Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Punjab Kings are finally “moving in the right direction” after making smart and bold decisions at the auction table, raising hopes of ending their long wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
Speaking on IPL Today Live, Pathan highlighted how the franchise has shown renewed clarity in both leadership and squad-building. Punjab Kings finished as runners-up last season, narrowly losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Clear Leadership Driving Punjab’s Turnaround
“Leadership has played a huge role in Punjab’s turnaround. You win half the IPL at the auction table. Big purses don’t necessarily mean you will always get what you want, but they did, and they reached the final,” he said.
Smart auction moves key to Punjab’s rise
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Pathan pointed out that the franchise has not shied away from taking tough calls, including releasing underperforming players such as Glenn Maxwell, while also strengthening their bench.
“They took bold but important calls… and now you see all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis, along with a young Indian batting core. They also went all-out for Shreyas Iyer after deciding he would be the captain. There is clarity of thought, and I feel Punjab have started to move in the right direction,” he said.
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Punjab Kings in IPL 2025
The Punjab Kings enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in IPL 2025, emerging as one of the most consistent teams of the season. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they topped the league stage and advanced to the final, marking their first title clash after 2014. The team displayed remarkable balance, with Iyer leading from the front with the bat where he finished 604 runs, while Arshdeep Singh spearheaded the bowling attack finishing with 21 wickets. Punjab’s journey included a memorable win in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians after failing in Qualifier 1 from RCB to secure a place in the final, but they ultimately fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in finals. Despite the loss, the 2025 season signaled a major turnaround for the franchise, establishing them as genuine contenders and laying a strong foundation for future success.
New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini have been in the news after their pictures from a resort in Arizona were published by the New York Post.
Russini is reportedly being investigated by The Athletic following the release of the pictures. Amid the investigation and rumors of her alleged affair, NFL commentator Colin Cowherd reflected on the moral and ethical aspects of the controversy. Cowherd said on his podcast (timestamp 20:00 onwards):
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“If you’re winning in the NFL as a football coach, and Vrabel took a team to the Super Bowl that had no business being in the Super Bowl. If these allegations, all we have is pictures. Just pictures, right? So it’s just a moral issue if the allegations are true. With Diana, it’s moral and ethical, because she has in her contract, there are standards and procedures from the New York Times.
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“I mean, they fired Jason Blair was a reporter. I don’t talk about the moral stuff. What I’m trying to tell people is, don’t confuse moral and ethical. Diana’s in a space where it’s moral and ethical. Mike’s is moral if, and again, these are allegations. That’s the other reason I don’t talk about it. But I do want to create or provide clarity on that… So I’m supporting the mainstream media.”
Vrabel and Russini were seen interacting near the pool at an Arizona resort. While The Athletic initially defended Russini, the journalist has been sidelined from reporting amid her ongoing investigation.
Manchester City breathed fresh life back into the Premier League title race with an emphatic 3-0 win at Chelsea.
Tottenham, meanwhile, remain in the relegation zone after Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge ended as a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland.
Guardiola wary of Arsenal
Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal are still the best team in England and Europe after Manchester City cut the gap at the top of the Premier League to six points with a comprehensive 3-0 win at Chelsea.
Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku were on-target in 17 second-half minutes at Stamford Bridge as City put real pressure on the league leaders ahead of next Sunday’s showdown between the two sides.
Should City triumph at the Etihad Stadium they will move to within three points of the Gunners with a game in hand, but despite three wins on the trot for his side, Guardiola is wary of Arsenal.
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“We have done a good three games but the best team in England so far is Arsenal, the best team in Europe so far is Arsenal, because the numbers are there, the consistency they had,” said Guardiola.
De Zerbi concerned by Spurs mindset
Roberto De Zerbi admitted fear of relegation may be a problem for Tottenham after losing at Sunderland.
Despite some promising opportunities from Richarlison and Dominic Solanke in particular, Sunderland claimed three points when Nordi Mukiele’s strike deflected in off Micky van de Ven in the 61st minute.
Defeat leaves Tottenham in 18th place in the Premier League table and they are still searching for their first Premier League win of 2026.
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Asked if he felt like the fear of relegation itself is the problem, De Zerbi replied: “I think so, yep. The target now is to win one game because if we win a game, we can see everything in a different way.”
