Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal – Match Preview
Arsenal return to Champions League action on Wednesday, in the first leg of the last 16, looking to continue their perfect start to their European campaign. The last meeting between these sides came in a friendly at Emirates Stadium ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, where Arsenal won 4-1 courtesy of goals from Zinchenko, Trossard, Jesus and Havertz. The last meeting between these sides in the Champions League came back in the 2001/02 season where Arsenal also won 4-1. Pires, Henry, Vieira and Bergkamp got the goals. The German outfit finished 16th in the league phase, winning 3, drawing 3 and losing 2, which as a result, meant they had to go through a 2-legged play-off against Greek side Olympiacos, where they won 2-0 across 2 legs to set up a last 16 meeting against Mikel Arteta’s men. Arsenal enjoyed a perfect league phase, winning 8 of their 8 matches. In that run, the Gunners beat Serie A leaders Inter Milan 3-1 in Italy, Spanish side Atletico Madrid 4-0 in N5 and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich at home. Kasper Hjulmand’s side sit 6th in the Bundesliga, 3 points behind RB Leipzig in 5th and 9 ahead of Frankfurt in 7th, winning 13, drawing 5 and losing 7 of their 25 matches. Die Werkself have only conceded 4 goals in their last 7 Bundesliga matches and have only lost 1 of their last 7 league games. The Gunners have not lost in their last 11 matches and are League Cup finalists, where they will face Man City, sit 7 points clear at the top of the Premier League and beat League One Outfit Mansfield Town on Saturday to qualify into the last 8 of the FA Cup. In their last outing against Mansfield Town, the North London outfit became the first Premier League side to reach 100 goals in all competitions this campaign. Mikel Arteta on the win against Mansfield: “Because of the pitch, they have to adapt as well. Because of the energy that the supporters put in, which I think was extraordinary. The intensity, the banter at times, the interactions and the belief that they put in towards the team. “And then, because you really have to earn it. We had moments where it should have been two or three [up] when you don’t close the games and they have hope and belief. That becomes more and more dangerous and after they equalise in the game, you really have to dig in to earn the right to win it.” On Max Dowman’s performance against Mansfield: “Well, I’m very proud of him, very proud as well of Marli, obviously, two 16-year-olds, starting in the FA Cup. That tells us a lot about them, their personality and the quality that they have. And Max, yeah I think he was exceptional.” Kasper Hjulmand ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Arsenal: “Because of a German team and perhaps playing Bayern four times, Arsenal would be better for a bit of variety. “They are the best teams in Europe. We want to play against the best and are looking forward to this big challenge.”
Too Big to go Down? The Ten Biggest Clubs to Suffer Relegation
Tottenham Hotspur’s chances of relegation from the English Premier League increased after a midweek home 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace to put the Europa League holders just one point above the drop zone. An injury plagued squad last season managed by Ange Postecoglou finished 17th, but twelve points above 18th placed Leicester in a campaign that never threatened the North London club with relegation. However this year, relegation is a stark reality for the side now managed by Igor Tudor, with many suggesting Spurs falling would go down as the most shocking relegation of the Premier League era. Here are ten clubs who were relegated from their respective divisions that evidently were not too big to go down. 1. Hearts & Hibs, 2013/14 Both teams which share Edinburgh suffered relegation in the same season, with Hearts’ suffering a 15 point deduction at the beginning of the campaign that actually kept their city rivals from going down automatically after finishing just 13 points behind them. Hibernian had the opportunity to stay up via the relegation play-offs, but would lose the second leg at home 2-0 to Hamilton Academical, leading to a penalty shoot-out defeat to consign both clubs to a season in the Championship shared with Rangers. Hearts bounced back first time of asking, but it took Hibernian three attempts to climb back up. 2. Atletico Madrid, 1999/2000 Spanish giants Atletico Madrid were brought down to Segunda División in 2000 alongside Sevilla, despite reaching the Copa del Rey Final in the same season. It was the capital city side’s first relegation in 66 years, having won the top-flight and cup double in 1996. It took Atleti two attempts to achieve promotion, and they haven’t looked back since. 3. Manchester United, 1973/74 It is inconceivable to imagine Manchester United in the second tier of English football, never mind a mere six years after winning the European Cup, yet that was the case back in the 70s. They had lost their talented trio of George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law since then, with the ‘Lawman’ scoring at Old Trafford on the final day of the season for neighbours Manchester City after their fate had been sealed. 4. River Plate, 2011 One of the finest teams outside of Europe, Argentines River Plate were relegated for the only time in their history in 2011. The Argentinean relegation system is complicated, with the Buenos Aires side going down through a relegation play-off based off of their point average over the last three seasons, a system brought in to protect the bigger clubs. They lost the play-off 3-1 on aggregate to Cordoba. 5. FC Schalke 04, 2020/21 & 2022/23 Champions league regulars FC Schalke 04 suffered two relegations either side of their 2. Bundesliga promotion. Having possessed a side with quality such as Raul, Manuel Neuer and Klass-Jan Huntelaar in the 2010s, the Gelsenkirchen outfit were relegated during the COVID-19 season amid financial trouble and would go back down in their first season back up. After flirting with another relegation to the third tier, they are now top of the 2. Bundesliga with Edin Dzeko leading the line. 6. Manchester City, 1995/96 & 1997/98 It is fair to say their fortunes have changed now, but the blue side of Manchester long lived in the shadows of Manchester United, going down to the Championship the same year United won the Premier League in 1996, over a decade before their financial takeover. More shocking however was their relegation to League One just two years later, a fate which could be suffered by former Premier League winners Blackburn Rovers or Leicester City this season. Manchester City could join them, depending on the result of their court case. 7. Juventus, 2006 Juventus were relegated under nefarious circumstances amid the Calciopoli scandal which rocked Italian football. Alleged to be involved in a match-fixing scandal which remains contentious today, Juve were brought down to Serie B and stripped of two titles in the mid 2000s. They returned at the first time of asking, keeping hold of star players such as Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved, despite beginning with a points deduction. 