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McBurnie’s last-gasp winner sends Hull City back to Premier League

LONDON: Oli McBurnie’s stoppage-time goal ‌sent Hull City back to the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday. A match played in searing heat was drifting toward extra time when McBurnie pounced in the 95th minute to stab home a loose ball after a fumble by Boro keeper Sol Brynn. It was McBurnie’s 18th league goal of the season and by far the most important with Hull now to reap the massive financial benefits that come with being part of the Premier League. Even a ‌single season in ‌England’s top tier, followed by immediate relegation, ‌is ⁠estimated to be ⁠worth around 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons through broadcast revenue, sponsorship and parachute payments. The so-called richest match in world soccer was overshadowed all week by the ‘Spygate’ saga which saw Southampton kicked out for spying on a Middlesbrough training session. Southampton had beaten Middlesbrough 2-1 on aggregate but the English Football League removed them from ⁠the final and replaced them with Boro after ‌a hearing on Tuesday. Hull City, who ‌scrambled into the playoffs after finishing sixth in the regular season, ‌last played in the Premier League in 2016-17. They have since been ‌down to the third tier and this time last year almost dropped out of the Championship again, surviving on goal difference. It is the third time Hull have gone up via the playoffs. The soaring temperatures at ‌Wembley affected the final, with chances for both sides few and far between. Middlesbrough dominated possession but ⁠did little ⁠with it and it was McBurnie who was closest to breaking the deadlock with a header against the crossbar just before halftime. Kim Hellberg’s

De Zerbi demands ‘blood and spirit’ from Spurs on survival Sunday

LONDON: Roberto De Zerbi has urged relegation-haunted Tottenham to play with “blood and spirit” in Sunday’s do-or-die clash against Everton. Tottenham will be condemned to a humiliating relegation to the Championship if they lose at home to Everton and West Ham defeat Leeds. De Zerbi’s fourth-bottom side are two points ahead of third-bottom West Ham heading into the final day of the season. A draw would also likely be enough to save Tottenham from playing in the second tier for the first time since 1977-78 because of their vastly superior goal difference to West Ham. In keeping with a turbulent season for Tottenham, their injured captain Cristian Romero’s decision to fly to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation rather than stay with the club on their judgment day has angered fans. But De Zerbi insisted Romero’s decision and Tottenham’s injury problems could not be used as excuses by his players. “I don’t want to answer about Romero, about (Dejan) Kulusevski. They can’t play, they don’t play and they are not here.

Relegation fight, Salah’s last game and Guardiola’s likely exit as Premier League reaches finale

LONDON: The Premier League will say goodbye to West Ham or Tottenham on Sunday. Mohamed Salah and Bernardo Silva, too. Likely Pep Guardiola as well. Emotions are sure to run high in the final round of a season that has already delivered a relatively new champion — Arsenal hadn’t won the title since 2004 before clinching it on Tuesday — but still has plenty of stories to tell when all 10 games are played concurrently. Like which of two recent winners of European competitions — 2023 Conference League champion West Ham or 2025 Europa League champion Tottenham — will be the final team to drop into the Championship, joining Wolverhampton and Burnley in getting relegated. West Ham have it all to do to maintain their 14-year top-flight status. The team that plays in the 68,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in east London occupy third-to-last place — the final relegation spot — and are two points behind Tottenham with an inferior goal difference of 12. West Ham must, therefore, beat Leeds at home and also need Tottenham to lose at home to Everton in north London. Everton have collected more points away than at home this season and Spurs have won only once at home in the league since the opening weekend, so all is not lost for West Ham. Tottenham being relegated would be a huge development for English soccer. Spurs have been an ever-present in the Premier League since the competition was rebranded in 1992 and last played in the second tier in the 1977-78 season. Salah’s Liverpool exit turned sour

From near-misses to glory, Arsenal fan says title and scenes of celebration feel surreal

