LIVERPOOL -- Mohamed Salah has been ruled out of Liverpool's Champions League semifinal match against Barcelona on Tuesday after manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed the forward was concussed during Saturday's Premier League win at Newcastle.

Liverpool must overturn a 3-0 first-leg deficit when they meet at Anfield in order to reach the Champions League final for the second successive season.

But with Roberto Firmino already sidelined with a muscular injury, Klopp revealed on Monday that Salah will also miss the game as a result of the injury sustained when colliding with Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka at St James' Park over the weekend.

"Both of them are unavailable for tomorrow," Klopp said at his prematch news conference at Anfield.

"Two of the world's best strikers are not available, and we have to score four goals to go through in 90 minutes.

"It doesn't make life easier, but as long as we have 11 players on the pitch, we will try. ... If we can do it, wonderful, and if not, fail in the most beautiful way."

Salah is expected to feature against Wolverhampton Wanderers in Liverpool's final Premier League game of the season on Sunday, but Klopp said the clash with Barcelona was too soon for the 26-year-old.

"It's a concussion, so Mo is not allowed to play," Klopp added. "He feels OK, but it's not good enough from a medical point of view, that's all.

"Together with our supporters this was a long season, and there's a little chance to make it even longer. If not, these are the last two home games of an incredible season. We should celebrate it with a good performance on the pitch and in the stands."

Due to medical regulations relating to concussions, Salah will not be able to train until Saturday, but the Egyptian should therefore be able to play against Wolves on Sunday in what could be a title decider for Klopp's team.

Salah's absence is a major blow for Klopp and Liverpool, who already face a difficult task in scoring at least three goals to salvage the tie on Tuesday.

Without the Premier League's leading goal scorer and Firmino, Klopp could be forced to play both Divock Origi and Daniel Sturridge in attack alongside Sadio Mane.

The Liverpool manager fielded Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum in his forward three during the 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, but Klopp is expected to field a more attack-minded player on Tuesday.

When asked about the injuries, Barcelona striker Luis Suarez said Liverpool still have plenty of capable replacements to threaten the La Liga champs.

"Obviously [Salah and Firmino] are big absences for them," the former Liverpool man said. "But it doesn't change anything in terms of how we approach the game. They have other players to come in with a lot of qualities.

"We have a lot of respect for them. Salah is a very important player, in the top three of the world in the last couple of years. It's a big miss for them, but they have players like Origi, [Xherdan] Shaqiri, Sturridge who can come in. Quality players."

Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold said Liverpool would have to be fearless to have a chance of progressing.

"That's the only way we're going to get a result. If we get caught up in fearing their players, then that's not really going to work," he said.

"We have had decent results this season where we have scored more than three goals, and being at home helps us. There's still that sense of belief, but we know it's going to be hard. But anything is possible, especially at Anfield."

Information from Reuters was used in this report.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba wants to leave Old Trafford this summer and is determined to push for a move even if the club refuses to sell him, sources have told ESPN FC.

Pogba, who joined from Juventus for a then-record €100 million three years ago, is under contract at United until June 2021, with an option for an extra year which could be triggered solely by the club.

- Marcotti: Man United's players deserve scrutiny. So does Solskjaer

However, sources have told ESPN FC that, with United failing to qualify for next season's Champions League and in need of a rebuild following a shambolic end to the season, the 2018 World Cup winner wants a new challenge, with his agent, Mino Raiola, likely to begin talking to the United hierarchy once the Premier League season is over next week.

United's stance publicly is that the Paris native is not for sale at any price, though they have privately valued him at €160m in case they ever open the door for a move. Real Madrid, who are the only club Pogba is considering joining, will try to lower a potential transfer fee to around €120m, sources add.

The 26-year-old midfielder said back in March that he dreams of playing for the Spanish giants before adding that he was happy at United. However, things have turned sour since.

A possible move to Barcelona last summer was thwarted by United executive chairman Ed Woodward, who, sources say, still doesn't want to lose Pogba who is seen as instrumental in the club's marketing plans and on the pitch. But the fear for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in keeping a top player who doesn't want to be at the club.

United's form has dipped dramatically in the league, culminating in their failure to finish in the Prem's top four. And their 1-1 draw at Huddersfield at the weekend was one of their worst performances of the season.

Pogba's displays have equally hit a low in the past two months after a superb revival following Jose Mourinho's dismissal and Solskjaer's appointment in December. His frustration bubbled over last month when, following United's 2-0 Manchester derby defeat to City, he refused to speak to French media for fear he might say something he'd regret.

News of his desire to leave comes two days after his brother, Florentin Pogba, told Spanish newspaper AS that "things will happen in the summer" regarding his brother.

After another action-packed weekend in soccer, Gab Marcotti reflects on the big talking points in his latest edition of Monday Musings.

