Liverpool Poised for Premier League Coronation, Leicester, Ipswich for Relegation

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk extended his contract on Thursday. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk extended his contract on Thursday. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
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Liverpool Poised for Premier League Coronation, Leicester, Ipswich for Relegation

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk extended his contract on Thursday. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk extended his contract on Thursday. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File

Liverpool could seal the Premier League on Sunday should the runaway leaders condemn Leicester to relegation and Arsenal suffer a Champions League hangover by losing at Ipswich.
Victory for the Gunners at Portman Road could also see Ipswich mathematically relegated should West Ham and Wolves win.

Unlike the battles for the league title and to avoid the drop, the race for a place in next season's Champions League is set to go down to the wire.

Just five points separate Newcastle in third from seventh-placed Aston Villa ahead of their clash at Villa Park.

AFP Sports looks at the major talking points ahead of this weekend's action.

Liverpool's Super Sunday?

Thirteen points clear at the top of the table with six games to go, it is only a question of when not if Liverpool will move level with Manchester United on a record 20 English top-flight titles.

Two more wins will finish the job for Arne Slot's men and they could not ask for more obliging fixtures as a trip to beleaguered Leicester is followed by struggling Tottenham's trip to Anfield.

However, the title race may not even go beyond Easter Sunday should Ipswich inflict Arsenal's first league defeat since February.

The focus of attention for Mikel Arteta's men has been switched to Champions League glory after an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win over holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.

Three up, three down concern
Southampton's return to the Championship at the first time of asking was confirmed in record time with seven games remaining.

Leicester and Ipswich have not fared much better to spark concerns over the growing chasm between the Premier League and the second tier.

For the second consecutive season all three promoted clubs are set to be relegated.

Leicester, who shocked the world to win the title less than a decade ago, have endured a miserable campaign, especially since Ruud van Nistelrooy was installed as manager.

The Foxes have taken just four points from their last 17 matches to fall 17 points adrift of safety.

Ipswich's approach has earned more admirers but they have also won only four league games all season to sit just three points better off than Leicester.

Villa crave Champions League return
Both Villa and Newcastle are hungry for more after having a taste of the Champions League for the first time in decades over the past two seasons.

Villa's first foray into European football's elite level for the first time since 1983 finally came to an end in a thrilling 5-4 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Unai Emery, who also led the Birmingham club to the Europa Conference League semi-finals last season, is determined to take the 1982 European champions even further.

Four consecutive Premier League wins have propelled Emery's men back into contention for a top-five finish, that will be enough for Champions League qualification.

"The more demanding objective we can have is to get again Champions League," said Emery.

"The challenge we have now is for the last six matches we are going to play, try to get Europe and try to get Champions League."

Villa face a daunting run in with their next four games against competitors for the European places in Newcastle, Manchester City, Bournemouth and Fulham.

Newcastle are flying as five consecutive league wins either side of lifting the League Cup has taken the Magpies into third.

Eddie Howe is set to miss a third match due to pneumonia, but Newcastle showed little sign of missing their manager in scoring nine goals in dominant wins over Manchester United and Crystal Palace in the past week.



Japan Crowned AFC U23 Asian Cup Champions in Jeddah

The tournament is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing initiative to host major championships - SPA
The tournament is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing initiative to host major championships - SPA
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Japan Crowned AFC U23 Asian Cup Champions in Jeddah

The tournament is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing initiative to host major championships - SPA
The tournament is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing initiative to host major championships - SPA

President of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) Yasser Al-Misehal crowned the Japanese national team as champions of the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2026 following their 4-0 victory over China in yesterday’s final in Jeddah.

CEO of the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Mai Alhelabi highlighted that hosting the championship in Saudi Arabia represents a significant milestone in advancing the Kingdom’s sports landscape, SPA reported.

She noted that the stadiums in Jeddah and Riyadh met the highest technical and operational standards, fulfilling the expectations of both the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and sports fans.

The tournament is part of the Kingdom’s ongoing initiative to host major championships, including the AFC Champions League Elite Finals in April 2026, the AFC U17 Championship Finals in May 2026, and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, scheduled from January 7 to February 5, 2027.


Slot Blames Fatigue as Liverpool Fail Again

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool (C) argues with the referee Michael Salisbury (L) during the English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC, in Bournemouth, Britain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool (C) argues with the referee Michael Salisbury (L) during the English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC, in Bournemouth, Britain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
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Slot Blames Fatigue as Liverpool Fail Again

Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool (C) argues with the referee Michael Salisbury (L) during the English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC, in Bournemouth, Britain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool (C) argues with the referee Michael Salisbury (L) during the English Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC, in Bournemouth, Britain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)

Liverpool boss Arne Slot blamed tiredness for his side's concession of a 95th-minute goal away to Bournemouth that saw them slump to a 3-2 Premier league defeat after coming back from two goals down on Saturday.

