Arsenal fans will be booking their tickets to Budapest tonight after beating Atlético Madrid and making it to the Champions League final. They were made to sweat for it, and one moment in the second half threatened to unravel everything.
Bukayo Saka’s first-half goal a few minutes before halftime was enough to get the job done. It was a striker’s finish from a winger, reacting instinctively in the six-yard box after Jan Oblak pushed Leandro Trossard’s low shot into his path, sweeping home from close range and, sending the Emirates into raptures.
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Arsenal fans absolutely loved his performance, in just his 17th game of the season.
From that moment, Arsenal dug in, defended their lead, and weathered everything Atletico Madrid threw at them. What they almost couldn’t weather, though, was a moment of VAR controversy that had every Arsenal fan holding their breath.
Deep into the second half, with Atletico pressing hard for an equaliser, Riccardo Calafiori slid in on Antoine Griezmann inside the penalty area. The contact was clear, the Italian’s challenge caught Griezmann on the calf, and in almost any other circumstance, it would’ve been a stonewall penalty.
The Emirates fell quiet on a night where they’d been in full voice as the Atleti players appealed, and Diego Simeone was up off his seat, as he usually is. VAR intervened, but not in the way Atlético had hoped.
In the seconds before Calafiori’s challenge, Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes had gone to ground after an aerial battle with Atletico’s Marc Pubill. The contact between the two was minimal and Gabriel hit the deck, and it was that moment that ultimately proved decisive.
Mark Clattenburg knows a thing or two about refereeing a Champions League fixture. He’s taken charge of 28 in total, including the 2016 final at the San Siro, a Madrid derby Atletico Madrid found themselves on the losing end of. Aside from his officiating for the Gladiators, he also works as a referee pundit and rules analyst for Amazon, and he gave his view of the incident:
“I think what the VAR has looked at is Calafiori’s challenge on Griezmann,” Clattenburg said. “He believes that’s a penalty kick, and replays show it was, but there was a foul just before on Gabriel. So they had to check the foul first, and he agrees with the referee’s analysis of a foul. Therefore, the foul outweighs the penalty kick.”
It was the second time in the match that VAR had been called upon to assess a potential Atletico penalty. Earlier in the second half, Gabriel had tussled with Giuliano Simeone in the box, but the same conclusion was reached: no penalty. Arsenal, too, felt aggrieved at various points, with Griezmann appearing to shove Leandro Trossard in the back in the first half, a moment that neither the referee, his assistants, nor VAR deemed worthy of a spot-kick.
On another night, in another match, any one of those decisions could have gone differently. But on this occasion, the calls went Arsenal’s way, and they held on to book their place in the final, but it’s highly unlikely anyone in the Atlético Madrid camp will feel that justice was served.
As any England fan will tell you, the men’s national team never like to do things the easy way. Sometimes that presents itself as a last-gasp winner. But sometimes that comes in the form of a few disciplinary detours.
Whether it stems from geographical proximity or a controversial chapter in a major tournament, England’s tapestry of fierce rivals is an intriguing one to unpick. But who are the biggest sporting enemies on The Three Lions’ list?
This rivalry goes beyond football. The historical ties from the two World Wars of the 20th century have informed this great feud, with their incredible clashes creating some of the most memorable footballing moments in recent times. Who could forget the drama of England’s 1966 World Cup Final win at the expense of Germany? But the Germans inflicted their own heartbreak at the 1990 World Cup and Euro ’96, eliminating England on penalties at the semifinal stage on both occasions.
More recently, England fans still fondly remember the 1-5 thumping in Munich. But they also wince at the thought of Frank Lampard’s ghost goal in 2010.
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England’s record against Germany |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Played |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
|
35 |
14 |
6 |
15 |
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The ten biggest matches in British football history have been named and ranked.
Driven by the Falklands War in 1982, Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup ensured that this rivalry would last.
It would be reignited at the 1998 tournament, with David Beckham controversially being sent off for kicking out at Diego Simeone before England crashed out on penalties. Beckham would have his revenge though. His winning penalty in the 2002 World Cup encounter helped to condemn Albiceleste to a shock group stage exit.
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England’s record against Argentina |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Played |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
|
14 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
The oldest international fixture in world football, England and Scotland’s rivalry began on November 30th 1872 with a 0-0 draw. Since then, there have been many memorable episodes.
The rivalry was renewed every year by the annual British Home Championship that took place from 1884 to 1984. There was also the incredible spectacle of Scotland victory at Hampden Park in 1937. Just under 150,000 fans packed into the stadium for the match — an all-time European attendance record that still stands today. And who could forget the 1977 Wembley pitch invasion after Scotland’s 2-1 win? The Tartan Army stormed on, famously snapping the crossbars in celebration.
