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Aston Villa defeated Southampton 3-0 at St Mary’s but not without their star player missing twice from the penalty spot

Marco Asensio has publicly addressed his two missed penalties in Aston Villa’s win at Southampton.
The Spaniard saw Aaron Ramsdale save both his second half spot-kicks but his blushes were spared as Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn all scored to lift Villa to a 3-0 victory and fifth in the table.

Unai Emery ’s men are now well-placed, just three points of Nottingham Forest in third, to claim a Champions League qualifying spot for the second successive year.

However, not everything went according to plan at St Mary’s. Villa didn’t create much in the first half and needed Watkins to come off the bench to spark them into life.
He did just that by winning a penalty, which Asensio hit too close to Ramsdale, before opening the scoring himself. Malen made it 2-0 and then McGinn drew a second foul in the area.

Asensio went the same way and but this time Ramsdale could only turn his effort back to McGinn to ram home.
Asensio, who is on loan from Paris Saint-Germain took to social media to address the issue and said: “Sometimes these things can happen, the most important is to keep trying. Happy for another 3 points away. Thank you for the support villans!”
Meanwhile Emery admitted he will consider who is on penalties when Villa face PSG in the quarter-final second leg on Tuesday evening. He said: “I think it is normal that his challenge is to get the second one after the first one. It is clear which penalty shooter is first.

“We have our penalty shooter and the first one is Marcus Rashford. The second one is Asensio. Third ones are Tielemans, McGinn and Watkins.
“They are responsible when penalties are coming. We have to accept it and decide for the next match.”

Leeds United have had a strong connection to Italy in the past few years. Two of the club’s majority shareholders in the past have been Italians.
In 2014, Massimo Cellino and his family consortium Eleonora Sport Ltd agreed to purchase a 75% majority stake in Leeds United. The Football League rejected the proposal, but Cellino appealed the decision and eventually won. He took control of the club, and his time in charge was filled with controversy.

Andrea Radrizzani was the next Italian to buy a majority stake in the club, acquiring Cellino’s shares and becoming the full owner. His time at the club was memorable, as Leeds bought back Elland Road and were promoted to the Premier League for the first time in decades.

Now, Leeds United are in the news in Italy for the wrong reasons. According to reports from the region, a major betting scandal has been uncovered. Leeds defender Junior Firpo was named among up to 14 players set to be under investigation. Corriere della Sera has named Firpo in a long list of names including Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali and former Leeds loanee Weston McKennie.
USMNT star McKennie was on loan at Elland Road for the 2022/23 season.
The report claims these players are under investigation for illegal online betting. There’s no evidence that Firpo and other players involved ever gambled on football games. Their names were only listed after findings when some suspects were interviewed.

What does this mean for the club?

As of now, nothing criminal has been discovered in the findings. The report says that the potential punishment for investigated players is a fine of around €250 if found guilty. The Italian Football Federation could open a new investigation, to find out if any of the players mentioned gambled on football matches.

If found guilty, the ban could be extensive. In 2023, Sandro Tonali was banned from playing football for 10 months for breaching Italian betting regulations. The Football Association also handed Tonali a suspended ban.

Since Firpo has not been charged yet, he can continue playing for Leeds United. But if he is found guilty later, he could face a lengthy ban. Football Association rules in England prohibit players from engaging in betting activity on football matches.

Former West Ham midfielder Dimitri Payet is under police investigation after being accused of ‘physical, psychological and sexual violence’ against a woman in Brazil.
Larissa Natalya Ferrari, a 28-year-old lawyer, said in her testimony to Brazilian authorities that ‘she was attacked by Payet, leaving marks on her body, and suffered physical, moral, psychological and sexual violence’.
According to police documents, the attacks took place between January 25 and February 6 this year.
Larissa alleges that she had an extramarital relationship from September 2024 to March of this year with 38-year-old Payet, who has been married for 18 years and has four children.

In an interview with Brazilian outlet G1, Larissa detailed the alleged abuse she received during her relationship with Payet, who now plays for Brazilian side Vasco da Gama.

