10/04/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 10, 2026

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Arsenal can still have a very special season: Havertz A DRAMATIC late winner has injected fresh belief into Arsenal’s season, with Kai Havertz claiming something “very special” is unfold ing at the club. His sentiment was echoed by goalkeeper David Raya, who declared himself “100%” confident the Gunners can lift the Champions League trophy. Havertz sealed a crucial 1-0 victory against Sporting Lisbon with a stoppage time goal in their Champions League quar terfinal first leg on Wednesday, providing Mikel Arteta’s side with a significant advan tage ahead of next week’s return fixture at the Emirates. The late triumph arrived at a pivotal moment for Arsenal, whose campaign had teetered on a knife edge following their first back-to-back defeats of the season. This hard-fought win now offers renewed hope that the club can avoid ending the sea son without silverware. Reflecting on the turnaround, Havertz stated: “We needed that as we were all frus trated with how the last couple of weeks went. But now it’s time to move forward, it’s time to be positive and it’s time to all stick together. “As a group – as players, staff and the fans – we’re all in this together and we still can make something happen this year. It can be something very special. That’s what we’re going to go for and now it’s time to win games.” Central to Arsenal’s first-leg success in Lisbon was an outstanding display from goalkeeper Raya. The Spain international, controversially benched for the club’s recent cup exits against Manchester City and Southampton, emphatically proved his worth. He produced a stunning early save to thwart Maxi Araujo, followed by two more critical interventions before Havertz’s deci sive strike. Raya’s clean sheet marked his 22nd across 41 appearances this season, a tally four greater than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues. Buoyed by this performance, the Spaniard expressed his conviction that Arsenal can not only reach a second succes sive Champions League semifinal – a club first – but also go on to win the competition. “We believe 100% that we can win it,” Raya told Amazon Prime . “We have to go step-by-step and game-by-game and keep showing what we can do. We have to focus on the present, but we have full belief. “If you don’t believe, you are never going to win it, so you have to keep believing no matter what you go through. “We came from two losses, we had to learn from that and use the pain in our belly to express ourselves and be better every sin gle day. That is really important and the mes sage we have to send out there.” – The Independent Ű BY PHILIP DUNCAN City Football Club this season has been upheld by an independent appeal board,” the Premier League said in a statement. In the 2015/16 season, Leicester shocked the football world to win the Premier League despite starting the campaign as 5,000-1 out siders. They also won the FA Cup for the first time in 2021 but were relegated in 2023. They bounced straight back to the top flight under Enzo Maresca but were relegated again last season with just six wins in 38 games. – AFP

Gerrard labels Liverpool ‘toothless’

Ű BY MICHAEL JONES

and set the team up with three centre backs as Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong played as wingbacks. That formation allowed more bod ies around the penalty area but stifled Liverpool’s attacking qualities and they finished the match without recording a single shot on target. “PSG were more ruthless, certainly in the second half they had big chances… to go and kill the tie off,” Gerrard said in the post-match analy sis. “Liverpool getting out of here at 2 0 is okay, it’s not fantastic but if any place can make a tie of this next week, it’s Anfield.” Fellow pundit, and another former Liverpool star, Steve McManaman was

turn this around next week.” Yet, the most damning descripton came from Gerrard who described PSG’s performance as “total domina tion” and blamed Liverpool’s lack of bite in the final third for the result. “It’s going to be a real big ask is because PSG are so good,” he said. “It was total domination tonight, Liverpool’s tactics and gameplan worked for large periods of the game but they didn’t have anything up top. They were quite toothless and didn’t create anything. “Over the course of 90 minutes Liverpool haven’t offered enough but what they’ve done is given themselves a small opportunity next week at Anfield.” – The Independent

less enthused and explained how things could, and perhaps should, have been worse for Liverpool. He explained: “It’s an easy game to analyse. Weirdly enough, PSG weren’t ruthless enough tonight. The chances they missed… . “Liverpool had Alisson to the res cue last year, if anything it was PSG not putting them to the sword today. I thought Liverpool were very light weight up top. Not being ruthless enough, not taking shots on. “It’s going to be difficult to turn this around, against this team. Marquinhos (PSG’s captain) has had the easiest game of the season, he’s hardly done anything today. It’s going to take a huge performance for Liverpool to

