Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 14, 2026, 10:39 PM ET
Premier League Title Race
Erling Haaland's slump has cost Man City espn.com as the striker's struggles contributed to their faltering title hopes, with Saturday evening's results feeling "pivotal" in the Premier League race bbc.com. Arsenal's late win over Everton espn.com put them firmly in control at the top, with 16-year-old Max Dowman breaking records bbc.com in what could prove a season-defining moment for the Gunners. The victory came amid controversy as VAR ignored a penalty claim espn.com when Michael Keane stepped on Kai Havertz's Achilles, with Jamie Redknapp branding the inaction "a disgrace" skysports.com. Meanwhile, Liverpool extended Alisson's contract espn.com until 2027, providing stability as they aim to secure European qualification under Arne Slot, who urged his players to "get the maximum" out of the remainder of their season espn.com.
European Drama
In a stunning Six Nations finale, Thomas Ramos snatched victory for France skysports.com with a last-gasp penalty, ending England's hopes with a 48-46 scoreline that retained the title for the French. Back in club action, Real Madrid moved within a point espn.com of Barcelona after Federico Valverde's golden streak continued with his fourth goal in nine days during a 4-1 win over Elche. The match featured Arda Güler's amazing long-range goal espn.com from inside his own half, which Álvaro Arbeloa hailed as a "work of art." In LaLiga, Atlético Madrid rose to third place espn.com with a 1-0 win over Getafe, while Barcelona received a boost as Gavi was cleared to return espn.com against Sevilla after almost seven months out with a knee problem.
Scottish Premiership & Championship Race
The Scottish Premiership title race tightened significantly skysports.com as Celtic threw down the gauntlet to leaders Hearts with a 3-1 win over 10-player Motherwell, cutting the gap to two points. Hyun-jun Yang's sensational impact bbc.com for Celtic has been pivotal in their recent form. Hearts, however, dropped valuable points skysports.com in a 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock, damaging their title hopes. In the Championship, Ipswich climbed to third place skysports.com with a 2-0 victory over relegated Sheffield Wednesday, goals from Ivan Azon and Jack Clarke capitalizing on promotion rivals' slip-ups. Southampton ended Coventry's six-match winning run skysports.com with a 2-1 victory at the CBS Arena, while West Brom claimed their first win skysports.com in 14 matches to boost their survival chances with a 3-0 victory over Hull.
Controversy & Relegation Fears
Newcastle injected life into their European hopes skysports.com with a 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge, with match-winner Anthony Gordon responding to "complete nonsense" bbc.com from pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer. The match was overshadowed by a bizarre pre-match incident espn.com where referee Paul Tierney found himself at the center of Chelsea's huddle, with Liam Rosenior criticizing the referee skysports.com for not focusing on his job instead of being part of the Blues' pre-match preparations. At the other end of the table, Burnley continued their slide skysports.com towards relegation as a drab 0-0 draw with Bournemouth did little to change their bleak outlook, while QPR deepened Leicester's relegation worries skysports.com with a 3-1 comeback victory at the King Power Stadium.
Women's Football & NWSL
Boston Legacy made NWSL historyREF: