Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was distraught after losing 1-2 to Bournemouth in the English Premier League on Saturday. “It’s a big punch in the face. We were far from efficient. The first chance they had to attack the box, it’s a deflection, a bad defending action and it’s a goal. That’s something we have to recover from. The second-half you expect a different game. We did a lot of strange things today,” said a frustrated Arteta. Mikel Arteta The visitors took the lead at a nervy Emirates through Junior Kroupi (17th min), but Mikel Arteta’s men levelled through a Viktor Gyokeres penalty later in the 35th minute. The Gunners made multiple attacking changes early in the second period, but struggled to create clear-cut chances against Andoni Iraola’s enterprising team. Bournemouth clinched the winner in the 74th minute after a fluid move finished off by Alex Scott, who rifled the ball past David Raya. Arsenal remain on 70 points after 32 games, nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, however the Sky Blues have two games in hand. Meanwhile, Bournemouth boss Iraola hailed his team’s impressive display. “We showed great personality in a big game. We were quite brave. [It was] a complete performance,” said Iraola. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 April,2026 10:02 AM IST | London | AgenciesChelsea boss Liam Rosenior wants his inconsistent side to deliver a statement performance against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in Sunday’s English Premier League clash. The Blues enter this fixture on the back two consecutive losses in the EPL to Everton (0-3) and Newcastle (0-1), and while they have no realistic title hopes, clinching three points is still vital in the battle to seal a Champions League berth for next season — Chelsea are sixth (48 points), one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool, who occupy the final UCL spot, as it stands. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer during a training session recently. Pic/Chelsea’s Instagram “We know it’s going to be a big challenge, but it’s one we are looking forward to. Three points takes us closer to our objective. I want my team to show what we are capable of. Of course we can [beat City], because we are a very good team,” said Rosenior. However, the Blues face an uphill task without midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who is serving a ban handed to him by the club after he hinted at being interested in a move to Real Madrid. They have also failed to beat the Sky Blues in their last nine EPL games. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
12 April,2026 09:29 AM IST | London | AgenciesArsenal boss Mikel Arteta is relying on the raucous support of fans at the Emirates Stadium in order to overcome a tricky Bournemouth side in their English Premiership encounter here on Saturday. The Gunners have a nine-point lead at the top of the table, but Arteta knows they cannot afford similar stumbles to the ones that cost them in the EFL Cup final (0-2 loss to Man City) and the FA Cup quarter-finals (1-2 loss to Southampton), particularly not at home. “We need to exploit the [home] advantage. We know the meaning of every match here and the opportunity that we have, especially when we play at home. We need to maximise every result,” said Arteta. Meanwhile, Andoni Iraola’s side will be heading into the clash high on confidence. After all, his Bournemouth did well to get the better of Arteta’s Gunners 2-1 when they faced each other at the Emirates last season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
11 April,2026 10:59 AM IST | London | AgenciesBrazil football legend Romario, 60, has allegedly been dumped by his girlfriend Tiffany Barcelos, 25, a student, after the latter found out that he was cheating on her with her own friend. According to British tabloid The Sun, the 1994 World Cup-winner cheated on Barcelos with her friend Barbara Cavalcanti. It is learnt that the former Barcelona striker was spotted with Cavalcanti in Fernando de Noronha (a tourist destination in Brazil), after which Barcelos unfollowed him on Instagram and deleted all his comments from her posts. Romario and Barcelos had been dating for three months, and were first seen together in public in February at the famous Carnival celebrations. A few days ago, the couple were even seen watching a football match together in Rio de Janeiro. Romario, hailed as one of the best strikers of his generation, scored 55 goals in 70 matches for Brazil and enjoyed a fruitful stint with Barcelona as well, where he racked up 39 goals in 65 games.
