MANCHESTER: Manchester City reclaimed the Premier League title with three games to spare after closest challengers Manchester United lost 2-1 to Leicester on Tuesday.
Ending Liverpool’s reign as champions gives Pep Guardiola a third Premier League title in four seasons, adding to the trio of domestic titles he won at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich as coach.
And he could yet complete the season by ending his 10-year wait to win the Champions League again if City can beat Chelsea in the club’s first European Cup final.
Where once United dominated English football, now City are the force with five titles in 10 seasons since first lifting the Premier League trophy in 2012.
It was the influx of Abu Dhabi investment from 2008 that transformed a City side that was playing in the third tier until 1999 and whose only previous English titles were in 1937 and 1968.
It was Caglar Soyuncu’s header that clinched the victory for Leicester that ended United’s faint hopes of catching its neighbor.
City have built up an unassailable 10-point lead in the league and added a second trophy of the season to the League Cup won last month.
In a congested pandemic-impacted season that stretched the resources of teams, City were eight points from the lead in November languishing in 11th place after eight games. But Guardiola turned City’s campaign around.
“This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other — this was the hardest one,” Guardiola said in a statement. “To come through this season — with all the restrictions and difficulties we’ve faced — and show the consistency we have is remarkable. It is relentless. Every single day, they are there, fighting for success, trying always to be better. They have been so, so resilient.”
Unlike last season when Liverpool ended a 30-year title drought, 10,000 fans will be able to see City collect the trophy after the final game of the Premier League season against Everton on May 23 at the Etihad Stadium.
“We have missed the fans so much,” City captain Fernandinho said. “We wanted to do this for them. We will enjoy this moment and we hope the fans do too. Rest assured we will continue to do everything we can to bring the Champions League home this season.”
Manchester City clinch third Premier League title in four seasons
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Manchester City clinch third Premier League title in four seasons
- Ending Liverpool's reign as champions gives Pep Guardiola a third Premier League title in four seasons
- “This has been a season and a Premier League title like no other — this was the hardest one," Guardiola said
Vinicius Junior’s goal sends Brazil to 2026 World Cup, delighting fans in Ancelotti’s home debut
- The top six teams in South America earn direct entries to the 48-team World Cup
- Chile will miss a third consecutive World Cup after losing 2-0 at Bolivia to remain last in 10-nation round-robin competition, a result that cost head coach Ricardo Gareca his job
SAO PAOLO: A goal by Vinicius Junior secured Brazil a place in the 2026 World Cup, quite a momentous home debut for Carlo Ancelotti as head coach.
The once prolific duo at Real Madrid helped Brazil to a 1-0 win over Paraguay at Sao Paulo. Ecuador secured its place at next year’s global tournament later Tuesday with a 0-0 draw at Peru.
Defending champion Argentina, held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia, had already qualified and are assured of finishing atop South American qualifying.
Ecuador and Brazil each have 25 points in the standings, but the Ecuadorians are in second spot based on victories. The two nations are 10 points behind Argentina but, crucially, more than six points clear of the seventh-place team with two games remaining in the qualifying campaign.
The top six teams in South America earn direct entries to the 48-team World Cup.
Chile will miss a third consecutive World Cup after losing 2-0 at Bolivia to remain last in 10-nation round-robin competition, a result that cost head coach Ricardo Gareca his job.
Uruguay beat Venezuela at home 2-0, with goals from Rodrigo Aguirre and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and edged closer to one of the direct spots with 24 points.
Venezuela, with 18, is one ahead of Bolivia in the contest for seventh place that grants an intercontinental playoff berth.
Lionel Messi had a quiet night in Argentina’s draw with Colombia in Buenos Aires. Luis Diaz opened the scoring for the visitors in the 24th minute. Enzo Fernandez was sent off in the 70th minute to the disappointment of more than 80,000 fans at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium.
But Julian Alvarez scored the equalizer in the 81st with a low crossed shot.
Madrid-Sao Paulo
Ancelotti received some frustration from fans after Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Ecuador, as his team focused on defending the entire match. The Italian coach, who turned 66 Tuesday, promised changes to make his team more aggressive at the Neo Quimica Arena.
He was welcomed by 46,000 fans, including NBA star Gianni Antetokounmpo, who displayed a tifo in yellow and green that read “Parabens, Carleto” (Happy birthday, Carleto in Portuguese).
Gabriel Martinelli replaced midfielder Gerson and was one of the best players of the encounter. Raphinha returned after suspension and created many problems for Paraguay’s defense. And Vinicius Junior was often seen as a targetman, sharing the duties with Matheus Cunha.
A mistake by Paraguay’s defense, a low cross by Cunha and a gentle touch by Brazil’s new No. 10 produced the only goal of the match. “It is for you,” the striker told the coach as he celebrated.
