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    Champions League places CONFIRMED after Aston Villa VAR controversy as Newcastle have to be saved by Man Utd

    THE Premier League’s European representatives have been decided after a tense final day wrapped up which clubs will be playing under the lights against Europe’s elite next season.Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea have secured spots alongside Arsenal and champions Liverpool in the Champions League next term.Manchester City secured a Champions League football with a third place finishCredit: PANewcastle snuck into the competition despite losing to EvertonCredit: PAChelsea snatched a place amongst Europe’s elite tooCredit: GettyThe trio swooped up the remaining three spots amongst Europe’s top brass thanks to their last day efforts.Manchester City wound up comfortable 2-0 winners over Fulham as Ilkay Gundogan and Erling Haaland found the back of the net in Kevin de Bruyne’s final game for the Cityzens.The victory means that, despite a ‘disastrous’ campaign, City still finished third – just three points behind Arsenal.Chelsea took home fourth spot thanks to their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest, with Levi Colwill’s goal the difference between the two sides battling it out for a place in the top spots.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLIt was the Chelsea defender’s own goal, while on loan at Huddersfield Town, which earned Forest promotion to the top flight in the Championship Play-Off Final of 2022. But early in the second half, the England man scored only the fifth goal of his career to settle this final-day shoot-out for a place at European football’s top table. Eddie Howe’s Newcastle appeared to stumble, losing 1-0 to Everton at St James’ Park and slipping out of the top five.But Manchester United’s shock win over a 10-man Aston Villa side meant that the Magpies jumped back into the Champions League positions despite their own efforts – winding up as fifth place finishers.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSVilla finished sixth instead, meaning they will now compete in next season’s Europa League.And it could have been very different at Old Trafford, with Villa having a controversial goal ruled out following VAR’s inability to intervene.Morgan Rogers chased down Harry Maguire’s loose header back to goal and nicked the ball out of the Altay Bayindir’s grasp, rolling the ball into an open net to give Villa the lead.But referee Thomas Bramall had blown for a foul by Rogers on Bayindir, only for replays to show the United stopper never had full control of the ball and the goal should therefore have stood.Who made it into Europe?Here’s a breakdown of which Premier League teams will be playing in Europe next season…Champions LeagueLiverpool – 1st placeArsenal – 2nd placeMan City – 3rd placeChelsea – 4th placeNewcastle – 5th placeTottenham – Europa League winnersEuropa LeagueAston Villa – 6th placeCrystal Palace – FA Cup winnersConference LeagueNottingham Forest – 7th placeHowever, due to the official having already blown his whistle for a free-kick, VAR were unable to overturn the decision – Villa’s goal was calked off and United went on to bag two goals and win the match 2-0.For Nottingham Forest, their dream of a return to the Champions League was snatched away as Chelsea earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Nuno Espirito Santo’s spirited team at the City Ground.But their superb season won’t go entirely unrewarded as they will still return to Europe for the first time since 1996 – earning a place in the Conference League with their seventh placed finish.Meanwhile Crystal Palace will also compete in the Europa League thanks to their FA Cup success over Man City, and Tottenham will return to the Champions League as a result of their Europa League glory over Man Utd.Aston Villa slipped out of the Champions League places and into the Europa LeagueCredit: AFPNottingham Forest missed out on both the Champions League and the Europa LeagueCredit: PACrystal Palace’s FA Cup success has earned them a spot in the Europa LeagueCredit: GettyTottenham will return to the Champions League after their Europa League successCredit: Getty More

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    Premier League prize money 2024/25: How much did each team earn after thrilling final day?

    THE 2024/25 Premier League season has come to a thrilling end after what was an action-packed final day – and teams now know exactly how much money they’ll have available for this summer.Liverpool wrapped up the title a little under a month ago with a 5-1 emphatic victory over Europa League champions Tottenham.Liverpool won a record-equalling 20th Premier League titleCredit: GettyAnd it was a historic accomplishment as the Reds have now equalled Manchester United’s record of 20 Premier League titles.Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle have all secured a Champions League spot – Tottenham will join them too having won the Europa League at the expense of Manchester United.Aston Villa fell into a Europa League spot and Nottingham Forest were forced to settle with a Conference League place for next season.While three teams who got promoted last season – Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton are all going straight back down to the Championship.Read more on Premier LeagueBut fans are curious about how much each team earns based on their final positioning in the 2024/25 Premier League table.Premier League prize money 2024/25The Premier League merit payments are distributed on a sliding scale from 1st to 20th, made up of combined earnings from domestic and international broadcast deals.This is a breakdown of the Premier League prize money based on who finished where during the 2024/25 campaign:Liverpool – £56.4mArsenal – £53.5mManchester City – £50.7mChelsea – £47.9mNewcastle – £45.1mAston Villa – £42.2mNottingham Forest – £39.4mBrighton – £36.7mBournemouth – £33.8mBrentford – £31mFulham – £28.2mCrystal Palace – £25.4mEverton – £22.5mWest Ham – £19.7mManchester United – £16.9mWolves – £14mTottenham – £11.3mLeicester – £8.5mIpswich – £5.7mSouthampton – £2.8mMost read in FootballWhen does the 2025/26 Premier League season start?The 2025/26 Premier League season will begin on the weekend of August 16/17, 2025.The start date allows for the maximum player rest time available – 83 clear days – from the end of the 2024/25 campaign.33 weekend and five midweek match rounds will make up the 2025/26 season.The Premier League states that the schedule “continues to allow more rest time for players over the festive match-round period”.No two rounds of fixtures will take place within 60 hours of each other and there will be no game on Christmas Eve.The fixtures for the Premier League 2025/26 season will be released at 9am BST on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. More

