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Arsenal have now made first contact over a potential summer deal for a £44m striker, who is attracting widespread interest from the Premier League, according to a report.

Gunners stepping up striker pursuit

There are now signs Mikel Arteta has started to step up his pursuit of a top-level striker, with a report revealing the manager is a big fan of Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, and a stunning £101m offer could soon be submitted for the Swedish forward.

Isak is not the only high-profile name on the shortlist, however, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen also of interest, while the Gunners have also moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign Inter’s Marcus Thuram.

Fans will understandably want a big-name signing to be brought in to reinvigorate the frontline, but there are some more left-field options on the shortlist, including Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.

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The reps of a “sensational” Gunners player have flew out to potentially hold talks over a summer transfer.

ByDominic Lund Mar 18, 2025

A former Premier League striker is also now emerging as a target, with a report from Italy revealing Arsenal have now taken the first step towards signing Fiorentina’s Moise Kean, having made contact to discuss a potential summer deal.

The move is still in the very early stages, and the Gunners may face competition from a number of other Premier League clubs, with Newcastle United and West Ham United also initiating first contacts, while Tottenham Hotspur have previously been linked.

Kean has a €52m (£44m) release clause included in his contract with the Serie A side, but it is unclear whether any of the interested parties would be willing to pay that amount for the former Everton man.

"King of kings" Kean outscoring Sesko this season

The Italian has really kicked on since completing a move to Fiorentina in the summer, having scored 20 goals in all competitions this season, three more than fellow target Sesko, and he won a Goal of the Month award for one of his efforts back in February.

Having also been lauded as a “king of kings” by pundit Mina Rzouki, there are clear signs the 25-year-old has developed his game considerably since moving back to his home country, but his previous exploits in the Premier League will still be a huge concern.

During his time with the Toffees, the Italy international scored just two goals in 32 Premier League matches, and he has also struggled in Serie A at times, failing to score for Juventus last term.

As such, Arsenal would be better off making sure they sign a striker who is proven at the top level, and Isak’s performances for Newcastle in the Premier League this season could make the 25-year-old the dream target.

Mayank Agarwal, the highest run-getter of the recently-concluded Ranji Trophy season, is set to lead Rest of India in the Irani Cup fixture against Madhya Pradesh starting on March 1 in Gwalior. The match was initially set to be played in Indore, but had to be shifted to Gwalior after the third India-Australia Test was allotted to the Holkar Stadium. The Irani Cup game will be the first first-class game in Gwalior in more than six years.The most notable absentee in the 16-member squad, which is yet to officially be announced by the BCCI, is Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan. ESPNcricinfo understands Sarfaraz, a prolific run-getter for the last three seasons, has been advised eight to ten days of rest for a finger injury he sustained while playing in the DY Patil T20 Cup in Mumbai. Sarfaraz is currently nursing the injury at a fitness camp organised by Delhi Capitals in Kolkata.Agarwal, who is looking to reclaim his Test spot after falling out of favour in June last year, is likely to be partnered by Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran. Abhimanyu is also looking to earn a breakthrough after having been part of the Test squad in Bangladesh in December. Prior to that, he was India A captain on the shadow tour to Bangladesh, where he hit two back-to-back hundreds.Sudip Kumar Gharami, Yashasvi Jaiswal, B Indrajith and Yash Dhull are among the other top-order batters in the Rest of India squad. Gharami and Abhimanyu were sixth and seventh in the Ranji top-run-getters list with 803 and 798 runs respectively in Bengal’s runners-up finish.Only two members of the title-winning Saurashtra team have been picked: wicketkeeper-opener Harvik Desai and left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya. It’s likely Desai will be the second stumper behind Uttar Pradesh’s Upendra Yadav, who has already been part of several India A tours over the last two years.The fast-bowling unit is well-rounded with Bengal’s pace duo of Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep joining Sakariya and Delhi’s Navdeep Saini in a four-man attack. Saini will be making a return from an abdominal muscle strain he picked up on the India A tour of Bangladesh. Baroda’s Atith Sheth is the lone seam-bowling allrounder in the mix.Two of the season’s top wicket-takers, Jalaj Saxena (Kerala allrounder) and Shams Mulani (Mumbai allrounder), find themselves missing the bus despite picking up 50 and 46 wickets respectively. The selection panel of SS Das, S Sharath, Salil Ankola and Subroto Bannerjee, instead, picked Uttar Pradesh left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar. Punjab legspinner Mayank Markande, too, was originally named in the squad, but was ruled out of the tournament after injuring his right index finger during training. Markande was replaced in the squad by allrounder Shams Mulani.Madhya Pradesh, meanwhile, will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Himanshu Mantri in the absence of regular captain Aditya Shrivastava. Much of the core group that won the Ranji Trophy in June last year has been retained, with Rajat Patidar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Shubham Sharma and Yash Dubey all in the mix.Madhya Pradesh, the champions of the 2021-22 season, were initially slated to play their Irani Cup game at the start of the 2022-23 season. However, the match was later allotted to Saurashtra, the winners in 2019-20, as they were denied the opportunity to host the Irani Cup because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic a week after their maiden triumph in March 2020.Rest of India squad: Mayank Agarwal (capt), Sudip Kumar Gharami, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harvik Desai, Mukesh Kumar, Atit Sheth, Chetan Sakariya, Navdeep Saini, Upendra Yadav (wk), Shams Mulani, Saurabh Kumar, Akash Deep, B Indrajith, Pulkit Narang, Yash DhullMadhya Pradesh squad: Himanshu Mantri (capt & wk), Rajat Patidar, Yash Dubey, Harsh Gawli, Shubham Sharma, Venkatesh Iyer, Akshat Raghuwanshi, Aman Solanki, Kumar Kartikeya, Saransh Jain, Avesh Khan, Ankit Kushwah, Gaurav Yadav, Anubhav Agarwal, Mihir Hirwani

