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Arsenal knock out holders Real Madrid to reach Champions League semis

Arsenal dumped out holders Real Madrid as a 2-1 win on Wednesday completed a 5-1 aggregate victory for Mikel Arteta’s side and set up a Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

The Gunners’ 3-0 quarter-final first leg triumph last week gave them a vital cushion in the Spanish capital as they made the final four for the first time since 2009.

Bukayo Saka, who missed a first-half penalty, sent Arsenal ahead, and although Vinicius Junior levelled the 15-time winners were never close to making up the deficit.

Gabriel Martinelli rubbed salt in their wounds with a stoppage-time winner for Arsenal, who are yet to lift the Champions League trophy.

“We knew we were going to suffer, but we knew we were going to win,” Declan Rice, who netted two stunning free-kicks in the first leg, told TNT Sports.

“It’s such a special night for this club, it’s a historic night for this club… we want to win this competition.”

Los Blancos, far more brittle than when they won a Champions League and La Liga double last season, were convinced they could turn the game around, but created too little against Arsenal’s tight defence.

The Premier League side held their nerve to reach the semi-finals for only the third time in their history.

“We lost against a superior Arsenal, and we have to accept it,” Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Movistar.

“We’ve had the happy part of football many times, and then there’s the sad part, which is today,” added coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Kylian Mbappe chested home in the opening stages but was clearly offside, with the forward gesturing to the crowd to turn up the volume to create the fabled aura which helps Madrid pull off near-impossible feats at the Santiago Bernabeu.

David Alaba was booked for hacking down Saka as Madrid tried to add the grit they badly lacked in their first leg demolition in London.

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Arsenal were awarded a penalty seemingly out of the blue when the VAR booth instructed French referee Francois Letexier to review an incident from an earlier corner.

Raul Asencio pulled back Arsenal forward Mikel Merino in the area, and Letexier pointed to the spot, to the bemusement of the home crowd.

Saka stepped up to take it, but his poorly executed Panenka, skewing off to the left, was saved by Courtois.

It spurred Real Madrid on, and soon they had a penalty of their own when Mbappe hit the turf after Rice tussled with him.

However, after a lengthy VAR review, Letexier was called to take a second look, and he then decided Rice had not fouled the French superstar.

The breaks in play, along with Arsenal’s dallying at every opportunity, disrupted Madrid’s momentum, and Raya did not need to make a save in the first half.

“We didn’t have the accuracy upfront,” said Courtois.

Martin Odegaard, facing his former employers whom he joined as a ‘wonderkid’ a decade ago, helped forge Arsenal’s opening goal after 65 minutes.

The Norwegian linked with Merino, who slipped Saka in behind, and the Englishman made amends for his penalty blunder with an ice-cool dinked finish.

Four goals ahead in the tie, Arsenal thought their work was done, with defender William Saliba not concentrating on the edge of his box in possession.

Vinicius stole the ball away from him and beat the out-of-position Raya to level, two minutes after Saka’s opener.

Madrid’s increasingly slim hopes were dashed when Mbappe limped off with an ankle problem with 15 minutes remaining, and Martinelli made sure with a cool finish after Merino set him up.

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PSG axe Dembele for Arsenal clash over disciplinary reasons

Ousmane Dembele was axed from Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) squad for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Arsenal because he did not “comply with or respect the expectations of the team”, coach Luis Enrique said.

It follows reports in French media that the 27-year-old winger had a heated exchange with Luis Enrique following PSG’s 3-1 win against Rennes on Friday, in which Dembele was substituted late on.

Dembele has been one of the team’s stand-out players so far this season and featured in PSG’s Champions League win against Girona earlier this month.

But Luis Enrique, speaking at the Emirates in London on Monday, said the France international had not travelled with the squad from Paris.

“If someone doesn’t comply or respect the expectations of the team, it means they are not prepared to play,” he said.

“The match tomorrow is very important and I want all my players to be ready, so as a consequence I have left him (Dembele) out. I want the best for my team and that is my job.”

The former Spain manager said he was “100 percent” sure of his decision.

“It doesn’t mean this is irreversible, but I took the best decision for the team and that is why I signed here, to create a team that has a strong identity and has a lot of character,” he added.

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Asked to explain the altercation with Ousmane Dembele, Luis Enrique replied: “I am very honest and I will be honest, but I am not going to create a soap opera out of this.

