Almost unnoticed buried underneath the detonation of joy that rattled around the Etidad Stadium on Sunday was Arsenal's automatic qualification for the Champions League next season.
So often in recent years, Arsene Wenger has entered a summer on the back of a fourth-placed Premier League finish, unsure if his side would be playing in Europe's elite competition the following year due to the often tricky August qualifier bestowed on the Gunners.
That has regularly gone hand-in-hand with the dousing

Atletico Madrid's stunning 3-0 Europa League final victory over Athletic Bilbao really emphasised the depth of quality teams in La Liga at the moment.

Here, we saw a team that probably won't even qualify for next season's Champions League, comprehensively beat a team that definitely won't qualify for Europe's premier club competition, in a major continental final.

The match-winner was a big-money striker who can easily

The Blues beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley last Saturday, and they repeat the fixture tonight in the Premier League clash. Agger said: "There isn't much to say at the moment, we are all just so disappointed. We have two games left and we have got to try and win them, this is how we will start to move forward."

The Denmark international believes Liverpool are showing great signs of progression, despite having a poor performance in the league this season and missing out on FA Cup victory. He added: "When you get into an FA Cup final, obviously you really want to win it, nobody likes to be a loser. Can we challenge the top teams next season? Yes, of course we can, we have moved forward a lot this season, but right now we still feel disappointment." (Chelsea 11/5 to beat Liverpool tonight).

Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea have had a fantastic season since he took up the reigns following Andre Villas- Boas' departure, and will be refusing to give up hope of finishing in the top-four this season. The Blues dreams of finishing third or fourth took a knock after suffering defeat last Wednesday to an in-form Newcastle, which left them four points adrift.

Chelsea will travel to Anfield without their number one goalkeeper Petr Cech though, who is being rested by interim manager Di Matteo, and will be replaced by reserve keeper Ross Turnball. (Liverpool 9/4 to draw with Chelsea tonight).

No doubt Liverpool will be out to get revenge on Chelsea after defeat in last Saturday's FA Cup Final at Wembley.

The prestigious FA Cup Final takes place this weekend at Wembley and Ireland's best bookmakers can't help but give you cashback & value! If Torres scores the last goal in the FA Cup Final we will refund our usual markets! Can El Nino return to haunt his former club?

Chelsea v Liverpool - FA Cup Final live on ITV/ESPN Sat 5 May 17:15

Two of England's biggest club sides lock-horns in this season FA Cup Final in what could be a classic. These teams have given us some epic games over the past 7 years with Champions League clashes & an FA Cup Semi not to mention the Premier League games. Chelsea have had 2 good cups runs so far and with 2 finals in as many weeks they will want to start as the mean to go on before their Champions League Final. With a top 4 finish looking more unlikely after a home defeat to Newcastle, a cup double would more than make up for a poor league campaign. The Reds are looking for a cup double themselves with a third appearance under the new arch and with the league cup already in the bag, an FA Cup could take the heat of Dalglish after they have also had a poor season in the league. Fernando Torres could have hit form at the right time after booking the CL Final with a well taken goal and bagging a nice hat-trick against QPR at the weekend so we thought why not offer a great Cashback Offer on El Nino himself to get one over his former team mates. If Torres scores the last goal of the game we will refund all losing First/Last Goalscorers, Correct Score and Scorecast bets on that match. You wont find better value this weekend anywhere else.

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So, in the end, the title decider decided... well, nothing at all. And that suits Manchester City just fine.

They couldn’t win the title last night, but they could certainly lose it, and with two games remaining of this topsy-turvy Premier League season their 1-0 win over old neighbours and new rivals Manchester United has, once again, put them in the driving seat of this title race as they go top of the league; the 11th leadership change this season.

Before the game, you’d have to trawl though the history books

Carlos Tevez says he wants to stay at Manchester City ahead of tonight's derby at the Etihad Stadium. (Man City 5/4 to beat Man United tonight).

It was initially thought the player's return to the club, after an unauthorised three-month absence in Argentina, was a short-term plan but manager Roberto Mancini has described his attitude as perfect and that Tevez is now more content than ever at the club.

The Argentine international said: "I have felt

It's a twisted irony that Robin van Persie had the highest individual honour in the English domestic game bestowed on him on Sunday night, despite currently enduring his most barren run of form this season.

Van Persie's name has been on the PFA Player of the Year award for some months now - not least because voting is cast as early as February, a puzzling time to judge a player's merits over the course of a season, when the

While the issue of goal line technology has rightly reared it's head after what happened at Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening, the solution to another major problem in the game also needs to be debated - and acted upon.

For the second week in succession, Manchester United winer Ashley Young dived to win a penalty, from which his side took the lead.

On numerous occasions this season, the likes of Young, Gareth Bale and others have dived to win free kicks and penalties, and the issue needs to be eradicated, and now.

How can elite governing bodies such as FIFA, UEFA and the English FA stand idly by while this epidemic is prevalent in the game?

