Arsenal are on the brink of ending a 22-year wait to win the Premier League after beating Burnley 1-0 on Monday to open up a five-point lead at the top.

Kai Havertz headed in the only goal but was also lucky to avoid a second-half red card that could have swung the title race back in Manchester City’s favour. The Gunners could be crowned champions as early as Tuesday should City fail to win at Bournemouth.

Even if City do end the Cherries’ 16-game unbeaten run and beat Aston Villa, Arsenal will secure the title with a victory at Crystal Palace on Sunday. However, the narrow margin of victory against a Burnley side that have long since been relegated does offer City hope.

An Arsenal draw at Selhurst Park would allow City to snatch the title on goal difference if Pep Guardiola’s team win their final two matches. To add extra intrigue to the final days of the season, reports on Monday suggest Guardiola will leave City after a decorated decade in charge after Villa visit the Etihad on Sunday.

Roared on by an expectant capacity crowd in their final home game of the season, Arsenal were tipped to put the Clarets to the sword with ease. Burnley have taken just two points from their last 10 matches but made Mikel Arteta’s men work for the three points on another nervy night at the Emirates.

Leandro Trossard struck the post from the edge of the area before Bukayo Saka saw a penalty appeal waived away as he attempted to turn in Havertz’s low cross.

Arsenal were forced to rely on their set-piece threat once more to prise Burnley open. Havertz rose highest to power in Saka’s delivery on 37 minutes as they scored from a corner for the 18th time in the league this season.

Yet the floodgates did not open and Arsenal were very fortunate not to have to defend their lead with 10 men for the final quarter. Havertz raked his studs down the calf of Lesley Ugochukwu in a mistimed challenge.

Despite a VAR review, the original decision of a yellow card was not upgraded to red. Viktor Gyokeres quickly replaced Havertz. The Swede’s arrival failed to kickstart Arsenal as an attacking force.

But their rock-solid defensive record again edged them closer to the title. Since losing to City last month, Arsenal have not conceded in their last four league games.

besoccer.com

Carlo Ancelotti has already announced the list of the 26 players who will represent Brazil at the World Cup. A list that was full of doubts that have now been resolved, especially because of the possible call-up of Neymar, which has finally become a reality.

The “Canarinha” is in Group C with Morocco (they will play on June 14), Haiti (June 20) and Scotland (June 25). Before the World Cup, they will play a friendly against Panama and another against Egypt.

This will be Carlo Ancelotti’s first World Cup as a coach (he played in two as a player) and his first official tournament after sealing his renewal until 2030. Brazil will be aiming for their sixth World Cup, following the debacles in the last five World Cups in which they have not managed to get past the semifinals. That fourth-place finish came in 2014 when they hosted the tournament and Germany handed them a 1-7 thrashing at the Maracanã.

Brazil will always be a favorite in the World Cups, and this one will be no exception. Carlo Ancelotti has achieved the greatest successes at club level and now is going after international ones, and he will have an “army” of 26 warriors ready to give it their all. 

“It is a list that has been made after many evaluations throughout the year. There is a lot of competition, passion and knowledge. It has been very good work. It is not going to be perfect, but it will surely have as few mistakes as possible. It is a list to do the best possible in the World Cup“, were Carlo’s statements upon his arrival.

Official list

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Fenerbahçe) and Weverton (Gremio).

Defenders: Danilo (Flamengo), Wesley (Roma), Marquinhos (Paris Saint Germain), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Léo Pereira (Flamengo), Bremer (Juventus), Ibáñez (Al Ahli), Alex Sandro (Flamengo) and Douglas Santos (Zenit).

Midfielders: Casemiro (Manchester United), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Danilo (Botafogo), Fabinho (Al Ittihad) and Paquetá (Flamengo).

Forwards: Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), Neymar (Santos), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rayan (Bournemouth), Igor Thiago (Brentford), Luiz Henrique (Zenit), Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) and Endrick (Olympique de Lyon).

marca.com

Pep Guardiola’s extraordinary Manchester City era could be close to its final act.

According to the Daily Mail, the City boss is expected to leave the club this summer, bringing down the curtain on one of the most dominant managerial reigns English football has seen.

If the report proves correct, City will lose far more than a head coach.

Guardiola has shaped the club’s modern identity since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2016, turning City into a relentless force in the Premier League and finally delivering the Champions League title that had eluded them for years.

His departure would also come at a time when the squad is already changing, with long time pillars of the Guardiola era either gone or approaching the end of their own spells.

Guardiola’s Manchester City era nears its end

Guardiola’s record at City is almost impossible to separate from the club’s modern rise.

He brought a tactical clarity and intensity that changed expectations across the Premier League, pushing rivals to chase a level of consistency that few could match.

City’s best years under him were not only about trophies. They were about control, possession, pressure and the sense that opponents often had to play a perfect game just to survive.

That is why any exit would feel like a defining moment for English football, not just for City.

The club may have the structure, wealth and squad planning to remain powerful, but replacing Guardiola’s influence would be a very different challenge.
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​Enzo Maresca favourite to replace Guardiola

According to reports, Enzo Maresca is the favourite to succeed Guardiola if the Spaniard leaves this summer.

That would make sense given Maresca’s history with the club and his connection to Guardiola’s footballing ideas.

Maresca previously worked at City as part of Guardiola’s setup and also managed the club’s elite development squad, giving him a strong understanding of the structure, expectations and playing philosophy at the Etihad.

marca.com