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Any other year since 2011, Arsenal could take advantage of the pressure on PSG to win their first ever Champions League. Especially if the Gunners could gain an advantage in France, they could then capitalise on the fact that PSG’s manager would be under intense pressure and the squad would know they face scrutiny if they fail, regardless of domestic success.
The irony is that the one season the media have had fewer expectations, the campaign where fans have shown greater understanding, the owners are willing to be patient, and the club are more united on and off the pitch than they have been in decades, is the very reason they appear more likely than they have in a long time to end their European drought.
Outside of the French capital, their supporters may seem spoilt and entitled. In recent years, the likes of Neymar, Messi and then Mbappe were booed for only collecting a title medal. Having the best talent in the world and dominating your league is a worst-case scenario that most sports teams would love to have. Yet since Qatar Sports Investment became majority owners, their ambition has been to become the biggest football institution in the world. Funded by the Qatari government, only lifting UEFA’s premier competition would be seen as success by some.
In the summer of 2022, Nasser Al Khelaifi announced a new action plan having accepted that his five-year mission statement had failed. The president decided that the Galactico model was not working. Fantastic individuals helped dominate Ligue 1, but a great team was needed to earn a first-ever European Cup.
It would take a strong coach to oversee the transition, especially because no matter how much all parties insisted they were prepared to go backwards to go forwards, one can never know if employers are truly willing to go through adversity. Luis Enrique, however, is a strong enough character to deal with most situations, including continuing to play Mbappe while his contract ran down, while also preparing for life without the greatest goal scorer in the team’s history. Anyone who understands what the Spaniard has endured in life will know he is not going to be stressed about rebuilding a young squad with the help of Luis Campos.
Les Parisiens showed more tolerance this season, which might be a huge factor in why their progress has been faster than expected. Arsenal and PSG faced each other in October but they are almost unrecognisable from the side we beat 2-0. Tactically, they were still a work in progress that night in North London, yet to find the confidence to do what they can now do. In the first phase of the Champions League, the quality of the youngsters at Les Parisiens was evident, but the consensus seemed to be that it was a couple of years too soon for this youthful group. The average age of their squad is under 25, Bacola is 22, and the likes of Doue and Warren Zaire-Emery are just 19.
After finishing 15th in the original table, PSG needed a playoff to advance to the last 16. The turning point may have been the Man City fixture. At 2-0 down, they were flirting with exiting the competition. Instead, this was the night they found their self-belief. Ousmane Dembele in particular has stepped out of the shadow now that he can be the main man. Is it a coincidence he suddenly scores 32 goals and provides 11 assists once Mbappe leaves the stage to him? It underlines the change in culture at the club that the work rate of a player like Vitinha is now celebrated.
Incredibly, Tuesday will be PSG’s sixth fixture against English opposition and their fifth visit to the UK in this tournament. It is a young team who are used to winning most weeks. With a 23-point lead over Marseille, it is already confirmed that they are champions of France again, they are in the Coupe de France final, and with four league fixtures remaining, they could go unbeaten, something Gooners know a thing or two about. If someone had offered their fans in pre-season the chance to retain their domestic treble, they would have bitten your hand off.
This was meant to be a transitional period at the Parc des Princes. A manager for once given empathy and time. No more fans turning on their own players. Perhaps even the first season since Nasser Al Khelaifi’s vision began that PSG can play knockout football at the head of UEFA’s table without being crippled by the fear of failure. There is zero consequence if they are knocked out in the semi-final. They might even embrace the other silverware added to the trophy cabinet. Which is why they are more dangerous than ever before.
Predictions peeps for the 1st leg? Dan______________________________________________________________________________________
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Journalist: Liverpool ‘waiting’ on three transfers to happen before submitting ‘fresh bid’ for 25y/o
Tottenham icon urges club to sign £70m rated La Liga ace amid uncertain future; player open for PL move
Tottenham should test the waters for Real Madrid star Rodrygo as he looks for a summer move Tottenham are looking to add more depth to their ranks for the upcoming season. The Lilywhites want to build on the Europa League success. And to achieve that, the North London club must look to back Thomas Frank in the transfer window and give the ex-Brentford boss the best chance to win some silverware during his time at N17. It is clear that Spurs need to bring in a new left-winger to replace Heung-Min Son in the coming days. The South Korea international decided to part ways with the Lilywhites after a successful ten-year stay at the club. The 32-year-old’s impact at N17 was massive, replacing him is going to be a challenge as he used to produce magical moments week in week out. Thomas Frank relies on his wingers heavily, so bringing in a quality wide player should be a priority. The Danish tactician wants his wingers to cut inside and get behind the defensive line for goal-scoring opportunities. The Spurs manager also prefers his wingers to be elite ball-carriers, who can run past the defenders with ease and finish chances. Tottenham icon Lucas Moura wants to see Real Madrid ace Rodrygo in Lilywhite There is no surprise that Tottenham are in the market for a new winger. As of now, the Lilywhites only have Mathys Tel operating on the left-wing. Taking notice of that, Spurs are eyeing a possible deal to land Real Madrid ace Rodrygo. The Brazil international is keen on a summer move as he looks for regular game time. But the Lilywhites face tough competition from Manchester City for the 24-year-old’s signature. Now, Lucas Moura has also urged the North London club to make a move for Rodrygo if there is a possibility of landing him. Speaking to AS, Moura said, “I’ve heard about that rumour, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. Rodrygo’s arrival would be wonderful for Tottenham, and he’d certainly like to play in the Premier League for a team that, as I said, has a fantastic structure.” The Spurs icon added, “A team that’s getting stronger and stronger, growing to compete in Europe. It would be good for both sides, but it won’t be easy for Rodrygo to leave Real Madrid, given the interest from other clubs.” Lucas Moura has suggested that signing Rodrygo would be a ‘wonderful’ move by Tottenham. The ex-Spurs player has added that the Real Madrid star is keen to play in the Premier League. And signing for the Lilywhites would be the right step for him as the team is growing stronger. But Moura admits that a deal to land the Brazilian will not be easy as Real Madrid have no intentions of selling him right now. There is some hope amongst the Spurs fanbase that the Lilywhites might shock a few and make a move for the world-class winger. As per TBR Football, Real Madrid are willing to part ways with Rodrygo for a fee of around £70m. Signing him would certainly elevate the quality of the attack, and he would thrive under Thomas Frank at N17. His finishing ability, and his technical brilliance would make Spurs favourites to win silverware.
