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Arsenal reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years as Bukayo Saka sealed a 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta’s side settled the semi-final second leg with Saka’s strike late in the first half at an ecstatic Emirates Stadium.The Gunners, who drew 1-1 in the first leg in Madrid last week, held firm after Saka’s goal to go through 2-1 on aggregate.

Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich in the final in Budapest on May 30.Holders PSG, who beat Arsenal in the semi-finals last year, have a 5-4 lead ahead of the second leg in Munich on Wednesday.

It was a cathartic night for Arsenal, who are back in the Champions League final for the first time since losing 2-1 to Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the showpiece in 2006.

Arsenal have never won the Champions League, with their two major European trophies coming in the 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup and the 1970 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

Their last continental final ended in a 4-1 defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League.

It is shaping up to be Arsenal’s greatest ever season as they chase a Premier League and Champions League double.

Even Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ – who won the club’s last English title in an unbeaten top-flight campaign in 2004 – might have to bow to the current generation if they finish the job.

Fittingly, it was Saka – the homegrown symbol of the Arteta era – who proved Arsenal’s match-winner.

Now just four games from immortality, Premier League leaders Arsenal were given a huge boost in the title race when second-placed Manchester City drew at Everton on Monday.

The Gunners will be crowned champions if they win their last three games against West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace.

Once the title is decided, Arsenal will head to Hungary with a maiden Champions League crown in their sights.

Arsenal endured jibes about their perceived lack of mental strength after a run of four defeats in six games in all competitions sparked painful memories of previous failures to end their six-year wait for silverware. But the ‘nearly-men’ and ‘serial choker’ labels applied only weeks ago are on the verge of being banished forever.

Thousands of Arsenal supporters massed outside the stadium before kick-off to greet their team with flares and flags, a vociferous display of affection underlining Arsenal’s desperation to make history.

It was the kind of evening in north London, when nothing was beyond the realm of possibility as Arsenal moved closer to casting off the shackles of two decades of underachievement.

After some tense performances during the Premier League run-in, Saturday’s 3-0 rout of Fulham had showed Arsenal at their flowing best in a riposte to the critics who claim they only win ugly.

This was a more prosaic display but no-one with an affinity to Arsenal was bothered in the slightest.Arsenal were nearly caught on the counter in a frenetic start when Julian Alvarez shot just wide before Giuliano Simeone’s close-range effort deflected past the post.

But Arsenal recovered from those anxious moments to deliver a dominant spell that brought their 44th minute goal.

Viktor Gyokeres’ clever run unhinged the Atletico defence and his cross reached Leandro Trossard inside the area. Trossard wriggled into just enough space for a low drive that Jan Oblak weakly pushed out to Saka, who reacted quicker than his flat-footed markers to slot home from four yards.

Arteta jubilantly punched the air as all around him the Emirates erupted into a roiling red sea of celebration.

Atletico tried to ruin the party in the second half, but Gabriel Magalhaes made a last-ditch tackle on Simeone to avert a certain goal before David Raya repelled Antoine Griezmann’s blast.

Arteta recently revealed he visualised Arsenal conquering the Champions League even in the difficult early days of his reign. The Spaniard now is just one win away from seeing that daydream become a glorious reality.

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A clinical display and a late wonder-goal saw Nairobi United complete the SportPesa league double over Shabana FC with a resounding 3-0 victory at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on Sunday evening.

The result propels the Naibois to 38 points, moving them into seventh place on the log, while the defeat leaves the Glamour Boys stranded in fifth place with 43 points, missing a golden opportunity to reclaim a top-three spot.

The match started at a frantic pace, with Nairobi United’s Enock Machaka registering the first shot on target in the sixth minute with a stinging effort from distance.

Shabana responded at the quarter-hour mark when Austin Odongo rose highest to meet a cross, but his header flashed agonisingly wide.

The woodwork was rattled five minutes later when Nairobi United defender Lennox Ogutu spotted the Shabana keeper off his line and attempted a daring long-range lob that crashed against the crossbar.