“There are no problems between us. That is completely false. This is simply about the responsibilities of the player.”

Without the in-form Ousmane Dembele, who has four goals and as many assists in six league games this season, PSG will rely more heavily on Bradley Barcola.

Barcola is the leading scorer in the French top flight this season with six goals, two of which came in the victory over Rennes.

Luis Enrique praised Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, hailing his former Barcelona team-mate as one of the best managers in world football.

“He is one of the best coaches on the market at the moment,” he said. “He changed Arsenal’s fortunes from a somewhat winless streak to one of the best teams in the world that is competing for titles.

“I would go as far as to say they are the best team in Europe playing without the ball. He is a great coach and a great person.”

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Mohamed Salah scores as Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1

Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho scored first-half goals to give Liverpool a 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday while Chelsea cruised and Manchester United edged Real Betis 3-2 in pre-season matches.

Kai Havertz scored Arsenal’s goal in front of a crowd of 69,879 at the home stadium of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

In other friendly action in the United States, Chelsea swept past Mexico’s Club America 3-0, AC Milan beat Real Madrid 1-0 and Manchester United edged Real Betis 3-2.

Egyptian Salah opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 13th minute, outpacing the defenders to latch onto Harvey Elliott’s defence-splitting pass.

The striker shrugged off the attentions of Arsenal centre-back Gabriel and fired a low left-footed shot past Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein.

Carvalho doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 34th minute, with Elliott again the provider.

The 21-year-old Portuguese winger ran onto a perfectly-lofted Elliott pass into the box and fired home a crisp right-foot volley through Hein’s legs.

Arsenal reduced the deficit in the 40th minute when Havertz scored past Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from point-blank range after Martin Odegaard found him in the six-yard box.

A goalless second half secured the triumph for Liverpool’s new Dutch manager Arne Slot, who has replaced Jurgen Klopp.

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Arsenal’s newly signed 22-year-old Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori was not in the Gunners’ lineup.

At San Diego, Real Betis grabbed an early advantage thanks to Iker Losada’s strike in the 15th minute.

The lead lasted only three minutes as Romain Perraud fouled Manchester United’s Amad Diallo in the box and Marcus Rashford blasted home from the spot.

Diallo gave the Old Trafford club the lead in the 24th minute and Casemiro added a left-footed blast off a pass from Rashford in the 31st for a 3-1 half-time lead.

Diego Llorente’s 61st-minute header pulled one back for Betis.

In Atlanta, Chelsea’s French striker Christopher Nkunku converted a penalty in the third minute to set them on their way against their Mexican club opponents.

Spanish 18-year-old Marc Guiu scored the second with a 21st-minute header.

Winger Noni Madueke scored Arsenal’s second penalty of the game in the 79th minute to seal the 3-0 win.

In Chicago, Nigerian international Samuel Chukwueze’s 55th-minute goal gave AC Milan a 1-0 victory over Real Madrid.

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Manchester City eye Premier League history as Arsenal dare to dream

Manchester City stand on the brink of a historic fourth successive Premier League title, but Arsenal lie in wait hoping for a last-gasp slip from the leaders on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering team go into the final day of the season with a two-point lead over second-placed Arsenal thanks to an eight-game winning streak.

City, who host West Ham knowing a win will seal the title, are hot favourites to set a new standard for dominance in English football.

Arsenal, at home to Everton in their final game, have been near flawless themselves in 2024, with 15 wins and one draw, away to Manchester City, in 17 league matches.

However, the Gunners’ costly 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa last month looks set to be decisive in a thrilling title race that also involved Liverpool until their recent stumbles.

Not for the first time, Manchester City have been at their relentless best in the intense heat of the run-in.

Guardiola’s men have dropped just six points since mid-December, in draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

As Manchester City close in on a sixth title in seven seasons under Guardiola, the competitiveness of the Premier League has been questioned.

But the Catalan coach has hit back at suggestions the Premier League has become boring and that City’s dominance is thanks purely to the financial muscle of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.

“It’s not boring, it’s difficult,” Guardiola said, adding that based on spending levels, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal should be matching City.

“They spent as much money in the last five years as us. They should be there. They are not there.”

David Moyes will take charge of West Ham for the final time at the Etihad Stadium.

