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Europa League glory kicked off scenes of royal ribbing, ski goggles on the team bus and knee slides with nephews

It was 1.43am in Istanbul when Aston Villa’s players began to make tracks for their hotel, over the road from the rubber ring-like Besiktas Park. Matty Cash walked into a windowless basement at the stadium, bottle of Efes in hand, and toasted a Europa League victory that will be etched in history, the club’s first trophy in three decades. “The king set the gameplan out for us,” he said of Unai Emery, who, if he was not there already, now has a god-like status among the fans.

Moments earlier, John McGinn joked that Prince William, who joined the players for beers amid the dressing-room celebrations, might “get his credit card out” and stump up for a free bar. Villa’s billionaire co-owners, Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens, were also in attendance, the former delighted that Emery had delivered on his promise to put another piece of silverware in a trophy cabinet that had been gathering dust. “It means a lot,” Sawiris said, wearing a Villa scarf. “I can’t express myself with words. Amazing. Very special. An eight-year ride and we saw today what hard work can do with Unai’s effort and the whole team.” Asked what’s next, there came a reminder of Villa’s ambition. “The sky’s the limit,” he replied.

Arsenal won the title thanks to defensive excellence, relentless consistency and exploiting fine margins

By Opta Analyst

Arsenal have done it. Finally. After 22 years, they are champions of England once again. Manchester City’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday night means Arsenal hold an unassailable lead at the top of the Premier League with one game remaining. It’s their 14th top-flight crown overall, their fourth Premier League title, and their first since the Invincibles campaign of 2003-04.

The defining number for that team was zero. Zero defeats across an entire league season. But what numbers best define this Arsenal side? Here are 10 that tell the story of their title-winning campaign.

• Clubs feel they may have grounds to claim compensation

• FA opens investigation and expected to bring charges

Millwall and Wrexham are considering their legal options after confirmation that Southampton have been expelled from Saturday’s Championship playoff final and replaced by the beaten semi-finalists Middlesbrough.

The aggrieved clubs will await publication of the written reasons for the decisions taken by the English Football League’s independent disciplinary panel, which were upheld by an appeal panel on Wednesday night, but are understood to believe they could have grounds to make a claim for compensation.

Eight nations have won the World Cup. An expanded field and a grueling schedule means a new champion could emerge from the pack this summer

When Fifa expanded the field for the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams, the sales pitch included giving more nations a chance at glory. In reality, the favorites are nearly always former champions.

To date, only eight nations have won the men’s World Cup. And yet, few of the former champions arrive at this summer’s tournament in their finest form. Spain are a justifiably popular pick as the reigning European champions have plenty of world-class talent. Argentina will hope to defend their title from 2022 after following it up with the Copa América in 2024. France, who top our power rankings, have reached the last two finals, and Kylian Mbappé claims this squad is the best he has been a part of.

• Changes apply to World Cup and Euro qualifiers

• Starts in 2028-29 season with elements of Swiss system

Europe’s larger nations will no longer face mismatches against minnows such as San Marino or Andorra in men’s World Cup and European Championship qualifying after Uefa agreed a new format designed to produce more competitive fixtures.

As reported by the Guardian in April the structure, which will take effect after Euro 2028, will be based on the most recent set of Nations League rankings. It will also include elements of the Swiss system implemented across Uefa’s club competitions over the past two seasons, meaning in effect that teams compete in larger groups.

‘Robbo’ leaves the club on Sunday after nine years having won the lot and been loved by those who watched him play

It was a bit of a surprise when we signed Andy Robertson from Hull – not because he wasn’t a household name, but because all the focus had been on his teammate Harry Maguire. But, pound for pound, the £8m we paid for Robbo in the summer of 2017 has got to be one of the best value transfer deals in Liverpool’s history. Those peak Jürgen Klopp-years, when him and Trent Alexander-Arnold supplied cross after cross, assist after assist … it was an absolute joy to be there.