Chelsea have suffered a terrible turn in form since their 0-0 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on December 22nd, picking up just nine points in their last nine Premier League games, dropping from second in the league to sixth after 25 games played.

However, in their last ten Premier League games, Chelsea have only lost the “xG battle” three times, so what exactly has gone wrong?

Chelsea’s xG for and against – last ten Premier League matches

Game

xG for

xG against

Brentford (2-1 Win)

2.23

1.61

Everton (0-0 Draw)

1.17

1.03

Fulham (2-1 Loss)

1.12

1.78

Ipswich (2-0 Loss)

2.00

1.58

Crystal Palace (1-1 Draw)

1.24

1.08

Bournemouth (2-2 Draw)

2.50

1.18

Wolves (3-1 Win)

3.20

0.81

Man City (3-1 Loss)

1.80

2.50

West Ham (2-1 Win)

1.67

1.22

Brighton (3-0 Loss)

0.54

1.42

Stats taken from Sofascore

A mixture of their inexperience to see out games when they are ahead and control the tempo of a game, their lack of ability to break down low block defensive units and poor shot volume from their wide men have all contributed to this poor run of form. Something needs to change with Aston Villa up next…

Jadon Sancho's Chelsea woes

The wing pairing at Chelsea has been an issue in recent weeks, as a lack of output from wide areas has left the likes of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson with an awful lot of the attacking workload.

Noni Madueke has netted seven Premier League goals, but Pedro Neto has only managed two league goals and Jadon Sancho has only managed two himself.

Aside from Madueke, Neto and Sancho have been much less direct with their actions on the field, often turning back to retain possession, taking fewer shots in games and looking to create for others rather than taking the game by the scruff of the neck themselves.

Sancho did do this against Tottenham, getting Chelsea back into the game after going 2-0 down, but in recent weeks the form of Sancho hasn’t helped Maresca’s side, and it could require a change in this position to add something different.

But Sancho isn’t the only man who could be dropped, as there is another Chelsea star who has been in poor form in recent weeks.

The Chelsea star who now needs to be dropped

Levi Colwill has made 23 appearances for the Blues this season, all coming in the Premier League, providing one assist, contributing to four clean sheets and totalling 2,070 minutes played.

Chalkboard

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The 21-year-old defender has been a clear favourite of Maresca’s, but since Wesley Fofana went down injured, Colwill has struggled more in the defensive line.