And the Scot did not offer much encouragement to Arsenal fans when he claimed this week it would be difficult to stop Man City’s “under-14s winning the title” let alone the champions in full flow.

Arsenal, who finished second last year, must beat Everton and hope Manchester City fail to win if they are to end their 20-year wait for the title.

Mikel Arteta’s men have set a club record by winning 27 Premier League games this season, but that still might not be enough to dethrone City.

“We have to give ourselves the opportunity to live a beautiful day on Sunday, where the dream is still alive and is possible,” Arteta said.

“It’s football and once we are there we just have to live the moment.”

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There will be an emotional farewell for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the end of his memorable nine-year reign, but the Reds will finish third regardless of their result against Wolves at Anfield.

“I spoke before about how hard it will be to say goodbye,” Klopp said.

“I love absolutely everything about this place, I do. I take memories with me, fantastic memories, I take relationships with me forever.”

Manchester United are at risk of missing out on European football altogether after a miserable season.

Erik ten Hag’s men sit eighth and must better Newcastle’s result at Brentford when they visit Brighton to avoid finishing outside the top seven for the first time since 1990.

Tottenham visit relegated Sheffield United knowing a point is enough to guarantee fifth spot, while in-form Chelsea would secure a top-six finish with a draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

The top six teams will all definitely qualify for Europe, while seventh could be enough as long as Manchester United do not shock City in next week’s FA Cup final.

At the bottom, Luton will be relegated if they fail to beat Fulham or if Nottingham Forest avoid defeat at Burnley.

Even if Luton win and Forest lose, the Hatters’ vastly inferior goal difference means they need a mathematical miracle to survive.

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Five-star Arsenal thrash Chelsea to open up Premier League lead

Kai Havertz and Ben White scored twice as Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday to surge ahead in the Premier League title race and ramp up the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City.

Leandro Trossard was also on target in a record win over Chelsea for the Gunners, who move three points clear of Liverpool and four of Manchester City.

The destiny of the title remains in City’s hands as the defending champions have two games in hand.

Liverpool have also played one fewer game than Arsenal and are in action at Everton in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday.

However, Mikel Arteta’s men’s goal difference advantage now looks unassailable should it become decisive in the title race.

“We have made our people very proud, it is a big derby for us and I know what it means,” said Arteta.

“We started the game really well but didn’t convert all our chances – we were a bit sloppy in certain areas of the pitch.

“In the second half, we were much more disciplined and created chances and were ruthless in front of goal.”

Chelsea and Arsenal’s title rivals were dealt a huge blow before kick-off as the Blues’ danger man Cole Palmer was ruled out due to illness.

Palmer has scored or assisted nearly 50 percent of Chelsea’s Premier League goals this season and his presence was badly missed by the visitors.

Despite enduring a disappointing first season under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea had been unbeaten in eight consecutive league games prior to their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Manchester City on Saturday.

But they were blown away by an Arsenal side keen to reaffirm their title credentials after losing their last home game to Aston Villa.

“So difficult (a) result and performance (to accept) because it is not nice to see your team playing like this from the beginning of the game,” said Pochettino.

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“Today we didn’t compete against a team fighting for the Premier League. We need to be aware we need to compete in a different way.”

The hosts flew out of the blocks and were in front inside five minutes.

Trossard only ended up at the Emirates after Arsenal were gazumped by Chelsea in the battle to sign Mykhailo Mudryk in January 2023.

The Belgian has proved to be a far more productive signing and smashed in his 15th goal of the season at Djordje Petrovic’s near post.

Petrovic redeemed himself for a mistake at the opening goal with two brilliant saves to turn away Havertz’s low effort and a deflected shot by Trossard to keep his side in the game before half-time.

The Serbian briefly held Arsenal at bay early in the second period with saves from Declan Rice and Havertz.

However, the floodgates opened once White curled in Arsenal’s second after Chelsea failed to clear a corner on 52 minutes.

Havertz scored the winning goal in a Champions League final for Chelsea during his three years in west London, but he never performed consistently to the level he has found in recent months under Arteta.

Martin Odegaard’s stunning through ball was met with the finish it deserved as Havertz smashed high past Petrovic.

His next finish was more subtle as the German international fired in off the post from Bukayo Saka’s pass for his seventh goal in his last 14 club games.