Jump to: A reckoning for Man United | Barca rest vs. Celta Vigo | LFC won't give up | Dortmund blow the league | PSG keep spiralling | Sarri a success | Atalanta's dream continues | Bayern close in on title | Inter are a mess | Real begin prep for next season | Give Pochettino some credit | Quagliarella better with age | Bas Dost Watch

A reckoning ahead for Man United?

It was predictable that there would be apocalyptic reactions to Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Huddersfield on Sunday. When you have tons at stake and you muddle through a game, dropping points to a team that were relegated a month ago and lost 22 of their previous 24 matches, something is seriously wrong.

The two dropped points mean United can't qualify for next season's Champions League and that, reportedly, means across-the-board 25 percent pay cuts for most of the squad. Incidentally, while Ed Woodward has taken a ton of abuse for the way he has run the club, he deserves credit for this wage-reduction clause. Not because it somehow incentivizes the players to do better -- obviously, that didn't work -- but because it protects the club against lost Champions League revenue, which could be anywhere between £50-100 million. The automatic reduction should save United around £50m, and that buffer gives you further latitude in the way you operate this summer.

-- The worst is yet to come for Man United
-- Sanchez has been a disaster
-- Keep/Dump: What will Man United look like next season?

This plays into the narrative whereby United's players simply aren't good enough to compete and will be gone, a line Ole Gunnar Solskjaer himself took after the match when he said, "There's a chance you've seen the last of [some] players."

The problem with that logic is that this is the same group of players that finished second last season under Jose Mourinho, which means either Mourinho was some kind of overachieving genius or dumping everything on the playing squad is a bit unfair. Not to mention the fact that it clashes with the other bit of conventional wisdom, the one whereby Mourinho's unsmiling negativity ruined an otherwise gifted squad, whereas Solskjaer's positivity and appreciation for the club's heritage freed them up and led them to great things, namely 10 wins and a draw in his first 11 games in charge.

Of course, that theory is now being questioned too given that Solskjaer has won just two of his last 11 games and, in fact, hasn't played well since the 2-0 defeat at Arsenal two months ago. For those keeping track at home, Solskjaer's record through 28 games -- even with the boost of his stellar start -- is 16 wins, four draws and eight defeats. That's only somewhat better than Mourinho's record through his last 28 games in charge: 11 wins, eight draws, nine defeats.

United, for reasons only they understand, gave Solskjaer a deal through 2022 in April, rather than waiting for the end of the campaign and answering those most basic of questions. Are we moving in the right direction? Is he giving us an identity? Do we have faith he can go to the next level?

Just why they were in such a rush to commit remains a great mystery. Solskjaer has a ton of mitigating factors that he can cite, but what you're left with is a side that changes regularly in terms of personnel and formation, a place where things seem to be done via trial and error, whether it's Juan Mata in the hole or the three-man defence.

Maybe Solskjaer will turn it around next year. Maybe the commentariat, in venting their venom on the players, is simply overreacting to a game in which Paul Pogba hit the woodwork twice. Maybe this "burn-it-all-down" attitude is simply a bunch of knees jerking in unison. But you get the increasing impression that Solskjaer might have simply been a short-term, crowd-pleasing gamble. And when folks are done blaming the players, Woodward, Mourinho's legacy, the Glazers and whoever else, he will be held to account.

Barca phone it in ahead of trip to Anfield

When Jasper Cillessen is your captain and you include, at best, two guys who have a shot at playing in the return leg of the Champions League at Anfield this week, you know it's not going to be the real thing. Thus a Barcelona side stuffed with youngsters (Carles Alena, Moussa Wague, Jean-Clair Todibo, Riqui Puig) and second-stringers (Malcom, Thomas Vermaelen and, of course, Kevin Prince Boateng) fell 2-0 away to Celta Vigo.

-- Messi is Barca's diva in the best possible way

You'd imagine it's the sort of performance that won't be appreciated in Valladolid or Girona -- clubs who thought they were competing with Celta to avoid the drop -- but the reality is that Barcelona earned the right to do this by winning the title with weeks to spare. More of a concern is that one of the two potential starters who was on the pitch, Ousmane Dembele, went down after six minutes. Barcelona say it's a hamstring injury, which is a greater blow than you might think: Dembele is the one guy to guarantee flat-out pace and directness in their front three.

Liverpool should be proud no matter how season ends

Nevermind the fact that the winner came from a free kick that should never have been given (yes, Fabinho won it through guile, trickery and good old-fashioned throw-yourself-to-the-ground-and-fool-the-ref). Liverpool's resilience in battling to a 3-2 win over Newcastle to keep the title race alive into the last day of the season is something to behold.

-- Liverpool's heroics still might not be enough
-- Expect the Reds to fight to the end

That they are doing this while, in parallel, finding themselves within 90 minutes of a European Cup final is all the more remarkable. It boggles the mind that they may well finish with the third-highest points total in Premier League history and end the campaign empty-handed.

