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Tuchel Underscores Kante’s Influence at Chelsea

Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs. Leicester City - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 19, 2022 Chelsea's N'Golo Kante in action with Leicester City's Nampalys Mendy. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs. Leicester City - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 19, 2022 Chelsea's N'Golo Kante in action with Leicester City's Nampalys Mendy. (Reuters)
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Tuchel Underscores Kante’s Influence at Chelsea

Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs. Leicester City - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 19, 2022 Chelsea's N'Golo Kante in action with Leicester City's Nampalys Mendy. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Chelsea vs. Leicester City - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - May 19, 2022 Chelsea's N'Golo Kante in action with Leicester City's Nampalys Mendy. (Reuters)

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said it was a "miracle" they were set to finish third in the league given they have played much of the season without N'Golo Kante, comparing the France midfielder to the likes of Paris St. Germain pair Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Kante made only his 20th Premier League start in Thursday's 1-1 draw against Leicester City, a result which effectively sealed third spot ahead of their final game against relegated Watford on Sunday.

"I think he is our key, key, key player," Tuchel told reporters. "But key, key, key players need to be on the pitch and he has played only 40% of the games, so it is maybe a miracle that we arrive in third place.

"He is our Mo Salah, he is our Van Dijk, he is our De Bruyne, he is our Neymar, he is our Kylian Mbappe."

Kante, who has one year left on his deal at Stamford Bridge, has had his season curtailed due to groin and knee injuries as well as COVID-19.

Tuchel likened the impact of the 31-year-old's absence to that of Van Dijk at Liverpool last season after the Dutch defender missed the bulk of the campaign due to a knee injury.

"He is simply that player, the guy who makes the difference and if you only have him 40% of the time it's a huge problem," added the German.

"Given that percentage ... it puts everything into perspective because I saw Liverpool last season without Van Dijk and they struggled heavily.

"He is one of the very best midfielders in the world."

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Alcaraz Eyes Clay Court Season after Early Miami Exit

World number one Carlos Alcaraz will refocus on the clay court season after another early exit at the Miami Open. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will refocus on the clay court season after another early exit at the Miami Open. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Alcaraz Eyes Clay Court Season after Early Miami Exit

World number one Carlos Alcaraz will refocus on the clay court season after another early exit at the Miami Open. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
World number one Carlos Alcaraz will refocus on the clay court season after another early exit at the Miami Open. Rich Storry / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

World number one Carlos Alcaraz remained confident his game is improving despite a third-round exit at the Miami Open, and after a few days to reset he'll be turning his attention to the clay court season.

"Probably I'm going to go back home," Alcaraz said after falling in three sets to 36th-ranked American Sebastian Korda on Sunday.

"Chilling with my family, with my friends a couple of days. I don't know how much my team are going to allow me to have rest and a day off.

"The clay season is around the corner. My mind right now is to take some days off, to reset my mind, reset the batteries, be ready and in good shape for the clay season."

Korda became the lowest-ranked man to defeat Alcaraz since 55th-ranked David Goffin ousted him in the second round at Miami last year.

The Spaniard had built a 73-6 record in the year since then, including a 16-0 run to start 2026 that included an Australian Open title that made the 22-year-old the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, said AFP.

He added a title in Doha before a semi-final defeat at Indian Wells, and he knows that every lower-ranked player comes out swinging freely against him.

"Obviously when you're winning tournaments and you have great record win/lose, everything is easier in the way of pressure to the opponents," he said. "I'm feeling they have more to win than to lose in those matches ... they're playing without pressure."

Alcaraz is trying to make sure he doesn't respond by piling pressure on himself.

"I'm not thinking about my pressure," he said. "I don't feel it at all. I'm trying to play my best."

That includes constant work to improve his game, and despite Sunday's result he's confident he's on the right track.

"I would say what I was practicing, you know, I think I just did it really well," he said. "Some couple things in previous tournaments that I just didn't feel comfortable, I think in this tournament, I started to feel better and better.

"I think the process has been good. Besides the loss today, I think I'm still in the right way."

Sports

Arsenal's Eze Out of England Friendlies Due to Calf Injury

Eberechi Eze of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Arsenal and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in London, Great Britain, 17 March 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
Eberechi Eze of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Arsenal and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in London, Great Britain, 17 March 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
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Arsenal's Eze Out of England Friendlies Due to Calf Injury

Eberechi Eze of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Arsenal and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in London, Great Britain, 17 March 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL
Eberechi Eze of Arsenal in action during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd leg match between Arsenal and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in London, Great Britain, 17 March 2026. EPA/NEIL HALL

Arsenal's Eberechi Eze will miss England's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan due to a calf injury, manager Mikel Arteta said on Sunday, after the attacking midfielder sat out their 2-0 loss to Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Eze ⁠had been named ⁠in Thomas Tuchel's 35-man squad on Friday for matches against Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on March 27 and Japan ⁠at the same venue four days later as part of England's preparations for the World Cup.

"No, he's out," Arteta told reporters when asked if Eze would be fit for international duty, Reuters reported. "We have to do another scan ⁠in ⁠six or seven days and wait and see the results. It is a leg injury. His calf."

British media have reported that Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes may replace Eze in the England squad.

Sports

World Cup Hero Götze Omitted as Frankfurt Loses Bundesliga Derby 2-1 in Mainz

Mainz' scorer Paul Nebel, right, and his teammates Nelson Weiper, center, and Nikolas Veratschnig, left, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
Mainz' scorer Paul Nebel, right, and his teammates Nelson Weiper, center, and Nikolas Veratschnig, left, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
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World Cup Hero Götze Omitted as Frankfurt Loses Bundesliga Derby 2-1 in Mainz

Mainz' scorer Paul Nebel, right, and his teammates Nelson Weiper, center, and Nikolas Veratschnig, left, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
Mainz' scorer Paul Nebel, right, and his teammates Nelson Weiper, center, and Nikolas Veratschnig, left, celebrate their side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1.FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt in Mainz, Germany, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)

Eintracht Frankfurt dropped World Cup hero Mario Götze and lost 2-1 at local rival Mainz in their Bundesliga derby on Sunday.

Paul Nebel scored both goals for Mainz, grabbing the winner in the 89th minute to set off wild celebrations and deal Frankfurt its second defeat under new coach Albert Riera.

Nebel opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Nathaniel Brown responded for Frankfurt in the 20th, then Nebel fired home the rebound after Frankfurt ’keeper Michael Zetterer saved Nelson Weiper’s header.

Götze’s omission prompted questions for Riera before kickoff, when the Spanish coach asked which of his players should make way for the former Germany star to be in his squad after Arthur Theate, Can Uzun, Younes Ebnoutalib and Ansgar Knauff all recovered from injuries.

“Name me one player,” Riera challenged his pre-game interviewer on broadcaster DAZN. “If I could take 21 players, he’d be included,” The Associated Press quoted him as saying.

“Mario also had some physical problems during the week and wasn’t always at 100%. And I had to make a decision about who the best players for the bench are.”

Götze, who scored Germany’s World Cup-winning goal in 2014, has featured sparingly for Frankfurt this season, making 18 league appearances over 27 rounds and completing only one full Bundesliga game. He didn’t appear at all in Frankfurt’s last two games and seems to have lost some standing under Riera compared to the previous coach, Dino Toppmöller, who was fired in January.

Mainz’ win lifted it six points above St. Pauli in the relegation zone before the Hamburg-based team played Freiburg later.

Also later, Stuttgart had the chance to move third at Augsburg.