The first signs of aggression were in December. I asked for two tickets to Vasco and Atletico Mineiro, one for me and one for my friend. And my friend posted a photo of this courtesy without his name appearing and published it on Instagram,’ Larissa said.

And he [Payet] got very angry with me. It was the first time he really offended me, used psychological pressure on me and it was the first time we argued.
‘From that day on, he started to talk about punishment because I had disappointed him.
‘I started to feel emotionally violated because he had already started to put pressure on me.

‘During sexual intercourse, he started to hit me, step on my face, my body. I was afraid to say anything because I knew it was a punishment for my mistake and if I didn’t accept the punishment, I could lose him. So, yeah, I ended up accepting it.
‘Dimitri knew about my psychological problems, using this against me. Dimitri convinced me to put my head in the trash, in the toilet, made me drink my own urine and other sexual bizarre acts.’
Larissa has revealed that she has left Rio de Janeiro and is currently undergoing psychological and psychiatric treatment.

In a separate interview with Metropole, Larissa said: ‘He always used this term ‘punishment’. He made me believe that I was guilty and deserved to be punished. And I believed it.

Mohamed Salah is on track to achieve the best individual Premier League season in history after committing his future to Liverpool.
The Reds talisman has signed a new two-year deal as a reward for a campaign where he has consistently rewritten the record books.

The Egyptian has put up numbers comparable with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo en route to breaking his own record for the most Fantasy Premier League points scored in a season.
Overall, Salah already has 44 goal contributions in the top-flight alone this term and has another seven games to break all records.
The 32-year-old is just three short of the Premier League record, but he’s already level for the best individual tally in a 38-game season.

Who has the record for most goals and assists in a Premier League season?

Alan Shearer and Andy Cole share the mantle for the most goal contributions in a single Premier League season with 47.

Shearer achieved the feat in Blackburn’s title-winning campaign in 1994/95, with Cole doing the same for Newcastle the year before.

However, an important distinction is that both of those achievements came in a 42-game season when the Premier League had 22 teams.
Since the introduction of a 38-game season in 1995/96, Thierry Henry and Erling Haaland share the record with 44 goal contributions each.

Arsenal’s iconic Frenchman Henry scored 24 goals and provided 20 assists during his historic 2002/03 campaign.

Haaland, meanwhile, matched that contribution in his opening season in England, scoring 36 goals and providing eight assists.
That latter achievement is the most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign, with the Norwegian two ahead of Cole.

Kevin De Bruyne and Henry are tied for the most assists in a single season, having laid on 20 in 2019-20 and that 02/03 campaign, respectively.
The joint record is somewhat controversial, with Man City superstar De Bruyne believing he should hold the feat outright and that some of his assists that year were wrongfully taken from him.
As reported by goal, De Bruyne said: “I have got two more – you guys took two away from me that I am still claiming so for me I was already above [Henry].
“It is what it is. I need my teammates, obviously I am creating for them to score, and I am grateful when they do. It is nice to have [the record] and it is nice to have it with Thierry.”

Ironically, both of his alleged assists came against Arsenal, with De Bruyne’s cross for Raheem Sterling’s goal in a 3-0 win in December 2019 taking a slight deflection so didn’t get counted.
In the reverse fixture, KDB teed up Sterling again that June but missed out on the assist as the ball hit David Luiz on the thigh.

The Cameroon international allowed Thiago Almada’s soft free-kick to skip past him the day after being called “one of the worst goalkeepers” in United’s history in a pre-match spat involving the club’s former midfielder Nemanja Matic, now with Lyon.
Teenage defender Leny Yoro equalised just before half-time and Joshua Zirkzee’s header in the 88th minute looked to have won the game for United at Groupama Stadium.
But Onana failed to hold Georges Mikautadze’s low shot deep into stoppage time and Rayan Cherki poked home the rebound, leaving the tie in the balance ahead of the return clash at Trafford next week.
United manager Ruben Amorim was quick to defend Onana and turn his attention to the second leg.

