LONDON: Liverpool can win the first trophy of the Arne Slot era in Sunday’s League Cup final against a Newcastle side desperate to end the club’s 56-year wait for major silverware.
In the first final of the English domestic season, runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool head to Wembley aiming to erase the bitter taste of their Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The Reds were beaten 4-1 on penalties by PSG in the last 16 second leg at Anfield.
It was a rare blow in what has been a successful first season in charge for Slot, who arrived from Feyenoord to succeed Jurgen Klopp last year.
Sitting 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Reds are within touching distance of a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020.
That will be the culmination of Slot’s seamless transition to life with Liverpool.
But first the Dutchman has his sights set on putting yet another League Cup in the Anfield trophy cabinet.
Liverpool, who beat Chelsea in last season’s final, have won the League Cup a record 10 times and are looking to lift the trophy for a third time in four years.
“You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot, who will be without injured right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
“We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams.”
Slot, who will be making his first ever visit to Wembley, hopes Liverpool can recover quickly from having their treble bid shattered by PSG.
“It’s a great occasion to be in and especially after losing against Paris Saint-Germain. It’s maybe the perfect game,” he said.
Aside from a brief period when Kevin Keegan’s team challenged for the title in the 1990s, Newcastle have endured decades of underachievement and self-inflicted wounds that rendered them a laughing stock for long periods.
All that changed in 2021 when a Saudi-backed consortium completed a takeover from unpopular owner Mike Ashley and quickly made the decision to hire Eddie Howe as their manager.
Newcastle have been transformed from relegation candidates to contenders for silverware, with a Champions League appearance in 2023-24 underlining their revival.
However, Newcastle are still waiting to win their first major trophy since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup — the predecessor to the Europa League.
The Magpies’ last significant domestic prize was the 1955 FA Cup and they have lost a combined five finals in that competition and the League Cup since then.
They have never won the League Cup, most recently losing the 2023 final against Manchester United.
Since the Magpies lifted the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, 30 different English teams have won silverware, while Liverpool have clinched 38 major trophies in that time, including an FA Cup final success against Newcastle in the clubs’ last showpiece meeting in 1974.
With the weight of history against them, Howe has urged his players to embrace the chance to become Newcastle legends by ending their trophy drought.
“We want to break that wait for a trophy. It’s not a negative, he said.
“We’re trying to look at it the other way round, it’s the chance to make history and be remembered positively.”
Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win in their most recent Premier League clash with Newcastle in February.
And the Magpies’ task is made even harder by the absence of suspended England forward Anthony Gordon and injured defenders Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.
But Howe is confident Newcastle will not freeze in front of a sell-out crowd and a television audience of millions around the world.
“We’ve stayed competitive, in the main, in big games,” he said. “Our style, we have adaptability, but also we have a clear method.”
Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final
https://arab.news/27bk9
Slot eyes first Liverpool trophy against Newcastle in League Cup final
- “You play games like this to win it, and that’s what we’re going to try to do,” said Slot
- “We’re really looking forward to it because you cannot take a final for granted, especially not in this country with so many good teams“
Lando Norris shrugs off gremlins with record lap for Monaco pole
- 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 9.954 seconds to outpace local hero and last year’s winner Charles Leclerc
MONACO: Lando Norris shrugged off his gremlins and revived his world championship bid on Saturday when he became the fastest driver in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix to claim pole position for Sunday’s classic race.
Driving with impeccable judgment, pace and purpose, the 25-year-old Briton clocked a best lap in one minute and 9.954 seconds to outpace local hero and last year’s winner Charles Leclerc of Ferrari by 0.109.
It was the first time any driver had lapped the sinuous barrier-lined Mediterranean street circuit in less than 70 seconds and came only seconds after Leclerc had appeared to have secured his fourth Monaco pole position.
For Norris it was his first Monaco pole, his second this year and the 11th of his career — and a critical advantage for the slowest and shortest circuit of the season where only 10 drivers have won from lower than third on the grid since 1950.
