As the preparation for the 2021-22 season starts for the Gunners, they have already made their first transfer. With the transfer rumour of Moussa Dembele and Julian Brandt in the news, Mikel Arteta has made the first sign for the season. Though the name might not be familiar to you, we are pretty sure it will be in the coming years. Arsenal has signed 10-year old Kenyan wonderkid Leo Messo from arch-rivals West Ham United.

Leo Messo leaves West Ham United for Arsenal

Messo, whose name resembles the Barcelona star, Messi has already won many trophies in his career. He was at the West Ham United Youth Academy before Arteta made this huge decision. Perhaps, Leo Messo was seen posing with the number 9 jersey.

Arsenal has their eyes on stars like Ryan Bertrand and Max Aarons for their next season. Also, they are willing to make a permanent deal for Martin Odegaard, who came on loan from Real Madrid. The Gunners will be hoping for a successful season in 2021-22 as they went trophy-less this season.

Read Also: 10 Most FA Cup Winners List: FA cup in detail

According to football.london, Leo Messo has been signed by the Arsenal Football Club on the latest scholarship intake at Hale End. Leo Messo will be aiming to follow the footsteps of Nigeria duo Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi. As the whole world is astonished by this wonderkid, the Gunners can hope for something special from him.

Read Also: Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History

Though there might be a long way for Messo to make it to the senior team, he looks like a prominent prospect for Arsenal's future.

The football world has already seen some world-class players from Club's youth academies. Leo Messi and Andres Iniesta are one of them. As Messo's name already goes with the original Leo, we can hope for a great player, if nurtured and used well.

Moreover, the news is that he is left-footed too.

The Twitter world has shown much love this Kenyan kid. Meanwhile, there are some fun stuffs as well.

The first-leg matchdays of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final ties have definitely lived up to expectations, offering us some of the most iconic matches and memorable moments to cherish.

Arsenal have stunned Real Madrid at home through Declan Rice's spectacular free-kicks, whereas Barcelona have dismantled Dortmund to practically edge closer to the semi-finals.

Inter Milan and PSG have also earned the desired lead over Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, respectively, before heading on to the return leg next week.

Best first-leg performance? ✨#UCL pic.twitter.com/kebofmm9aD

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 10, 2025

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-final First Leg Round Up

Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid

Arsenal have stunned Real Madrid, the reigning champions in the first leg, by crushing them 3-0 at the Emirates to secure a huge lead in the tie.

Declan Rice's free-kicks have taken all the spotlights and convincingly so, as the Gunners remain unbeaten against Los Blancos on a Champions League night.

Right in the top corner from Rice 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/ir38EOf6X2

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 9, 2025

After a goal-less first half, Rice rocketed both of his free-kicks into the net in the 58th and 70th minute, and Mikel Merino found a third one in the 75th minute. The North London Club scored three in just 17 minutes!

Arsenal will travel to Real Madrid for the return leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 17th.

Read Also | Arsenal vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights: Declan Rice's stunning brace and Merino's goal hand Arsenal a 3-0 lead in the first-leg

Bayern Munch 1-2 Inter Milan

An electric game ended in Inter Milan's favour as the Italian club scored a late winner to earn a 2-1 away victory over Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena.

Cesare Augusto and Marcus Thuram combined to set up a beautiful trivela goal from Lautaro Martinez, the Nerrazzuri skipper, in the 38th minute. Inter led at the break, but after a couple of wasted opportunities from both sides, Thomas Muller pulled off the equalizer for Bayern in the 85th minute, only ten minutes after coming off the bench.

Grinta, corsa...𝑭𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒊 🖤💙#ForzaInter #UCL #BayernMonacoInter pic.twitter.com/F21ElElyzX

— Inter ⭐⭐ (@Inter) April 9, 2025

However, Inter did not get startled and snatched a late winner in the 88th minute through Davide Frattesi's flashy strike in the 88th minute following another brilliant Augusto set up.

Inter Milan will welcome Bayern Munich at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on 17 April.