Here's hoping that if this does come to pass, the "show us your medals" brigade will learn a lesson and shut up. You don't evaluate a team's work -- nor a manager's work -- just by whether or not they won a title. This held true for Maurizio Sarri at Napoli last season, and it holds true for Klopp this year.

But yeah, I'm not holding my breath on that one...

Dortmund are finished in title race

Borussia Dortmund played their "get out of jail free" card last week when, after frittering away a lead and getting beaten 4-2 at home by Schalke, Bayern contrived to draw with Nurnberg to keep the gap between them at the top of the Bundesliga to just two points.

This week, their profligacy was punished. With Marco Reus suspended, they found themselves 2-0 up at half-time away to Werder Bremen only to concede twice in the last 20 minutes through two individual errors, first from Roman Burki, then Manuel Akanji. It's pretty much "Game Over" now.

That said, we need to give a shout-out to the man who notched the equalizer for Bremen: Claudio Pizarro. The man turns 41 in October and is his club's fifth-leading goal scorer. He's a testament to professionalism and longevity.

PSG continue to spiral as season winds down

Paris Saint-Germain's 1-1 home draw with Nice means they've now won just one of their last seven games in all competitions. The last time that happened was 2010-11, before the Qatari takeover. It would have been a different story if Edinson Cavani had not seen his penalty saved, but the fact remains: This is a horrendous end to the season, and the fact that they have won Ligue 1 by a huge margin does little to mitigate this.

Thomas Tuchel and sporting director Antero Henrique have come under heavy criticism, though both are likely to be back (Tuchel's contract has been renewed already) despite the disappointment of a campaign that's seen PSG win just one title. There were even (frankly implausible) rumours that the Qatari owners were ready to divest. And, of course, further Financial Fair Play restrictions could be around the corner.

Amid all the woe and chaos, there remain some incontrovertible facts. Even if Qatar does pull out (and they strenuously deny they will), they will leave behind a global brand, a new training ground and an expanded Parc des Princes, all of it located in one of the world's great cities. The ingredients for long-term success will still be there, all the more so if they stay. What they likely need most is some clear-thinking in their team-building and a succession plan if/when the likes of Cavani, Neymar and/or Kylian Mbappe move on.

Sarri's been a success at Chelsea

Chelsea undoubtedly took advantage of late-season collapses from Manchester Untied, Tottenham and Arsenal to sneak into the Champions League. But if they better Tottenham's result on the last day of the season, they'll finish third, while reaching a League Cup final (and losing it on penalty kicks) and at least a Europa League semifinal. And, lest we forget, Chelsea have finished higher than third just twice since 2011.

Sarri's brand of football isn't for everyone, and, yes, they are miles behind Manchester City and Liverpool (but, hey, go look where Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp finished in their first seasons in charge). But he hit his targets despite taking over late, despite uncertainty over the future of Eden Hazard and Callum Hudson-Odoi at the club, despite radically overhauling the playing style and despite getting N'Golo Kante to learn a new role: a cardinal sin in the eyes of the punditocracy.

In other words, he delivered on his brief.

Atalanta's dream season continues

For most of the 2018-19 season, we were waiting for the wheels to come off Atalanta's bandwagon. Instead, they went and won away to Lazio this weekend, 3-1, leaping to fourth in the Serie A table just one point behind Inter.

What sets them apart is the way they're overachieving: It's not down to staunch defending, but all-out attack. Nobody in Serie A has been more prolific this season and nobody in any of Europe's Big Five leagues has scored more on the road. That front three of Alejandro "Papu" Gomez, Duvan Zapata and the magnificent Josip Ilicic has given opponents fits, but this is a front-foot-forward team up and down the side.

It's a credit to the coach, Gian Piero Gasperini, a guy who had his big shot in the past (at Inter) but wasn't able to seize the opportunity. Nearly eight years later, he may well be headed back to the Champions League, except it looks like it may just be with Atalanta.

Bayern edge toward another title

Bayern Munich took a giant step toward the Bundesliga crown -- their seventh in a row -- by beating up nearly relegated Hannover, 3-1. Coupled with Borussia Dortmund's draw in Bremen, it leaves them four points clear with two games to go. They could wrap up the title next Saturday in Leipzig.

In some ways, it was a reflection of their season. Nothing spectacular and even ponderous at times, yet enough to bend the opposition to their will. The fact that Niko Kovac is on the verge of delivering the Double is quite extraordinary when you consider where this team was back in December.

It's pretty evident that this team needs something new in the final third. With Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben leaving -- and possibly James Rodriguez too -- they will have plenty of wiggle room in the wage bill to add what they need.

Inter are a mess

Inter's penchant for self-destruction continued with a 0-0 draw away to Udinese. It was another bland, unimaginative performance that saw coach Luciano Spalletti renew his schtick postgame: He felt the tactical set-up was spot on, but he was disappointed in Keita Balde Diao and Antonio Candreva when they came on late. He felt his wide men should have beaten his opponents, he felt more chances should have been created in the final third and, when asked how you improve performances in the final third, he said, "You improve the players in the final third."