While a disappointed Leclerc lamented traffic that hampered his first flying run, affecting his overall rhythm, Norris was buoyant after ending a dismal run in qualifying and falling 13 points behind McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri in the drivers’ title race.
“The team has done a fantastic job so thank you to everyone here and back at the factory,” he said. “These days don’t come easy and I am proud to give something back to them.
“It’s been a long time coming. I feel good and I don’t think you realize how good this feels with quite a few struggles over the last couple of months, especially here in Monaco. It’s a beautiful place and the hardest track probably to do it.
“Up against the home-town hero (Leclerc), I’m very proud of the whole team so I am pleased after all the hard work in the last few months.”
Norris’s McLaren team-mate and championship leader Oscar Piastri was third ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari, four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull and remarkable rookie Isack Hadjar of RB.
Norris agreed that his mentality had been a key part of his success after admitting to self-doubts in recent weeks.
“Honestly, that’s the tricky part and to consistently find a lap time because you know it’s what the others are going to be doing and improving more and more.
“You’ve got to take a similar amount of risks, but when you get to Q3, the final lap is just about who can risk a little bit more and commit a little bit more.
“It was a nice and well put together lap and it feels very good when you cross the line and you know it’s all paid off.”
He said he had not considered the mandatory two pit-stops strategy required on Sunday.
“Honestly, at the minute, I have no idea. I’m going to enjoy today and I’ve worked hard for today. I’m happy with qualifying and I’m going to live the moment a little bit and then I will focus on tomorrow.”
Team-mate Piastri, who leads him by 13 points after seven of this year’s 24 races, admitted he had endured a messy two days of practice and qualifying.
“I think I’ve hit more walls this weekend than I have in my whole career so it’s been untidy. I’ve been struggling to get into the groove a little bit and I think in qualifying I was much happier with things and I felt pretty good.
“We’ve been doing some digging this weekend and to come out with this result is a decent effort.”
He added: “We’re in good positions, but it’s still going to be an exciting race tomorrow with the two-stop so let’s see what happens.”
Last year’s winner and local hero Leclerc said: “I’m just frustrated. We know we don’t have the car for wins this year.”
Djokovic becomes third man to win 100 ATP titles with Geneva victory
- The 38-year-old recovered from losing the first set to clinch a 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2) win
- “I had to work for it, that’s for sure,” said Djokovic, who is the first man to win titles in 20 consecutive years
GENEVA: Novak Djokovic became just the third man to win 100 ATP titles with a typically dramatic comeback victory over Hubert Hurkacz in the final of the Geneva Open on Saturday.
The 38-year-old, playing in Switzerland in a bid to find form ahead of the French Open, recovered from losing the first set to clinch a 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2) win after three hours and five minutes on court.
Djokovic joins Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the only players with a century of tour titles.
“I had to work for it, that’s for sure. He was probably closer to the victory the entire match than me,” said Djokovic, who is the first man to win titles in 20 consecutive years.
“I was just trying to hang in there... this is what happens at this level. A few points decide it, an incredible match... and I’m delighted to clinch the 100 here.”
It was the former world number one’s first tournament triumph since clinching his maiden Olympic gold medal against Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Games last summer.
Djokovic had lost both of his previous matches on clay this season prior to the Geneva tournament, against Alejandro Tabilo and Matteo Arnaldi at the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters respectively.
But he decided to play at the low-key clay-court event in a bid to find form ahead of the start of the year’s second Grand Slam event on Sunday at Roland Garros, where the Serb will be targeting a record-breaking 25th major singles trophy.
It was Djokovic’s first tournament since splitting from coach and old rival Andy Murray, but he showed no ill-effects.
Poland’s former world number six Hurkacz, now ranked 31st, is still waiting for his first title since April 2024.
“It’s really inspiring how you conduct yourself on and off the court,” Hurkacz said to Djokovic.