The reigning champions have been a shadow of last year's side so far, losing seven league games and struggling to break down sides that they brushed aside during their imperious march to the 2024/25 title.

"For the last five, six, seven, eight, nine, ‌10 games, we ‌mainly have to play with ‌the ⁠same players, the ‌players we have available and then sometimes a few of them could be, in the end of the game, a bit tired," Slot said in post-match interviews with a variety of British broadcasters.

"I think that's what you could see today in the end as well."

Bournemouth raced out to ⁠a 2-0 lead before being pegged back to 2-2 in the 80th ‌minute through Dominik Szoboszlai's equalizer, and ‍the remainder of the ‍game was a wide-open, end-to-end affair.

"Both teams were trying ‍to score a goal, they had better opportunities than us in the last 10 minutes and then in the end there is a long throw in which led to a goal," Slot said before criticizing officials for not playing more added time.

"But in the end, that didn't ⁠matter because they scored, although maybe we could have had them two or three (more) minutes but this game should not have had (only) four minutes of extra time."

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola was delighted with his side's resilience and how they reacted to Liverpool's surging comeback.

"It is a massive win for us because we were in a difficult situation," he told the BBC.

"We are finding ways to get points against difficult opposition. I am very proud of ‌the team and what we are doing. We are adapting, and we are getting good points."


Mbappe Double Powers Real Madrid Past Villarreal to Top of LaLiga

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores the 0-2 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid, in Villarreal, Spain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores the 0-2 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid, in Villarreal, Spain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
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Mbappe Double Powers Real Madrid Past Villarreal to Top of LaLiga

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores the 0-2 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid, in Villarreal, Spain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe scores the 0-2 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Villarreal CF and Real Madrid, in Villarreal, Spain, 24 January 2026. (EPA)

Kylian Mbappe struck twice in the second half as Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory at Villarreal on Saturday, climbing above Barcelona to take provisional pole position in LaLiga.

The win moved Alvaro Arbeloa's side to 51 points, two clear of second-placed Barcelona, who host bottom club Oviedo on Sunday. Villarreal are fourth, level on 41 with Atletico Madrid.

Real dominated from the outset, with Vinicius Jr causing endless problems on the left flank.

The Brazilian's pivotal moment came just after halftime when he weaved past defenders in the 47th minute and fed Mbappe inside the penalty area, leaving the French forward an easy finish from close range.

Real continued to control the tempo and ‌Mbappe sealed ‌the win in stoppage time, converting from the ‌penalty ⁠spot after being ‌clumsily fouled inside the box.

REAL DICTATE COMPELLING ENCOUNTER

In a compelling encounter in the first half, Real dictated the rhythm while the home side tried to hit back with quick counter attacks.

Vinicius came closest to a breakthrough in the first half, narrowly missing the target with a low shot in the 40th minute after a surging run.

Villarreal's best chance came through their Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye's powerful effort from ⁠the edge of the box that went just wide on the stroke of halftime.

The second half began ‌with drama two minutes in when Gueye's misplaced pass ‍was intercepted by Vinicius.

The Brazilian darted ‍into the box, reached the byline and cut the ball back for ‍Mbappe. Villarreal's defense managed a partial clearance, but Mbappe reacted quickest, smashing the rebound into the net for his first goal of the evening.

Villarreal's best chance came in the 62nd minute when Gerard Moreno, unmarked inside the box after a precise Dani Parejo pass, blasted his first-time shot over the crossbar.

Real sealed the win in stoppage time. Vinicius released Mbappe with a perfectly weighted pass ⁠and as the Frenchman charged into the box he was brought down from behind by Alfonso Pedraza.

Mbappe, the league's top scorer, stepped up to calmly chip the resulting penalty into the middle of the goal for his 21st goal in 20 LaLiga appearances this season.

"(Vinicius and Mbappe) are the two best in the world," manager Alvaro Arbeloa told Real Madrid TV.

"They are very disruptive. We try to get them to touch the ball as much as possible, explore situations where Vini can go out wide and Kylian can break into space.

"We are very happy to have them in this form, they are the first two who are pressing, ‌helping the midfielders, showing the solidarity we need from them, and we are very happy that the reward comes in the form of goals."