ALSO READ: AFC Leopards revive title talk after beating Murang’a Seal to move to two points off Gor Mahia

Nairobi United humble Shabana 3-0

Nairobi United finally broke the deadlock in the 28th minute. Dancan Omalla, who has been a thorn in Shabana’s side all season, was the quickest to react to a loose ball in the penalty area, smashing it home to give the hosts the lead.

Shabana looked for an immediate response through Derrick Otieno, whose powerful left-footed drive forced a superb save from Nairobi United custodian Bernard Jairo.

Ten minutes before the interval, the Naibois doubled their advantage through a breathtaking team move. It started with a long, precise ball from keeper Jairo to Machaka, who exchanged passes with Michael Karamor.

Machaka then drove to the byline and delivered a perfect cutback for Karamor to slot home, ensuring the hosts headed into the break with a two-goal cushion.

Shabana introduced talisman Brian Michira at the restart to spark a comeback. The visitors almost found a way back when Derrick Otieno pounced on a half-clearance, but his thunderous strike whistled just over the bar.

Nairobi United nearly tripled their lead ten minutes into the half when Wangaya showcased brilliant footwork to wrong-foot his marker, only to see his curled effort drift wide of the upright.

The end-to-end action continued as Lesley Otieno’s blocked shot fell kindly for Omalla, whose snap-shot was expertly parried by Stephen Ochieng. At the other end, Michira had the best chance to halve the deficit from close range, but Jairo produced a point-blank save to keep his clean sheet intact.

In stoppage time, the match was settled by a moment of pure magic. After a slick exchange between Wangaya and Lesley, Mustafa Kizza spotted Ochieng slightly off his line and unleashed a sensational strike from the halfway line.

The ball soared through the sky before settling in the net for a Goal of the Season contender that put the final seal on a dominant performance from the Godfrey Solo Oduor Coached side.

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Roma will host Bologna in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League knockout playoff on Thursday night, looking to book a place in the quarterfinals.�

The two teams played out to a 1-1 draw in the first leg last week, setting up the second leg to be a potentially explosive encounter. Lorenzo Pellegrini scored a late equalizer to salvage a point for Roma.�

Roma have been eliminated from this stage  in four of their last seven appearances in the competition. The pressure is on for a victory in the home leg as they look to qualify for the last eight.�

Bologna are unbeaten in 10 Europa League matches and will be a true test for the hosts. Their impeccable away form also gives them more than a fighting chance at qualification.�

We have a look at both sides ahead of the highly anticipated clash and offer our predicted outcome.�

ALSO READ: Europa League knockout round second leg predictions: Match preview, key stats & h2h

What time does Roma vs Bologna start?�

The game kicks off at 11PM E.A.T�

Roma vs Bologna team news�

Paulo Dybala and Evan Ferguson remain sidelined through injury and will not feature. Zeki Celik also went off injured in the first leg and will sit this one out.�

The goal scorer from the first leg, Pellegrini will be a key part of the hosts. The attacking trio will be completed by Stephan El Shaarawy and new signing Donyell Malen.�

The rest of the team will remain unchanged from the first leg.�

For the visitors, Juan Miranda is suspended and will not play. As well as Lorenzo di Silvestri and Nikola Moro who are injured.�

Bologna are expected to remain a similar XI to the side that started at the Stadio Olimpico.�

ALSO READ: Senegal to appeal ‘unjust’ AFCON 2025 ruling after CAF award title to Morocco

Roma vs Bologna head-to-head and current form�

The hosts come into the game without a win in their last four games in all competitions – losing twice in that run.�

Bologna on the other hand have won three of the last five matches, losing just one of those games. The visiting side have won all of their last five away matches and will be confident they can extend that record here.�

There have been two draws in the recent five head-to-head matches between these two sides, with Bologna holding a slight advantage with two wins.�

Current form:�

Roma – LDLDW

Bologna – WDLWW

Roma vs Bologna previous games�

Roma vs Bologna prediction�

Despite having home advantage, Roma’s form has been worrying, and they are expected to be under pressure from Bologna throughout the 90.�

Bologna’s away form is impressive and they cannot be counted out here, goals are a better option for the game.�

Prediction – Both teams to score�– CLICK HERE TO PLACE YOUR BET ON THIS GAME!

