Game Recaps

Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 1-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday, and it was Sergio Agüero’s goal-line technology-assisted strike — his 20th of the season — that proved the match-winner in the 63rd minute.

Many predicted the most difficult match of City’s title run-in here, and the scoreline demonstrates how precarious it was, but the level of control exerted by Pep Guardiola’s side will give very little hope to Liverpool that either Leicester City or Brighton can stop City from successfully defending its title. 

With the two automatic promotion places from the EFL Championship to the Premier League going to Norwich City and Sheffield United, today’s meeting between third place Leeds United and fifth place Aston Villa on the penultimate day of the season simply served as a preview of things to come in the Championship playoffs (both sides have already guaranteed their spots).

While there’s a thrilling Premier League title race going on right now, as Arlo White loves to tell us, we can’t forget there’s also an incredible Golden Boot race shaping up. 

Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over derby rival Manchester United clearly defined the massive divide that’s grown between the two clubs. Sure, United supporters can find immediate solace in keeping the title out of Liverpool’s hands, as well as Chelsea and Arsenal dropping points, but the ‘wee club’ diatribe that Sir Alex Ferguson once so famously threw at Newcastle now seems a fitting moniker for the Red Devils.  

With a home match to come against Levante on Saturday followed by next Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Liverpool, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde elected to begin today’s away match versus Alavés with Lionel Messi on the bench.

No matter.

Before Messi entered the match in the 61st minute, goals from Carles Aleñá and Luis Suárez had already put Barça on the verge of a second straight LaLiga title. If Atlético Madrid loses to Valencia tomorrow, the crown belongs to Barcelona. Regardless, there’s no way in hell Barça loses it now.

Leeds United suffered a huge blow in its chase for automatic promotion to the Premier League this afternoon. After a season of dominant performances in the Championship, the business end of the campaign hasn't been so kind to the West Yorkshire giants.

This past Sunday night the Orlando Pride faced the Seattle Reign in Tacoma, Washington, where the Pride picked up its first point of the 2019 NWSL season after drawing 1-1 at Cheney Stadium.

Orlando took an early lead after being rewarded a free kick outside the box in the sixth minute. Australian defender Alanna Kennedy gave the Pride the upper hand when she casually hit a perfect bicycle kick inside the box. Although the Pride didn't ultimately get all three points, if there were points awarded for style they definitely would have won by a landslide. 

After two consecutive defeats turned the narrative surrounding PSG into the sort of existential crisis that could only be penned by compatriot Jean-Paul Sartre, Kylian Mbappé’s 55-minute hat trick — taking him to 30 goals on the year and just three behind Lionel Messi in the race for the European Golden Shoe — propelled the club to a sixth Ligue 1 title in seven seasons.  

In the wake of Manchester United’s Champions League exit, we were treated to a plethora of listicles analyzing who should be shown the door at Old Trafford. After today’s historic 4-0 defeat to Everton, it’s clear that a much easier question is simply who stays. 

The match was a masterclass in the various United shortcomings that’ve gripped the inter webs over the last year or two: How does the third-richest club in the world boast a center pairing of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones? Does Anthony Martial not give a shit to the point of constipation? Who is Fred?