ARSENAL 1-2 WIGAN ATHLETIC

Wigan have taken a crucial step in their battle to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League, as they hit early on to beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Wigan, who were noted before the game as having only scored once in the opening 20 minutes of a Premier League fixture this season, saw it happen twice early on through Franco di Santo (7′) and Jordi Gomez (8′). While Thomas Vermaelen (21′) pegged one back for the Gunners, it would not be enough to secure any form of positive result for the home side.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger said of the faults in his team’s performance: “We should have been ahead at half-time but in the second half we did not create a lot because we were not patient enough. In the second half we lost our cohesion, we were doing too much individually, the passing wasn’t quick enough to be dangerous. We had too many strikers, we were exposed a bit but we weren’t sharp enough. Wigan defended well and I believe we became a bit impatient in the second half and lost our way. They defended well in the first half and we had five or six chances but in the second half we dropped our level physically and collectively.”

The win moves the Latics onto 34 points for the season, in 16th place and 5 points above the relegation zone. Roberto Martinez will be pleased with a run of form that has seen Wigan win 4 of their last 5 Premier League games (the only blip (amongst wins over Liverpool, Stoke, Manchester United, and Arsenal) being an unfortunate defeat to Chelsea). Will this turnaround be the critical factor in keeping the north-west side in the top flight?

MARSEILLE 1-0 LYON

Marseille have won the Coupe de la Ligue for the third season in a row, after overcoming the odds to defeat Lyon and claim the trophy.

Having not won a game in their previous 11 attempts (including 10 defeats in all competitions), Marseille were classed as rank underdogs by pundits despite winning the trophy in 2010 and 2011, though the match turned out to be a fairly drab affair for both sides, with no goals and little chances in the regular 90 minutes. Late in the first half of extra-time, the breakthrough came for Marseille, with substitute Brandao smashing the ball low through Hugo Lloris’ legs from a tight angle (105′).

Lyon did not provide too much in the way of a comeback, though, and a late red card for Dejan Lovren was additional insult added to what turned out to be a defeat, with Steve Mandanda lifting the trophy for the south coast club, at the one of the most opportune times for them to end their winless streak, and to secure a passage into the UEFA Europa League for next season.

For Lyon, their chances to get into European competition are a lot brighter, with the team currently sitting 4th in Ligue 1, along with a Coupe de France Final 2 weeks from now against Quevilly (who eliminated Marseille en-route to the final). Will Lyon be back on the continental stage, or will they end up having a ‘Marseille’ run of form?

LIVERPOOL 2-1 EVERTON

Liverpool have set up an FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea, following their 2-1 semi-final win late on against Merseyside rivals Everton at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Everton took the lead in the first-half when Jamie Carragher’s poor and confused clearance reached the feet of Nikica Jelavic for a fairly straightforward goal (24′), though it seemed to spark an improved performance from the Reds, and in the second half, Everton seemed to concede a similar effort, when a weak backpass from Sylvain Distan was latched onto by Luis Suarez, who made no mistake with a 1-on-1 situation (62′). Liverpool were not finished by then, though, as late into the game, Andy Carroll flicked in a header from a Craig Bellamy free-kick (87′) to silence his critics and put his club into the final.

The following day, Chelsea joined them in clearing their diary date of 5 May, with a resounding 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, thanks in key part to a second ‘goal’ that did not cross the line. The two were due to meet at 12:45 at Anfield on the same day in a Premier League encounter, although the chances of that happening are probably now smaller than 1%, as the two instead face off around 4 1/2 hours later in search of a bigger prize…

CELTIC 1-2 HEARTS

Heart of Midlothian have set up an intriguing Scottish Cup Final on 19 May, as they prepare to face city rivals Hibernian at Hampden Park, after a surprise defeat of Celtic at the same venue in this weekend’s semi-final.