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Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma could feature tonight when Lech Poznan take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League Round of 16 tie.

Lech Poznan head into the clash looking to continue their European journey after progressing through the playoff round. The Polish side defeated Kuopion Palloseura 3-0 on aggregate to book their place in the last 16.

Their path to the Conference League has been lengthy. After winning the Polish Ekstraklasa title last season, Lech initially competed in the Champions League qualifiers. They eliminated Breidablik Kopavogur before falling to Red Star Belgrade in the third qualifying round.

The defeat dropped them into the Europa League playoffs, where they were eliminated by KRC Genk, eventually sending them to the Conference League.

ALSO READ: Harambee Stars midfielder Timothy Ouma features in big UEFA Conference League win

In the league phase of the competition, Lech Poznan produced a solid campaign with three wins, one draw and two defeats, finishing 11th to secure a place in the knockout playoffs.

However, the Polish side head into Thursday’s encounter on the back of two consecutive defeats in domestic competition, something head coach Niels Frederiksen will be hoping to correct.

Shakhtar Donetsk, on the other hand, come into the tie in excellent form. The Ukrainian giants finished sixth in the Conference League league phase after winning four, drawing one and losing just once in six matches.

Under the guidance of Arda Turan, Shakhtar have also been dominant domestically and currently sit at the top of the Ukrainian Premier League standings.

The visitors have won all three matches since returning from the winter break and have suffered only one competitive defeat away from home this season, highlighting the challenge awaiting Lech Poznan.

Timothy Ouma

Recent form

Lech Poznan – Conference League form:L W D W W W

Lech Poznan – form in all competitions:W W W W L L

Shakhtar Donetsk – Conference League form:W L W W W D

Shakhtar Donetsk – form in all competitions:L W W W W W

What time does Lech Poznan vs  Shakhtar Donetsk kick off?

The match will be played at the Enea Stadion in Poland and is scheduled to kick off at 11:00 PM (EAT) on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

Team news

Lech Poznan are expected to be without several players due to injury, including Filip Jagiełło, Kornel Lisman and Radoslaw Murawski.

Forward Mikael Ishak has been Lech Poznan’s standout performer in the competition with five goals in eight appearances and is expected to lead the attack alongside Luis Palma.

Shakhtar Donetsk will travel with a fully fit squad. Striker Lassina Traore has returned from injury in strong form, scoring four goals in three matches since the winter break, and is expected to spearhead the attack.

Possible starting lineups

Lech Poznan:

Mrozek; Pereira, Monka, Milic, Gurgul; Gholizadeh, Kozubal, Ouma, Bengtsson; Ishak, Palma.

Shakhtar Donetsk:

Riznyk; Konoplia, Bondar, Matviyenko, Henrique; Alisson, Pedrinho, Nazaryna, Gomes, Palmares; Traore.

Prediction

Lech Poznan will hope home advantage works in their favour, but their recent domestic setbacks could prove costly against a Shakhtar Donetsk side that has been in impressive form.

With the Ukrainian side carrying strong momentum, they could edge the contest and take a narrow advantage into the second leg.

Prediction: Lech Poznan 1-2 Shakhtar Donetsk.

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Moneyball in Madrid: Data, Decisions, and a Weekend of FPL Analytics

I’ve spent the weekend in Madrid delivering my talk “Moneyball: Building a Killer Fantasy Football Team with Power BI.”It was a brilliant event, and despite my session being in English, the turnout was fantastic. A big thank you to everyone who came along, engaged with the content, and stayed behind afterwards to ask questions. Events like this remind me why I love blending data, football, and teaching.

One question stood out above the rest. Joaquín González Galdo LinkedIn profile asked:

“What is the key metric you use when making decisions in FPL?”