“It can happen. If you play football, and we play a lot of games, you can make mistakes,” he said. “There is nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help.”
“We have one more game to change everything and that should be our focus,” he added.
United’s ability to rebuild a squad in danger of the club’s worst top-flight finish since relegation in 1974 likely hinges on sealing a return to the Champions League.
Winning the Europa League is the only way they can qualify for the elite competition. Failure to do so is predicted to cost United at least £100 million ($127.6 million) at a time when the club’s financial headroom is already minimal.

In a measure of how far both clubs, particularly United, have fallen, this was their first meeting since the last 16 of the 2007-08 Champions League.
Back then, both were at their peaks. United went on to win their third European crown. Lyon scooped the last of seven consecutive French titles.
Perhaps no player has encapsulated United’s domestic woes this term more than Rasmus Hojlund, whose five goals in Europe outnumber the three he’s managed in the Premier League.
The Denmark striker scuffed an inviting chance horribly wide from Patrick Dorgu’s cut-back as United gradually began to threaten, with Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate getting a key touch to divert a crisp Bruno Fernandes effort over the bar.

Onana the centre of attention

Any momentum United had built dissipated when Onana failed to keep out Almada’s free-kick. The goalkeeper was already in the spotlight after Matic’s jibe.
The ex-United midfielder’s stinging rebuke came in response to Onana claiming the Red Devils were “way better” than their opponents, comments that Amorim insisted were taken out of context.
Having loudly jeered his every touch, Lyon fans revelled in Onana’s misfortune as he allowed Almada’s curling set-piece to bounce off his gloves and nestle in the far corner.

United equalised at the end of the half as Manuel Ugarte hooked the ball back into the box after Lucas Perri punched away Fernandes’ free-kick, and Yoro glanced home his first goal for the club.

Alexandre Lacazette sliced wide moments after coming on early in the second half following brilliant work from Mikautadze, who weaved past a series of defenders.
Corentin Tolisso pierced the United defence but shot tamely at Onana. Perri had to react sharply to tip over from Garnacho as the Argentine connected with Dorgu’s cross.
Casemiro headed the resulting corner narrowly wide before Lacazette blazed over another good chance for Lyon, but the drama was far from complete.

Zirkzee powered a header past Perri after a brilliant ball in from Fernandes only for United’s joy to be cut short in the fifth minute of added time when Cherki pounced on another Onana handling error to level.
“I think we deserve even better than a draw. We played really well, but we know there is a second leg to come and we will go there to win, that’s all,” Cherki told Canal Plus.

Raphinha’s unexpected explosion of form has prompted many dissenting critics to apologise for the scathing comments tossed at the Brazilian last summer when many (including some inside the club) wanted him sold.
Yet it was Raphinha who said sorry after his latest blistering Champions League performance.

Barcelona’s Champions League quarter-final at home to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night was goalless when Pau Cubarsi flung his right boot towards a low cross in the 25th minute. Part of the ball was already over the goalline when Raphinha came blurring into view ,with the Brazil international ultimately apologising to his teammate for what he described as an “instinctive” lunge.
That dramatic intervention robbed Cubarsi of his first Champions League goal. For Raphinha, it was his 12th of the season. Two more assists in the 4-0 rout afforded the Brazilian a staggering haul of 19 direct goal contributions in 11 matches – the highest tally ever recorded in the competition by a Barcelona player.

Lionel Messi set that high watermark in 2011/12, with 14 goals and five assists during the most prolific campaign of his glittering career.

Only two players in Champions League history have ever boasted 20 or more goal contributions in a single campaign. Robert Lewandowski rattled in 21 (15 goals, six assists) when Bayern Munich lifted the big-eared trophy in 2020, while Cristiano Ronaldo achieved the feat on two separate occasions.
Raphinha has a maximum of four more Champions League games to either score or create four more goals to top Ronaldo’s all-time record.
During the tumultuous summer of 2024, one Catalan influencer posted a video of himself wearing Raphinha’s No 11 Barcelona shirt with Nico Williams’ name replacing the Brazilian. “I left a comment in that post because I think it was disrespectful,” the former Leeds United forward reflected after Williams rejected the chance to leave Athletic Club for Barcelona. “People need to keep their respect to the players from the club who try to do their best for the shirt.”