10 April,2026 10:07 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentLiverpool coach Arne Slot admitted his team were well beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg as he defended his decision to play with three central defenders and insisted the Reds still had hope going into the return. "Paris Saint-Germain was by far the better team today and could have scored more than two goals, but the good thing was the Liverpool players showed fighting spirit and kept going," Slot said after his side went down 2-0 in the French capital. Desire Doue gave PSG an early lead with a deflected strike and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia got their second goal after the hour mark, in a match which saw the hosts have 70 percent possession and 18 attempts on goal to the visitors' three. "Of course you think you can do better, but we were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also we are in survival mode at this period of the season," said Slot, whose team have won just one of their last six matches. "It is really hard against this team. PSG was the better team, but we didn't give up and that is why we still have a chance in this tie, and now we can bring the tie back to Anfield, and in between there is still a very important game to play against Fulham." Slot selected Joe Gomez as a third centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, while Mohamed Salah was left on the bench and did not feature at all -- unlike Alexander Isak, who appeared as a late substitute for his first appearance since December after injury. Salah 'saving his energy' "The last part of the game it was more about surviving for us than it was ever about scoring," Slot said of his decision not to use the Egyptian off the bench. "Mo has so much quality but for Mo to be 20 to 25 minutes defending in his own box, I think it is better for him to save his energy for a lot of games we have coming up." The Dutchman is under pressure with his team sitting fifth in the Premier League and now at real risk of an exit from Europe, unless they can turn the tie around next Tuesday. He explained his decision to change the formation was mainly down to the attacking threat posed by PSG's full-backs, Achraf Hakimi on the right and Nuno Mendes on the left. "Milos (Kerkez) had to play almost as a left-winger facing Hakimi, and then there were four defenders left, so you could almost explain it as a 4-3-3," he said. "Just think about what would have happened if we had played with real wingers against Hakimi and Nuno Mendes." Liverpool must now attempt to bounce back at home to Fulham in the Premier League before the return against PSG, who have a weekend off after their Ligue 1 game at title rivals Lens was postponed. "I think we played very well against a top-class side -- they changed their system but we are used to that because teams have a habit of changing the way they play against us," said PSG coach Luis Enrique. "It is just a shame because we created a lot of chances in the second half and could have scored more goals." PSG beat Liverpool in the last 16 last season, going through in a penalty shoot-out at Anfield. "I have been to Anfield many times as a player and coach and it is always complicated, but mentality is always the same, wherever we play, we always go out to win the game," said Luis Enrique. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 April,2026 09:58 AM IST | Paris | AFPBarcelona coach Hansi Flick was furious at the decision to not review a handball incident in his team’s 0-2 Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Atletico defender Marc Pubill touched a ball passed to him by goalkeeper Juan Musso with his hand, to set it still in order to take the goal-kick himself, which Flick said should have been a red card and a penalty — In 2024 Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was punished for a similar infringement in a UCL defeat to Club Brugge. Barcelona players remonstrate with the referee during their UCL quarter-final clash with Atletico Madrid on Thursday. Pic/Getty Images “The VAR was very focused today for Atletico, he’s a German guy, so thanks Germany,” Flick said sarcastically, before adding: “It’s for me a clear red card.” Flick said the VAR officials should have asked the referee to review the incident, just like they had done earlier in the match when Pau Cubarsi received a red card for a last-man tackle on Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone. “From my perspective it’s clear, VAR has to say, ‘Okay, look at this,’ the same like before. I don’t understand [why they didn’t review it],” added Flick. Meanwhile, his Atletico Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone hailed his team’s clinical finishing as Julian Alvaraz’s superb free-kick (45th min) and Alexander Sorloth’s 70th minute goal gave them a significant advantage in the tie. “Through good teamwork, we were able to capitalise on key moments in the match. Today we were extremely clinical,” remarked Simeone. FourNo. of red cards received by Barca players across last two UCLs; the most by any team 40No. of matches since Barcelona last failed to score at home across any competition 20No. of years since Barcelona’s previous loss to Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