While there is no denying the magnitude of his achievements, his legacy is also tied up in politics, propaganda and hard power

Well, that’s that then. Put out more flags. Mount the iconic Jedi‑style woollen cardigan in the club museum. He really does seem to be done this time.

In the absence of formal denials, it now seems highly likely the scheduled final year of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City contract will be spent trawling the high-concept food ateliers of the Iberian peninsula, debating spatial architecture with a Slovenian Cluedo grandmaster over hummingbird martinis, and generally recharging after a decade of unceasing devotion to victory.

• Club need permission for proposed stadium upgrades

• Draw with Manchester City sealed European qualification

Bournemouth are facing a race to complete upgrades to the Vitality Stadium to enable it to stage European football next season. Uefa has granted Bournemouth a provisional stadium licence after meeting club officials in April to review their redevelopment project, but improvements are required owing to the limited size of the hospitality areas and broadcasting facilities.

A visit from Uefa’s stadium inspection and commercial operations team will take place in June after Bournemouth secured European qualification for the first time courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Tuesday.

Wherever you’re planning to watch the matches – we’d like to hear from you

The men’s World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is nearly upon us, kicking off on 11 June.

Amid the excitement around the tournament, there has been controversy over Fifa’s ticketing process, the cost of travel, and security concerns for fans travelling to the US.

Manager’s early seasons were far from plain sailing but insiders credit club’s owners for staying the course

It didn’t start well for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal. On a crisp December night in 2019 at about 1am in a Manchester suburb, Vinai Venkatesham stepped out of Arteta’s home. The Arsenal managing director looked around, satisfied with his meeting. Arteta had just outlined a “hugely impressive” five-year plan to rebuild a club reeling from Arsène Wenger’s departure and Unai Emery’s failed succession. Venkatesham stepped into his car and was driven away with his colleague Huss Fahmy.

The club were about to take a huge gamble, but one with which they were increasingly comfortable. For many Arsenal executives, Arteta had won the interview round in 2018 when Wenger left. Yet it seemed too much to ask a 36-year-old rookie to manage a seismic transition and Emery had pedigree and experience; Arteta had charisma and a strong playing record.

Italian is expected to follow Pep Guardiola and it seems the decision was made a long time ago

Now the secret is out it is possible to look at Enzo Maresca’s incendiary remarks about his “worst 48 hours” at Chelsea through a different lens. Change is coming at Manchester City, who are preparing for Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of the season, and it does not require much reading between the lines to work out their decision to pass the crown to Maresca was made a long time ago.

There never was a clear explanation from the Italian after he sat in front of the media after Chelsea’s unspectacular 2-0 win over Everton on 13 December and surprised the room by taking the extraordinary step of going to war with his employers. “Since I joined the club, the last 48 hours have been the worst because many people didn’t support us,” he said. “People didn’t support me and the team.”

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Our editors’ favourite sporting images from the past week, from the spectacular to the powerful, and with a little bit of fun thrown in

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• New forward a priority with Alvarez also on list

• Funds in place to make one marquee signing

Arsenal will reward Mikel Arteta for ending Arsenal’s 22-year wait to be champions by offering him a ­lucrative new contract that will cement the Spaniard’s status as one of the best-paid managers in the world. The club are also well advanced with plans to strengthen his squad.

Talks over extending Arteta’s deal beyond next summer were put on hold while Arsenal battled it out with Manchester City in the Premier League, although insiders insist there was an expectation he would have stayed even if the season had ended without a trophy. The 44-year-old has become the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League, after José Mourinho with Chelsea in 2005, and matched Kenny Dalglish’s achievement with Liverpool in 1986 in ­making a team top-flight champions in his first ­senior management job.

• Teams with same owner can not compete together

• Head of women’s football says ‘no exceptions’

Uefa’s head of women’s football has said rules prohibiting clubs with the same owner from playing together in the Women’s Champions League will be strictly enforced, dealing a blow to investors such as Michele Kang.

Kang owns OL Lyonnes, who are in Saturday’s Women’s Champions League final, and London City Lionesses, whose head coach, Eder Maestre, last week stated their desire to compete for the Women’s Super League title next season.

