WanderlustSport

In a year devoid of a significant international tournament, triumphing in the Champions League is undoubtedly crucial for clinching the Ballon d’Or. Therefore, that ought to conclude the discussion about Real Madrid.  Here are the top 10 contenders for the award, based on the bookmakers' odds…  Favorites to claim the 2025 Ballon d’Or   10. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia [Paris Saint-Germain] Outstanding since his January transfer from Napoli, aiding the French team in effortlessly securing another league championship while more significantly remaining focused on achieving that coveted Champions League trophy.  9. Kylian Mbappé [Real Madrid] "Personal awards matter as well, such as the Ballon d’Or." I understand what I need to do to achieve victory, many asks both on and off the field. "When I take all the necessary steps to achieve victory, I will achieve it," says the Frenchman.  And if he fails to accomplish all that he must – which he definitely has not – then he will...

Arsenal icon Jens Lehmann asserts that Gunners manager Mikel Arteta will be dismissed next season if he fails to secure the Premier League title.  The Gunners are poised to finish second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season after Liverpool was confirmed as champions on Sunday.  A remarkable 5-1 victory against Tottenham secured the Reds’ 20th English top-tier championship, with Arne Slot’s team 15 points clear of Arsenal as they approached the last four games of the season.  Arsenal have struggled to match Liverpool in the latter half of the season, but their strong performance in the Champions League has lifted their spirits.  Two exceptional performances versus Real Madrid guaranteed a 5-1 aggregate victory in the quarter-finals, securing their spot against Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals.  Even though Arsenal had several good opportunities to score, they were unable to penetrate PSG's defense during their first leg match. Ousmane Demb...

Arsenal's loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the other Champions League semi-final prompted the unsurprising backlash against Mikel Arteta, who is labeled the Nearly Manager following his inability (even though he hasn’t truly failed in this situation) to guide the Gunners to a trophy for the fourth consecutive season.  He was 'outcoached' by Luis Enrique, having presumably, by that reasoning, 'outcoached' the most successful Champions League manager ever in the prior round against Real Madrid. For certain fans and many competitors – whom we believe might have hidden agendas – the solution is for the Arsenal board to dismiss the individual who has guided them to their first Champions League semi-final in 16 years and probably their third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League.  After 21 minutes in Barcelona, we braced ourselves for more dramatics from those demanding Arteta's dismissal, as the top contender to succeed him at the Emirates had seen his ...

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has shared his forecast as Arsenal takes on Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.  The Gunners’ hopes of winning the Premier League are nearly finished as Mikel Arteta’s team trails 13 points behind leaders Liverpool before their last six games of the season.  Arsenal is now focused entirely on securing the Champions League, with Arteta's team creating an excellent opportunity to make it to the semi-finals.  Two stunning free-kicks from Declan Rice and a goal from Mikel Merino resulted in Arsenal defeating Real Madrid 3-0 in the first leg as they travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday.  Ferdinand remarked on his YouTube channel: “If Madrid gets the first goal and there’s about thirty minutes left… rah! My backside will be voicing for you all [Arsenal]!  “I believe Arsenal will advance, believe me.” I do. I believe it will be excessive. I believe Arsenal will advance. I believe they have excessive...

Jude Bellingham expressed confidence in Real Madrid’s ability to stage an incredible Champions League comeback against Arsenal on Wednesday night, referring to it as “a night destined for Real Madrid.”  Real Madrid were dismantled by an impressively efficient display from Arsenal last week, as Declan Rice scored two free kicks to give Arsenal a 2-0 lead before Mikel Merino sealed the deal.  Even with the challenging task ahead, the 20-year-old midfielder believes that his team can reverse the deficit at the Santiago Bernabéu and achieve a remarkable comeback.  "I mentioned to someone recently that it has felt like a strange atmosphere over the past few days." It's among the most disappointing outcomes we could envision when playing away, and for some reason, everyone believes it's certain that we'll return.  “I must admit, it feels rather pleasant.” It signifies a strong belief in our abilities. It signifies that you're in a nightclub that is one of a kind, th...

Unai Emery has urged his Aston Villa squad to achieve Champions League qualification once more after their exit from the tournament on Tuesday night.  On Tuesday night, Aston Villa was eliminated from the Champions League, even after a 3-2 win against Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park.  Nuno Mendes’ last-minute goal in the first leg last week proved crucial, as Emery’s team rallied from a 2-0 deficit on the evening to defeat the French champions 3-2.  Villa exerted all their effort and beyond to resist and create a nail-biting conclusion for PSG – who eliminated the anticipated Premier League champions in the last round.  Villa's Champions League campaign was commendable, finishing in the league phase's top eight, which secured automatic qualification for the last 16, and they easily eliminated Club Brugge to arrange a match against Luis Enrique’s team.  Head coach Emery, energetic as always on the sideline throughout the match, highlighted the significance of s...

