theScore examines the most important developments and biggest talking points from Saturday’s slate of action in England’s top flight.
Foden bouncing back in a big way
Troubled by his ankle and out of the lineup more than he was in it, Phil Foden had lost the sparkle that initially caught the eye of Pep Guardiola when he was a teenager with Manchester City’s youth team. Now 22 and a full English international, Foden had reached what he termed the “worst” part of his career. But Guardiola wasn’t prepared to ditch the player he lauded in his youth. The coach just wanted him to rediscover the fiery edge that catapulted him to the team in the first place.
Foden listened. After scoring a brace in the FA Cup last weekend, Guardiola’s pupil starred again Saturday, driving to the net and scoring in a 2-0 win over Newcastle United that kept City on Arsenal’s heels in the Premier League’s increasingly competitive title race. Foden wound his way through an obstacle course of defenders that seemed helpless to stop him, showing the belligerence and confidence that Guardiola had hoped to see again.
“When I spoke with Phil, after he was having the ball and passing back, he didn’t have the confidence to do it. I said to him that is normal. What happened is absolutely what should happen in my opinion,” the Spaniard told reporters Saturday. “He arrived at 17 training with us, 10 minutes, 15, 20, here, here, national team, World Cup and Euro Cup, winning titles, and every year he was a little better than the year before.”
Foden’s ascent happened so quickly that, eventually, he’d have nowhere to go but down. But he’s since emerged from the sidelines with familiar vigor. He even looked comfortable on his off wing, showing the versatility that Guardiola craves from his players. With Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish also performing high-energy roles, City have the necessary depth to give the treble another go.
Arsenal’s winning culture clear to see
“It’s about winning in any context,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says time and again.
His team is doing exactly that.
Arsenal have built a five-point lead atop the Premier League standings by playing all kinds of football. Sometimes they win easily. Other times, they do barely enough to get the three points. More recently, they have made a habit of winning from losing positions, and it’s those performances, the ones that test and try them, that illuminate the character within Arteta’s squad.
He’s worked years to cultivate this collective energy. He ushered out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, fined players for disciplinary reasons, and increased the tempo in training – all in an attempt to reestablish the standards that made Arsenal a destination of greatness in the first place. He basically did to Arsenal what Erik ten Hag is doing to Manchester United, cutting the slack and restoring pride in the club and shirt.
The results are coming through. Arsenal have their way of playing – they can control possession against the best of the teams, including Manchester City – but it’s not their only way of winning. Saturday’s 3-2 comeback win over Bournemouth was made of the same stuff as their 4-2 conquest of Aston Villa: packed with shots, possession, and a healthy dose of adversity.
On the balance of play, Arsenal deserved to win both of those games. But deserving doesn’t always meaning doing. Despite dominating every major statistical category, the Gunners faced deficits in both of those contests. But they reacted quickly each time. Bukayo Saka equalized against Villa nine minutes after Arsenal went down, and Thomas Partey and Ben White scored within eight minutes of each other to restore parity against Bournemouth. No one, not even the referees, took it easy on them.
Numerous calls went against them again on Saturday. They lost two points to Brentford in a game marred by an incorrect offside ruling. Arteta and his players could have allowed the frustration to manifest in a negative way. Instead, they made the conscious decision to control what they can control and react in the best way possible. That meant crowding the box and settling for ugly goals. It meant waiting until the last second to score. It meant suffering. And it’s paid off.
Spurs firing blanks at critical juncture
Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Dejan Kulusevski, and Richarlison are all available to Tottenham Hotspur. That’s a rare event in and of itself. Usually one or them is injured, or worse yet, suspended. But it doesn’t seem to matter anyway. Spurs can’t score with or without them.
Tottenham couldn’t convert any of the 38 shots they took against Sheffield United and Wolverhampton over the last four days. They lost both games by a score of 1-0, most recently Saturday against a Wolves side that has just as much trouble finding the back of the net. Son hit the post before halftime, but that was really all they had to show for their time on the ball. Spurs just couldn’t break down Wolves’ compact defense.
“It is a lesson we have to learn, because when you control the game, you have to kill the game,” assistant coach Cristian Stellini said, according to The Guardian’s Will Unwin. “We have to be more aggressive and nasty.”