• Defeat at Chelsea keeps last relegation place open

• Spurs need a point at home to Everton to be safe

Roberto De Zerbi has described ­Tottenham’s looming final-day relegation showdown against Everton as a more important game than last season’s Europa League final against Manchester United because the club’s dignity is at stake.

Spurs, who lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Tuesday night, need a draw at home on Sunday to ensure they stay up at West Ham’s expense. The Hammers, who are two points below them in the final relegation place and with a greatly inferior goal difference, play their final game at home against Leeds.

Club are battling relegation from the second tier in a city under attack by Russian forces but are one upset away from the Europa League

A minivan with darkened windows pulls up at a gym in central Chernihiv and, once the doors have slid open, a stream of youths emerge into the daylight. Inside, Artem Rakitin sits everyone down on the rubber mat for one last pep talk. He has known most of the young men for several years, working with them here twice a week and in effect acting as a mentor. It is a kind of physical and mental training, he explains: self-discipline; resisting vices; preparing oneself, if the moment comes, to defend his country. “One of the main targets is for them not to become alcoholics, drug addicts or anything like that,” he says. “It’s to put their energy in the right places, and to support the right team.”

The team they follow is FC Chernihiv and, on Wednesday evening, the second-tier side will face Dynamo Kyiv in a Ukrainian cup final no one could have predicted. FC Chernihiv are battling relegation but, to delirious scenes, won their semi-final against Metalist 1925 Kharkiv on penalties despite being reduced to 10 men in the fifth minute. They are one more upset from an improbable Europa League spot; it is a remarkable moment for a city, tucked in Ukraine’s north towards the Russian and Belarusian borders, that has suffered devastating losses since February 2022.

• West Ham will need to raise more than £100m if relegated

• Relegation could force England player to reassess future

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are interested in Jarrod Bowen as rival clubs prepare to capitalise on West Ham’s financial problems by targeting their best players.

West Ham will need to raise more than £100m if relegated from the Premier League and there is growing interest in Bowen from a host of top sides.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Sam Dalling as Manchester City drop points at Bournemouth to hand the Premier League title to Arsenal.

On today’s podcast: joyous scenes on the Holloway Road as, with a game to spare, Arsenal are champions for the first time in 22 years. All of Mikel Arteta’s tactics, his training ground bonfires, his technical area jousting in tight trousers justified. Now just the small matter of a Champions League final to think about.

Elsewhere, Manchester City couldn’t keep it going until the end of the season, and now it’s widely predicted that Pep Guardiola will leave. Seventeen major trophies and 115 charges. The Premier League will miss him.

Plus, the Premier League relegation battle goes to the final day, Southampton are thrown out of the Championship playoffs and your questions answered

From the end of the Invincibles and the post-Wenger wilderness years to the steady rise under Mikel Arteta

The Invincibles were slain in Manchester on Sunday 24 October 2004, when Arsenal’s record 49-match unbeaten run ended in a traumatic, wildly controversial defeat at Old Trafford. It took a month for Arsenal to process their grief and rage; by the time they did, José Mourinho’s remorseless Chelsea had zoomed past them. Though Arsenal were still the most watchable team in England, something had died in them.

Our photographer was outside the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal fans congregated to celebrate their team’s first title in 22 years

• ‘They’re not laughing any more’: Saka calls out critics

We look at what Celtic’s title win means for Scottish soccer, Argentina’s World Cup plans and the prospect of a Premier League without Pep Guardiola

Sir Alex Ferguson may have him beat for longevity and number of titles. Arsène Wenger can take some credit for English soccer’s modernization in the 1990s, but Pep Guardiola completely changed the landscape in his decade as Manchester City manager.

Plus: greatest distance between two teams in a derby (part two) and origins of why Celtic Park is nicknamed ‘Paradise’

• Mail us with your all of your questions and answers

“Which player has won the most league championships without winning an international cap?” asks Nick Williamson. “Steve Bruce won three Premier League titles with Manchester United – surely there are other non-capped players with more title honours?”

