8 May 2026; Young supporters during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Galway United and Shamrock Rovers at Eamonn Deacy Park in Galway. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
VARSENAL by name and champions elect by decree after another day of drama and debate
Cathal Dervan, Editor
It sounded too good to be true at the time - and it was - but it was also too good a headline opportunity to turn down as Chris Kennedy composed himself and a hush descended on the London Stadium late on Sunday afternoon.
As referee Kennedy outlined why he was disallowing Callum Wilson’s late, late equaliser and probably changing history at the top and bottom of the current Premier League season, we decided to play the headline challenge.
A multi-stop career in the tabloid parish will do that for you - and for your nearest and dearest. Every so often we will swap the printing press for the family WhatsApp group and write the headlines to match the sporting stories of the day.
Considering the family connection to Arsenal that goes all the way back to 1971, Charlie George and an FA Cup winning goal at Wembley that secured the first leg of the double, there was only ever going to be one topic for the headline game on Sunday - Arsenal’s late escape at the home of the London Olympics and their hop, skip and jump to the Premier League title.
HAMMERS BLOW was an early and obvious entry. PABLO ESCO-VAR was an early contender for top prize. But the winner, by a distance, was a one-word wonder. VARSENAL. All caps and pure tabloid gold.
It worked in every way as referee Kennedy sounded his final whistle very soon after that five minute delay and his justification of a decision that will mean so much to Arsenal and will cost West Ham so dearly at the other end of the table.
Winner alright, winner alright. And winners all right - Arsenal will probably win the title after this VAR intervention, one labelled as brave by their manager Mikel Arteta as he praised the bravery of the referee and the VAR officials with probably the most significant video assisted decision in Premier League history.
What else was Arteta going to say? He did point out that he has been critical of VAR this season when criticism was merited but he also admitted that the decision related to a moment that ‘can decide the history, and the course, of two massive clubs that are fighting with their lives to achieve their objectives’. Indeed they were.
But family preferences aside, I also took note of the comments from West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo and his captain Jarrod Bowen whose objectives turned to objections in an instant.
Nuno pointed out post match that if you look long enough at the video replay from any corner in any Premier League game, you will discover a foul of some sort or other. Bowen claimed that goalkeepers are more protected than any other player on the field.
Both points are relevant, both support the theory that the discussions around VAR really need to start again even if those who govern our game seem determined to ensure it is here to stay.
Arsenal won’t win the league because a camera caught a ‘foul’ on their keeper. They will win because of the 76 other points they have won this season before Sunday and before their final games to come against Burnley and Crystal Palace.
West Ham, in stark contrast, could be relegated because they failed to add to their 36 points total against Arsenal and possibly because the single point that Wilson’s goal would have earned them didn’t count. That’s where VAR stinks.
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As for the headline writing competition - we’re not as unique as we thought we were.
Some subtle investigation unearthed the VARsenal.co.uk website, with the tagline ‘where every decision goes their way’ and a claim to be the most comprehensive, lovingly curated archive of Arsenal FC’s controversial VAR decisions, creative diving and referee-assisted victories.
The site, self confessed as tongue-in-cheek, claims that the Gunners have benefitted from seven VAR errors this season. It doesn’t classify Sunday’s decision by Chris Kavanagh as an error - so that’s VARSENAL made redundant.
Maybe Pablo Esco-VAR deserves a second chance! Unlike West Ham, who definitely won’t get another shot at this cherry.
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Stephen Ward is now Head of Football Development at Dubai Irish, the oldest amateur football club in the UAE. The former Ireland, Wolves and Burnley defender joined Chris Brown on the 'Mena Cup - Inside The Game' podcast where he discusses his father Sean's insistence that he finish his education, how that shaped his career and the challenge of being on the sideline as a parent.
Heimir Hallgrimsson has all but confirmed that Seamus Coleman’s international career will extend to the end of season friendlies against Qatar and Canada - and it could stretch into the next Nations League campaign.
Currently in Spain with essentially a B squad for a training camp, Hallgrimsson updated the media on Coleman’s availability following rumours he would retire after Ireland failed to make the upcoming World Cup finals.
The Everton defender, now 37 and with 79 senior caps to his name, made a huge impact on the Ireland squad when he returned to the fold last autumn, enough to persuade Hallgrimsson to keep him around.
Now the Icelandic native wants Coleman to extend his career beyond the summer friendlies at home to Qatar and away to Canada.
Asked by the Irish Sun if Coleman will make the squad for those game, Hallgrímsson said: “You’ll see that when we announce that (squad). I definitely believe so, yeah.
“I’ve spoken to him. I’m not going to speak for him, but like I’ve said before, I’m hopeful that he will continue. I’m hopeful, but it’s always him that needs to answer that question. But I think he showed both me and everyone that he still has a lot to give, and I hope he’ll continue with us.”
