Golden Soccer 360

Eden Hazard delivered a potential parting gift to Antonio Conte as Chelsea edged Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley to win the FA Cup for the eighth time. Hazard calmly converted a 22nd-minute penalty after being brought down by Phil Jones and it proved decisive as the Blues avenged last year's defeat to Arsenal and ended a tumultuous campaign on a high note. Conte had conceded before the game that victory here may not save him from the sack after a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Premier League, but the Italian ends a sour season with silverware, serving up a first cup final defeat in England to old foe Jose Mourinho in the process. United, who had been forced to start Romelu Lukaku on the bench following injury, failed to have a shot on target in a disjointed first half but despite dominating after the break, were repeatedly denied by Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, as well as an offside flag when Alexis Sanchez thought he had struck back. Both sides paid tr...

Mikel Arteta is ready for the challenge of managing Arsenal, says Guillem Balague. Here, he discusses why the Gunners hierarchy should appoint their former midfielder... While, at the time of writing, the installation of Mikel Arteta as the successor to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal is not quite a done deal, the signs are that the affable Basque coach from San Sebastian might well be very soon swapping the Etihad for the top job at the Emirates. If there is any prevarication, then it most certainly isn't coming from the Arsenal side, who are more than keen to get their man. A whole host of names have been thrown into the mix and in truth, this was probably more to deflect attention from the intended target. Some of the other suggestions that were made did not always meet with the approval of all the people at Arsenal, namely Raul Sanllehi, Sven Mislintat and Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis. Great former players like Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira had been mentioned, while Gaz...

Anthony Martial might be tempted into leaving Manchester United after being omitted from France's World Cup squad, according to David Ginola. Martial missed out when Didier Deschamps named his 23-man squad for Russia on Thursday, being placed on the standby list despite starting France's last friendly game in March. The 22-year-old's omission comes after he was marginalised at United following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in January and speculation that he may leave Old Trafford this summer. "The main reason Anthony Martial is not in the squad is that you need to be a regular in your club before becoming a regular in your national team," former France international Ginola said. "Deschamps has so many options and choices - strikers like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezemann who have been consistently good for France - that it's not as if he has to be in there if he's not playing. "Players like Martial need to play and sco...

Liverpool have called off a friendly with Borussia Mönchengladbach over the German club's interest in Rhian Brewster, say Sky sources. Club officials have also written to Mönchengladbach warning them over their conduct in pursuing the teenager. The match was due to be played on August 7 at Anfield. Brewster grabbed the global headlines last October when he secured the Golden Boot when England won the U17 World Cup in India. In March, UEFA dropped charges against Spartak Moscow over allegations of racist abuse towards the 18-year-old Brewster due to lack of evidence. Brewster is hugely respected at Liverpool and is currently recovering from a knee ligament injury. via Sky Sports

Celtic made history on Saturday as they sealed the double treble with their 2-0 Scottish Cup victory against Motherwell. Brendan Rodgers' side had already secured the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup titles for the second season in a row, and became the first side in Scotland to win all three cups in successive years with the win at Hampden Park. Both goals came early in the first half, with Callum McGregor (11) and Olivier Ntcham (25) putting Celtic out of sight, although Motherwell did make it a nervy finish as Gael Bigirimana's free-kick hit the crossbar. But it could not inspire a comeback as Celtic saw out the game to lift the Scottish Cup, and create history in the process. It took just over 10 minutes for Celtic to take the lead. Tom Rogic floated a cross into the area but Charles Dunne's clearance only made it as far as McGregor, who powered home a superb effort into the back of the net. The chances for Celtic kept coming, and 14 minutes lat...

Antonio Conte believes he could win the FA Cup with Chelsea this weekend and still end up being sacked in the aftermath. The Italian's team face Manchester United on Saturday at Wembley, where defeat would see Chelsea end the season without a trophy just 12 months after they won the Premier League. Conte's long-term position has been the focus of much scrutiny for much of this season, with many predicting his reign is close to ending. While he maintains he will be a club hero even if his players are beaten by United, he also concedes success in the last match of his second campaign in England might not be enough to save him. Conte - previously linked with the Italy job now occupied by Roberto Mancini - said: "Usually, when you have a lot of positive situations, it's more simple. "When you have a negative situation, then you must be prepared to work very hard, to work to improve every aspect. I think in this season, I did this together with my staff. ...

Jose Mourinho says David de Gea will start in goal for Manchester United in Saturday evening's FA Cup final against Chelsea, because Sergio Romero has only just returned after injury. De Gea is United's clear No 1, but Romero is an Argentina international himself and played in all the rounds before the semi-final, as well as last season's Europa League final victory. But he had to sit out the 2-1 defeat of Spurs in last four after suffering a knee injury early on during Argentina's 6-1 friendly defeat to Spain on March 27. He is now fit again and started United's 1-0 win at Watford on Sunday, but Mourinho has decided it is safer to go with De Gea at Wembley. "He (Romero) was injured for a long, long time," said Mourinho. "He was injured for around two and something months. "He didn't play some matches that normally would be his matches, his semi-final against Tottenham, a couple more matches before the final. "He reall...

