Sports

Premier League Top-five Hopefuls Battle For Champions League Riches

Published

3 months ago

May 15, 2025

Editor

The Premier League race is over and relegation is decided — but the battle for Champions League qualification remains wide open with just two rounds to go.

Only champions Liverpool are so far guaranteed one of the five places up for grabs in Europe’s top club competition next season and second-placed Arsenal look almost certain to join them.

But just four points separate third-placed Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in seventh spot.

AFP Sport picks out the main talking points ahead of the weekend’s action in the English top flight.

Newcastle aim to leapfrog Arsenal

Arsenal have been Liverpool’s closest challengers for most of the campaign and a few weeks ago appeared to have second spot locked down.

But a win for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle at the Emirates on Sunday would take the Magpies a point above the Gunners, who have won just one of their past six league games.

Newcastle, by contrast, have been buoyant since winning the League Cup final against Liverpool in mid-March, losing just once in eight league games since.

Sunday’s 2-0 win against top-five rivals Chelsea was a huge stride towards Champions League qualification for the second time in three seasons.

“We still have two games to go and lots of twists and turns that could be around the corner,” said Howe. “We have to drive forward.”

Newcastle’s last game, on May 25, is a home match against Everton, while Arsenal travel to bottom club Southampton.

Europa final focus a bonus for Villa, Chelsea

Aston Villa and Chelsea have a chance to steal a march on their top-five rivals, with both in action on Friday, against Europa League finalists Tottenham and Manchester United.

Villa, who have maintained fine form in the league despite Champions League and FA Cup exits in recent weeks, could finish the day in fourth place with a win at home to Spurs.

But Chelsea, who also have 63 points, would move just behind third-placed Newcastle if they win, thanks to a better goal difference.

United and Spurs sit just outside the relegation zone after terrible league campaigns and their attention will be fixed on next week’s Europa League final in Bilbao, with their managers likely to keep some players wrapped in cotton wool.

Villa’s gritty 1-0 win at Bournemouth at the weekend secured a place in European competition but Emery’s appetite for the Champions League has been whetted by a run to the quarter-finals this season.

UEFA Conference League finalists Chelsea could end Enzo Maresca’s first season on a high with European silverware and a return to the Champions League after two seasons away.

Last chance for Forest
Two-time European champions Nottingham Forest have been in the top four for most of the season but have stumbled at the worst possible moment and are now outsiders to secure Champions League football.

Sunday’s damaging 2-2 draw with relegated Leicester was another huge blow to their hopes of returning to the competition for the first time in more than four decades.

Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo is not giving up hope as he takes his team to lowly West Ham on Sunday, with Chelsea to follow in the final game of the season.

“Let’s see how it goes,” said the Portuguese manager, whose team have secured European football for next season. “We have to focus on West Ham…. I promise you we are going to give it a go and we will never give up.”

Man City eye end-of-season flourish

Manchester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, have had to reset their expectations after a poor campaign by their sky-high standards.

Despite their surprise 0-0 draw at Southampton last time out, they remain likely to finish in the top five, with matches to come against Bournemouth and Fulham.

Pep Guardiola’s men do not play in the Premier League until Tuesday, three days after they face Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

“I didn’t expect differently from a month ago, that it’s a fight until the end,” said Guardiola, whose team failed to make it five Premier League titles in a row.

Fixtures

Friday

Aston Villa v Tottenham (1830 GMT), Chelsea v Manchester United (1915)

Sunday (1400 unless stated)

Everton v Southampton (1100), West Ham v Nottingham Forest (1315), Brentford v Fulham, Leicester v Ipswich, Arsenal v Newcastle (1530)

Monday

Brighton v Liverpool (1900)

Tuesday

Crystal Palace v Wolves, Manchester City v Bournemouth (both 1900)

Related Topics:Champions Champions League

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Sports

AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

Published

9 hours ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

AC Milan has called off its proposed transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming the player failed to pass mandatory medical examinations.

The deal, which had been verbally agreed upon with a €5 million loan fee and a €24 million buy option, fell through despite Boniface’s arrival in Milan within the last 48 hours.

The decision was confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on Sunday.

“AC Milan call Victor Boniface deal off as Nigerian striker did not pass the medical tests,” Romano posted.

“Despite verbal agreement for €5m loan fee and €24m buy clause with player in Milano in the last 48h, deal called off due to medical. Boniface, returning in Germany today.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old Nigerian international had two anterior cruciate ligament operations and recurring groin problems that have affected his availability in recent seasons.

Milan are not the first Serie A club to have reservations about the striker’s fitness, with reports suggesting that Roma rejected a swap proposal involving Boniface and Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk several weeks ago due to similar concerns over the Nigerian’s condition.

Sports

Why I’ll Never Advise My Son To Visit Nigeria – Taribo West

Published

3 days ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

Sports

CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

Published

5 days ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Thabiso Kutumela are currently joint top scorers at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with three goals each as the tournament heads into the quarter-final stage.

The group stage concluded on Tuesday, with Sudan holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw to finish top of Group D, while Nigeria defeated Congo 2-0.

Here are the top scorers going into the CHAN quarter-finals:

Allan Okello (Uganda) – 3 goals
Thabiso Kutumela (South Africa) – 3 goals
Abdelrazig Omer (Sudan) – 2 goals
Kaporal (Angola) – 2 goals
Austin Odhiambo (Kenya) – 2 goals
Clement Mzize (Tanzania) – 2 goals
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.