13/05/2026

SPORTS WEDNESDAY | MAY 13, 2026

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Lewis-Skelly says title race far from over

MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY is ada mant Arsenal know better than anyone what they must do to secure the club’s first Premier League title in more than 20 years. The Gunners moved closer to being crowned champions of England for the first time since 2004 following a 1-0 win at West Ham on Sunday but only after the hosts had a stoppage-time equaliser ruled out following a lengthy VAR review.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s side until he was given a chance against Fulham earlier this month and he has started every game since. “It was tough initially,” he said. “But, for me, I pride myself on having mental strength. Sport is not one path way, because there are ups and downs. And it’s how you bounce back from that, and how you are in those moments when you face adversity. That is what defines you. “I spoke with my family and friends. I just told them, ‘I don’t want to hear all the noise that is coming from social media. “Let me stay in this moment, let me continue to face this adversity and let me come out the other side of it’.” “He (Arteta) told me, ‘You are going to play in midfield, so go for it’. So, that is what I did.

Crystal Palace before the Gunners face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30. “We have to stay humble,” said teen age rising star Lewis-Skelly, now back in Arsenal’s starting line-up after spend ing much of the season on the sidelines. “(The dressing room is) just joy, excitement, fulfilment – everything you can describe,” he explained. “We are buzzing, but we know that the job is not done. “We have got two more (domestic) ‘finals’ (against Burnley and Palace) left now, and we have to take each game as it comes. The next one is Burnley – and then we go on from there. “As players, as a fan myself, it’s easy to think about what could

Hero to zero Tel leaves Spurs in relegation peril

Victory left leaders Arsenal five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, with two games to play – at home to already relegated Burnley a n d away t o

after his costly error denies crucial win against Leeds

be. But, it is important that we stay in the moment. We have to stay on it.” Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a break through campaign last season but struggled to secure a place in

Ű BY MIGUEL DELANEY

minutes into the second half when Tel controlled the ball instantly after it fell to him following a Pedro Porro corner. The Frenchman picked his spot, curling the ball past a diving Karl Darlow. But with about 20 minutes of nor mal time to go, Tel attempted an over head kick to clear the ball from his own penalty area, making contact with the head of the onrushing Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu. Referee Jarred Gillett ruled that it was a penalty after a VAR check and Dominic Calvert-Lewin smashed the ball home. Midfielder James Maddison was given a rousing welcome by the home crowd when he was introduced as a late substitute – his first match of the season after recovering from an anterior cruci ate ligament injury. Then the referee signalled 13 min utes of added time – a decision that lifted the home crowd further. But Leeds came agonisingly close to a winner, with Kinsky produced a remarkable save onto the crossbar in the 98th minute from point-blank range to deny Sean Longstaff. In a frantic finale, Spurs had a last gasp penalty claim turned down after Lukas Nmecha got the faintest of touches to the ball before Maddison went to ground. The point lifts Spurs to 38 points – two clear of West Ham, who have an inferior goal difference. De Zerbi – the third manager of an injury-blighted and shambolic season for Spurs – was appointed with a brief to save the club from a first relegation since 1977. His team are now unbeaten in four games but the spectre of the drop still hangs over the club, who won the Europa League just 12 months ago. Spurs still have potentially tough games to come against Chelsea and Everton while West Ham face Newcastle and Leeds. – AFP

M ATHYS TEL was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds on Monday — a result that leaves their Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the ten sion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who pro duced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham with just two games left this season. The Hammers lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday – a result that guaranteed the safety of Leeds and Nottingham Forest and left Spurs and West Ham scrapping it out for the final relegation spot. Wolves and Burnley are already down. Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi, who only arrived in late March, pledged his players would “fight until the end”. “(When) we lost to Sunderland it was impossible to see ourselves two points above the relegation zone with two games to go,” he said. “Now we have to be positive and work. We have the quality to make other points and stay up. I think we deserve to stay up. We will fight until the end. “When you are fighting relegation you have to fight stronger with the legs than with the head. We have to push until the end. Even if we had won today, it wouldn’t have been finished yet.” Tottenham came into yesterday’s match with just two home wins in the league under their belt all season. Kinsky got down smartly to his right to keep out Joe Rodon’s header in the 21st minute and at the other end, Joao Palhinha fired over from close range. Tottenham broke the deadlock five