Mainoo getting closer to signing new deal – Carrick
After an uncertain time under previous boss Ruben Amorim, academy graduate Mainoo has flourished under Carrick’s guidance as head coach and once again looks like a cornerstone player for the Red Devils.
His current contract runs until 2027, with an option for an additional 12 months, but the club have reportedly given the green light to a new five-year deal for the England international.
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“We’d like to think so and it’s getting closer, so we’re positive with that,” Carrick said. “We’re calm with it, but we’re positive with it and time will tell how it goes. At the moment, we are in a good place.”
Glasner hopes Mateta can win Eagles fans over
Oliver Glasner believes Jean-Philippe Mateta deserves to be back in the good books of Crystal Palace supporters after the striker’s match-winning display against Newcastle.
Mateta upset Eagles fans by trying to leave the club in the January transfer window, only to see a move to AC Milan break down after a knee injury caused problems with his medical.
After scoring in Palace’s Conference League quarter-final victory over Fiorentina on Thursday, his redemption continued as he struck twice off the bench to help his side come from behind in the 2-1 victory.
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Glasner said: “I was delighted for him and I mentioned weeks ago that is what he deserves.
“As soon as it was clear that he had to stay at Crystal Palace, he said, ‘OK, I will work very, very hard to come back and help the team win,’ and to help us achieve all our goals. This is what he has showed and he is now getting back to his top fitness.”
What’s on today?
Manchester United can bolster their position of third in the league when they welcome old rivals Leeds to Old Trafford. The visitors will be hoping to increase a three-point cushion away from the drop zone.
Arne Slot will address the media on Monday afternoon ahead of Liverpool’s crunch Champions League quarter-final second leg at Paris St Germain, who hold a 2-0 lead at the halfway point of their tie.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin was left baffled by the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) decision to bring wrist spinner Mayank Markande against Rajat Patidar during their 18-run loss at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 12. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain scored a quick-fire fifty, including an onslaught against spin, to propel the team to a massive score.
Early into Patidar’s innings, in the 12th over, MI skipper Hardik Pandya brought Mayank Markande back into the attack. The wrist spinner had conceded 20 runs off his first over, and was up against the RCB skipper. After getting the strike from Virat Kohli, the right-handed batter smashed three consecutive sixes, including a rare reverse switch hit over point.
Markande ended up conceding 20 runs off the over once again as RCB raced away to 144-1 after 12 overs.
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R Ashwin recalled a contest between RCB and SRH from IPL 2024, where Patidar struck four consecutive sixes off Mayank Markande’s bowling. He argued that bringing him into the attack made no sense at that point, especially considering the RCB skipper’s supreme ability against spin.
“Rajat Patidar is a monster hitter against spinner, and when he came into bat, you gave the ball straight to Mayank Markande. We have to understand what is going on in Markande’s mind. He had beaten him to a pulp in Hyderabad, and when Patidar came in, he was given the ball straightaway. Very very very very average, My head started spinning. This was the difference between 210 and 240. MI’s spinners gave 80 runs in six overs,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Rajat Patidar scored back-to-back fifties, smashing five sixes in his knock at a strike rate of 265. Markande, on the other hand, recorded one of the most expensive spells in IPL history, prolonging his tough start to the season. The spinner has yet to take a wicket in the ongoing campaign.
R Ashwin opined that MI are struggling despite having a solid team, and barring a good run in IPL 2025, they do not have much to show for in recent years.
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“This was an important game for MI, and RCB showed that why they are the defending champions. They had a very tough game against RR, but to bounce back like this, it is not easy. It is a bit surprising to me, MI have a squad, they have really good players, but they are just not able to get it right. It’s not happening for the first time, it has been happening for 2-3 years now,” Ashwin said.
MI have been on the hunt for their sixth title for the last 6 years, with their last triumph being the dominant run in IPL 2020 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since then, they have qualified for the playoffs only on two occasions.
“They might have ended up with 260” – R Ashwin on Virat Kohli’s sluggish fifty in MI vs RCB IPL 2026 match
RCB batters had a field day as they made the most of some poor bowling and optimal batting conditions to be among the runs. Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar slammed quick-fire fifties while Tim David also chipped in with a valuable cameo towards the end.
