Storming Your Inbox Like Marinakis

Southampton 0 Manchester City 0

In Friday’s preview, we got our Premier League prognostications woefully wrong. Sizing up the Champions League race, we gave the advantage to City based on their matchup with one of the worst sides in history.

Can you blame us?!

But the Saints were resolute, and Pep pulled many of the wrong strings, resting Jeremy Doku until halftime and waiting too long to introduce Omar Marmoush. Again, though, this is Southampton. This is precisely the fixture in which you should be able to give James McAtee a runout. Or get Erling Haaland up to speed.

Apologies, we’re burying the lede here.

Southampton have done it! In securing a point, they’ve ensured they won’t be the joint-worst side in Premier League history.

Go on, lift the trophy, lads!

Now, their campaign can die in peace. As for City, it’s a massive opportunity wasted, and though they remain a safe bet to return to Europe thanks to results elsewhere, it’s not the slam dunk it could’ve been.

Fulham 1 Everton 3

The Marco Silva era appears to be circling the drain with Fulham’s flush-worthy form. We’re not suggesting he’ll be sacked, but perhaps the time has come for his departure to sandier pastures in Saudi Arabia.

The club has lost four of its last five, winning only at Southampton. See how easy it is, Pep?!

Raul Jimenez bullied Vitalii Mykolenko at the far post with a powerful header to open the scoring. But Mykolenko atoned in first-half stoppage time, finding the back of the net with a deflected strike.

Dwight McNeil put a cross on the surging head of Michael Keane to give Everton the lead, and Beto sealed the points with a shot that should've tested but not beaten Bernd Leno. It’s Everton’s second win in their last 11, and Goodison’s curtain call awaits next weekend against Southampton.

Wonder if Moyes asked Marco Silva for a few tips, Everton boss to Everton boss.

Wolves 0 Brighton 2

Wolves’ improbably imperious form has withered, as they lost their second straight match after winning their previous six.

Matheus Cunha fouled Mats Wieffer in the box midway through the first half, and the reliable Danny Welbeck converted the penalty. Brajan Gruda punctuated an otherwise languid affair with his first goal for Brighton on a tidy lifted finish over Jose Sa.

The Gulls move into ninth with the victory, level on points with eighth-place Brentford.

Ipswich Town 0 Brentford 1

Kevin Schade made it three headed goals in two matches, rising high above the masses from a Brentford corner to flick a looping header to the far post and out of the reach of Dara O’Shea.

Brentford are suddenly surging, winning their last four matches and extending their unbeaten streak to six. Admirable attacking forces and midtable finishes: that’s what Thomas Frank does!

Bournemouth 0 Aston Villa 1

The slightest of deft touches from Ollie Watkins in first-half stoppage time allowed Watkins to become Aston Villa's all-time leading scorer in the Premier League and the club to keep its Champions League chase alive.

Unai Emery downplayed those lofty aspirations pre-match, insisting the day’s goal was “Europe. Europe. Europe.” Mission accomplished. But with City, Chelsea, and Forest dropping points, the loftier target is more attainable. More reason for encouragement: Villa’s remaining matches are against two of the Premier League’s worst sides, who also have something much more important on the calendar to distract them. You can guess who we’re talking about.

Bournemouth were the aggressors in the second half, particularly after Jacob Ramsey saw a second yellow card in the 80th minute. They came closest in the 94th, as Antoine Semenyo forced a fingertip save from Emi Martinez, and Daniel Jebbison couldn’t react quickly enough to head the ricochet into a wide-open goal, instead blasting over the bar from inches out.

Villa are level on points with fifth-place Chelsea.

Newcastle 2 Chelsea 0

The most intriguing match of the weekend got off to a roaring start, as Sandro Tonali scored within two minutes to give the hosts the lead. It would get worse for the visitors when Nicolas Jackson picked up a red card in the 36th minute for driving his elbow into Sven Botman’s face.

However, the Blues didn’t crumble and instead mounted several challenges on the Newcastle goal, most notably with a headed miss from Reece James, who should’ve done better with an inviting cross.

The Magpies sealed the points with a deflected strike from Bruno Guimaraes in the 90th minute, eliciting raucous celebrations from St. James’ Park as their club charged into third place and the driver’s seat for Champions League football. On form, they’re as deserving as anyone and a real threat to abscond with second place at season’s end.

They’ll have their chance to stake that claim at the Emirates next weekend.

