Hull KR: Broadbent; Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Booth; Lewis, Hampshire; Sue, Lawton, Hadley, Whitbread, Martin, Minchella.
Interchanges: Litten, Amone, Luckley, Brown.
Wigan: Cartwright; Lowe, F Yeomans, O’Loughlin, Daniel; Marsden, C Yeomans; Eseh, Forber, McDermott, Daniels, Mason, Kerr.
Interchanges: Mago, McMillan, O’Connor, Rathbone.
Referee: Aaron Moore
Emery’s previous four were already a competition record and while he dismissed the suggestion he was a European king, he is a serial winner.
It now six finals and five wins – with the latest cementing a legacy at Villa Park which will last decades.
Villa officials were nervous talking about the trophy parade in advance, which needed to be organised ahead of time given the disruption in Birmingham, but the squad will flaunt it in the city Thursday afternoon.
Emery said: “I am thankful to [co-owners] Nassef [Sawiris] and Wes [Edens]… they are supporting always. I am thankful to the supporters and I am thankful for the players.
“All the times I am successful in this competition I needed good players. Now I am so thankful for the players, they are following our ambitions.
“They are protagonists on the field. This is the reason I am not feeling the king in this competition. I am feeling really thankful – we are the kings together.
“After 1982 the club won the European Cup, it was something they were missing – the supporters – a trophy. Achieving this one is making us so, so happy but we are not going to stop.”
If Tielemans’ volley – rounding off a short corner routine – gave them the platform then Buendia’s curler into the top corner put one hand on the trophy.
Former Villa midfielder Ian Taylor, a fan of the club who scored in the 1996 League Cup win – the last time Villa had won major silverware – leaped out of his press box chair and punched the air.
Rogers’ third had the substitutes celebrating on the pitch and an airborne Emery jumping on the touchline with clenched fists. Victory was assured.
“I feel amazing,” Tielemans told TNT. “My voice is a bit gone but it’s all good. We put in a shift, a top performance, we had a great season. To top it off with this is amazing.
“It’s been a season with a lot of ups and downs. We started so so bad. Our standards were very poor.
“The way we turned things around was a credit to the players and staff. We kept working, believing. We got the win in the end, Champions League next season and a trophy.”
Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez revealed he broke his finger during the warm-up before his side’s Europa League final win against Freiburg.
The Argentine suffered the injury moments before kick-off in Istanbul and had to be checked over by a physio.
But he managed to play the entire match on Wednesday as Villa won 3-0 to secure their first European trophy for 44 years.
The 33-year-old did not have much to do, as goals from Youri Tielemans, Emi Buendia and Morgan Rogers ended Villa’s 30-year wait for a major trophy, but still managed to make two saves.
He said: “Today I broke my finger during the warm-up and for me, every bad thing brings something good. I’ve done this my whole life and I’ll keep doing it.
“Should I be worried? Well, I’ve never had a broken finger before. Every time I caught the ball, it went the other way. But these are things you have to go through, and I’m proud to defend Aston Villa.”
The injury also did not stop Martinez from joining in the post-match celebrations as he jumped into the Villa fans before hoisting manager Unai Emery aloft.
Argentina will hope Martinez’s injury is not too serious with their World Cup squad set to be announced before next month’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The former Arsenal keeper has now won every final he has played in during his career, including the FA Cup final, the World Cup final, two Copa Americas and now the Europa League.
A regular visitor to Villa Park, Prince William was spotted in the crowd celebrating as Villa beat Nottingham Forest earlier this month to secure their place in the Europa League final.
So it was only right that the prince made the trip to Turkey to witness Villa history.
Television cameras picked up on the prince soaking it all in before kick-off, before celebrating with those close by as Villa got a grip on the trophy.
The prince also made sure to capture the historic moment when John McGinn hoisted the trophy high above his head.
Villa captain McGinn labelled Prince William as “just a normal guy” after the win.
McGinn told TNT Sports: “He’s a classy man, he was in the dressing room before the game.
“He’s a massive Villa fan, he was never going to miss it. He’s just a normal guy, it’s great to have his support.”
The prince started supporting Villa during his school days in Berkshire, choosing a team further afield as he did not want to follow the crowd.
“A long time ago at school, I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Manchester United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams,” he told the BBC in 2015.
“I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”
William was born 26 days after Villa’s European Cup final win against Bayern Munich on 26 May 1982.