There surely are a number of players that can match and beat Steve Bruce’s tally of three league titles without earning an international cap.

Culture and community helped Mo Touré and Nestory Irankunda become the footballers they are today – and their spark may ignite this World Cup

One hails from West Africa, born in Guinea after his family fled Liberia. The other comes from the east of the continent, taking his first breath in a Tanzanian refugee camp after his parents escaped Burundi.

Longtime friends Mo Touré, 22, and Nestory Irankunda, 20, are shining beacons for Australia’s African community, and a reminder that the Socceroos – despite ongoing political rhetoric demonising migrants – are a symbol of modern Australia. The pair’s connection is the spark set to ignite the national team at next month’s World Cup in North America.

Philadelphia, Kansas City and Atlanta are among the hosts showing that price-gouging at this summer’s tournament is, ultimately, a choice

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Philadelphia has spotted an opportunity. A chance to burnish a budding reputation as one of the East Coast’s most pleasant and interesting big cities – in the view of this columnist, at least – and one of its most affordable, too.

The ample offering of public transportation to the six 2026 World Cup matches slated for Lincoln Financial Field (dubbed Philadelphia Stadium for the tournament, as per Fifa’s sponsor rules) will set fans back a mere $2.90. Tickets to see those matches are somehow getting cheaper on the secondary market – down about 16% from last month. Hotels are still reasonably priced. And fan fests will remain free for every day of the tournament. There will be no getting charged three times as much for shade, either, as you will in Los Angeles.

• Friendlies against Denmark and Chile still going ahead

• Team staff who are based in DRC ‘leaving in next hours’

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have cancelled their three-day World Cup preparation training camp and a planned farewell to fans in the capital, Kinshasa, because of an outbreak of Ebola in the east of the country.

Preparations will take place elsewhere after an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases. The World Health Organization has declared it a public health emergency of international concern.

• Carlo Ancelotti praises ‘improved fitness’ of Santos player

• Vinícius Júnior, Rayan and Igor Thiago also selected

Neymar will make his fourth World Cup appearance after Brazil named him to their 26-man squad on Monday. The decision was not guaranteed as questions surrounded Neymar’s fitness since his anterior cruciate ligament tear more than two years ago.

The Brazil coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said that Neymar “has improved his fitness” after the squad announcement at a gala in Rio de Janeiro. “He will be an important player in this World Cup.”

• Incident is alleged to have happened in October 2024

• Mosengo-Omba set to be elected Fecofa president

Véron Mosengo-Omba, the sole candidate to become the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo football federation, Fecofa, is at the centre of allegations of bullying and intimidation by members of the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) audit and compliance committee (AACC).

The allegations centre on a two-hour meeting between Mosengo-Omba and the audit and compliance committee on 19 October 2024. During the meeting Mosengo-Omba, at the time the Caf general secretary, threatened to sue the members of the AACC and report them to the Fifa ethics committee because they endorsed a 2023-24 governance, risk and compliance (GRC) report which was highly critical of Mosengo-Omba’s ethical conduct. The Guardian has listened to a recording of the meeting.

Unheralded coach has presided over a remarkable turnaround as club navigates La Liga’s epic relegation battle

Luís Castro was 11 when he started vomiting blood. Taken to hospital and diagnosed with purpura, initially doctors told his parents there was no chance of him living and even when he was cured they said he couldn’t do any physical exercise ever again. But three lonely years later, driven by an inner strength he ascribed to a higher power, he was back on a football pitch, building a career that took him through the lower leagues in Portugal as a player and around the world as coach, winning trophies in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Brazil, until one day in December his name landed on the president’s desk at Levante: just the kind of man the Spanish club needed in their impossible fight for survival.

Oh, wait. No, that’s not right. “I had heard of another Luís Castro but not this one,” Pablo Sánchez admitted on Sunday night, “and this one turned out to be the ideal coach for our club.”

