The Guardian

Late leveller is fresh blow to Madrid’s faint title hopes RB Leipzig’s 3-1 win is marred by online sexism row Héctor Bellerín struck deep into stoppage time to earn Real Betis a 1-1 draw against Real Madrid on Friday, dealing another blow to the visitors’ fading title hopes. Álvaro Arbeloa’s side appeared on course for a narrow win after taking the lead in the 17th minute. Federico Valverde let f…

The Guardian Australia picture editor, Carly Earl, explains why an official photo from the White House celebrating a champion women’s sports team has drawn backlash Continue reading...

Smart scheduling is key to longevity and avoiding injuries, and the Spaniard has sometimes paid for his imprudence Carlos Alcaraz’s title defence at the Monte Carlo Masters ended two Sundays ago in an intense two-set final loss to his arch-rival Jannik Sinner. While some players would have been desperate for a break after a gruelling week, Alcaraz had other plans. Less than 24 hours later, he lan…

Vítor Pereira had promised Nottingham Forest would approach this assignment with a “Champions League mentality” and his players did not disappoint him. A fabulous attacking performance not merely succeeded in ruining Sunderland’s lingering European ambitions but also lifted 16th-placed Forest to 39 points. That is within touching distance of safety and given Pereira’s team are now six points clea…

Fans of both sides are feeling similar levels of stress at different ends of the Premier League table Zadie Smith once wrote that “the square mile around Arsenal’s stadium could be a suitable surrogate for the whole wide world”. Perhaps you only really glimpse this on a match day, when the jerk chicken grills and paella pans fire up and belch delicious smoke across the rows of terraced houses, wh…

No stone has been left unturned in Arsenal’s search for success but the manager must find a way of inspiring his team to play with freedom Despite all the gimmicks, Mikel Arteta is still searching for answers. The Arsenal manager’s latest innovation involved lighting a fire at their London Colney training ground last week in the buildup to facing Manchester City, although that resulted only in th…

Here’s how to follow along with our coverage – the finest writing and up-to-the-minute reports Continue reading...

Fiftieth anniversary of an FA Cup win still central to their city’s identity forms an evocative backdrop to Saints’ semi-final against Manchester City Two years ago, when sixth-tier Maidstone won at Ipswich to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time, their manager, George Elokobi, distilled the unique, enduring impact of an FA Cup giantkilling into five syllables: “This binds us fo…

Young coach fills void again and hope must be he can show tactical nous that earned a point against Manchester City Given Chelsea supporters are pining for the old days, perhaps they can cheer themselves up by remembering glorious runs from some of the club’s previous interim managers, although whether Calum McFarlane is capable of emulating the likes of Guus Hiddink, Roberto Di Matteo and Rafael…

Chelsea, Leeds, Southampton and Man City are in FA Cup semi-final action, while Spurs visit Wolves in the league Continue reading...

Winner of six grand slams is changing her strategy after a run of poor results, helped by time in Spain with 39-year-old legend Iga Swiatek had little interest in tennis as a teenager, but the one exception was Rafael Nadal. She spent her formative years idolising the Spaniard, who won 22 majors and, from afar, soon became one of his most avid students. His influence is evident in the heavy topsp…

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! For so long an integral part of the BBC Holy Trinity of Saturday programming alongside Final Score and Match of the Day, Football Focus will leave our screens come season’s end . First aired back when the plot currently occupied by Stamford Bridge’s Matthew Harding Stand served as a matchday car park – as opposed to a seething mass of disgruntle…

‘You can’t build a mountain in one day,’ says former England netball coach who is embracing ‘starting from scratch’ in women’s football “Every job I’ve done has been about building something from scratch, starting a new franchise, turning something professional or trying to get someone up the table, where we were the underdog and we gave ourselves a big challenge and sent a statement to someone.”…

Alcaraz suffered injury in Barcelona Open first round Spaniard beat Sinner in epic 2025 Roland Garros final Carlos Alcaraz has been forced to withdraw from the French Open due to the wrist injury he suffered last week in his first round match at the Barcelona Open. Alcaraz has won the French Open for the past two years – including a classic final against Jannik Sinner last year – and he began the…

In a reversal from previous tournaments, companion tickets come at significant cost for the 2026 World Cup. Accessibility advocates are raising their concerns Sign up for the World Behind The Cup newsletter Football fans with disabilities are struggling to buy companion tickets for World Cup games with some seats that had been assigned for caregivers appearing to be put on general sale. The Guard…