Read Also | Bayern Munich vs Inter Milan UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights | Frattesi's late goal sinks Bayern at home; Inter lead in the tie | FT BAY 1-2 INT

FC Barcelona 4-0 Borussia Dortmund

FC Barcelona rampaged over Borussia Dortmund at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, crushing them 4-0 to practically book their berth in the semis.

Raphinha scored a cheeky goal in the 25th minute of the game as the Catalan side led 1-0 at the break. However, the floodgates opened in the second half, with Lewandowski scoring a goal in the 48th minute and completing his brace in the 66th minute. Lamine Yamal netted the fourth one for Barca in the 77th minute, securing a massive lead in the tie.

That wasn't football.
That was poetry. pic.twitter.com/KFbKUJjKia

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 9, 2025

The Black-Yellow army will host Barcelona for the return leg on 16th April at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.

Read Also | FC Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund UCL 2024-25 Quarter-final 1st leg Highlights

Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 Aston Villa

Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to put three past Aston Villa, securing a 3-1 lead in the first leg at the Parc des Princes in Paris.

PSG showed a proper dominance over Villa throughout the match, despite Morgan Rogers drawing the first blood in the 35th minute. Desire Doue, the 19-year-old PSG wonderkid, netted the equalizer only four minutes later with a sublime long-ranger strike.

A first leg full of emotions! 😍

📸 Shot by Elo

pic.twitter.com/ka5eQa0OdO

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) April 10, 2025

The game remained all square at the break, but Khvicha Kvaratskhelia handed PSG the lead in the only four minutes into the second half. Nuno Mendes secured a two-goal lead in the tie with a marvellous finish in the dying moments of the game.

Read Also | Paris Saint-Germain vs Aston Villa UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quater-final 1st leg Highlights | PSG dominate over Villa to secure a two-goal cushion in the tie | FT PSG 3-1 AVL

Welcome to our live coverage of the Arsenal vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League 2024-25 quarter-final 1st leg match at Emirates Stadium.

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you the buildup, head-to-head stats, team news and real-time updates of the all-important match from our web desk. 

Real Madrid qualified for the last eight after a controversial penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid, after losing four games to their road to the round of 16. 

In the meantime, Arsenal thrashed PSV by 9-3 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals. 

We have an exciting 90-minute game at hand. So, sit back and relax as we bring you all the updates from Sportz Point's web desk.

The UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-finals are knocking on the doors as the quest for the coveted UCL glory offers some of the most decisive encounters this season.

Kicking off the quarters, Arsenal are set to welcome the reigning champions, Real Madrid, for the first leg of the quarter-final tie tonight at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Arsenal vs Real Madrid in the quarter-finals 🤤#UCL pic.twitter.com/fDxtSjj8MV

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 8, 2025

The Gunners thumped PSV Eindhoven in the Round of 16 to fire into the last eight, whereas Los Blancos knocked arch-rivals Atletico Madrid out on penalties.

From possible starting XIs to Fantasy predictions, here is everything you need to know about Real Madrid vs Arsenal's first leg of the Quarter-final match in the UEFA Champions League 2024-25. 

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg Round Up

Match Details 

Match: Arsenal vs Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Quarter-Final First Leg

Date: 9 April 2025

Time: 12:30 AM IST

Venue: Emirates Stadium, London

Broadcasting and Streaming Details

The match will be streamed Live on the Sony Liv app and website. Viewers can also watch the game live on TV on Sony Sports Network. 

Team News

Arsenal

Gunners' gaffer Mikel Arteta has guided his team into the last eight once again this time after last season, thanks to a staggering 7-1 crushing of PSV in the first leg of their last-16 fight ahead of a 2-2 home draw.

However, a distressing 1-1 draw against Everton on Saturday moved Liverpool one step closer to the title, though Arteta's team selection was as much that of a man who has his eyes firmly on Madrid, where Arsenal will seek to take their unbeaten run in all tournaments to eight matches while also keeping up an incredible European home record.

In fact, the North London side has not lost any of their past 10 Champions League matches at the Emirates - keeping eight clean-sheets during that period.

