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The Assist: Arsenal try to hold on and an El Clásico title decider

The Assist: Arsenal try to hold on and an El Clásico title decider

Plus the Serie A title race, Championship playoffs, and WSL final day

May 09, 2025

Games don’t get much bigger than El Clásico, especially with a league title on the line. But looking beyond Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, this weekend also sees the battle for Europe continue in the Premier League and the start of the EFL playoffs. Elsewhere, the Serie A title race rages on and Benfica meet Sporting, with both Lisbon clubs locked level on points at the top of the Liga Portugal.

Liverpool vs. Arsenal

Sunday’s headliner in the Premier League pits the Champions against their nearest challengers. Unfortunately, this won’t be the title decider we were hoping for.

One win in their last five league games has left Arsenal looking over their shoulder. Manchester City, and arguably both Newcastle United and Chelsea, could now hunt them down over the remaining games. Will Mikel Arteta be able to energise his team after their midweek defeat in Paris confirmed another trophyless season for the Gunners?

With Mohamed Salah still chasing the all-time Premier League goals and assists record - (Salah is on 44 while the record sits at 47) - Liverpool might not be willing to give them an easy ride.

Elsewhere, a more keenly fought battle might take place earlier in the day when Newcastle and Chelsea face off at St. James’ Park. Conference League finalists Chelsea currently sit fifth, level on points and goal difference with fourth placed Newcastle, only worse off in terms of goals scored. With three rounds remaining, a win for either side will be vital in securing Champions League football next season.

El Clásico

Just two weekends ago, Spain’s big two played out a five-goal thriller in the final of the Copa Del Rey. Now, they meet again in a Clásico that could very well decide the destination of this season’s title in LaLiga, with Real Madrid four points behind Barcelona.

Hansi Flick has made light work of Madrid in his first season in Catalonia. Following wins in the first league meeting of the season, the final of the Supercopa, and the Copa Del Rey, the aggregate scoreline reads 12-4.

There is a chance that Tuesday’s dramatic Champions League semifinal defeat at Inter may have dampened Barca’s spirit. That was Barcelona’s first defeat of the calendar year, and although they haven’t lost in the league since December, an away Clásico may just have come at the best possible time for Madrid — if there is such a thing as a good time to play the free-scoring league leaders.

Saturday, 3.15pm BST, 10.15am EST

Serie A Title Race

Alongside LaLiga, Serie A is the only other top five league where there’s still something to play for. In Italy, there was even talk of a Championship-deciding playoff should title rivals Napoli and Inter remain locked together after the final few weeks of the season.

Recent results have seen things change though. Now, Napoli, led by former title winning Inter boss Antonio Conte, have overtaken the Nerazzurri and lead the way by three points with three to play.

This weekend, Inter play first - away at midtable Torino on Sunday evening, before Napoli host midtable Genoa in the late kickoff — a side they’ve only lost twice against in their last 28 meetings.

Simone Inzaghi has insisted that Inter are still focused on the title race, despite the distraction of qualifying for the Champions League final, while the Opta Supercomputer gives them just an 11.8% chance of lifting the Scudetto.

EFL Championship Playoffs

After the drama of last weekend’s final day, the playoffs are already underway in the English Football League. On Thursday night, Sheffield United won comfortably, 3-0 away at Bristol City in the first leg of their semifinal in the Championship.

Now, tonight, Frank Lampard’s Coventry City face Sunderland in a hotly anticipated tie between the sides who finished fourth and fifth during the regular season. They are two teams who endured some patchy form during the run-in, although Coventry did recover to secure their place in the playoffs thanks to a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough last weekend.

At one point, Sunderland looked as though they would challenge for automatic promotion, but a dismal run of five straight defeats to end the campaign has left fans frustrated while coach Régis Le Bris has chosen to rest key players ahead of this final push for a return to the promised land of the Premier League.

Worryingly, the goals have also dried up for the Black Cats, with just four scored in their last 10 games. Coventry only have 12 over the same period but they did run riot against Sunderland, with US international Haji Wright scoring a hat-trick, when the sides played each other back in March.

Friday, 8pm BST, 3pm ET

Both teams are in red-hot form; Sporting have won 11 of their last 12 matches, whilst Benfica have won nine of their last 10.

Benfica looked set to reclaim the top spot last Sunday as Sporting trailed for an hour vs. Gil Vicente, only to score two late goals and escape with a victory. Both Sporting and Benfica have claimed 78 points and conceded 26 goals in their first 32 matches but while Benfica have 82 goals to their name, Sporting have scored 85 and thus enter the penultimate matchday atop the leaderboard. All in all, it makes for a mouth-watering Clássico, which will also double as an early preview for their showdown in the Taça de Portugal Final on May 25.

Here’s what’s at stake: if Sporting win, then they will become the first Portuguese team in nine years to claim back-to-back league titles. If Benfica win by 2+ goals, they will seal the league title at home.

Whilst all eyes will be transfixed upon Europe’s top scorer Viktor Gyökeres, don’t count out Sporting’s Geny Catamo as a potential goal threat. The Mozambican has scored each of Sporting’s last three league goals vs. Benfica, and he could very well prove the difference as Sporting look to celebrate the title in their archrivals’ backyard.

Zach Lowy, journalist

Saturday, 6pm BST, 1pm ET

13 days ago, Arsenal were celebrating an unlikely comeback having beaten Lyon, women’s football royalty, to reach the club’s second ever Champions League final.

Since then, the Gunners have lost back-to-back games in the Women’s Super League for the first time in two years. And they’ve shipped nine goals in the process, having only conceded 14 in their previous 19 games this season.

The 5-2 and 4-2 defeats to Villa and Brighton ended Arsenal’s title challenge, with Chelsea instead crowned champions for a sixth successive season. Now, coach Renée Slegers must contend not only with winning the Champions League - the final vs. Barcelona is played later this month - but also securing qualification for next year’s tournament, with the final round of WSL games taking place this weekend.

A second-placed finish in the WSL makes for an easier route through the minefield that is qualification for the Women’s Champions League but the Gunners risk being caught by Manchester United, the side they face at the Emirates on Sunday.

United sit one point below Arsenal knowing that a win is all they need to match their highest ever finish in the top flight.

Sunday, 12.30pm BST, 7.30am ET

While the title battle rages at the top end of the Liga Portugal, spare a thought for Boavista at the other end. This once great club could be sunk this weekend, with liquidation a very strong possibility should they drop out of the top flight. And it will likely come at the hands of their city rivals, FC Porto.

Famously, Boavista are the last side outside of the Big Three to win the title in Portugal, way back in 2001. Two seasons later they made it all the way to the semifinals of the UEFA Cup. To their fans, who have suffered mightily since, all that must feel like a very long time ago indeed.

We charted their current plight in all its gory details back in February, shortly after the Panthers made headlines for signing nine out of contract players on the same day - a move only possible after a transfer ban that had lasted for five windows was finally lifted.

Boavista currently occupy the relegation playoff place in the table, level on points with the two sides below them, but crucially, five points from safety with two games to play. They are only in that position thanks to three wins against their direct relegation rivals that have come in their last five games. Defeat at home to Porto would be a crushing blow.

For more on the disastrous ownership of Gerard López - check out that February article here.