Trusting a rookie coach to rebuild the club in late 2019 was a big call but after three runners-up finishes the Spaniard has delivered a long-awaited title

They say good things come to those who wait, and for Arsenal supporters it has felt like an eternity. Since their unforgettable 2003-04 season when Arsène Wenger’s Invincibles went the top-flight campaign unbeaten, their team had spent an incredible 984 days at the top of the table without being champions. Until now.

After all the disappointments of the late Wenger era and finishing as runners-up in the past three seasons, that unwanted statistic can finally be put to bed after a campaign in which Mikel Arteta’s side have shown they are capable of holding their nerve. There have been many doubters along the way, not least during a disastrous April during which Arsenal lost twice to their chief rivals, Manchester City, in a run of four consecutive domestic defeats in three competitions. But it is a triumph that rewards the faith shown by the hierarchy towards a rookie manager who arrived a week before Christmas in 2019 on a mission to restore them to former glories.

Forward was dropped after a previous attempt to undermine coach, but doing so now could spark mutiny

We can safely say how Arne Slot would like to respond to Mohamed Salah’s latest attempt to undermine him. The Champions League trip to Inter in December, when Salah was left at home as punishment for his incendiary interview at Leeds three days earlier, provides as clear an indication as any. But should a repeat offence result in a repeat sanction on Sunday? Liverpool and their besieged head coach could do without inflaming a potential mutiny at Anfield.

Salah decided to draw up battle lines before his departure, with Saturday’s social media post criticising Liverpool’s direction under Slot. His concerns are widely shared by the Liverpool fanbase and the Liverpool squad, it seems, given the support it received from Curtis Jones, Dominik Szoboszlai, Andy Robertson and several members of last summer’s underwhelming recruitment drive. Arrive at great expense, fail to deliver and fuel the sense that a toxic civil war is erupting behind the scenes: thanks for your efforts lads. It is impossible to say what prompted each individual like on Instagram but that is the impression the collective has given.

The former Real Madrid manager’s desire to sign and create mentality monsters breaks with previous club policy

The Chelsea end was mostly empty by the time the players went to collect their losers’ medals. There was no grand ovation for the beaten team. The disconnect was evident after defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup final, underlining how one of Xabi Alonso’s first challenges as Chelsea’s new manager will be to lift the mood and get players, fans and owners pulling in the same direction after a hugely disappointing season.

Many people are wondering why Alonso has agreed to take over on a four-year deal. Why, after running into player power and reluctance to build a project at Real Madrid, would you choose Chelsea? Just how big is the payoff?

The SPFL and SFA wobble at the knees when it comes to punishing their biggest clubs but scenes at Celtic Park risk setting a dangerous precedent

The placing of a full stop on any league campaign offers cause for reflection. In Scotland, there are reasons to wonder if the grim denouement to a stunning title race will prompt a shift in attitudes on two fronts. Whether a Celtic board which has been castigated for its stewardship regards the securing of another title as vindication is an intriguing question. More immediate is how the champions and others will respond to the grim scenes that triggered an enforced conclusion to the visit of Hearts. The behaviour of a section of the Celtic support is so unruly during dominance that one wonders what on earth may happen if the team struggle badly.

On Sunday, the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) “utterly condemned” Celtic supporters who flooded on to the pitch at the time of Callum Osmand’s third goal. “Supporters entering the field of play in any circumstances is wholly unacceptable and puts those participating and working at a match at risk,” added the SPFL. Hearts players were accosted and abused during their most crushing of moments, having lost the opportunity to break the Old Firm’s four decades of title dominance.

Our cartoonist on the unbridled joy and soul-crushing pain that followed the Scottish Premiership title decider

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National League side secured FA Trophy in a shootout – and as their manager told his squad beforehand in the hotel ‘it’s been a hell of a journey’

The noise gave it away. The sweet sound of 22,000 ecstatic Southend supporters swimming in a sea of Wembley ecstasy left their head coach, Kevin Maher, in no doubt: soon he would raise the FA Trophy.

