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Premier League: Man City beat Arsenal 2-1 at home to reignite title race | Football News
Manchester City produced a crucial 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, tightening the Premier League title race and cutting the gap at the top to just three points. Despite the defeat, Arsenal remain league leaders, but City’s win adds significant pressure heading into the final stretch of the season, especially with Pep Guardiola’s side still holding a game in hand.
Cherki sparks early City dominance
Manchester City started brightly and took the lead through Rayan Cherki, who produced a moment of individual brilliance. The midfielder danced through Arsenal’s defensive line before finishing clinically to put the hosts ahead. The goal reflected City’s early intensity and attacking intent in a high-stakes encounter.
However, Arsenal responded quickly, taking advantage of an error from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose mistake gifted the visitors an equaliser and brought the game back into balance.
Haaland delivers decisive blow
Haaland’s goal proved to be the decisive moment in a tightly contested match, showcasing his ability to deliver in crucial moments of the title race.
Arsenal fight but fall short
Arsenal continued to push for another equaliser but were unable to break down City’s defensive structure in the closing stages. Despite spells of pressure, they lacked the final cutting edge needed to rescue a point at the Etihad.
The result keeps Arsenal at the top of the table, but their lead has been reduced, increasing pressure as the season approaches its decisive phase.
Title race intensifies
With this victory, Manchester City have firmly re-entered the title race conversation. The gap is now just three points, and with a game in hand, Guardiola’s side are in a strong position to challenge for top spot.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will need to respond quickly to avoid losing momentum in what is shaping up to be a dramatic Premier League title finish.
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Wembanyama drops 35 points in playoff debut as Spurs roll past Trail Blazers
Wembanyama’s 21 first-half points set an NBA record for the most in the opening half of an NBA playoff debut since the league’s play-by-play era began in 1997. His 35 total points set a Spurs franchise record for the most in a playoff debut, surpassing Tim Duncan’s 32 in 1998.
“It is obviously different, but we’ve been really good in the regular season,” Wembanyama said. “So, we have no reason to act differently or do anything different.”
Game 2 is Tuesday night in San Antonio before the series heads to Portland for Games 3 and 4.
Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox each added 17 points and combined for 15 assists for San Antonio.
Deni Avdija had 30 points and 10 rebounds to lead Portland, which beat Phoenix 114-110 in Tuesday’s play-in game to earn the No. 7 seed.
Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft behind Wembanyama and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, added 18 points.
The Spurs responded to the Trail Blazers’ physicality while holding them to 10-for-38 shooting on 3-pointers and had a 45-38 rebounding advantage.
“The Spurs put you in tough positions,” Portland coach Tiago Splitter said. “Against them, you’ve got to shoot the ball well from 3s. We didn’t. We’ve got to shoot the ball better.”
The Spurs and the sell-out crowd — which included Duncan and former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer David Robinson sitting together courtside — at the Frost Bank Center were primed for the franchise’s first playoff game since 2019. The six-season postseason drought came immediately after San Antonio won five NBA championships while appearing in a league-tying 22 straight postseasons.
Spurs fans are again dreaming big — and it’s because of their 7-foot-4 post player from France who is a finalist for the NBA’s MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Wembanyama’s highlights included dribbling behind his back to avoid Avdija at halfcourt, backing him down to the top of the key, spinning around him and running free to the rim for a two-handed dunk midway through the first quarter.
San Antonio clamped down defensively to regain their double-digit lead in the third quarter, with Devin Vassell blocking Donovan Clingan and Jrue Holiday while scoring eight straight points.
“That’s what we’ve talked about, just not giving up on the play,” Vassell said. “Every possession matters, whether it’s the first possession in the first quarter or the last possession in the fourth quarter. Play to the whistle.”
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Fantasy Baseball Week 5 Preview: Top 10 sleeper pitchers feature Mick Abel, Reid Detmers

You’ll find more strikeout sources than volume plays on the waiver wire this week
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NBA playoff winners and losers: Victor Wembanyama dazzles in debut, No. 1 Pistons in trouble vs. Magic?
The 2026 NBA playoffs continued Sunday with four more Game 1s in the first round. The Celtics and Thunder — the last two NBA champs — opened things up with blowout wins over the 76ers and Suns, respectively. The third game of the day brought the biggest upset of the playoffs so far: the eighth-seeded Magic took Game 1 from the top-seeded Pistons in Detroit. The Spurs closed out the slate by pulling away from the Trail Blazers for a 13-point victory, and Victor Wembanyama had a memorable playoff debut.