Gearing up 👊 pic.twitter.com/vgA2xTkEQL

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 8, 2025

Arteta will be confident after Bukayo Saka's return from a long-standing injury, where he will be paired up with makeshift striker Mikel Merino and Martinelli. However, Ricardo Calafiori, Gabriel Margalhaes, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu are the key absentees for tonight's game, whereas Raheem Sterling will serve a one-game suspension.

However, Gabriel Martinelli, Declan Rice, and Jurrien Timber will miss the return leg if they receive bookings tonight.

Real Madrid

As long as Carlo Ancelotti is in charge of the Real Madrid touchline, Real Madrid will seemingly always manage to find a way in the Champions League, and so it turned out in the second leg of their fiercely-fought last-16 tie with city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Following a 4-4 draw against Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final and progressing to an El Clasico final with a 5-4 aggregate victory, Real Madrid were stunned by a 1-2 La Liga defeat to Valencia last weekend.

🏟️💡✨ pic.twitter.com/o1dUM1KDBO

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 7, 2025

If Real Madrid can make Arsenal the 112th team they have defeated in the Champions League on Tuesday night, another trophy-less campaign will be the lot of Arteta's Arsenal unless there is some miraculous second-leg recovery.

Ancelotti will have to exclude long-time absentees Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, and Eder Militao, along with Aurelin Tchouameni, who is suspended for this game. Second-choice keeper Andriy Lunin and Ferland Mendy are also doubtful. 

📋✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
🆚 @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/p0TBcA3w6V

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 6, 2025

However, a long list of Madrid players might miss the second leg if booked tonight: Eduardo Camavinga, Endrick, Luka Modric, Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez, and Vinicius Jr.

Head-to-head Stats (In UCL)

Matches played: 2

Arsenal won: 1

Real Madrid won: 0

Draws: 1

Possible Playing XI

Arsenal

David Raya (GK); Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Jakub Kiwior, Myles Lewis-Skelly; Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Mikel Merino, Gabriel Martinelli

Real Madrid

Thibaut Courtois (GK); Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rüdiger, Fran Garcia; Rodrygo, Luka Modrič, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham; Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr

Arsenal vs Real Madrid: Fantasy XI Prediction

Raya, Timber, Saliba, Rudiger, Valverde, Odegaard, Rodrygo, Bellingham, Saka, Mbappe, Vinicius

European football has gifted us numerous memorable moments and matches this season, and we can expect more to come in the upcoming months.

The top five European Leagues – Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have different title chase scenarios as the leagues are entering the final lap, leading the clubs to their fate in the 2024-25 season.

England, Germany, and France have witnessed a one-sided battle for the league title this season, except for Spain and Italy, where the champions might be decided even in the closing matchday this season.

In this article, we will examine the league table scenarios, possible equations for the league leaders to secure the title, and the contention for the continental competitions such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for next season.

Premier League 

Liverpool are currently atop the Premier League 2024-25 table, having bagged 73 points in 30 matches. The Reds are edging closer to the title as Arsenal, the second-placed side, dropped points against Everton in a 1-1 stalemate yesterday.

Liverpool have a chance to extend their lead at the top with a win against Fulham this evening, which will see them going 14 points ahead of the Gunners.

The Mikel Arteta-led side has earned 62 points in 31 games so far. As of now, Liverpool only need 11 points from their last eight games to secure the Premier League title for the 20th time in their history.

Liverpool are just four wins away from being crowned Premier League champions.

If it plays out like that, they could win the title at Anfield vs. Spurs then receive guard of honours from both Chelsea and Arsenal 🤯 pic.twitter.com/MVDmpDzRhi

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 5, 2025

Nottingham Forest have been a surprise entrant for a top-four finish in the Premier League, charging for a UEFA Champions League berth next season. The Forest are now third with 57 points in 31 games – five points clear of the fourth-placed Chelsea.

Fifth-placed Manchester City (51 points in 30 games) and Aston Villa (51 points in 31 games), now sixth, will throw a tough challenge for the Champions League and Europa League berth, whereas seventh-placed Newcastle United (50 points in 29 games) might surpass City and Villa in the race.