As Barcelona maintain their assault on three different competitions with Raphinha the team’s undisputed figurehead, there’s little chance of the Brazilian missing out on the respect he unapologetically deserves.

Nemanja Matic couldn’t win any trophy with Manchester United, Andre Onana pointed out after the Serbian called the Cameronoan one of the worst goalkeepers in the club’s modern history

Not long after Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana declared that his side was superior to Ligue 1’s Olympique Lyon, their opponent for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg, he came under fire from a former Red Devil. Nemanja Matic, who was a Manchester United player for five years, responded to the Cameroonian, calling him one of the worst goalkeepers to guard the nets at the Old Trafford!
Onana made the controversial statement after Sunday’s Manchester derby that ended 0-0. The shot-stopper said his team will be travelling to France with a winning mentality as they are well aware they are a superior team despite not having a great season domestically.

“I think we are better than them, we just have to go there and show who we are. If we go there with a winning mentality and we are focused, stay compact and together and we follow the game plan we will be winning the game…Of course, it’s not going to be easy, but I think we are way better than them,” Andre Onana had reportedly said.

Serbian Matic, 36, is a two-time Premier League winner with Chelsea. He spent five trophyless seasons with United between 2017 and 2022 before arriving at Lyon via Roma and Rennes. Launching a scathing attack at Onana, Matic said the claim would have had some legitimacy if it came from someone like Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar. Onana has no right to belittle Lyon, Matic said during the pre-match news conference on Wednesday.

“If you’re one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history then you need to take care of what you are talking about… If David De Gea, Peter Schmeichel or Edwin van der Sar said that I would question myself but if you are statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s modern history, he needs to show that before he says it,” Matic said.

However, Onana seems to have noticed the comments made by Matic as his recent social media post made a veiled attack on his trophyless career at Old Trafford. Taking the opportunity to also claim that, he is not the kind of player who would disrespect another club, Onana said on X that his focus was on coming up with a performance that would make United fans proud.

” would never be disrespectful to another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.  At least I’ve lifted trophies with the greatest club in the world. Some can’t say the same,” the post read.

The Premier League has been awarded a fifth Champions League qualification spot as a result of Arsenal’s triumph over Real Madrid on Tuesday.
The Gunners roared to an emphatic 3-0 victory over the defending champions in their quarter-final first leg at the Emirates, with Declan Rice netting two stunning free kicks before Mikel Merino capped off a magical night for Mikel Arteta’s side.

The performance of English teams across the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League this season had put the Premier League well out in front in the race for an extra qualification spot, and just one win in this week’s first legs was needed to secure it.
Arsenal delivered in style, ensuring the Premier League will now have five teams in next season’s Champions League instead of the usual four.
League-leaders Liverpool are certainties to qualify alongside Arteta’s Gunners, but the extra spot comes as a huge boost to the chasing pack whose focus had previously been on sealing a place in the top four.
Nottingham Forest and Chelsea currently sit third and fourth, but Newcastle United are level on points with the Blues in fifth and have the game in hand needed to climb above Enzo Maresca’s side. Thanks to Arsenal’s victory, all three teams would qualify for the Champions League as things stand.

Manchester City are just one point behind in sixth, with current quarter-finalists Aston Villa a further point back. Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion are just five and six points adrift of the top five, so there is still plenty to play for between now and the end of the season.
The team which ends the season in sixth will automatically qualify for the Europa League, rather than go through the qualification phase.

UEFA, UC3 and PepsiCo have renewed their partnership that will see PepsiCo’s most iconic brands – Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade – continue to be a prominent presence in stadiums and communities as a UEFA Women’s Football sponsor until 2030. The agreement includes the UEFA Women’s Champions League from the 2025/26 season, which will see the introduction of a more dynamic and thrilling league phase format, until 2029/30, as well as UEFA Women’s EURO 2029. PepsiCo is the first partner to reaffirm its commitment for the 2025-2030 commercial cycle.

PepsiCo will launch the next cycle of its partnership with a bold line-up of initiatives designed to elevate the game and create unforgettable experiences for both fans and players.

