Football/Soccer 3 Days

Last updated: April 6, 2026, 8:30 AM ET

Premier League & FA Cup Drama

The FA Cup quarter-finals delivered significant upsets and high-stakes drama, most prominently as Manchester City dismantled Liverpool 4-0 at the Etihad, a result which saw Erling Haaland score a long-awaited hat trick in City's first since August 2024. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk accused his squad of giving up following the humbling defeat, a sentiment echoed by Dominik Szoboszlai who lamented the team's lack of "fighting spirit". Meanwhile, Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals after routing League One strugglers Port Vale 7-0, with Cole Palmer wearing the captain's armband for the first time, calling the appointment a "long time coming." Elsewhere in the cup, Leeds United secured a dramatic semi-final spot against Chelsea following a contentious penalty shootout victory over West Ham, a match where 11 minutes of stoppage time was added.

The Premier League title race remains intensely pressurized, particularly for Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta is now facing scrutiny after successive defeats wrecked their quadruple hopes. Arteta challenged his players to "look in the mirror" following a cup exit, though he also insisted the club remains "fully supportive" of players representing their national teams. In Scotland, the title race tightened considerably as Rangers defeated Dundee United 4-2 to move top of the table for the first time since February 2024, leapfrogging Hearts who had dropped points in a draw against Livingston. Celtic kept pace after a Kelechi Iheanacho scored a late winner at Dundee, though manager Martin O'Neill warned that any further dropped points by the Bhoys would make reclaiming the top spot "a difficult comeback".

European Leagues & Transfer Buzz

In La Liga, FC Barcelona took a massive step toward retaining their title by edging past Atlético Madrid 2-1, capitalizing on Real Madrid’s shock 2-1 late defeat at Mallorca, a loss for which coach Álvaro Arbeloa took "absolutely, all mine" responsibility. The transfer rumor mill is churning, with European giants including Arsenal, Man United, and PSG reportedly contacted regarding a potential move for Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. . Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva is confirmed to depart the club at season's end, while manager Pep Guardiola stated he would not block Rodri from a potential move to Madrid, though he hopes the midfielder stays. Manchester United is allegedly looking to offload midfielder Ugarte and, alongside City, is pushing quickly to sign Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson.

Across Europe, PSV Eindhoven clinched their third consecutive Eredivisie title after closest challenger Feyenoord failed to secure a result, while in France, Folarin Balogun fired Monaco to a crucial 2-1 victory over Marseille, extending their Ligue 1 winning streak to seven games amid their push for Champions League qualification. Inter Milan delivered a decisive blow in Serie A, routing Roma to establish a nine-point lead at the summit, and in Germany, Bayern Munich required a stoppage-time equalizer from Tom Bischof to secure a 2-2 draw at Freiburg.

Boxing & Combat Sports Updates

The boxing world saw major developments over the weekend, headlined by Caroline Dubois claiming a world championship grudge match victory over Terri Harper by unanimous decision, a bout where Dubois reportedly dropped Harper. Dubois had previously revealed suffering from an illness on fight day, and had promised a clinical knockout. In the heavyweight division, Deontay Wilder edged Derek Chisora via a split decision, a fight attended by Anthony Joshua who subsequently told Wilder he was ready to set up a blockbuster bout. In women’s boxing, Chantelle Cameron became a two-weight world champion after defeating Michaela Kotaskova, and Ellie Scotney became the undisputed super-bantamweight champion after a tough 10-round clash with Mayelli Flores.

Golf & Other Sports Notes

In professional golf, JJ Spaun secured his second Valero Texas Open title in San Antonio, closing out the tournament after playing partner Robert Mac Intyre failed to force a playoff, despite Mac Intyre having held a commanding four-shot lead going into the weekend. The season's first major, The Masters, is approaching, with Rory McIlroy receiving advice from Butch Harmon to enjoy the tournament without added pressure as he defends his title. On the women's tour, Lauren Coughlin completed a dominant five-shot victory at the Aramco Championship, though Nelly Korda closed the gap to just two strokes on Saturday. Maria Jose Marin also won the Augusta National Women's Amateur, setting a new ANWA scoring record by two strokes. Meanwhile, the political situation in the Middle East forced an enforced halt to the Formula 1 season, leading to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.