Let’s start with Wemby as we break down the winners and losers of Sunday’s playoff action.
Winner: Victor Wembanyama’s playoff debut
In his first career playoff game, Wembanyama was magical. He went for 35 points (a Spurs record in a playoff debut, passing Tim Duncan’s 32 in 1998) on 13-of-21 shooting. He blocked a couple shots, and as always changed or deterred a bunch of others.
Here he puts up a road block on Toumani Camara while hardly having to move, then spikes Jerami Grant’s shot without jumping.
The dude looks like he’s playing with kids. Honest to god, making plays like this at 7-foot-4 is the peak of basketball evolution. I don’t know how it can ever get any crazier than this.
Wemby also made five of his six 3-pointers. That is the second-most 3s made in a playoff debut in league history (trailing, as you probably could’ve guessed, the great Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Voshon Lenard, each of whom cashed six triples in their playoff opener). Wembanyama hit a bunch of impressive 3s, but flow dribbling into a fading corner job is sick.
He also finished three alley-oop dunks, highlighting the outrageous gravity of his rim rolls. It’s the reason the Spurs led the league in corner 3-point attempts, because wing defenders are forced to sink down off of their shooters to at least marginally disrupt things like this.
It’s a total pick-you-poison situation. Even when multiple defenders collapse into the paint, all you have to do is toss the ball to the moon, and he’s the only one who can reach it.
Indeed, Wembanyama was the best player on the floor in San Antonio’s 111-98 Game 1 win. But it wasn’t the only playoff debut that went well for the Spurs, as second-year wing Stephon Castle finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Castle didn’t shoot it so efficiently, but he was everywhere in this game. The future is now for this Spurs team, and it is impossibly bright.
Loser: Detroit’s key role players
Cade Cunningham scored 39 points despite playing in just his fourth game since suffering a collapsed lung. He held up his end of the bargain for the Pistons. How’d everyone else do?
- Jalen Duren had eight points on four shots. He’s about to make an All-NBA team. He has to force his way into the offense more.
- Ausar Thompson played nine minutes and 33 seconds in the second half. His playing time was a point of concern in last year’s playoffs too. The Pistons don’t seem to believe they can score enough to keep him on the floor at a typical starter’s workload, and when he was playing in the first half, JB Bickerstaff didn’t trust him to guard Paolo Banchero. He’s going to be a First-Team All-Defense pick. Whether or not he gets that matchup more as the series progresses remains to be seen, but if he can’t stay on the floor, there’s nothing he can do to impact the game anyway.
- Daniss Jenkins filled in for Cunningham admirably while he was out with the collapsed lung. He shot 1-of-7 from the field in Game 1 and the Pistons lost his minutes by 11 points. If he can’t be Detroit’s secondary creator, their offense is in real trouble.
Cunningham can’t win this series singlehandedly, and even if he could, a far more difficult Cavaliers team is waiting in the next round. This was not the well-rounded group we watched all season. The Pistons need more out of the supporting cast in Game 2.
Winner: Orlando’s defense
The Magic made their all-In push for Desmond Bane on the logic that their back-to-back top-five defenses were championship ready, but their offense needed a boost. Well, one of the (many) reasons this regular season didn’t go as planned was defensive decline. A lot of that was due to injuries. Jonathan Isaac isn’t the low-minutes game-breaker he’s been the past two years, Jalen Suggs missed a lot of time early in the season, and Franz Wagner missed most of the middle of the year.
Isaac hasn’t played since March, but Wagner returned to the lineup on April 1. Not coincidentally, since he had a team-low 100.3 defensive rating thereafter, the Magic had the NBA’s top-ranked defense in April. They have since played three postseason games. In their first play-in game against Philadelphia, they allowed 96.6 points per 100 plays in the half-court, right around the top 10 in the regular season. And then they posted their fourth-best figure of the entire season (73.3) against the Hornets on Friday and their seventh-best figure of the season (81.2) on Sunday against the Pistons.
Orlando’s offense was atrocious against Philadelphia, bad against Charlotte and decent against Detroit. But the whole theory of this team was that “decent” could be good enough if the defense played this well. The Magic are peaking at the perfect time, and they’re the rare team that can actually match Detroit’s physicality. Without that advantage, the Magic have a chance to make this a pretty competitive series.