After a goal-less first half, Rudi Skacel got the Edinburgh club into the lead with a simple shot thumped into the net (47′). Celtic pressed for an equaliser having been the more attacking side throughout the game, and got it late on with a close-range header from Gary Hooper (87′), and while it seemed as though extra-time or even a Celtic win could be looming based on momentum, it swung in the opposite direction when Hearts were awarded a penalty for a dubious Celtic handball.

Former Celtic player Craig Beattie stepped up, and subsequently went on a shirtless lap of honour round the pitch after converting what would be the winning goal (90+1′), despite a late Celtic claim for a penalty under similar circumstances.

The win, coupled with Hibernian’s late 2-1 defeat of Aberdeen the day before, now sees an all-capital final in the Scottish Cup for the first time since the 1895-96 season, with fans from both the maroon and green sides of Edinburgh set to travel down to Glasgow for a fairly unique occasion. Whose victory will be made all the sweeter with a win over their biggest rivals?

RED BULL SALZBURG 4-1 RED BULL SALZBURG JUNIORS

Red Bull Salzburg are through to the semi-finals of the Austrian Cup (OFB-Cup) after a 4-1 quarter-final win at home, though it should be noted that the young club would have had some sort of presence in the next round anyway, regardless of outcome, as their defeated opponents were the ‘Red Bull Salzburg Juniors’, a secondary team of the Austrian Bundesliga leaders who are playing in Austria’s 3rd-tier.

For a while in the match, it was shaping up to see Red Bull Salzburg receiving an upset from some of their own ‘backups’, as Daniel Krenn scored an opener for the Juniors (37′) in front of a small crowd of little over 1,000 at the Red Bull Arena. They would witness a fightback from their main team, though, as efforts from Soriano (43′), Ibrahim Segyaka (75′), Georg Teigl (77′), and Soriano again (83′) gave Red Bull Salzburg a 4-1 win, and with it progression to the semi-finals.

In that round, they will play one of Austria Wien, SV Ried, or TSV Hartberg in early May to decide on a place in the final. At least they won’t face anyone wearing the same badge as them now…

US QUEVILLY 2-1 RENNES

US Quevilly are set to continue their Coupe de France journey on the biggest stage, as they now face a final showdown with Lyon in 16 days’ time at the Stade de France, after defeating top-tier side Rennes in their semi-final meeting last night.

It was a poor start to the match for the 3rd-tier side, as Julien Feret scored an opener for the Ligue 1 club (8′). However, it seemed to only be a partial point of Rennes raising their game for the occasion, as the second half witnessed a stronger performance from Quevilly with an equaliser from Karim Herouat (62′), and a last-second winner from Anthony Laup (90+3′).

The victory ensures that Quevilly (from the small northern town of Le Petit-Quevilly) will go at least one better than their semi-final elimination from the 2009-10 season, while making only their second appearance at the showpiece event (the only other occasion being in 1926-27). The place in the final on its own could even guarantee Quevilly a spot in the UEFA Europa League next season, as scheduled opponents Lyon currently reside in 4th place in the Ligue 1 table, which (should they stay there) would get them into continental competition regardless of what happens in the Coupe de France (or the Coupe de la Ligue).

In other news, Ligue 1 surprise package Montpellier have now opened up a 3-point lead over PSG in the table following a 3-1 win over Marseille. In the German Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund extended their lead to 6 points with a 1-0 win against 2nd-place Bayern Munich, Juventus went back to the top of Italy’s Serie A with a late Alessandro Del Piero-inspired 2-1 win over Lazio, while in England, Premier League leaders Manchester United were surprised with a 1-0 defeat away to relegation battlers Wigan Athletic.

The story of the night in European club football, though, is arguably Quevilly’s, as progressing from the 5th round of the competition, they are now set to play in this season’s 14th & last, having eliminated big names Marseille and Rennes in the quarter-finals onwards. Will Lyon become the third top-flight giant killed by Quevilly?