Okeydoke. It's the players' fault, not the manager's. Roger that.

You know where this is heading. If they finish third, Spalletti will point to the "improvement" over last season when they grabbed fourth place on the final day of the season. If they finish fourth, he'll say it's an achievement because the Champions League was so taxing. If they finish fifth, it will be the fault of the Champions League for exhausting his squad.

Meanwhile, Mauro Icardi's world gets nuttier. At a time when you'd expect him to buckle down and prove his critics wrong, he opts for a near-NSFW photoshoot in the company of his agent.

Inter will be Inter. (Still, the lion tattoo is kinda cool...)

Zidane, Real begin prepping for next season

With nothing left at stake in terms of results, you can almost consider Real Madrid's final games of the campaign as a sort of permanent audition for next season. That's why there is less to read into the results than there is in the performances and the choices Zinedine Zidane makes.

Gareth Bale wasn't even on the bench for the 3-2 win over Villarreal, and when asked about it, Zizou said, "Well, somebody needs to sit out." It may be that Zidane knows everything there is to know about the Welshman, so there is no point in giving him playing time. Or it may be that this is part of the attempt to give him a taste of what next season may bring, perhaps in an effort to get him to move elsewhere.

Give Pochettino some credit despite defeat

Barring an improbable collapse on the last day of the season -- an Arsenal win, a Spurs defeat at home to Everton and an eight-goal swing in goal difference -- Tottenham will also qualify for the Champions League.

It will no doubt be overshadowed by their poor end-of-season form (five defeats in their last six, including defeat at Bournemouth Saturday), but when you consider the rash of injuries, the lack of signings in the summer, a wage bill dwarfed by the other top-six clubs and their run to the Champions League semifinal -- and no, it ain't over yet -- anybody still questioning Mauricio Pochettino's credentials because he hasn't "won anything" is either saying it in bad faith or is simply ignorant.

He's not perfect -- no manager is -- but to hold it together for this long and still deliver a top-four finish is quite simply remarkable.

Quagliarella gets better with age

Fabio Quagliarella bagged two goals in Sampdoria's 3-3 draw away to Parma, extending his lead at the top of the Serie A scorers' table. He has 25; Duvan Zapata has 22 and Cristiano Ronaldo and Krzysztof Piatek are on 21. It's far and away the most prolific season of his career, and the fact that he had it at age 36 is downright weird. (Or maybe not: He did have the benefit of eight penalty kicks, and last season was the second-most-prolific to date.)

It also means that, barring an unlikely goal flurry in the final three games -- I said "unlikely," not "impossible," as you don't want to put anything past him -- Ronaldo won't achieve the distinction of winning the scoring title in three separate leagues. Not this year, anyway...

And finally...

Bas Dost scored late on for Sporting in their 8-1 away win at Belenenses. Having missed 10 weeks of the season, he nevertheless has 15 goals in 20 league appearances. Overall, he has 22 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions.

This concludes the latest installment of #BasDostWatch.

The two best teams in Major League Soccer in 2018 were Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls. The former won MLS Cup at home in front of 70,000 fans. The latter collected the Supporters' Shield, setting a points record in the process. Then there were the Portland Timbers, who successfully navigated the Western Conference playoffs and reached the MLS Cup Final.

All three have been bad in 2019.

And so this week shall be dubbed "Revivalry Week." The Red Bulls engineered a statement win against LA, Atlanta bossed Sporting, and Portland rattled off a third straight win on the road.

They're back. Maybe. It's still MLS.

Previous rankings: Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (7 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

Bob Bradley's team was shut out for just the second time this season in what can only be called a "weird" goalless draw against Chicago on Saturday. The Fire defended well, but LAFC's failure to win at home for the first time in 2019 was more due to poor finishing than anything else.

2. Houston Dynamo (6-1-1)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at Seattle, 10 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

A questionable penalty call and a well-worked Mauro Manotas goal off a counter-attack led the Dynamo to a victory in the first Texas Derby match of the year. El Capitan might still be in Frisco, but thanks to Alberth Elis and Manotas, the men in orange have one hand on the cannon.

3. LA Galaxy (7-1-2)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, at Columbus, 7:30 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The much-improved Galaxy defense glitched a bit in New Jersey, where the Red Bulls put three past David Bingham. It seems a little odd that the Galaxy worked so hard to pull off the transfer of Giancarlo Gonzalez a month ago, only for the Costa Rica international to be rooted to the bench.

4. Seattle Sounders (5-4-1)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, vs. Houston, 10 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The post was Seattle's enemy on Saturday in Minnesota. Whether it was bad luck or a lack of accuracy, the Sounders left St. Paul with one point instead of three after hitting the woodwork twice in the second half. It's hardly a reason for panic, but Seattle's run of three straight draws has dropped them down to fourth place in the West.