Maher, unable to tolerate the tension, had turned away just before Gus Scott-Morriss’s winning penalty against Wealdstone, but was instantly embraced by Mark Bentley, his first-team coach, former midfield partner and, most importantly, friend.

As the campaign draws to a close, we looked at what each of the teams did best this season in the English top-flight

“What enriches you is the game, not the result. The result is a piece of data,” the Spanish football coach Juanma Lillo once said. “The birthrate goes up. Is that enriching? No. But the process that led to that? Now that’s enriching.”

Let that serve as the thinking behind the first annual Football Style Awards, a celebration of process over results. These awards are not about who won, though they are about pieces of data. A club data scientist friend and I have spent the last year building a new football app called futi that measures not just who’s good but what they’re good at, based on detailed phase of play data and models that measure how teams and players play.

The 2022 World Cup failed to deliver on its environmental promises. From air travel emissions to heat-related dangers, the 2026 edition will be even worse

Soccer fans are increasingly watching preparations for the 2026 World Cup through their fingers. The most popular sporting event on the planet is awash in controversy, whether it’s the eye-watering ticket prices, the question of Iran’s participation while the president of one of the host countries threatens war crimes against it, or the role that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement may or may not play in policing the event. And yet, lost in the political pyrotechnics is a fiasco that carries as much long-term peril as any: the tournament’s staggering contribution to runaway climate change.

The 2026 World Cup is not only the most politically combustible tournament in modern history, but it is also on track to be the “most polluting” World Cup ever, with total greenhouse gas emissions hitting nearly two times the historical average. Scientists conservatively project that the tournament will generate around 9m tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Air travel comprises approximately 7.7m tons of this carbon budget, and more than four times that of the average for tournaments held between 2010 and 2022. The researchers note that the worst-case upper estimate for air transport is about 13.7m tons of CO2. That may sound bad, but that’s just because World Cup emissions have never been worse.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be deeply unpopular champions, but this probably says more about us than it does about them

There was a minor stir a few years back when some American scientists bred a strain of “gene-edited” hamsters with the chemical that causes anger removed, presumably so they could achieve one of humanity’s historic goals: the dream of a more docile hamster.

Unfortunately the opposite happened. What the scientists created was a race of hyper-angry hamsters. These were described a little glibly in the media as Mutant Rage Monsters. But science is always more nuanced than this. We shouldn’t put angry hamsters in a box, even when we are literally putting angry hamsters in a box. Longer studies have shown more varied results. Sarcastic hamsters. Hamsters that hold grudges. Hamsters that retreat into silence on long car journeys. Even a subset of passive-aggressive hamsters who are, seriously, just fine with this. It’s pretty much what they expected from you, anyway.

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It may have taken Mikel Arteta six years and well over a billion pounds but his team trusted the process and got there in the end. Arsenal are Premier League champions and in scenes that called to mind the closing moments of the movie Fever Pitch, jubilant Gooners spilled out of homes and pubs around Highbury and Islington in a collective release of tension and pure, unadulterated joy to mark the occasion. However, unlike Fever Pitch, it wasn’t broad daylight at 9.55pm and instead of Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell, it was Robbie Lyle from AFTV and Ian Wright who got their smooch on as fans partied long into the night outside the stadium. Any doubts that a brooding and occasionally intense man from a small town near San Sebastián might not have been up to the task of getting Arsenal over the line had finally been dispelled and for that, Andoni Iraola deserves great credit. His Bournemouth side’s draw against Manchester City means Arsenal can no longer be caught.

I did not know a stroopwafel could taste anywhere near that good. Bravo” – Thad Brown.

Using Josh Windass’s logic and running with it, can I be one of 1,057 to suggest that the whole Championship season should be replayed, which will also have the added benefit of forcing Noble Francis to relive that whole Wednesday attempt at the campaign all over again” – Jon Millard.

I can understand Hull being upset, having been focused on playing Southampton and now having limited time to prepare for Middlesbrough instead. Can’t they just ask Southampton if they just happen to have a detailed dossier on Middlesbrough lying around?” – James Vortkamp-Tong.

