22/05/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | MAY 22, 2026

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ISAIAH BROWNE, a 20-year-old Arsenal sup porter who has known only recent near misses, finally witnessed the club’s first Premier League title in 22 years – a triumph and wave of celebration that he said felt like a dream. Arsenal, dominant for most of the season, were crowned champions on Wednesday without kicking a ball after second-placed Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth. While the players gathered at their training ground to watch the match – later celebrating wildly in a video shared on social media – thousands of fans poured into the streets of north London. Browne was among them, sprinting to the Emirates Stadium as jubilant scenes unfolded outside. “They’ve been through a rough period in my lifetime, so to be here now and finally see them win – yesterday felt like a dream,” Browne, who is also a youth football coach, told Reuters . “As soon as the final whistle went, I got dressed and headed straight here. I didn’t even take a vehicle – I live 10 minutes away, so I just ran. “It was surreal to see how many people were here. As time went on, more and more just kept coming. It was a great night.” Under manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal had earned a reputation as nearly men, finishing runners-up in each of the previous three sea sons. This time, they got over the line, sealing a 14th English title – behind only Manchester United and Liverpool, who have 20 each. The triumph ends a wait stretching back to the club’s unbeaten 2003/04 campaign under Arsene Wenger and marks their first major tro phy since the 2020 FA Cup. “I’m only 20, so I didn’t get to see the last title,” Browne said. “I heard about it from family and watched old clips online. “I wanted to experience this myself – to celebrate my team and talk kindly about them.” – Reuters From near misses to glory Arsenal are world’s best when out of possession: Enrique PARIS ST GERMAIN head coach Luis Enrique has lavished praise on Arsenal ahead of this month’s Champions League final, dubbing them the best team in the world without the ball. Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title on Wednesday and Luis Enrique told reporters it was no surprise they had also reached the final of Europe’s elite club competition. “We’ve got experience of playing against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, and we know full well how good they are on the ball,” he said. “Off the ball, they’re the best team in the world, no doubt about it. With the ball, they’re capable of scoring plenty of goals. “And it’s only natural to see them in the final. It’ll be a very tough final with two teams approaching it in two different ways. But I think we’re in for a cracking final.” The PSG boss stressed the importance of pressing and defending ahead of the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30, highlighting star forward Ousmane Dembele’s work rate. “He defends all the time, no matter the match or the minute,“ the Spanish manager said. “It’s important to have him because we tend to always highlight what the forwards do when they score goals or provide assists, but we don’t highlight enough what he does as a defender. When a team doesn’t have the ball, you have to defend.” – Reuters

Changing of the guard at City BERNARDO SILVA believes it is time for a new generation to take the lead at Manchester City.

turing the Champions League in 2023 and all four domestic trophies in the 2018/19 season. “Even though the Champions League adds something special to it, to win a domestic quadruple was really tough, especially against that Liverpool team,” said Silva. “But if I have to choose one, I think the treble because the Champions League for this club – the only one that we won, it edges it a lit tle bit.” – AFP

tunity to go a bit closer to my fam ily… Even though I love the football club and I loved the nine years here, I feel it’s the right moment for me to have a new challenge in my life – it’s going to be good.” The Portugal midfielder has made 459 appearances for City in total, scoring 76 goals, since joining from Monaco in 2017. He has won 15 major trophies with the club, includ ing four successive Premier League titles from 2021-2024, the treble fea

the League Cup and FA Cup this sea son. In a farewell interview with the club’s website, Silva thanked City manager Pep Guardiola and said the side had been unlucky not to win more Champions League titles. “It’s never enough, but I feel that we won a lot, our generation,” said Silva. “I feel that also it’s time for these young guys to have their moment. “And for me personally, it’s an oppor

The 31-year-old City captain will leave the Etihad Stadium after nine trophy-laden years when his con tract expires at the end of the sea son. Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Bournemouth ended City’s bid to win the Premier League title, with Arsenal crowned champions as a result, but the club have won both