Winner: Jayson Tatum
Sunday’s Game 1 against the Sixers was the first time Jayson Tatum suited up for a playoff game since Game 4 of the second round against the New York Knicks last May, when he had to be carried off the floor after rupturing his Achilles tendon. He needed no time to reacclimate to the higher-intensity action. By the end of the first quarter, he had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and had scored or assisted on more points (19) than the Sixers had as a team (18).
“Not too long ago, I wasn’t even sure if I was gonna be able to play this season, let alone get an opportunity to play in the playoffs,” Tatum said during his postgame interview on the ESPN broadcast. “Today was probably the most excited and relaxed and grateful I’ve been in my nine years of being in the playoffs. I’m just super happy to be able to be out here and play.”
Tatum finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals on 9 of 17 shooting. Sure, it was only the first round and the Sixers were overmatched, but Tatum’s performance was a great sign for both him and the Celtics. On a personal level, it’s incredible for him to hit these heights in the playoffs less than a year after a devastating injury. And for the Celtics, his showing will give them real confidence that they can make a deep playoff run in what was supposed to be a gap year. — Jack Maloney
Loser: Sixers fans
Nothing has really gone right for the 76ers over the last decade — no other team would lose their star player to an emergency appendectomy just before the playoffs — and Sunday’s 32-point loss was just the latest bit of misery. This was the fifth time that the Sixers have lost to the Celtics by 30-plus points in the playoffs — the most such defeats by any team against a single opponent.
Yes, this was only Game 1, but it sure seems as though the Celtics are going to eliminate the Sixers from the playoffs for the fourth time in the last nine seasons. If the Sixers do end up bowing out in Round 1, that will be three seasons without a playoff series victory and their Eastern Conference finals drought will extend to 25 seasons.
The Sixers have great fans who deserve better. — Jack Maloney
Winner: Jalen Williams
If there was a question about the Thunder leading into the postseason, it was what version of Jalen Williams they were getting. Their second All-Star from a season ago played just 33 uneven games during the regular season, and Oklahoma City seemingly treated him extremely cautiously over the 82-game grind to ensure he’d be fresh and healthy in the playoffs.
Well, that effort seems to have paid off. Williams looked like his old self in a standout all-around performance (22 points on 9-of-15 shooting, seven rebounds and six assists). He was a defensive menace, creating several turnovers and then turning them into buckets in transition, where he is at his most lethal. He made multiple 3s in a game for just the sixth time this season. He even did a bit of secondary creation during Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s bench minutes, the part of his game that might be the most vital for Oklahoma City when the later rounds arrive. The Thunder haven’t been at full strength all season, but with this version of Williams, they’ll be extraordinarily hard to beat. — Sam Quinn
Loser: Phoenix’s supporting cast
Devin Booker gave the Suns 23 reasonably efficient points, considering the circumstances. Jalen Green, through athleticism and tough shotmaking, managed to at least put 17 hard-fought points on the board. The rest of Phoenix’s roster scored 44 points on 15-of-50 (30%) shooting. Yikes.
Suns skepticism this season was centered largely on playoff upside. They remade their roster in the offseason on grit and hustle, and that won them a lot of regular-season games. But nobody else on this roster has any sort of star-level upside, and most are being asked to do too much to expect the Suns to win in the playoffs. Even Booker and Green combined for just three assists because Oklahoma City’s defense is so stout that they couldn’t create advantages for their weaker teammates off of their own scoring.
There just isn’t enough shot-creation here for the role players to get much of anything going against a defense as good as the Thunder’s. Booker and Green can still get their own points, and I suppose Dillon Brooks can too if he’s going to take 22 shots, but in an 84-point team performance, the Suns had no way to actually stress Oklahoma City enough to make life easier for everyone else. — Sam Quinn
Sports
A Vikings Update that Could Give Fans Heartburn
Well, some folks won’t be pleased by this one even if it’s just some meaningless coach talk.
An odd Vikings update emerged when skipper Kevin O’Connell did an interview with Mike Florio and Chris Simms of Pro Football Talk a few weeks ago. The conversation covered a variety of topics, but the detour into a revelatory strategy adjustment may have caused listeners to perk up. Per O’Connell, the Vikings rediscovered how important it is to rally around a strong run game and dominant defense, an approach that fuelled the five-game winning streak to end the 2025 season.
