The Guardian

FA Cup final will be 24th trip to stadium as City manager Spaniard aiming to win 17th major honour in decade Pep Guardiola has described his ­decade managing Manchester City as “fucking fun”, and suggested Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea might not be the last time he leads the team out at Wembley. While Guardiola’s contract expires in summer 2027, there is increasing expectation that he w…

Aston Villa qualified for the Champions League in style after leapfrogging Liverpool with a stirring victory that exposed the blind spots that have undermined Arne Slot’s meek title defence. Ollie Watkins scored twice after Virgil van Dijk had cancelled out Morgan Rogers’ brilliant, curling opener before Villa’s captain, John McGinn, completed the rout from the edge of the box. Liverpool have now…

Saints break records in rampant Prem win Hendy scores four tries in blowout All kinds of scoring records were spectacularly broken by a rampant Northampton on a lovely clear night in the East Midlands. Never before have the Saints scored more points in a Premiership fixture and never have Bristol endured such a grisly 80 minutes. To say the Bears finished a horribly distant second is to put it po…

Wigan 24-4 Leeds Rhinos punished for sluggish start This was not so much a crucial Super League victory as it was a statement to the rest of the competition. Six days on from their dismantling of their great rivals St Helens in the ­Challenge Cup semi-finals, Matt Peet’s side have now humiliated the side that were top of the table heading into this weekend. If you did not know the first ­trophy o…

The idea that one day Mourinho might return to the Bernabéu had hung in the air, if not really as a serious possibility. Now the impossible is probable The last time José Mourinho was at the Santiago Bernabéu, he parked up in the bus. That night in late February the Benfica manager was suspended, a red card from the first leg of the Champions League playoff meaning he wasn’t allowed on the touchl…

A defiant performance against Manchester City could deliver silverware in a year in which the club has already sacked two head coaches Chelsea fared well as underdogs in their most recent outing in a final. They surprised Paris Saint-Germain in last summer’s Club World Cup, racing into an unassailable 3-0 lead by half-time and disrupting the European champions thanks to a clever tactical approach…

Claims being reviewed by police and FA Jamie Austin runs girls’ club Red Star Lionesses Parents have accused the owner of the girls’ football club Red Star Lionesses of taking more than £28,000 in payments for tournaments that did not happen, kits that did not arrive and sessions with Women’s Super League players that did not take place. James (also known as Jamie or Jay) Austin, who has two frau…

Official under watch after personal details leaked online Hearts manager called Celtic decision ‘disgusting’ The Scottish Football Association has vehemently criticised a “hysterical media narrative” and taken a swipe at the Hearts manager, Derek McInnes, while revealing one of its match officials and his family spent Thursday night under police protection after controversial incidents which have…

Brendon McCullum will have to adapt to a new environment as Test set-up looks to move on from thrashing In selecting Emilio Gay and James Rew for their Test squad to face New Zealand , England have in one sense been true to their word. The Ashes mea culpa included a promise to give more weight to domestic performances. Both men tick that box. And yet as the team picks up the pieces after the 4-1 …

Manchester City defender led Crystal Palace to Wembley triumph last season and is back to take on Chelsea Marc Guéhi’s whirlwind 12 months in the FA Cup: captaining Crystal Palace to glory at Wembley last season, experiencing the competition’s greatest shock via the holders’ third-round elimination at sixth-tier Macclesfield and, on Saturday, aiming to claim the trophy again when Manchester City …

Dane goes for broke 5km from top for stage seven win Decathlon’s Felix Gall is only other rider to get close Jonas Vingegaard, the pre-race favourite, proved his Giro d’Italia credentials by going alone to conquer the Blockhaus summit finish and win stage seven on Friday as the Dane made his first telling move of this year’s race. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, on his Giro debut, went for broke wi…

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Colorado coach blasts negative reporting over draft fall Cleveland QB made seven starts, earned Pro Bowl invite Shedeur Sanders “went through hell” during the draft process and his 2025 rookie season with the Browns, his father Deion Sanders has said. The Colorado head coach blamed what he said was untruthful reporting during his interview with “The Barbershop” posted on YouTube on Thursday. Cont…

Captain has been offered coaching role at club Coleman may continue playing elsewhere Séamus Coleman will end his distinguished 17-year career with Everton when his contract expires next month, but he has yet to decide whether his playing days are over. The Everton captain, famously signed for £60,000 from Sligo Rovers in January 2009, has been hampered by injuries in recent years and has announc…

Constitution River heads Aidan O’Brien’s Derby contenders but Maltese Cross is one to watch, while Legacy Link has pedigree for the Oaks 1. Constitution River Timeform rating: 124p. Derby odds: 6-1. Trainer: Aidan O’Brien. Pedigree: Wootton Bassett x Chuppy (Le Havre) There’s no doubt about the “wow” performance of trials season: tactical speed, balance and a finishing kick, Constitution River ha…