Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
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Top European Leagues: Where they Stand

Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File
Erling Haaland has fired Manchester City to within three points of another Premier League title. Oli SCARFF / AFP/File

Europe's top leagues are nearing the end of the season, with titles, places in Europe and safety from relegation up for grabs.

English Premier League

Title: Reigning champions Manchester City need three wins from their final four matches to be sure of holding off second-placed Arsenal. Pep Guardiola's side sit one point clear with a game in hand as they chase a fifth title in six seasons.

Europe: Newcastle and Manchester United occupy the two final Champions League places but have in-form Liverpool in hot pursuit. Jurgen Klopp's men are one point behind Man United and three adrift of the Magpies, but have played a game more. Tottenham, Brighton, Aston Villa and Brentford are fighting for the other European spots, said AFP.

Relegation: Bottom club Southampton are eight points from safety with three games left, but the next four clubs are separated by only three points. Two of Leeds, Leicester, Everton and Nottingham Forest will likely join the Saints in going down.

Spanish La Liga

Title: Barcelona can secure a first La Liga title since 2019 with four games to spare if they beat local rivals Espanyol on Sunday.

Europe: Second-placed Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid have all but wrapped up places in next season's Champions League. Real Sociedad appear poised to join them, holding a seven-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal with only five games remaining. There are just three points between seventh-placed Girona and 11th-placed Sevilla in the fight to reach the Europa Conference League.

Relegation: Elche have already been relegated. Second-bottom Espanyol are three points from safety, with six-time champions Valencia only out of the bottom three on head-to-head record ahead of Getafe. Real Valladolid, Cadiz and Almeria are all also in trouble.

Italian Serie A

Title: Napoli have already clinched their first Scudetto since 1990.

Europe: AC Milan sit two points behind fourth-placed city rivals Inter Milan with four matches left. Third-placed Lazio and second-placed Juventus, who could yet have a points deduction reinstated, can also still be caught in the race for the Champions League. Atalanta and Roma are both five points behind Inter.

Relegation: Sampdoria have already been relegated. Cremonese are six points from survival, with Spezia three behind 17th-placed Verona.

German Bundesliga

Title: Bayern Munich are just one point clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund heading into the last three matches of the season. The Bavarian giants are bidding for an 11th straight title

Europe: RB Leipzig sit third, one point ahead of fourth-placed Union Berlin and fifth-placed Freiburg. Bayer Leverkusen are two points clear of Wolfsburg in the fight to qualify for the Conference League.

Relegation: Hertha Berlin sit bottom, but only three points off the relegation play-off spot, occupied by Stuttgart. Bochum are 17th, behind Stuttgart on goal difference. A run of three wins in four games has taken Schalke two points away from the drop zone.

French Ligue 1

Title: Paris Saint-Germain appear set to win a record 11th Ligue 1 title despite a poor season. PSG sit six points clear of Lens with four games left.

Europe: Second-placed Lens are two points ahead of Marseille in the battle for automatic Champions League qualification. Fourth-placed Monaco appear likely to reach the Europa League, six points behind OM and five clear of fifth-placed Lille.

Relegation: Angers have been relegated. Four teams will go down in total as Ligue 1 changes from 20 to 18 clubs next season. Ajaccio and Troyes look destined for the drop, with one of Nantes, Auxerre, Brest and Strasbourg to join them.

Portuguese Primeira Liga

Title: Benfica are four points clear of title rivals Porto with three games to play.

Europe: Braga, five points behind Porto and four above fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon, are well-placed to secure a place in Champions League qualifying.

Relegation: The bottom three of Santa Clara, Pacos de Ferreira and Maritimo are all at least five points from guaranteed safety, fighting each other to go into the relegation play-off.

Dutch Eredivisie

Title: Feyenoord will lift their first title since 2017 and just their second this century with victory over Go Ahead Eagles this weekend. The Rotterdam giants are eight points ahead of PSV Eindhoven with three matches left.

Europe: PSV are five points ahead of Ajax in the race for the second Champions League spot. This season's Conference League semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar are just two points behind Ajax, chasing Europa League qualification.

Relegation: Cambuur and Groningen have been relegated. Excelsior, Emmen, Voldendam and Vitesse Arnhem are trying to avoid a relegation play-off.



Guardiola: Man City Ready for Title Push with Injured Players Set to Return

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets supporters after winning the English Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United, in Manchester, Britain, 20 December 2025.  EPA/ALEX DODD
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets supporters after winning the English Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United, in Manchester, Britain, 20 December 2025. EPA/ALEX DODD
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Guardiola: Man City Ready for Title Push with Injured Players Set to Return

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets supporters after winning the English Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United, in Manchester, Britain, 20 December 2025.  EPA/ALEX DODD
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola greets supporters after winning the English Premier League match between Manchester City FC and West Ham United, in Manchester, Britain, 20 December 2025. EPA/ALEX DODD

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is looking forward to the return of some key players from injury as he looks to push for multiple major titles, including the Premier League, he told the club's official website.