He has spoken previously about the joy he gets from following a club with the ups and downs that Villa have experienced.
“Aston Villa‘s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea [in the final],” he added.
“It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”
Arsenal have ended a 22-year wait to be crowned Premier League champions after Manchester City were held 1-1 by Bournemouth.
Mikel Arteta’s men held off the challenge of Pep Guardiola’s second-place City on Tuesday night to seal a long-awaited triumph with one game to spare.
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Here are the key factors that helped the Gunners finally get over the line after three seasons as runners-up:
Arsenal’s title-winning campaign has been ugly at times. For a couple of seasons, Arteta’s Arsenal have been the emblem of a more back-to-basics approach in English football.
The era of pretty passing under Guardiola and heavy-metal football under Jurgen Klopp has given way to set pieces, long throw-ins and long balls from the back.
It is a world Arsenal have mastered with Gabriel Magalhaes a menace at corners, Declan Rice key with his pinpoint throws and dead-ball deliveries, and Victor Gyokeres a more robust out-and-out striker.
Often derided by rival fans as “Set Piece FC” for a lack of creativity, specialist coach Nicolas Jover has devised a series of inventive schemes to give Arsenal an edge.
More than 40 percent of the Gunners’ Premier League goals this season have come from dead ball situations. Of their 28 goals from set pieces, 18 have come from corners, a new single-season Premier League record.
Meanwhile, the Gunners easily have the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 26 goals in 37 games this season, and it is that solidity and sturdiness that will define this title-winning team.
Rice and goalkeeper David Raya have stood out for Arsenal this season, putting them among the favourites for English football’s Player of the Year award.
Rice’s leadership, energy in midfield and set-piece delivery have made him an integral member of the team and one of England’s key players heading into the World Cup.
Raya has helped Arsenal keep 19 clean sheets, earning him the Golden Glove award for the third straight year.
“David Raya, for me, has to be the player of the season,” former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira told Sky Sports. “I think he was outstanding from the first game until the end of the season. I think he was really impressive.”
Throw in Gyokeres scoring 21 goals in all competitions in his first season at the club and it is clear that Arteta has built the most well-rounded team of his tenure.
Injuries played a ruinous role in Arsenal’s failed pursuit of Liverpool last season.
The decision to invest heavily in bulking out Arteta’s squad paid off this season despite injuries to Saka, Magalhaes, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
New signings Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera have all made significant contributions to get Arsenal over the line in the Premier League and within one game of winning the Champions League for the first time.
Finishing as runners-up in the Premier League for the past three years saw Arsenal’s players and Arteta derided as “nearly men”, even chokers, by many football pundits.
An alternative view is that it built up the prerequisite experience and resolve to finally launch a successful tilt at the title.
Arteta kept believing in his squad – and kept coming up with unorthodox, ridicule-inviting methods to inspire his players. A professional pickpocket was reportedly hired for a preseason dinner and took items from players, highlighting the need for them to be alert at all times.
Arteta brought a lightbulb into the locker room before one game, linking that to his demand for the team to shine and light up Emirates Stadium. Just a few weeks ago, TikTok videos featuring fan chants were played on big screens during practice sessions.
Arsenal have been mentally tougher this season, holding on after yet another strong start to the campaign and seeing it through to the end despite City’s trademark late-season rally.
Arsenal accumulated more points two years ago when they were pipped to the title by City despite winning 16 of their final 18 games.
Over the past decade, City and Liverpool have often set the bar high, winning the league with more than 90 points.
This time, 82 was enough to see Arsenal over the line.
Despite taking the title race into the final week of the campaign, City lacked the same consistency and relentlessness of Guardiola’s best sides while Liverpool’s title defence imploded.
On Tuesday night, fans gathered outside the stadium and nearby pubs while rivals Manchester City played Bournemouth, needing a win to keep the title race alive.
In the end, Pep Guardiola’s side could only draw – confirming Arsenal as champions for the first time in 22 years.
As the full-time whistle went on the south coast, there was an explosion of cheer in pubs across north London as Arsenal fans celebrated a moment they felt, after recent title near misses, might never come.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright, who scored 185 times for the club and won the title in 1998, was mobbed by fans as he celebrated outside the Emirates.
There were celebrations also at the Gunners’ training ground.
That is where the Arsenal squad had gathered for the evening and, much as in the pubs, the final whistle was greeted by huge celebrations. Players and staff danced and hugged while chanting: “Campeones, Campeones, Ole Ole Ole!”