8. Villarreal, 2011/12 The yellow submarine suffered the ignominy of relegation after one disastrous campaign coming after consistent European showings. It paved the way for exits for Giuseppe Rossi and Borja Valero, and their new manager brought in to guide them back to La Liga passed away from a heart attack the same day he was appointed. Villarreal would come back upon their second try, and would win the Europa League in 2021 after an 11-10 penalty shootout win over Manchester United. 9. Leeds United, 2003/04 For fans of a certain age, Leeds and the Championship seems normal. However, their relegation in 2004 after financial mismanagement came just three years after the club reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. The Elland Road side would not return to the top-flight until 2020, where they have been a bit of a yo-yo club since. 10. SSC Napoli, 2000/01 & 2003/04 From the Scudetti won in the era of Diego Armando Maradona in 1987 ad 1990, to the Scudetti won by Khvicha Kvartskhelia and Scott McTominay in 2023 and 2025, the Naples side fell as far down as Serie C in between. First suffering relegation to Serie B in 2001, financial woes dragged the Napolitanos to the third tier in 2004, recording attendances as high as 51,000 even at their lowest. They made their way back into the top division in 2007 alongside Juventus and Genoa. Have we missed anyone out? And where would a Tottenham relegation rank in this list if the once unthinkable now slightly probable scenario occurs this season?
Dundee FC Announce Front-of-Shirt Partnership Extension with Crown Engineering
Dundee Football Club are delighted to confirm that Crown Engineering will continue as the club’s front-of-shirt partner for the 2026/27 season. The extension marks the seventh consecutive year that the Crown Engineering logo will feature proudly on the front of the Dark Blues’ first-team shirts, continuing a strong partnership between two organisations with deep roots in the city of Dundee. Since first joining forces with the club, Crown Engineering have been a valued supporter of Dundee FC, playing an important role in backing the club’s ambitions on and off the pitch. Their continued commitment reflects the strength of the relationship and a shared pride in representing the Dundee community. Speaking about the extension, John Nelms, Managing Director at Dundee FC, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Crown Engineering will remain our front-of-shirt partner for the 2026/27 season. Over the past several years, they have been fantastic supporters of the club and great partners to work alongside. “As a Dundee-based company, they share our passion for the city and our ambition to continue pushing the club forward. We look forward to building on what has already been a very successful partnership.” Doug Robertson, Managing Director at Crown Engineering, added: “We are incredibly proud to extend our partnership with Dundee Football Club. The club is a huge part of the city and the community, and it has been a privilege for Crown Engineering to have our name on the front of the shirts over the past number of seasons. “We’re excited to continue supporting the club and wish everyone at Dundee FC the very best for the 2026/27 campaign.” The Crown Engineering logo will once again feature on Dundee FC’s first-team shirts throughout the 2026/27 season across all domestic competitions, continuing a partnership that has become a familiar sight for supporters at Dens Park and beyond. Dundee FC are set to launch its brand new 2026/27 kits in the coming months.
Askou backs Motherwell to respond against Celtic after Dens Defeat
Jens Berthel Askou insists he was “happy with the effort” after Motherwell’s late defeat against Dundee on Saturday, as the Steelmen failed to close their gap on the top three with their game in hand. Finlay Robertson’s slotted finish in the 84th minute sealed three crucial points for Steven Pressley’s side, after Callum Slattery handed the visitors a lifeline with a stunning free kick. Speaking at full-time, Askou was upbeat with his team’s efforts. “We played against a team that has caused us trouble this season, it’s no coincidence they are a well-coached team who work hard, defend the box with their lives and have an attacking threat. “I think we really tried to up the tempo, had some really good moments in the first half, we didn’t take. “Eventually, we got the goal and chased the win; it became a very open game. There were moments at both ends, but Dundee were the better team at being able to take those moments. But the effort was there, although the quality was not quite there. “We switched off in a single moment, which they took advantage of because we’d spent a lot of energy really chasing. That can happen at times; unfortunately, it happened today and gave us a mountain to climb in the last 10 minutes. We tried but didn’t quite reach the top. “We need to make sure when we get the opportunities next week, we need to take them. “We’re here to try and win football games and get as high in the table as possible. We have not, and never will be, no matter how good a season we have, be favourites to win the title, so it’s not something we address. We will try to climb as high as possible in the table. “Even though we have been almost invincible over a large period of time, we knew that there would come a day when the opposition just outplayed us and we didn’t get the result – that was today. “I know the players and staff will do their best to make sure that never happens again and we get back to our best on Saturday, and then time will tell where that’s going to take us.” Motherwell return to league action at Celtic Park. Saturday was a blow for their top three aspirations, but they will remain confident of delivering a result against the Scottish Champions.
