Football/Soccer 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 15, 2026, 1:47 AM ET
Premier League Title Race
Arsenal clinched a vital 2-0 victory bbc.com over Everton in a match that could prove decisive for the Premier League title race, with late goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino securing three crucial points at the Emirates. The Gunners' win came as Manchester City stumbled to a 1-1 draw skysports.com at West Ham, where Erling Haaland endured another frustrating outing in a slump that has cost City their championship momentum. City's draw means Arsenal now hold a two-point lead bbc.com with five games remaining, though the champions retain a game in hand. The result leaves City's title hopes hanging by a thread as Haaland's form continues to desert him at the worst possible moment.
Spanish Football
Real Madrid extended their winning run espn.com with a commanding 4-1 victory over Elche, moving within a point of LaLiga leaders Barcelona. The match featured a spectacular moment when Arda Güler scored from inside his own half espn.com, with manager Álvaro Arbeloa hailing the goal as "a work of art." Federico Valverde's continued golden form saw him net his fourth goal in nine days espn.com, while Atlético Madrid moved up to third place espn.com with a 1-0 win over Getafe. Meanwhile, Barcelona face Sevilla with midfielder Gavi set to return espn.com after nearly seven months out with a knee injury.
MLS and International Football
Inter Miami played to a goalless draw espn.com against Charlotte FC without Lionel Messi in the lineup, as coach Javier Mascherano saw red in a frustrating night for the Herons. In World Cup qualifying news, Iraq will travel to Mexico by private plane bbc.com for their play-off match despite calls from coach Graham Arnold to postpone the fixture amid escalating regional tensions. The Iraqi FA confirmed the travel arrangements despite the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Scottish Premiership
Celtic kept their title hopes alive bbc.com with a 3-1 comeback victory over 10-man Motherwell, moving within two points of leaders Hearts. The win featured a decisive impact from substitute Hyun-jun Yang, whose introduction sparked the Celtic revival bbc.com. However, Hearts' title bid suffered a major blow as Kilmarnock secured a 1-0 victory skysports.com at Rugby Park, dropping the Edinburgh side three valuable points in the championship race.
European Darts and Tennis
Michael van Gerwen's quest for a record-extending 39th European Tour title ended in stunning fashion skysports.com at the European Darts Trophy, where Dutch compatriot Niels Zonneveld claimed a shock victory skysports.com in Goettingen. In tennis, Daniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz's winning streak skysports.com at Indian Wells, defeating the world number one to reach the final where he will face Elena Rybakina after she overcame Aryna Sabalenka skysports.com in the women's final.
Championship and Lower Leagues
The Championship promotion race took another dramatic twist skysports.com as Ipswich climbed to third place skysports.com with a 2-0 victory over relegated Sheffield Wednesday. Blackburn boosted their survival hopes skysports.com with a vital 2-1 win at promotion-chasing Millwall, while West Brom claimed their first win of 2026 skysports.com with a 3-0 victory over Hull to breathe life into their survival campaign. Southampton ended Coventry's six-match winning run skysports.com with a 2-1 victory at the CBS Arena, dealing a blow to the league leaders' automatic promotion push.
Managerial and Transfer News
Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp suggested he could make a sensational return to White Hart Lane, stating the Spurs hierarchy "know where I am bbc.com" if they decide to replace interim boss Igor Tudor. Meanwhile, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has praised interim head coach Michael Carrick skysports.com for his "excellent job" but stopped short of backing him for the full-time role. In transfer news, Manchester United are reportedly leading the chase espn.com for Bournemouth and USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams.
Controversies and Incidents
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and his players were sharply critical of the decision to send off Luis Díaz in Saturday's draw at Bayer Leverkusen, with the referee later admitting he had made a mistake. In England, police are investigating an altercation bbc.com in the away section at the Emirates after Everton striker Thierno Barry claimed his friends were "attacked" during the 2-0 defeat by Arsenal. Chelsea faced unusual scrutiny after referee Paul Tierney found himself at the center espn.com of their pre-match huddle, prompting criticism from Newcastle's Liam Rosenior who said the official should "focus on his job bbc.com" rather than participating in team rituals.
Player Contracts and Returns
Liverpool have triggered the 12-month option espn.com to extend goalkeeper Alisson Becker's contract until 2027, securing the Brazilian's future at Anfield. Barcelona midfielder Gavi has been cleared to return to action against Sevilla after almost seven months out with a knee problem. Meanwhile, Newcastle's Anthony Gordon hit back at criticism bbc.com from pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer, calling their comments "complete nonsense" after his match-winning performance against Chelsea.
Other Sports News
In Formula, Lewis Hamilton hailed Kimi Antonelli skysports.com for becoming the first teenager to claim a Grand Prix pole position, before turning his focus to formulating a "different tactic" to turn his early Mercedes challenges around. Max Verstappen described driving his Red Bull as "awful" and said "every lap is survival" after a chastening Saturday for the team at the Chinese Grand Prix. In boxing, unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk wants his final fight skysports.com to be against Tyson Fury, calling it his "last dance" in the ring.