Reuters quoted Guardiola as saying that he would rather be on top of the table in the Premier League, but is happy with City being within touching distance of leaders Arsenal.

City, who visit Nottingham Forest for ⁠a Premier League clash on Saturday, are two points below Arsenal in the English top-flight. In the Champions League, fourth-placed City are five points below Arsenal, but remain on track for a direct entry in the round of 16 ⁠with a top-eight finish.

“I’d prefer to be 10 points clear of everyone, but it is what it is. Arsenal’s doing really well but we are there... we’re still in the end of December," Guardiola said in an interview published on Friday.

"The Champions League, we are up there, and Premier League we are there, semi-finals of the (League Cup), we start the FA ⁠Cup soon. Some important players are coming back, so let's (see) step by step, game by game what's going to happen."

Midfielder Rodri, who has not played since early November due to a hamstring injury, may be available for the Forest trip, Guardiola said.

“Rodri is much, much better. Available or not, we’ll decide today," the manager said.

“(Jeremy) Doku and John (Stones) still aren’t there but soon they’ll be back."


Liverpool's Slot Hails Ekitike Impact at Both Ends of the Pitch

Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike strikes a pose as he celebrates scoring their second goal for 0-2 during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike strikes a pose as he celebrates scoring their second goal for 0-2 during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
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Liverpool's Slot Hails Ekitike Impact at Both Ends of the Pitch

Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike strikes a pose as he celebrates scoring their second goal for 0-2 during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike strikes a pose as he celebrates scoring their second goal for 0-2 during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 20, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has hailed the transformation of Hugo Ekitike from backup striker to goal machine as the France international spearheads the club's climb back up the Premier League table.

The reigning champions endured a nightmare slump, losing nine of 12 games across all competitions, but have clawed their way to fifth place with Ekitike leading the revival with eight league goals -- including five in his last three games.

The 23-year-old's summer arrival was overshadowed by the record signing of Alexander Isak. But with the Swedish striker sidelined for two months with a leg break and Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, Ekitike has become indispensable.

"He showed a lot of hard work to get to this fitness level where ⁠he is at the moment," Slot said ahead of Saturday's home game against bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"It sometimes took us -- me -- a bit of convincing that this all is actually needed to become stronger but he always did it, not always with a smile on his face but he has worked really hard to get fitter on and off the pitch,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

Slot revealed it took considerable persuasion ⁠to get his striker to embrace defensive duties, particularly at set-pieces.

"I've tried to convince him as well, the better you defend a set-piece the bigger chance you have to score at the other end, because if you are 0-0 it is easier to score a goal than if you are 1-0 down," Slot added.

"It may sound strange but it is what it does with the energy levels of the other team. For us and him to score goals, it is important we don't concede from set-pieces.

"He is ready to go into the program we are facing now but he is not the only number nine ⁠I have. Federico Chiesa can play in that position as well."

Liverpool's set-piece struggles are stark as they have shipped 11 goals while scoring just three at the other end, but Slot remains unfazed.

“Players are getting fitter and fitter, not only the ones we brought in but also the ones who missed out in pre-season. They are getting used to each other. I think the best is still to come for this team," he said.

“If you look at what has happened in the first half (of the season) then I am not so surprised where we are. If you look at our set-piece balance, there is not one team in the world that is minus eight in set pieces and is still joint-fourth in the league."


Jota’s Sons to Join Mascots When Liverpool Face Wolves at Anfield

 Jota died ‌in ⁠a ​car ‌crash alongside his younger brother in July in northwestern Spain. (AFP)
Jota died ‌in ⁠a ​car ‌crash alongside his younger brother in July in northwestern Spain. (AFP)
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Jota’s Sons to Join Mascots When Liverpool Face Wolves at Anfield

 Jota died ‌in ⁠a ​car ‌crash alongside his younger brother in July in northwestern Spain. (AFP)
Jota died ‌in ⁠a ​car ‌crash alongside his younger brother in July in northwestern Spain. (AFP)

Diogo Jota's two sons will join ​the mascots at Anfield when Liverpool face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, the club confirmed on Friday.

Portuguese forward Jota, who played for both ‌Premier League ‌clubs, died ‌in ⁠a ​car ‌crash alongside his younger brother in July in northwestern Spain. He was 28.

Jota joined Wolves on loan from Atletico Madrid in 2017 and made ⁠a permanent move to the club ‌the following year. ‍He then ‍signed a five-year deal in ‍2020 with Liverpool, where he won the league title earlier this year.

Saturday's match marks the ​first time Liverpool and Wolves have met since Jota's ⁠death.

Jota's wife Rute Cardoso and her two sons, Dinis and Duarte, were present for the Premier League home openers for both Liverpool and Wolves in August.

Liverpool also permanently retired his jersey number 20 following his death.