10 April,2026 09:55 AM IST | Barcelona | AgenciesDesire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored the goals to give a dominant Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 win over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, as the holders seized a clear advantage to take to Anfield for next week's return. Doue's shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and in thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, and Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG's lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish. It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions -- who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review -- might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side who lined up with three centre-backs and were run ragged. "I think we had chances to score more. There were many moments where we should score but it is OK," Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus. "I think 2-0 is good but we have to stay focused because we have to play at Anfield. We know that the atmosphere will be amazing so we are already starting to prepare that game." Liverpool's game plan could not stop them slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend. It is just one win in six in all competitions for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign. "We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, and maybe also we are in survival mode at this period of the season," said coach Arne Slot. "It is really, really hard against this team -- PSG was the better team, but we didn't give up and that is why we still have a chance in this tie." Slot's team must try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return. This will be a far tougher task, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties. That was a big step on their way to winning the Champions League, and came after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating. A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here meaning Mamardashvili started in goal. Salah left on bench Mohamed Salah was also left out of the line-up by Slot, instead taking a place on the bench alongside Alexander Isak with the Swede involved again after suffering a leg fracture in December. Hugo Ekitike started up front for Liverpool against the club where he spent 18 months earlier in his career and failed to escape the shadows of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar. Joe Gomez slotted in alongside Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk as a third central defender, as Liverpool set out to press high but spent the night chasing the ball. PSG were well in control before they scored, as Doue collected the ball just outside the box, advanced into the area and tried a shot which struck Gravenberch's boot and took a looping trajectory which left the goalkeeper flummoxed. Mamardashvili did later save from Kvaratskhelia and Doue meaning there was just one goal in a one-sided first half in which PSG had 70 percent possession and Liverpool's only attempt came from Jeremie Frimpong when he was offside. The pattern of the contest did not really change after the break, with Ousmane Dembele blazing over before the second goal arrived. A superb Joao Neves pass released Kvaratskhelia through the inside-left channel, and the Georgian held off Gravenberch before rounding the goalkeeper to tuck in. Liverpool were then rescued by the Spanish referee's decision to change his mind after initially awarding a penalty when Konate brought down Warren Zaire-Emery, while also taking the ball. Small mercies for Slot, who sent on Isak in a quadruple substitution on 78 minutes, but left Salah on the bench. Dembele hit the post late on for PSG, although they are firmly in control after a ninth win in a game against Premier League opposition since the start of 2025. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 April,2026 01:21 PM IST | Paris (France) | AFPJulian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth's goals earned Atletico Madrid a commanding 2-0 lead over 10-man Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarter-final first leg clash on Wednesday. The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at Camp Nou before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico's Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal. Alvarez whipped home the resulting free-kick and Sorloth doubled their advantage with 20 minutes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semi-finals. Diego Simeone's side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions. "We have things to improve and learn from... we're happy for the win but there's a long way to go," Atletico's Antoine Griezmann told Movistar. "We're very far from the semis, we're 90 or more minutes away... we're confident but keeping our feet on the ground." Barca, semi-finalists last season, need to make a huge comeback next Tuesday in Madrid if they are to stand a chance of lifting the trophy they last won in 2015. Atletico Madrid's Argentine forward Julian Alvarez (R) scores his team's first goal in spite of Barcelona's Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia during the UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg football match between FC Barcelona and Club Atletico de Madrid at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona. Pic/AFP "It will be tough there but if anyone can do it, it's us," Barca defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar. Barca coach Hansi Flick was upset by the use of VAR to punish his side for Cubarsi's red card but not to analyse a potential handball incident against Atletico's Marc Pubill in the second half. The defender touched the ball with his hand after goalkeeper Juan Musso passed it to him, to take the goal kick himself, which Flick said should have been reviewed. "The VAR was very focussed today for Atletico, he's a German guy, so thanks Germany," complained the former German