5. Philadelphia Union (6-2-3)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at Toronto, 3 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

What a week for Jim Curtin's team. With six points in hand, the Union are now top of the Eastern Conference on a tiebreaker. While it's worth keeping in mind that while the Union played two very bad teams this week and the East is weaker than expected, sitting in first place 11 games into the season is a big feat for a club used to being in the basement.

6. D.C. United (6-2-3)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 12, vs. Sporting KC, 7 p.m. ET

After weeks of finding it difficult to score, the Black and Red dropped three on Columbus in a home win Saturday. "Dropped" might be a bit kind, though, since one was a penalty, one came from a chaotic set piece and one took a kind deflection. A win is a win, however, especially when it's the first home victory since mid-March.

7. Toronto FC (5-1-2)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, at Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

Tip of the cap to Jonathan Osorio, who, clearly tired of Toronto FC failing to create chances as a team, took it upon himself to embarrass multiple Orlando City defenders on his way to scoring the Reds' opener on Saturday. Toronto won't be comfortable without Jozy Altidore in the lineup, but Osorio is capable of picking up the slack.

8. FC Dallas (5-2-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, vs. Red Bulls, 2 p.m. ET

Luchi Gonzalez's team was missing Paxton Pomykal in Houston, and it showed. Without the young midfielder's passing abilities in the middle, FC Dallas struggled to create scoring opportunities. When they did put the ball in the net, VAR took it off the board. Santiago Mosquera sure didn't look offside (clear and obvious?) from here.

9. Minnesota United (4-3-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The Loons are still undefeated at Allianz Field, but draws can't be satisfying when Minnesota needs those home performances to deliver three points. A rate of one rendition of Wonderwall every four games is not the kind of record that will push United into the playoffs for the first time.

10. New York City FC (3-6-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at LA Galaxy, 4 p.m. ET (live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes)

Picking up points in six straight games is good, no matter the type of result. Give NYCFC and Dome Torrent some credit for the streak, even if collecting so many draws means that the club sits in fifth place in the East instead of higher up the table. Next week's home date against the Galaxy is a massive game for the Pigeons.

11. Montreal Impact (5-2-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, at Red Bulls, 8 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The Impact played better than the look at the surface at Stade Saputo, but that's not saying much. Remi Garde's team has weathered the Ignacio Piatti-less period fairly well but cleary miss the Argentine attacker. With no clear timetable on his return, it might be time to worry.

12. Columbus Crew (4-1-5)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, vs. LA Galaxy, 7.30 p.m. (live on ESPN+)

Another week that will surely have coach Caleb Porter shaking his head. Losing 3-1 to D.C. and getting just two shots on target isn't the kind of thing you expect from a team that should be a shoe-in for a playoff spot.

13. Orlando City (3-3-4)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 12, vs. Atlanta, 2.30 p.m.

The Lions were blanked for the first time this season at home against Toronto, a dispiriting effort for a club still stuck just on the wrong side of "good." There's no such thing as a head of steam for a team like Orlando, where the talent level makes the margins between a good result and a bad one very small.

14. New York Red Bulls (3-2-4)

Previous ranking: 17

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, vs. Montreal, 8 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

Nothing is ever simple, so let's not get ahead of ourselves with the idea that the Red Bulls are suddenly good again. Narratives are nice but not necessarily real. Still, Chris Armas' team has a winning streak now, and there's no reason a win over LA (without Bradley Wright-Phillips or Kaku) won't be a massive confidence boost.

15. Real Salt Lake (3-1-6)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at Colorado, 9 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The game was there for RSL, but Albert Rusnak's saved penalty gave the Timbers a chance to grab the lead first. When that happened, the home side couldn't find a way back. Real Salt Lake is now 2-0-2 at home, a distressing record for a team that won't have much cushion when it comes to getting into the postseason.

16. Atlanta United (3-2-3)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, vs. Toronto, 7 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

United's best showing to date in 2019 sets up a fascinating match on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Toronto FC. Save for Sporting's injury problems, the biggest reason for Atlanta's back-to-best showing on Sunday night was the play of Ezequiel Barco. Too bad the Argentine will be away at the U-20 World Cup starting on Monday.

17. Portland Timbers (3-1-5)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: Friday, May 10, at Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

Three straight wins on the road for the Timbers, a team that is still three weeks away from their home opener at the expanded Providence Park. The club also executed a transfer move at the deadline, snagging Necaxa striker Brian Fernandez to add more scoring punch.

18. Chicago Fire (2-4-4)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, vs. New England, 8 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The Fire picked up what might be the most impressive road point of any MLS team in 2019 with a draw at Banc of California Stadium. Sure, they did it by sitting deep and fouling the best team in the league repeatedly -- not to mention with plenty of luck and emergency defending -- but nobody makes the playoffs on style alone.