However, Virat Kohli could not play as freely as his teammates, as he ended up with a 38-ball 50 with a strike rate of 131.58 in the high-scoring clash.
“There is no right or wrong in this, I think sometimes you will have a day in T20 cricket where the tempo will be like this, because of that, you are not able to accelerate. Today, Virat was not able to accelerate. If RCB were able to get a power hitter like David or Shepherd earlier, they might have ended up with 260. What happened today with Kohli can happen to anyone, it happened with Ruturaj as well,” Ashwin opined.
Virat Kohli was left frustrated with his own display, and holed out to the deep of Hardik Pandya’s bowling in the 15th over, a couple of deliveries after reaching the 50-run mark.
The 2025-26 NBA regular season is officially in the books. With the Play-In Tournament set to begin Tuesday and the first round of the playoffs on Saturday, here’s a look at the matchups and series schedules that we know so far. Before we get to that, let’s take a look back at the final day of the season and suss out the winners and losers in terms of how it all shook out.
Winner: Houston Rockets
Three weeks ago, everyone in the West wanted to play the Rockets in the first round. They looked broken, and the Lakers were firing on all cylinders. Oh, how things have changed. Now the Rockets have nine of 10 heading into the playoffs, and they get the banged-up Lakers in the first round. L.A. is going to be playing without Austin Reaves and likely Luka Dončić for the duration of the series.
It could have gone another way. Had the Spurs beaten the Nuggets on Sunday, which they had incentive to do (we’ll touch on this below), the Rockets would’ve had to play Denver in the first round. Getting the Lakers sans Doncic and Reaves instead is a gift from the basketball gods.
This is by no means the Knicks fault, but they would’ve rather played the Raptors in the first round. Instead, they’ll get the Hawks, who lost to Miami on Sunday to fall to No. 6 in the East bracket. Atlanta is one of the hottest teams in the league. Trae Young isn’t around anymore, but the 2021 series isn’t forgotten. Since the All-Star break, the Hawks are making 15 3-pointers per game, fifth most in the league, while the Knicks are bottom-10 in 3-point defense. It will be a major factor in this series, which I expect the Knicks to win, but it may not be nearly as easy as you would like a first-round series to be.
Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers
If the Knicks are losers for having to face the Hawks in the first round, then it stands to reason that the Cavs are winners for not having to. Instead, the Cavs get Toronto (no disrespect, but the Raptors are the weakest playoff team in the East) while also ending up on the opposite side of the bracket from the Celtics, the best team in the East with Jayson Tatum back and trending up every game. So now, if seeds hold, New York and Boston have to play each other in the second round while Cleveland is looking at Toronto-Detroit in the first two rounds. Detroit is no cakewalk, but that’s a cleaner path to the conference finals.
Loser: San Antonio Spurs
After Victor Wembanyama played on Friday night, I really thought the Spurs would go the extra mile and play him again against Denver in the season finale. There was a lot at stake. Had San Antonio beaten the Nuggets, Denver would’ve fallen to No. 4 in the West, which would’ve meant a second-round series vs. OKC if chalk is to hold. For the Spurs, forcing OKC and Denver to battle it out and only have to potentially play one of them in the playoffs would’ve been a big deal. Instead, the Spurs sat Wemby, lost to Denver, and now are likely going to have to defeat Denver and OKC in consecutive rounds in order to make the Finals.
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Winner: Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers headed into Sunday needing a win over the Kings to secure the No. 8 seed, and they got it. This isn’t going to register on the national radar — a barely-.500 team making the Play-In Tournament. Who cares, right? Well, No. 8 is a lot different than No. 9. It means the Blazers, instead of having to win two straight play-in games, now have two chances to win one to get into the playoffs.
The Blazers almost certainly won’t get out of the first round if they make the playoffs, but it’s important for a team building through a young core to get some payoff for a positive season and feel the heat of the playoffs first-hand. They still have to beat the Suns, or if they lose that one, the Warriors or Clippers to get there, but again, two shots is better than one and they gave themselves that with the win on Sunday.