West Ham 2 Manchester United 0

It’s hard to make this West Ham side look good, but that’s precisely what Manchester United did as they kill time ahead of the Europa League Final.

Potter’s team cut through the obliging United defense on multiple occasions. First, Tomas Soucek—midfield goalscoring extraordinaire—flicked a Mohammed Kudus cross through young Harry Amass’s legs and into the net. Kudus was the instigator again in the 57th minute, waltzing from midfield past United defenders and into the attacking third where he found former United player Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who played a simple square pass for Jarrod Bowen to finish.

United lost both matches against West Ham this season. 15th-place West Ham. Let that sink in. And then remember that we’re talking about 16th-place Manchester United.

Insane.

Nottingham Forest 2 Leicester City 2

Who, besides City, did we feel would have an advantage this weekend? Forest, of course.

Before the match, the stars were aligning for Forest to regain control of their own Champions League destiny. Chelsea lost. City drew. And all that stood between them and a return to fifth place was Leicester.

Lowly Leicester.

Well, lowly Leicester didn’t get the message, and in the 16th minute, Bilal Al Khannous fired a sizzling strike at Matz Sels that proved too hot to handle. Connor Coady pounced on the rebound to give the visitors the early advantage.

But Forest answered with vigor. Anthony Elanga delivered a beautiful sinking cross into the Leicester area from a free kick, and Morgan Gibbs-White elevated to head home. Shortly after half time, Gibbs-White proved influential once again, architecting a masterpiece of a cross which artfully evaded James Justin to land perfectly on Chris Wood’s diving head for the Kiwi’s 20th Premier League goal of the season.

But Forest couldn’t see out the lead, and Facundo Buonanotte skillfully rolled the ball out of the path of an approaching Forest defender before slotting past Sels in the 81st minute.

Chasing a crucial goal, Nuno introduced Taiwo Awoniyi, who strained to get on the end of an overhit Elanga cross moments later. The momentum carried Awoniyi into the post at terrifying pace, leaving him and Buonanotte in a mangled heap. He remained down on the pitch for several minutes, but for some extremely unclear reason, the physios signaled to Nuno that he was okay to continue. Nuno somehow believed that signal, despite seeing Awoniyi doubled over in agony and unable to remain on his feet. He then substituted Jota Silva for Elliot Anderson, not Awoniyi, who spent the remaining minutes shuffling around in pain, trying to protect his injured abdominals which would require surgery.

Needless to say, Forest did not find the winner.

Angelo Marinakis was evidently not pleased with the injury mixup, storming onto the pitch in the match’s aftermath and having words with his manager. He shouldn’t have been there, but frustrations for this Forest side are understandable, particularly given how befuddling the Awoniyi decision was.

They can still find a way through the Champions League backdoor with matches remaining against West Ham and, crucially, Chelsea. But they don’t look a side with the belief and ability to take the reins.

Tottenham 0 Crystal Palace 2

A dead rubber between two teams with nothing left to play for but momentum ahead of their more important cup finals. Crystal Palace grasped that momentum with both hands, driven by their star attacker Eberechi Eze, who scored both goals for the visitors.

Palace dominated the game, registering 10 shots on target to Spurs’ one in the latest evidence that Ange’s miraculous Europa League run shouldn’t spare his job. Spurs are only one place above the relegation zone, and while their safety was clinched weeks ago, Ange’s remains tenuous at best. As with United, let that sink in. Tottenham Hotspur are one solitary place above relegation.

Palace, on the other hand, are unbeaten in their last five, their best player is playing his best football, and spirits are high ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup Final against Manchester City, who just shared points with Southampton. Their vibe is best summed up in GIF form.

Liverpool 2 Arsenal 2

The title celebration appeared set to continue at Anfield, where Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz each scored within two minutes in the first half to give the hosts a convincing lead.

But Arsenal emerged from half-time reinvigorated, quickly pulling one back with a Gabriel Martinelli header from a Leandro Trossard cross. Not finished, the Gunners equalized through Mikel Merino in the 70th minute, as he pounced on an Alisson save of a fizzing Martin Odegaard strike. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was introduced to boos, made matters worse for himself by playing Merino onside for the goal.

Much was made of the most predictable booing ever, with plenty of pearl-clutching and melodramatic suggestions of disgrace. Were the fans supposed to give Trent a guard of honor leading to the Bernabeu? Was he supposed to suffer no consequences for a choice to leave his boyhood club on a free transfer after spending months shushing the fans while running down his contract?

