Los Angeles FC beat their cross-city rivals, the LA Galaxy, to top spot in the Western Conference on the final day of the MLS regular season, while D.C. United were pipped to a playoff place by Atlanta United.
The Galaxy simply needed to avoid defeat to take the West's number one seed, with LAFC coming from behind to beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1.
Having gone behind to an Ezequiel Ponce strike away at the Houston Dynamo, the Galaxy drew level six minutes into second-half stoppage time as MLS Newcomer of the Year favourite Gabriel Pec converted from the penalty spot.
However, former Galaxy defender Daniel Steres headed into the top-left corner 11 minutes into stoppage time to hand LAFC their third conference title, and their second in three seasons.
Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for Troy Lesesne's D.C. side as a 3-0 defeat at home to Charlotte FC saw them slip out of the wild-card places in the Eastern Conference.
That result opened the door to Atlanta, who upset Orlando City with a 2-1 road win to move ahead of D.C. on goal difference and join Montreal in the wild-card round.
Josef Martinez joined Caden Clark on the scoresheet as Montreal beat already-qualified New York City 2-0 at Stade Saputo to finish eighth.
Those results meant the Philadelphia Union missed the postseason for the first time since 2017, as they squandered a 1-0 lead in a 2-1 home loss to FC Cincinnati to finish 12th.
'Everybody called me a liar' - LeBron thrilled by impressive Knecht
LeBron James heaped praise on Dalton Knecht after he tied the NBA's single-game rookie record in the Los Angeles Lakers' win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.
He scored nine 3-pointers, including going 6-for-6 in the third quarter, while scoring a career-high 37 points in the Lakers' 124-118 win, their sixth on the bounce.
Knecht now shares the record with Rodrigue Beaubois (2010), Yogi Ferrell (2017) and Utah's Keyonte George (2024).
The Lakers' six-game winning streak is their longest since February 2021, while they have also extended their perfect home record this season to 7-0.
James, who had 26 points and 12 assists, had previously said that he was a fan of Knecht, having watched him at Tennessee while he was in college.
"Same s*** I saw last year," said James, when asked about being ahead of the curve in praising Knecht.
"Everybody on the internet called me a liar. So, what am I now?
"I watched him. I watched Tennessee a lot. I did not think he would fall to us. I thought it would be impossible."
Knecht was the 17th overall in the 2024 NBA draft, and James brushed off the suggestion that the Lakers 'found' him.
"They [The Lakers] didn't 'find' DK," he added. "The other 16 teams f***** it up. Did anybody watch him? You don't 'find' an SEC player of the year."
Maresca feels regret at Joao Felix's lack of Premier League game time
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has admitted that he is struggling to keep all of his talent happy ahead of their game against Leicester on Saturday.
The Blues' first-team squad page listed 43 players at the start of the season, with 10 players having joined over the summer.
As a result, this has meant limited game time for some of the club's more senior players, such as Joao Felix who is yet to start a Premier League game since joining permanently in summer.
Despite this issue, Chelsea have started the season well and currently sit third after 11 matches, but Maresca feels a tinge of regret at not being able to involve everyone.
"I feel a shame for Joao and I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League but we need defensive balance and we cannot play with Joao, Cole [Palmer], Christo [Nkunku]," he said.
"I’d like to put all of them on the pitch but then you need to defend, and you need the right balance.
"I don’t have any doubts that if Joao keeps working well, he will find his moment in the Premier League."
Leicester manager Steve Cooper, meanwhile, will have to pick his team up following a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United prior to the international break. He will have to do so without key player Ricardo Pereira, who is out for four months with a hamstring injury.
"It's a real blow for everybody, and especially him. We'll all be with him now in his recovery," he told BBC Sport.
Having kept just one clean sheet in 11 league games, Cooper is also aware of where his side need to improve.
"We're not going to hide away from the chances and goals we're conceding, and we'll keep showing intent to improve that," he said.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Leicester – Jamie Vardy
Vardy is 37 years old, but tops the scoring charts at Leicester having netted four goals in the Premier League.
He has opened the scoring on one occasion this season and has a conversion rate of 33.33% having scored his goals from 12 shots on goal.
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
Palmer ranks fifth in the Premier League top scorers so far this season, having scored seven goals. He also ranks equal-second for goal involvements, having added five assists alongside his goals.
The Chelsea forward has had at least three shots in five of his last six league games and ranks fourth for total shots in the Premier League with 36.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal in their last match before the international break, which left them third in the table and four points behind second-placed Manchester City
That draw means that Chelsea have lost just one of their last 10 league games (W5 D4), which came against league leaders Liverpool in October.
Chelsea have lost just one of their last seven away games against Leicester (W4 D2), winning four of their last five meetings overall.
Leicester are winless in their last 13 Premier League games against sides starting the day in the top four of the table (D3 L10). They come into this with three defeats in their last four matches in all competitions (D1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Leicester – 19%
Draw – 21.6%
Chelsea – 59.5%
Arsenal players not in the best condition according to Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Arsenal are still struggling to get key players back to fitness ahead of their match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Captain Martin Odegaard made his first start since August in their 1-1 draw with Chelsea prior to the international break, having suffered an injury with Norway in September, but his side are struggling elsewhere.
Both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were substituted in the second half of that match with injuries and subsequently pulled out of the England squad.
"We are still missing a lot and some of the guys out there are not in the best condition," Arteta told BBC Sport.
"That is all we are asking, that they are fit and available and in the physical condition to play at this level. We have not had any of that.
"It was patch, after patch, after patch. A lot of players starting and not in the condition to finish games, so that is what I am praying for."
Nuno Espirito Santo, meanwhile, insists his side will take lessons into this weekend from their 3-1 defeat against Newcastle last time out.
"When you lose and win there is always a lesson to be learnt. We must learn an important lesson, we have been punished the way we have been punishing other teams," he said.
Despite the loss, Nottingham Forest are still fifth in the Premier League table after 11 matches, level on points with Arsenal. Nuno himself was also named September's Manager of the Month.
"Even though we lost the game, everyone at Forest should be proud of the players and how we have been working together. OK, let’s go again," he said.
"I’m just proud from day one of the way we have been working as a team."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
No player has supplied more assists in the Premier League than Saka (seven), with Mohamed Salah trailing by one.
The winger has also scored three goals for the Gunners and is one behind Kai Havertz as the club's leading scorer.
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
Wood is equal-second alongside Bryan Mbeumo and Salah in the Premier League scoring charts with eight goals.
The 32-year-old has opened the scoring on six occasions in the league this season, while he has the best conversion rate (38.1%) of any player to have made more than 10 appearances.
MATCH PREDICTION: ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal are currently in fourth place, one position above their weekend opponents Nottingham Forest.
They are unbeaten in eight home games in all competitions so far this season (W6 D2), including in their five home games in the league (W3 D2).
The Gunners have won six of their last seven Premier League games against Nottingham Forest, including back-to-back victories last season.
The visitors come into this on the back of a 3-1 defeat at home to Newcastle last time out, which ended a four-match unbeaten run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal – 67.1%
Draw – 18.8%
Nottingham Forest – 14.1%
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