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BREAKING: Leverkusen Sets German Unbeaten Records And Extend Bundesliga Leads To 11 Points—-Former Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka scored his first goal for Bayer Leverkusen as the Bundesliga leader defeated Mainz 2-1 on Friday and set a German record of 33 games unbeaten across all competitions.

Leverkusen, which hasn’t lost a match since last season, stretched its lead to 11 points before 11-time defending champion Bayern Munich hosts Leipzig on Saturday. Eleven rounds remain after this weekend.

The buildup to Friday’s match was dominated by speculation over the future of Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso, with his former clubs Bayern Munich and Liverpool looking for new coaches for next season.

Alonso has no lack of suitors after taking Leverkusen from the relegation zone when he took over in October 2022 to a genuine title candidate.

Supporters celebrated the German soccer league’s midweek decision to scrap its plan to bring in an outside investor for a share of media rights income by displaying a banner saying “Football belongs to the fans.”

They didn’t have to wait long to celebrate again when Xhaka fired Leverkusen into a third-minute lead. The Swiss midfielder let fly from outside the penalty area for his first goal on his 31st appearance for the club.

But Dominik Kohr replied for the visitors with a header at the other end four minutes later.

Leverkusen went on to dominate possession. The home team’s urgency grew toward the end of the half, when Álex Grimaldo drew a good save from Robin Zentner with a free kick.

Leverkusen’s frustrations grew when Jeremie Frimpong was booked for complaining after he’d been tripped by Mainz defender Phillipp Mwene when he would have been through on goal. TV replays showed there was contact. Alonso was also booked for his complaints.

The frustration remained after the break as Leverkusen failed to find a way through.

Then the otherwise excellent Zentner failed to hold Robert Andrich’s harmless-looking shot and the ball looped in over his head in the 68th.

It proved enough for the win as Mainz’s hopes were hit in the 80th when Jessic Ngankam was sent off after a VAR check for a dangerous tackle on Xhaka.

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BREAKING: Saka Fires Arsenal Into First Champions League Final in 20 Years

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Saka Fires Arsenal Into First Champions League Final

BREAKING: Saka Fires Arsenal Into First Champions League Final in 20 Years—-TCN reports that Arsenal have qualified for the 2026 UEFA Champions League final after a narrow victory over Atlético Madrid, with Bukayo Saka scoring the decisive goal.

Saka’s strike proved to be the difference as Arsenal secured a 1-0 win in the second leg, progressing 2-1 on aggregate following a 1-1 draw in Spain.

The result sees the North London club reach the Champions League final for the first time in two decades, marking a significant milestone in their European journey.

Arsenal will now face either defending champions Paris Saint-Germain or German giants Bayern Munich in the final scheduled for May 30.

This will be only the second Champions League final appearance in Arsenal’s history. Their first came in 2006, when they were narrowly defeated by FC Barcelona.

The Gunners will now be aiming to go one step further and claim their first-ever Champions League title.

Developing story…

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Chelsea Losing Streak Hits Six as Forest Close in on Safety

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Chelsea Losing Streak Hits Six

Chelsea Losing Streak Hits Six as Forest Close in on Safety—-Chelsea’s miserable end to the season reached another damaging milestone as they slumped to a sixth consecutive league defeat, losing 3-1 to a resurgent Nottingham Forest side. The result marks the first time since November 1993 that the Chelsea have lost six league matches in a row, underlining the depth of their current crisis.

Already enduring their worst run since 1912, the Blues showed little sign of recovery as Forest struck early and never looked back. Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring inside two minutes, setting the tone for a dominant away performance. Forest doubled their lead from the penalty spot after Malo Gusto brought down Awoniyi in the box, allowing Igor Jesus to convert.

Awoniyi added his second of the night early in the second half, finishing from a low delivery by Morgan Gibbs-White to make it 3-0 and effectively end the contest.

The moment was further overshadowed by a worrying collision that saw Jesse Derry stretchered off and taken to hospital.

Chelsea’s frustrations continued to mount. Cole Palmer saw his first-half penalty saved by Matz Sels, while a potential goal from João Pedro was ruled out for offside after a VAR review.

Pedro did eventually provide a moment of quality, scoring a stunning stoppage-time bicycle kick from a Marc Cucurella cross to end Chelsea’s goal drought, which had stretched over nine hours of play. However, it proved to be little more than a consolation.

The Blues, currently under interim boss Calum McFarlane following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior, have now gone without a Premier League win since January. Their recent defeats have been particularly heavy, with this result nearly marking a fourth 3-0 loss in five games.

Chelsea remain ninth in the table, now 10 points adrift of the Champions League places and increasingly at risk of slipping into the bottom half. Meanwhile, Forest’s impressive run under Vitor Pereira continues, with the club now unbeaten in seven matches and sitting six points clear of the relegation zone.

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