Maybe Antonio Conte’s return to the bench will get his players to add bite to their bark. Stellini has done a decent job during Conte’s leave of absence, overseeing important wins over Manchester City and Chelsea, but perhaps Spurs have lost something on the training ground without their fiery manager keeping a watchful eye.
Because the issue isn’t talent. Spurs have more than enough of it to beat teams like Sheffield United and Wolves. It’s a matter of application. With Conte set to return Sunday and the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie to come Wednesday against AC Milan, the time to respond is now.
Quick free-kicks
How long will Potter’s reprieve last?
Graham Potter really needed that. Chelsea were in a tailspin going into Saturday’s match against Leeds United, and confidence in his ability to get the Blues on the right track was waning. Patience, too. A 1-0 home victory over one of the worst defensive teams in the league may not seem like much to celebrate, but right now, Chelsea should be encouraged by absolutely anything that goes their way. Wesley Fofana’s goal was the club’s first in 396 minutes; Potter hadn’t seen his team score at Stamford Bridge in 48 days. The victory, meanwhile, was Chelsea’s third in their last 16 matches across all competitions. So, yeah, beggars can’t be choosers. Potter said after the match that the result will help boost the confidence and morale of his players who were “suffering” during the team’s rotten run of form. We’ll find out very quickly just how transferable that uplifting feeling is on Tuesday, when Chelsea look to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against red-hot Borussia Dortmund. Defeat, or simple failure to progress, and the good vibes created by the win over Leeds will be immediately forgotten.
Bournemouth’s brilliant routine
Bournemouth’s Philip Billing scored the second-fastest goal in Premier League history on Saturday – finding the net in just 9.11 seconds – after an expertly choreographed kickoff routine caught Arsenal cold. Too many teams, across every league, simply play the ball backwards from the opening kickoff and launch it forward, angling it toward the sideline and hoping for either a flick-on or a throw-in deep in opposition territory. Bournemouth appeared as though they were lined up for a similar approach, with five players on the left-hand side of the pitch, all standing on the halfway line, waiting for the opening whistle. When it went, instead of passing back to one of his central defenders, Dominic Solanke rolled the ball into the path of Joe Rothwell beside him, who instantly clipped it to the right side pitch, where tricky winger Dango Ouattara was waiting. Arsenal, accounting for all the Bournemouth players on one side of the field, left Oleksandr Zinchenko alone on the other, and Ouattara gladly accepted the space in front of him, ran directly at the Ukrainian and whipped in a cross that found Billing inside the penalty area. The plan, obviously hatched on the training ground, was brilliant, and the players executed to perfection. More teams should be so bold from the opening kickoff.
Almighty relegation battle
The race between Arsenal and Manchester City – and perhaps Manchester United? – at the top is engrossing. Long may it continue. But the battle at the other end of the Premier League table is equally riveting. After Saturday’s results, nine clubs are separated by only six points in what is becoming an almighty fight to stave off relegation. Bournemouth, currently bottom by virtue of their woeful minus-27 goal difference, are tied on points (21) with both Southampton and Everton; the Saints moved off the foot of the table with a victory over Leicester City on Saturday. Above that trio, the pack is condensed all the way up to 12th place, where Crystal Palace, who haven’t won a game in 2023, are sitting on 27 points and suddenly starting to look nervously behind them. Perhaps things regulate quickly, three teams sink to the bottom, and the race for survival fizzles out. But right now, things are well poised for a fascinating tussle, and it’s difficult to make a call on who will remain in the top flight, and who will drop down to the second tier.
Stat of the day
It’s a new era, officially, for Arsenal.
Tweet of the day
Reiss Nelson’s thunderous 97th-minute winner against Bournemouth took the roof off the Emirates.
Breaking down thrilling EPL title race with 10 games left
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One of the most intoxicating title races in Premier League history is, mercifully, ready to resume.
The quirks of the calendar – an FA Cup weekend succeeded by an agonizing international window – means the titanic tussle between Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City will have been on hiatus for a full three weeks before it gets back underway on Sunday.
But there are no more impending interruptions. With 10 matches remaining for each title contender, we’re barreling toward a resolution to the type of three-way battle that’s exceedingly rare in England’s top flight. There’s never been a season in the Premier League era where three teams went into the final day with a chance to hoist the trophy. This could be it. The last time it happened was the 1971-72 campaign, when Derby County won an incredible four-team fight, narrowly beating Leeds United and, ominously, Liverpool and Man City to the crown. We’re overdue for that kind of drama.