A night for forget for Chelsea was summed up when White’s attempted cross flew into the top corner from another sensational Odegaard pass.

Defeat leaves Chelsea still in ninth, three points adrift of the European places.

Next up for Arsenal is what appears their toughest hurdle remaining away to Tottenham in Sunday’s North London derby.

Should Arteta’s side prevail at the home of their fiercest rivals, City will likely need to be perfect in their final six games to retain the title.

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Bayern Munich boss Tuchel hoping to echo Chelsea run before Arsenal clash

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel will seek to echo the spirit of 2021’s Champions League-winning run with Chelsea in Wednesday’s home quarter-final second leg against Arsenal.

Bayern put aside their domestic struggles in the first leg, returning from London with a 2-2 draw, another Harry Kane goal against his old foes and the knowledge victory in Germany will see them through to the final four.

With Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen already in possession of the Bundesliga trophy, the Champions League is now the only focus for Tuchel’s Bayern.

Being able to concentrate only on Europe is a luxury few of the teams remaining in the Champions League have, particularly Arsenal who are in the midst of a tense Premier League title race.

Tuchel was free to make his focus on Europe obvious, making seven changes in Saturday’s hard-fought 2-0 home win over struggling Cologne.

Left out of the squad completely for the Cologne clash, captain Manuel Neuer and winger Leroy Sane were allowed to watch Saturday’s win from the comfort of the grandstand.

Bayern will however face Arsenal missing several first teamers.

Canada defender Alphonso Davies is suspended, while forwards Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman are injured.

Tuchel would not be drawn on who would replace Davies on Wednesday, telling reporters after Saturday’s win over Cologne he may “do something crazy”.

Asked if one of Bayern’s centre-backs could make the shift out to left-back, Tuchel said with a smile “No, we want to win.”

While not quite at the level of self-described “overthinker” Pep Guardiola, Tuchel is known for his flexibility and a penchant for being tactically reactive, a perfect fit for knockout football.

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Despite winning leagues in France and Germany, Tuchel’s teams have shone brightest in cup competitions.

He announced himself as Dortmund coach by winning the 2017 German Cup, dispatching Bayern 3-2 in Munich in the semi-final on the way to the first major title of his career.

His only Champions League season with Dortmund was impressive but failed due to circumstances beyond his control.

Tuchel’s Dortmund were unbeaten in the group phase, finishing ahead of eventual champions Real Madrid.

Their campaign came undone in a quarter-final against Monaco with the club forced to play a day after a bomb blast shattered the windows of the team’s bus.

Dortmund’s decision to play led to a rift between Tuchel and Dortmund which never healed and he was fired just days after his side lifted the German Cup.

At Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, he made the finals of both the major and minor domestic cup competitions.

In Europe, Tuchel took PSG to the Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern.

The next season as Chelsea boss, he took over a side in disarray in January after the firing of club legend Frank Lampard.

He steadied the ship and took Chelsea to the Champions League final, where they beat Guardiola’s heavily favoured Manchester City to win the title for the second time.

While plenty stands in the way of another Champions League triumph, including one more potential meeting with Guardiola’s City on the way, Tuchel could be just four games away from Wembley glory.

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Arsenal back on top of Premier League after beating Chelsea

LONDON: Martin Odegaard fired Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League as the Norway midfielder’s double inspired a 3-1 win against woeful Chelsea on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side lost control of the title race after last week’s 4-1 defeat at Manchester City.

But the Gunners signalled their intention to push City all the way to the wire with a much-needed first win in five games.

Odegaard’s brace was followed by a Gabriel Jesus strike as the hosts raced into a three-goal before half-time at the Emirates Stadium.

Noni Madueke’s second half goal was no consolation for Chelsea’s wretched performance.

Arsenal are now two points clear of second placed City and while Pep Guardiola’s men remain favourites to win the title, the north Londoners have at least applied a little pressure on the champions.

City will go back into first place if they beat West Ham at home on Wednesday in the first of their two games in hand on Arsenal.

“The first 60 minutes, I thought we played really well. That was everything I want to see from our team,” Arteta said.

“Speed, quality, movement, two beautiful goals, we connected with our crowd and created an incredible atmosphere.

“We wanted to earn the right to be top of the league. We are happy to be there.”

