Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Premier League Action
Ten-man Newcastle skysports.com inflicted Michael Carrick's first defeat as Manchester United boss as substitute William Osula's superb 90th-minute strike sealed a 2-1 win. West Ham skysports.com capitalised on a Bernd Leno-Calvin Bassey blunder to earn a valuable 1-0 win at Craven Cottage - but remain in the Premier League relegation zone. Chelsea skysports.com came from behind to dismantle Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park and press their claims for Champions League qualification.
Scottish Premiership
Celtic skysports.com moved up into second place in the Premiership with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie. Benjamin Nygren came off the bench to score the winner as Celtic leapfrogged Rangers into second. Kieran Tierney skysports.com fired Celtic ahead with a poacher's finish before Kevin Nisbet skysports.com equalised from the spot for Aberdeen.
Bundesliga Update
Harry Kane espn.com will miss Bayern Munich's game against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season. Christian Kofane bbc.com produced a brilliant finish to help Bayern Leverkusen beat Hamburg 1-0 in the German Bundesliga to keep their hopes alive of qualifying for next season's Champions League.
Manager Reactions
Fabian Hurzeler skysports.com said "only one team tried to play football" in Brighton's 1-0 loss to Arsenal and accused the Gunners of "making their own rules" as he railed against perceived time-wasting. Marco Silva bbc.com criticised the referee and VAR, saying the decisions impacted their match as they were beaten 1-0 at home by strugglers West Ham at Craven Cottage. Eddie Howe bbc.com is ecstatic with his side's late winner against Manchester United, as they overcome Jacob Ramsey's "really harsh" red card.
Player Performances
Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to dismantle Aston Villa 4-1 at Villa Park. The Brazilian striker's movement caused problems for defenders throughout the match. Crysencio Summerville bbc.com is finding form at the right time for West Ham - and might yet prove the man to save them from relegation. The Dutch winger scored the only goal of the game against Fulham.
Transfer News
Wrexham espn.com have warned supporters they will face "serious consequences," including potential criminal charges, if they are found to have used anti-gay slurs. The Welsh club is eyeing a place in the Premier League. Liverpool espn.com will play Wrexham in a preseason match at Yankee Stadium in July as the Welsh club continues to try and reach the U.S. market.
International Football
Wales bbc.com will welcome World Cup-bound Ghana to Cardiff City Stadium for a friendly in June. Iraq's espn.com players cannot get visas for the World Cup playoff tournament in Mexico and the team's coach is stranded in the UAE amid the Iran war. FIFA espn.com representatives met with Mexican authorities on Wednesday to assess security for the World Cup matches to be played in Mexico.
Women's Football
Ally Sentnor espn.com scored in the 55th minute as the United States beat Canada 1-0 on Wednesday in the She Believes Cup tournament. Sydney Leroux espn.com teased a return to the field in a social media post on Tuesday after missing all of last year with an excused absence. Emma Hayes' espn.com vision for 2027 World Cup is becoming clear as the USWNT continues to evolve under her leadership.
Rule Changes
The IFAB espn.com has agreed to make some big rule changes from July 1, with some adopted at the 2026 World Cup. The changes include more VAR and less time wasting. BBC Sport bbc.com explores whether football has become too complicated with handball, offside and VAR rules.
Player Updates
Gareth Bale bbc.com has revealed he carried a secret injury throughout his career, with the problem eventually leading to his early retirement at just. Dele Alli espn.com has returned to train at Tottenham's facilities, four years after departing the north London club. Kylian Mbappé espn.com's progress in recovering from injury is "all good news" according to Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
Other News
Forest Green Rovers bbc.com defender Jili Buyabu is back to help his side's promotion push... just two days after delivering his own baby. Wrexham espn.com have warned fans over anti-gay Chelsea chant. Celta Vigo espn.com have called on Madonna and their club fans to help them end their 36-year search to find the team jersey that the US global icon wore during her concert at their Balaidos stadium.