The three-time Roland Garros champion starts his French Open campaign against American Mackenzie McDonald on either Monday or Tuesday.
After a tight start, Djokovic saw two break points come and go in the fifth game as Hurkacz battled to keep the first set on serve.
The opener appeared to be meandering toward a tie-break until Djokovic cracked in game 12, following a loose forehand at deuce with a double-fault on set point to give Hurkacz a one-set advantage.
Hurkacz dug deep to secure a hard-fought hold to kick off the second set, staving off another break point.
The second set followed a similar pattern to the first, but this time Djokovic was able to hold at 6-5 down to force a tie-break with an ace.
The Serb found his groove in the breaker, reeling off four straight points to send the match into a deciding set.
But Djokovic immediately gave up his serve in the first game of the third set, serving a double-fault when 40-30 up and then blasting a backhand long on break point.
Hurkacz then reeled off three successive holds to love to edge toward the title, only to crumble in the eighth game of the decider with two unforced errors and a double-fault to gift Djokovic a way back into the final.
The Pole gathered himself to secure a deciding tie-break in a tense 12th game.
But he crumbled at the crucial moments with back-to-back errors from 3-2 behind in the breaker, leaving Djokovic to reach yet another milestone in his illustrious career with an ace.
Watson’s late strike lifts Sunderland into Premier League
- Regis Le Bris’ side trailed to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half goal at Wembley
- Eliezer Mayenda equalized in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner
LONDON: Sunderland clinched promotion to the Premier League after eight years away as Tommy Watson’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 2-1 win against Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.
Regis Le Bris’ side trailed to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half goal at Wembley, but Eliezer Mayenda equalized in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner.
It was an astonishing twist to the single richest match in world football as Sunderland recovered from a sluggish start to hit the jackpot with a promotion worth an estimated £200 million ($270 million) in increased revenue.
Watson’s moment ensured Sunderland fans can look forward to renewing hostilities with bitter rivals Newcastle next season.
Sunderland’s return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 comes after a dark period that included a four-season spell in the third tier.
The Black Cats suffered five successive defeats coming into the play-offs, but they dug deep to reach the top-flight in the most remarkable style.
With a penalty shoot-out just seconds away, Dan Ballard’s last-gasp extra-time header sealed a 3-2 aggregate success in the semifinal second leg against Coventry.
They looked down and out with only 14 minutes left at Wembley before the stunning denouement.
Promotion completed an impressive rise for Le Bris, a 49-year-old Frenchman who arrived at the Stadium of Light last year after suffering relegation from Ligue 1 with Lorient
United are still without a win at Wembley in 100 years and have now endured four Championship final defeats among 10 failed attempts to win promotion via the play-offs.
United had finished in third place in the table, 14 points clear of fourth-placed Sunderland in the regular season, but that gap proved irrelevant.
Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson made a brilliant save in the second minute, diving to his left to claw Kieffer Moore’s header off the line.
Patterson’s stop conjured memories of Jim Montgomery’s incredible save to help Sunderland shock Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup final.
Injured trying to stop Moore’s header, Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien was forced off with a dislocated shoulder that left him writhing in pain.
United deservedly took the lead in the 25th minute.
Ben Hamer showed why he was voted Championship Player of the Year with a perfectly weighted pass to Campbell, who guided a composed finish over Patterson from 12 yards.
It was a poignant moment for the 25-year-old approaching the first anniversary of the death of his father — former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell.
Harrison Burrows thought he had doubled United’s lead nine minutes later, but his strike was disallowed for offside against Vini Souza after a VAR check.
United substitute Andre Brooks barged through on goal after the interval, but Patterson stuck out his foot to make a superb save.
It proved a costly miss, as Mayenda hauled Sunderland level with only their second shot on target in the 76th minute.
Patrick Roberts’ pin-point pass reached Mayenda just inside the area and he punished United’s sloppy marking with a fierce finish into the roof of the net.