STEVEN described Liverpool’s performance against Paris Saint-Germain as “toothless” as the Premier League champions were beaten 2-0 at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie. The former Liverpool captain spoke on TNT Sports after the Reds conceded twice in Paris thanks to goals from Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia who secured a comfortable lead for the Champions League holders ahead of next week’s return leg. Arne Slot switched up Liverpool’s tactics following their disappointing 4 0 loss to Manchester City last weekend GERRARD

Atletico stun Barcelona Simeone’s side down 10-man Catalans to take control of Champions League tie J ULIAN ALVAREZ and Alexander Sorloth’s goals earned Atletico Madrid a com manding 2-0 lead over 10-man the second half. The defender touched the ball with his hand after goalkeeper Juan Musso passed it to him, to take the goal kick himself, which Flick said should have been reviewed.

Atletico’s Alexander Sorloth (left) scores their second goal past Barcelona ‘keeper Joan Garcia during yesterday’s Champions League quarterfinal, 1st leg match at the Nou Camp. – REUTERSPIC

Barcelona in a tense Champions League quarterfinal first leg clash yesterday. The La Liga leaders were on top in the all-Spanish tie at the Nou Camp before Pau Cubarsi was sent off for bringing down Atletico’s Giuliano Simeone, who was through on goal. Alvarez whipped home the resulting free-kick and Sorloth dou bled their advantage with 20 min utes remaining to give Atletico a strong chance of reaching the semi finals. Diego Simeone’s side, who have never won the competition, reached the 2014 and 2016 finals but were beaten by rivals Real Madrid on both occasions. “We have things to improve and learn from … we’re happy for the win but there’s a long way to go,” Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann told Movistar . “We’re very far from the semis, we’re 90 or more minutes away … we’re confident but keeping our feet on the ground.” Barca, semifinalists last season, need to make a huge comeback next week in Madrid if they are to stand a chance of lifting the trophy they last won in 2015. “It will be tough there but if any one can do it, it’s us,” Barca defender Ronald Araujo told Movistar . Barca coach Hansi Flick was upset by the use of VAR to punish his side for Cubarsi’s red card but not to analyse a potential handball inci dent against Atletico’s Marc Pubill in

“The VAR was very focused today for Atletico, he’s a German guy, so thanks Germany,” former German national team coach Flick told reporters. “It’s for me a clear red card.” In 2024 Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings was punished for a similar infringement in a Champions League defeat against Club Brugge. Flick said the VAR officials should have asked Kovacs to review the incident. “For my perspective it’s clear, he has to call and say okay come on look at this, the same like before. I don’t understand,” added Flick. “I haven’t spoken with the referee. I think it was better not to speak with him. “We have to accept it, and focus in the match next week in Atletico. We have the quality, the players who can decide (this game) and we have to fight.” Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo said it was “absurd but a clear penalty”. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said the officials were correct not to intervene. “There’s common sense,” said the Argentine. “If Marc, who was supposedly receiving a pass to start the play, interpreted it the way he did, and the referee interpreted it the same way Marc did, it’s because there is only common sense about the play.” – AFP

Leicester close to drop after points deduction appeal dismissed

LEICESTER’S appeal against a six-point deduc tion for breaching financial rules was rejected yesterday, plunging the Foxes ever closer to relegation to English football’s third tier. Just a decade on from their stunning Premier League title triumph, Leicester sit third from bottom of the Championship, one point adrift of safety with just five games to go. “With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of

An independent commission found in February that the club had breached profit and sustainability rules for the three-year period up to the 2023/24 season, when they won promo tion from the Championship, by nearly £21 mil lion (RM110m). In the three seasons from 2021/22 to 2023/24, the club posted losses of over £200 million (RM1.05b). “An independent commission’s decision to recommend a six-point deduction on Leicester

us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch,” Leicester said in a statement. “The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands.” Relegated from the Premier League last sea son, Leicester are now at serious risk of drop ping into League One after a run of just one win in 12 games in all competitions.