Last month, Arsenal captain Declan Rice was seen insisting “it’s not done” after the Gunners lost to Manchester City. But on Tuesday, with the title race decided, he posted a picture on social media of players celebrating, captioned: “It’s done.”
The title win came in Mikel Arteta’s seventh year in charge, and underlined just what can be achieved if a manager is given time.
“Mikel Arteta’s been there a long period of time. The best gift you can give a good manager is time,” former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Yes you can give them hundreds of millions of pounds but you have to mould that money into a team, into a dressing room, a winning side.
“You give a good manager time? There’s the proof.”
At Besiktas Park on Wednesday, Emery will stand on the touchline for his sixth Europa League final in 12 years.
He lost the 2019 final to Chelsea while at Arsenal, where his 18-month reign was seen as a failure.
But he has more triumphs in the competition than any other manager; three with Sevilla – in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – when they beat Liverpool – before a penalty shootout victory over Manchester United with Villarreal in 2021.
Emery, though, insists that will mean nothing come kick-off against their Bundesliga rivals.
“I am not a king in this competition,” he said. “I am now here with Aston Villa in a new chapter. Everything I did is done and of course it’s there in that moment but with it I am not winning.
“I need to win [in Turkey] with the players we have now, with Villa now. So now it’s a new way, a new moment, and hopefully a new era.
“If you are not respecting the opponent, you are closer to losing. If you are not respecting Europe, like we did during the process, we are not here. This is the strong mentality we had before.
“We have a huge challenge, a huge challenge. Are we thinking about the next party on Friday? No, no.”
The former Paris St Germain boss has managed 115 games in the Europa League, winning 71, and his best win rate in the competition is his 85.7% with Villa.
Those wins are a competition record. And since the start of 2023-24, no side has won more European matches than Villa’s tally of 26.
Emery – bizarrely overlooked in the Premier League’s Manager of the Season nominations – spoke to his players on Saturday morning, a debrief following Friday’s 4-2 win over Liverpool which sealed Champions League qualification.
He also reminded them about the journey the club has been on since he replaced Steven Gerrard in late 2022 – a Europa Conference League semi-final, a Champions League quarter-final and two top-five finishes.
Emery has needed a way with words at times, refusing to lay into his players at half-time during the abject defeat by Tottenham at the start of the month.
It was something the squad appreciated, a fatherly touch of reminding them of what they have achieved together.
Watch the moment Arsenal players and staff celebrate as they secure their first Premier League title in 22 years after Manchester City draw 1-1 at Bournemouth.
READ MORE: Twenty-two years in the making – how Arsenal celebrated title win
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Speaking on Match of the Day, Danny Murphy and Joe Hart praise Arsenal for giving Mikel Arteta time after he guided the club to their first Premier League title in 22 years, following Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Boats, fire and a TikTok song – inside Arsenal’s title win
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Speaking on Match of the Day, Danny Murphy and Joe Hart discuss what Manchester City do now after missing out on the Premier League title, along with strong reports that manager Pep Guardiola will leave the club in the summer.
READ MORE: Title despair & Guardiola going – 24 hours of pain for Man City
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Arsenal are crowned champions of the Premier League for the first time in 22 years after Manchester City are held to a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, a result which secures European football for the home side for the first time in their history.
MATCH REPORT: Bournemouth 1 – 1 Manchester City
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It seemed fitting that Arsenal have one hand on the Premier League trophy thanks to a 1-0 win – of their past four league matches, all victories, three have ended with that score – with the Gunners conceding just once in their past six.
They have conceded the fewest goals in the league (26), while the last time they conceded in open play came in their defeat by Manchester City on 19 April, which was seven games ago.
The clean sheet against Burnley was Arsenal‘s 32nd in all competitions this season.
“I thought that the amount of hair that I have is never going to go away but in this job it is going to test it to the limit,” said Arteta.
“The desire that every single player shows in their defensive duties, their behaviours and the way that they work for each other is phenomenal.
“It’s a lot of work put in by all the coaches as well. And we all know the importance of that and how many results and wins we have because of that.”
It was their 13th 1-0 win of the season. Their playing style, their threat from and reliance on set-pieces, and the relative lack of bigger wins has brought criticism and anxious finishes in equal measure.
Manchester City will have a better goal difference if they win their final two matches, which does mean Arsenal will have to beat Crystal Palace. A draw, in that scenario, would not be enough.