Since Fofana’s injury, Colwill has been partnered with the likes of Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, Josh Acheampong, Axel Disasi and Trevoh Chalobah (returning from loan in January).

The lack of consistency hasn’t helped the Blues backline, as they have struggled to find that same balance afforded to them with Colwill and Fofana together.

Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley described Colwill’s mistake against Brighton as “inexcusable” for their second goal, looking for a foul, not sprinting back into position to defend the ongoing attack and then conceding. And this isn’t the young defender’s only mistake in recent weeks, after also gifting West Ham their goal to go 1-0 up a few weeks ago.

Whilst the talent of Colwill is clear, and the future of Chelsea’s defensive line absolutely has him in it, after a few poor performances, the Blues could possibly do with taking him out of the firing line, bringing Adarabioyo in, who adds some experience and looking to weather the storm.

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Ipswich Town have agreed a £2 million deal to sign a 6ft 2 player before the January transfer window closes, according to Sky Sports.

Ipswich Town transfer news

Defeat to Southampton on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League will have been hugely disappointing for the Tractor Boys and Kieran McKenna, as it was an opportunity for them to pick up a much-needed three points against a fellow relegation rival.

Ipswich Town now pushing to sign new 76-career goal forward before deadline

He’s an international.

By
Charlie Smith

Jan 31, 2025

The defeat could have now opened McKenna’s eyes to what business needs to be done at Portman Road before the transfer window closes at 11 p.m. It’s been reported that Ipswich want to sign a striker before the deadline and are keen on signing Mohamed Bayo from Lille. The Premier League side have made concrete moves to sign the player, but they face competition from Besiktas and Royal Antwerp, with the latter close to completing a deal.

Signing a new midfielder is also on McKenna’s list of targets, and it was reported last week that Ipswich had asked Chelsea about Carney Chukwuemeka. The Tractor Boys were looking into a possible loan deal for the player, as he struggles for regular minutes at Stamford Bridge. But a move to Portman Road looks a non-starter, as Chukwuemeka is now close to joining Borussia Dortmund.

Ipswich Town agree £2m deadline day deal to sign 6ft 2 player

As Ipswich continues their search for a new striker and midfielder, they are closing in on a new goalkeeper, as Sky Sports reports that Ipswich have agreed a £2 million fee with West Brom to sign Alex Palmer.

The report goes on to add that Palmer is now on his way to Ipswich to complete his medical before signing his contract. It goes on to add that the Tractor Boys could follow the signing of Palmer by still adding a midfielder and a striker to their squad, but only if the players are the right fit.

Palmer, who is 6ft 2, came through the academy at the Hawthorns, playing for their under-18s and under-21s before moving into the first team in the 2022/23 season. In the last three campaigns, the 28-year-old has become West Brom’s number one goalkeeper, helping the Baggies reach the Championship play-offs last season by keeping 18 clean sheets in 46 games.

Palmer’s arrival at Portman Road will see him join Arijanet Muric, Christian Walton, and Cieran Slicker in the goalkeeper department. Muric has played 18 games in the Premier League for Ipswich this season, with Walton playing six times. However, Walton wasn’t in the squad on Saturday and Palmer’s arrival is going to invite more competition for that number one spot, as McKenna at times looks indecisive as to who his number one goalkeeper is.

The shot-stopper will be joining Ipswich in the hope he will be playing football in the Premier League, as he will want to keep playing regular football, as he was doing at West Brom.

The tournament is likely to be moved out of Pakistan, according to BCCI secretary and Asian Cricket Council president Jay Shah