LONDON: Isaiah Browne, a 20-year-old Arsenal supporter ‌who has known only recent near-misses, finally witnessed the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years — a triumph and wave of celebration that he said felt like a dream. Arsenal, dominant for most of the season, were crowned champions on Tuesday without kicking a ball after second-placed Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth. While the players gathered at their training ground to watch the match — later celebrating wildly in a video shared on social media — thousands of fans poured into the streets of north London. Browne was among them, sprinting to the Emirates Stadium as ‌jubilant scenes unfolded ‌outside. “They’ve been through a rough period in my ‌lifetime, ⁠so to be ⁠here now and finally see them win — yesterday felt like a dream,” Browne, who is also a youth football coach, told Reuters. “As soon as the final whistle went, I got dressed and headed straight here. I didn’t even take a vehicle — I live 10 minutes away, so I just ran. “It was surreal to see how many people were here.

Silva says it’s time for new Man City generation to shine

LONDON: Bernardo Silva believes it is time for a new generation to take the lead at Manchester City. The 31-year-old City captain will leave the Etihad Stadium after nine trophy-laden years when his contract expires at the end of the season. Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth ended City’s bid to win the Premier League title, with Arsenal crowned champions as a result, but the club have won both the League Cup and FA Cup this season. In a farewell interview with the club’s website, Silva thanked City manager Pep Guardiola and said the side had been unlucky not to win more Champions League titles. “It’s never enough, but I feel that we won a lot, our generation,” said Silva. “I feel that also it’s time for these young guys to have their moment. “And for me personally, it’s an opportunity to go a bit closer to my family...

Salah urges Liverpool to revive ‘heavy metal’ football after Villa defeat

LONDON: Mohamed Salah issued a rallying cry for Liverpool to rediscover their attacking identity on Saturday after a painful 4-2 defeat by Aston Villa left Champions League qualification hanging in the balance. Villa moved into fourth place with 62 points from 37 games to seal Champions League qualification by leapfrogging their opponents, who have 59 points. Egyptian forward Salah, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, expressed his frustration at the club’s inconsistent campaign and called for a return to the aggressive style that brought previous ‌success. “I have witnessed ‌this club go from doubters to believers, and from ‌believers ⁠to champions. It ⁠took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that,” Salah wrote on X.

Carrick on brink of permanent Man Utd job: reports

LONDON: Michael Carrick is expected to be recommended as Manchester United’s permanent manager by club chiefs after overseeing a dramatic improvement in the club’s fortunes, it was widely reported on Wednesday. The 44-year-old took over for the rest of the campaign in January following an acrimonious end to Ruben Amorim’s rocky Red Devils reign. United clinched Champions League qualification with three matches to spare after being out of the competition for two seasons.

Guardiola expects Palace to be ‘professional’ against Arsenal in Premier League title-race finale

MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expects Crystal Palace to be “professional” in their team selection against Arsenal on the final day of the Premier League season, when the destination of the title might be decided. That May 24 match at Selhurst Park comes three days before Palace plays Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final, leaving open the possibility that Palace manager Oliver Glasner might rest key players ahead of one of the biggest games in his club’s 121-year history. Second-place City are five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League with a game in hand – coincidentally against Palace on Wednesday. To win the title, City will likely need Arsenal to drop points against Palace, considering the leaders are heavy favorites to win their other remaining game — at home to already-relegated Burnley on Monday. Asked Tuesday if he was concerned that Palace might play a weakened team, Guardiola said: “They are so professional, the teams. Crystal Palace will play top against us.

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English premier league (epl) Sport News

McBurnie’s last-gasp winner sends Hull City back to Premier League

De Zerbi demands ‘blood and spirit’ from Spurs on survival Sunday

Relegation fight, Salah’s last game and Guardiola’s likely exit as Premier League reaches finale

From near-misses to glory, Arsenal fan says title and scenes of celebration feel surreal

Silva says it’s time for new Man City generation to shine

Salah urges Liverpool to revive ‘heavy metal’ football after Villa defeat

Carrick on brink of permanent Man Utd job: reports

Guardiola expects Palace to be ‘professional’ against Arsenal in Premier League title-race finale