“In a funny way, Man City might actually have taken that,” ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said on Sky Sports. “Seeing how they played that second half, I think the nerves will really kick in if Man City beat Bournemouth. Crystal Palace are a better team than Burnley even with a few players out.
“Arsenal are going to do it in the fashion of George Graham rather than Arsene Wenger – ‘1-0 to the Arsenal‘ probably sums them up.”
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville added: “Arsenal are right on the brink but by goodness they don’t half make it difficult for themselves.
“You have to admire their ability to concentrate and focus and keep to the defensive shape and principles. They keep clean sheets and that’s a rare commodity in the modern game, for a team to see out 1-0 victories like this team can.
“I think it’s going to be enough to see them home.”
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is understood to be stepping down at end of season after 17 years at EPL club.
Published On 18 May 202618 May 2026
Pep Guardiola will leave Manchester City after a decade in charge, according to widespread reports, bringing to a close one of the most successful spells in Premier League history.
Former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, who lead the Blues to the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, is expected to replace him.
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The 55-year-old Guardiola will reportedly announce his departure shortly after City’s final game of the season against Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium, capping a campaign that included winning both the League Cup and the FA Cup trophies.
Saturday’s FA Cup victory over Chelsea secured Guardiola his 20th trophy with the club.
Maresca, who left Chelsea four months ago, has been rumoured for months to be the top contender for the Spaniard’s job. Guardiola’s contract at City is set to expire in June 2027.
Guardiola shrugged off questions about his future after the FA Cup final. When asked about the rumours by TNT Sports, Guardiola replied “What rumours?” and then ended the interview, saying “Have a lovely evening.”
City have made no comment on the speculation.
However, the club have arranged a parade through Manchester on Monday to celebrate their League Cup and FA Cup triumphs this season, which could act as a farewell to Guardiola.
City must win their final two games of the season, starting at Bournemouth on Tuesday, and hope Arsenal drop points at Crystal Palace on Sunday if they are to win the Premier League this season.
Last year, Arsenal won the Champions League but will be mere spectators when Barcelona and Lyon face off next Saturday (17:00 BST).
The Gunners reaching the semi-finals but were dispatched by the French giants in a one-sided second leg.
Chelsea went out a round before, to Arsenal, while Manchester United were seen off by Bayern Munich.
The Ballon d’Or will likely reflect this European balance.
Nominations come later in the summer but with no international tournaments this year, it will be enlightening to see which WSL players make the shortlist.
Nine made the top 30 last August – and that did not include anyone from Manchester City, for whom Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa among others have staked huge claims.
Others such as Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, Chelsea’s Alyssa Thompson and Manchester United’s Jess Park have also all had exceptional seasons and may feature.
Yet when the biggest award is doled out, it is still likely to be dominated by players from elsewhere. After all, a Barcelona player has won each of the past five years
Perhaps until Champions League success becomes commonplace, the leading WSL clubs must accept second billing to Europe’s other heavyweights.
Having said that, with Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle and even Alexia Putellas linked with switches to England this summer, the balance could flip sooner than expected.
Liverpool’s woes deepen as Ollie Watkins scores a brace to help his side to a dominant win at Villa Park.
Published On 16 May 202616 May 2026
Ollie Watkins scored twice as Aston Villa eased to a 4-2 Premier League victory over Liverpool to seal Champions League qualification for next season and leave their visitors looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack.
The win on Friday moves Villa into fourth place with 62 points from their 37 games, leapfrogging their opponents, who have 59 points from the same number of matches.
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Liverpool remain vulnerable to being caught by both Bournemouth and Brighton in the race for a Champions League place as they slipped to a 12th defeat of the season with a single point from the last nine available.
Morgan Rogers gave Villa a first half lead before Virgil van Dijk equalised for Liverpool early in the second period and then got another in added time.
But Watkins’ double and a brilliant late fourth from John McGinn sealed the win for Unai Emery’s side, who head into Wednesday’s Europa League final against Freiburg in buoyant mood.
“We had to get over the line,” McGinn told Sky Sports. It allows us to be excited and enjoy Wednesday properly.
“[Watkins] was obviously disappointed in March [being left out of the England squad] but if it gave him a kick up the backside, he’s certainly responded in the best way.
“We’re so fortunate to have him, what he’s done for this club the past few seasons has been incredible. Hopefully he can carry that into next week.”