Winner: Milwaukee Bucks
Doc Rivers is reportedly out as Milwaukee’s coach, which doesn’t necessarily mean Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to stay but it can’t hurt with the sales pitch. Giannis has already taken thinly veiled shots at Rivers by way of publicly admiring Joe Mazzulla’s no-excuse approach, and it feels fair to say that had Milwaukee been tone deaf enough to run it back with Rivers next season, it would’ve been very hard to sell Giannis on the idea that things are going to turn around with the same old leadership. Chances are the Giannis era is over anyway. But this is at least a step in the direction of growth.
This has not been Orlando’s season, but, coming into Sunday, they still had a chance at a guaranteed playoff berth with a win over the Celtics. True, they also needed Toronto to lose to Brooklyn, which was a super long shot and ultimately didn’t happen, but Orlando, playing at full strength, wasn’t even able to hold up its end of the bargain in losing to a Celtics team that basically ran out a G-League squad.
Even with the Toronto win, the Magic could’ve secured the No. 7 seed with a win of their own, which, in the play-in era, has been as good as a guaranteed playoff spot. All No. 7 seeds have made the playoffs in the Play-In Tournament era. But now the Magic fall to No. 8 and have to play the 76ers on the road. If they lose that, there’s a good chance they face the Hornets, who have been one of the best teams in the league for some time, in a do-or-die play-in game.
NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Tim David left the umpire slightly annoyed with a playful act during their IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The incident unfolded in the 18th over of the RCB innings when David smashed a towering six off Hardik Pandya over deep mid-wicket. The strike was so powerful that it altered the shape of the ball, which had also become wet, forcing the umpires to call for a replacement.
As the box of used balls was brought out, David picked one up and began casually playing with it. Despite repeated requests from the umpire to hand it back, the Australian continued to toy with the ball for a few moments, leaving the official visibly miffed. After a brief delay, David finally returned the ball, bringing a smile back to the situation.
Rohit Sharma also joined in, sharing a light-hearted moment with David as the incident drew laughter on the field.
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Earlier, RCB’s top order had dominated proceedings. Skipper Rajat Patidar, along with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, struck impressive half-centuries to power the defending champions to a massive 240/4 — the second-highest total of the season.
Salt led the charge with a blistering 78 off 36 balls, hitting six fours and six sixes, while Kohli anchored the innings with a composed 50 off 38 deliveries. The pair added a fluent 120 runs for the opening wicket before Shardul Thakur provided the breakthrough.
Patidar then carried forward the momentum with a rapid 53 off just 20 balls, laced with four boundaries and five sixes, as RCB stamped their authority with a commanding batting display.
Apr 12, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Doc Rivers is out as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, according to a Sunday night ESPN report.
Rivers has one year remaining on his $40 million contract, and the Bucks will pay the remainder of that contract. The club and Rivers and discussing a possible move to the front office for 2026-27, according to sources.
The Bucks stumbled to a 32-50 record this season and missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
In parts of three seasons at the helm, Rivers’ teams posted a record of 97-103. He replaced Adrian Griffin in January 2024, who was fired after the team got off to a 30-13 start. With Rivers on the bench, Milwaukee finished the campaign with a 17-19 mark and lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to the Indiana Pacers.
Last season, the Bucks went 48-34 in the regular season but fell again to the Pacers in the first round of the postseason. The Pacers went on to reach the NBA Finals.
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There was strife between the club and star Giannis Antetokounmpo this season. Antetokounmpo only played in 36 games in 2025-26 but insisted he was healthy enough to compete in games down the stretch of the campaign.
Rivers, 64, will be inducted as a coach into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in August.
He just completed his 27th year on an NBA bench and sports a current record of 1194-866. Rivers is sixth in victories on the all-time list and guided the 2007-08 Boston Celtics to an NBA Championship.
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The 13-year NBA guard started his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in the 1999-2000 season. He earned NBA Coach of the Year honors in that first season, posting a 41-41 record.
Rivers coached in Orlando from 1999-2004, before jumping to the Celtics in the 2004-05 season. His tenure in Boston was the longest at nine years (2004-13) and was followed by stints with the Los Angeles Clippers (2013-20), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23) and Bucks (2024-26).
The Chicago native began his NBA career in Atlanta and played for the Hawks from 1983-1991. He also competed for the Clippers (1991-92), New York Knicks (1992-95), and completed his tenure with the San Antonio Spurs (1994-96).