Premier League 2024-25 Table

LaLiga

The title race in LaLiga 2024-25 has intensified dramatically after the league leaders FC Barcelona and nearest challengers Real Madrid dropped points in the same day yesterday. Los Blancos faced a shocking 1-2 defeat against Valencia at home, whereas Barcelona were held to a 1-1 draw against Real Betis at home.

Barcelona are currently atop the table with 67 points in 30 matches, four points clear of Real Madrid with 63 points in the same number of games. The title race might go down to the last matchday as these two teams will meet in the fierce El Clasico, scheduled for May 11th, which could decide the potential champions. 

Despite failing to take full advantage of Real Madrid’s slip-up, Barcelona remain 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙑𝙔 𝙁𝘼𝙑𝙊𝙍𝙄𝙏𝙀𝙎 to win the LALIGA title - according to @OptaAnalyst 📊📈 pic.twitter.com/uUQ5lu6uir

— 433 (@433) April 6, 2025

Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao (53 points in 29 games) are already five points ahead of Real Betis, now fifth (48 points in 30 games) with one game in hand. Sixth-placed Villareal (47 points in 28 games) could pose a challenge for both of them for UCL and UEL qualification, with two games in hand to match Betis' tally.

LaLiga 2024-25 Table

Serie A

Serie A 2024-25 might witness one of the greatest showdowns in the title charge in the league's history, as league leaders Inter Milan dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Parma last night.

Defending champions Inter Milan are currently topping the table with 68 points across 31 games, having played one game more than second-placed Napoli, who have accumulated 64 points in 30 games. If Napoli ends this week with a win, the gap between these two teams will be just one, leading the teams to walk the wire in the final matchdays.

🚨 After Inter’s draw vs Parma today, the Serie A title race is wide open!

Napoli and Inter are neck and neck — and with only a few games left, neither side can afford to drop points.

Every match now feels like a final. Who will hold their nerve?#Inter #Napoli #SerieA… pic.twitter.com/tyRpVx9lWI

— GlobalFootballX (@MorckIsak) April 5, 2025

The pressure to finish in the top four have also intensified in Italy. With Inter and Napoli confirmed to finish in the top four, third-placed Atalanta (58 points in 30 games), fourth-placed Bologna (56 points in 30 games), fifth-placed Juventus (55 points in 30 games), and sixth-placed AS Roma (52 points in 30 games) will battle it out for the last two UCL berths.

Serie A 2024-25 Table

Bundesliga

As of now, only six points separate league leaders Bayern Munich and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, though Bayern might attain the Bundesliga 2024-25 title and a first trophy for Harry Kane – if they manage to accumulate 13 from the 18 points available.

Bayern Munich are now ahead with 68 points in 28 games, whereas reigning Champions Bayer Leverkusen have managed 62 in the same number of matches, practically confirming their participation in next season's Champions League.

However, the race for two other UCL berths will draw Eintracht Frankfurt (third, 48 points in 28 games), FSV Mainz (fourth, 46 points in 28 games), RB Leipzig (fifth, 45 points in 28 games), and Borussia Monchengladbach (sixth, 43 points in 27 games) into a battle, looking for places in continental competitions.

Bundesliga 2024-25 Table

Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain have claimed the 2024-25 Ligue 1 title after beating Angers 1-0 last night, ensuring their fourth successive title with 74 points in 28 games. The Luis Enrique-managed side have been crowned champions with six matches remaining and are now 24 points ahead of the second-placed AS Monaco (50 points in 28 matches). 

PSG have clinched another milestone, winning the league title without losing a single game so far, and with six matches remaining, they will look to embrace the 'invincible' tag by ending the season without a single defeat.

If Les Parisiens complete an unbeaten league season, they will join a special group of clubs from Europe's top five leagues that have achieved this feat. This group includes Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, Juventus in 2012, Arsenal in 2004, AC Milan in 1992, Perugia in 1979, and Preston North End in 1889.

However, the race to qualify for next season's UCL will go down to the wire between six teams who are differentiated by only four points – AS Monaco (50), Olympique de Marseille (49), Olympique Lyonnais (48), OGC Nice (47), Lille OSC (47), and RC Strasbourg (46).

Ligue 1 2024-25 Table

(*all stats are accurate as of the time of publishing this article.)