19. San Jose Earthquakes (3-2-5)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, at New England, 7.30 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The "Almeyda-lution" (working title) continued with a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati, though the win was much more difficult than San Jose manager Matias Almeyda would have liked. Holding on to a one goal lead over the course of 40 minutes while playing down a man is impressive for a team early on in the transition to the man-marking system.

20. Sporting Kansas City (2-4-3)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: Sunday, May 12, vs. DC United, 7 p.m. ET

Sporting is a depleted team, and it showed against Atlanta. Things were so bad in Kansas City this week that Peter Vermes had to cancel training due to a lack of players. They were able to get their game in against Atlanta on Sunday, but maybe it would have been better just to cancel the thing.

21. Vancouver Whitecaps (1-3-5)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: Friday, May 10, vs. Portland, 10 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

The 'Caps did just enough to capitalize on the Rapids' rough week with a win on the road in Commerce City, though letting Colorado back in the game at all doesn't speak well to Vancouver's discipline. Marc Dos Santos' team will need a few more wins against better teams to get credit for real improvement.

22. FC Cincinnati (2-2-7)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, vs. Montreal, 1 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

If it's possible for the wheels to come off in an expansion season, then the wheels have come off for FC Cincinnati. FCC is on a five-game losing streak and hasn't won in seven games. Following a midweek loss in Philly, Alan Koch lamented the quality of his roster. That's an "uh oh" moment.

23. New England Revolution (2-2-7)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: Wednesday, May 8, at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

Womp womp. Or should we say: Womp, womp, womp, womp, womp ... and womp. Losing 6-1 to a resurgent Philly side should be rock-bottom, but it's hard to tell when it comes to the Revs.

24. Colorado Rapids (0-2-8)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: Saturday, May 11, vs. RSL, 9 p.m. ET (live on ESPN+)

No new manager bump for the Rapids. It was pretty much the same for Colorado in the first game after Anthony Hudson's departure: chaotic, undisciplined, entertaining, but ultimately disappointing. The undisciplined part came from Diego Rubio, who will get a timeout after failing to keep his hands to himself.

MANCHESTER, England, -- Manchester City moved back top of the Premier League with a nerve-shredding 1-0 victory over Leicester City. Pep Guardiola's side were struggling to find the breakthrough until a stunning 30-yard strike in the 70th minute from captain Vincent Kompany rescued a remarkable win.

Positives

One match, one victory required and City will be Premier League champions. With the tension growing inside the Etihad Stadium and knowing that any slip-up would hand Liverpool the advantage in the title race, they found a way to get the job done. The breakthrough came through an unlikely source but City had found a way to win their previous 12 Premier League matches and they somehow did it again.

Negatives

Despite scoring more goals than any other English side in a season ever before tonight's game, they found it incredibly difficult to create too many chances against a very well-organised Leicester side as the tension appeared to get to them at times. Brighton will be even more negative on the final day of the season and City must maintain their composure to avoid any final-day catastrophe.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- Starting Phil Foden in City's last home game against Tottenham proved a masterstroke but the 18-year-old found it difficult to impose himself on this game with the hard work and energy in front of Leicester's back four. But with City struggling to find a breakthrough, Pep Guardiola turned to Leroy Sane 10 minutes into the second half and City looked more of a threat. His other big call was to choose Kompany as the centre-back to partner Aymeric Laporte -- mainly for his experience, not necessarily his ability to smash in goals from 30 yards!

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Ederson, 7 -- Controlled his box comfortably and was alert to balls over the top.

DF Kyle Walker, 7 -- Great energy moving forward and largely dealt with the threat of James Maddison on the wing.

DF Vincent Kompany, 9 -- Solid defensively but for a couple of typically rash challenges. Then there was his majestic and all-important strike.

DF Aymeric Laporte, 7 -- Composed performance and spread the play with his rasping crossfield passes.

DF Oleksandr Zinchenko, 6 -- Didn't know whether to stick or twist against Marc Albrighton, who played high up the pitch, but improved in the second half as City began to dominate possession.

MF Ilkay Gundogan, 8 -- Tough job with the threat of Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi playing through the middle well but stuck to his task well and kept his composure as the pressure grew.

FW Phil Foden, 6 -- Plenty of energy but he struggled to make as big an impact as in his previous match-winning performance against Spurs.

MF David Silva, 6 -- Tried to thread some balls through the organised Foxes defence but couldn't quite work his magic.

FW Bernardo Silva, 8 -- Big threat all night with his quick feet and non-stop action and had the highly rated Ben Chilwell tied up in knots.

FW Sergio Aguero, 7 -- Almost found the breakthrough with a header that struck the underside of the bar and was denied by a brilliant save from Kasper Schmeichel.

FW Raheem Sterling, 6 -- Found it difficult to find space to make the impact that has made him a matchwinner all season. Was more of a threat in the second period.

Substitutes

FW Leroy Sane, 6 -- Stretched Leicester by staying wide and using his pace.