Ahead of a training game against Murcia and Saturday’s friendly against Grenada, Hallgrimsson also admitted that he continues to struggle to come to terms with Ireland’s World Cup exit against the Czech Republic in Prague back in March.
He added: “It’s been tough. All my planning was – and I’m not telling you a lie – all my planning was I was going to be in the US in the summer.
“We already looked at our (World Cup) opponents. Like I said to you guys when the draw was made, I think we had a chance to progress from that group.
“So it’s just been tough, and it’s even tougher when Czechia won against Denmark, it was even more tough to see how close it was. So I’m even more frustrated, but we still would have had Denmark to play, it’s all ifs and all of that. But no, it’s just tough when you believe so much in your squad.”
Martin O’Neill’s Celtic players delivered a Super Sunday for their fans with a 3-1 win over Rangers at Parkhead - now he wants them to become Wednesday wonders at Motherwell.
The Bhoys cut the gap on Scottish Premiership leaders to just a point with only two games remaining thanks to an Old Firm wonderclass from Daizen Maeda with two goals and one from Yang Hyun-Jun to cancel out Mikey Moore’s opener.
Celtic host Hearts in the final game of the season on Saturday but Wednesday’s penultimate series of matches are now pivotal with O’Neill’s team away to Motherwell and Hearts at home to Falkirk.
Speaking to the media after Sunday’s big win, O’Neill urged his players to take real title confidence from their comeback and the end result against Rangers, as reported by the Irish News.
But he remains cautious before Wednesday’s game. O’Neil said: “I’ve never been confident. People have said to me about momentum, and momentum can get shifted at any given moment. We’re doing fine, really doing fine in the games, but we’re just trying to find a way to win.
“This is obviously special against Rangers, but eventually it’s just three points and we can look no further than Wednesday. We have to win, we have no grounds for dropping points. I would expect Hearts to win their game. We’ve a really difficult match at Motherwell.
“But I think the run that we’re on gives us confidence to compete. And also the fact that we’ve come from behind as well. I know we’re at home, the crowd were brilliant for us, but to come from behind against Rangers and play in the manner in which we did, particularly in the second half, that should give us a boost.”
Maeda scored a stunning second goal to put the icing on the cake for Celtic and O’Neill added: “His second goal was out of this world, but his whole performance was magnificent.”
Celtic managerial target Robbie Keane has one trophy in the bag after Saturday’s 1-0 extra-time Hungarian Cup final win over Zalaegerszeg in Budapest.
Now he will hope to make it a League and Cup double in the final series of NB 1 games next Saturday when his Ferencvaro side host the same opposition.
Gyor are favourites to win the League title with a one point advantage and a game away to Kisvarda to come but Keane won’t give up on the defence of the championship just yet, not even after a nervy Cup final.
“The championship title is not in our hands, we have to win the last match. We had a fantastic season in Europe, we put the club on the map, our opponents respect us, I’m also very happy about the cup,” Keane said in a report carried by the Irish Independent on a result that guarantees his team Europa League football next season.
“The Europa League is very important for the club, seeing the experience we have gained this season, it is very important.”
Nerves were on the agenda for Keane on Saturday and he admitted: “As a player, you have a little more control over things, as a coach it is more nerve-wracking in a final like this. As a player, I always felt that maybe I could do something, score a goal or change something, but as a coach it is up to the others.
“But the guys have been incredible, everyone who has been part of this - not just here but at any point in the journey in the series. So this is for everyone, especially the fans here.”
Liverpool legend Mo Salah will leave Anfield at the end of the season with a Dunboyne GAA jersey amongst his prized possessions after an emotional reunion with Reds fan Sean Cox.
Salah received the Meath club’s shirt after Saturday’s draw with Chelsea when Cox was again a special guest of the club, eight years after he suffered a severe brain injury in an unprovoked attack by away fans before a Champions League game at Anfield against Roma.
The42 website reports on the presentation of the Dunboyne jersey with Salah’s name and the iconic number 11 on the back. The report highlights in Irish beneath the club’s crest at the front.
It reads: “Ní shiúlfaidh tú i d’aonar go deo. Le míle buíochas Mo. From the Cox Family,” - the phrase translates as “You’ll never walk alone. A thousand thanks from the Cox family.”
Slavia have vowed to issue lifetime bans to supporters who invaded the pitch during the final moments of Saturday’s derby clash with Sparta and attacked opposition players with flares.
Bizarrely Slavia were leading 3-2 and about to win the Czech league title as the fans invaded in stoppage time and forced the game to be abandoned.
Talksport reports that Sparta goalkeeper Jakub Surovcik appeared to be hit in the face by a cup of beer as security officials rushed to contain the horde of Slavia supporters.
All photos on TheSportsHacks are provided by Sportsfile.com
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