Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka was furious after his side's 2-0 Premier League defeat against Newcastle United, saying Mikel Arteta's team "don't deserve" Champions League qualification after the damaging reverse.
A Ben White own goal gave the Magpies the lead in a must-win clash for the Gunners, before Bruno Guimaraes sealed Newcastle's victory late on, leaving Arsenal's top-four hopes hanging by a thread.
Arsenal are now two points behind Tottenham in the standings with one match remaining, where Spurs will need to lose to Norwich City to allow the Gunners a chance to sneak back into the top four, courtesy of their inferior goal difference.
The Gunners were comprehensively outclassed in the crucial encounter, producing just 0.40 expected goals compared to Newcastle's 1.38, and only controlling 33 per cent of the first-half possession.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the loss, Xhaka called it a "disaster performance", accusing his team-mates of not following Arteta's gameplan and asserting the team did not deserve European football after producing such a showing.
"So difficult to find right words after the game," he said. "We came here to show a different game, but from the first minute until the 90th minute we didn't deserve to be on the pitch today.
"I can't explain why we didn't do what the game-plan was. Not listening to the coach, [it] was a disaster performance.
"[If you] play like this you don't deserve Champions League, don't even deserve Europa league. Very hard to take it at the moment, I don't know why we are not doing what the coach is asking of us."
Xhaka went on to declare Arsenal had not shown the necessary fight at St James' Park and his told team-mates that if they didn't "have the balls", they should have stayed at home.
"I don't know if someone is not ready for this game, stay at home." he added. "Doesn't matter the age. You can be 30, 35, you can be 10, you can be 18 – [if you're] not ready, stay on the bench, stay at home, don't come here.
"We need people to have the balls - sorry to say that - to come here to play, because we knew this game is maybe one of the most important games for us.
"A performance like this… [we cannot] accept it, very very sad for us. Sorry for the people that came over here to support us. I feel sorry for Arsenal supporters, this is the only thing I can say – to say sorry to them."
Arsenal play Everton at the Emirates Stadium in their final fixture of the Premier League season on Sunday.
'In our job, you have to win' – Guardiola on Xavi's Barcelona sacking
Pep Guardiola said "in our job, you have to win" when he was asked about Xavi's dismissal by Barcelona.
Barca confirmed on Friday that Xavi had been dismissed, and would not take charge of the club next season.
Xavi's final game in charge of the Blaugrana is set to come on Sunday, when Barca face Sevilla.
Barca's decision comes just 30 days after Xavi announced he had decided to stay on, having initially expressed his intention to leave back in January.
Xavi was a key player for Guardiola during his successful stint as Barcelona coach, and the Manchester City boss was asked about his old club's decision.
"What can I say? It's always not good news because something didn't work, one club sacking the manager. [The] reasons [for] what happened, I don't know," Guardiola said ahead of the FA Cup final against Manchester United.
"We spoke today at breakfast [about manager sackings]. Normally [managers] move a lot.
"In our job, you have to win otherwise you're in a dangerous position. No matter [if you're] new or old, you have to win, do a good job and be good with many things, otherwise it happens."
Sevilla coach Quique Sanchez Flores, who will leave his post after Sunday's meeting with Barca, was rather more scathing of the Blaugrana, however.
"I shouldn't say this, but how badly Barcelona treats its legends. What a bad streak," Flores said.
"With [Ronald] Koeman, with [Lionel] Messi, with Xavi now, how bad. I wish clubs treated their legends well. That would be fantastic.
"That is a legacy of connection from the managers to the fans. This connects a lot, treating legends well.
"Xavi is a legend of the club. He won the league last season and football has a short memory. He was questioned this year from the first minute. I have doubts that the criticism about him is correct.
"Xavi has experienced many things as a player and has done a good job as a coach. I'll give him a huge hug, we'll talk."
Barcelona are expected to appoint former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick as Xavi's successor.
Colorado Rapids v Minnesota United: Loons 'start from zero' in every game – Ramsay
Eric Ramsay urges Minnesota United not to get ahead of themselves despite a high-flying start to the season as they prepare to travel to Colorado Rapids.
Minnesota have lost just two games in the MLS this season and are currently second in the Western Conference after a run of five without defeat.
However, Ramsay is keen to make sure his side do not get complacent despite their good run of form.
"I'm trying not to read too much into the table because it changes so quickly," he said.
"You can feel as we are at the moment that you're on a really good run, but when you look at the table, and you find you haven't really got much separation, although you feel like you've had five games when you've had to grind out good performances and results.
"I've used the phrase with the players a few times that we're starting from zero every game. Our form that we go into games with is meaningless."
Colorado are just three points behind Minnesota in the table, sitting in sixth, having alternated between a win and a loss in their last six matches.
Head coach Chris Armas remains optimistic after their defeat to FC Cincinnati last weekend, saying: "We're on our way to becoming a really good team," he said.
"The results show that, the performances show that, the mentality of the team shows that. We've beaten some pretty good teams this year.
"We gave everything we had [in the defeat to FC Cincinnati] and fell a little short, but it makes us no less competitors or winners. We think we're better for [the loss]."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Rafael Navarro
Navarro is the first Rapids player since Kei Kamara in 2019-20 to score in four consecutive regular-season matches. Only three players in the team’s history, most recently Omar Cummings in 2010, have scored in five straight league matches.
Minnesota United – Joseph Rosales
Rosales has recorded an assist in five consecutive regular-season matches for Minnesota United, the first player to do so in the team’s history. Rosales has totaled seven assists in those five games after recording just two assists in his first 53 MLS matches.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The Rapids suffered a 5-3 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday, the club’s fifth defeat of the season. Colorado have bounced back following their first four losses of the season, winning the next match three times, and drawing once.
Minnesota earned a 2-1 win against the Rapids in their last visit to Colorado in March 2023 – it was their first road win against the Rapids in club history (D1 L5 prior).
Indeed, Minnesota have 24 points from their first 12 games this season (W7 D3 L2), six more than they have ever had at this stage of a season before. The Loons have won four of their last five matches (D1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 36.1%
Draw – 25.8%
Minnesota United – 38.1%
Al-Riyadh 2-2 Al-Nassr: Laporte sent off for punch as Al-Nemer salvages point
Former Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte was sent off for punching Mohammed Al-Aqel on the arm as Al-Nassr played out a 2-2 draw with Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League.
Meshari Al-Nemer's 97th-minute strike salvaged a point for Al-Nassr, who had trailed for over half the game and played with a one-man disadvantage for over half an hour.
Otavio had put Al-Nassr ahead only for Andre Gray to drag the hosts level, before Al-Aqel gave David Ospina no chance with a terrific overhead kick to make it 2-1.
Al-Nassr's position was put in further jeopardy when Laporte was sent off following a bizarre off-the-ball incident which saw him grab and punch Al-Aqel on the elbow, while Cristiano Ronaldo came up with a glaring miss from Sadio Mane's pass across the six-yard box.
Al-Nemer levelled at the death for Al-Nassr, though they still sit some 14 points adrift of champions Al-Hilal, who could complete an unbeaten season against Al-Wehda on Monday.
Data Debrief: Laporte's horror show
It was a game to forget for Laporte, whose bizarre punch on Al-Aqel put Al-Nassr up against it versus a team still in danger of relegation.
Laporte did not attempt a single tackle in the game while his four duels contested were the joint-fewest of every outfield starter (alongside Khalid Al-Shuwayyi). He was also sent off in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League quarter-final tie against Al Ain in March.
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