Villa head to Istanbul to meet Freiburg with one of their major goals this season already achieved, and the chance to lift silverware to cap their campaign.
The hosts took the lead on 42 minutes against the run of play. Lucas Digne found Rogers in space on the left-hand side of the box and the forward curled it into the far corner.
Liverpool levelled on 52 minutes when Van Dijk headed home at the back post from Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, before 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha struck the base of the post from the edge of the box.
But a slip from Szoboszlai presented Watkins with a second goal for the home side, and Emiliano Buendia struck the Liverpool post with a curling shot as Villa looked the more likely to score again.
And so it proved as Watkins netted his second via a rebound from close range.
McGinn curled in a beautiful shot to make it 4-1 on 89 minutes, before Van Dijk’s second headed goal brought some respectability to the scoreline.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he feels no added pressure after the defeat but admitted his side are conceding too many soft goals.
“It’s not about me, it’s about us being disappointed with the result,” Slot told the BBC. “I spoke yesterday on it [my future] and that’s enough.
“Our focus is on the Brentford game [next weekend] and making sure we earn the support of the fans by starting the game aggressive and well.”
Villa scored four times on Friday but might have had several more goals as they cut apart Liverpool’s defence.
“We have conceded a lot of goals this season, which you’d find hard to believe unless you live it and that’s what we did today,” he said.
“Villa were the better team and the game went away from us.”
NEW YORK — The NHL docked the Vegas Golden Knights a second-round pick in next month’s draft and fined coach John Tortorella $100,000 on Friday for violating media access rules after their series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Ducks on Thursday night.
Tortorella refused to speak to reporters after Vegas routed the Ducks 5-1 to move on to face Colorado in the Western Conference final. The Golden Knights also did not open their locker room in accordance with league and NHL Players’ Assn.-negotiated regulations.
The NHL in a statement announcing the punishment said the penalties for these “flagrant violations” come after previous warnings were issued to the Golden Knights. The team has been offered the opportunity to appeal to Commissioner Gary Bettman’s office in person at the league’s New York headquarters next week.
“The Golden Knights are aware of today’s announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim,” the team said in a statement posted to social media. “The organization will have no further comment.”
Gabriel Gudmundsson could return for Leeds after a two-match absence with a thigh injury.
Pascal Struijk is a doubt after hobbling off during Monday’s 1‑1 draw at Spurs.
Full Leeds’ team news will be provided by the manager, Daniel Farke, in his press conference later on Friday.
Kaoru Mitoma is set to miss the final two games for Brighton, as well as the World Cup, after suffering a hamstring injury.
Diego Gomez is back in contention, while Mats Wieffer could also feature.
Players out: Leeds – Okafor, Gruev, Bogle Brighton – Mitoma, Tzimas, Webster
Doubts: Leeds – Gudmundsson, Struijk Brighton – Wieffer
Key FPL notes:
Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.8m) of Leeds scored from the penalty spot in Gameweek 36 to record his 13th goal of the season, the fifth-most of any forward.
Anton Stach’s (£4.8m) 54 shots and 62 chances created are both among Leeds’ top two players this season.
Playing in a more advanced role, Brighton’s Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m) has scored in three straight matches. In the last four Gameweeks, no midfielder has had as many big chances as his six.
In 2019 Bolton were not just relegated out of the Championship, but their very existence looked in doubt.
A takeover went through later that summer but the damage of an interrupted season had already taken hold and a second successive relegation in a Covid-interrupted campaign followed.
And then came the rebuild.
Ian Evatt led them back to the third tier and a pathway to the second could have followed in 2024, having narrowly missed out on automatic promotion to the Championship.
The League One play-off final beckoned and, off the back of an impressive campaign, perhaps they were destined to return to the second tier just five years after it had all gone wrong.
Bolton were, after all, a prolific play-off side, having twice won promotion to the Premier League via the nail biting end-of-season competition.
That day at Wembley two years ago felt like a step too far, however with a jaded Bolton looking off the pace. Opponents Oxford might not have been fancied before kick-off, but they controlled the game, scored twice, and earned their place in the Championship.
Fast forward two years and Oxford are down and face a return to League One, but could Bolton pull off a reverse in fortunes and take their place? Simons’ finish at Valley Parade means that dream moves a step closer.
“I couldn’t think of anyone better to score the goal to take us to Wembley. It’s been tough in the second half of the season for Xav,” Schumacher added.
