With Chelsea looking to be headed in the downward direction in the English Premier League standings, can it be time for Arsenal to overtake them and claim the fourth spot? I wrote yesterday before the Scolari firing that there was trouble with Chelsea, and that appears to be even more, but Arsenal has to take advantage of these opportunities if they want to be considered one of the top teams in all of Europe.

Now that the Coca Cola Championship has come to a halt (temporarily, at least, with the playoffs still to be played), us Premier League fans have three new teams to look forward to seeing next season. While only Wolves and Birmingham have locked up promotion spots for next season, within the next few weeks we'll know who out of Reading, Burnley, Sheffield United, and Preston North End will be playing top flight footbal come August.

I have been saying since the tournament began that my dream final for the Champions League would be Manchester United versus Barcelona. Although it took them over 180 minutes to do it, Barcelona finally scored a goal and advanced to the final to make my dream matchup a reality.

Chelsea played a great game, and probably could have won if a few of the referee's calls went their way (more on that later), but ultimately I think Barcelona are the better team.

As soon as Emmanuel Adebayor started limping off the field in the 38th minute, it was clear that the North London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham would swing into the favor of the hosts at the White Hart Lane. The more important implication of Adebayor's injury, however, was obviously much beyond this afternoon's game.

Football FanCast columnist Mike Harvey feels that technology in football is not the answer.

Officiating in football is headline news these days. The past few weeks left a sour taste in the mouths of many fans. FIFA is at a crossroads and how they choose to handle this problem will affect the game for years.

Portsmouth won't be able to defend their FA Cup crown this season.

It's always this way, isn't it? You wait forever for one bus and then four or five come along at once. After a fairly drab season by Premier League standards, it's all gone frigging loopy as the fight for European and domestic dominance reaches its final stretch. A month ago we (well mainly I, but I'm sure you, too) were bemoaning the lack of really exciting games from the 08-09 Premier League season.

Tuesday May 26th

11am – After failing in my quest to get a good night's rest the night before, I spent the morning zombified thanks mainly to the hypnotic waffling of Paddy Crerand on MUTV. After a wash and an egg (though maybe not in that order) I got in the cab and headed for Heathrow Terminal 5.

FC Barcelona is surely emerging as the most powerful team in Europe this season as their emphatic dominance in each competition clearly does not lie. Besides, the Catalans have been widely tipped for a treble by several major pundits of European football. However, it has become obvious in recent weeks that Pep Guardiola and his men are beginning to radiate a sense of humility as they urge everyone to relieve them of such massive expectations.

The best of the best collide on Wednesday.

Some surprising results, but the usuals are through.

Official jerseys, shirts, and much more gear! Huge sale!

It's time - yet again - for a whole team to get some recognition. All season long we haven't been seeing teams capitalize on opportunities presented to them. That all changed on Monday when the proverbial golden egg fell into Newcastle's lap, and they actually took advantage of it! With a late match on Monday night at home against fellow relegation candidates Middlesbrough, Newcastle was forced to sit tight and watch while the rest of the Premier League battled for position on the table.