In the giddy days between Arsenal being confirmed as English champions and actually getting to lift the Premier League trophy, there was a little line that the players had been talking about.They wouldnt actually believe theyd done it until they actually got to hold it; to feel how heavy it was.It had been weighing over them for so long, after all. This proved it was real. Every part of its 25.4kg testament to that, nothing left to waste.Thats a bit like Arsenal themselves, given how much went into this arduous title win. Nothing was left on the training ground.This Premier League season demanded everything from them.If there has been some commentary on how the Premier League also needed a different winner to underline its vaunted competitiveness, that touches on one of the key themes of the campaign.The 2025-26 season has been one which rewarded efficiency and punished waste, much more so than any other in recent years.The point is emphasised right through the division, going down to the very bottom.The most impressive overperformers beyond the champions were the new middle class: Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Brentford. They have risen because their sophisticated recruitment has maximised resources, taking advantage of the complacency of those wealthier.One of them, of course, was West Ham United.West Ham were relegated with 39 points and went down despite beating Leeds on the final day (Reuters)Going by the last Deloitte Football Money League, the Championships newest entrants are also the 20th richest club in the world.Only eight Premier League clubs are wealthier, and none of them naturally are the new middle class.West Ham instead as the new grand example of footballs historic propensity for waste only just ahead or perhaps below Tottenham Hotspur.This is a consequence of years of both bad management also squandering every single advantage.The strangely open spaces of their tax payers stadium reflect the chasm between what has been earned and what has actually been achieved.It is all the worse when you look at the bookend that is their last promotion.West Ham came up in 2012, which was when the Premier League was in final negotiations for the 5bn international broadcast deal that changed everything.There was now more money than clubs knew what to do with.Now, in 2026, the Premier League demands that you have a very strong idea of what you do with it.Roberto De Zerbi rescued Tottenham from the unthinkable: relegation from the Premier League (Reuters)Its also plays into something of an irony to the Premier League in 2026.Its got so much money, to produce this: set-pieces, wrestling in the box, and much more laboured football than we saw in the seasons great counterpoint: Paris Saint-Germain-Bayern Munich.As fashionable as it has been to dismiss this as some kind of English reductiveness, it is the opposite. Thirteen of the managers are from continental Europe, after all, all bolstered by the legions of expensive coaching staff.This evolution, or devolution, really comes from so much money ensuring these coaches have to think about this even more.Thats not just about the cost of success or failure, either. Its because, with an expanded European calendar, it has made the Premier League so rich in all kinds of talent. Its not like 20, or even five years ago. Every week, coaches are coming up against the most complex pressing and tactical plans.The effect of this can be seen in one stat. There were only eight wins by four goals or more, a historic low.More games were in the balance for longer, as Arsenal know all too well.After three runners-up finishes, Arteta banished Arsenal doubts to make the Gunners champions again (Reuters)One reason that Artetas staff actually tilted towards set-pieces away from the aggression of 2022-23, in fact, was because they were increasingly facing more massed defences. That brought more set-pieces, that invited specialism.Hence were seeing so much more of that, as well as the wrestling in the box that only brings increased use of VAR.It is the Premier League sapping everything out of its teams.Set-pieces are just the ultimate manifestation of this. Why leave such a potential advantage unexplored?It could be argued this might have the adverse effect of making the Premier League less appealing, but the very competitiveness also keeps it so compellingThe 2025-26 campaign might not have the richest football, but it was abundant in storylines, maybe more than ever before.Pep Guardiola, defeated in a title race, waves goodbye to Man City after 10 incredible years (AP)Nottingham Forest had four managers.Its incredible to think that Ruben Amorims tactics board, Rio Ngumohas goal to win the Alexander Isak derby and Graham Potters stint at West Ham were all this season.By the end, even the debacle of Liam Roseniors brief tenure at Chelsea was overtaken by stories of more historic dimensions, like the departures of greats such as Mohamed Salah and Pep Guardiola.And still no outcome to the Manchester City case. The club insist on their innocence.Amid such headlines, it can be easy to forget Keith Andrews impact at Brentford or Daniel Farkes impressive adaptability to keep Leeds United up.One of Englands great soap operas might be concluding, though, as Manchester United have restored a seriousness. Michael Carrick perpetuated the theme of the season by showing Amorim the value of using players efficiently - putting them in their right positions.Liverpool, amid other tests, found that huge signings in a season like this were a massive risk rather than any kind of guarantee.Mohamed Salah departs Liverpool to leave Anfield with an uncertain future (Reuters)If Arne Slot will continue to face scrutiny, Spurs should still feel the most embarrassment. They should never have even come close to relegation.West Ham now take the mantle of the worse relegation ever, if only because of the worth. The club have taken in billions since their last promotion, and this is the result of it: a shambolic and furious relegation.It was still one game from being Tottenham, and that game might have been the controversial win at Aston Villa.They had to go to a Hail Mary of paying a respected manager in Roberto De Zerbi a reported 16m. There is perhaps another lesson there, given the success of coaches like Arteta and Unai Emery.If best practice in football is still to bring in head coaches under a sporting director, there is a strong argument that you can properly maximise everything youve got after that if the coach proves he can be a manager and you empower them.Everyone will now be looking to Arsenal in that regard, even if so many claim they dont enjoy looking at their football.Artetas side have been the model of efficiency. It has been the crucial quality, in a campaign that has punished waste.