West Ham are close to agreeing a deal with Manuel Pellegrini to become their new manager, according to Sky sources. The former Manchester City boss is on his way to London and will hold talks with co-owner David Sullivan on Monday. However, West Ham are also seeking to speak with Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez this weekend. The Hammers are looking for a replacement for David Moyes, who left the club earlier in the week after completing a six-month contract. The 64-year-old Pellegrini has emerged as the leading candidate for the vacancy and the Chilean is very familiar with the Premier League, having guided Manchester City to the title in 2013/14. The experienced Pellegrini began his managerial career in South America and has won national leagues in four different countries. Prior to joining City, he had spells with Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga in Spain. He has recently been working in the Chinese Super League as manager of Hebei China Fortune. Benite...

Gianluigi Buffon has announced he will be leaving Juventus at the end of the season after 17 years with the club. The Serie A champions host Verona on Saturday in what will be the 40-year-old goalkeeper's last game for the Italian side. Buffon captained the club to a seventh straight title and fourth consecutive Italian Cup triumph this season. "Saturday will be my last game for Juventus," Buffon, who has won the Serie A title nine times, said. "I think it's the best way to end this wonderful adventure. "For now I only know that Saturday I will play a game. Until a few days ago it was certain that I would stop playing. Now there are some interesting proposals. "In Wojciech Szczesny, Juventus have an excellent goalkeeper, who also has 13 years less than me. Giorgio Chiellini is the perfect example of how a Juve captain should be. "He has always been a reference for me. I wish him all the best." During his time in Turin, he h...

Alexandre Lacazette and Anthony Martial have been left out of France's squad for the World Cup while Dimitri Payet misses the tournament through injury. Arsenal striker Lacazette, who won six of his 13 France caps in 2017, has been named on Didier Deschamps' standby list, failing to make a 23-man squad that includes Olivier Giroud among seven forward options. Martial is also on the standby list along with Mamadou Sakho, Moussa Sissoko and Kurt Zouma. Marseille star Payet limped out of Wednesday's Europa League final defeat by Atletico Madrid and doubts over his fitness for the trip to Russia forced Deschamps' hand. His party includes five players from the Premier League - Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and Chelsea's Giroud. Former Newcastle forward Florian Thauvin takes one of the attacking places ahead of Lacazette and Martial. Of Payet...

Manchester United led the way with just under £150m in revenue received from the Premier League during the 2017-18 campaign. United's total revenue came in at £149,767,145, just over £300,000 more than title winners Manchester City, while bottom side West Brom also received the least revenue, albeit still securing £94,666,492. Each club received the same lump sum of just over £80.4m from the Premier League's domestic and international television deals, plus their central commercial revenues. The differences came from the facility fees and merit payments, based on how many times each team was shown on television and their final position in the table. via Sky Sports

Pep Guardiola has committed his future to Manchester City by signing a new three-year deal. The Spaniard, whose new contract expires in 2021, had one year left to run on his previous deal which he signed upon arrival from Bayern Munich in June 2016. "I am so happy and excited. It's a pleasure to be able to work here," said Guardiola in a statement on Thursday. "I enjoy working with our players every day and we will try to do our best together in the coming years. As a manager, you have to feel good to be with the players - and I feel good. "I will focus on the desire of my players to become a better team and every day that's what I will try to do - to improve on the pitch and improve our players. "We have a young squad with an average age of 23 and we want to keep taking steps forward and maintain the levels we've achieved this season." Talks between Guardiola and the club regarding an extension have been ongoing for a number o...

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas says he owes Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho a debt of gratitude for handing him a second chance in English football. But the Spain international is hoping to help spoil Mourinho's day on Saturday, when the Blues take on United in the FA Cup final. Win or lose at Wembley, Fabregas says he is full of admiration for the man who signed him for Chelsea in 2014, bringing him back to England from Barcelona, after an earlier spell with Arsenal. The pair went on enjoy title success that season - with Fabregas registering a league-leading 18 assists. And, ahead of his reunion with Mourinho, the 31-year-old said: "I love him, I always say that. "I owe him a lot because he brought me here, I will always remember that. "My first year here, (former Arsenal manager) Arsene (Wenger) had always treated me like a son. But the closest anyone has been to him was Jose. "The way he treated me, the way he made me feel, how he let m...