As part of the agreement, Pepsi will extend its Kick-Off Show to both the UEFA Women’s Champions League final from the 2025/26 season, and the Women’s EURO 2029 final. Beyond the finals, Pepsi will bring immersive entertainment to every UEFA Women’s Champions League knockout round from the quarter-final onwards, featuring Pepsi-branded in-stadium activations, live performances and fan-powered experiences designed to fuel excitement before kick-off.

Additionally, Lay’s will strengthen its connection with fans by delivering exclusive digital content and immersive in-stadium experiences. Meanwhile, Gatorade, through its global “Fuel Tomorrow” initiative, is expanding access to the game by supporting grassroots programmes, providing equipment and safe playing spaces, and investing in coaching development. The brand will also continue to support UEFA’s elite referee programme while maintaining a strong sideline presence at UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO matches, ensuring athletes are fuelled for peak performance.

Guy-Laurent Epstein, UEFA marketing director, said: “As women’s football continues to reach new heights, we’re delighted to extend our fruitful partnership with PepsiCo and its iconic brands, Lay’s and Gatorade. PepsiCo’s longstanding commitment to growing the game aligns seamlessly with UEFA’s new Women’s Football Strategy — driving investment, visibility and growth at all levels of the football pyramid. Together, we will continue to elevate the women’s game, inspiring the next generation of players and fans alike”

Adam Warner, Vice President Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships at PepsiCo, said: “For over 50 years, football culture has been in our DNA, championing players and fans alike through partnerships, campaigns, and communities that celebrate the spirit of the game. Football is a global passion, and PepsiCo is uniquely positioned to continue creating unexpected moments that inspire fans and drive commercial success. Extending our partnership with UEFA Women’s Football harnesses the power, resources, and scale of three iconic brands to further elevate the sport. This renewal, alongside the prestige of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, will expand the reach and impact of the game, driving its continued growth on the world stage.”
The agreement will also see PepsiCo sponsor the UEFA European Women’s Under-19 and Under-17 Championships, and the UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO, as well as UEFA’s Together #WePlayStrong programme, which is aimed at encouraging more girls and women to play football.

PepsiCo has been a supporter of the UEFA Champions League since 2015 and of UEFA Women’s Football since 2019.

(Katikaa News got courtesy from Press release-Pepsico)

The race for Champions League qualification is gathering pace as the Premier League season approaches its final furlong.
Top two Liverpool and Arsenal look odds-on to finish where they currently sit, and three more places are almost certain to be up for grabs with England currently in line to secure one of UEFA’s two European performance spots.

Here, Katikaa News take a look at the other clubs vying for a seat at the top table next season.

Nottingham Forest

Current position: 3rd P 31 W 17 D 6 L 8 Pts 57 GD +14

Remaining fixtures: Everton (h), Tottenham, (a), Brentford (h), Crystal Palace (a), Leicester (h), West Ham (a), Chelsea (h)

Recent defeats by Fulham, Newcastle and on Saturday, Aston Villa have eaten into Forest’s cushion despite wins over Manchester duo City and United, and the chasing pack has closed on the season’s surprise package. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men do not have the most taxing remaining schedule, but Chelsea’s final-day visit to the City Ground could prove pivotal if points continue to slip away.

Chelsea

Current position: 4th P 31 W 15 D 8 L 8 Pts 53 GD +17
Remaining fixtures: Ipswich (h), Fulham (a), Everton (h), Liverpool (h), Newcastle (a), Manchester United (h), Nottingham Forest (a)

Chelsea will have to manage their quest for qualification alongside a bid for Conference League glory, which could stretch to a further five games for the quarter-finalists. Champions-elect Liverpool, Carabao Cup winners Newcastle and Forest will also have a say in the destiny of their league campaign.

Newcastle United

Current position: 5th P 30 W 16 D 5 L 9 Pts 53 GD +13
Remaining fixtures: Manchester United (h), Crystal Palace (h), Aston Villa (a), Ipswich (h), Brighton (a), Chelsea (h), Arsenal (a), Everton (h)

Monday night’s 3-0 win at relegation-haunted Leicester eased the Magpies level on points with Chelsea and, with a game in hand on the sides above them, they are a team to watch. However, the Magpies’ run-in is perhaps the most testing of the leading candidates with Villa, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal waiting in the wings after Manchester United’s visit to St James’ Park on Sunday.

