Leeds Win Championship Title on Goal Difference, Luton Relegated

Football - Championship - Plymouth Argyle v Leeds United - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - May 3, 2025 Leeds United's Ethan Ampadu lifts the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the Championship. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Championship - Plymouth Argyle v Leeds United - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - May 3, 2025 Leeds United's Ethan Ampadu lifts the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the Championship. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Leeds Win Championship Title on Goal Difference, Luton Relegated

Football - Championship - Plymouth Argyle v Leeds United - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - May 3, 2025 Leeds United's Ethan Ampadu lifts the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the Championship. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Championship - Plymouth Argyle v Leeds United - Home Park, Plymouth, Britain - May 3, 2025 Leeds United's Ethan Ampadu lifts the trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after winning the Championship. (Action Images via Reuters)

Leeds United edged out Burnley to win the second-tier Championship title on goal difference after both teams finished the season with 100 points as Luton Town suffered a second straight relegation on Saturday.

On a frantic final day, Daniel Farke's Leeds trailed at Plymouth Argyle early in the game through a Sam Byram own goal but Wilfried Gnonto levelled eight minutes into the second half.

With Burnley leading Millwall, Leeds desperately needed a winner and it was Tottenham Hotspur loanee Manor Solomon who popped up with a goal in added time to give Leeds a 2-1 victory that also relegated Plymouth.

Burnley beat Millwall 3-1 but lost out on the title due to Leeds' superior goal difference.

"I can't put into words what I'm feeling right now. It is a dream come true to score the winning goal and take this Championship," Solomon told BBC Radio.

"Throughout the season we've shown we deserve this trophy and to finish in the first spot... We all knew what was happening at Burnley and we knew we needed to score. It paid off and the ball went into the net."

Both Leeds and Burnley had sealed promotion to the Premier League last month with a guaranteed top-two finish.

COVENTRY MAKE PLAYOFFS

Sheffield United finished third with 90 points after a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers, who ended seventh and missed out on the last playoff spot by two points.

In the playoffs, Sheffield United will take on Bristol City, who finished sixth with 68 points while fourth-placed Sunderland (76 points) take on Frank Lampard's Coventry City (fifth with 69 points), who beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to secure a playoff spot.

It was redemption for Lampard who had aimed to prove his doubters wrong when he took over in November with Coventry 17th in the Championship.

"I loved it, it's so tense for everyone involved," Lampard told Sky Sports.

"The players deserve so much credit for getting over the line after where we've come from. We got what we deserved."

The two-legged playoffs will be held between May 8-13 and the final is on May 24.

LUTON RELEGATED

At the bottom of the table, Luton became only the fourth club in history to suffer back-to-back relegations from the Premier League.

They were playing in the top flight only a year ago but will start next season in League One, with their fans chanting "You're not fit to wear the shirt" at the players after Luton lost 5-3 to West Bromwich Albion in the final game.

"You've got to face the music. Ultimately, we've put ourselves in this situation and we need to take accountability," Luton captain Carlton Morris said.

"It's tough to put into words. I feel sorry for the fans and also for the lads with the effort they've put in recently. We gave ourselves too much of a mountain to climb."

Luton will be joined in the third tier by Cardiff City, who finished bottom after a 4-2 defeat by Norwich City.

Norwich and Cardiff were being managed by former Arsenal team mates Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey after both took interim charge of their respective clubs last month.



Asian Cup Draw Postponed

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
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Asian Cup Draw Postponed

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)
The draw for January's Asian Cup finals has been postponed (AFC)

The draw for January's Asian Cup finals, which was due to be held in Riyadh on April 11, has been postponed, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Thursday.

Officials have rescheduled the event to a later date "to ensure the undisrupted attendance of all stakeholders at the final draw ceremony," the governing ⁠body said in ⁠a statement.

"The AFC expressed its appreciation to the Local Organizing Committee for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ for their full readiness to host the draw as planned, and it appreciates the understanding and continued cooperation of its Participating Member Associations, fans and stakeholders," the statement added.

Saudi Arabia is due to host the 24-team quadrennial continental championship for the first time with the last remaining round of qualifiers taking place on Tuesday.

Qatar are the defending champions and have already secured their ⁠berth ⁠at the finals alongside four-times winners Japan, plus fellow World Cup qualifiers South Korea, Iran, Jordan, Australia and Uzbekistan.

The AFC announced on Tuesday that the latter stages of the Asian Champions League Elite would go ahead as planned in Jeddah, with matches running from April 13 to 26.


Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
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Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire said former manager Ruben Amorim had strong ideas, but they ultimately “didn’t work” at Old Trafford, further praising interim manager Michael Carrick for overseeing a smooth transition.

United have revived their season since Carrick took charge in January, rising into the Premier League’s top three after earning 23 points in 10 games, with only one defeat. "I really like Ruben, he’s ⁠got great ideas. ⁠The ideas just didn’t work at Manchester United," Maguire said of Amorim in an interview with Britain's The Guardian.

"It just didn’t click or work and us, as players, have got to ⁠take a lot of responsibility for that as well."

Amorim was known for his back-three system, but Maguire said he feels more comfortable in a back four.

“In the middle of a back three, it is more cautious, a sweeper-type role and not as much driving forward with the ball, which has been a big part of ⁠my ⁠game throughout my career," he said, according to Reuters.

"I feel like it has been a great transition. Credit to Michael and his staff for making it so smooth.” Maguire was named last week in Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England squad as they host Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on March 27, followed by a clash with Japan at the same venue four days later.


Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
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Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP

A rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton said Thursday that he was more committed to Formula One "than ever" aged 41 and believes he trains harder than any other driver.

The seven-time world champion has made a strong start to the season with Ferrari and is fourth in the championship after two races, 18 points behind leader George Russell of Mercedes, said AFP.

Hamilton finished third in China to claim a podium place for the first time since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, and he said he had been putting in the hard yards ahead of this week's Japanese Grand Prix.

"I was in Tokyo between this race and the last race, I've run like 100 kilometers," the Briton said.

"I know that none of the drivers I'm racing against have trained as hard as I am and giving it what I am, especially at my age.

"I love that, that I still have that drive to push myself," he added.

Hamilton boasted that he was returning to his hotel after a morning run just as other drivers were getting up.

"The commitment is there, more than ever," he said.

"I dedicate absolutely everything I have to this challenge."

Hamilton endured a nightmare first season with Ferrari last year, finishing sixth in the championship and suffering the indignity of becoming the first driver to be eliminated from Q1 at three consecutive grands prix.

His fortunes have changed markedly with new regulations and car designs this season, which have produced noticeably more overtaking in races than in recent years.

Hamilton got the better of team-mate Charles Leclerc after a titanic tussle in Shanghai and he said he found battling drivers "much more fun".

"That's how racing should be," he said.

"It should be back and forth, it shouldn't be one move is done and then that's it."