national team boss. "It's for me a clear red card, then it (can) change (things) totally." Diego Simeone said the decision that was made was "common sense". Atletico knocked Barca out of the Copa del Rey in the semi-finals in March and this was the second of three meetings between the sides in the space of a fortnight. Barcelona started well with Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, their main threat down the left. On the right flank Atletico tried to suffocate teenage star Lamine Yamal with defensive numbers, allowing Rashford more room. The first chances fell to the England international, who scored against Atletico in La Liga on Saturday, but Musso denied him. At the other end, Alvarez, who has been linked with a switch to Barcelona in recent months, tested Joan Garcia. The busy Rashford, constantly escaping beyond Nahuel Molina, volleyed narrowly wide and then rolled a shot into the bottom corner but it was disallowed for offside in the build-up. Even though the 18-year-old Yamal was up against three Atletico defenders, he produced some superb skill to break free of their shackles, but Robin Le Normand blocked his shot. Veteran Atletico midfielder Koke was fortunate to stay on the pitch after fouls on Dani Olmo, Pedri and Yamal were only punished with a yellow card, to Barca supporters' fury. Pivotal red card Flick's side were controlling the game with Atletico talisman Griezmann quiet against his former team, but a moment of clumsiness from Cubarsi dramatically gave the visitors the upper hand before half-time. The 19-year-old centre-back, chasing Giuliano Simeone as he ran through on goal to reach a ball in behind Barca's defence from Alvarez, clattered the Atletico coach's son from behind. Although referee Istvan Kovacs only produced a yellow card for Cubarsi, he upgraded it to a red after a VAR review. Worse was to come for Barca, with former Manchester City striker Alvarez whipping the free-kick into the top corner. Barca battled well with 10 men, continuing to create chances for Rashford. Yamal sent the forward through on goal but after rounding Musso he could only hit the side netting, and he had a free-kick tipped over. It was against the run of play again that Atletico snatched their second. Griezmann and Matteo Ruggieri combined and the latter crossed for target man Sorloth, who outmuscled Gerard Martin and fired past the helpless Garcia. Barca tasted defeat at home for the first time since Camp Nou reopened in November 2025 -- and Atletico coach Simeone won at the stadium for the first time in his 14-year career at the helm of the Rojiblancos. It was Atletico's first win at Camp Nou since 2006 and a potential stepping stone towards the trophy they crave most. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
09 April,2026 01:20 PM IST | Barcelona | AFPPunjab-based football club Minerva Academy’s stellar display at the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) in Spain, where they beat Liverpool 6-0 in the last 16 before losing 1-2 to Spain’s UE Figueres, has made European scouts sit up and take note. “Talent scouts from top division clubs in Spain and England have contacted us, asking for the CVs of our players along with additional video clips,” Minerva Academy’s founder-cum-coach Ranjit Bajaj told mid-day over the phone from Chandigarh on Wednesday. Ranjit Bajaj News about Indian football seldom makes for positive reading, but not this time. Thanks to Minerva Academy’s stellar display in the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) in Spain, where their U-15 side did not just progress out of their group, but also thrashed Liverpool U-15 6-0 in the Round-of-16. Pertinently, Minerva Academy’s impressive run to the quarter-finals of this prestigious competition, where they ultimately succumbed to Spain’s UE Figueres 1-2, has made European scouts sit up and take note. “We have got a lot of interest from foreign scouts and that’s amazing. Top division clubs in Spain and England have contacted us, and they’ve asked us for the CVs of our players along with additional video clips,” Minerva Academy’s founder-cum-coach Ranjit Bajaj told mid-day over the phone from Chandigarh on Wednesday. Captains of Liverpool U-15 (left) and Minerva Academy before their Mediterranean Int’l Cup tie in Spain recently “The scouts are looking at five of our players, in particular. The clubs have said that if they perform at this level in next year’s MIC too, they’ll hand them a pre-contract, because 16 is the minimum age when players can get a deal,” added Bajaj, 47. Reflecting on the tournament, Bajaj said his aim was to demonstrate that Indian players can go head-to-head with the Europeans and come out on top. “We had one simple goal: To show that Indians belong at this level. As long as we get the right training and nutrition from an early age, we can not just compete with the Europeans, but also dominate them. Also, in every game, our opponents were about six-foot tall, whereas we had no boy taller than five-foot-eight inches. Yet, we physically dominated Liverpool,” said Bajaj, whose Minerva Academy boys also won the Gothia Cup (Sweden), Dana Cup (Denmark), and Norway Cup last year. Bajaj’s ultimate aim is to provide Team India top-notch players, who can help the country qualify for the 2034 FIFA World Cup. “These U-15 boys along with their juniors are preparing for the 2034 World Cup and the 2036 Olympics. If we can become a top eight team in Asia, we can qualify for these two tournaments. We’ve been getting results in international events for a few years. This [MIC] was no flash in the pan. This means our processes are right,” concluded Bajaj.