“He’s found himself sometimes out of starting XIs or matchday squads but he’s a model pro, he’s done absolutely everything properly all the time, every single day.
“For him to come on and score the goal and take us to Wembley, I’m delighted for him.”
Netflix picked up the rights to three more NFL contests amid government scrutiny over the migration of games from free TV to streaming.
The NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Melbourne, featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, will stream Sept. 10 on Netflix, the company announced Wednesday at its upfront presentation in New York. Netflix will present another NFL game first on Nov. 25 with a Thanksgiving eve game between the Rams and the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium.
The streamer is also picking up a Saturday game in the final week of the regular season. With the Christmas double header Netflix has carried since 2024, the additions bring the total to five games next season.
The five games were a part of ESPN’s NFL package. ESPN relinquished the rights after the league took a 10% stake in the Walt Disney Co.-owned entity.
It was widely believed throughout the sports media business that all five games would go to streamers, split between Netflix and YouTube. But the other two will go to Fox, an international game that will air in the morning in the U.S., and NBC.
The two additional games are going to its traditional TV partners after politicians in Washington, including President Trump, raised concerns about the number of NFL contests that are moving off broadcast and behind streaming paywalls.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Fox Corp. Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch visited Trump at the White House in February to warn how traditional TV networks could be priced out of the NFL due to competition from deep-pocketed streamers.
The Department of Justice has also inquired about whether the NFL is violating the antitrust status given to leagues when their teams collectively negotiate TV rights deals.
An NFL executive familiar with the deal who was not authorized to comment publicly said the added broadcast games are not related to the issues raised in Washington. “We always are looking for ways to increase reach at the benefit of our fans,” the executive said.
In recent years, the NFL has carved out a number of games from the broadcast packages to sell to Netflix and YouTube. Those games primarily come out of the regional Sunday afternoon games carried on Fox and CBS.
But the NFL makes the case that it offers 87% of its games on free over-the-air television than any other major sport. Games sold to streamers are still made available on the local TV stations in the local markets of the teams that are featured.
Questioned about his father’s meeting at the White House, Fox Corp. Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch told Wall Street analysts on Monday there is no tension between the league and his company, which has carried the NFL since 1994.
Murdoch also said there have been no new negotiations with the NFL, which has expressed a desire to redo its current media rights package that runs through the 2032-33 season but has an opt-out in 2030. Murdoch has previously said the company is paying fair market value in its current deal.
In addition to the international game in Week 10, Fox is getting an extra Saturday game in Week 15.
The NFL believes its product is undervalued in light of the massive $76-billion, 11-year contract the NBA entered with NBC, Amazon and ESPN last year. The NFL is in the middle of an 11-year deal that pays the league $110 billion for games that provide much higher ratings.
The league has also said the move to streaming in recent years — which includes putting the Thursday Night Football package on Amazon Prime Video — is necessary to reach younger viewers who are not watching traditional TV. The Thursday games are made available on free TV in the local markets of the teams featured.
The NFL does have the right to renegotiate with CBS before that opt-out due to the network’s transfer of ownership. CBS parent Paramount was acquired by Skydance Media last year.
The NFL and CBS are not close on the new deal. The league is looking to increase the network’s fee from $2.1 billion a year to $3 billion, according to people familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to comment.
The NFL is currently a break-even proposition for CBS at the current price.
But the NFL is at a significant advantage as the broadcast networks and their affiliated stations are dependent on the league, which provides a vast majority of the highest-rated programming on TV. NFL games give major leverage to TV station groups when they are negotiating new carriage deals from cable and satellite providers.
Goalkeeper Bento’s bizarre injury-time own goal denies Al-Nassr a title-crowning 1-0 win over rivals Al Hilal at home.
Published On 13 May 202613 May 2026
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Al-Nassr teammates were left frustrated when their goalkeeper Bento scored an injury-time own goal, denying the club their first Saudi Pro League title in seven years.
Riyadh-based club Al-Nassr were leading 1-0 and seconds away from defeating local rivals Al Hilal, who are second in the league, when Bento fumbled an overhead save that sent the ball into his own net in a highly anticipated match on Tuesday.
A win would have sealed the 11th league title for Al-Nassr and the first for the Portuguese superstar since he famously joined the club in January 2023.
Al-Nassr top the league table with 83 points from 33 games, while Al Hilal are second on 78 points from 32 games. Ronaldo, who captains Al-Nassr, cut a picture of frustration on the bench when the equaliser was scored by the Brazilian goalkeeper.
