What a weekend. For 80 minutes, Arsenal toiled in a nervy, angsty knife fight of a game. It was as if a giant plastic bottle filled with Gooner tears was floating over the stadium poised to crush Mikel Arteta and his boys under its psychic weight.

First, there was the five-minute mood swing. The Raya save of heroic dimension, and the Trossard goal of release and wonder. The detail I loved in that was Martin Ødegaard’s role. A captain who was in danger of losing his way and his confidence. Coming on and enforcing his creative will on proceedings. Watch his reaction to the goal – falling to his knees in an overwhelming moment of relief and jubilation. Then the VAR decision that defined the outcome of the title.

First the goal given; the agony of Arteta, grabbing his head in his anguished hands as Nuno celebrated amidst the glory of the goal bubbles. Souls left bodies as the decision was being unpacked and it seemed like Arsenal winning the title and Arsenal choking co-existed as alternate universes in that moment. Then the reversal. Let’s just say, there are Supreme Court rulings that have lesser impact. One small step for man, one giant leap for Arsenal kind. So much irony though: This team who invented the body-slamming set piece being saved by the body-slamming of a set piece, even as fans around the league instantly posted images of their goalkeeper being similarly mauled to no effect. Arsenal live; the title is so close they can taste it. Relegated Burnley and unbothered Crystal Palace to come. This hero's journey is a footballing odyssey that even Homer could not imagine.

More: Watch my thoughts at full time here. 🤯

ii. A word on City’s win over Brentford. It was fascinating watching the celebratory choreography after Erling Haaland bundled the winning goal over the line. He took to his iconic lotus position. Pep Guardiola leaped into the arms of his assistant coach, Kolo Touré, and it felt like City were performatively acting as if they were leading the league, keeping the optics of a title charge alive like a boxer who knew he probably lost a fight that had gone the distance celebrating he had won it for the benefit of the deciding judges.

Arsenal’s goal difference is now +2. How funny will it be if that Cherki goal that was ruled out at the end of the Liverpool game when Haaland and Szoboszlai battled around the ball as it trickled into the empty net is the actual title decider. 👀

iii. I cannot sing the praises of Bournemouth enough. Sixth place and on the cusp of Europe for the first time in their history. One of the most incredible feats of this season: to lose all that talent, their entire backline, then Semenyo, and just keep on trucking. In a league in which final place is meant to correlate with wage money, they should come 16th with $121 million spent. Pound for pound, the best team in English football. God bless the War Cherries. 🍒

iv. And now, a few fantastic goals from around the world this weekend that you might’ve missed:

🇹🇷 Let’s begin in the Turkish third tier where we were treated to this absurdly arching finish that you will definitely want to watch again.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Next, a League One playoff winner for Stockport County that you will 100% need to pause and rewind to understand just how odd it is.

🇺🇲 Lionel Messi is 38 years old, and now the fastest player to 100 MLS goals, which he did in just 64 games. Truly a wizard.

v. KIT WATCH RETURNS! PSG have revealed their 2026-27 home jersey and it is definitely… something. 🤔

vi. Want to win a $100 gift card to the MiB store? We've just dropped some incredible Supporter Tees. Take this quick survey HERE. Three winners will be chosen! ✅

Courage,
ROG

P.S. Liverpool will install this new sculpture at Anfield in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva. Absolute class.♥️

By Jacob Schneider

Manchester City 3-0 Brentford

A dominant second half with three goals in the final 30 minutes secured all three points for the home side, but it was the opener that set the tone, and it came from City’s Mr. Reliable this spring. Jeremy Doku’s late-season surge for Pep’s mob has continually sparked their attack over this final stretch. Now four-straight matches with a goal contribution, the Belgian scored City’s first against the Bees. He’s been their Gandalf on horseback riding them back into battle through the last quarter of the campaign, but this time around, it’s a sacrifice that may not pay off. 

With Arsenal’s victory, the title stays in the Gunners’ hands unless they fault over their final two matches. City do have a game in hand, but they still have no chance at a league victory unless Arteta’s squad somehow drops points to already-relegated Burnley or 14th-placed Palace. Pep’s men still have an FA Cup final against Chelsea to prepare for, however. Though their title dreams may be shattered, they can still lift another trophy following their Carabao Cup victory earlier this year, securing the domestic double. Some may view it as a consolation given the league scenario, but you can never doubt Pep in a cup final, especially when it could potentially be his last at the helm.

More: Do yourself a favor and watch this Jeremy Doku mixtape from yesterday. He is pure class.

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

The early Saturday kick, we feel for any west coast-based fans of these two teams who woke up to watch this battle of mid. The Reds opened the scoring early with a genuinely sublime strike from Ryan Gravenberch, but the match was leveled shortly after. Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez equalized 12 minutes before the halftime break with a sneaky low-driven set piece, but the story of the match for the London club was a penalty shout from João Pedro in the second half, who thought he was brought down in the box, but VAR said otherwise. The Blues top-five dreams ended with the result, but they do still have the FA Cup final against City next weekend, while Liverpool have just about locked up UCL football in a season their fans will soon hope to forget.

Sunderland 0-0 Manchester United

Michael Carrick is spending these final few weeks fighting for the permanent job at Manchester United, and with just two losses to his name since his Jan. 13 appointment, he’s making a very strong case. Without Casemiro available, United outshot the Black Cats on the road, registering an xG of 1.25, but failed to come away with the win. They likely won’t care, though, as they’ve already secured their return to the Champions League next season. 

