Chelsea star, Enzo Fernandez scored as the team beat Tottenham one-nil to move into the Premier League’s top four and boost their hopes of Champions League football next season.
Defeat for Spurs piled more pressure on head coach Ange Postecoglou whose side stay 14th, and remain on course to finish outside the top ten for the first time since 2008.
The Blues, boosted by the returns from injury of Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, dominated proceedings at Stamford Bridge, but they were frustrated by a goalless first-half having missed plenty of opportunities.
The result moves Chelsea to fourth in the Premier League, knocking reigning champions Manchester City down to fifth and Newcastle to sixth.
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Arsenal defender Gabriel will miss the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he requires hamstring surgery.
The Brazilian was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s two-one win against Fulham at the Emirates stadium.
Arsenal said the 27-year-old was aiming to return to action in time for the start of the 2025-26 campaign.
Arsenal is second in the Premier League, twelve points behind leaders Liverpool with eight matches remaining.
The Gunners face holders Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals on 8th April, before travelling to the Bernabeu for the second leg on 16th April.
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Former Manchester United defender Brandon Williams says it hurts watching football after being without a club since last summer.
Williams was released by boyhood team Manchester United at the end of the 2023-24 season after his contract expired and has spent this campaign watching the game from the outside.
The 24-year-old’s last appearance came in December 2023 during a loan spell with Ipswich.
Williams came through Manchester United’s academy to make his senior debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019.
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Newcastle defender Fabian Schar has extended his contract at the club until the summer of 2026.
The Switzerland international joined the Magpies from Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna in July 2018.
Schar made two hundred and twenty-one appearances in all competitions for Newcastle and recently helped them win the Carabao Cup, the club’s first domestic trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 1955.
His previous deal had been set to expire at the end of June.
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The Premier League’s refereeing body has acknowledged that James Tarkowski should have been sent off during Everton’s defeat at Liverpool.
Tarkowski won the ball but caught Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister just below the knee with his studs in the 11th minute of the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
The Everton centre-back was shown a yellow card and the video assistant referee (VAR) decided to take no further action after a review.
The view of PGMOL is that an on-field review should have been recommended to referee Sam Barrott and ultimately the original decision overturned.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot said it was always good that if they think they have made a mistake, they acknowledge that.
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The Premier League has yet to approve the sale of Chelsea’s women’s team to the club’s parent company BlueCo through their ‘fair market value’ rules.
Chelsea reported a pre-tax profit of one hundred and eight point four million pounds on Monday but they effectively sold the women’s team and potentially other subsidiaries to themselves for around one hundred and eight point seven million pounds.
The league did not bring any Profit and Sustainability rule charges against Chelsea when assessing its members in January.
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Leeds United boss, Daniel Farke has confirmed he will start Karl Darlow in goal for Saturday’s trip to Luton.
Number one Illan Meslier has been ever-present in the Championship this season but the 25-year-old’s error gifted Swansea their first equaliser in last Saturday’s two-all draw.
Darlow, who joined Leeds from Newcastle in the summer of 2023, has not made a league appearance since 29th December that year.
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Fifa president Gianni Infantino says the United Kingdom is set to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup as the sole valid bidder for the tournament,
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest in March to hold the World Cup across the home nations.
Under Fifa rotation rules, the tournament must be in Europe or Africa.
Spain’s federation president Rafael Louzan said last week that they were working on a joint bid alongside Portugal and Morocco.
The deadline for expressions of interest passed on Monday and Infantino said the UK’s bid was the only one received for 2035, while the United States are set to host the 2031 edition.
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IN NIGERIA
President Bola Tinubu has commended the Niger Delta Development Commission for organising the Niger Delta Sports Festival, saying it will promote peace and youth development.
The President described the festival as the first of its kind, stating that it would harness the youth’s potential, promote unity and community development in the Niger Delta region.
Tinubu, spoke through the Chairman of National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, at the opening ceremony of the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Sports Festival in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
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Super Eagles has moved up one position in the latest men’s ranking released by FIFA.
In the first ranking released by FIFA in 2025, the three-time African champions moved from 44th to 43rd position.
Eric Chelle’s side however dropped one spot in Africa, moving out of the top five on the continent.
The Atlas Lions of Morocco, Terangha Lions of Morocco, Pharaohs of Egypt, Desert Foxes of Algeria and Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire are the top ranked teams in Africa.