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the 2024-25 season. The Belgian midfield maestro joined the Blue side of Manchester in 2015 and went on to mark a glittering 10-year career with the club, winning numerous personal and team accolades.

Fewest games needed to reach 100 Premier League assists:

◉ 237 - Kevin De Bruyne
◎ 293 - Cesc Fàbregas
◎ 367 - Ryan Giggs
◎ 445 - Wayne Rooney
◎ 559 - Frank Lampard

KDBrilliant. ™️ pic.twitter.com/lV9CZBOgWG

— Squawka (@Squawka) April 4, 2025

The 33-year-old midfielder has accumulated a total of 118 assists in his Premier League career across two spells with Manchester City and Chelsea, having tallied 280 appearances.

However, Kevin De Bruyne is the fastest player to register 100 assists in the Premier League, having played the fewest games among the footballers who have reached this milestone.

Here are the footballers who needed the fewest games to reach 100 Premier League assists.

Fewest games to reach 100 Premier League assists

237 - Kevin De Bruyne*

Kevin de Bruyne reached the 100-assist milestone in the Premier League in just 237 games, leaving behind some legendary figures who made it to this mark.

City's legendary midfielder registered his 100th assist in the competition on 8 April 2023 in Man City's 4-1 away win against Southampton. He also became the fifth player to bag a hundred assists in Premier League history.

Kevin De Bruyne reaches 100 assists in the Premier League.

No player has done it in fewer games (237) 🎁 pic.twitter.com/zLR9vuEmAU

— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 8, 2023

De Bruyne has a total of 118 assists in his Premier League career, spanning 280 games for Chelsea and Manchester City, which is also the second-most PL assists of all time.

Read Also | Most Premier League Assists in a Season

293 - Cesc Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish midfield wizard, bagged a total of 111 assists across his 350 appearances for Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier League.

Fabregas, now retired, earned his 100th Premier League assist on 31 December 2016, in his 293rd appearance in Chelsea's 4–2 home victory over Stoke City.

Febregas is also the third player on the list who has the most assists in Premier League history, while 70 of these came at Arsenal, with the other 41 coming in a Chelsea shirt.

367 - Ryan Giggs

Ryan Giggs, the legendary Manchester United winger, tops the list for the most assists in Premier League history with a staggering 162 assists in 632 appearances, which is also the third-most PL appearances in history.

The Welsh legend took 367 games to reach the 100-assist milestone, having spent almost 25 years at Old Trafford before retiring in 2014.

Giggs is also the most decorated footballer in English football history, winning a record 34 trophies with Manchester United.

445 - Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is another Manchester United legend who made it to this list, having bagged a total of 103 assists in the Premier League in 491 appearances across Manchester United and Everton.

The English football legend achieved his 100th Premier League assist on November 6, 2016, during Man United's 3-1 away victory against Swansea City, his 445th PL appearance. He had two assists in the match, both for Zlatan Ibrahimović, with the first of these being his milestone 100th assist in the league.

Swansea 1-3 Manchester United. Goals from Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic seals a crucial win for the reds. #MUFC

Highlights of the game! pic.twitter.com/AFpPUiIraO

— David. (@Rooney_esque) November 6, 2016

Interestingly, that first assist for Ibrahimović also marked the 25,000th goal scored in Premier League history.

559 - Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard, the legendary midfielder for Chelsea, reached the 100-assist landmark in 559 appearances in the Premier League. The milestone assist came in Chelsea's memorable 7-1 victory at home against Aston Villa on March 27, 2010.

ON THIS DAY in 2010, Frank Lampard hit four goals in Chelsea 7-1 Aston Villa http://t.co/L0yofsU2cq pic.twitter.com/vY3mpFQe3q

— Premier League (@premierleague) March 27, 2014

Lampard had a total of 102 assists in PL in a total of 609 appearances, having spent different spells across Chelsea, Manchester City, and West Ham United.

Remarkably, he is the only midfielder to have scored over 150 goals and provided over 100 assists in Premier League history.

(*the only active player on this list. The stats are accurate as of 5 April 2025)