The law makers and governing bodies have repeatedly shown no leadership by side-stepping the issue, when there are solutions available.

While a player can retrospectively be sent off when video footage proves they have committed a red-card offence, the same principle should be applied to divers, and bans handed out accordingly.

For example, Ashley

Ireland’s best value bookmakers are at it again this weekend with Top Price 1^st/Last Goal Scorers, Redcard Cashback, Lucky Loser €50 Cash Draw, and much more.

Liverpool v Everton FA Cup Semi Final Sat 14 April live on ESPN 12:30

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Semi Finals don’t come much bigger when bitter rivals Liverpool take on Everton at Wembley for a place in this season’s final. The Reds go into the game with no form what so ever but knowing they have beaten The Blues twice in the league this season. The first was helped by a dodgy looking red card for Jack Rodwell that was later rescinded by The FA and their meeting last month, Moyes left 4/5 key players out of the starting line up as they wanted to rest a few for the up coming FA Cup game v Sunderland. Gerrard scored a hat-trick that night and Everton will have to have a plan to stop him on Saturday. The key players have to be Gerrard for Liverpool & the free scoring Jelavic for The Toffee’s. Only 1 point separates the two sides in the league and you feel who ever wins this clash will have the momentum to also finish above their neighbours.

Redcard Cashback extended to this weekends FA Cup Semi Finals 

Tottenham v Chelsea FA Cup Semi Final live on ITV Sun 15 April 18:00

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The second of this season’s FA Cup Semi’s is also a Derby between North & West London. In the past decade or so Chelsea have had the upper hand over Tottenham but this season it could all change if Spurs hold onto the last Champions League place and knock Chelsea out of the cup. Since Redknapp has been linked with the vacant England Managers job his side has struggled with only 2 league wins in 10 games and are looking shaky for what was a nailed on top 4 finish. Ironically it is Sunday’s opponents Chelsea alongside Newcastle who could take that fourth place ahead of Spurs if they don’t pick up some league form. Chelsea have turned a bit of a corner after the departure of AVB, they have 2 Semi Final places to their name and are no stranger to Wembley over the past few years.

Redcard Cashback extended to this weekends FA Cup Semi Finals 

Norwich v Man City Sat 14 April live on Sky Sports 12:45

It was only last Sunday evening that nearly everyone had accepted that Man Utd would win the league after opening an 8 point gap over City at the top. When Utd travelled away to Wigan it looked like an easy 3 points on paper but Wigan upset the odds and beat them and City picked up a 4-0 win at home to close the gap back to 5 points and leave the title in the balance again. It’s City’s recent poor away form that has let them down and a long trip away to Norwich Saturday morning won’t be the easiest game. Norwich are safe from the drop and it showed in their away performance at White Hart land last week. You get the feeling that City can’t drop any more points this season or it will be Utd 20^th title.

Verdict - 2-0 Man City @ 13/2 

Man Utd v Aston Villa Sun 15 April live on Sky Sports 16:00

Lucky Loser €50 Cashdraw

A rare blip midweek is what Sir Alex is hoping it was, when Wigan deservedly won 1-0 to a massively under par Utd side. Did Man Utd turn up thinking all 3 points were in the bag before kick-off? What ever happened they can’t afford a second poor performance at home to Aston Villa who are still not safe from the drop yet on 35 points. Villa have had too many draws of late and will be thankful of the 5 other teams below them especially with a tough final run-in, they need points and quick. With the crunch Manchester Derby looming The Red Devils will need a healthy lead before then and 3 points on Sunday is a must.

Verdict - Double Result Draw/Man Utd @ 3/1

In 2010, exemplifying everything that is fundamentally wrong with the modern game, Samir Nasri turned his back on the manager and the club that gave him his chance in English football to expand his bank balance – and, so he pleaded, his trophy collection – at newly minted Manchester City.

What grated with the Emirates crowd wasn’t so much that they had seen Nasri follow Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor and Gael Clichy in moving north, but the manner in which he'd done so.

Discussions regarding the extension of Nasri’s Arsenal contract had taken place several times over the course of last season. But it eventually transpired that the Frenchman and his agent Jean-Pierre Bernes were simply bluffing; there was never any intention of signing a new deal at the Emirates once interest from both Manchester clubs became well-known.

Nasri’s initial preference seemed to be United, although when Wenger refused to sanction a move to Old Trafford the Eastlands dollar signs proved an equally alluring prospect.

While Nasri’s wish to win trophies is understandable given his talent, the gracelessness with which the 24-year-old departed north London left him with few friends.

“Arsenal have good fans but not that passionate since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates (Stadium),” were his parting words. And they were still fresh in the memory of those who berated him mercilessly as City went down 1-0 to the Gunners over the weekend.

That it was Nasri’s replacement, Mikel Arteta, that grabbed the winner made it all the sweeter for the home crowd.

It is indeed also relevant that while Arteta was initially purchased as a player to operate