Not complicated. Could make for an awkward trophy lift in two weeks, though!

Merino garnered a second yellow card in the 80th minute, leaving Arsenal vulnerable to a suddenly resurgent Liverpool attack, though the Gunners also saw a huge chance for Odegaard go begging. In the 96th minute, Virgil Van Dijk’s powerful header forced an incredible reaction save from David Raya, with the scraps falling right into the path of Andy Robertson, who quickly found the back of the net. The goal was chalked off, however, for an Ibrahima Konate foul on Lewis-Skelly; replays showed he shoved the diminutive Arsenal youngster aside like a pesky nuisance.

Frustrating dropped points for both sides, though Arsenal’s may prove more consequential as a visit from third-place Newcastle beckons with second place on the line.

🥇🥈 Four El Clasicos. Four Barcelona wins. In a season to forget for Real Madrid, that will be the detail they’ll wish could be zapped from their memories, Men in Black style.

The fourth defeat may be the most bitter pill, as the visitors quickly built a 2-0 lead through a Kylian Mbappe brace in 14 minutes. But Barcelona, licking their wounds from a crushing defeat in Milan, remain as resilient as ever. Eric Garcia, who recently pulled a U-turn to stay at the club, pulled one back in the 19th minute, and Lamine Yamal curled a far post finish—quickly becoming his trademark—past Courtois to equalize in the 32nd. Two minutes later, Raphinha gave Barcelona the lead with a clinical, low strike to complete Madrid’s first-half collapse. Almost.

Raphinha dispossessed Lucas Vazquez in the 45th and found the net again to make it a brace and extend Barcelona's advantage and Madrid's blushes. Ferran Torres assisted three of Barcelona’s four first-half goals.

In a metaphor for a season that has seen Mbappe reach his characteristically remarkable statistical heights while the club flounders, the Frenchman made it a hat-trick in the 70th minute to cut the lead to one.

Both sides found the back of the net in second-half stoppage time, but both goals were ruled out. VAR chalked off a particularly magical Fermin Lopez strike which erupted the stadium in celebrations fit for a title triumph. That memorable moment was erased, but Barca’s grip on the title remains, all but official with the victory and a gap of seven points with three to play.

✅ Atletico Madrid clinched Champions League qualification for the 13th straight season with four first-half goals from Alexander Sorloth.

4⃣ Athletic held serve, winning 1-0 over relegation-threatened Alaves through an own goal. They have a six-point cushion to sixth place and look a likely bet to achieve Champions League qualification.

🟡 Our prediction hot streak begins. We nodded to an advantage for Villareal this weekend in that qualification race, and the Yellow Submarine obliged, albeit narrowly, with an 89th-minute Karl Etta Eyong goal proving the difference at Girona. Meanwhile, Betis limped to a 1-1 draw against Osasuna, with Cucho Hernandez’s 64th-minute goal canceled out by Ante Budimir’s 75th-minute equalizer. Still, Betis are seven matches unbeaten and only three points out of fifth.

📈 Our clairvoyance carried over to the relegation race, where Leganes rewarded our confidence, beating Espanyol 3-2, while Alaves and Las Palmas both lost. The win sees them leapfrog Las Palmas for 18th and pull within a point of safety.

🇪🇺 Celta Vigo continues to surge toward Europa League qualification, beating Sevilla 3-2 with a 91st-minute Borja Iglesias winner despite playing the second half with 10 men.

🇪🇺 Rayo Vallecano sits in the Conference League-qualifying spot after beating Las Palmas 1-0, and they’re just two points behind Celta Vigo for Europa League action.

🥇A shake-up in the title race! An 84th-minute goal from Johan Vasquez allowed Genoa to equalize at the Maradona. Romelu Lukaku and Giacomo Raspadori scored for the hosts, who remain in first place by a point. Scott McTominay assisted both goals.

🥈 A heavily rotated Inter side, riding the high of their procession to the Champions League Final, handled business at Torino, with goals from Nicola Zalewski and Kristjan Asllani. Their final two matches look more challenging than Napoli’s, so the leader’s slip-up may prove critical.

🤝 Matias Vecino equalized for Lazio in the 96th minute against Juventus, dealing a demoralizing blow to the Old Lady and stabilizing their own Champions League hopes. The sides remain level on points, though Juventus has the tiebreaker advantage.

🔴⚫ Milan dented Bologna’s Champions League aspirations on Friday, scoring three second-half goals to overcome Ricardo Orsolini’s opener. Santiago Gimenez scored a brace, and Christian Pulisic also found the scoresheet for the hosts. CONCACAF! Bologna are now two points out of fourth.

