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Arsenal Faces Pivotal Week with Key Games in the Champions League and Premier League

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
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Arsenal Faces Pivotal Week with Key Games in the Champions League and Premier League

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta arrives to take a team training session at London Colney, north of London, on April 14, 2026, on the eve of their UEFA Champions League, quarter-final, second leg football match against Sporting Lisbon. (AFP)

A crucial week for Arsenal starts Wednesday night against Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta's team faces two huge games in its pursuit of a Premier League and Champions League double this season.

Leading 1-0 against Lisbon after the first leg in Portugal last week, Arsenal is closing in on a place in the semi-finals for the second successive year. Then on Sunday it faces Manchester City in a top two showdown in the Premier League.

Arteta said there was “zero fear” ahead of a potentially pivotal few days.

“We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it,” he said.

Arsenal's form has slumped in recent weeks — losing the English League Cup final against City and then being dumped out of the FA Cup by second division Southampton. Last weekend it was beaten at home in the league by Bournemouth, allowing City to close the gap at the top of the standings to six points with a game in hand.

For now, the focus is on the Champions League, a trophy Arsenal has never won.

“I said to the players, ‘guys, we are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. So that tells you the difficulty of what you are doing,’” Arteta said.

Declan Rice faced a late fitness test after missing practice on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were also doubtful starters.

Arsenal or Lisbon will face Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals after the Spanish club beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.

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PSG's Dembele Has Treatment for Leg Issue Before Champions League Final

PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint Germain, in Lens, northern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)
PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint Germain, in Lens, northern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)
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PSG's Dembele Has Treatment for Leg Issue Before Champions League Final

PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint Germain, in Lens, northern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)
PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball during the French League One soccer match between Lens and Paris Saint Germain, in Lens, northern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (AP)

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele needs treatment for a right calf issue, the French club said Monday, ahead of the Champions League final against Arsenal later this month.

The Ballon d'Or winner was substituted after half an hour during Sunday's 2-1 Ligue 1 defeat against Paris FC "as a precaution after experiencing some discomfort in his right calf," PSG said in a statement.

"Dembele will be having treatment over the next few days," the club added.

The 29-year-old did not appear to be struggling when he left the field and boarded the team bus after the match without limping.

"I think it is just due to fatigue," coach Luis Enrique told the press on Sunday.

"It has been a tricky end to the season but now we have two weeks to prepare for the biggest match in our history."

The former Barcelona player has suffered numerous physical setbacks this season, particularly thigh and calf issues.

Meanwhile, Achraf Hakimi resumed individual training on Saturday after a thigh problem, as did Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, and Lucas Chevalier.

All three were unavailable for Sunday's match against Paris FC.

PSG clinched a fifth straight French title, and a record-extending 14th overall, with a 2-0 win over nearest challengers Lens last Wednesday.

Luis Enrique's side face Arsenal in Budapest on May 30, when they will attempt to retain the European crown they won for the first time in the club's history last season.

Sports

Iran Squad Arrives in Türkiye for Training amid World Cup Uncertainty 

Iran's players and staff pose ahead of a training session in Antalya in March © Adem ALTAN / AFP/File
Iran's players and staff pose ahead of a training session in Antalya in March © Adem ALTAN / AFP/File
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Iran Squad Arrives in Türkiye for Training amid World Cup Uncertainty 

Iran's players and staff pose ahead of a training session in Antalya in March © Adem ALTAN / AFP/File
Iran's players and staff pose ahead of a training session in Antalya in March © Adem ALTAN / AFP/File

Iran’s national soccer squad landed in Türkiye for a training camp on Monday ahead of their planned trip to the US for the World Cup, with uncertainty still hanging over the team's participation after the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February. FIFA Secretary-General Mattias Grafstrom told Reuters on Saturday that he held a constructive and positive meeting with Iran's FA (FFIRI) President Mehdi Taj, expressing confidence about the country's participation in the World Cup.

The players and officials filed out of Antalya Airport in black team outfits, many pulling black suitcases, before heading to waiting buses to travel to their hotel at the training base in the nearby resort of Belek, where several national teams have held camps in recent years.

Iran are scheduled to play all three group matches in the United States but the team's participation in the June 11 to July 19 tournament has been in question since the attacks by the US and Israel.

Iranian officials and FIFA have said US visa applications for the team would be handled in Türkiye. Uncertainty over the visas was fuelled after FFIRI's Taj was refused entry to Canada for the FIFA Congress in Vancouver this month because of his links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The US and Canada, who are co-hosting the World Cup with Mexico, classify the IRGC as a "terrorist entity" and have made clear they will not admit people with links to the elite military force.

Iran had asked for their World Cup matches to be switched to Mexico but FIFA President Gianni Infantino insists that all games must be played at the grounds originally scheduled.

Iran's squad is scheduled to move to their US base at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona in early June.

Iran are scheduled to get their World Cup campaign under way against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. They are also due to play Belgium and Egypt in Group G.

Sports

Fernandes ‘Proud’ to Match Premier League Assists Record

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP)
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP)
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Fernandes ‘Proud’ to Match Premier League Assists Record

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP)
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates their victory at the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 17, 2026. (AP)

Bruno Fernandes said he was proud to match the Premier League assists record jointly held by "main names" Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne and is now targeting top spot on the charts.

The 31-year-old helped Michael Carrick's men wrap up third place by setting up Bryan Mbeumo for United's third goal in their 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

The Portuguese midfielder is just the third player to provide 20 assists in a Premier League season, joining Arsenal great Henry (2002/03) and Manchester City star De Bruyne (2019/20) in an elite bracket.

"Obviously I'm very proud," Fernandes said on the Old Trafford touchline.

"We're speaking about Thierry and Kevin, two of the main names of the Premier League, and for me I'm very grateful and I'm very happy to do it. It's a very proud moment."

Fernandes, named as United's player of the year for a record-breaking fifth time, now has the chance to reach 21 assists in Sunday's season finale at Brighton.

"Let's see," he said. "It doesn't change the way I play my game, so I will still have to create things for my team, and hopefully it can happen.

"But if it doesn't happen, I'm already very happy because I've never done 20 assists in the Premier League. I've never done 19 either, so even if I had finished with 19, I would be very happy."

The United captain was mobbed when Mbeumo converted his cross in the 76th minute, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens joining every United outfield player in celebrating a record he claims he only started thinking about when he collected his 19th assist.

"I'm very grateful to see their reaction more than mine because I wanted Bryan to celebrate his goal," Fernandes added.

"I didn't want to make it about myself because at the end of the day scoring the goal is the biggest thing in football and all credit to Bryan because if he doesn't put it in the back of the net, my record will not be there."