That three sides have converged this way at all is, frankly, remarkable.
These are the three best teams in the country by an enormous margin. They’re the only ones with an expected goal difference per game of plus-1.0 or greater this season. The next best mark, surprisingly, belongs to Mauricio Pochettino’s erratic Chelsea team at plus-0.36. So, yeah, it’s not close.
The three of them are also on a tear and show no signs of slowing down. Arsenal have won all eight of their league games in 2024, scoring 33 goals in the process; Liverpool have collected 22 of a possible 27 points in that time; reigning champions Manchester City have racked up 23 of 27 points. They’ve combined for just one loss since the calendar flipped – Liverpool’s 3-1 defeat against Arsenal in early February.
The only sides that look capable of halting their progress are each other, which makes this weekend’s clash between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad all the more significant.
Euro 2024 playoffs: Miraculous Ukraine comeback, big result for Wales
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Wales, Greece, and Poland registered statement wins Thursday, joining three other teams in next Tuesday’s playoff finals for the three remaining places at Euro 2024.
Ukraine staged an incredible late comeback against Bosnia and Herzegovina in its semifinal to keep its Euro dream alive.
The highest-placed team in FIFA’s rankings that’s no longer in contention to reach the tournament in Germany is 60th-placed Finland.
Here’s how the playoff semifinals across Path A, B, and C played out.
Path A
Mateusz Slodkowski / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Poland 5-1 Estonia
Estonia barely stood a chance. Down to 10 men as early as the 27th minute, the northern Europeans could only muster a consolation goal in a 5-1 loss to Poland. The Polish achieved the rout without Robert Lewandowski getting on the scoresheet and remain unbeaten in 21 Euro qualifiers at home, a magnificent run dating back to September 2006. Poland is trying to make up for a poor qualifying campaign in which it finished third in Group E, four points behind the Czech Republic and Albania. The country hasn’t missed the Euros since 2004.
Wales 4-1 Finland
The Red Wall might descend on Germany this summer. Wales’ raucous supporters have legitimate hopes of traveling to another major tournament after the Dragons scorched Finland without the retired Gareth Bale and with Aaron Ramsey, 33, on the bench after more injury problems. Teemu Pukki gave the visiting team some hope just before halftime following well-taken finishes from David Brooks and Neco Williams. But Wales needed just 73 seconds of the second period to restore its two-goal cushion via Brennan Johnson’s tap-in. Daniel James took advantage of a defensive error before rounding the goalkeeper in the 86th minute to give the host a resounding victory.
Playoff final: Wales vs. Poland, Tuesday 3:45 p.m. ET
Path B
David Balogh – UEFA / UEFA / Getty
Israel 1-4 Iceland
Iceland’s Albert Gudmundsson stole the show with an emphatic hat-trick against Israel on Thursday. His stunning free-kick into the top right corner canceled out Eran Zahavi’s opening goal for Israel, and he created a nice cushion for his country with a pair of markers in the final 10 minutes. Just before that, Zahavi blew an incredible opportunity to equalize the match at 2-2, missing a penalty awarded for handball against Iceland’s Gudmundur Thorarinsson. A red card to Israel’s Haim Revivo didn’t help the trailing side. Iceland is now a game away from making only its second-ever appearance at the Euros following its quarterfinal run in 2016.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-2 Ukraine
Ukraine scored twice with just minutes remaining in regulation to snatch what seemed to be a sure victory from Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday. Bosnia controlled play for most of the match and took the lead in the 56th minute when Mykola Matviyenko turned in Amar Dedic’s shot into his own net. But a colossal defensive lapse cost the Bosnians a chance to make it a record four countries from the former Yugoslavia at Euro 2024. Roman Yaremchuk came off the bench to equalize in the 85th minute and teed up Artem Dovbyk’s sensational winning header three minutes later to turn the playoff semifinal on its head. Ukraine now faces Iceland with a third consecutive Euro appearance at stake.