Barcelona almost gave us a massive Champions League meltdown at Borussia Dortmund in The Other Game of the night, and just when it appeared they had their act together, they pulled us back in. A persuasive 4-0 win at home last week put Hansi Flick’s team on the verge of the Champions League semifinals, yet they chose to complicate matters significantly against what is likely the weakest team remaining in the tournament.  Serhou Guirassy's penalty in the 11th minute likely didn't cause much concern for any Barcelona supporter, but his second goal just four minutes into the second half would have prompted fans of the La Liga powerhouse to start paying serious attention.  In just four minutes, the slight anxieties of a major breakdown vanished due to a Ramy Bensebaini own goal. We believed Barcelona would cruise through the remainder of the match with their opponents deflated, but Guirassy demonstrated that Dortmund wouldn't surrender with a powerful finish, benefiting from an...

If you had suggested to Aston Villa supporters a close, painful quarter-final loss to PSG in the Champions League in the spring of 2025 when Steven Gerrard was dismissed for his failures in October 2022 while the team was embroiled in a relegation struggle, they would have a) laughed, b) laughed again, and then c) yanked your arm out of its socket in an effort to secure the deal before the outrageous proposal was retracted.  Aston Villa left Europe, there should be little sorrow among fans who – precisely three years earlier – faced the prospect of four consecutive Premier League losses, including a 4-0 home loss to Spurs for which Gerrard deserved to be quickly dismissed, not merely for acquiring Philippe Coutinho and choosing Danny Ings.  The transition from that point to this one has been magnificent, so supporters should hold no lasting regret, understanding that we are in a golden era with a remarkable manager. They have reached the FA Cup semi-finals, competing for a Cha...

Arsenal thrashed Real Madrid on Tuesday, and that 3-0 triumph easily ranks among Mikel Arteta’s top victories as Gunners manager.  10. Centenary victory against Fulham  To get started, we celebrate a significant win for Mikel Arteta. In March 2023, Arsenal defeated Fulham at Craven Cottage – their latest victory there – leaving west London with a 3-0 scoreline, marking the 100th win during the Arteta era.  Arteta achieved 100 victories in just 168 matches, boasting a win percentage of 59.5% at that point, which was greater than any other manager in the club’s past, including Arsene Wenger, whose 100th win occurred in his 184th match.  9. Invaluable Boxing Day win  Regarding its importance, the Boxing Day victory against Chelsea in 2020 was among the most crucial for Arteta, who was enduring constant pressure and at risk of being dismissed.  Arteta’s squad needed a creative influence in the No. 10 position, which they found with the inclusion of Emile Smith ...

So, raise your hand if you were aware that Declan Rice could perform like that?  Indeed, we all recognized he had evolved into essentially the perfect midfielder over the past few years. He has been England's top defensive midfielder for quite a while now, but he has never been limited to just that role. He has consistently possessed much more as a midfielder than just mere destruction.  However, we didn't truly see him as a 'master at unleashing unstoppable free-kicks against one of the top goalkeepers globally' type of player.  Questions must be raised regarding why it took the so-called set-piece genius Nicolas Jover such an extended period to discover the Mr. Burns-like brilliant tactic of instructing Rice to deliver unstoppable free-kicks past one of the greatest goalkeepers globally.  Or maybe he’s actually more astute than we realized and had reserved this unique strategy for when Arsenal needed it most in their most crucial match of the season. In such a scen...

Cesc Fabregas expressed that he was “speechless” about Declan Rice, who netted what Jon Champion called “two of the best free-kicks you are ever likely to witness” for Arsenal versus Real Madrid.  The Gunners entered their Champions League quarter-final matchup against Real Madrid as the underdogs. Their rivals are a powerhouse of European football, while Arsenal has not been among the top tier in the prestigious competition for many years.  However, the north London team dominated Real, scoring three goals in the second half to secure a 3-0 victory in the first leg.  Midfielder Rice netted two of those goals within 13 minutes, both from direct free-kicks. Before this match, he had played over 300 professional games without scoring a direct free-kick goal, but he smashed two incredible ones past Thibaut Courtois.  In commentary, Jon Champion described the goals as: “Two of the best free-kicks you will ever witness.”  Ex-Arsenal player Fabregas was amazed by Rice...