GAZALEC AJACCO 0-4 LYON

Lyon have made it to the final of this season’s Coupe de France, after a Semi-Final triumph over Corsican side Gazalec Ajacco, with the 3rd-tier side ending their impressive cup run (which included defeats of Toulouse and current Ligue 1 leaders Montpellier) just one hurdle from the showpiece event.

Despite holding off one of the French league’s highest-profile clubs for almost an hour, Gazalec then fell to an average of a goal every 10 minutes, with Lacazette (59′), Lisandro Lopes (73′), Grenier (80′), and Gomis (90′), all contributing to a 4-0 win for Lyon.

The result now means that Remi Garde’s side will play in the final on 28 April at the Coupe de France (just a fortnight after playing the Coupe de la Ligue final at the same venue against Marseille (this Saturday evening)), with their opponents to be decided tonight. Will Gazalec’s fellow 3rd-tier side US Quevilly fly the proverbial flag for ‘Championnat National’, or will Brittany-based Ligue 1 club Rennes make it an all top-flight final?

KILMARNOCK 0-6 CELTIC

Celtic secured the SPL title in emphatic fashion this weekend, thumping six past Kilmarnock to mathematically assure themselves of their first league crown in 4 years.

Needing just a point to secure the title one game ahead of the SPL league ‘split’, Celtic brought a full contingent of away supporters to Rugby Park, and were in full voice as their team executed revenge for a defeat in the Scottish League Cup final last month.

Strikes from Charlie Mulgrew (8′, 35′), Glen Loovens (17′), Gary Hooper (45′, 90′), and Joe Ledley (88′) only added to the party atmosphere, and while Neil Lennon’s side would not hold the trophy ceremony there and then, there was still opportunity for the team to celebrate in advance due to the mathematical confirmation.

Lennon said of his first league title as a manager: “It is the greatest thing I have ever done. I’m very proud. The players did it with a bit of style, which thrilled me. When you are a manager, it is a lonely job, you have to make the decisions. I am only young in this job, it’s only my second season, it’s a huge job with huge expectations, but I feel vindicated now.”

Meanwhile, Motherwell are stepping up their pursuit of a UEFA Champions League place, after it was decided that as a result of 2nd-place Rangers’ recent financial troubles (which also saw them docked 10 points by the SPL), the breaching of UEFA’s new ‘Financial Fair Play’ rules sees them banned from European competition for the 2012-13 season, regardless of their league position, leaving the door open for a side finishing 3rd (or 2nd ahead of Rangers) to take their place, a race which currently consists of Motherwell, St Johnstone, Dundee United, and Hearts, but will get shorter as the weeks go on. Motherwell are in the driving seat with a 5-point lead on the rest with 5 matches remaining, but will they maintain their composure to claim the fairly rare Scottish prize for a non Old-Firm club?

INTER MILAN U19 p1-1 AJAX U19

The final of this season’s NextGen Series (2011-12 being the youth competition’s inaugural running) saw the U19 teams of Inter Milan and Ajax face off at the Matchroom Stadium in London (England), and while the game itself ended 1-1, there was enough time in the following penalty shootout for a dose of unusual drama, as Ajax’s fourth kick (from Nick de Bondt) was missed, and would have been an instant winner for Inter (and celebrated as such), until the referee called off the celebrations in order to order a re-take (which was scored).

The Italian club (who continued to make their NextGen mark the unorthodox way (after calling off their last group stage fixture with FC Basel U19 on account of any result not having an impact on the standings)) converted their next effort, though, sealing a win that they may have felt should have been celebrated one kick earlier (earning a red card for defender Simone Pecorini in the process). The goals and shootout from this match can be seen below:

In terms of aggressive behaviour, what happens on a football pitch should generally stay on a football pitch, though the #15 in this girls’ high school game in the USA proved to be one of the exceptions to the rule, with the police getting in on this red-card offence by later arresting the girl on account of assault.

She was only demonstrating in a constructive manner that she did not appreciate the bad tackle beforehand…