“And I had to be bold and play with courage, because that is what this l e a g u e demands,” he added. – AFP

Alonso emerges as top target for Chelsea

X A B I A LON S O feels his football

ing this season of goals with illegal blocks and illegal pulls and pushing and stuff on goalkeepers, I don’t understand why that’s been given. That’s all. “I spoke with David after the game and I think we have the same experi ence on this matter during this season. “Because, of course, he has every right to ask for a freekick or a foul on him. “But I think you can find a lot of situa tions during this season where it’s been different.” – AFP Aside from his reputation, Alonso is the kind of hands-on coach that the Chelsea hierarchy like. He is also said to see how his system can work with most of the existing players, give or take the few signings that Chelea are expected to make. Chelsea also greatly admire Iraola, who is the subject of interest from a number of clubs. Manchester United have been monitoring his situation, but the expectation is still they will ultimately appoint Michael Carrick. – The Independent keen to return to work this summer, hav ing left a very difficult job in Real Madrid after just seven months. The recent chaos at the Bernabeu nevertheless means that brief role has had no real impact on a burgeoning reputation having previously won a title at Bayer Leverkusen with an unbeaten season. While there is still some distance to go until any actual deal is struck, contact between the camps has progressed over the past week, with increasingly positive noises.

on (Konstantinos) Mavropanos, shirt pulls on (Tomas) Soucek, even shirt pulls on Pablo before the goal. So to pick this situation…” The 25-year-old Denmark interna tional made it clear he accepted Raya had been impeded but questioned why other similar incidents had not been penalised in the same way. “You know, I agree it’s a foul,” he said. “You can give the foul on the goal keeper, definitely. “But (with) what has been given dur can fit the Chelsea squad, as the London club explore a deal to appoint the Basque as their next man ager, according to sources with knowledge of the process. The 44-year-old cur rently heads up the Stamford Bridge hierarchy’s short list of potential appointments, along with Andoni Iraola. Aiding Chelsea might be the fact that they currently have no major competition for Alonso’s signature. There has been no serious contact from Liverpool, despite his playing connection to Anfield. Arne Slot is instead widely expected to stay in the job, despite current fan dissent. Alonso is understood to be

Tottenham’s Mathys Tel (right) challanges Leeds’ Ethan Ampadu during their English Premier League match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

Every goalie ‘illegally blocked’ says West Ham’s

Hermansen after Arsenal agony

WEST Mads Hermansen believes pushing and shov ing at corners in Premier League has become a major problem after VAR denied his side a late equaliser against Arsenal for a foul on Gunners counter part David Raya. Relegation-threatened West Ham thought they had rescued a precious point against the league leaders when Callum Wilson equalised in stoppage time at the London Stadium on Sunday after Raya had dropped the ball. HAM goalkeeper

decision now reportedly plan to raise their concerns with referees’ body Professional Game Match Officials. “If you ask any goalkeeper in the league, if he’s been illegally blocked, pulled, pushed on corners this season I think you will not find anyone who has not experienced this,” Hermansen said. “So to give this (decision against West Ham), I’m not sure I understand why. Of course, we watched it after wards and we can see there’s shirt pulls and

But the goal was disallowed by refe ree Chris Kavanagh, following a lengthy review that saw him advised to consult the pitch-side monitor, for a foul by Pablo on Reya. The decision meant Leandro Trossard’s 82nd-minute strike eventually proved enough for Arsenal to secure a 1-0 win that took them five points clear at the top of the table and left London rivals West Ham in the bottom three with just two games left to play. West Ham were furious with the