O’Nien, his shoulder in a sling, sprinted off the bench to embrace Mayenda, waving his one healthy arm in jubilation.
That celebration was only the precursor to the ecstatic scenes sparked by Watson five minutes into stoppage-time.
Seizing on Moore’s loose pass, Watson drove toward the edge of the United area and curled a low shot into the bottom corner past Michael Cooper’s fatally slow dive.
Watson is due to join Brighton in the close-season and his thrilling winner was the perfect farewell gift, ensuring Sunderland will join the 19-year-old among English football’s elite.
French taxi drivers threaten airports, French Open tennis in standoff
- French taxi drivers have over the last week blocked roads at points across the country
- “From Monday,” in the absence of progress, Paris international airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, “will be blocked by taxis, and we will also take care of Roland Garros,” said Cordier
PARIS: French taxi drivers will next week step up protest actions, including paralysing access to Paris airports and the French Open tennis championship, in an increasingly acrimonious standoff with the government, their main federation said on Saturday.
French taxi drivers have over the last week blocked roads at points across the country in a row with the government about payments for transporting patients which for many cab drivers form a major part of their businesses.
Meanwhile grievances against ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt have been aired again, with taxi drivers seeing them as a poorly-regulated threat to their livelihood.
Sector representatives are due to attend a crunch meeting at the ministry of transport from 1500 GMT Saturday which, in a sign of the seriousness of the situation, will also be attended by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou.
Their chief demand is the wholesale withdrawal of new rules coming into force in October on the transportation of patients to harmonize prices nationwide, which the taxi drivers say will severely erode their income.
“We are calling for the immediate withdrawal of this agreement and for a return to the negotiating table,” Emmanuelle Cordier, president of the National Taxi Federation (FNDT), told France Info radio.
“From Monday,” in the absence of progress, Paris international airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, “will be blocked by taxis, and we will also take care of Roland Garros,” said Cordier, referring to the two-week French Open tennis which starts on Sunday.
In such actions, taxi drivers usually park their vehicles to block car access, requiring people to walk long distances.
But the government has no plans to drop the new rules which it said are needed, after health transport expenditure reached 6.74 billion euros in 2024, including 3.07 billion for licensed taxis.
“We will have to continue to show our discontent peacefully, but with increasingly tough blockades,” said Noel, a 60-year-old driver from Lyon, who has spent 21 years as a taxi driver.
FIFA president cites ‘discussions’ for Ronaldo to play in Club World Cup
- Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament
- Infantino suggested that the Portugal star could switch to one of the 32 teams playing in the competition
GENEVA: FIFA president Gianni Infantino says Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup because of a unique transfer window.
Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament, but Infantino suggested that the Portugal star could switch to one of the 32 teams playing in the competition in the United States starting next month.
“Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup,” Infantino told online streamer IShowSpeed, whose YouTube channel has more than 39 million subscribers. “There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club are watching and are interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows. Still a few weeks time, will be fun.”
FIFA confirmed Wednesday that last-minute transfer signings are open to all teams going to tournament, which fueled more speculation that one of them will try to sign the 40-year-old Ronaldo on a short-term deal, potentially a loan.
Such a move would be unprecedented in modern soccer though could appeal to FIFA by boosting the profile and ticket sales of an inaugural tournament being played in 11 US cities.
A transfer for Ronaldo also would reunite him and Lionel Messi in the same competition for the first time since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Last October, FIFA invited Messi’s Inter Miami to enter the tournament in the slot that was expected to be reserved for the host nation’s champion. Inter Miami were eliminated in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Speculative reports have linked Ronaldo to the one Saudi club that qualified, Al Hilal, the Brazilian club Palmeiras and Wydad of Morocco, even though that club are currently banned by FIFA from registering new signings.
Transfers can be made from June 1-10 and again June 27-July 3 according to exceptional rules FIFA approved in October.
“The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation,” FIFA said in Wednesday’s statement.