The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will lock horns with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 21st match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will host the game on Monday, April 13.
The Riyan Parag-led side have made a terrific start to the IPL 2026 season, winning all their first four matches. They successfully chased 202 against Royal Challengers Benglauru (RCB) in their last game, winning the match six wickets with 12 balls to spare. The top three – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel have looked solid this season.
On the other hand, SRH will look to avoid a hat-trick of losses after defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Having said that, they posted 219 against Punjab in their last game. Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 74 off 28 balls.
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Here are three batters who are likely to score big in SRH vs RR IPL 2026 match:
Travis Head
Travis Head – Source: Getty
Travis Head enjoys a terrific record against RR in IPL. The Aussie opener has amassed 159 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 154.37, including two half-centuries. Last year, he smashed 67 runs off 31 balls against the Royals. With 102 runs in four innings, Head has made a firm start to IPL 2026. After scoring 46 (21) and 38 (23) against KKR and PBKS, he’ll now look to convert his starts into a big score. In the IPL, the 32-year-old has scored 1248 runs in 42 matches at a strike rate of 169.79, including a century and eight fifties. Overall, he has 4654 runs in 178 T20s, hitting two tons and 27 half-centuries.
Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan – Source: Getty
Like Travis Head, SRH captain Ishan Kishan enjoys a promising record against the Royals in IPL. The southpaw has 392 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 147.37, including three half-centuries and one hundred. In his last innings, he smashed an unbeaten 106 off 47 deliveries at a strike rate of 225.53, including six maximums and 11 boundaries at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. In the IPL, the wicketkeeper-batter has 3120 runs in 116 innings with the help of the aforementioned ton and 18 fifties. In his first four outings, he’s managed 122 runs in four innings at a stunning strike rate of 179.41, including 80 off 38 deliveries against RCB. Overall, in T20s, he has 6441 runs in 233 games, comprising seven centuries and 36 fifties. On his day, he can disrupt any team in the world.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – Source: Getty
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has dominated bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood in IPL 2026. The 15-year-old has already scored 200 runs in four innings at a stunning strike rate of 266.67, including two half-centuries. Notably, he slammed a quickfire 78 off 26 balls against RCB in the last game. The youngster will now look to continue his carnage against SRH, who failed to defend 219 in their previous game against PBKS.
In the IPL, Sooryavanshi has scored 452 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 229.44, including one century and three fifties. Overall, in T20s, he has 901 runs in 22 games, hitting three centuries and as many fifties. Despite scoring 52 (17) and 78 (26) against CSK and RCB, he looked disappointed after failing to convert his starts into a century.
From left, MI’s Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma and RCB’s Virat Kohli and Phil Salt. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: A clash featuring two of India’s modern-day greats rarely disappoints, and Sunday’s IPL 2026 showdown at the Wankhede Stadium delivered a moment fans will cherish beyond the result.As Virat Kohli walked out to bat, fully focused with his bat resting on his shoulder, he was called over by Rohit Sharma from the field. What followed was a brief yet heartwarming interaction between the two icons — a quick meet-and-greet that instantly went viral, drawing admiration across social media.The gesture, filled with mutual respect and camaraderie, became one of the standout moments of the match, reminding fans of the bond shared by two legends who have defined an era of Indian cricket.WATCH:Injury concerns for Kohli and RohitBoth stalwarts made their presence felt in the contest. Kohli anchored Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s innings with a composed 50 off 38 balls, while Rohit looked fluent during his 19 off 13 balls before being forced to retire hurt due to a hamstring issue.In a twist of symmetry, Kohli too did not take the field during MI’s chase after sustaining an ankle concern, adding a layer of worry for both teams despite the high-profile clash living up to expectations.Salt, Patidar power RCB to massive totalRCB’s batting dominance was led by Phil Salt, who smashed a blistering 78 off 36 balls, sharing a 120-run opening stand with Kohli. Skipper Rajat Patidar then took over, hammering 53 off just 20 balls, while Tim David finished strongly with an unbeaten 34.“The way Virat and Salt started the innings, I think that kept us in the driving seat… it was a pure team effort,” Patidar said after the match.RCB piled up a formidable 240/4, putting MI under immediate pressure.MI fall short despite late fightMI’s chase began brightly but lost momentum after Rohit’s early exit. Suyash Sharma struck crucial blows, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) tried to revive hopes.“I think… we’ve been catching up in the game rather than leading the game,” Pandya admitted.A late unbeaten 71 from Sherfane Rutherford, including four sixes in the final over, wasn’t enough as MI finished on 222/5.
