Weekend Boxset: Come what May

By Graham Sibley April 30, 2026

Weekend Boxset: Come what May

May is here, but there still feels like there's so much to be done.

Seven great matches on Saturday and Sunday. It’s the Sound of Football Weekend Boxset.

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All times are UK

Saturday

A-League elimination final: Melbourne Victory v Sydney

10.40 on TNT Sports 4 and HBO Max
We’re now into the annual “stop the best team in the league winning the title” period. Newcastle Jets have been the stand out team and a genuine feelgood story after they topped the regular season table. But regular A League watchers know this story well: one team wins the league and then Melbourne Victory beat them in the finals. First, though, Arthur Diles’ team need to overcome Sydney FC, which should be doable, although both teams have stumbled to the finish line rather than looking like a team in finals form. The issue on both sides lies up front. No Sydney player has scored more than five goals, while a hatful of Niko Vergos’ seven for Victory came in one match. But don’t let that put you off: these sides haven’t played out a goalless draw in 37 games. GA

Championship final day: Wrexham v Middlesbrough

12.30 on Sky Sports Plus
With relegation matters settled, all eyes turn to the promotion chase on the final day of the EFL Championship regular season. And it’s been a particularly memorable campaign with two of last season’s relegated Premier League clubs, Ipswich, and Southampton, starting slowly, and the third, Leicester, failing to start at all. We’ve seen the restoration of a once proud topflight club, Coventry, and reputational retribution for their coach Frank Lampard. There’s been the patient rise of Millwall. Plus, the untimely decline of Middlesbrough who looked to have that second spot sewn up before going on a six-game winless run that sucked them into the play-offs. Boro’s hopes of automatic promotion remain alive after a gripping 2-2 draw between Ipswich and Southampton on Tuesday. The results means that the Teesside club along with Millwall could capitalise if Ipswich slip up against QPR. Middlesbrough’s opponents have offered one of the Championship’s other notable stories, subject to the right subscription level. Wrexham are looking to seal a fitting climax to the latest season of their TV show by securing a play-off berth, a possible dramatic finale at Wembley and an extraordinary fourth successive promotion. Say what you like about Wrexham (and I have) but it is remarkable that this club started the decade in the National League. While some might find their razzamatazz a touch gauche (and I do), there is no arguing with their success, whatever the past and future cost might be. However, a defeat or draw leaves the Dragons open to attack from Hull City and Derby beneath them and an unsatisfactory end of season finale. TD

Bonus viewing: The final day action in the rest of the EFL continues from 15.00 with play-off and relegation issues still to be resolved and a League Two automatic promotion place still up for grabs.

UEFA Women’s Champions League semi-final second leg: Lyon v Arsenal

14.00 on BBC Two & iPlayer and Disney Plus
An Arsenal side hoping for City to slip up in the league and with work still to do in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final. It all sounds very familiar, right? Unlike the men, however, Arsenal’s women are hitting their best form right now and go into this game with a 2-1 lead and the confidence that they will better the eight-times champions. The Gunners are, of course, holders of this title but went behind in the first leg at the Emirates. However, they went on to dominate the remainder of the match; that goal for the visitors came from their only shot on target. There was an amount of good fortune involved in both of Arsenal’s goals — both came from mix-ups between defender Ingrid Engen and goalkeeper Christiane Endler — but they came as a result of constant pressure from the home side. Arsenal played in midweek but should have little tiredness from their easy 7-0 hammering of Leicester, with most of their key players limited to just 45 minutes. This fixture is a repeat of last season’s semi-final. That time Arsenal trailed coming to Lyon but ended up winning 4-1 on the day, 5-3 on aggregate. A repeat of that result is unlikely and Lyon will feel they are due a bit of better luck against the Gunners. The other semi-final is Barcelona v Bayern Munich which stands at 1-1 after the first leg, and you can watch that from 15.30 on Sunday on Disney Plus. GS