It’s a deceptively simple question, yet powerful. Choosing a single metric to define your decision-making process is something every analyst and FPL manager wrestles with. It deserves a full blog post of its own, and it’s the kind of question I’ll be bringing to the next episode of the Power BI FPL Show with Ben Ferry and Justin Bird. There’s a lot to unpack, from expected points to form trends, fixture difficulty, and effective ownership. Watch this space for a deeper dive.

Power BI File and API Scripts Now Available

During the session, I promised to make my Power BI file available, along with the PowerShell script I used to connect to the FPL API and pull individual player gameweek data. I’ve now uploaded everything to my GitHub hub repo, and you can access it here:

Feel free to explore, clone, modify, and test the model. The Power BI report demonstrates how to build a star-schema model for FPL, how to perform gameweek-level analysis, and how to apply metrics and calculations that help drive decision-making. The PowerShell connector script is lightweight but effective, making it a useful starting point for anyone wanting to extend their own FPL-powered data pipelines.

When Your Internet Fails and You Panic-Transfer Your Keeper

Ironically, just as I was demonstrating the value of data-driven decisions, the venue Wi-Fi failed—leaving me
unable to update my own team live during the talk. Classic.

Once I returned to a stable connection, the first move I made was in goal: Roefs out, Henderson in.

Henderson’s estimated points came in at around 7, compared with Roefs at 2.7, making the swap a straightforward one under my evaluation framework. Even small improvements at the goalkeeper position can meaningfully shift weekly variance, so this one was a no-brainer.

Semenyo vs Grealish – A Tale of Two Underperformers

I’m still torn on whether to transfer out Semenyo. His numbers and projected points definitely suggest that he should go—yet selling him would mean losing team value. Value preservation is a key element of long-term strategy, so for now he survives.

Grealish, however, hasn’t been pulling his weight either, and unlike Semenyo, I’m not emotionally invested in holding him. His form has dipped, and Everton have been erratic.

So I made the switch: Grealish → Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United)

Barnes has been sharp, has strong underlying metrics, and a very favourable run of fixtures. There’s also some interesting off-the-pitch chatter about him potentially switching international allegiance to Scotland following their World Cup qualification, nothing like a burst of motivation to keep his form trending upward.

Woltemade Out – But Who Comes In?

The next move was shipping out Nick Woltemade. West Ham’s Callum Wilson is in form, and although the fixture against Liverpool looks challenging on paper, the FDR simply isn’t capturing how poor Liverpool have been defensively. There’s a part of me that thinks Wilson could genuinely haul. He’s clinical, he’s confident, and he loves a headline moment.

The alternative I’m considering is Igor Thiago from Brentford. He’s less injury-prone than Wilson, he’s been ticking along nicely, and the fixtures are much kinder. His underlying numbers put him firmly in the “viable punt” category. I may still pivot before the deadline.

I chose Thiago.

When Gut Instinct Creeps Back In

One thing I admitted during the session: over the past few weeks, I let my gut start to override my framework. With Manchester City’s tough run of matches, I tried to be clever and avoid captaining Haaland. It hasn’t paid off. This week, the data actually suggested that Harvey Barnes could be a viable captaincy option. His estimated points placed him right in the conversation. But there’s one metric that trumps everything: effective ownership. Haaland’s remains huge. If he hauls—and he’s due—going without him as captain would be catastrophic.

So, despite Barnes being a legitimate option under the model, I’ve done the sensible thing: Haaland is back as captain.Here’s my final lineup

A good reminder that data-driven decision-making is a discipline. It requires consistency.

Final Thoughts

Madrid was superb. Great city, great people, great conversations, and a great reminder of how global the FPL and Power BI communities have become. I’ll be writing more about key metrics, decision frameworks, and how to build your own analytics workflow for Fantasy Premier League.

Until then, enjoy the files, enjoy the data, and good luck for the gameweek ahead.

Useful Links

Exploring Microsoft Fabric Through Fantasy Premier League Data

The Cost of Doing Nothing: How Ignoring Data Strategy Drains SME Growth

How to Win at Fantasy Premier League Using Data Analytics and Power BI