Manchester City thrashed Chelsea 3-0 on Sunday and now face a monumental clash with Premier League title rivals Arsenal this coming weekend
Manchester City’s scintillating second half showing at Stamford Bridge has piled the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League ahead of a seismic showdown at the Etihad.
The Gunners were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime and City responded by beating Chelsea 3-0 with all the goals coming after the break.
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The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side six points adrift of Arsenal but with a game in hand ahead of the title showdown on Sunday while the margin of victory at Stamford Bridge trimmed the Gunners’ goal difference advantage to three.
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Arsenal have lost their last three domestic games in three different competitions to see their chances of silverware in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup ended. They remain in the Champions League and host Sporting Lisbon this week a goal ahead from the first leg in Portugal.
And while Mikel Arteta’s side know a draw will keep City at bay and a win will surely knock the Blues out of the title race, the momentum seems to have shift in City’s favour.
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Jeremy Doku, who scored his first goal since November in the win over City, believes the Arsenal clash will be title defining.
“I think so,” he said. “If you win this game, it is a big punch towards them. If you lose, it’s in their hands and we have to wait for them to lose. But if we win, it’s in our hands and I prefer to have it in my hands.
“I believe the race is on. I would be crazy if I didn’t believe. We have a big game now, we’re going to recover well and look forward to it.
“I watched the Arsenal game and when I saw them lose, I saw that the Premier League is really unpredictable.”
City have a clear week to focus on the visit of Arsenal, while the Gunners have a Champions League date to contend with. And the City players know how crucial the task in front of them is.
“It’s going to be a big game,” said Marc Guehi, another goalscorer at Chelsea. “But the most important thing for us is to recover and focus on training this week.”
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“First of all, recover,” added Doku. “Then just analyse Arsenal again, think about what my task is going to be, look at their weaknesses and strengths and believe that we did it already.
“They will come with hunger. They don’t want to just give it to us so we have to go and take it. Trust me, we’ll be well prepared.”
Doc Rivers is out as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach, ESPN reported Sunday, citing sources.
Rivers left his broadcasting job to return to the NBA sidelines as the Bucks’ coach shortly after Adrian Griffin was fired 43 games into the 2023-24 season. Now Rivers exits Milwaukee after a 126-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, capping a 32-50 season that ended in a missed NBA playoff berth.
Rivers coached the Bucks to first-round playoff exits in each of the past two seasons.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Apr 6, 2025.(Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)
The Bucks will now launch their third head coaching search in the past three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks will now launch their third head coaching search in the past three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The NBA trade deadline passed in February without a deal involving Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP saw limited action in the 2025-26 season, appearing in a career-low 36 games.
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Antetokounmpo dealt with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise during the season. He was later sidelined for a stretch of games, fueling speculation the Bucks shut him down despite his being healthy, prompting an NBA investigation into the handling of the star forward.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks talk before the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Oct. 28, 2025.(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Antetokounmpo’s frustration boiled over as he insisted he was healthy enough to play despite being sidelined for a 10th straight game when Milwaukee faced the Boston Celtics on April 3.
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like — I’m saying it publicly — I want to f—ing play. You know what I’m saying?” he said, via The Athletic. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
He then said he was “available to play.”
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Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo’s comments after the team’s 133-101 loss.
“The tough part about all this is that I’m in the middle, and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front.
“And we have to sit here and answer this stuff. I think there are two sides to this — I will tell you that — but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”
Rivers added that he didn’t like that the feud had gone “public.”
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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers directs traffic his team against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at Fiserv Forum on April 5, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.(Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)
Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds this season. He was named NBA Finals MVP when he helped the Bucks secure the franchise’s first championship since 1971.
Rivers coached the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1983. After retiring as a player, Rivers moved into broadcasting, calling NBA games. In 1999, he was named head coach of the Orlando Magic, a role he held until 2003.
Before returning to the coaching ranks, Rivers was part of ESPN’s lead NBA broadcasting team.
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