6⃣ Como won their sixth straight match, with Gabriel Strefezza scoring in his third consecutive game. But is Cesc Fabregas off to Leverkusen? Reportedly not.

😬 The relegation plot thickens, as Venezia scored a crucial and surprising victory over Fiorentina, Empoli beat Parma 2-1 with an 86th-minute winner from Tino Anjorin, and Lecce dropped points at Verona. Venezia is safe by a point, with Lecce and Empoli both one point behind.

🥇 Harry Kane scored on trophy-raising day at the Allianz, but the festivities were all about Thomas Muller, making his last appearance in front of the home crowd. Bayern captain Manuel Neuer graciously left the trophy lift to Muller in a memorable scene that ended a memorable era. Some departures shake you to your core as a football fan. Muller’s is surely one of them.

⚫🟡 Dortmund continued its top-four charge, visiting Leverkusen and emerging 4-2 victors for their fourth-straight league win and seventh match unbeaten. Though they look worthy of a place in the Champions League, they remain on the outside looking in by one point…

4⃣ Because Freiburg, with their -2 goal difference, beat relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel 2-1 to retain fourth place. We felt Freiburg had the advantage heading into the weekend, in part due to Dortmund’s difficult matchup but also thanks to their lower-caliber opposition. That advantage was only enough to maintain a one-point lead.

🥉 Remarkably, third-place Frankfurt could still fall out of the Champions League picture. A 71st-minute Michy Batshuayi equalizer allowed them to salvage a point at home against St. Pauli, but the dropped points leave them vulnerable. A loss and Freiburg and Dortmund wins, with some goal difference swings baked in, would see them plummet to fifth on the final matchday. And guess what’s on the schedule? A visit to Freiburg. Meanwhile, Dortmund gets Holstein Kiel at home.

👋 Leipzig bowed out of the Champions League chase, drawing 0-0 with Bremen to leave them four points adrift. Mainz beat Bochum 4-1, but it’s too little, too late, as they also sit four points off of fourth.

🛟 We have a feel for the relegation races! Heidenheim beat Union 3-0, while Holstein Kiel and Bochum both lost, ensuring that, at minimum, Heidenheim will play for their survival in the relegation playoff. They’re three points adrift of automatic safety, but shortcomings in goal difference leave them unlikely to attain it.

👎 Things got wacky in France, where all matches started concurrently on Saturday, and Champions League contenders Nice, Strasbourg, and Lille fell to inferior opposition on the road. Armand Kalimuendo scored a brace for Rennes in their win over Nice. Strasbourg’s loss broke a remarkable 12-match unbeaten run, leaving them in sixth, albeit level on points with fourth-place Nice and fifth-place Lille.

✅ Monaco sealed their Champions League qualification, dealing a near-fatal blow to Lyon’s hopes with a 2-0 victory. Takumi Minamino and Denis Zakaria scored for the victors. Lyon are seventh, four points out of fourth, and there’s near-zero likelihood that all three of the sides above them will lose next weekend.

🇪🇺 Marseille also clinched Champions League football, beating relegation contender Le Havre 3-1 with a brace from Amine Gouiri. He’s scored six goals in his last three matches.

🛟 We felt Saint Etienne might have the advantage this weekend, and they confirmed that sentiment, beating Reims 2-0, while Le Havre lost. They won’t achieve automatic safety, but they could pip Le Havre for the playoff spot.

🇵🇹 Sporting had one hand on the trophy when Francisco Trincao scored in the 4th minute at Benfica, but the hosts battled back, equalizing through Kerem Akturkoglu to ensure the title will be decided on the league’s final day.

Sporting took four points in the sides’ two matches this season, claiming the tiebreaker should they finish level. Benfica, then, will need the leaders to stumble against Vitoria next weekend.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Sunderland beat Coventry City in a dramatic first leg with an 88th-minute goal from Eliezer Mayenda after a catastrophic mistake from the Coventry defense. They’ll look to defend that lead at home today.

Sheffield United put the finishing touches on Bristol City yesterday. Already ahead 3-0, they added another three goals to the aggregate scoreline in front of their supporters to win 6-0.

🇩🇪 After seven long years, sleeping giant Hamburg are finally back in the Bundesliga, clinching promotion with a 6-1 victory. The scenes were dreamlike.