Despite the low score, the hosts were much more aggressive than in most of its games in this World Cup qualifying campaign.
“We needed to win here for our people. Now we have more time to work, see what we can improve,” Vinicius said after the match. He won’t play Brazil’s next game in qualifying against Chile due to suspension. “We need to celebrate this. After September it is all about the World Cup.”
After the final whistle, a clip of Ancelotti’s first days on the job was shown in big screens around the stadium. A raucous celebration erupted again, as if the Italian coach had brought new life to a team that only three months ago appeared lost and doomed.
He said the team was balanced despite having four strikers. He also said that Cunha’s role, as a playmaker, is the one he figures will be Neymar’s if the veteran fully recovers his fitness.
“It’s no problem to play with three or four up front. We need 10 players to run, to sacrifice,” Ancelotti said. “Rodrygo did this many times, I know him well. And Neymar will also do it.”
Golden generation gone
Chile’s golden generation won two Copa America titles — in 2015 and ‘16 — but is out of contention for next year’s expanded 48-team tournament.
“Sad, I am feeling bad. Never lived something like this. We have to ask people to forgive us,” veteran Chile striker Alexis Sánchez said. “We have to keep working. There’s change already, the golden generation is buried, I am the only one left.”
Bolivia scored first via Miguel Terceros in the fifth minute and added a second in the 90th with Enzo Monteiro at the 4,150-meter high El Alto Stadium, outside La Paz.
Gareca, the 67-year-old Argentinian coach who took Peru to the 2018 World Cup, told a post-game news conference he was leaving the team after a 17-match stretch that included four wins, four draws and nine losses.
Final rounds
The South American qualifying tournament will finish in September. Uruguay and Paraguay each need one point to secure their direct spots. The Uruguayans will face Peru and Chile. The Paraguayans will take on Ecuador and Peru.
Colombia, in sixth place with 22 points, will play for its World Cup future against Bolivia and Venezuela. Bolivia will seek its first chance to play at the World Cup since 1994 against the Colombians and then Brazil. Venezuela’s rivals will be Argentina and Colombia.
Man City sign France playmaker Cherki to usher in start of post-De Bruyne era
- Cherki is set to fill the role vacated by De Bruyne, the team’s long-time star who has been released after 10 years’ service
- The transfer of Cherki comes a day after Algeria left back Rayan Ait-Nouri joined City from Wolverhampton for $42 million
Manchester City kickstarted the post-Kevin De Bruyne era by signing maverick France playmaker Rayan Cherki from Lyon for €36 million ($41 million) on Tuesday, in time to play in the Club World Cup.
The 21-year-old Cherki, regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in French soccer, scored a brilliant volley and starred as a substitute on his international debut for France against Spain in the Nations League semifinals last week.
A product of Lyon’s renowned academy like Karim Benzema, Cherki has been on the radar of Europe’s biggest clubs for a while. He came close to signing for Paris Saint-Germain in the last offseason but the move fell through.
Now he is headed for Pep Guardiola’s City and is set to fill the role vacated by De Bruyne, the team’s long-time star who has been released after 10 years’ service.
“He’s a player our scouts have watched for a long time, and we have all been impressed with his skill and creativity. I am convinced our fans will be excited to see him play,” City director of football Hugo Viana said.
“There’s no doubt that he’s now in the best place possible to develop further under Pep’s guidance and I really believe he can become a world-class player with our support and direction.”
With Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders also reported by British media to be joining City, the club appears to be re-energizing a midfield that was filled last season with players in their 30s like Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva.
Kovacic has undergone Achilles surgery and is unavailable for the new-look, 32-team Club World Cup, which starts on Saturday. City in the same group as Juventus, Al Ain and Wydad Casablanca and its first match is on June 18.
Cherki’s background
Cherki, the youngest-ever goal scorer for Lyon in a competitive match, quickly impressed in youth competitions. He made his Ligue 1 debut at just 16 years old in October 2019 and scored his first senior goal a few weeks later in a French Cup match.
The attacking midfielder scored eight goals and provided 11 assists — the most in Ligue 1 — this season and can play either on the wing or as a playmaker.
Cherki said he’s ready “embrace” the responsibility of helping City win more trophies.
“I would only leave Lyon for a project I really believe in,” said Cherki, who has signed a five-year deal, “and everything at City suggests I can develop my game and help the team be successful in the future.”
According to L’Equipe newspaper, Lyon will retain 15 percent of the rights to any capital gain from a future transfer and can expect a further 2 million euros ($2.3 million) in bonuses between now and 2030.
The transfer of Cherki comes a day after Algeria left back Rayan Ait-Nouri joined City from Wolverhampton for $42 million.
Bettinelli signs as backup
Also Tuesday, City signed Marcus Bettinelli from Chelsea as a backup goalkeeper.