Nagraj Gollapudi and S Sudarshanan18-Oct-2022India will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023, raising questions as to where the tournament might now be held. The development occurred on the day of the BCCI’s annual general meeting in Mumbai, where BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, suggested that next year’s Asia Cup would have to be played at a different venue.”The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue,” Shah told media after the BCCI’s AGM. “I am saying this as ACC President. We [India] can’t go there [to Pakistan], they can’t come here. In the past also, Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue.” The new set of BCCI office bearers – the president Roger Binny, treasurer Ashish Shelar and Rajiv Shukla, who was re-elected as board vice-president – were present when Shah spoke to the media.The ACC has not yet met to discuss the matter, let alone for a decision to be officially taken. That has raised questions within the PCB as to which capacity Shah was speaking in on the matter and why he chose to do so at a BCCI AGM. A PCB spokesperson said the board would not be commenting on the matter at this stage but a robust response is not out of the question: there is, for instance, already talk within the board of leaving the ACC. The PCB is expected to write to the ACC about the comments.Shah’s comments could also hold some implication for ICC events, two of which are to be held in India and Pakistan over the next couple of years. India are set to host the 2023 ODI World Cup soon after the Asia Cup and then Pakistan are scheduled to host the 2025 Champions Trophy. If India cannot play in Pakistan and likewise, Pakistan cannot in India, it remains to be seen what impact it has on those tournaments. At the 2016 T20 World Cup, in India, Pakistan required their government’s approval to travel to India and got it only at the last minute. The ICC is unlikely to comment on the issue at the moment.India’s last trip to Pakistan was for the 2008 Asia Cup, while Pakistan’s last visit to India was for that 2016 ICC event. Due to strained political relations between the two countries, they have not played any bilateral cricket since Pakistan toured India for a white-ball only series in 2012-13.India and Pakistan last played each other at the 2022 Asia Cup in UAE in August-September this year, and are due to face off in the T20 World Cup in Melbourne on October 23. The atmosphere leading into that game will no doubt be a little more tense now. Within the PCB at least there is unhappiness with the comments, not least that Shah said this in the aftermath of a BCCI AGM, which he presided over as board secretary, having effectively bypassed the ACC as a body.Such a decision, an official said, cannot be made without it being discussed at ACC board level. Indeed, after a meeting in March this year – under Shah’s ACC presidency – it was confirmed that Pakistan would be hosting the Asia Cup. But there is enough unhappiness within the board to contemplate pulling out of the ACC altogether as a member, a body that was set up in the mid-80s – ironically – to ensure productive relations between Asian members.It hasn’t quite worked out that way. Both India and Pakistan have in the past pulled out of previous editions of the Asia Cup and the tournament itself has been cancelled on occasion because of poor ties between India and Pakistan. The last two editions were played in the UAE, which has hosted the tournament four times altogether.The topic of traveling to Pakistan for Asia Cup came up for discussion at the BCCI AGM, where members were told that a decision would be taken based on permission from the Indian government. That point was reiterated by Shukla during an informal chat with the media afterwards. It was at this point that Shah said that India would not be travelling to Pakistan.The BCCI did not hold a formal media briefing, as has been the way in the past. On Tuesday, journalists were told that the office bearers would have an informal chat with the media. Before the chat, the media was asked to submit their phones and instead given notepads.

Vinicius Junior is set to snub a €1 billion offer from Saudi Arabia to sign a new contract at Real Madrid.

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• Vinicius close to new Real Madrid deal
• Had a €1 billion Saudi Arabia offer
• Won't commit to five years in Middle East

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Cadena SER, the Brazilian is set to put an end to speculation linking him with a move to the middle east by signing a three- or four-year deal in Spain. He was said to be unsure about signing the five-year deal on offer from the Saudi Pro League, whose clubs do not want to sign him for just one or two seasons.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The €1bn contract offer would have been accompanied by a €300 million transfer fee, the report states, with Vinicius tempted by the move. His representatives met with Saudi officials in September and had contact in December, before meeting with the player in Prague in February.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Vinicius was partly unsure about renewing in Spain as he wants parity with Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham in terms of pay. The Brazilian came second in the Ballon d'Or last year and views himself as on a par with the club's other two stars, with a resolution imminent.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Real take on Alaves in La Liga on Sunday as they aim to close the gap to Barcelona to four points at the top of the league table. They then welcome Arsenal next Wednesday, who they trail 3-0 on aggregate in the Champions League quarter-final.

أعلنت رابطة الأندية المحترفة المصرية، عن أفضل لاعب في مباراة الزمالك والبنك الأهلي، التي أقيمت بين الفريقين، مساء اليوم الإثنين، ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وتواجه الزمالك مع البنك الأهلي، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الرابعة من عمر مباريات المرحلة النهائية لمسابقة بطولة الدوري.

