It wasn't particularly certain we would arrive at Kylian Mbappe's five-year anniversary at Paris Saint-Germain.
For well over a year, it was widely expected the superstar forward would swap the French capital for the Spanish and join European heavyweights Real Madrid.
But, lo and behold, an eye-watering new deal that runs until June 2025 was agreed back in May, much to the fury of Madrid and the joy of the PSG faithful.
A lot has changed since 2017, not least the fact Mbappe is now a World Cup winner with France.
And yet, there is a feeling that the PSG mission is very much not accomplished, so just how do we judge Mbappe's success at the Parc des Princes thus far?
DOMESTIC DOMINANCE
Mbappe has won Ligue 1 in four of his five seasons with PSG, adding to the title lifted in his last year with Monaco in 2016-17, and also has three Coupe de France, two Coupe de la Ligue and two Trophee des Champions to his name.
While it has not quite been a clean sweep of honours for the Parisians, they have dominated domestically during Mbappe's time at the club and the France international has played a huge part in that.
Indeed, since making his PSG debut in September 2017, only Robert Lewandowski (185) and now team-mate Lionel Messi (203) have been directly involved in more goals across Europe's top five leagues than Mbappe's 167 – 123 goals and 44 assists.
Yet, harshly or otherwise, Mbappe's domestic achievements with PSG are often discredited due to club's sheer financial might. For all the Ligue 1 titles, it is the Champions League that is considered to be the true barometer of success for the French giants.
EUROPEAN SHORTCOMINGS
PSG have consistently fallen below expectations in the Champions League, coming closest to winning Europe's elite club competition in the 2019-20 season when they lost to Bayern Munich in the final in Lisbon.
The following season, PSG reached the semi-finals of the competition before losing to Manchester City. In Mbappe's other three seasons in Paris, they have fallen at the last-16 stage – most recently last term against Real Madrid.
In Mbappe's five years at the Parc des Princes, he has scored more Champions League goals than any of his team-mates, netting 27 in all, with Neymar being his closest rival in that regard with 20 goals.
While Mbappe cannot do it all himself, he must shoulder some responsibility for PSG's continental shortcomings – particularly as in his first three seasons at the club, he netted just one knockout goal in the competition.
That came in 2018-19 in the round of 16 against Manchester United, when PSG suffered elimination after the Reds Devils' remarkable comeback at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappe also failed to score in the knockout stages in 2019-20 as PSG finished runners-up in the competition, though there has been a significant upturn in the past two seasons, with the forward netting four across two legs against Barcelona in the 2020-21 last 16, including a famous hat-trick at Camp Nou, then scoring twice in the quarter-finals as PSG knocked out Bayern.
In the 2021-22 season, Mbappe repeated the feat against Real Madrid in the last 16, scoring twice, but PSG were eliminated as Karim Benzema turned the tie on its head.
All in all, nine of Mbappe's 27 Champions League goals have come in the knockout stages, eight of which have come in the last two seasons. Including the group stages, Mbappe has scored 14 goals in the past two seasons, compared to 13 in his first three years.
Yet all he has to show for it is that runners-up medal from 2020.
ANOTHER NEW ERA, DIFFERENT STORY?
With five years already under his belt as a PSG player and potentially three more to come (though Madrid will surely have something to say about that), Mbappe still has plenty left to achieve in his home city.
He is just 26 goals short of overtaking Edinson Cavani as the club's all-time record goalscorer, yet personal milestones will surely be sacrificed in pursuit of that elusive Champions League crown.
Now joined by Neymar and Messi in one of the most star-studded forward lines in history, anything less than going all the way for PSG will be deemed a massive failure – as was the case last season when the front three struggled to truly click.
Having fallen short in agonising fashion with that aforementioned defeat to Madrid in last season's knockouts, the French champions have taken a calculated gamble by replacing Mauricio Pochettino – who never truly took to the job – with former Lille and Nice boss Christophe Galtier.
Reunited with de factor sporting director Luis Campos, with whom he worked closely at Lille to help create the team that pipped PSG to the Ligue 1 title by a point in 2020-21, the Parisians have opted to take a different approach in their quest to be kings of Europe.
The early indications are positive, too, with PSG winning their opening three Ligue 1 matches and scoring 17 goals in the process – a tally only Rennes (18 goals in 1950-51) have bettered in the competition's history at that stage.
PSG were held 1-1 by Monaco last time out, however, and their impressive start has not come without its complications. Neymar and Mbappe clashed in the 5-2 win against Montpellier over who would take a penalty, and the latter was also spotted seemingly sulking in the same game after the ball was not played his way.
It appears some things may never change at PSG in that regard, but ending the club's wait for continental glory is something that simply must happen if Mbappe is to eventually bow out having achieved all he set out to at his boyhood club.
I thought I was going to cry – Jarrod Bowen emotional as West Ham win trophy
Jarrod Bowen was close to tears as he celebrated scoring the goal which won West Ham the Europa Conference League.
Bowen raced on to Lucas Paqueta’s brilliant pass in the 90th minute and slotted past Pietro Terracciano to earn the Hammers a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in Prague.
