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My heart almost stopped – Mikel Arteta made to sweat as Arsenal beat Chelsea

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Mikel Arteta admitted his “heart almost stopped” as Arsenal rode out a nerve-jangling end against 10-man Chelsea to record a 2-1 win and pass another major examination of their Premier League title credentials.

William Saliba opened the scoring from a corner midway through the first half at the Emirates Stadium only for Piero Hincapie to put through his own net.

Jurrien Timber restored Arsenal’s advantage in the second half, again from a corner, and Chelsea’s Pedro Neto was dismissed just four minutes later.

Arsenal might have been expected to cruise to the three points, but David Raya had to produce a brilliant diving save from Alejandro Garnacho’s curling effort, and Liam Delap also had a goal chalked off for offside – both in added time – as the Gunners took a significant stride to capturing their first title in 22 years.

And Arteta admitted: “The save that he (Raya) made in the last action, from what ended up being an unbelievable shot, I got the right angle and my heart almost stopped. But David’s hand was there to bring it back to life.

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“I try to stay calm, but obviously, we weren’t getting the dominance and the sequences of play that we wanted and would expect against 10 men.

“You have to navigate through that, and it’s a big part of the game. Everybody’s suffering because the margins are so small.”

Timber’s crucial 66th-minute winner – a day after rivals Manchester City claimed a 2-1 win at Leeds – marked Arsenal’s 16th goal from a corner this season to equal a record shared by Oldham and West Brom for a single Premier League campaign with nine games still to go.

The set-piece goals carried Arsenal to a second win in a week in which they were drawing at half-time.

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And Arteta added: “I reminded the players that we were in exactly the same position against Tottenham seven days ago in that dressing room.

“They said: ‘Look what happened in the second half! So we’re going to do it again, but we’re going to have to go through some difficult patches to earn the right to win the game’. And we certainly did that.”

Chelsea’s hopes were scuppered by Neto’s dismissal which marked their seventh red card in the league this season, their second in as many fixtures, and ninth across all competitions.

Neto talked his way into referee Darren England’s notebook as he protested against Timber’s goal before he scythed down Gabriel Martinelli four minutes later.

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And manager Liam Rosenior said: “It is disappointing for Pedro, but it’s not just him, as a group – me as a leader included – we have to take accountability for some of the decisions we are making in terms of our discipline.

“You can fine players (for red cards) but it is not about the punishment. It is about finding the reason why.

“I know our record is not great since the start of the season, and we have now had two in two games so there is something deep-lying that we need to get to the bottom of.

“We need to do something for sure. We need to speak to the coaching staff and the players because it is not acceptable. In the last two games we have caused our own issues, and if we don’t eradicate it, it is going to cost us.”

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Knicks Hold Off Hawks to Take Game 1

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The New York Knicks made a good start to their playoff run, beating the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Jalen Brunson led the way with 28 points and seven assists, setting the tone early with 22 of those points coming in the first half. Karl-Anthony Towns took over after the break, finishing with 25 points, while OG Anunoby added 18. Josh Hart filled in everywhere, contributing 11 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three steals.

The Knicks were sharper at the free throw line, outscoring Atlanta 25-12, and made better use of their depth. Their bench gave them energy and helped them maintain control.

  • Nuggets take Game 1 behind Jokić Impressive PlayNuggets take Game 1 behind Jokić Impressive Play

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Defensively, New York tightened up as the game went on. The third quarter proved decisive, with the Knicks limiting the Hawks’ rhythm, forcing turnovers, and making scoring difficult. Even when Atlanta found success from three, they struggled to get consistent.

After the game, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder pointed out what his team needs to improve.

“The formula for us and our identity has been to run and move the ball… we need to do more of it.”

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Game 1 goes to the Knicks, who now have the early advantage as the series moves forward.

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals

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Giants 4-round mock draft after blockbuster Dexter Lawrence trade with Bengals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

With just days to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, the New York Giantspulled off a blockbuster trade with the Cincinnati Bengals that jettisoned star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

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The deal saw the Giants send Lawrence to the Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick, which was no doubt more than anyone was expecting them to get. Now, Big Blue stands armed with two first-round picks, with the other coming at No. 5 overall.

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With needs on both sides of the ball, the Giants can now take care of the offense and defense with blue-chip prospects inside the top 10 of the draft later this week.

And that’s exactly what we have them doing in our new mock draft in the wake of the Lawrence trade with the Bengals.

Giants 4-round mock draft after Lawrence trade

Sonny Styles

Sonny Styles

Imagn Images

Round 1, Pick 5: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

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ESPN’s Jordan Raanan mentioned Styles as one of three players the Giants like with the No. 5 pick, and it’s not hard to see why.

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“Staying at No. 5, the three players who seem to be most squarely on their radar are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and  (Ohio State safety Caleb) Downs,” Raanan wrote.

Styles is a freak athlete with sideline-to-sideline speed and great length. He’s a strong tackler, good in run defense and has shown elite skills in coverage after posting an 87.4 Pro Football Focus grade in that area last season.