Arsenal got to party with the Premier League trophy after going to Crystal Palace and notching one final win.

Sky Sports were forced to apologise after Pep Guardiola dropped an F-bomb on live television while bidding farewell to the Etihad crowd after his final game in charge.

Winning one Indianapolis 500 was a career-changing moment for Alex Palou.Winning a second would put Palou in elite company.The first Spaniard to win IndyCar's biggest race returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval on an overcast Sunday as he tried to add another milestone to his resume by becoming the seventh driver in race history to win back-to-back 500s.David Malukas of Team Penske was leading the race when the yellow flag came out for the second time because of rain. Scott Dixon, his teammate with Chip Ganassi Racing and winner of the 2008 Indy 500, was leading the race before Malukas and Palou passed him on the restart following a 12-minute delay.For the second straight year, the grandstands were sold out, prompting a local television blackout to be lifted. Throngs of colorfully clad fans started funneling through the track tunnels when the cannon sounded at 6 a.m., and the streets around the Brickyard were as packed as they've ever been to witness the pomp, circumstance and celebrities of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.NCAA football championship-winning coach Curt Cignetti of Indiana led the 33-car field to the starting line as the pace car driver. WNBA star Caitlin Clark gave the traditional command sending drivers to their cars. And track owner Roger Penske directed the drivers to start their engines for the largest single-day spectator sporting event.Though race officials do not provide actual attendance figures, there are an estimated 275,000 reserved seats and when the infield crowd is included, approximately 350,000 people attend the race.There were tributes for two-time Brickyard 400 winner Kyle Busch, who died at age 41 earlier this week.Dale Coyne Racing driver Romain Grosjean, who drives IndyCar's No. 18, was driving with a new font on the front of his car intended to resemble the font Busch used during the 14 years he competed in NASCAR'S No. 18 car with Joe Gibbs Racing. Race officials also lit up up the scoring pylon with Busch's name, birth year and 2026, and his name also was mentioned in the opening prayer.As for the racing, Palou led the most laps Sunday after seemingly winning anything and everything lately three straight series titles, 11 of 23 races and now the second Indy pole of his career.And the chase to catch Palou resumed with a long list of storylines.Two-time runner-up Pato O'Ward was hoping to become the first Mexican to win the race. Again. He was running eighth when the rain came for the second time.Alexander Rossi, the 2016 race winner, qualified a career-best second and started less than a week after one of the hardest crashes of his career forced him to undergo surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger on his left hand. He was racing with a special brace and a protective boot on his right leg until his car caught on fire for the second straight year. Crew members from his former team Andretti Global got him out of the car and carried him over the pit wall when he couldn't get back to his own pit stall.Scott McLaughlin was trying to redeem himself following a parade-lap crash that knocked him out of last year's race. McLaughlin, Malukas and two-time Indy winner Josey Newgarden were all trying to help their team erase the bitter memories from last May.At age 51, Helio Castroneves could become the oldest race winner and the first five-time winner.Katherine Legge's attempt to become the first woman to finish racing's Double" by completing 1,100 miles in one day racing in both Indianapolis and at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina ended early. She hit the wall after completing just 17 laps when she couldn't avoid the spinning car of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete every lap of both races, doing so in 2001.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Winning one Indianapolis 500 was a career-changing moment for Alex Palou.Winning a second would put Palou in elite company.The first Spaniard to win IndyCar's biggest race returned to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval on an overcast Sunday as he tried to add another milestone to his resume by becoming the seventh driver in race history to win back-to-back 500s.David Malukas of Team Penske was leading the race when the yellow flag came out for the second time because of rain. Scott Dixon, his teammate with Chip Ganassi Racing and winner of the 2008 Indy 500, was leading the race before Malukas and Palou passed him on the restart following a 12-minute delay.For the second straight year, the grandstands were sold out, prompting a local television blackout to be lifted. Throngs of colorfully clad fans started funneling through the track tunnels when the cannon sounded at 6 a.m., and the streets around the Brickyard were as packed as they've ever been to witness the pomp, circumstance and celebrities of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.NCAA football championship-winning coach Curt Cignetti of Indiana led the 33-car field to the starting line as the pace car driver. WNBA star Caitlin Clark gave the traditional command sending drivers to their cars. And track owner Roger Penske directed the drivers to start their engines for the largest single-day spectator sporting event.Though race officials do not provide actual attendance figures, there are an estimated 275,000 