Arsenal are intending to speak to club legend Thierry Henry about the vacant managerial position at the Emirates early next week, according to Sky sources. The club are undertaking an extensive process to determine Arsene Wenger's replacement at the helm, following the Frenchman's departure after 22-years in charge. Sky Sports News  understands that the leading candidate for the position is former midfielder Mikel Arteta. Arteta spent the 2017/18 season as second in command to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, in what was a title-winning campaign with a record points haul. The Gunners held talks with Arteta on Thursday about the possibility of taking the position, though other candidates including Henry will be spoken to and assessed. Arsenal executives were involved in discussions on Thursday regarding who should next take over at the club. It is understood Arsenal wish to have the new manager in place before the start of the Russia World Cup on June 14. via S...

Bayern Munich have confirmed midfielder Renato Sanches will return to the club next season. The Portugal international spent the 2017/18 campaign on loan at Swansea, but failed to make an impression as the side were relegated from the Premier League. Sanches moved to south Wales last summer and linked up with then-manager Paul Clement, who he had worked with previously at Bayern. The 20-year-old finished the campaign having made 15 appearances in all competitions. He last featured for Swansea in the Premier League in January. Swansea paid Bayern over £7m for the loan of Sanches, while also putting up the majority of his £50,000-per-week wages. Bayern originally signed the player in the summer of 2016 for a transfer fee of £27.5m (35m euros). The Bundesliga side fought off competition from elite rivals to secure the signature of Sanches following Portugal's victorious Euro 2016 campaign in France, in which he was an integral part. via Sky Sports

Gareth Southgate says Joe Hart's international career is not over despite being left out of England's World Cup squad. The experienced Hart has 75 England caps but Southgate opted for Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope when choosing his goalkeepers for Russia this summer. Asked about the decision on Thursday, Southgate said: "Of course it was a difficult call. "Joe played in most of our qualifying matches, he's been a big part of the England team the last few years, and he's a valued member of the squad. "But in the end, I've got to look at performances over the last 18 months with their clubs, and the three lads we picked were the three best goalkeepers in the league this year." Hart remains a Manchester City player but has been on loan at Torino and then West Ham over the last two seasons and it is unclear where he will play next season. However, Southgate made it clear that a settled and in-form Hart could easily ret...

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says his players have "given absolutely everything" in their pursuit of a historic double-treble. The Hoops will become the first side to win successive domestic trebles if they defeat Motherwell in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday, having successfully defended their Premiership and League Cup titles earlier in the campaign. Rodgers believes his squad deserve credit for their continued desire to win, after going unbeaten domestically throughout the whole of the 2016-17 season. "The key thing was to try and make sure that the players came back with that hunger to still win titles," he said. "When you win the treble, like we did last year, you're asking players to press that 10, 15 metres on the pitch and sometimes when you win, you can go a bit soft and you don't quite do that. "But these players have given absolutely everything. This is our 61st competitive game on Saturday and every game they've gi...

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan insists the club is "very close" to appointing a "high calibre" manager to succeed David Moyes at the London Stadium. Moyes parted ways with the Hammers on Wednesday after coming to the end of his six-month contract with the club, who have since held talks with representatives of Manuel Pellegrini. Sky sources understand West Ham are planning on making a move for Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, while Shakhtar Donetsk boss Paulo Fonseca has also been linked with the vacant role. A statement released on West Ham's website on Thursday, read: "West Ham United would like to assure supporters that the Board are extremely confident of appointing a high-calibre first-team manager, who has a proven record both in the Premier League and European football. "The Club expect to make an announcement within the next seven days, following a thorough and strategic process that has identified the best possible candidates." ...

Newcastle are confident manager Rafa Benitez will stay at the club, despite reports linking him with a move away, Sky sources understand. United believe they have a water-tight contract with Benitez, which includes a large release clause. The Spaniard, who has one year remaining on his current deal, almost became West Ham boss in the summer of 2015 before joining Real Madrid. West Ham co-owner David Sullivan remains on good terms with Benitez and said on Thursday that the club were "very close" to appointing a "high calibre" manager to succeed David Moyes at the London Stadium. Moyes left West Ham on Wednesday after coming to the end of his six-month contract. The club have since held talks with representatives of former Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini in their search to replace the Scotsman. via Sky Sports

Antoine Griezmann scored twice as Atletico Madrid beat Marseille 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday in Lyon. Atletico took the lead midway through the first half as Griezmann capitalised on a poor error from Andre Zambo Anguissa, before Marseille captain Dimitri Payet was forced off with a hamstring injury on 31 minutes. Griezmann, who is being tipped to leave Atletico this summer, then made it 2-0 with a delightful finish over Steve Mandanda (49), before Gabi drilled home the third with a minute remaining. Atletico were already guaranteed a place in next season's Champions League, and French side Marseille can still squeeze into the top three places in Ligue 1, currently sitting in fourth, a point behind third-place Lyon with a game remaining. Marseille should have been ahead in just the fourth minute as striker Valere Germain was played through on goal by Payet, but he miscued his effort wide from 10 yards. Atletico punished Marseille to take the lead on 21 ...