The 41-year-old football icon has not won a domestic title with Al-Nassr since his then-record-breaking move from Manchester United after the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Al-Nassr’s last league title came in 2019, while Al Hilal won the league in 2024.
Fans of the home team were given free team shirts at the beginning of the match, making the stands a sea of yellow in anticipation of the title win.
Barring a shock result against 15th-place Damac in their final league game, Al-Nassr are favourites to win the league on May 21 .
“The dream is close,” Ronaldo said in his post-match social media posts to his 770 million-plus followers.
Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of a brain tumor, his family announced Tuesday.
Collins, who starred at Stanford and Harvard-Westlake High, where he helped the Wolverins win to back-to-back Division III state titles along with twin brother Jarron, spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He revealed in 2013 that he was gay, an announcement that came toward the end of his playing career.
Collins had been diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma, which has an extremely low survival rate. He was 47.
“Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” Collins’ family said in a statement released through the NBA. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
Just last week, Collins received the inaugural Bill Walton Global Champion Award at the Green Sports Alliance Summit. He was too ill to attend so Jarron Collins accepted for him.
“I told my brother this before I came here: He’s the bravest, strongest man I’ve ever known,” Jarron Collins said while accepting that award.
Jason Collins averaged 3.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in his career. He helped the New Jersey Nets reach two NBA Finals and in his best season averaged 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds for them in 2004-05.
“Jason Collins’ impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador. Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.
“On behalf of the NBA, I send my heartfelt condolences to Jason’s husband, Brunson, and his family, friends and colleagues across our leagues.”
Jason Collins revealed his sexuality in a first-person account for Sports Illustrated in April 2013. He was a free agent at the time, said he wanted to keep playing, and went on to play in 22 games with Brooklyn the following season.
“If I had my way, someone else would have already done this,” he wrote at that time. “Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”
His decision was widely lauded, with star players such as Kobe Bryant quickly speaking out in support of Collins. There was even support from the White House and then-former President Bill Clinton — whose daughter, Chelsea, went to Stanford with Collins. At Stanford, Collins was roommates with someone who was part of another American political dynasty, that being Joe Kennedy III, who spent eight years in Congress representing Massachusetts.
Collins, in the piece for Sports Illustrated, wrote that he realized he needed to go public about his sexuality when Kennedy walked in Boston’s gay pride parade in 2012 — but Collins couldn’t do the same.
Until then, Collins kept his feelings about gay rights close to the vest. He wore jersey No. 98 for the majority of his final three playing stints with Boston, Washington and Brooklyn — a nod to the year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed. He also wore 46 in one game for the Nets, since it was the only jersey the team had available when he signed.
Collins made nearly 61% of his shots in his career at Stanford, which remains a school record. He was an honorable mention selection for the Associated Press’ All-America team in 2001, a few months before the Houston Rockets took him with the 18th pick in that year’s NBA draft.
“It’s a sad day for all of us associated with Stanford basketball when we lose one of the program’s greats,” former Stanford coach Mike Montgomery said. “We all have great memories of Jason and the kind of person he was. It’s hard to separate Jarron and Jason because they thought so alike, but even though he was an identical twin, Jason was unique in his own way. The impact he had on Stanford was immense, as he could match up against anyone in the country because he was big, smart, strong and skilled, all while being a very bright and nice person.”
Who: Manchester City vs Crystal Palace
What: English Premier League
Where: Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, United Kingdom
When: Wednesday, May 13, at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the buildup on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Second-placed Manchester City kept themselves alive in the Premier League title race with their solid home win over Brentford on Saturday, but league-leading Arsenal’s controversial win at West Ham United the following day again pegged City behind in the two-team fight for the trophy.
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Al Jazeera Sport previews City’s delayed Matchday 31 contest against Crystal Palace on Wednesday and breaks down the Sky Blues’ championship hopes as the season draws to a close.
If City beat Palace on Wednesday, they will reduce the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points. Both teams will then have two games remaining.
A victory against Palace would keep City alive in the title hunt, but they would need to beat Bournemouth in their penultimate match to continue the title fight to the final round of matches on May 24.
If City draw, they will end up four points behind Arsenal, and in the event of a defeat, the gap would remain at five points. Dropping any points against Palace would mean City all but bowing out of the title race, even if they still have a mathematical chance to contend heading into the penultimate round.
