeat by Albacete.

The 43-year-old has been in the role for only four months, having replaced Alonso in January. Yet the pressure has been relentless, the results have been inconsistent, and the season now looks set to end without major silverware – a repeat of 2024-25, when only the Uefa Super Cup was secured.

This would be the first time in 16 years Real Madrid have gone two consecutive seasons without winning a major trophy. Under president Florentino Perez, managers’ contracts have typically ended the moment those trophies disappear.

Throughout it all, Arbeloa has consistently taken responsibility, deflecting the blame away from his players. By his own admission, he is ‘a man of the badge’, fully committed to fighting for the club at all costs.

But taking consistent ownership for poor defeats won’t be enough to convince Perez he’s the right man to lead Madrid into next season.

The club never publicly clarified the length of Arbeloa’s contract although sources suggest it runs until the end of the 2026-27 campaign. For now, dismissing Arbeloa before the season concludes would serve little purpose, with relatively little left at stake.

Real sit nine points behind Barcelona is La Liga with a Clasico at Camp Nou still to play in May. Players have also spoken openly about how Arbeloa improved morale in the dressing room. Vinicius Junior, speaking ahead of the first leg against Bayern, said that he had ‘a wonderful connection’ with Arbeloa and that he ‘hoped he could continue’ working with him.

For now, Arbeloa said he isn’t worried about his future.

“Since I’ve been in this position, it hasn’t been the slightest worry. I feel I’ve done everything I can to help my players win every day.”

But if anyone understands the unforgiving nature of Real Madrid’s managerial turnover, it is Arbeloa.

It didn’t feel like Arsenal had just qualified for only their second Champions League semi-final in 17 years. The final whistle came with overwhelming but cautious relief rather than ecstasy; the feeling that Arsenal had got away with one by the skin of their teeth, but next time they won’t be so fortunate.

Had Joao Simoes’s 94th-minute effort crept a few inches to the left, this last-eight tie was heading to extra time. That would’ve been catastrophic for Arsenal’s physical state ahead of their biggest game of the season on Sunday. In their current mental state, Arsenal progression would not have been a safe bet.

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Mikel Arteta made a rallying cry in which he asked Arsenal’s supporters to come to the Emirates not with their dinner, but with “pure fire” and “zero fear” for the visit of Sporting. Fans struggled to comply. There was less a fire in their bellies, more a collective knot.

It was a stark comparison to this exact occasion 12 months ago. When Real Madrid came to town, there was an atmosphere of unadulterated belief and optimism that this team could create magic. Maybe it helped that their Premier League title race had already been run at the time; Liverpool were 11 points clear, so their focus was streamlined.

But on this night, there was more than a tinge of anxiety in the air, a hangover from still being very much in the thick of a title race, and one that has a yellow flag being waved. Some were no longer allowing themselves to dream of the best, instead conditioned by three years of hurt to fearing the worst. “Please, enjoy where we are as a club,” Arteta said after the match, having asked for the perspective of Arsenal’s position in major competitions before this game. It’s easier said than done.

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This did not help a team of players who currently appear tortured by their own psyche. Arsenal were error-prone, especially at the back, with David Raya and William Saliba each gifting Sporting possession when unsuccessfully trying to play out from the back. It was Tottenham-esque at times.

Both blunders went unpunished; against the attacking quality of any other team in the last eight, probably barring Liverpool, things would’ve surely been different. But the concern is these aren’t isolated incidents in one match – Arsenal’s build-up from deep was hugely problematic against Bournemouth, too. A team previously heralded as one with the most resolute defence arguably in world football now looks shaky.

Such was the case for the best chance – the only real chance – of a pedestrian first-half. The culmination of a sweeping Sporting move that cut Arsenal open far too easily, Geny Catano was left completely untracked at the back post and volleyed Maximiliano Araujo’s dinked cross off the left post. On the brink of half-time, this tie should have been level.

That is not to say Sporting were playing a perfect game. They were similarly susceptible to an error (or eight) at the back; just that Arsenal rarely looked like capitalising. Those meant to drive the hosts towards goal, like Noni Madueke, were frightened to take on a man as Arsenal overthought their opportunities until dispossession. Screams of “go forwards!”, often with an expletive, were ever-present.

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When the Madueke finally did go through the gears, it fashioned Arsenal’s best chance of the game so far – darting across the box before firing into the side netting on 57 minutes. The Englishman turned a corner five minutes before he was forced off injured. “It was something in his knee so we had to take him off,” Arteta said.

The moment that encapsulated the difference in mindset between now and that famous night against Real Madrid a year ago, fittingly, came with a free-kick. Declan Rice, then the hero from the dead ball, was stood with the ball set 25 yards out – but played it short. Sporting quickly snuffed out the routine and countered. If not for the lung-besting recovery of left-winger Gabriel Martinelli down the right, the visitors were in. In diametric opposition to the Real encounter, even Arsenal’s game-changers looked scared to go for the spectacular.

But in response to any frustration about the performance, Rice’s response was emphatic. “Who cares what people think?” he told TNT Sports.

In a second half that saw Sporting gas, the visitors bookmarked the 45 with two close calls; first from Araujo three minutes after the restart, set up by Morten Hjulmand – an Arsenal fan and possible transfer target who has the club crest tattooed on his left bicep – and then Simoes with practically the last kick of the game.

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Otherwise there was improvement to speak of from the hosts, who pressed a tiring team well and came close to killing the tie when Leandro Trossard hit the post with seven minutes to play. He was found at the back post by Max Dowman, who replaced Madueke and did provide the spark that had some arguing for him to start this match. A bright finish could instil a bit of confidence, even if a late scare will leave them wiping their brow.

Between the 67th minute and the game’s final moment, Arsenal didn’t allow Sporting a shot nor a touch in their box. One of their specialties this season has been holding onto slender leads. Arteta trusts them to do this but still wouldn’t mind making things more comfortable. “I do [trust my players with one-goal leads,” he says, “but I prefer to score the goal.”

This time, Arteta’s men managed to survive. In keeping with their first-leg display in Lisbon, they emerged from the night having done what was required and nothing more.

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But heading to the Etihad, it is imperative they clear the mental fog that comes with the possibility of repeated failure. Against this Manchester City team in a ruthless vein of form, the question of whether they can emerge unscathed while still racked by such anxiety seems to answer itself.

Detroit — He’s “El Mago.” The Magician.

And Javier Báez showed off some sleight-of-hand for the ages in Wednesday night’s Tigers game against the Kansas City Royals at Comerica Park.

Báez was on third base with one out in the bottom of the third inning when Jake Rogers hit a flyball to deep right field, where Jac Caglianone caught it and threw a seed home to catcher Salvador Perez. The ball beat Báez by a wide margin, and he was called out by plate umpire Jansen Visconti.

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But Báez popped right up and asked for the challenge, and upon further review, he was safe — when he lifted his left hand over Perez’s glove and plopped it down on home plate before the glove got him.