Playoff final: Ukraine vs. Iceland, Tuesday 3:45 p.m. ET
Path C
GIORGI ARJEVANIDZE / AFP / Getty
Georgia 2-0 Luxembourg
Two clever finishes from Budu Zivzivadze in Tbilisi assured Georgia of a place in Path C’s final – and all without the help of suspended talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. But it wasn’t that simple for the host. Luxembourg thought it equalized during the second half, only for the goal to be eventually snatched away due to Maxime Chanot’s apparent foul 45 seconds earlier. Luxembourg’s Chanot was controversially sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity, and Zivzivadze effectively ended the match six minutes later with his second strike. Kvaratskhelia is available for the final.
Greece 5-0 Kazakhstan
Anastasios Bakasetas lashed home a penalty, Dimitrios Pelkas headed into the net’s roof, Fotis Ioannidis tapped in from close range, and Dimitrios Kourbelis added another header. And that was all before halftime. Kazakhstan’s impressive 2022-23 Nations League campaign and notable Euro 2024 qualifying wins over Denmark, Northern Ireland (twice), and Finland suddenly seemed ages ago, as Greece recorded its biggest halftime lead since October 1978 (5-0 against Finland). Aleksandr Marochkin’s embarrassing own goal in the 85th minute made Kazakhstan’s day even worse.
Playoff final: Georgia vs. Greece, Tuesday 1:00 p.m. ET
Look: Nike unveils beautiful kit selection for Euro 2024, Copa America
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Nike released a stunning batch of threads ahead of Euro 2024 and Copa America on Monday.
Days after Adidas launched its lineup for the summer’s top two tournaments, Nike followed suit with an array of colorful designs.
The U.S. manufacturer also announced redesigns for Canada and Poland, even though they’ve yet to qualify for their respective tournaments. The Canucks face Trinidad and Tobago in a one-off Copa America qualifier on Saturday, while Poland must navigate a four-team playoff to reach Euro 2024.
(All images courtesy of Nike)
Euro 2024
Croatia
Home
The square-shaped design that gives Croatia its unique look gets a slight upgrade. The home shirt features larger squares than ever before.
Away
Croatia’s away shirt plays on the national flag, with the traditional checkered pattern now on a slant.
England
Home
Influenced by England’s 1966 training gear, the home shirt has a classic feel with a rich blue collar and gorgeous trim along the cuffs.
Away
England embraces a deep purple hue for its away selection. The crest stands out with a contrasting off-white tint that makes the three lions pop.
France
Home
France’s home shirt may have the biggest crest of all of Nike’s offerings. The oversized rooster defines this shirt as much as the royal blue that’s made France’s kits a crowd-pleaser.
Away
The pinstripes mirror the colors of France’s national flag and span the width of the shirt in a simple, yet elegant design.
Netherlands
Home
Nike could’ve offered anything orange here, and it would’ve been perfect. But the Netherlands has something bolder and better to wear. The zig-zag pattern adds edge.
Away
The orange collar and cuffs pop alongside the three shades of blue Nike has chosen to create the abstract design on this work of art.
Poland
Home
Poland dedicates premium real estate on the country’s home shirt to its imposing crest.
Away
Poland’s away shirt is a daring choice. The graphic treatment adds texture, giving it a rugged feel while separating from the red tones of years past.
Portugal
Home
With possibly the best home shirt in Nike’s collection, Portugal leans heavily into its traditional red-and-green motif with a polo collar and thick cuffs. The logo sits prominently as well. A smash hit.
Away
Here’s another winner. Portugal’s away strip has a stunning textile imprint that gives off a cool summer vibe.
Turkey
Home
This is a menacing look. Turkey will look like a whirring red army with these imposing shirts.
Away
The classic red band returns to Turkey’s away uniform. Like the others, it features an oversized crest in the middle of the shirt.
Copa America
Brazil
Home
Nike goes big with Brazil’s crest and adds an intricate design to the same yellow hue the Selecao have used for decades.
Away
Brazil’s secondary strip feels like the beach. A horizontal wavy pattern covering the entire shirt mimics the country’s picturesque coastline.
Canada
Home
The only blemish in Nike’s lineup. Why is there a circle around the swoosh? And why are the shoulders so much darker than the body? None of it makes sense.
Away
The 13 pinstripes are supposed to represent the 10 provinces and three territories that make up Canada. Unfortunately, the rest of the shirt looks incomplete.
United States
Home
The United States men’s national team gets a classic home shirt with patriotic detailing along the color and sleeves.
Away
The gradient works perfectly with the red shorts the U.S. will wear at the Copa America.