In such a scenario, Arsenal can be crowned Premier League champions as early as Monday, May 18. A win over already-relegated Burnley in Matchday 37 would mean Arsenal would be at least seven points clear, with City only having a maximum of six points available in their last two fixtures.
If the Gunners are crowned champions of England, it would mark the end of the North London club’s 22-year wait for the honour.
After hosting Palace on Wednesday, City face sixth-placed Bournemouth on May 19 before facing fifth-placed Aston Villa in their final game of the season on May 24. Both fixtures will be challenging as City’s opponents will be fighting to secure European football qualification next season.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have a much easier run-in to the end of the season. They host already-relegated Burnley on May 18 and play away to Palace on the final day of the season. Palace will likely name a weaker side for that fixture, with their eyes certainly on their first European final: The Conference League final vs Rayo Vallecano on May 27.
Yes.
Arsenal’s dramatic win on Sunday against their London rivals, West Ham, means they already have one hand on the trophy. Should they win their final two matches of the campaign, they will be crowned champions, regardless of Man City’s results.
But any slip-up would allow their title rivals back in.
Opta’s supercomputer has given the Gunners an 87.2% chance of winning the title from hereon.
Yes, it is possible.
If City win all three remaining matches, and Arsenal draw one of their two games, both teams will end the season level on points.
What happens in this case? Rule C.17 of the Premier League Handbook says the final table placings would be determined by the following criteria, in this order:
Currently, the goal difference between Arsenal and City is very close. Arsenal have a +42 goal difference, and City’s is +40. It could come down to goals scored across the season: City’s current tally is 72, Arsenal’s is 68.
If the clubs finish level on points, goal difference, and goals scored, City would claim the title on the next criterion – points won in head-to-head matches – because they have won four points against Arsenal this season, thanks to a win and a draw.
The odds of such a scenario are very low, given City are lagging in the title race, but if this were to happen, it would go down as the closest title race ever. The previous closest race was in 2011-12 when City edged their rivals, Manchester United, on goal difference following Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers on the final day.
While City’s odds of winning the league title are very slim, they remain on course to complete a domestic double. City, who won the League Cup in March, face Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday. They are bidding for their eighth FA Cup, having last lifted the trophy in 2023.
Manager Pep Guardiola has backed striker Omar Marmoush, who scored off the bench in the last game, to have a key role in the closing stages of the English season.
“We’ve talked many times,” said Guardiola. “I know it’s not easy for them [fringe players], but I’m pretty sure in the next games they’re going to play.
“I want to rotate the team because otherwise we cannot arrive in the final or Bournemouth a little bit (fresh).
“Especially Omar. It’s not easy because normally you just want one striker. He’s a proper striker but Erling (Haaland) is there.
“Erling is so important for us, but the contribution of Omar – the amount of goals for the minutes played – is so high.”
Guardiola said he is “loving” the Premier League run-in, despite his side no longer controlling their own fate in the title race.
“It’s not in our hands now,” Guardiola said. “They have to drop points. The only thing we can do is win again and see what happens.”
Guardiola said win or lose, the thrilling race to the finish has been thoroughly enjoyable.
He pointed to his team’s consistency, as their unbeaten run in the league stretches back to mid-January. With another major final still to come, City have had plenty to celebrate this season, regardless of how the Premier League finishes.
“I love it. I love to be here again, we’ll finish second again in this season, minimum,” Guardiola said. “Last season, we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League, was so difficult.
“I love too Carabao (League Cup) in our pocket. We play an FA Cup final in Wembley, it is the most beautiful game of the season.”
In their reverse fixture at Selhurst Park in December, City won 2-0, thanks to two goals from Haaland, including a penalty, and another by Phil Foden.
Palace and City have faced each other in 75 games in all competitions since 1921.
City have won 40 of those encounters, while Palace won 18. A total of 17 matches ended in a draw.
Defenders Josko Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov, along with defensive midfielder Rodri, are out injured.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (goalkeeper); Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi, Nathan Ake, Nico O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Tijjani Reijnders; Antoine Semenyo, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku; Erling Haaland
Edward Nketiah, Cheick Oumar Doucoure, Evann Guessand and Borna Sosa are sidelined with injuries.
Dean Henderson (goalkeeper); Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Jaydee Canvot; Daniel Munoz, Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada, Tyrick Mitchell; Brennan Johnson, Ismaila Sarr; Jorgen Strand Larsen