It secured the club’s first piece of silverware since the 1980 FA Cup and their first European trophy since 1965.
Bowen told BT Sport: “You always say you want to score in the last minute and to do it here in front of these fans, I thought I was going to cry.
“I’m so happy. We haven’t had the best season, myself included, but to do it tonight, I’m over the moon.
“I think in my position you make that run 10 times you might get that ball once. As soon as you get it you’ve got to put it away.”
Bowen had earlier won the penalty from which Said Benrahma opened the scoring but Giacomo Bonaventura equalised just four minutes later for the Serie A side.
But with the game appearing set to head to extra-time, Bowen struck his 13th goal of the campaign and earned West Ham a place in next season’s Europa League.
The England international added: “Never (have I felt like this in my life). This is the biggest game of my career. The emotion, there was time for one more chance. I’m just so happy. I’m over the moon.
“I’m thinking of the party tonight. Listen to it. Listen.”
Jarrod Bowen nets late goal as West Ham win Europa Conference League
Jarrod Bowen’s last-minute winner saw West Ham end their 43-year wait for a trophy with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
The Hammers won a first piece of silverware since 1980’s FA Cup, and a first European trophy since 1965, on a historic and emotional night in Prague.
Yes, it may be only Europe’s third-tier competition, the one treated as an unwanted distraction by Tottenham, among others, in its inaugural form last season.
But this is West Ham. The West Ham who routinely see relegation as an occupational hazard. The West Ham who made a song and dance of leaving their old stadium and an almighty hash of moving into the new one. The West Ham who had to go begging to their former manager to save them from the drop, 18 months after they got rid of him when he had done just that.
Just nine weeks ago that same manager watched as the away fans unfurled a ‘Moyes Out’ banner during a scratchy 1-0 win over Fulham, which likely saved his job.
Now David Moyes has written his name in West Ham folklore, joining Ron Greenwood and John Lyall as trophy-winning Hammers managers. A place in next season’s Europa League means the club has qualified for Europe three campaigns in a row, for the first time.
And what a way to sign off for Declan Rice, destined to leave this summer but with the legacy of becoming only the third captain, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift silverware in the club’s 128-year history.
The Hammers have given their fans, 5,000 of whom were – officially at least – in attendance and the 20,000-or so who just wanted to be in Prague for their first European final in 47 years, the ride of their lives.
A campaign that began in August – three prime ministers ago – and has taken in trips to Denmark (twice), Belgium, Romania, Cyprus, Belgium again, and the Netherlands, finally culminated in a glory night in the Czech capital.
West Ham’s supporters occupied at least two thirds of the Eden Arena and could have sold out the 20,000-seater stadium three times over, so it was a shame to see hundreds of empty seats in the Fiorentina end.
Their travelling support has been almost exclusively good-natured throughout the campaign, so it was also a shame to see West Ham fans throwing missiles onto the pitch at Fiorentina players.
They were mainly plastic pint cups, but just before half-time at least one more sinister object left Fiorentina captain Cristiano Biraghi with a nasty cut on the back of his head, forcing referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande to briefly halt play while a message over the PA system implored the fans to stop throwing missiles. A UEFA inquest will surely follow.
At the next Fiorentina corner Christian Kouame’s header came back off a post and Luka Jovic prodded in the rebound, but to West Ham’s – and particularly goalkeeper Alphonse Areola’s – relief he was flagged offside.
The Hammers occasionally threatened on the counter-attack in a predictably cagey first half, but Michail Antonio’s low shot was saved by Pietro Terracciano and an effort from Rice from Vladimir Coufal’s half-cleared throw bounced wide.
Del Cerro Grande had frustrated West Ham with some strange decisions, but not even the eccentric Spanish referee could turn down their appeals for a penalty on the hour after checking the pitchside monitor.
The ball clearly hit Biraghi’s hand after Bowen controlled it with his chest, and Said Benrahma tucked the spot-kick high into the net in front of the Hammers’ faithful.
But Fiorentina equalised just four minutes later when Nicolas Gonzalez won a header and the ball fell for Giacomo Bonaventura to control and fire between Rice and Nayef Aguerd into the far corner.
They almost immediately took the lead but Rolando Mandragora steered his shot wide from in front of goal.
But West Ham regained their composure and Tomas Soucek, back at the home ground of his former club Slavia Prague, was twice denied by Terracciano.
Then came the big moment. Lucas Paqueta’s through-ball finally caught out Fiorentina’s high line and there was Bowen, scampering clear and slotting past Terracciano.
Cue bedlam on the pitch, on the touchline and in the stands. The wait was over and West Ham could finally celebrate some silverware.
Everton’s Amadou Onana to miss Belgium’s upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana will miss Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifiers later this month with a groin problem.
The 21-year-old was scheduled to be in the squad to face Austria on June 17 and Estonia the following Tuesday.
“Amadou Onana will not feature for Belgium in upcoming internationals due to a minor groin injury and will return to Finch Farm to be treated by club medical staff,” said an Everton statement.
“He is expected to be fit for the start of Everton’s pre-season training next month.”
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