Manchester City

Current position: 6th P 31 W 15 D 7 L 9 Pts 52 GD +17
Remaining fixtures: Crystal Palace (h), Everton (a), Aston Villa (h), Wolves (h), Southampton (a), Bournemouth (h), Fulham (a)

Reigning champions Manchester City’s hopes of a fifth successive title died some time ago and there is a very real possibility that they could miss out on making the Champions League after Sunday’s drab derby draw at Old Trafford. Villa are the only other main contender they will face over the remaining weeks of the season, but Pep Guardiola’s men have little margin for error.

Aston Villa

Current

position: 7th P 31 W 14 D 9 L 8 Pts 51 GD 0

Remaining fixtures: Southampton (a), Newcastle (h), Manchester City (a), Fulham (h), Bournemouth (a), Tottenham (h), Manchester United (a)

Champions League quarter-finalists Villa have their sights set firmly on a mouth-watering two-legged showdown with newly-crowned French champions Paris St Germain, but they have significant work to do if they are to make the cut again next season as a result of their league finish. Games against Newcastle and Manchester City could prove crucial, while Fulham and Bournemouth have their own targets and Tottenham and Manchester United have angry fans to appease.

Clubs contesting next month’s Champions League final in Munich will receive an official allocation of 18,000 tickets costing €70 each, with the most expensive tickets costing €950.
Arsenal and Aston Villa remain in the competition, but only one of the Premier League’s two remaining teams can reach the final on 31 May, with the sides set to meet in the semi-finals if they can overcome Real Madrid and Paris St Germain respectively in the last eight.

UEFA issued information on ticketing plans for the four men’s and women’s club competition finals on Monday and confirmed only 38,700 out of 64,500 tickets – equating to 60% – would be available to the public, with 36,000 of those publicly available tickets being divided equally between the finalists.

Tickets not made available to the public are for the local organising structure, UEFA’s member national associations, commercial partners, broadcasters and UEFA itself.
The percentage being made available to the public this year is almost 10% lower than was the case for last year’s Champions League final at Wembley, where 60,000 out of 86,600 tickets were available directly for fans and the general public to purchase.
For the 2025 final, the 36,000 tickets allocated to fans of the finalists – plus accessibility tickets for disabled supporters – will be priced at the ‘Fans First’ rate of €70.
The next cheapest tickets cost €180 euros each and at the top end, category one tickets will cost €950.

A greater proportion of tickets for the Europa League final in Bilbao on 21 May are available to the general public – 41,000 out of 49,600 – more than 80%.
Each finalist will be allocated 15,000 of those tickets at a ‘Fans First’ price of €40.
Conference League sides in the final in the Polish city of Wroclaw on 28 May will be allocated 12,500 tickets each of the 35,000 available at a price of c25.

The Women’s Champions League final takes place in Lisbon on 24 May. Tickets for the women’s showpiece match first went on sale in February, but 18,000 in total have been reserved for fans of the two clubs who reach the final. Ticket prices start at €10.

Lionel Messi made history once again on MLS Matchday 7.

With his equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC, Inter Miami CF’s captain surpassed Gonzalo Higuain for the most goal contributions in club history.

The iconic forward now has 44 goal contributions in 29 regular-season matches, tallying 24 goals and 20 assists with the Herons.

Since arriving in South Florida in the summer of 2023, the former FC Barcelona star has put up some of the most dominant numbers the league has seen.

After leading the Herons to the Leagues Cup trophy in his first season, Messi was crucial to Miami’s 2024 Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign, in which they set the single-season points record. Messi also took home the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, logging an outrageous 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 appearances.

With his goal on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, his third of the season, Messi surpasses his former Argentina teammate in the club record books. It took Higuaín 67 appearances to reach that same point; Messi is just five goals away from tying his goal mark.