City made the move after announcing the departure of long-term No. 3 goalie Scott Carson on Monday with his contract due to expire.
Bettinelli has joined on a one-year deal and in time to be involved in the Club World Cup in the US starting on Saturday.
“His experience and mentality will hopefully complement our other senior goalkeepers while ensuring he’s always ready to perform when called upon himself,” Viana said.
England beat West Indies by 37 runs to secure T20 series sweep
- The match aggregate of 459 runs is the highest in a T20 international in England, as the home side added win to their sweep of the three-game One-Day International series
- Duckett raced to his highest T20 international score but was bowled around his legs by Akeal Hosein
SOUTHAMPTON, Britain: Ben Duckett blasted a whirlwind 84 from 46 balls as England posted their second highest T20 International score of 248 for three before restricting West Indies to 211 for eight to win by 37 runs and sweep the three-game series on Tuesday.
West Indies elected to bowl but could not find consistency in line and length on a flat batting wicket and were carted around the Rose Bowl as England smashed 15 sixes in the innings on the way to their imposing score.
Opener Jamie Smith contributed 60 from 26 balls for his first T20 international half-century as England reached 135-1 at the midway point of their innings, their highest 10-over score.
West Indies were always struggling in their chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals but their total was boosted by a fine unbeaten 79 from 45 balls by Rovman Powell before they ran out of deliveries.
The match aggregate of 459 runs is the highest in a T20 international in England, as the home side added win to their sweep of the three-game One-Day International series, a perfect start for new white ball captain Harry Brook.
“Very pleased, the lads put a really good shift in and played some exceptional cricket,” Brook told Sky Sports. “I like the depth in the batting, it gives the lads at the top the license to get us off to a fast start and we saw that tonight.”
Openers Smith and Duckett put on 120 in 63 deliveries for the first wicket. No line or length was safe as the pair used invention and daring to move around the crease and find boundaries at will.
Duckett raced to his highest T20 international score but was bowled around his legs by Akeal Hosein.
Brook (35 not out from 22 balls) and Barbados-born Jacob Bethell (36 from 16 balls) added 70 in the final 31 deliveries of the innings to take England to their massive score.
The 25 dot balls that West Indies bowled are the fewest England have faced in a completed innings.
West Indies never looked like getting close to their target despite an enterprising 45 from 27 balls by captain Shai Hope, until Powell came in at number six and gave them a late boost.
England seamer Luke Wood was the pick on a difficult night for the bowlers with 3-31 in his four overs.
“We have not grasped those crucial moments in the game, whether it is with bat or ball. We have not managed to put that complete game together in this series. We have to improve everywhere,” West Indies captain Shai Hope said.
England stunned by Senegal to put Tuchel under immediate pressure
- Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder
NOTTINGHAM: United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 : England slumped to a 3-1 home friendly defeat by Senegal on Tuesday to ramp up the scrutiny on boss Thomas Tuchel one year out from the World Cup.
Goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly inflicted England’s first ever defeat against African opposition at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground after Harry Kane had given the hosts an early lead.
Tuchel was scathing in his criticism of his side’s dreary display in beating minnows Andorra just 1-0 in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
The German, who was appointed with the task of ending England’s wait since 1966 for a major tournament win, has so far failed to spark a star-studded squad into looking like contenders for the World Cup, even if this was his first defeat in four games.
Tuchel responded by making 10 changes, with Kane the only player to retain his place.
It took just seven minutes for the England captain to maintain his record of scoring in every game since Tuchel took charge.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy should have done better when he could only parry Anthony Gordon’s shot into the path of Kane, who tapped in his 73rd international goal.
Dean Henderson was given a rare chance to impress in the England goal as Jordan Pickford was relegated to the bench.
The Crystal Palace stopper made impressive saves from his club team-mate Sarr and Idrissa Gana Gueye.
But he was helpless when Sarr made the most of a lack of concentration from Kyle Walker to meet Nicolas Jackson’s cross and fire into the bottom corner.
England had never lost to African opposition in 22 previous matches but Senegal had been beaten just once from open play since losing to the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.
Diarra was afforded acres of room to run in behind the England defense and slot between the legs of Henderson to put the visitors in front just after the hour mark.
Mendy made amends for his role in the opening goal with fine saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Morgan Gibbs-White a swift equalizer.
England thought they had levelled late on when Jude Bellingham smashed home from a corner.
But the goal was ruled out for a handball by Levi Colwill before the ball broke to the Real Madrid midfielder.
Senegal made the most of that reprieve to seal a famous win in stoppage time when Sabaly rounded off a slick counter-attack.
Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder before England are next in action in September.