A Vikings Update Some May Not Love
For good reason, the conversation around the Minnesota Vikings rests on the 2026 NFL Draft.
Minnesota sits atop nine draft picks and roughly thirty open roster spots. Adding a pile of young talent is needed to reinforce a top-heavy roster that’s getting older. Most think that a young defender is going to arrive at No. 18, but not everyone agrees. Few, if any, expect a trade up, but moving down has its merit for a team that’s aiming for quiet competence rather than flashy, high-upside risk.
Part of the reason why things feel so tense right now is because of the draft whiffs in recent years. Goodness, the main reason why Rob Brzezinski is the fill-in GM is since the former GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, got canned for bungling the quarterback plan.
J.J. McCarthy was chosen at No. 10 in the 2024 NFL Draft. He did so after proving to be a very good college quarterback even as many insisted he got boosted by operating from within a loaded Michigan program. After all, Jim Harbaugh’s team had a fantastic ground game and defense, meaning McCarthy didn’t need to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Kevin O’Connell may have missed the memo. Or, at least, he didn’t fully give credence to the approach until late in the season.
Check out what he had to say about that late-season winning streak and the strategic tweak that fuelled the victories. “We were able to apply some things to our overall toolbox of how we’re going to win games,” O’Connell said to Mike Florio and Chris Simms in late March. He goes on: “Maybe I don’t get invited to the smart guy table by playing a certain kind of style where we ran the football, we were not going to turn it over, and we’re going to play great defense. And we won five games in a row.”
“So what I told our team at the end of the year is,” O’Connell further explained, “let’s not forget the fact that we just learned maybe some new ways to win.” Speaking prophetically, O’Connell then said that “maybe we’ll need to really call upon that […] late in December in a bad weather game” before saying that “those types of games still win.”
Folks, that’s a less-than-perfect answer.
In fairness, Kevin O’Connell is probably just doing Kevin O’Connell things: saying a ton of words within his relentlessly positive outlook. Still, though, that’s not a great response. Just tally up some of the hurdles that J.J. McCarthy was trying to clear last season:
- He was 22
- He was coming off a missed rookie season, robbing him of reps
- He battled early injury as a sophomore, too
- He was adjusting his mechanics during the season
- He was playing behind an injured o-line
Given all of these factors, shouldn’t the Vikings have been looking to play small ball all along? Why drop to 4-8 before arriving at the humbling truth that grinding out wins via the running game and defense is what this team needed?
Also befuddling is that the Vikings have publicly discussed the issue in the past. A much loved tradition in the Twin Cities is to arrive at the offseason, jump into press conferences, and then detail how more balance and physicality is upcoming. The team has even put its money where its mouth is, signing blocking/ground game specialists such as TE Josh Oliver, RG Will Fries, WR Trent Sherfield, and RB Jordan Mason.
Far too often, Kevin O’Connell’s old habit of passing close to 60% of the time comes roaring back.
The Vikings need to crush the event that’s going to take place this week. From Thursday, April 23rd until Saturday, April 25th, the NFL will work through its annual draft. Every team needs to do well, but Minnesota is feeling a particular urgency given the lacklustre efforts of recent years. Yet another disappointing season could result in Kevin O’Connell looking for work.
Somehow building out a roster that encourages a healthy balance between the run and the pass, the offense and the defense would go a long way in restoring the Minnesota Vikings.
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Godswill Akpabio United Reach Final After 4-3 Win Over Palm Syrup
Godswill Akpabio United FC secured a hardfought 4-3 victory over Palm Syrup FC to book a place in the final of the Akwa Ibom State FA Cup.
The semi-final clash, played at the Uyo Township Stadium on Sunday, lived up to expectations as both sides delivered an exciting and high-scoring contest.
Palm Syrup FC made a flying start, taking the lead inside the first minute through Nkebeteno Udosen. They doubled their advantage in the 16th minute when Jeremiah Akpan finished well to put his side firmly in control.
Godswill Akpabio United FC responded quickly. Emmanuel Joseph pulled one back in the 19th minute with a fine left-footed strike. However, Palm Syrup held on to their 2-1 lead going into the break.
After the restart, Godswill Akpabio United showed great determination and experience to turn the game around. Utipime Sunday levelled the score in the 52nd minute after racing through to beat the goalkeeper.