وانتهت المباراة بين الفريقين، التي أقيمت على ملعب استاد القاهرة، بنتيجة التعادل الإيجابي 2-2.

طالع | فيديو.. تعادل درامي ومثير بين الزمالك والبنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري

وحصل لاعب نادي البنك الأهلي، ياو أنور على جائرة رجل المباراة، بعدما ساهم في تعادل فريقه وسجل الهدف الثاني في الوقت القاتل من اللقاء.

وكان الزمالك تقدم في الثانية الأولى من المباراة عن طريق ناصر منسي، وتعادل للبنك الأهلي أسامة فيصل، ثم تقدم من جديد الفارس الأبيض بواسطة لاعبه سيف الجزيري، وتعادل ياو أنور لفريق البنك الأهلي بالهدف الثاني.

Chelsea have been one of the Premier League’s surprise packages this season.

Enzo Maresca has turned the West Londoners into a sensationally entertaining attacking juggernaut capable of giving anyone a game.

Moreover, while the defence is still a slight weakness compared to their rivals, the manager has been able to get the best out of Marc Cucurella.

However, football is a brutal business, and based on recent reports, the Spaniard could soon be replaced by one of the most exciting full-backs in world football.

Chelsea transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are one of several sides interested in Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies.

Alongside the Blues, the report has revealed that Manchester City and Manchester United are also keen on the Canadian, while Arsenal and Liverpool ‘are being kept informed.’

The report claims that there is hope at the Allianz Arena that the five-time Bundesliga winner will remain in Bavaria.

However, he’s also supposedly interested in a move to the Premier League, and with his contract expiring in the summer, he’ll be free to enter into pre-contract negotiations next month and could leave for nothing.

While he’ll be available on a free, signing Davies could prove incredibly complicated, but given his immense ability, it would be a deal worth fighting for, even if it could be bad news for Cucurella.

How Cucurella compares to Davies

So, should Chelsea be able to get ahead of the competition next month and sign a pre-contract agreement with Davies, they’d probably do so with the intention of playing him as often as possible.

Therefore, he’d be up against Cucurella for game time.

With that, which left-back comes out on top when we compare them?

Appearances

42

26

Goals

3

1

Assists

6

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.24

0.11

Appearances

21

19

Goals

1

2

Assists

3

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.19

0.21

Well, when it comes to their raw output, which is an increasingly important metric for a full-back in the modern game, it’s the Canadian who comes out on top, and by quite some way at that.

For example, since the start of last season, the 24-year-old, whom USMNT legend Alexi Lalas dubbed “the best left back in the world,” has scored four goals and provided nine assists in just 63 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 4.84 games.

In contrast, the former Brighton & Hove Albion star has scored three goals and provided four assists in 45 appearances, resulting in a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 6.42 games.

Unfortunately for the Spanish international, the one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we look at their underlying numbers.

More specifically, when compared to other full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and European League by FBref, the Bayern ace’s top five underlying statistics make for far more impressive reading.

For example, he ranks in the top 1% for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 6% for attempted passes and the top 9% for shot-creating actions, all per 90.

In contrast, the Blues star’s top five metrics see him in the top 5% for pass completion, the top 6% for blocks, the top 24% for tackles, the top 29% for attempted passes, and the top 33% for aerial duels won, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Cucurella remains a very talented left-back, there is seemingly no area of the game in which he outperforms Davies.

Therefore, while the competition will be tough, Chelsea must do whatever they can to secure the Canadian’s services next year.

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علّق كارلو أنشيلوتي مدرب ريال مدريد على بعض القرارت التحكيمية في مباراة فريقه ريال مدريد أمام أتلتيك بلباو، في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

وشهدت المباراة إلغاء هدف لفينيسيوس جونيور، وعدم احتساب ركلة جزاء لصالح جود بيلينجهام، وحسم ريال مدريد المواجهة بالفوز بهدف دون رد سجله فيدي فالفيردي.

وقال أنشيلوتي حول اللقطات المثيرة للجدل في المباراة: “هذه هي كرة القدم الجديدة، أعتقد أنه لا يوجد شك في إلغاء هدف فينيسيوس لأنه أمر تلقائي”.