Since childhood, I have secretly hoped that the top flight of English football would one day finish in alphabetical order. Congratulations are due not only to Arsenal for doing their bit to make it happen, but also to Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves for playing along. Bournemouth fans will no doubt forgive the awkward AFC prefix, while their cousins, Brighton and Brentford, have done their utmost. Chelsea obligingly produced a poor run-in, and Aston Villa made a decent stab at fulfilling my dream. The real problem clubs remain Liverpool and the two Manchesters, although Burnley’s relegation significantly improves the prospects for next season. Everton, Fulham and Newcastle look capable of taking their places, but Crystal Palace need to buck up their ideas. I think 2026-27 will finally be my year” – Phil Hearn.

Noble Francis’s pointing out that Benfica only finished third, despite an unbeaten season (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), brings to mind my Hamilton AFC (NZ) team that, likewise, were unbeaten in a league season but finished runners-up, having drawn three matches. If only we’d had the notion to dub ourselves ‘The Invincibles’ I may have felt a whole lot better over the last 35 years” – Rod de Lisle.

Going back to the thread of suitable songs to play while VAR are deliberating (Football Daily letters passim), The Kinks’ ‘Tired of waiting’ would seem like a very obvious choice followed by Britney Spears’ ‘Oops I did it again’ when the incorrect conclusion is announced to the bewildered supporters in the stadium. There must be many others in the canon” – Nigel Sanders.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

WSL2 midfielder Malaika Meena has been collecting football kit to send to her ‘favourite country in the world’

It began with a social media post from a 13-year-old playing in Chelsea’s academy who wanted to offer spare kit to people less fortunate than her.

A decade on Malaika Meena, an established WSL2 player, finds herself sifting through more than 1,000 items collected from players, fans and coaches in the past month alone, as her family tradition of donating football boots and kit to schoolchildren in Tanzania has blossomed into a movement larger than anything she could have imagined.

Failure to wrench the title from the Glasgow giants is no cause for remorse given that Celtic and Rangers have been shaken from their lethargy

Another final-day showdown, another final-day heartbreak. The pain has been spread over 61 years, but that won’t make it any easier to bear for Hearts who, having been top for 250 days of the Scottish Premiership season, missed out on the title again.

There was, of course, a Celtic penalty for handball and a critical video assistant referee decision that went their way, but, on this occasion, neither provided the controversy. That came from the confusion as the game was ended by a pitch invasion with 23 seconds, plus whatever else the referee felt needed to be added, still to play.

Seagulls are in their first Women’s FA Cup final but their coach, Dario Vidosic, is determined to keep aiming higher

As Brighton’s old song goes, “Hark to the merry bugles”, because there is something in the air in Sussex by the sea. A purpose-built women’s team stadium is in the offing, a second consecutive top-half Women’s Super League finish is on the cards and the women’s side are heading to Wembley for the first time. The fans have never had it this good.

It took something special for Brighton to overturn a two-goal deficit in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final victory at Liverpool and they left it late – very late – as Nadine Noordam settled a classic, five-goal thriller with her 95th-minute winner, but reaching this final is something the club have been building towards. In 2022, Brighton set out a bold vision to become a “top-four WSL club” and last summer the head coach, Dario Vidosic, was unafraid to discuss even higher targets, speaking in a determined, bullish and unwaveringly ambitious tone during an interview with the Guardian.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Sam Dalling as Manchester City drop points at Bournemouth to hand the Premier League title to Arsenal

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On today’s podcast: joyous scenes on the Holloway Road as, with a game to spare, Arsenal are champions for the first time in 22 years. All of Mikel Arteta’s tactics, his training ground bonfires, his technical area jousting in tight trousers justified. Now just the small matter of a Champions League final to think about.

Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzy Wrack, Sophie Downey and Marva Kreel to review the 2025-26 WSL season

On today’s pod: as the WSL season comes to an end, the panel reviews each team as Manchester City officially lift the Barclays WSL trophy after ending their 10-year wait for a league title. The panel reflects on Andrée Jeglertz’s instant impact, Bunny Shaw’s remarkable season and what the summer could hold amid uncertainty surrounding her future.