FW Gabriel Jesus, N/R -- Late change to chase everything in the final five minutes.

DF John Stones, N/R -- Injury-time switch to ensure nothing slipped.

Worcestershire 353 for 6 (Wessels 130, Ferguson 103*) beat Derbyshire 351 for 9 (Reece 128, Madsen 113) by four wickets

A brutal assault from Riki Wessels led an impressive run-chase that swept Worcestershire to a four-wicket victory over Derbyshire and a home quarter-final of the Royal London Cup.

Wessels smashed 11 sixes in his 130 from 62 balls before Callum Ferguson's perfectly paced unbeaten 103 from 95 balls eased his side to their 352 target.

Luis Reece with 128 and Wayne Madsen 113 put on 222 to lift the Falcons to 351 for 9 but Wessels and Ferguson carried the visitors to 353 for 6 with 10 balls to spare.

Pat Brown had Billy Godleman caught behind in the first over but that was the Rapids' last success for 31 overs as Madsen and Reece took the bowling apart.

Josh Tongue conceded 40 from his first four overs and was twice ramped for six by Madsen who became the first Derbyshire batsmen to score 3,000 List A runs for 14 years.

Madsen also drove Brett D'Oliveira over the long-on boundary on his way to a 87th ball century - his sixth in List A cricket - which contained nine fours and four sixes while Reece reached his first 50-over hundred from 88 balls.

Worcestershire had bowled out the opposition for under 150 in their previous two games but they failed to apply any pressure until the Falcons had passed 250.

Madsen was caught behind driving at Ross Whiteley but the Falcons still had 400 in their sights until the innings stalled with the wickets of Tom Lace and Reece in consecutive overs.

Reece drove Wayne Parnell to long on and after Matt Critchley was run out, it was left to Alex Hughes with 43 from 31 balls to get Derbyshire up to 350.

It was still a tough chase but Wessels tore into the bowling, pulling Logan van Beek for three sixes on his way to a 31-ball 50.

He then pulled and drove Mark Watt for three consecutive sixes in an over that cost 26 and dispatched Alex Hughes for two more before his sixth four took him to a 47 ball hundred.

Tom Fell made 49 out of the opening stand of 152 before he played across Hughes and the Falcons finally got Wessels in the 23rd over when he pulled Matt Critchley to wide long on where van Beek took a running catch.

But he had put the Rapids in a strong position and although Ferguson faced 34 balls before he hit a boundary, he reached 50 from 59 to bring the target down to 79 from 10 overs.

He hit Watt for consecutive sixes and although Ben Cox was caught behind off Ravi Rampaul, Ferguson cruised to a 91-ball century that competed a highly impressive chase.

Leicestershire 340 (Taylor 98*, Ackermann 74, Dearden 69) beat Warwickshire 304 (Yates 66, Taylor 3-58) by 36 runs

All-rounder Tom Taylor made a career-best unbeaten 98, took three wickets, effected a run-out and held on to two fine catches as Leicestershire ended their Royal London Cup campaign with victory over Warwickshire.

Foxes' skipper Colin Ackermann chose to bat after winning the toss, and although triallist George Munsey went quickly, bowled off the inside edge by Oliver Hannon-Dalby, fellow opener Harry Dearden took full advantage of a series of wide and over-pitched deliveries, hitting eleven boundaries, almost all through the off side, in going to a half-century off just 34 balls.

Warwickshire captain Jeetan Patel turned to spin to slow the scoring rate, and was rewarded when Alex Thomson deceived Mark Cosgrove with an arm-ball that hurried inside a defensive push to hit the left-hander's leg stump.

Patel himself then produced the delivery of the day, straightening the ball past Dearden's outside edge to remove the left-hander's off stump, and Warwickshire continued to make inroads, first when Lewis Hill lifted a short ball from Craig Miles high into the hands of third man, and then when Ateeq Javid was run out by Miles at the non-striker's end after being sent back by a late call from Ackermann.

Ackermann himself looked set to register what would have been his third century in the competition this season, but on 74 skied an attempt to hit Patel through the off-side, and was caught by Will Rhodes at backward point.

At 222 for 6 the Foxes' innings was in danger of petering out, but with spinners Thomson and Patel having bowled their allotted spells, Taylor ensured the momentum did not falter, launching into the seamers and hitting eight fours in going to a half-century off 34 balls.

The 24-year-old received good support from Ben Mike and then Callum Parkinson as he passed his previous List A best of 59, and then charged towards three figures. With Taylor on 98 however, Hannon-Dalby deflected his straight drive on to the stumps at the non-striker's end, running out Parkinson, and in the following over Mohammad Abbas could not get his bat on a full, straight delivery from George Panayi, leaving Taylor stranded.

Warwickshire's response began promisingly, openers Ed Pollock and Dom Sibley hitting 70 off the first ten overs before Sibley, back on his stumps, was leg before to a full, in-swinging delivery from left arm seamer Klein.