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
The quarterback battle for Notre Dame is set to come to an end shortly, and it might be a surprise considering how the national media predicted the race to finish. Per Eric Hansen of On3, head coach Marcus Freeman is set to name the starting quarterback by Sunday when he meets the media. The Irish are still letting the quarterback battle play out until then, but it appears sophomore quarterback Kenny Minchey is the favorite to start at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Minchey has shown improvement in numerous areas throughout camp, and he has the edge on freshman quarterback CJ Carr in what is believed to be the final week of the competition. "As of Wednesday, the line between 1 and 2 remained blurred," Hansen wrote. "The tiebreaker may eventually go to Minchey, per the source, because of his ability to be a true running threat and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock’s preference to have that element to put pressure on opposing defenses. "But he also has a preference for QBs who can transcend adversity, and the training camp phase was choreographed to test precisely that. While both contenders responded persistently in a manner that defies their inexperience, Minchey has been exceptional in that regard." Throughout the summer, ESPN writers such as Bill Connelly and Mark Schlabach have written as though it were a forgone conclusion that Carr would win the battle in training camp. However, Minchey appears to be a natural fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock likes to scheme against a defense. He helped dual-threat Jayden Daniels earn a Heisman Trophy in 2023 and took Notre Dame to a national championship appearance with Riley Leonard. The battle isn't over, but the edge appears to be running Minchey's way.
Perhaps Superman Paul Skenes has found his kryptonite
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes may continue to be one of the top contenders for the National League Cy Young Award, but there is one place where he has appeared mortal this season. On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Brewers did to Skenes what they have done to plenty of MLB pitchers in 2025 ... put up big offensive numbers. For the second time this season (Skenes also pitched in Milwaukee on June 25), the Brewers forced him from the game after just 4.0 innings on Tuesday night, logging six hits and four runs during his time on the mound. Both of those performances came at Milwaukee's home stadium (American Family Field) and both are now Skenes' shortest outings of the season. While another NL Central team has put up more runs against Skenes this season (the St. Louis Cardinals nicked him for five runs in 6.0 innings on April 8), no other team has had the same kind of success over multiple starts by Skenes in 2025 as have the Brewers inside their home stadium. In all this season, Skenes has given up 10 hits and eight runs in 8.0 innings in Milwaukee. It was his third career outing on the road against the Brewers, with his lone 2024 start representing arguably the best outing of his rookie season. On July 11, 2024, Skenes struck out 11 and didn't allow a hit over 7.0 innings as the Pirates would eventually post a 1-0 victory. Tuesday's short outing was highlighted by a pair of Milwaukee home runs, including a leadoff solo shot by Sal Frelick that quickly set the tone for the Brewers. While Milwaukee's hit parade helped raise Skenes' ERA on the season to 2.13, it's hardly any reason for concern in a season where the 23-year-old right-hander is still a heavy favorite (-600) to win the NL Cy Young Award, per BetMGM. Skenes struggling in Milwaukee is likely more yet another stamp of approval on the Brewers' potential to be a threat once the postseason arrives. With an 18-4 record since the All-Star break entering Tuesday, Milwaukee has taken over the NL Central race from the Chicago Cubs. So what's the good news for Skenes? This is Pittsburgh's last trip to Milwaukee this season and the next-to-last series for the Pirates against the red-hot Brewers. Milwaukee will visit PNC Park for a three-game series on Sept. 5-7, and if Skenes gets a chance for revenge against Milwaukee, there couldn't be a better place for him to take the mound. This season, in 11 starts covering 68.2 innings, Skenes has a 1.70 ERA in the Steel City.
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