Premier League finale: Arsenal, relegation, Champions League, Salah and Pep

Barcelona clinched ⁠their ⁠29th La Liga title with a 2-0 Clasico victory over ⁠bitter rivals Real Madrid to open an unassailable 14-point lead ⁠at the top of the table with three games remainingMarcus Rashford and Ferran Torres struck in the first half on Sunday to help Hansi Flick’s side clinch La Liga in consecutive years, while consigning Madrid to a trophy-less season.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Real Madrid fine Valverde and Tchouameni for dressing-room fightlist 2 of 4How and when can Arsenal or Man City win the Premier League?list 3 of 4US football a ‘different world’ compared to 1994 World Cup but flaws remainlist 4 of 4Premier League: Trossard secures vital win for Arsenal at West Hamend of listThis was only the second time the outcome of La Liga has been decided directly by the result of a Clasico, with record 36-time champions Real Madrid winning their first title in 1932 after a draw with Barca.Flick’s team were disappointed to be knocked out in the Champions League quarterfinals by Atletico Madrid in April, but were still determined to celebrate in style.“This title is more special for winning it at home against Madrid, now we have to enjoy it with the fans,” Barca midfielder Frenkie de Jong told Movistar.“We have been the best team in Spain – of course we [also] want to win the Champions League, that’s the objective.“Next year we will have another opportunity.”Madrid arrived at the match embroiled in chaos, after midfielder Fede Valverde was ruled out with a head injury following a training ground scuffle with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni, who started.Barca coach Flick received bad news before the game, with his father passing away, but took his place on the touchline regardless, to oversee his side’s comfortable triumph.The German opted for the energetic Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, on the right wing in place of injured teenage star Lamine Yamal.The Catalans, who only needed to avoid defeat, came out with their eyes firmly locked on the prize, racing into a two-goal lead inside 18 minutes.Rashford opened the scoring with a superb free kick, whipping the ball into the top left corner from a position 20 yards out, right of centre.Rashford celebrates scoring his team’s first goal [Lluis Gene/AFP]Torres doubled the hosts’ advantage at a jubilant Camp Nou, the 62,000-strong crowd enjoying the first Clasico back there since the stadium was reopened.Dani Olmo produced a clever backheel to allow Torres to burst into the box and ram past Thibaut Courtois.Gonzalo Garcia, playing in place of injured Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe, prodded narrowly wide after racing in behind Barca’s high defensive line.Urged on by coach Alvaro Arbeloa on the touchline, unlikely to be at the helm next season, Madrid battled to stem the bleeding.Rashford could have added a third before the break but fired wide, with Fermin Lopez unmarked and well placed to finish.Torres should have struck early in the second half but Courtois saved from the Spain international as he ran through.Jude Bellingham put the ball in Barcelona’s net but the goal was ruled out for offside, while Joan Garcia thwarted Vinicius Junior as Madrid threatened.Barca fans batted inflatable beach balls around to taunt the Brazilian over his unfulfilled Ballon d’Or ambitions, and lapped up the party atmosphere.Courtois saved from substitutes Raphinha, back after injury, and Robert Lewandowski as Madrid saw out the remainder of the match without taking further damage.Flick’s side remain on course to match the record of 100 points in a league season and can win all their home matches if they defeat Real Betis in the one remaining.Barcelona’s boss told La Liga TV that he “will never forget this day” following the match.“It was a tough day for me to start – my father passed away. But my team is fantastic. It is like a family,” Flick said.“They gave everything today. I am proud of the fans. It is amazing [to win] in this stadium and in an El Clasico aga