Pollock hit seven fours and a six in going to his first half-century of the season in 47 balls before being bowled by left-arm spinner Parkinson, pushing forward to a nicely flighted delivery that went on to hit off stump, and Will Rhodes holed out to Taylor at long-off off the part-time off-spin of Javid.

The key dismissal, however, was that of Rob Yates, who was batting with impressive maturity and assurance on debut for Warwickshire, and had gone to 66 when he turned for a tight second run and found his path inadvertently blocked by bowler Ben Mike. Dodging around Mike cost the 19-year-old Yates a vital moment and his dive to beat Taylor's throw was unsuccessful.

Thereafter there was a good effort from Liam Banks, and Craig Miles and Patel hit out bravely in the final overs, but scoreboard pressure told, and an excellent catch above his head on the midwicket boundary to dismiss Miles completed Taylor's outstanding day.

Nottinghamshire 328 for 9 (Patel 136*, Moores 69) beat Northamptonshire (Vasconcelos 74. Keogh, Cobb 63, Wakely 53) by one wicket

Samit Patel's masterful century saw Nottinghamshire chase 326 to beat Northamptonshire by just one wicket at Wantage Road. In so doing, they sealed top spot in the North Group and secured a home semi-final in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

At 116 for 5 in the 25th over, Notts were slipping to defeat but Patel made a career-best unbeaten 136 to bring the Outlaws home with three balls to spare in front of a bumper Bank Holiday crowd.

Fifty-nine more runs were needed from 30 balls when Patel stepped down the pitch to punch Josh Cobb over his head for four, before cutting Nathan Buck past point for his 10th boundary to go to his eighth List A century.

He cut Ben Sanderson just past the wicketkeeper for another boundary and punched the same bowler over his head. Another edge, trying to cut Buck, flew over the wicketkeeper again to leave 12 needed from the final over. Patel then heaved Sanderson over square leg for six, drove a boundary past point and lifted the winning runs over the same fielder.

Tom Moores also played an important part in the comeback, sharing 111 with Patel for the sixth wicket. With 139 needed in 15 overs, Moores heaved Ian Holland for consecutive sixes over long-on in making 69 from 55 balls before swinging Sanderson to deep midwicket.

Before that partnership, Notts looked destined for the play-offs as the top-order all failed. Alex Hales, on his comeback after his suspension for a second failed drugs test, crashed several cuts either side of point but in attempting to guide Luke Procter to third man, chopped into his own stumps for 36 and left Notts 74 for 4 in the 15th over.

That was after Sanderson had nipped a delivery through Joe Clarke to take out his off stump for 7 in the second over. Chris Nash then clipped Buck to short midwicket before, next ball, Ben Duckett - back at his former home, having made his England comeback in Cardiff on Sunday - tried to turn his first ball to leg and got a leading edge that looped to midwicket.

But Patel's tremendous innings ensured Notts are now just one win away from a return to Lord's, earning a home semi-final back at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

For most of the day, Northants looked like claiming an impressive consolation victory. Four players went past fifty after they won the toss but none converted their position into an innings of real damage and they were left short of power in the final overs.

Patel claimed two of the half-centurions as Cobb lifted him to long-off for 63 - his third fifty in the competition. He and Ricardo Vasconcelos made steady progress for the second wicket in a stand of 117 in 19.5 overs.

Vasconcelos pulled James Pattinson and swept Patel among his four boundaries in his 60-ball fifty and generally worked the bowling around with good purpose. But, trying to reverse-sweep Patel, he was lbw for 74 and walked off with several meaty slaps of bat on pad, all too aware of his error.

From 160 for 3 in the 31st over, Rob Keogh and Alex Wakely picked the innings up, injecting urgency in adding 96 in 12.2 overs.

Wakely was first to his fifty - his third of the tournament - in 38 balls with four fours and a lofted drive for six against Matt Carter's off-spin. But he chipped a Pattinson slower ball to deep-midwicket for 53. And Keogh made a run-a-ball fifty before carving Jake Ball to deep cover to fall for 71.

Afterwards, Wakely was phlegmatic about another performance that proved not quite good enough in the final analysis.

"This has been the theme all year really, playing some good cricket but not quite being good enough to win enough games," he said. "We weren't at our best with the ball but that was one of the best knocks you'll see from Samit.

"For a long time I thought, 'take one wicket and we've won' but one batsman can win you a game and Samit just played beautifully."

Patel said: "I was due for a score and needed a score really, just to put to rest a few people who might have been thinking I was past it - but I'm back.

"I think in this day and age you can score 100 from the last 10 overs and all through that was my target, ideally with wickets in hand.

"I thought Tom [Moores] took it to them and there was a shift in momentum when he was going. His was a great knock and he'll learn a lot from that.

"I always had faith and every one of us in that dressing room had the belief that we can knock those runs off, regardless of what situation we were in and we did it and can look forward to Sunday now."