The comeback continued as former Palm Syrup player Solomon Akpan put Godswill Akpabio United ahead for the first time in the match. His goal sparked a response from Palm Syrup, who won a penalty in the 73rd minute. Nsisong Ekpo calmly converted to make it 3-3.
With the game heading towards a tense finish, Solomon Akpan struck again in the 80th minute. His looping effort beat the onrushing goalkeeper to seal a dramatic 4-3 win for Godswill Akpabio United FC.
The victory sends Godswill Akpabio United FC into the final of the competition for the first time in their history. They have also secured one of the two tickets to represent Akwa Ibom State at the national finals.
Godswill Akpabio United FC will now face the winner of the second semi-final between Akwa United FC and Heaven’s Race Academy.
The final of the 2026 Akwa Ibom State FA Cup is scheduled to take place on April 25, 2026.
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Canelo reflects on the reasons behind his loss to Terence Crawford: “A lot went wrong”
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez suffered the third defeat of his career in 2025 – his first at super-middleweight – when Terence Crawford outpointed him over twelve rounds.
Despite his pound-for-pound credentials, many in the sport felt the move up in weight would be a step too far for Crawford, who had just one fight at 154lbs before signing to face Canelo at 168lbs.
On fight night, he did everything right and earned the nod on all three judges’ cards, with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113. Crawford became the undisputed super-middleweight world champion and cemented his legacy. He would retire just a couple of months later.
Though Alvarez will fight on and has his ring return booked for September this year, his comments on the defeat point to a fighter who, at 35 years old and with 532 rounds under his belt, is now feeling the effects of a long career.
Speaking on the Mr Versace podcast, the Mexican icon praised Crawford but said that his body was not responding in the way he wanted.
“A lot of things [went wrong]. My body [didn’t] respond the way I really wanted, because I wanted to be faster, and this and that, and then I didn’t recuperate my weight like I needed to. My legs felt a little bit tired, too. But he deserved all the credit. He made a better strategy than me, but I think I did well … It is what it is, you need to take the losses and learn from that and keep going.
“[Trainer Eddy Reynoso] told me everything, and I tried, but my body didn’t respond. I had cramps in my legs. It didn’t respond the way I really wanted. We learn from that and we move forward. I know what mistakes I made in the fight and in the camp too. That’s what boxing is about. A winner doesn’t mean you win every time. You need to learn from everything.”
Canelo is set to go straight back into championship contention this year, with a return confirmed at 168lbs and billed as a world title fight. Though the plans are still being finalised, Christian Mbilli, who now holds the WBC belt, is the frontrunner.
Whether or not camp goes better this time remains to be seen, though Canelo should at least be refreshed in one department, having undergone successful elbow surgery on a long-standing injury.
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Curtis Mead, Keibert Ruiz help Nationals tame Giants
Apr 19, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Curtis Mead (45) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Curtis Mead hit a two-run homer, Keibert Ruiz had two hits and the Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 3-0 in Washington on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.
Andrew Alvarez (1-0), called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Rochester, pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, allowing three hits and striking out five without a walk.
PJ Poulin opened for Washington and was replaced by Miles Mikolas with two outs and two on in the first. Mikolas, who began the day with an 11.49 ERA, pitched four scoreless innings while allowing four hits in his best outing of the young season.
Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert had two hits each for the Giants, who had won three straight, but went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
San Francisco’s Robbie Ray (2-3) gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.
The Giants put runner on first and second with two outs in each of the first two innings but did not score.
The Nationals got an infield single and a walk to open the third inning but couldn’t cash in. Curtis Mead hit a blooper to shallow left field that dropped, but Keibert Ruiz briefly broke back towards second and was thrown out at third. Brady House flied to the warning track in center and CJ Abrams flied out.
Washington took a 3-0 lead in the fifth. Nasim Nunez reached on a bunt single and stole second. Ruiz hit shot to left center and Heliot Ramas made a diving effort but couldn’t come up with it. Nunez scored and Mead lined the first pitch he saw from Ray out to left for a two-run homer.
The first two Giants reached base in the eighth inning on an error and a single, but Casey Schmitt grounded into a double play and pinch hitter Jerar Encarnacion struck out.
–Field Level Media
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USMNT roundup: Red-hot Folarin Balogun chasing Ligue 1 history as Americans’ World Cup form takes shape
Strikers are a streaky bunch. When they’re scoring regularly, swelling with confidence and demanding the ball, it does not seem to matter who is marking them or whether they’ve been invisible most of the match. A goal surely is coming.
