Europe

LONDON — Manchester United kept up their chase for a Champions League qualification spot with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on target in a 2-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

With two games remaining, United are in fifth place on 62 points, behind Leicester City on goal difference, with third-placed Chelsea on 63.

After West Ham visit Old Trafford on Wednesday, United go to Leicester on the final day of the season in what could be a decider for fourth place.

Add another one to Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane’s trophy cabinet — Los Blancos are the champions of Spain.

Karim Benzeman scored twice as Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 3-1 in the club’s penultimate LaLiga match on Thursday at the Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium. The victory meant Barcelona could not catch its archrival regardless of what it accomplished the remainder of the season, awarding Real Madrid its 34th league title. All this despite a maddeningly perfect free kick from Lionel Messi in Barcelona’s shock 2-1 defeat to Osasuna.

Spain's health minister has expressed doubt about the prospect of spectators returning to soccer matches in September due to the threat of a resurgence in COVID-19 infections.

The government's department for sport and organizing body LaLiga had hoped to let fans back into stadiums at a reduced capacity when the new season starts in September, increasing to 50% in November before full capacity returned in January.

Manager Mikel Arteta says the task of rebuilding Arsenal is a "massive job" and that there is an "enormous" difference between his side and Premier League champion Liverpool.

Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1 on Wednesday but the London side is still ninth and trails the champion by 40 points.

When it comes to his footballing abilities, Geoff Cameron is one of my favorite players of the last two decades. His versatility to play anywhere on the pitch for the Houston Dynamo from 2008-12 helped propel him onto the USMNT’s 2014 World Cup roster and a six-year stint with Stoke City in the Premier League.

Off the pitch, however, Cameron is now one of my least favorite players after spreading harmful misinformation on his Instagram account. 

You can never be sure what you’ll get from a club that’s already clinched a league title. Will the players push on and try to finish with as many points as possible or will they relax, take the foot off the pedal and cruise into the end of the season?

David Silva and Gabriel Jesus scored first-half goals as Manchester City claimed a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Second-placed City broke the deadlock inside six minutes as Spanish midfielder Silva curled a sublime free kick into the top corner for his second set-piece goal in three league appearances.

Man City vs Bournemouth Highlights

In the early hours of Monday morning, Christopher Aurier — the 26-year-old brother of Tottenham defender Serge Aurier — was shot dead not far from a nightclub in the west suburbs of Toulouse. 

Christopher himself was a footballer who played for the RC Lens academy before stops in England, Qatar and Belgium. To commemorate his life, friends gathered at the Stade des Minimes, a local pitch where they played together, to pay tribute to him.

The Premier League said on Wednesday that the 2020 summer transfer window dates will be open for 10 weeks from July 27 and close on Oct. 5, with a domestic-only window for English Football League (EFL) clubs until Oct. 16.

The league made the announcement after all shareholders agreed on the dates. It added that the transfer window was subject to the approval of FIFA.

The window, which has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent late finish to the season, opens one day after the completion of the top-flight campaign.