Argentina extended their lead at the top of the ranking after booking their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Spain, France, England and Brazil all kept their place in the top five.
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Former Nigeria striker, Benedict Akwuegbu has voiced his desire for the recall of Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho to the Super Eagles squad.
Akwuegbu said the two players remain crucial to the Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, the USA, and Canada.
He reiterated his confidence that Nigeria would not miss out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals.
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General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi has praised beach soccer stakeholders in the country for their support of the game.
In its fifth season, the 2025 Nigeria Beach Soccer League (NBSL) kicked off with Round One games on Monday, 31st March in Birnin Kebbi, capital of Kebbi State.
Sanusi, who was present during the first round of the NBSL, appreciated the League Management led by Mahmud Hadejia for their good work complemented by the NFF Beach Soccer and Futsal Committee, while acknowledging the support of the Kebbi State Government and the Kebbi State Football Association.
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Genk striker Tolu Arokodare has reflected on his debut for Nigeria.
Arokodare was handed his maiden invitation by Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against the Amavubi of Rwanda and Warriors of Zimbabwe.
The 24-year-old made his first-ever appearance for Nigeria in the two-nil win over Amavubi in Kigali.
The striker could not hold back tears after the clash with Adel Amrouche’s side.
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Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed Super Eagles star Ola Aina will spend time on the sidelines due to a calf injury.
Aina was forced off during Forest’s one-nil win over Manchester United at the City Ground.
The 28-year-old, who was replaced by Alex Moreno eight minutes after the break left the stadium in crutches.
The full-back scored twice in thirty league appearances for the Tricky Trees.
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Southampton manager Ivan Juric has heaped plaudits on Nigerian international Paul Onuachu following the club’s home draw against Crystal Palace.
The Saints were held to a one-all draw by Palace at the St Mary’s Stadium.
Onuachu opened scoring for the hosts with a superb header on twenty minutes.
The Nigeria international has scored four goals in twenty league appearances for Southampton this season.
The stage is set for another thrilling night of boxing takes centre stage on April 26 at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium.
The night’s headline bout will see Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan square off against Segun Gbobaniyi in a highly anticipated lightweight clash.
Shogbesan, with 20 wins in 24 professional fights, is regarded as a top dog in his division, while his opponent brings a strong record of eight wins from 10 fights, making this contest a battle between experience and resilience.
No fewer than 53 Polytechnics have registered to participate in the 22nd edition of the Nigeria Polytechnic Games, which will officially begin on Saturday, 5th April at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State.
The event will feature sports, cultural exchange and economic activities.
The contingents from different polytechnics would compete in various events, including athletics, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, chess, scrabble, handball, badminton, table tennis, judo, and taekwondo.
After three consecutive defeats have left their hopes of reaching the 2026 ICC Men’s U-19 World Cup in jeopardy, the Junior Yellow Greens roared to a massive 177 runs win over Sierra Leone on Thursday, marking their first win of the qualifying tournament.
The Nigerian team had played their previous three games at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval in Onikan, but moved to the UNILAG Cricket Oval for their fourth game of the series.
Sierra Leone won the toss and opted to field and that proved to be a costly decision against the battle-hardened Junior Yellow Greens.
Captain Gafar Kareem, Kenneth Boniface and Peculiar Egemasi were all spectacular in the crease for Nigeria, contributing 41, 47 and 35 runs.
OTHER LEAGUES
Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) has ruled that Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are eligible to play for Barcelona for the rest of the season.
La Liga granted Barcelona temporary licences to register Olmo and Victor last summer, but later revoked their registrations after claiming the club had failed to prove they were complying with the league’s financial rules by the deadline on 31st December.
The CSD gave Barcelona permission to temporarily reinstate the pair following an appeal in January.
The CSD annulled the agreement between the Spanish top flight and the country’s football federation.
La Liga said it will appeal the decision.
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UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has kicked against plans by FIFA to extend the 2030 World Cup to sixty-four teams.
Speaking at a UEFA’s congress in Belgrade, Ceferin described such proposal as a bad idea that must be stopped.
Recall that th 2026 edition in the United States, Mexico and Canada will already see the format increase from thirty-two teams to forty-eight.
Football’s global governing body said it had a duty to analyse the proposal, which European chief Ceferin denounced at UEFA’s congress in Belgrade.