Premier League: Arsenal v Fulham

17.30 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
It was all going so well for the Gunners, then the League Cup final happened. After the defeat to City at Wembley, the six-point-cushion they were comfortably perched upon quickly gave way with an unexpected home defeat to Bournemouth then a loss at the Etihad. City went on to win their game in hand which put them top of the league on goal difference. A narrow home win against the rudderless (dirty) Mags put Arteta’s side back on the summit, but, City again have a game extra to play thanks to their FA Cup endeavours. The advantage Arteta does have here is that City’s fixture pile-up means they’re playing a game every three or four days from now until the end of the season. To make that advantage count, they need to beat Marco Silva’s Fulham tonight. While there may be a few tired legs following their midweek Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid, they’ll need to be on top of their game against a decent Fulham outfit. Injury worries come in the form of Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber who both make Arsenal a much better side when they’re around. Tonight’s visitors also have their own headaches with former Gunner, Alex Iwobi, out with a hamstring injury, and Ryan Sessegnon, who scored the winner in last weekend’s victory over Villa, also unavailable. Where Marco Silva will be at the start of next season also adds to the mix here. The bookies putting him as one of the favourites for the Chelsea job comes at a time when both he and his side should be focusing on European qualification. Another example, if it was ever needed, of how Chelsea spoils everything — awful, awful club. JB

Sunday

Scottish Premiership: Hibernian v Celtic

12.00 on Sky Sports Football, Main Event & Ultra
If anyone thought the Scottish Premiership would become more business-like after the split, last weekend proved how very wrong that opinion would be. Rangers, then the bookies’ favourites, lost at home to an out-of-form Motherwell, after having come back from going 2-0 down in the first half. Then Hibs almost derailed Hearts’ title push, taking an early lead in the derby, only for, first, their goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger to be sent off for handling the ball outside the area, and then former Dortmund midfielder Felix Passlack to see red having been shown two yellow within minutes either side of the break. Hibs’ substitute goalkeeper Jordan Smith made a good job keeping the table leaders at bay but conceded an equaliser off an own goal and then was unsighted for the late winner from second-half substitute Blair Spittal, his first goal for Hearts in over a year. It’s doubtful the atmosphere at Easter Road will be anywhere near as charged for this game with many of the home fans actively wanting Celtic to win rather see their side help Hearts to a famous title win. A Celtic win will see them draw level on points at the top, before Hearts face Rangers at Tynecastle early on Monday evening. GS

Premier League: Bournemouth v Crystal Palace

14.00 on Sky Sports Plus
A clash between two clubs whose managers are both confirmed as leaving at the end of the season. Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner’s notice period has been longer and considerably more rancorous than his opposite number at Bournemouth. Andoni Iraola had as much cause to be upset with his employers given that he too had players sold underneath him. Unlike Glasner, Iraola stayed frosty and if all goes well could deliver European football to Dean Court as his parting gift. Recent wins against league leaders Arsenal and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle broke a run of five draws which was in danger of setting back their ambitions. The idea of Bournemouth playing in Europe still boggles the mind of anyone old enough to remember when their ground was called Dean Court. The south coast club has spent so much of its history in the lower divisions that it’s become etched into their narrative. This, I imagine, is something that the club are happy to lean into when it suits. A win against a Crystal Palace side who are preoccupied with European football (itself something of an anathema) would keep the Cherries on track. The last three matches between the two-sides failed to produce a winner and Palace have not beaten this opponent away from home since New Year's Eve, 2022. TD

Premier League: Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

19.00 on TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate and HBO Max
A few weeks ago, this would have seemed like a gimme for Villa. Unai Emery’s team were back in form after a mid-season blip while Spurs were coming to the end of the Tudor era. And yet, this could be Spurs’ best chance to rack up some more points over the coming weeks. Villa still aren’t mathematically secure in their Champions League spot (insert writer’s huffy comment here about 5th place playing in a league for champions) but they just need to avoid a late season collapse and tick over a few more points. And there’s the small matter of a Europa League final spot on the line, so it would be no surprise to see Emery give some of his first choices a breather. And while Xavi Simons’ ACL has added another player to an already full Tottenham treatment room, a first win under Roberto De Zerbi suggests there may be a little fight left in Spurs yet, even if that was an already relegated Wolves. Spurs perform much better away from White Hart Lane, and with relegation rivals Forest part of this ménage-a-trois as Villa’s Europa League opponents, it’s entirely possible this could be the weekend that gets the North Londoners out of trouble. Or they could do a Spurs and balls it up. Lads, it’s Tottenham. GA

Whatever you watch, have a great weekend.

Graham, Terry, Jan and Gary