🇳🇱 PSV erased a 2-0 deficit to beat Feyenoord with a dramatic 99th-minute winner from Noa Lang, who scored a brace. The win not only delayed Ajax’s celebrations, it cast them entirely in doubt. The next day, the league leaders saw their lead shrink to a measly point with a shock 3-0 loss at home to NEC. Two matchdays remain.

🇨🇦 Vancouver clawed back a 2-0 deficit to earn a 2-2 draw with LAFC and extend their unbeaten run to 11 games. Brian White scored both goals, taking his place in a four-way tie atop the league scoring charts.

🇺🇸 In the East, Columbus and Philadelphia drew 2-2, allowing Cincinnati to claim first place in the conference. Evander scored for Cincy with a beauty on the half volley from just outside the box.

🇧🇪 Club Brugge beat Genk 2-0, effectively eliminating them from the title conversation. Brugge are just one point behind first-place Union Saint-Gilloise with two matchdays remaining.

🇨🇭Basel secured their first Swiss Super League title since 2017 when second-place Servette drew 0-0. Xherdan Shaqiri returned to the club this season, notching 18 goals and 20 assists. The cube still has it, folks, and we’re the beneficiaries, as we could see him back in the Champions League next year should Basel emerge from qualifying.

🇹🇷 Galatasaray and Fenerbahce both won, keeping Gala’s lead atop the table at 8 points with three matches remaining. Title clincher looming.

🇦🇷 Independiente beat Independiente Rivadavia with what could be the goal of the season from Santiago Montiel. They advance in the Torneo Apertura knockout stages,

🇲🇽 The Clausura Quarterfinals delivered drama in the second leg, with top seed Toluca winning 2-1 to tie on aggregate and advance on away goals against Monterrey. The other results:

• Club America 2, Pachuca 0 (2-0 Agg). Alejandro Zendejas brace.

• Cruz Azul 2, Leon 1 (5 -3 Agg)

• Tigres 2, Necaxa 2 (Tigres advance on away goals)

🇧🇷 Vitor Roque scored in the 95th minute for Palmeiras to win the Choque-Rei against Sao Paulo. They remain atop the table with 19 points to Flamengo’s 17.

🇸🇦 Al Ittihad continue to close in on a title in Saudi Arabia, winning 3-0 over Al Feiha with a Karim Benzema brace. They’re six points clear with three matches remaining.

🇮🇹 The Coppa Italia Final is a rematch of last Friday’s match between Milan and Bologna, which Milan won 3-1. Will Sergio Conceicao’s job-saving domestic cup success continue?

🇺🇸 MLS is in action midweek, and a slumping Inter Miami side will visit San Jose at 10:30 PM ET Wednesday. LA Galaxy, winless in 12 games to start the season, will look for their first victory at Philadelphia at 7:30 PM ET. So, 13 matches winless then?

🇳🇱 The second-to-last matchday of the Eredivisie season takes place Wednesday at 2:00 PM ET with PSV hosting Heracles and Ajax visiting Groningen. Unless Ajax win and PSV lose, the league will go down to the last day.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Sunderland looks to defend its 2-1 advantage at home against Coventry today at 3:00 PM ET. The winner will head to Wembley to oppose Sheffield United for the right to play Premier League football in our favorite match of the year.

A flight lower, the second legs of the League One Promotion Semifinals kickoff at 3:00 PM Wednesday (Stockport vs. Leyton Orient) and Thursday (Charlton vs. Wycombe). Both ties are level after the first leg.

🇲🇽 The first leg of the Liga MX Clausura Semifinals takes place on Wednesday night with Club América visiting Cruz Azul and Toluca visiting Tigres.

🇸🇦 Al-Ittihad plays Al-Raed on Thursday at 2:00 PM ET as they’ll look to preserve their lead atop the table.

🎯 Liverpool are reportedly targeting Jeremie Frimpong to replace the departing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Skeptics are unsure of Frimpong’s abilities as a pure right back, but his £30 million release clause and homegrown status are enticing.

🤔 The managerial dominoes are falling into place, as both Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti to Brazil (the “snap” of the “snip-snap”) are both reportedly done. Now, who replaces Xabi? They wanted Cesc Fabregas, but he appears set to stay at Como. Let’s see who was next on the list.

Finally. Erik Ten Hag. Is it possible to contest the FA Cup from Germany?

🦸‍♀ The Chelsea women completed a WSL season unbeaten for the third time, finishing with 19 wins and 3 draws.