Barcelona and Real Madrid will contest the 264th El Clasico when the Spanish giants come together in a La Liga clash on Sunday.Rarely will there have been a more highly charged atmosphere with a heavily demoralised Real arriving in the Catalan capital, facing the prospect of watching their fiercest rivals crowned champions on the day.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Superbike rider dies as course claims 20th victim in 97th year of racinglist 2 of 4International Olympic Committee recommends ending Belarus restrictionslist 3 of 4Irish footballers and celebrities urge boycott of Israel matcheslist 4 of 4Sabalenka, Gauff threaten player boycott of French Open over prize moneyend of listAlthough knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarterfinals, as Los Blancos were too, Barca are well on course to defend their La Liga crown – and at a canter.Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the talking points heading into the game and what the history is of a 124-year-old rivalry.Will Kylian Mbappe play for Real Madrid against Barcelona?The headline news surrounding Sunday’s game is the availability of Kylian Mbappe, with the French striker a doubt for the Clasico because of a hamstring injury.The 27-year-old striker tops the scoring charts in the Spanish league this season with 24 goals. Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi is a surprise second on the list with 21 strikes, while Barca’s Lamine Yamal, who is out for the remainder of the season, has netted 16 times and is third on the list.Despite Mbappe’s goalscoring achievements, a “Mbappe out” petition has garnered more than 33 million signatures calling for the club to sell the striker, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain two seasons ago.What happened to Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde?Federico Valverde will definitely miss out on El Clasico after a training ground bust-up on Thursday resulted in the midfielder being taken to hospital.The 27-year-old Uruguayan is understood to have sustained a head injury following an incident with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.Real have said they are investigating internally, and have already decided to open disciplinary proceedings against both players.It is not yet clear if Frenchman Tchouameni will be available for Sunday’s match as a result.How can Barcelona win La Liga in Sunday’s El Clasico?Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real trail Hansi Flick’s reigning champions by 11 points with four matches remaining, and are sinking towards a second straight season without a major trophy.Anything but a win for Real on Sunday will see Barca lift the trophy in their own stadium against the only side to have won La Liga more.What is meant by El Clasico?The term El Clasico first appeared in a Spanish newspaper during the 1960s in reference to matches between the two biggest club teams in Spain.The simple translation is “The Classic”.By that time, the match had already been long considered one of sport’s fiercest derbies.How did El Clasico become Spain’s greatest rivalry?Originally, the phrase “Viejo Clasico” (Old Classic) was a term that referred to the Madrid derby between Real and Athletic Bilbao.The match between the pair has historically been the most-played fixture in Spanish football before the rise of Barcelona to one of the two most prominent teams in the country.The term El Clasico, although a 1960s invention in Spain, became a more widely popular and globally associated name when the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona peaked in the 1990s.Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona were a side to be feared on the global stage, but Quinta del Buitre’s Real were putting up a stern test. In the late 90s, Real’s superstar lineup was dubbed the Galacticos following the heavy financial investment in overseas stars such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham.By the turn of the century, the rivalry was recognised as one of the biggest match-ups in world sport and heralded in the era of Pep Guardiola vs Jose Mourinho in the dugouts – and the small matter of Lionel Messi vs Crist

Arsenal scored one penalty, but VAR controversially denied them another in a 1-1 semifinal draw at Atletico Madrid.Atletico Madrid and Arsenal traded ⁠penalties ⁠as Julian Alvarez’s second-half spot kick cancelled out Viktor Gyokeres’s first-half goal ⁠to earn the hosts a 1-1 draw in a Champions League semifinal first ⁠leg that simmered more than it sizzled.In a tense and tactical game on Wednesday, Atletico enjoyed more possession early on, but handed Arsenal the lead in ‌the 44th minute when Gyokeres was brought down by David Hancko inside the box.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Sri Lanka’s government ‘temporarily’ takes over cricket boardlist 2 of 4Qatar to host FIFA Under-17 World Cup 2026list 3 of 4Afghan women’s refugee team allowed to play in FIFA tournamentslist 4 of 4Palestinian football body appeals FIFA ruling on Israel at top sports courtend of listThe Sweden striker struck the penalty firmly past Jan Oblak to send Arsenal in at half-time ahead.Atletico equalised in the 56th ⁠minute after the VAR ⁠spotted a Ben White handball inside the box from Marcos Llorente’s shot. Alvarez fired the resulting penalty into the ⁠top left corner beyond David Raya.Antoine Griezmann rattled the crossbar a ⁠little later, while Arsenal ⁠were awarded a late penalty that the referee overturned after a VAR review.The winners will face ‌Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the May 30 final in Budapest, with PSG ‌leading ‌5-4 from their first leg.The second leg is next Tuesday in England.Atletico last made it to the Champions League final in 2016, when they lost to city rival Real Madrid.