Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: April 5, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

English FA Cup & Premier League Picture

The FA Cup semi-final draw sets up two major clashes, with Chelsea drawn against Leeds United while Manchester City will face Southampton, putting Championship side Saints one win away from Wembley against the Premier League giants. Leeds supporters are dreaming of major silverware after a dramatic quarter-final win over West Ham, though questions remain over the 11 minutes of stoppage time added in that tie. Meanwhile, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admitted his side "gave up" following their humiliating 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester City, a match where Erling Haaland finally secured his long-awaited first City hat trick since August 2024. Manager Mikel Arteta challenged his dejected Arsenal players to "look in the mirror" after successive defeats wrecked their quadruple hopes, following their earlier Carabao Cup final loss to City.

In the Premier League fallout, Liverpool's struggles were further dissected, with commentary suggesting that poor throw-in execution is merely a symptom of wider tactical issues under manager Arne Slot. At Manchester City, Pep Guardiola stated he has "zero" concerns over Phil Foden's form but indicated that unhappy stars, like Rodri potentially heading to Real Madrid, would not be blocked from leaving, though Guardiola hopes the midfielder stays. Elsewhere in the league, Chelsea’s season was cast into doubt, with questions raised over whether it constitutes a failure, particularly as manager Liam Rosenior insisted he and Enzo Fernández are "in a good place" despite dropping the midfielder for disciplinary reasons, a move Fernández's agent called "completely unfair" following comments made during the international break.

European Leagues & Transfer Talk

In France, Folarin Balogun scored the winner as Monaco extended their Ligue 1 winning streak to seven matches with a 2-1 victory over Marseille, keeping their Champions League push alive, while league leaders PSG secured a 3-1 win over Toulouse, powered by Ousmane Dembélé's brace to increase their lead to four points. In Italy, Inter Milan delivered a decisive blow to the title race, routing Roma to establish a commanding nine-point lead at the Serie A summit after their latest convincing victory. In the Netherlands, PSV Eindhoven were crowned Eredivisie champions for a record 27th time and third straight year after their closest challenger Feyenoord failed to secure a result earlier in the weekend action. Barcelona edged closer to retaining their LaLiga title by taking advantage of Real Madrid’s slip-up, claiming a narrow 2-1 victory at 10-man Atlético Madrid, where coach Diego Simeone later criticized the VAR decision to overturn Gerard Martín's red card.

Transfer movements continue to circulate, with Manchester United reportedly looking to offload midfielder Marcos Ugarte this summer, while both Manchester rivals are pushing aggressively to sign Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson ahead of the summer window. Further afield, Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva confirmed he will depart the club at the conclusion of the season, and Kieran Trippier admitted his upcoming departure from Newcastle when his contract expires will be an "emotional" moment for the full-back.

Scottish Premiership Title Race Heats Up

The Scottish Premiership title race remains fiercely contested, though Rangers briefly moved top of the table for the first time since February 2024 after laboriously dispatching Dundee United 4-2 at Ibrox on Sunday. However, Hearts managed to reclaim the summit despite dropping potentially crucial points away at Livingston, while Celtic kept pace thanks to a late intervention from Kelechi Iheanacho, whose goal secured a vital win at Dundee and demonstrated the squad's necessary spirit, according to interim manager Martin O'Neill who warned further dropped points complicate the comeback.

Boxing World Title Dominance

The weekend featured significant achievements in the boxing ring, most notably Ellie Scotney who prevailed in a thunderous 10-round contest against Mayelli Flores to become the undisputed super-bantamweight world champion making her the youngest in British history, a feat which promoter Barry McGuigan suggested positions her to potentially become a three-weight undisputed champion in the future. In a grudge match, Caroline Dubois secured a world championship victory over Terri Harper via unanimous decision after dropping her rival once during the bout, leading Dubois to claim Harper was "weaker than I imagined" ahead of the contest earlier in the week. Furthermore, Chantelle Cameron successfully captured the vacant WBO super-welterweight title via unanimous decision, immediately calling out Katie Taylor for her farewell fight. In heavyweight action, Deontay Wilder edged Derek Chisora in a thrilling split decision victory at The O2, sending the Londoner toward retirement while Wilder immediately called out Anthony Joshua.

Championship & EFL Drama

The battle for promotion and survival in the Sky Bet Championship saw Coventry City take a significant step forward, moving 11 points clear of the automatic spots following a pulsating 3-2 victory over Derby, while Millwall leapfrogged Middlesbrough thanks to a Josh Coburn double against his former club in a 2-1 win at the Riverside Stadium. Wrexham staged a dramatic second-half recovery to draw 2-2 at West Brom, moving them into the play-off places after manager Phil Parkinson complained about officiating. In the relegation scrap, Patson Daka struck twice to help secure a 2-2 draw for Leicester against Preston, though the result kept the Foxes in the bottom three as they fight to avoid the drop.

Other Sporting Notes

In the world of golf, Nelly Korda significantly closed the two-shot gap on leader Lauren Coughlin during the third round of the Aramco Championship at Shadow Creek on Saturday, while Robert Mac Intyre built a commanding four-shot lead heading into the weekend at the Valero Texas Open before bad weather suspended the third round on Sunday. On the basketball front, tensions appear to be escalating between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, with reports suggesting the relationship is becoming toxic and potentially heading for divorce between the star and the franchise.