Category: Football (Soccer)

Yoane Wissa’s dramatic stoppage-time goal handed Brentford victory over Bournemouth after an action-packed 2-1 victory at the Vitality Stadium.

Dominic Solanke’s 19th league goal looked to have earned Bournemouth a deserved point moments after Bryan Mbeumo put the visitors in front with his 50th Brentford goal. But Wissa – who set up Mbeumo’s opener – had the last word in the fifth minute of injury time to add to Bournemouth’s frustration after Andoni Iraola’s side had two first-half goals controversially chalked off. “We have been very affected by refereeing decisions. I know that this was his first game and whatever, but it is true that we were very affected today,” said Iraola. “For the second one, the referee has made a mistake because he called a foul and two seconds later we scored. He should have waited to whistle until we scored otherwise the VAR cannot overturn it.”

Oliver Glasner hailed the “brilliant” Michael Olise after Crystal Palace made it five wins from six matches – and said he could use the same word to describe his teammates.

Olise, the two-goal star of the show in Monday’s 4-0 thrashing of Manchester United at Selhurst Park, opened the scoring in the 26th minute at Wolves with a delightful curling strike. The 22-year-old was then key in the buildup to Palace’s second two minutes later, scored by Jean‑Philippe Mateta.

A lap of appreciation has rarely seemed more appropriate at Goodison Park. Everton ended their home campaign with another solid win and a lap of the pitch to say thanks to supporters for remaining united throughout a season of unprecedented challenges. Sean Dyche, players and fans alike all deserved their communal moment in the sun.

Everton signed off at Goodison with a fifth consecutive home win and clean sheet, equalling the club’s Premier League record, courtesy of Abdoulaye Doucouré’s header against relegated Sheffield United. Only Manchester City and Arsenal have collected more points since the beginning of April than Everton, who would be 11th in the table but for the two separate points deductions that could have derailed lesser teams and managers. “It was nice to have that moment,” said Dyche of the end-of-season tradition. “The players have put a real shift in this season, as have myself and the staff, and the fans have paid us back.”

Chelsea rallied from 2-1 down late on to boost their hopes of a top-six finish, while Forest are almost certainly safe from the drop despite losing

• Read Will Unwin’s match report from the City Ground

Chelsea: The club’s co-owner Todd Boehly appeared to boost Mauricio Pochettino’s chances of being kept on as manager next season as he praised the “beautiful” football being played by the team.

Chelsea: Mauricio Pochettino has suggested he would walk away from Chelsea if he were unhappy and his end-of-season job review will not only be about whether the club’s owners want to keep him. David Hytner reports …

Josko Gvardiol scored twice and turned down the opportunity to complete his hat-trick as the champions steamrollered their hosts at Craven Cottage

• Read Nick Ames’ match report from Craven Cottage

Fulham’s home record against Manchester City: Arsenal fans who are hoping Fulham can do their team a favour by taking points off City today will be disappointed to learn that their record against the champions at home is pretty dismal.

In 15 Premier League games at Craven Cottage, Fulham have won just once – a 2-1 in November 2005, when both the home side’s goals were scored by Steed Malbranque. Fulham have drawn five times against City at the Cottage since football was invented in 1992 and lost on nine occasions.

Intrigue, mind games and a credible chance of Manchester City slipping up are all missing from this supposedly epic battle

Hello, hello. Testing. Is this thing still on? As we head into the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, a title race does putatively appear to exist. Arsenal are top, a point ahead of Manchester City. City have a game in hand. Mathematically speaking, nothing yet is decided or settled.

What remains to be seen, of course, is whether this is actually a real title race, or whether we are simply living through a skilfully maintained illusion. After all, it’s almost three months since City dropped points against anybody other than a direct title rival. They haven’t lost in the league since December and are on a run of six straight wins. Three more will be enough to retain the league title. Two will do if Arsenal slip up at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Arsenal travel to Manchester United on Sunday after title rivals Manchester City take on Fulham in Saturday’s early kick-off

Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Craven Cottage

• Club have judged prospect of appeal’s success as remote
• Premier League appeal hearing was due to begin on Monday

Everton have dropped their appeal over a two-point deduction for breaching Premier League profitability and sustainability rules after judging their prospects of success remote.

Everton lodged the appeal after suffering a second points deduction of the season on 8 April for a £16.6m overspend up to 2023. They were previously docked 10 points, reduced to six on appeal, for a £19.5m breach up to 2022.