09 April,2026 10:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoReal Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior wrote a loving note to appreciate his girlfriend Virginia Fonseca as she turned 27 on April 6. Vinicius, 25, Instagrammed a series of pictures with Fonseca, a Brazilian influencer and entrepreneur, to his 60 million followers. He captioned the post: “You deserve the best things in this world… Keep being that unique person: a wonderful mother, a top-notch businessman, and a woman who makes no effort to make everyone around her happy.” Vinicius and Fonseca have been dating since October 2025. She is mother to two daughters and a son from Brazilian musician Ze Filipe.
09 April,2026 10:11 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentKai Havertz snatched a last-gasp winner as Arsenal bounced back from their domestic distress to steal a 1-0 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta's side arrived at the Jose Alvalade Stadium rocked by successive defeats against Manchester City in the League Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Once again, the Gunners were below their best but they emerged with the win thanks to David Raya's fine saves and Havertz's clinical finish in stoppage-time. Arsenal will be firm favourites to advance to the semi-finals in the second leg in north London on April 15, but they will have to improve significantly to win the tournament for the first time. Those agonising losses to City and second-tier Southampton marked the first time that Arsenal had been beaten in successive matches this term, with the embarrassing FA Cup defeat just the Gunners' fifth of the season. The after-shocks were still being felt as Arsenal struggled to find any momentum in Lisbon, but not for the first time this season they found a way to win ugly. "We had to be a little bit crisper, faster, more efficient to break them down when they had that block," Arteta said. "We had a goal disallowed and there were two or three occasions where we were close but we lacked that final pass. In the end a magic moment from the finishers win us the game. "It's beautiful and that's the impact you need when you get to this stage of the season. Everybody has to make an impact and they certainly did that tonight." Praising the outstanding Raya, Arteta added: "He had two moments where he made two big saves. "At the moment he's phenomenal and extraordinary since he joined us. We are very lucky to have him." Aiming to finally banish accusations that they are English football's nearly men by winning their first major trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, Arsenal have faced pointed questions about their perceived lack of mental strength. Grinding out the win in Lisbon was a suitable riposte to the critics. Insisting his players were "hungrier than ever", Arteta had urged Arsenal to use the "pain" of their recent defeats as motivation and they rose to the challenge. Sitting nine points clear of second-placed Manchester City, the Premier League leaders are also on course for their first title in 22 years. Playing in the last eight for the first time since 1983, Sporting's 17-game winning run at home made them dangerous opponents for Arsenal. Super subs Injury-hit Arsenal were still without Jurrien Timber, Piero Hincapie, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka, although Declan Rice returned after missing the Southampton game and England's recent friendlies. Raya was also back in goal for Arsenal after missing the previous two games and the Spaniard quickly made his presence felt. Ousmane Diomande's deft pass split the Arsenal defence, sending Maxi Araujo clear for a fierce strike that Raya tipped onto the crossbar at full-stretch. Raya was forced into action again to smother Geny Catamo's low drive from an acute angle inside the penalty area. Unable to establish any attacking rhythm in a cagey half, it took Arsenal 42 minutes to muster a shot on target. Even then Martin Odegaard's blast from the edge of the area was straight at Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva. Arteta's frustration was palpable, but Arsenal did improve after the break. Leandro Trossard dragged his shot wide from 18 yards before Odegaard almost caught out Silva with a free-kick immediately after half-time. Sporting went close to snatching a late goal when Luis Suarez's cross reached Catamo for a flicked header that Raya pushed away. But Arsenal grabbed the winner in stoppage-time via Arteta's substitutes. Gabriel Martinelli played a superb pass over the Sporting defence and Havertz beat the offside trap to slot past Silva from 10 yards as Arteta punched the air in delight. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 April,2026 01:28 PM IST | Lisbon | AFPADVERTISEMENT