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OTHER SPORTS
In Tennis, the top twenty men’s and women’s players have sent a letter to the four Grand Slams asking for more prize money.
The letter, which was first reported by French newspaper L’Equipe, requested a meeting to discuss players receiving a greater share of the revenue generated by the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
World number 11 Emma Navarro cited unfair pay ratios as a reason for putting her name to the letter.
Prize money at last year’s Wimbledon was fifty million pounds, exactly double the amount offered in 2014.
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Also, Wimbledon is planning to renovate its iconic ‘Henman Hill’ and increase capacity for the tournament’s 150th anniversary.
Thousands of fans watched action on a big screen from the grass slope which is open to supporters without show-court tickets.
The proposed revamp, which has not yet been approved would increase the hill’s capacity by twenty percent in time for the 2027 event and increase accessibility.
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In Formula one, Max Verstappen says it was not a mistake that he liked a comment on social media describing Red Bull’s decision to demote Liam Lawson as a panic move and close to bullying.
The remarks were made by Dutch former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde, a friend of the Verstappen family, on Instagram, after Red Bull moved New Zealander Lawson down to their second team Racing Bulls in a swap with Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda just two races into the season.
Fellow F1 drivers Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, himself the victim of a mid-season driver swap by Red Bull and Nico Hulkenberg also liked the post.
Red Bull’s decision to drop Lawson was a U-turn after they preferred him over Tsunoda last winter when they paid off Sergio Perez two years before the end of his contract.
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In Rugby, Worcester Warriors are set to return to professional rugby union two and a half years after the club went into administration.
The Midlands-based outfit will be part of a new expanded 14-team Championship next season, after passing an RFU-led tender process to enter the division.
The RFU’s Tier 2 Board agreed that the former Premiership club can compete in the 2025-26 season at its Sixways Stadium, subject to paying back its creditors.
Junction 6 Limited, which assumed control of the Warriors last year, announced plans to increase capacity at Sixways, alongside a new hotel, multi-storey car park, a golf driving range and a solar farm.
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In Cricket, Michael Vaughan believes it would be nonsense and selfish for England to make Ben Stokes a white-ball captain.
Test skipper Stokes is under consideration for at least one of the limited-overs roles after Jos Buttler stepped down in February.
The Telegraph reported that Harry Brook is set to become T20 captain, leaving a choice between Brook and Stokes for the 50-over job.
Stokes has a chequered injury history he is currently recovering from hamstring surgery and has not played white-ball cricket for England since 2023.
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TODAY’S FIXTURES
IN SPANISH LA LIGA
Rayo Vallecano vs Espanyol
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IN ITALIAN SERIE A
Genoa vs Udinese
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SOCCER ACTION CONTINUES THIS WEEK
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IN NIGERIA PREMIER FOOTBALL LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Lobi Stars vs Sunshine Stars
Bendel Insurance vs Enugu Rangers
ON SUNDAY
Shooting Stars vs Ikorodu City
Enyimba vs Abia Warriors
Niger Tornadoes vs El Kanemi Warriors
Plateau United vs Kwara United
Heartland Owerri vs Kano Pillars
Rivers United FC vs Remo Stars
Katsina United vs Bayelsa United
Nasarawa United vs Akwa United
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IN ENGLISG PREMIER LEAGUE
ON SATURDAY
Everton vs Arsenal
Crystal Palace vs Brighton
Ipswich Town vs Wolves
West Ham United vs Bournemouth
Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
ON SUNDAY
Brentford vs Chelsea
Fulham vs Liverpool
Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton
Manchester United vs Manchester City
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IN SPANISH LA LIGA
ON SATURDAY
Girona vs Deportivo Alavés
Real Madrid vs Valencia
Mallorca vs Celta Vigo
Barcelona vs Real Betis
ON SUNDAY
Las Palmas vs Real Sociedad
Sevilla vs Atlético Madrid
Real Valladolid vs Getafe
Villarreal vs Athletic Club
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IN ITALIAN SERIE A
ON SATURDAY
Monza vs Como
Parma vs Inter Milan
AC Milan vs Fiorentina
ON SUNDAY
Lecce vs Venezia
Empoli vs Cagliari
Torino vs Hellas Verona
Atalanta vs Lazio
Roma vs Juventus
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
If you only ever give 90% in training then you will only ever give 90% when it matters….words from Michael Owen.
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