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    Chloe Kelly shows off her dancing as Arsenal stars get private performance from Alex Scott’s girlfriend Jess Glynne

    CHLOE KELLY led the dancing as Alex Scott’s singer girlfriend Jess Glynne put on a private show for history-making Arsenal.Sub Stina Blackstenius’ sizzling strike sunk holders Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final in Lisbon.Chloe Kelly spearheaded the revelling at Arsenal’s partyCredit: Instagram / @alessiaGunners’ fan Jess Glynne helped make it an extra special nightBubbly in hand, Kelly took a brief break from dancingCredit: Instagram / @alessiaSinger Glynne was as overjoyed with victory as the playersAnd exuberant celebrations at a party afterwards suggested the Gunners agreed with pundits that it was their finest ever achievement.Arsenal had lifted the top European domestic crown just once before – in 2007.And the jubilation this time, on the final whistle in Portugal, was certainly wild.But it didn’t compare to the joyous way the team bopped the night away on the dancefloor.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLStriker Kelly looked especially proud of her footwork – as she shimmied at the front with a winner’s medal round her neck as Glynne performed on stage.Glynne, 35, has been dating 40-year-old BBC football presenter Scott, an Arsenal legend, since 2023.And as the songwriter belted out tunes, Kelly beamed as she held a glass of bubbly while wearing an Arsenal shirt with the words “Champions 2025” on it.The Lionesses star shared two clips of her efforts on her Instagram Stories page.Most read in FootballAlex Scott celebrated as if she was still an Arsenal playerCredit: GettyGlynne and Scott were at the final triumph in the Estadio Jose AlvaladeCredit: PAScott wore a retro shirt from the 1980s, albeit croppedCredit: PABEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UKKelly’s team-mate Alessia Russo added more ecstatic scenes from the evening on her own social media account.Arsenal fan Glynne had shared champagne with Kelly at the Estadio José Alvalade stadium the previous day, in front of 38,356.Katie McCabe slides on the floor in Arsenal dressing room after Champions League finalAnd if anything, the Londoner looked even happier than her partner – at least until Scott headed onto the pitch to rejoice afterwards with arms aloft as if she was still a player.It was an explosion of joy and relief, showing she had lived every minute with the current Gunners as they defended brilliantly before conjuring a clinical winner.The Gunners were in dreamland after shocking favourites BarcelonaCredit: AFPArsenal lifted the top domestic European crown for the second timeCredit: AP More

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    Aston Villa RAGING after being denied crucial goal vs Man Utd due to VAR protocol and miss out on Champions League