Spygate punishment stands Southampton’s Wembley dream ends after failed appeal S OUTHAMPTON lost an appeal yester day against their expulsion from the Championship playoff final after they were thrown out for spying on a “A league arbitration panel has tonight dis missed Southampton Football Club’s appeal against the independent disciplinary commis sion’s sanction following the admittance of mul tiple breaches of EFL regulations,” the English Football League said yes terday. as does the four-point deduction to be applied to the 2026/27 Championship table.” Southampton issued a statement calling the decision “an extremely disappointing outcome”. It added: “While we fully acknowledge the seriousness of this matter and the scrutiny that has followed, the club has consistently believed the original sporting sanction was

Middlesbrough training session. An English Football League independent disciplinary commission on Wednesday kicked the Saints out and reinstated Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 on aggregate to Southampton in the semifinals. Boro will now face Hull at Wembley tomorrow (10.30pm Malaysian time) for a place in the Premier League.

“The determination means that the original sanction of expulsion from the

disproportionate, a view that has been widely shared by many in the football com munity over the last 24 hours. “While tonight is a painful moment, this football club will respond with humil ity, accountability and determination to put things right.” Saints chief executive Phil Parsons earlier said the club “cannot accept a sanction which bears no proportion to the offence”. Parsons said Southampton had been “denied the opportunity to compete in a game worth more than £200 million (RM1 billion) and one which means so much to our staff, players and supporters”. Southampton highlighted a ished, the EFL’s regulation 127 – which spe cifically forbids clubs from observing an opponent within 72 hours of a match – did not exist. It was introduced after Leeds were sanctioned to help clarify what had been an uncertain situation. Southampton have also admitted to spying on a training session at Oxford in December and one at Ipswich in April, in addition to the Middlesbrough session. All three incidents occurred after the appointment of German coach Tonda Eckert as Southampton manager in December. Middlesbrough, who called for Southampton to be expelled from the play offs before Tuesday’s hearing, welcomed their removal from the final, saying the ruling “sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct”. – AFP Antonio Conte is set to take charge of his last Napoli match on Sunday in one of the weekend’s five dead rubbers, with Udinese rolling south to Naples with nothing to play for. Napoli secured Champions League football last weekend and Conte is widely expected to leave southern Italy’s biggest club for a second spell in charge of the country’s beleaguered national team. The name of the new Italy coach will only be made public after the election of a new football federation president on June 22, a couple of weeks after friendlies with Luxembourg and Greece. – AFP £200,000 (RM1m) fine imposed on Leeds in 2019 for spying on Derby as evidence of a precedent the EFL should follow in their case. However, when Leeds were pun

Championship play offs remains in place,

Southampton’s dream of returning into the English Premier League ended after found guilty of spying. – REUTERSPIC

Juve risk disaster as Serie A’s CL race goes down to the wire JUVENTUS’ season is at risk of turning into a dis aster ahead of Sunday’s fraught Turin derby which could end with their absence from next season’s Champions League. even with a win over Torino. Two points separate Juve from fourth-placed Roma, who head to relegated Verona, and AC Milan who sit third ahead of their match with Cagliari at the San Siro.

In one of Europe’s most one-sided derbies Juve have not lost to Torino in 11 years but the pressure is on for a victory over their local rivals whose mid-table position in Italy’s top flight does not reflect their ability to make things diffi cult for the big guns. Juve had looked set for a top-four finish but a damaging 2-0 home defeat to Fiorentina has left Luciano Spalletti’s team sixth and needing a helping hand to reach the Champions League

Also in Juve’s way are fifth-placed Como, who host Cremonese in a match which will have a say in both the Champions League race and who will go down down to Serie B with Pisa and Verona. Milan were deep in crisis before last week end’s key win at Genoa put the seven-time European champions in pole position to return to Europe’s top club competition, with Cagliari having ensured safety last weekend.