reserved seats and when the infield crowd is included, approximately 350,000 people attend the race.There were tributes for two-time Brickyard 400 winner Kyle Busch, who died at age 41 earlier this week.Dale Coyne Racing driver Romain Grosjean, who drives IndyCar's No. 18, was driving with a new font on the front of his car intended to resemble the font Busch used during the 14 years he competed in NASCAR'S No. 18 car with Joe Gibbs Racing. Race officials also lit up up the scoring pylon with Busch's name, birth year and 2026, and his name also was mentioned in the opening prayer.As for the racing, Palou led the most laps Sunday after seemingly winning anything and everything lately three straight series titles, 11 of 23 races and now the second Indy pole of his career.And the chase to catch Palou resumed with a long list of storylines.Two-time runner-up Pato O'Ward was hoping to become the first Mexican to win the race. Again. He was running eighth when the rain came for the second time.Alexander Rossi, the 2016 race winner, qualified a career-best second and started less than a week after one of the hardest crashes of his career forced him to undergo surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger on his left hand. He was racing with a special brace and a protective boot on his right leg until his car caught on fire for the second straight year. Crew members from his former team Andretti Global got him out of the car and carried him over the pit wall when he couldn't get back to his own pit stall.Scott McLaughlin was trying to redeem himself following a parade-lap crash that knocked him out of last year's race. McLaughlin, Malukas and two-time Indy winner Josey Newgarden were all trying to help their team erase the bitter memories from last May.At age 51, Helio Castroneves could become the oldest race winner and the first five-time winner.Katherine Legge's attempt to become the first woman to finish racing's Double" by completing 1,100 miles in one day racing in both Indianapolis and at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, North Carolina ended early. She hit the wall after completing just 17 laps when she couldn't avoid the spinning car of Ryan Hunter-Reay. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to complete every lap of both races, doing so in 2001.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Harry Kane has sent his congratulations to Tottenham Hotspur fans after Spurs secured survival on the final day of the Premier League.Tottenham only needed to draw against Everton, but went a step further, winning 1-0 thanks to Joao Palhinha's first-half strike.Despite West Ham's best efforts with a 3-0 victory over Leeds United, the Hammers went down to the Championship after Spurs' win.Reacting to his former side's survival, Kane wrote: "Congratulations to everyone at Tottenham, especially the fans.TRENDINGStoriesVideosYour Say"Massive fight and result on the final day!"It has been a campaign to forget for Spurs, who just 12 months ago beat Manchester United to win the Europa League under Ange Postecoglou.Tottenham finished 17th last season and promised never to be in a relegation scrap again.They turned to Thomas Frank in the summer, adamant that the Dane would be able to seamlessly solve their defensive problems.LATEST SPORTS NEWSWest Ham relegated as Tottenham narrowly avoid drop in tense Premier League finalePep Guardiola bows out with defeat as Premier League legends bid goodbyeBruno Fernandes gets record 21st assist in Man Utd clash with BrightoHowever, despite a positive start, Frank found himself alarmingly out of his depth and paid the price when he was relieved of his duties in February.Panicking over their Premier League status, Spurs considered a variety of different candidates to come in on an interim basis.Club legends Harry Redknapp and Tim Sherwood even offered their services, despite the pair being out of management for some time.After a horrendous period with interim Igor Tudor, Roberto De Zerbi took the wheel and guided Spurs to safety.The result sees West Ham sent down to the Championship for the first time since 2012.The Hammers had started the season with high hopes under Graham Potter, but their campaign never got going, despite Nuno Espirito Santo coming in.Nuno had worked wonders at Nottingham Forest last term, but West Ham ultimately found themselves sucked into a battle they couldn't win.The Hammers have insisted they want to keep with Nuno, whose stock remains high among the club hierarchy.But it's set to be a big summer of change at the London Stadium, especially in the wake of Karren Brady's departure from the club last month.Several big names, including Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville and Matheus Fernandes, are all poised to attract interest from elsewhere.Their lack of ruthlessness up top has been a glaring issue in particular for the Hammers this season. Whether it can now be solved in the Championship remains to be seen.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter

West Ham's 14-year stay in the Premier League is over - but what changes lie ahead as they prepare for life in the Championship?

Durch ein Tor in der letzten Sekunde rettete sich Blomberg-Lippe gegen Borussia Dortmund in ein drittes entscheidendes Finalspiel.[mehr]

Josh Algarin (2025 NWL All-Star) looks pretty happy to be playing for the Growlers this summer.He was the lone All-Star who played for the Battle ... - Northwoods Kalamazoo Growlers

Odsonne Edouard, le co-meilleur buteur de la saison du RC Lens, est l'invit de L'After Foot, ce dimanche sur RMC. Il est revenu sur sa saison.