    ASTON VILLA are FUMING after missing out on Champions League qualification after they had a goal wrongly disallowed and VAR could not intervene.With their game at Old Trafford goalless, Manchester United keeper Altay Bayindir appeared to get away with a huge error.Aston Villa were denied a goal in controversial circumstancesMorgan Rogers appeared to nick the ball off Altay BayindirCredit: PABut the referee had blown his whistle for a foulCredit: PAThe goal was disallowed and VAR could not interveneCredit: PAMorgan Rogers chased down Harry Maguire’s header back and he nicked the ball out of the Bayindir’s grasp.The Villa man then rolled the ball into an empty net in what looked to be a crucial goal for Villa’s European dreams.But referee Thomas Bramall had blown for a foul by Rogers on Bayindir.Replays showed the United stopper never had full control of the ball and the goal should therefore have stood.But due to the official having already blown his whistle for a free-kick, VAR were unable to overturn the decision.And just minutes later, Amad Diallo scored to make it 1-0 to United before Christian Eriksen doubled their lead.It meant Villa missed out on Champions League qualification as they failed to better Newcastle’s result, who lost to Everton by a goal.Before the controversial refereeing incident, Villa were on course to finish in the top five ahead of the Toon.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSBut defeat meant they finished on 66 points in sixth place, missing out to Newcastle on goal difference.Villa have instead had to settle for a place in next season’s Europa League.McGinn ragingAston Villa captain John McGinn was raging after the game.He said: “I think everyone wanted the correct decisions when the VAR was implemented. You watch rugby, even if the referee has awarded a try and it’s wrong, its overturned. “It’s so so hard to take especially when the impact it has on us, as a club and a team, is so big. “Its’ really, really tough to take and handle. I don’t think we deserved to win but if you were 1-0 up at that point and all you need is a point to get to the Champions League, it’s costly.”Moving forward, the rule has to be looked at as the correct decisions were not getting made at the end of the day. I think [referee] Thomas [Bramall] knew. It probably wasn’t fair on him at that moment either. The boys are gutted.”Asked if the ref acknowledged his mistake, he said: “He didn’t really know what to say. “Because of the impact it has on us as players and our careers, the club, you are obviously angry. I think he is a young referee who has progressed very quickly. “Maybe we could look at having more experienced referees. I don’t know. It’s just an incredible decision and makes today even worse than it should be.”Manage Unai Emery added: “It was a mistake. A big mistake.”The match we played overall in 90 minutes with the red card and this goal disallowed, it was a key moment. but overall, they did more. Read More on The Sun”But we showed resilience with one player less. We could have scored one goal and it would have been a good opportunity to continue and keep the result. We didn’t perform enough today to get a good result but we could get it, in case some decision weren’t like it was.”Emery revealed he spoke with the referee after the game: “Yes, I told him but he knows it [he made a mistake].” More

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    Premier League kick-offs DELAYED with Champions League race in the balance after Emi Martinez moment of madness

    EVERY Premier League game involving a team fighting for the Champions League was delayed following the red card to Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.Martinez was shown a straight red card in the first half of Villa’s battle with Manchester United at Old Trafford after he wiped out a goal-bound Rasmus Hojlund.Manchester United and Aston Villa players waited for their match to kick back offCredit: TNT SportsFulham and Man City players stood around waiting tooThat red card caused a hefty delay in the United vs Villa game – subsequently delaying every other match involving teams competing for Champions League places.Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones revealed that the second-halves involving the European hopefuls had been delayed so they could kick off at the same time.That meant Man Utd vs Villa, Fulham vs Man City, Newcastle vs Everton and Nottingham Forest vs Chelsea all had to wait around to sync up their second-half kick off.The decision isn’t unusual and is made in the interest of competitive integrity, aiming to avoid any two teams from being able to settle for a certain result in the knowledge that a different game has gone their way elsewhere.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLVilla, Chelsea, Forest, Newcastle and City are all battling for the three remaining places in the Champions League next season – with Arsenal and champions Liverpool already wrapping up two of the five allocated spots.The other six games being played in the Prem were not impacted by the delay and were allowed to kick off their second halves as usual.Martinez’ red card made Villa’s chances of sneaking into the Champions League places much more difficult, and it was a nightmare for him too.That’s because the Argentine was seemingly playing his final game for the Villans, having waved goodbye to Villa Park with teary eyes last weekend.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSIt was an impossible task too, as Villa wound up losing 2-0 to Man Utd.That result meant that Unai Emery’s side fell out of the Champions League spots and ultimately finished sixth – meaning it will be Europa League football at Villa Park next season instead.Martinez has been linked with a switch to Saudi Arabia, while SunSport have also revealed he is a target for former club Arsenal who are eyeing a reunion with the shot-stopper should David Raya leave this summer.If Martinez is to remain in the Premier League – he will start next season with a three match ban.Martinez looked as though he waved goodbye to the Villa Park faithful when the Villans played their final home game of the season last weekend.The goalkeeper was in tears as he walked off the pitch following Villa’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.Martinez joined Villa in 2020 following a breakout period of success at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, coming in for the injured Bernd Leno and helping the Gunners win the FA Cup.Since his switch to the Midlands, the former Reading and Rotherham loanee has won the Copa America twice, the World Cup and been named Fifa’s Best Keeper in the World two times.Emi Martinez wiped out Rasmus HojlandCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThomas Bramall had no choice but to send him offCredit: GettyIt could be Martinez’s final game for VillaCredit: AFP More

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    Bayern Munich ‘turn to England star with £68m release clause’ as they’re set to lose out on Wirtz transfer to Liverpool