After 10 weeks at the top, Arsenal were knocked down to second place by City’s win at Fulham on Sunday.

Three successive draws, including two blown two-goal leads, and the calamitous loss at City have led Arsenal to be written off as title race chokers.

But Arteta insisted this week that the title was still winnable and his players responded to the Spaniard’s rallying cry.

Troubled Chelsea were ideal opponents for Arsenal to get back on track before a tricky trip to Newcastle on Sunday.

The Blues have now lost all six games since Frank Lampard returned as caretaker boss to replace the sacked Graham Potter.

Languishing in 12th place, Chelsea are on an nine-game winless run in all competitions and face the prospect of failing to finish in the top half of the table for the first time since 1996.

“We were too nice to play against in all aspects in the first half. Not good enough,” Lampard said.

“It’s tough because you want to win games, but it’s our job, we’ll work on it.”

– Rampant Arsenal –

Former Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made his first Chelsea start since the Blues lost 1-0 to the Gunners in November.

But Aubameyang, whose four-year spell with Arsenal ended acrimoniously in 2022, never had a chance of exacting revenge on his old team before being hauled off at half-time.

Arsenal were in complete control from the start and Odegaard gave them a deserved lead in the 18th minute.

Left in acres of space, Granit Xhaka’s low cross eluded Chelsea’s lackadaisical defenders and Odegaard guided a superb curling finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga from just inside the penalty area.

Ben Chilwell threatened a Chelsea equaliser, but Aaron Ramsdale made a fine save to preserve the lead.

That near-miss was a false dawn for abysmal Chelsea as the Gunners turned the screw with a second goal in the 31st minute.

Once again, Chelsea allowed Xhaka time to cross into the area and Odegaard took full advantage of slack marking from Raheem Sterling to fire past Kepa from 12 yards.

Arsenal scented blood against spineless, disinterested opponents and the third goal duly arrived three minutes later.

Ben White’s cross was chested down by Jesus and when Xhaka’s shot was blocked, it was Jesus who stabbed home from close-range.

Arsenal were rampant and Thiago Silva hooked Gabriel’s header off the line, while Kepa saved from Xhaka and Bukayo Saka.

Chelsea awoke from their slumber just long enough to reduce the deficit in the 65th minute.

Mateo Kovacic’s defence-splitting pass found Madueke and he deftly slotted past Ramsdale for his first league goal since signing from PSV Eindhoven in January.

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Arsenal to face Rooney-coached MLS All Star team in July

WASHINGTON: Arsenal will take on an MLS select team coached by former England striker Wayne Rooney, in the annual All Star game on July 19, the league said on Tuesday.

The game will be played at Audi Field in Washington D.C, the home stadium of Rooney’s D.C. United club.

Arsenal had previously featured in the MLS All Star game in 2016 and the game will be part of their pre-season preparations.

“Our US tour last summer was very good preparation for the season, and we’re looking forward to once again visiting our amazing supporters in the US,” said Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.

“The match against the MLS All-Stars will be a good test ahead of the 2023-24 season.”

The All Star game has traditionally pitted an MLS select XI against top clubs from the European game but the past two editions have been matches against Mexican Liga-MX select sides.

The match will be broadcast globally via Apple TV as part of MLS’s new deal with the platform.

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Saka sends Arsenal closer to Champions League return

BIRMINGHAM: Arsenal took another big step towards ending a five-year exile from the Champions League as Bukayo Saka’s strike beat Aston Villa 1-0 to open up a four-point lead in fourth in the Premier League.

The Gunners could even increase that gap with a game in hand over fifth-placed Manchester United and were well worthy of the three points against a toothless Villa despite the narrow scoreline.

“We are there with 10 games to go,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “We have this feeling that we really want it, you can sense it and we’re going to give it a go.”

A run of 10 wins from their last 13 league games has propelled Arteta’s men to the front of the race to join Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the top four after getting off to their worst start to a league campaign in 67 years.

Arteta had complained about the tight turnaround his side faced after Wednesday’s 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool.

But there was no sign of tiredness from his young side Saturday as they penned Villa back for the opening 45 minutes.

“It was a tough first half because we allowed it to be tough,” said Villa boss Steven Gerrard.

“Our performance lacked belief. It wasn’t until half-time onwards we showed we could be better in the game.”

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