Elsewhere, Arsenal secure second place and automatic Champions League qualification but, after another trophyless domestic campaign, the panel assesses where things fell short for Renée Slegers’ side and what the departures of Beth Mead and Katie McCabe mean for the club moving forward.

Bafflement at Old Trafford, Chelsea’s Wembley drought goes on and Leeds give fans cause for optimism

Luke Shaw’s first goal in over three years for Manchester United was a further reminder of the left-back’s capabilities. This has been his best season at Old Trafford having featured in all 37 league games thus far, leaving his injury-prone past forgotten. Considering Shaw’s experience and quality, he should be considered for a spot at the World Cup. Thomas Tuchel does not have a vast array of riches in the position and Shaw’s consistency has been key to Michael Carrick’s turnaround at Old Trafford. “He deserves to go,” said Carrick after the win against Nottingham Forest. “His consistency, his performances, his experience, his qualities. He’s an excellent full-back.” Nico O’Reilly is the current first choice for England and he has a very different profile from Shaw, having converted from playing as a central midfielder under Pep Guardiola. Tuchel may want to take Shaw to provide variety and reliability, which would be a sensible approach. Will Unwin

Match report: Manchester United 3-2 Nottingham Forest

Match report: Newcastle 3-1 West Ham

Match report: Aston Villa 4-2 Liverpool

The WSL Golden Boot winner looks to have played her last game for the champions, while there are definite goodbyes at Arsenal and Chelsea

The focus was less on the performance and result and more on Khadija Shaw and her future. Manchester City had wrapped up the title after Arsenal dropped points against Brighton 10 days prior, so the game against West Ham was somewhat irrelevant. That Shaw scored two goals in City’s 4-1 win further highlighted what a huge error it would be for the club to let her go, with her contract expiring this summer. Shaw, though, gave hope to City fans so desperate for her to stay they chanted her name over and over at the club’s title party on Sunday. After the match on Saturday, she told Sky Sports: “I’ve always said Manchester is my home, it’s where I want to be, but there’s a lot of things which go on behind the scenes which I won’t talk about now. But I’ve always been proud of all the girls and everything. Manchester is where I would want to be, but ultimately we’ll see.” Suzanne Wrack

Ousmane Dembélé becomes our seventh winner as he beats Lamine Yamal into second and Vitinha into third on our list of the best players on the planet

• Premier League dominates list | How every judge voted | Our methodology | The top 100 female players for 2025

• 2024 edition | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012

The Frenchman, who has been named the best male footballer in the world by the Guardian, has benefitted from PSG’s focus on the team rather than individuals

What makes a good player great, and a great player the best? This question has been occupying me since 2014, when the Guardian first asked me to contribute to its inaugural Next Generation feature. My job was to look for a France-based talent born in 1997 who could go on to have a stellar career.

After a great deal of research, I narrowed it down from my shortlist of five by asking questions not about the players’ football ability, but about other attributes: resilience, adaptability, decision-making, creativity, work ethic, response to feedback and willingness to learn. Qualities we cannot see, and are harder to measure.

Aitana Bonmatí has been voted the best female player on the planet by our panel of 127 experts ahead of Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo

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The margin may have got smaller but the brilliant Spanish midfielder makes it a hat-trick of No 1 finishes

They say the best things come in threes, and Aitana Bonmatí has written herself into the Guardian’s top 100 history as the first player to finish at the top of the tree for a third consecutive year.

Last year the majestic midfielder emulated her Barcelona and Spain teammate Alexia Putellas by winning for a second year running, but the 27-year-old has now gone one better, establishing herself once again at the top of the women’s game.

From PSG’s Ibrahim Mbaye to Brazil’s next hope, we select some of the most talented players born in 2008. Check the progress of our classes of 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 … and go even further back. Here’s our Premier League class of 2025