    BAYERN MUNICH have turned their attention to Eberechi Eze with them set to miss out on Florian Wirtz, according to reports.The Bundesliga champions have accepted that the Bayer Leverkusen star is joining Liverpool in a British record £126million deal.Florian Wirtz is heading to LiverpoolCredit: GettyBayern Munich could now target Eberechi EzeCredit: GettyWirtz, 22, has reportedly told Bayern chiefs he is heading to Merseyside and the club are now set to pursue Eze.The Crystal Palace and England midfielder has a release clause said to be worth £60m, plus £8m in add-ons.Bayern are hopeful of getting a deal done as they have a good relationship with the Eagles after the clubs agreed a transfer for Michael Olise last summer.Despite his release clause, Palace want to convince Eze to stay at Selhurst Park.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLAnd they will stand firm with their price tag and not accept anything less than the release clause.SunSport understand that both Manchester United and Aston Villa are keen on Eze but the fee may prove too costly for them.Bayern are not thought to have an issue with the price as they were set to splash the cash on Wirtz.But like Manchester City they put off the signing after discovering that the total cost of the move could total £252m.Most read in FootballJOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUSOn top of the £126m fee, Wirtz is set to pocket £325,000-a-week.Meanwhile, Bayern are also looking at AC Milan winger Rafael Leao and Brighton ace Kaoru Mitoma to bolster their attacking options behind main man Harry Kane.Ebereche Eze wins £15,000 in celebrity online chess tournament – and celebrates more than his Wembley FA Cup goal More

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    Sports-mad Brits reveal the live events on their bucket lists – with World Cup Final at Wembley coming out top

    SPORTS-MAD Brits have revealed the live events they’d put on their bucket list – and a World Cup Final at Wembley has come out tops.Over half of those quizzed for a poll say travelling to see a massive live sporting event is one of life’s biggest buzzes, with 36% planning a sports trip this year.Fans said that matches at Wembley are their favourite type of sporting eventCredit: GettyFootball fans revealed that they love being in the stands with their fellow sport loversCredit: GettyThe 100m race at the Olympics was another popular choice of sporting eventCredit: AFPTopping the dream list would be a FIFA World Cup Final at Wembley for just over a third.Close behind is an FA Cup Final at Wembley for three in ten, while one in four fancy standing trackside at the London Marathon, and one in five want to see British Grand Prix at Silverstone.Brits are also willing to travel across the pond – with almost a quarter ready to go long-haul to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics 100m Final.The glamorous Monaco Grand Prix, an American Football Super Bowl and a Champions League Final also made the cut for around 20 percent of those quizzed.Read More on SportsReasons for sports-tripping included seeing a favourite sportsman or woman, bonding with mates and family or simply soaking up the atmosphere.The poll was commissioned by luxury hotel chain Hyatt.Hyatt spokesman Michel Morauw said: “Sports-tripping is reaching fever pitch, and we’re increasingly seeing more travellers with a passion for building their holidays around watching live sporting events.” More

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    Emi Martinez’s Aston Villa ‘farewell’ ends in disgrace as he’s SENT OFF for ‘dumbest ever’ foul on Man Utd’s Hojlund

    EMI MARTINEZ potentially ended his Aston Villa career with a shocking red card. The keeper brutally wiped out Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund after rushing off his line.Emi Martinez wiped out Rasmus HojlandCredit: Shutterstock EditorialThomas Bramall had no choice but to send him offCredit: GettyIt could be Martinez’s final game for VillaCredit: AFPA weak back pass looked to have put Hojlund through on goal – with Martinez charging out of his box. But Hojlund knocked it past the Villa keeper – who wiped out United’s front man to leave referee Thomas Bramall no choice but to send him off. It was meant to be a farewell match for 2022 World Cup winner Martinez – who already waved goodbye to Villa fans. And as revealed by SunSport, he is also a target for Arsenal who are eyeing a reunion with the Argentine. READ MORE IN football If Martinez is to remain in the Premier League – he will start next season with a three match ban.The Gunners fear their No1 David Raya wants a move back to Spain. Martinez, 32, would jump at a second chance to man the sticks at the Emirates should the deal come round.Spaniard Raya, 29, is being linked with moves to La Liga after establishing himself as the Gunners No .1.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThe former Blackburn prospect is short-listed at Real Madrid as a long-term replacement for Thibaut Courtois.While he is also on the radar at neighbours Atletico — who fear Jan Oblak could be tempted by Saudi Arabian cash.Raya has been one of the Premier League’s standout goalkeepers in recent seasons and, should he keep a clean sheet against Southampton on Sunday, will win consecutive Golden Glove awards.Despite his impressive form, Arsenal would be open to selling him if the price was right.The Gunners know that Martinez could be bought, but they will have to be quick with Middle East clubs keen too.Martinez looked as though he waved goodbye to the Villa Park faithful when the Villans played their final home game of the season last weekend.The shot-stopper was in tears as he walked off the pitch following Villa’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.Martinez joined Villa in 2020 following a breakout period of success at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, coming in for the injured Bernd Leno and helping the Gunners win the FA Cup.Since his switch to the Midlands, the former Reading and Rotherham loanee has won the Copa America twice, the World Cup and been named Fifa’s Best Keeper in the World two times.Martinez spent eight years at Arsenal before moving to VillaCredit: Getty More