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Ollie Watkins became Aston Villa's record Premier League goalscorer as his winner at Bournemouth helped Unai Emery's side boost their Champions League qualification hopes. 11 May 2025
Villa can no longer finish lower than seventh, meaning they are guaranteed European football in at least the Uefa Conference League next season. The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 80th minute when Jacob Ramsey was shown a second yellow card, but the held on in sun-kissed Bournemouth to stay sixth in the Premier League table and maintain the pressure on the teams above. In the final minute of first-half stoppage time Watkins guided Morgan Rogers' low cross into the bottom corner with a delicate, deft touch. It was the England striker's 75th league goal for Villa and moved him one clear of Gabby Agbonlahor's previous record haul. Villa endured a nervy finish when Ramsey received a second yellow for tripping David Brooks on the halfway line. Ramsey had been booked in the first half after he squared up to Adam Smith following a poor challenge by the Cherries captain. A man to the good, Bournemouth came incredibly close to an equaliser in the final seconds when Emiliano Martinez made a fingertip save to deny Antoine Semenyo's close-range header, and defender Matty Cash managed to nip in front of Daniel Jebbison to clear the ball off the line. Top-five-chasing Villa are now level on points with fourth and fifth-placed Newcastle and Chelsea, who play each other on Sunday.
Relegated Southampton shut out lifeless Manchester City to move past the Premier League record low mark of 11 points with a goalless draw at St Mary's. 11 May 2025
This season's Saints are now up to 12 points to ensure Derby County's record low from the 2007-08 season remains intact for at least another year. City could have moved level on points with second-placed Arsenal with a win but served up a dismal attacking display a week before their FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. They stay in third place but the dropped points on the south coast could prove costly in a tight race for a top-five finish and a place in the Champions League next season. Erling Haaland returned from injury but offered little as Pep Guardiola's side were content to play at walking pace against an admittedly packed Southampton defence, and looked devoid of ideas for most of the game. Defender Manuel Akanji headed wide from a corner and Bernardo Silva saw a shot hacked off the line by Saints captain Jack Stephens. Saints goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was only called into serious action inside the last few minutes, clawing away a header from Ruben Dias before Omar Marmoush rattled the crossbar from long range. But there were cheers from the stoic home crowd at the whistle as the hosts held on for just a third clean sheet all season.
Man Utd and Tottenham set up ‘titanic battle to salvage season’. 09 May 2025
Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in an all-English Europa League final on 21 May. Ruben Amorim's United saw off Spanish side Athletic Bilbao 7-1 on aggregate in their semi-final to progress, while Spurs got the better of Norwegians Bodo/Glimt 5-1 on aggregate. United are looking to win the Europa League for the second time in eight years, while Tottenham are bidding to end a 41-year wait for European success. It is the sixth all-English final in any major European competition - with half of them involving Spurs. Tottenham are looking to win a first trophy of any kind in 17 years and they will fancy themselves as favourites for the game in Bilbao, having beaten United three times already this season. Spurs won 3-0 at Old Trafford and 1-0 at home in the Premier League and also triumphed 4-3 in the League Cup. "If you think in the odds it's hard for the club to lose four times in a row," United boss Ruben Amorim said. "We can think that way." Former Tottenham midfielder Glenn Hoddle agreed that it would be difficult for Spurs to win again. "To beat a team four times also from the Premier League in one season is really tough," Hoddle said on TNT Sports. He added: "It will be a titanic battle. Spurs have had the upper hand at the moment but United will be looking for revenge." United last won the Europa League in 2016-17, when Jose Mourinho was manager. They lost the Europa League final 11-10 on penalties to Villarreal in 2021 when David de Gea missed his spot kick for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. Despite United's poor season domestically, ex-Red Devils midfielder Paul Scholes is confident his former side will rise to the occasion in the final. He said: "For some reason, the history of this club is almost like Real Madrid at times - when they aren't playing that well they can still go on and win European cups. "Manchester United's history tells me they will win it, they know how to win trophies, Tottenham don't."
Abde Ezzalzouli smashed home Antony's driven cross in extra time to send Real Betis into a first major European final at the expense of Fiorentina. 09 May 2025
Having claimed a narrow 2-1 win in the first leg in Seville, Manuel Pellegrini's side fought back from a goal down on the night to make it 2-2 and eliminate two-time finalists Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate in Italy. The winning moment came via a swift counter attack as Antony dashed down the right wing before laying a perfect assist into the path of Ezzalzouli to power a shot past a helpless David de Gea. For on loan Manchester United forward Antony it was his second significant involvement of the night, having opened the scoring with a wonderful, arcing free kick after 30 minutes. The hosts, aiming to reach a third successive Conference League final, were then given renewed hope by a Robin Gosens double at the end of the first half. The midfielder twice stole a march at the front post to convert a pair of headers. He glanced the first across goal and into the far corner, before powering the next high into the roof of the net with Fran Vieites rooted to level on aggregate. However they tired as the match wore on, eventually being undone in extra time by a moment of quality on the counter. Isco could then have further consolidated Betis' aggregate lead but blazed over from the edge of the box. Nevertheless the Spanish side held out under one last siege from Fiorentina to book their place in the final. They will go head to head with Chelsea for the trophy at Stadion Wrocław on Wednesday 28 May, after Enzo Maresca's side dispatched Swedish outfit Djurgarden 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to advance 5-1 on aggregate.
Chelsea will face Real Betis in the Conference League final later this month after sealing a comfortable semi-final triumph against Djurgarden at Stamford Bridge. 09 May 2025
Despite 10 changes from Sunday's win over Premier League champions Liverpool and handing a first senior start for 16-year-old Reggie Walsh, the Blues hardly broke a sweat to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory against the visitors. In the title clash to be played in the Polish city of Wroclaw on 28 May, they will meet Manuel Pellegrini's Betis, who beat Fiorentina 4-3 on aggregate after extra-time in the other last-four contest. Having won the first leg in Sweden 4-1 last week, Enzo Maresca's side increased their advantage when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked out the bottom corner from just inside the box after played through by Tyrique George. The travelling Djurgarden fans were at the top of their lungs all night but the hosts closed out the narrow second-leg victory and reached the final of Europe's third-tier club competition after bringing on Shim Mheuka and Genesis Antwi, both 17, in the second half. It will be the eighth European final in Chelsea's history and a first since beating Manchester City 1-0 to win the Champions League in 2021 under Thomas Tuchel. And for their current boss Maresca, it will be a chance to secure a first trophy - not only of his Blues reign but also the club's during the post-Roman Abramovich era.