Less than two months before the World Cup, Folarin Balogun is feeling it.
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The U.S.’ undeniable No. 1 striker failed to score in the run of play Sunday but converted the tying penalty kick early in the second half of Monaco’s 2-2 draw with Auxerre.
The scoring haul is staggering: Eight consecutive Ligue 1 matches and 10 goals in the past 10 Monaco games across all competitions.
His Ligue 1 streak is tied for the second longest this century, trailing only Sonny Anderson’s 11 for Lyon in 2001. His 12 goals are tied for fourth on the league scoring chart.
The 24-year-old also scored five times in the Champions League and once in the Coupe de France for 18 overall — his most productive campaign since posting 22 for Reims in 2022-23.
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As every striker knows, though, form can be fleeting. Before beginning his scoring tear, Balogun went eight matches across all competitions without a goal.
With 10 goals in his last 10 Monaco games and a historic eight-match Ligue 1 scoring streak, Folarin Balogun is peaking at the perfect time.
(VALERY HACHE via Getty Images)
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino is counting on Balogun remaining hot though the end of Monaco’s season and hitting the ground running when World Cup training camp opens May 27 in the Atlanta area.
It’s a far cry from the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where an unsettled situation led to Gregg Berhalter starting Josh Sargent twice and Haji Wright and Jesus Ferreira once apiece.
Balogun did not score for the U.S last month as a starter against Belgium and a sub against Portugal. He did strike in each of his three starts in the fall (vs. Japan, Ecuador and Paraguay), and he has eight international goals in 25 appearances since committing to the U.S. three years ago. (He previously played for the English under-21s.)
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Balogun’s surge comes as Wright has gone without a goal in five straight for Coventry City after scoring six in his previous five matches. (He still leads the club with 17 overall.) Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang (10 goals) is sidelined after rupturing an Achilles tendon on April 6, while PSV Eindhoven’s Ricardo Pepi (14) was off this weekend.
France
Defensive midfielder Tanner Tessmann came on in the 79th minute, helping Lyon secure a 2-1 upset at first-place Paris Saint-Germain and move into a tie with Lille for Ligue 1’s third and final automatic Champions League slot.
Right wing Tim Weah entered at the start of the second half for Olympique Marseille, which dropped a 2-0 decision at Lorient for its third loss in four matches. The club is two points out of the Champions League berth with four games left.
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Ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in the Coupe de France semifinal, center back Mark McKenzie served a red-card suspension during Toulouse’s 3-2 loss at second-place Lens.
Although Christian Pulisic is not a pure striker — he’s best as a secondary forward or wing — his scoring drought is concerning. After an unremarkable performance in AC Milan’s 1-0 win at Hellas Verona, the U.S. star has now gone 17 games without a goal for club and country in 2026.
In 2022, Pulisic was scoreless in 22-of-23 matches leading to the World Cup and didn’t hit the mark in the first two group matches before pocketing the winner against Iran.
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Returning from a yellow-card suspension, the multidimensional Weston McKennie started in central midfield and offered a wonderful assist early in the second half as Juventus defeated Bologna, 2-0. He has five goals and five assists in Serie A and four goals and one assist in the Champions League.
Wright entered in the 62nd minute of Coventry’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn, which secured promotion to the Premier League after 25 years in the second, third and fourth divisions.
Defensive midfielder Aidan Morris went 90 as fifth-place Middlesbrough earned a 2-2 draw at second-place Ipswich Town, keeping his club in the hunt for the second promotion berth and in excellent position to qualify for the four-team promotion playoff.
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In the Premier League, defensive midfielder Tyler Adams entered in the 65th minute of Bournemouth’s 2-1 win at Newcastle, extending the eighth-place Cherries’ unbeaten streak to 13 and tying them with Chelsea and Brentford on points for the last two berths in European competition next season.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (78 minutes) served a lovely assist on Leeds’ second goal during a 3-0 win over Wolverhampton. Next weekend, Leeds will face Chelsea in an FA Cup semifinal at Wembley.
Left back Antonee Robinson entered in the 81st minute of Fulham’s 0-0 draw at Brentford.
Center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace — who on Thursday advanced to the UEFA Conference League semifinals — will host West Ham on Monday.