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England’s record against Scotland |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Played |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
|
116 |
49 |
41 |
26 |
Despite just 18 encounters overall, the England-Ireland rivalry has endured in part thanks to the two nations’ complex social and political relationship.
Ireland made history in 1949 with their 0-2 win at Goodison Park. They became the first non-British team to beat England on home soil. Ireland also won the first major tournament meeting between the two, courtesy of a Ray Houghton winner at Euro ’88. The rivalry is also infamously remembered for the 1995 Lansdowne Road riot that saw a friendly in Dublin abandoned after 27 minutes due to severe rioting by a number of English hooligans.
The rivalry was recently renewed by the debate over dual nationality. Both Declan Rice and Jack Grealish switched eligibility to England, having already represented Ireland. Grealish had played for the U21s six times, whilst Rice made three senior appearances for Ireland. Both players were heavily booed during the 2024 Nations League clash before both ironically scored the game’s only two goals.
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England’s record against Ireland |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Played |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
|
19 |
8 |
8 |
2 |
Not quite a bitter rivalry, but one forged in destiny. England, for some reason, are inexplicably linked to the south-east European side. And whilst the two nations lack historical hatred, their respectful rivalry is marked by several dramatic modern moments.
Chief among them, England’s 2018 World Cup heartbreak. After Kieran Trippier’s opening goal in the semifinal, Croatia fought back to force extra time. Mario Mandzukic’s 109th minute winner was ecstasy for Croatia, but agony for the Three Lions.
Croatia also shockingly knocked ended England’s Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. With England needing a win to break into the top two in Group E, the excellent Croatian team defeated England 2-3 at Wembley. The enduring image of that night was England manager Steve McLaren shielding himself with an umbrella as European qualification slipped away. He was relieved of his duties the following day.
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England’s record against Croatia |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Played |
Wins |
Draws |
Losses |
|
12 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
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Pubs across the country are set to stay open until the early hours for England’s Round of 16 match against Mexico. The World Cup knockout kicks-off at 1am on Monday, July 6, which equates to 6pm in Mexico City, and Keir Starmer is set to introduce an emergency law change so that pubs can remain open until 5am.
The UK Prime Minister is set to leave his position on July 9, but has won back some people’s trust following one of his final decisions in Number 10.
More to follow…
There is a lot of excitement in N17 at present with Tottenham splashing the cash for Roberto De Zerbi.
Following back-to-back 17th place finishes, Spurs are spending big as they look to get back to their previous heights towards the top of the Premier League table.
Signing Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers to bolster their squad, last month the club also completed the £52m signing of centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are now set to follow for £85m and £100m respectively after Tottenham struck agreements with West Ham and Newcastle United for the midfielders.
Much more still needs to be done in improving De Zerbi’s squad, with attacking players required after the club’s struggles in the final third last season.
One position Tottenham need to address is on the left of their attack after failing to replace Son Heung-min following his switch to LAFC last August.
According to The Independent, Bournemouth ace Eli Junior Kroupi tops a three-player shortlist for that position.
Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are also keen, with the Cherries looking to receive over £80m if they decide to cash in on their highly-rated attacker.
The report states that Rafael Leao has been broached as an option in informal discussions with his club AC Milan, while there is a possibility that they once again move for Manchester City winger Savinho.
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In terms of Leao, he would be another statement signing if Tottenham can agree on a deal with Milan for ‘one of the best wingers in Europe’.
Mainly operating from the left but also capable of playing centrally, the Portugal international has contributed regularly for the Rossoneri with 80 goals and 65 assists in 291 games for the Italian giants.
After already agreeing on transfers for Fernandes and Tonali, a move for Leao would be a real signal of intent from Tottenham that they really do mean business in the transfer market after their recent Premier League woes.
Tottenham desperately need to improve in the final third if they are to climb the Premier League table.
Last season, Richarlison finished top goalscorer in all competitions with 12 goals, and it was defensive players Joao Palhinha, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero who were next in line in the charts.
Dominic Solanke could only manage six goals in an injury-hit campaign, with Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani both contributing five and Mathys Tel chipping in with four.
Given the need for goals, Leao could more than play his part after hitting double figures for Milan in each of his last five seasons at the San Siro.
Following the club’s desire to improve their midfield with the additions of Fernandes and Tonali, Tottenham now need to do likewise in attack if they are to make big strides under De Zerbi.
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