More: United captain Bruno Fernandes was named the Football Writers’ Player of the Year over the weekend.

Fulham 0-1 Bournemouth

A cagey affair, this next-Chelsea-manager tryout between Andoni Iraola’s Cherries and Marco Silva’s Cottagers wasn’t pretty, but it had its moments. Each team went down a man at the break, but it was the Cherries who adapted, and it came through 19-year-old Brazilian starlet Rayan, who bagged his fifth goal for the club since arriving in January with this lovely effort. Bournemouth, now 16 unbeaten, are on the verge of UCL football for the first time and they’ve found a teenage gem that Carlo Ancelotti has his eyes on for the World Cup. What a story.

More: USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino was also in the house to watch Antonee Robinson and Tyler Adams.

Crystal Palace 2-2 Everton

I don't like to be hyperbolic, but watching Everton fritter away their chance of European qualification is as predictable as it is stultifying. I watch this team play and think only about the fact we are all going to die. Facing a hungover Palace with nothing to play for and being pegged back twice with diabolic defending, no trust in our substitutes, and no hunger late on is an agony. Why can’t we ever have nice things like Palace? Joy, memories made, the promise of Europe to come… -ROG

Elsewhere in the Premier League: Brighton 3-0 Wolves, Nottingham Forest 1-1 Newcastle, Burnley 2-2 Aston Villa

🇪🇸 La Liga: It was the Marcus Rashford show at the Camp Nou as Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions, defeating arch rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in a thrilling edition of El Clásico. The Blaugrana celebrated in front of Los Blancos, with the match settling the league title for the first time in competition history. Now, in a slightly less exciting but still ever-important development, the La Liga relegation race has become absurdly close, with just three points separating six of the teams in danger of being sent down.

More: Arsenal might have Anne Hathaway, but Barca now has Olivia Rodrigo.

🇮🇹 Serie A: Fans of football clubs with a waterfront view had quite the weekend in Italy. In Serie B, the ever-dripped-out Venezia and USMNT midfielder Gianluca Busio claimed the league title, securing automatic promotion back to the top flight. They celebrated with an incredible party on the canals of Venice; cue the Cynar Spritzes. Meanwhile, on Lake Como, Cesc Fàbregas’s men clinched European football for the first time in club history, and will now battle it out with Roma and AC Milan for the final UCL spot in Italy.

More: Former England ace Jamie Vardy is still firing as the 39-year-old scored what might be the goal that keeps Cremonese up next season.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: In a top-four clash between two Champions League hopefuls, it was Stuttgart who came out on top over Leverkusen in a 3-1 win, despite Kasper Hjulmand’s men opening the scoring within the first minute. With only one match left on the cards, Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart are in pole position to secure Champions League football next season, but they are level at 61 points heading into the season finale with fifth-placed Hoffenheim, meaning anything but a W next weekend could result in them falling out of Europe’s premier competition this fall.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 SPL: Daizen Maeda showed up with his best CR7 impression, scoring a divine overhead kick to lead Celtic to an emphatic 3-1 win over Rangers in the Old Firm derby. With it, the Bhoys moved up to second place and are within a point of first-placed Hearts, who settled for a 1-1 draw with Motherwell. Now, just two matchdays remain, and Celtic meet Hearts next weekend on the final day of the season in a match that will likely determine the Scottish Premiership. Scenes.

🏆 Elsewhere in Europe: Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF) secured the Danish title for the first time in 40 years, defeating their bitter rivals Brøndby, 2-0, on Sunday. And in Portugal, José Mourinho’s Benfica did something odd: they ended their domestic campaign unbeaten, but failed to win the league title. That certainly is “special,” eh José?

Tottenham vs. Leeds (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, USA)

All or nothing, Spurs fans. Leeds were guaranteed Premier League safety with West Ham’s loss on Sunday, meaning they have relatively nothing left to play for besides serving as spoilers. Roberto De Zerbi’s squad needs the three points; their Premier League survival is dependent on it.

Millwall vs. Hull (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

In leg one of this English Championship playoff semifinal, the two sides settled with a nervy 0-0 draw at the MKM Stadium in Hull. Now, part two arrives and it’s win or go home for both teams. The match will go to extra-time and then penalties if they still remain tied at the end of the additional period, so gear up: this should be a good one.

Middlesbrough vs. Southampton (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

After #Spygate 2.0 rocked the buildup to leg one, these two teams also battled it out to a scoreless draw at the Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. The hosts had 21 total shots, but failed to take an advantage into St. Mary’s Stadium, meaning the winner of this match advances to the final where they will play the victor of the other semifinal for a spot in the Premier League next season. Riveting.

This week’s question: Which current Premier League manager was in charge of Hull City during their last stint in the top flight, when they were relegated in 2016-17?

Email us with your answer for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch!

Last week’s winner: Congratulations to Ryan Hampsey, who was the first person to correctly identify Thomas Tuchel and Carlo Ancelotti as the two Champions League-winning coaches who have managed both PSG and Bayern Munich. Ryan, email us and we’ll get you a patch.

👋 We’ll see you on Wednesday. In the meantime, keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

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