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Right wing back Joe Scally (90 minutes) scored in the seventh minute — his second of the Bundesliga season – but Mönchengladbach conceded a late equalizer and settled for a 1-1 draw with Mainz. U.S. teammate Gio Reyna entered in the 72nd.
Ahead of Wednesday’s cup semifinal against Bayern Munich, midfielder Malik Tillman was an 81st-minute sub in Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 loss to Augsburg.
Augsburg center back Noahkai Banks, who withdrew from U.S. consideration last month to weigh German options, remained on the bench for the fourth time in five matches.
In the Copa del Rey final — won by Real Sociedad in a shootout 4-3 following a 2-2 draw through 120 minutes — Atlético Madrid sub Johnny Cardoso missed a golden opportunity to score the winner in stoppage time of regulation by sending an angled shot wide of the open far corner.
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Right back Alex Freeman and Villarreal were off.
In a Scottish Cup semifinal, center back Auston Trusty played 120 minutes as Celtic pulled away from St. Mirren in extra time, 6-2, setting up the May 23 final against Dunfermline.
Eager to make a late impression after being left out of U.S. camp in March, Club América winger Alex Zendejas went the distance and was credited with an assist in a 2-1 victory over Toluca.
Major League Soccer
Defensive midfielder Cristian Roldan scored twice off corner kicks 15 minutes apart in the first half — on a header and a volley — as Seattle rolled past visiting St. Louis, 4-1.
Midfielder Diego Luna contributed a goal and assist in the first nine minutes of Real Salt Lake’s 4-2 home victory over San Diego.
On the eve of his 25th birthday, left wing Max Arfsten scored in the 25th minute of Columbus’ 2-1 loss at New England.
Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter went 74 minutes in league-leading Vancouver’s 3-0 win over Kansas City.
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Among the center backs, Tim Ream left at halftime of Charlotte’s 2-1 win at New York City with a groin issue that he first felt in the 30th minute; Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson returned from a groin injury that sidelined him during U.S. camp to play 64 minutes in a 3-3 draw with Chicago; and Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon went 90 for Vancouver.
The top goalkeeping candidates started as usual, with NYC’s Matt Freese losing to Charlotte, New England’s Matt Turner winning against Columbus and Chicago’s Chris Brady drawing at Cincinnati.
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Roman Reigns wins World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42
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LAS VEGAS – CM Punk and Roman Reigns met at WrestleMania 42 in a clash between two titans of the pro wrestling industry who helped shaped WWE over the last 15 years.
Punk entered as the world heavyweight champion, while Reigns was the challenger. Reigns earned the shot at Punk’s title after winning the Royal Rumble in January.
The two went back-and-forth for weeks trading barbs. Punk vowing to “bury” Reigns next to his father, while the “OTC” telling Punk he’s too old. Each competitor put each other through the “Monday Night Raw” announce table on various episodes. Reigns then vowed he would walk out of WWE if he lost to Punk.
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CM Punk faces off against Roman Reigns before the World Heavyweight Championship match during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It all led to the raucous brawl that occurred in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium to end the weekend.
Reigns’ entrance music shook the stadium as he walked purposely down the ramp – for the second straight year with no “Wiseman” to back him up or guide him through what vowed to be an incredible match.
Punk came out to the top of the stage and looked over the crowd. He touched the ground, and yelled with the crowd, “It’s clobbering time.” The crowd sang “Cult of Personality” as it blared through the stadium.
The match brought an electricity in the air that was missing from Night 1. It had a big fight feel and both Punk and Reigns brought it.

CM Punk fights Roman Reigns during the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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The two started grappling for control after meeting face-to-face in the middle of the ring for one final round of trash talking. They traded knockdowns and slapped each other around as Reigns gained the advantage to start the match.
A Samoan drop set the stage for Reigns to go on the offensive first. The crowd acknowledged their “Tribal Chief” as he clotheslined Punk outside of the ring.
Punk reversed Reigns’ attempt to bash him into the announce table. But Reigns whipped Punk into the barricade and continued his assault in the crowd. Punk sat on a chair and waited for Reigns to get him. Punk jumped on the barricade and hit a flying clothesline.

CM Punk reacts to Roman Reigns before the World Heavyweight Championship match during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Punk’s taunts didn’t last long. Reigns tossed Punk from the announce table onto the ground as the referee begged for both competitors to get back into the ring. Reigns obliged as that was the only way he was going to win the match.
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The match wore on as they traded punches and kicks and pin attempts.