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The Ohio State product can wear the green dot and will be a leader in New York’s defense for a decade.

Round 1, Pick 10 (via CIN): WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

The Giants were one of the teams to attend Tyson’s workout, which was his last opportunity to quell fears about his injury history. By all accounts, Tyson did manage to do that.

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“I think Jordyn Tyson goes much higher than earlier expected,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said. “Teams are comfortable with the INJ history. Conversation for him starts at 5 but he’s off the board no later than 16.”

If not for his injury history, Tyson would likely be the undisputed No. 1 receiver in this class. The 6-foot-2, 203-pound pass-catcher can line up anywhere on the field, is a polished route-runner and can even block.

After losing Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency, the Giants need another weapon for quarterback Jaxson Dart across from star wideout Malik Nabers. Not only would Tyson check that box, he could very well provide an upgrade over Robinson.

Round 2, Pick 37: DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State

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kayden mcdonald

kayden mcdonald

The loss of Lawrence will leave a void in the middle of the Giants’ defense, hurting both the pass-rush and run defense. Making matters worse, New York was already weak upfront, even with Lawrence on the roster.

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While McDonald isn’t much of a pass-rusher, he showed improvement in that area last season with a career-high three sacks. He really shines as a run defender, with the Ohio State product posting the best PFF grade in the nation in run defense.

Once viewed as a first-round pick, the belief is most teams now have him with a second-round grade because of his lack of pass-rush prowess.

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That’s just fine for the Giants, as McDonald can provide the kind of boost to the run defense from Day 1 that New York needs.

Round 4, Pick 105: CB Tacario Davis, Washington

The loss of Cor’Dale Flott leaves the Giants with a big void after the team failed to adequately address the position in free agency, leaving a potential starting duo of Paulson Adebo and uninspiring free-agent signing Greg Newsome outside.

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After taking a step back in 2024, Davis rebounded with a strong showing after he transferred to Washington. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound cornerback gave up a passer rating of just 50.6 in coverage, notched a personal bests two interceptions and he showed out in the run game with an impressive PFF grade of 81.8.

Davis can offer some competition for Newsome on the boundary, and it’s not crazy to think he could win that competition in Year 1.

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Munich 2026 Final: Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and betting tips

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Match Details

Fixture: (2) Ben Shelton vs (4) Flavio Cobolli

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Date: April 19, 2026

Tournament: Bavarian International Tennis Championships

Round: Final

Venue: MTTC Iphitos e.V. tennis club in Munich, Germany

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Category: ATP 500

Surface: Clay

Prize Money: €2,561,110

Live Telecast: USA – Tennis Channel | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli preview

Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyShelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Shelton pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Second seed Ben Shelton will face off against fourth seed Flavio Cobolli in the final of the 2026 BMW Open on Sunday, April 19.

Shelton started his season with a quarterfinal run at the ASB Classic and followed it up with another quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. He then went on to win the Dallas Open and reached the quarterfinals in Houston before arriving in Munich. There, he defeated Emilio Nava, Alexander Blockx, Joao Fonseca, and Alex Molcan 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final.

Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: GettyCobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty
Cobolli pictured at the 2026 BMW Open | Image Source: Getty

Meanwhile, Cobolli’s standout result this season is his title run at the Mexican Open. He also made the semifinals of the Delray Beach Open, losing to Sebastian Korda, but hasn’t had many other notable results. In Munich, he beat Diego Dedura, Zizou Bergs, Vit Kopriva, and Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3 to set up a clash with Shelton.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli head-to-head

Shelton leads Cobolli 3–2 in their head-to-head. Cobolli won their first two meetings in Geneva and Washington in 2024, while Shelton has taken the last three in Acapulco, the Canadian Open, and the Paris Masters in 2025.

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Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli odds

Player Moneyline Handicap Bets Total Games
Ben Shelton -525 -4.5 (-105) Over 21.5 (-115)
Flavio Cobolli +360 +4.5 (-140) Under 21.5 (-125)

(Odds via BetMGM)


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli prediction

Shelton plays with clear intent. The serve sets the tone, the forehand follows, and he looks to finish points before rallies really take shape. When he’s confident, everything happens quickly and on his terms.

Cobolli is more about structure and balance. He moves well, absorbs pace, and is comfortable building points rather than rushing them. He’s willing to stay in rallies and wait for openings instead of forcing them.

The key is whether Shelton can keep control early. If he’s landing first serves and dictating with his forehand, Cobolli may struggle to settle. But if rallies extend, Cobolli’s consistency and movement can start to make things uncomfortable. The American’s firepower gives him the edge, but he’ll need to stay disciplined to avoid letting the match drift.

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Pick: Shelton to win in straight sets.


Ben Shelton vs Flavio Cobolli betting tips

Tip 1: The match will have over 21 games.

Tip 2: Shelton to win at least one set with a score of 7-5 or better.