وأشار إلى عدم احتساب ركلة جزاء لجود بيلينجهام: “ما ليس تلقائيًا هو أن تقنية الفيديو لم تستدع الحكم للتحقق من ركلة جزاء بيلينجهام، ولكن هذا هو حال كرة القدم الحديثة”.

وأردف عن لاعبه فيدي فالفيردي: “كان فالفيردي هو المفتاح لأنه سجل الهدف، لقد قام الفريق بعمل جيد”.

واستطرد: “لقد كان أداؤنا أبطأ قليلاً في الشوط الأول، ولكن في الشوط الثاني قمنا بعمل جيد للغاية في جميع النواحي، أردنا الفوز والعودة بعد الإقصاء، وكان فيدي هو اللاعب الرئيسي”.

وبشأن جماهير ريال مدريد، أكد: “لم يكن لدي أدنى شك في أن الجماهير ستدعمنا، هم يؤمنون، مثلنا، بأننا قادرون على تحقيق شيء هذا الموسم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | مباريات ريال مدريد وبرشلونة المتبقية في الدوري الإسباني

وعن لاعبه فينيسيوس جونيور، علّق: “لم تكن فترة سعيدة بالنسبة له أو بالنسبة لنا، لكنني أحببت ما فعله وهو دائمًا مهم جدًا بالنسبة لنا، فينيسيوس لاعب استثنائي، يتمتع بسلوك رائع، خاصةً في الشوط الأول، سجل هدفًا، ومرر عدة كرات”.

وأكمل: “فينيسيوس سيكون قطعة أساسية في المباريات المقبلة، هو مهم للغاية بما يقدمه في الملعب، ولكن أيضًا لما يتمتع به من روح قتالية”.

وعن خطته، أردف: “اللعب بطريقة 4-4-2 لا يعني دائمًا إشراك أربعة لاعبي وسط، لأن فينيسيوس ورودريجو أحيانًا يشغلان مراكز الوسط”.

وأوضح: “أما بيلينجهام، فموقعه بالقرب من منطقة الجزاء يمنحنا الكثير، وقد قدّم أداءً رائعًا في الشوط الثاني”.

Newcastle United's Carabao Cup triumph could allow the team that finishes 11th in the Premier League this season to qualify for Europe.

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11 English clubs could compete in Europe next seasonNewcastle's Carabao Cup win presented the opportunityBrentford could be the 11th team to qualifyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Magpies' triumph over Liverpool at Wembley could provide a boost for the Premier League, as now 11 English top-flight clubs have an opportunity to compete in European football in the 2025-26 campaign. Currently, the top-four teams in the Premier League compete in the Champions League, while the fifth and sixth-placed clubs qualify for the Europa League league phase and Europa Conference League play-offs round, respectively. UEFA are set to award an extra slot to the two best-performing leagues in European competitions in the 2024-25 season, which is currently the Premier League and Serie A.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

For 11 English clubs to qualify for European tournaments, Manchester City have to finish among the top four teams alongside Liverpool, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Then if Newcastle finish fifth, they will be the additional team to compete at the highest level of European football. If Brighton jump to sixth position at the end of the season, they will secure themselves a Europa League slot and Bournemouth, who are 10th in the league, will join them if they go on to win the FA Cup.

The 11-team scenario also involves the Cherries finishing seventh, while Chelsea drop from fourth to eighth position. The Blues are favourites to win the Europa Conference League this season and that would help them secure another Europa League slot. Manchester United and Tottenham have progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League this term and if one of them wins the title while finishing 10th in the league, they will secure a Champions League slot. Eddie Howe's side have already secured a Conference League slot by winning the Carabao Cup meaning the league position slot for the competition is still open. As it stands, 11th-placed Brentford could secure a Conference League berth.

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

The last time Newcastle won a major English trophy was back in 1955 when they defeated Manchester City 3-1 to win the FA Cup. Bruno Guimaraes entered the history books at St James' Park as he became the first club captain in seven decades to win a domestic title.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE?

Howe's side will be back in action in the Premier League after the international break as they take on Brentford on April 2.