Reigns was the first to attempt his finisher. He tried for a Superman punch but Punk countered. Punk went to the top rope and hit a crossbody and assaulted Reigns with a flurry of punches.
Punk seemingly had the advantage. He hit Reigns with a running knee and a bulldog. He called for the GTS as Reigns laid face down on the mat. Punk went for it, but Reigns battled out of it.
Once again, the match moved to the outside. Punk hit a suicide dive that pushed Reigns onto the announce table. He used it to his advantage.
Then, Punk got a little dangerous. Reigns was laid out on the announce table. He went to the top rope but Reigns quickly got up and avoided the move.
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Reigns mocked Punk as he hung upside down on the turnbuckle. Reigns hit Punk with a Superman punch. Reigns then nailed Punk with the stairs and continued to talk trash to the camera.

Roman Reigns shoves CM Punk into the ropes during the World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Punk appeared helpless as Reigns picked him up. He set up Punk for a powerbomb and blasted him through the announce table. Punk was cut open and Reigns basked in the fans’ applause. He threw Punk into the ring and set him up for a spear.
However, Punk countered and picked him up over his shoulders. Punk hit the GTS and nearly pinned Reigns right there. Punk tried for another GTS, but Reigns nailed him with a spear. Again, for only a two count.
Reigns, frustrated, signaled he was going to steal Punk’s finisher. Punk tried to battle back but Reigns was adamant. He put Punk on his shoulders but Punk countered. Punk kicked Reigns, knocking him down but couldn’t get the three count.
Punk then resorted to mocking Reigns. He took the Ula Fala from a fan and tried to hit a spear. Reigns countered with a guillotine only for Punk to kick out of it and put Reigns into a chokehold. Reigns punched his way out of the submission hold and put Punk back in the guillotine.
As the two broke out of their respective submission holds, they got back up and hit each other with a double clothesline. The fans were ecstatic, yelling “this is awesome,” as the match winded down. The crowd was split in who they were rooting for. Chants for both men rang out throughout the stadium as they traded punches.
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Punk was taking off the tape from his hands and threw it onto the ring, distracting the referee enough to hit Reigns with a low blow. Punk tried to pin Reigns, but Reigns kicked out again.
What was it going to take to put either wrestler down?

Roman Reigns is introduced before the World Heavyweight Championship match against CM Punk during WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 19, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Punk got Reigns outside of the ring and back onto the announce table. He wanted one final blow. He stepped up to the top rope and nailed Reigns with a flying elbow drop.
The crowd waited with bated breath for the two to get back in the ring. Punk lifted Reigns on his shoulders and hit the GTS. Reigns then fell back onto his shoulders, but Punk couldn’t muster the strength to get off one more move.
Reigns got up and hit Punk with a spear. Punk looked at Reigns and crawled back to him. Reigns hit Punk with one more spear.
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He pinned Punk and won the World Heavyweight Championship.
Reigns becomes a seven-time champion and the first time he’s held the title since he lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40.
Sports
Sabres match comeback from ‘May Day’ in playoff return
Sandra Jeanneret, wife of legendary Sabres play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret, banged the Sabres drum on Sunday before the team’s long-awaited playoff return in Buffalo.
It’s a tradition at Sabres games with the drum going to the beat of ‘Let’s Go Buffalo,’ which the crowd yells out afterward. Sandra was seen as the ideal choice to do the honours for the team’s first playoff game in 15 years.
Little did she know she was about to witness a feat not seen since her late husband delivered one of the most famous calls of his career.
The Sabres rallied from a 2-0 deficit after two periods to beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 before a roaring crowd at KeyBank Center in Buffalo’s first playoff game in 15 years.
The multi-goal comeback in the third period marked the first time the Sabres have done that in a playoff win since April 24, 1993, when Brad May scored in overtime to complete a sweep of the same Bruins in the first round at Buffalo’s old Memorial Auditorium.
Rick Jeanneret, never short on enthusiasm, bellowed “May Day, May Day” after that goal.
That win gave the Sabres their first series victory in 10 years, setting up a series against the Canadiens, which Montreal would win 4-0.
Could some of history repeat itself? It’s possible, after the Sabres and Canadiens both won their series openers on Sunday. If they were to both win, they’d square off in the second round.
For now, though, Buffalo fans will celebrate an epic win, keyed by two goals from Tage Thompson and then the go-ahead goal by Mattias Samuelsson.
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