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Man U, Chelsea Through to Champions League on Final Day
The final day of the Premier League season was perfectly poised for some drama, with top four spots to be decided.
We now know that Manchester United and Chelsea will be playing in the Champions League next season, while Leicester have been resigned to the Europa League after a fifth-place finish.
Incredibly, Leicester and Man United met at the King Power Stadium in what was effectively a top-four playoff, while Chelsea hosted Wolves needing a point to secure their place.
Chelsea did more than they needed to, beating Wolves 2-0, while Man United also secured three points, winning by the same scoreline.
While the first half of Leicester vs United was rather uneventful, Chelsea burst into life on the brink of half-time at Stamford Bridge.
Mason Mount opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick in the first minute of added time, before Olivier Giroud rounded the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 less than two minutes later.
At half-time, Chelsea had all but qualified for the Champions League – and it was over to Leicester or Man United to fight over the remaining spot.
The second 45 minutes at King Power were far more open and Jamie Vardy had the best early chance after the break.
He flicked a header onto the bar from a Youri Tielemans free-kick on the hour mark. But then disaster struck at the other end.
Anthony Martial was fouled inside the box by a combination of Wes Mogan and Jonny Evans and the referee pointed to the spot.
Bruno Fernandes stepped up and converted from 12-yards to put United in the driving seat.
With the goal advantage, United saw out the game comfortably and even added a second at the death through Jesse Lingard.
Evans was also sent off for Leicester late on too.
Wolves failed to seriously threaten in the second half against Chelsea, meaning there was no late drama in London.
The full-time whistle blew simultaneously at Stamford Bridge at the King Power Stadium, confirming the results.
Man United and Chelsea finish on 66 points but it’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side who sit third with a superior goal difference, but fourth-placed Chelsea won’t be worrying about that.
Leicester end the season in fifth, with 62 points.
So, on the final day, it was Chelsea and Man United who secured Champions League football, while Leicester will have to settle for the Europa League.
Source: givemesport
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