Jon Rahm: Smaller fields make top 10s easier at LIV Golf
- Rahm tied for eighth last week in Virginia without ever having a serious chance of winning over the final few holes
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania: Two-time major champion Jon Rahm comes into the US Open off another top 10 at LIV Golf, which is nothing new. The Spaniard has never come in lower in the 20 events he has finished since joining the Saudi-backed league at the start of last year.
Is that a big deal?
“I would happily trade a bunch of them for more wins, that’s for sure,” said Rahm, who has two LIV victories but has yet to win this year. “But I keep putting myself in good position.”
One of the criticism of LIV is the 54-man fields over 54 holes, especially with a half-dozen or more considered past their prime and several unproven young players.
Rahm delivered some context on his streak.
“Listen, I’m a realist in this case,” he said. “I’ve been playing really good golf, yes, but I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t easier to have top 10s with a smaller field. That’s just the truth, right? Had I been playing full-field events, would I have top 10 every single week? No. But I’ve been playing good enough to say that I would most likely have been inside the top 30 every single time and maybe even top 25.”
He considered that impressive, and he figures most of those would be top 10s.
Rahm tied for eighth last week in Virginia without ever having a serious chance of winning over the final few holes. He said against a full field, he doubts that would have been a top 10.
“I think winning is equally as hard, but you can take advantage of a smaller field to finish higher,” he said. “As much as I want to give it credit personally for having that many top 10s, I wouldn’t always give it as the full amount just knowing that it’s a smaller field.”
DeChambeau and LIV
Bryson DeChambeau says the contract he signed to join Saudi-funded LIV Golf is up next year and he’s already looking ahead to a new one.
“We’re looking to negotiate end of this year, and I’m very excited. They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we’ll come to some sort of resolution on that,” DeChambeau said Tuesday. “Super excited for the future.”
LIV contracts are confidential and there has been ample speculation whether the Public Investment Fund will shell out the kind of signing bonuses that helped lure players away from the PGA Tour in 2022.
Meanwhile, unification with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf appears at a standstill as PIF officials want any future to include team golf.
“I think that LIV is not going anywhere,” DeChambeau said.
He said Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the PIF governor behind the rival league, “has been steadfast in his belief on team golf, and whether everybody believes in it or not, I think it’s a viable option.”
DeChambeau believes LIV is going in the right direction and referenced the indoor tech-infused TGL as having teams making money.
“I believe there is a sustainable model out there,” he said. “How it all works with the game of golf, who knows? But I know my worth.”
Xander and YouTube
Xander Schauffele might spend less time on his phone than anyone, usually only scrolling through the news. A few weeks ago at the Memorial, during a rapid-fire series of random questions, he was asked who he would take with him on “The Amazing Race” reality show.
“What’s ‘The Amazing Race,’” he asked.
So when he was told about Tommy Fleetwood’s latest venture with YouTube and asked if he would considering doing something like that, Schauffele replied, “Is that like a serious question?”
But he has spent time on YouTube for a reason. Schauffele made his US Open debut in 2017, the year after the Open at Oakmont. What better way to check out the course than watching a US Open at Oakmont?
“I watched some of the ‘16 coverage on YouTube. I would have watched it on any platform that would have been provided, but I watched some of that coverage there just to see sort of how guys were hitting shots and how the ball was reacting,” Schauffele said.
Turns out that wasn’t his first experience on YouTube.
“I’ve been in dark places where I’ve looked up swing tip things on YouTube as well, trying to make sense of it, just like every golfer has. I’ll confess to it,” he said. “I’m luckily not there anymore, which is probably healthy for myself and my family.
“Yeah, there’s a lot on there, I can tell you that much.”
Rory and his driver
Rory McIlroy expressed concern about his driver after badly missing the cut in the Canadian Open, his last tournament ahead of the US Open.
He said he worked at home over the weekend and realized he was using the wrong driver. And he was coy about which one he was using, suggesting that people could always go to the range to find out for themselves.
McIlroy got plenty of attention with his driver when it was leaked at the PGA Championship that his driver did not pass inspection. It’s a common occurrence, and testing takes place randomly at every major. Scottie Scheffler also had to change drivers after his didn’t pass the test. He wound up winning by five shots.
So was that a problem for McIlroy at the PGA Championship?
“It wasn’t a big deal for Scottie,” McIlroy said. “So it shouldn’t have been a big deal for me.”
The best honorary member
Dustin Johnson had not played Oakmont since the won the US Open in 2016. That’s not to say he hasn’t been back to the fabled club. Oakmont Country Club honors its major champions by offering them honorary membership.
Johnson went back a few years later for the honor, going to a dinner and getting his green jacket .
Honorary membership has its privileges that Johnson doesn’t use.
“I’m probably their favorite member because I never come,” he said.
Oakmont need not to be offended. Johnson was asked how many clubs he had honorary membership and he didn’t bother counting.
“Quite a few,” he said. “And I don’t use very many, either.”
