Here are the latest Premier League headines for Thursday, April 7, 2022.
Hodgson's rivals warning
Watford boss Roy Hodgson is not going to overly concern himself with how the battle for Premier League survival is shaping up, but hopes to drag a few more sides into it over the run-in. Burnley's late 3-2 win over relegation rivals Everton on Wednesday night moved them above the Hornets and to with a point of safety.
Watford, who have played a match more than the sides directly above them, are three points behind Everton and eight off Leeds, who travel to Vicarage Road on Saturday. Hodgson, though, has no intention of focusing on anything other than getting the required results from his own side through the final eight games of the season.
"It (Burnley win) means we stay in touch with Everton, who are four points in front of us," Hodgson said. "We lost a bit of ground to Burnley who gained points on us, so it pushes us back a place in the table. But with eight games to go, the gap between Burnley, Everton, Watford and Norwich is not enormous.
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"It is a gap which one could actually do something about and then find yourself at the top of that group rather than the bottom of it - but the same applies for Burnley and Norwich as well as for us, we are in a fight together the four of us. It is our job to try to win that fight and hopefully drag a few more teams into it to fight with us over these last eight games.
"We are at the wrong end of the table. If we are going to survive, we have got to win games and this is another opportunity for us. We are playing at home, we play against a Leeds side who are good and they have had some very good results under the new manager Jesse Marsch. We know that to get those points, it won't be a question of what answers I give you, but it will be a question of how well the team plays when the referee blows that whistle at three o'clock."
Potter's goal defence
Brighton boss Graham Potter insisted "we're not playing basketball" as he defended his misfiring side's lack of goals. Albion have hit the net just once in their last seven Premier League outings, picking up a solitary point and sliding into the bottom half of the table in the process.
The Seagulls had 31 attempts during last weekend's frustrating goalless draw with rock-bottom Norwich but 27 were off target, including Neal Maupay's wayward first-half penalty. Potter, whose team have managed only 26 top-flight goals all season - the third lowest tally in the division, hopes that total can be boosted on Saturday during a trip to Champions League-chasing Arsenal.
"You guys (the media) speak about it a lot and I think it's normal to speak about it but football generally, as I understand the game, it's 90 minutes and it's quite low scoring," the head coach said of the lack of goals. "Generally most people have a challenge with scoring goals. That's the game of football; we're not playing basketball.
"In training you see the quality of the players but also you understand that the Premier League has Premier League defenders and it's a low scoring game. I think there are probably a handful of people that can make the difference in the Premier League, that can score and do something.
"So if there's a handful of people that means that the rest haven't got that and you have to find a way: struggle, get a bit of luck, maximise everything you can to try to score - and that's what we will try to do."
Lage's £100m Neves valuation
Bruno Lage believes Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves will cost potential suitors £100million if he is to leave Wolves. The 25-year-old is in contract talks with Wolves but has been linked with Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United. Reports on Thursday suggested that Neves is Erik Ten Hag's number one target should the Ajax boss take over at Old Trafford this summer.
"I don't know if it's Man United or other teams, what I know is we have a special player here with us," Wolves boss Lage said ahead of his side's Premier League visit to Newcastle on Friday. "What he is doing this season is very good. I think also the way we play, he can show a better Ruben, and also the way he plays puts our team on a different level.
"When you have that player, the best thing to do is improve his salary and years of contract. But who knows, when you have a top player like him in that specific position, that can defend and attack, and is a top professional and a great man, the big teams are there with £100m to buy these kinds of players."
Conte's Kane accolade
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has backed Harry Kane to become one of the best strikers in history. The England captain has reached new heights in the last two years, continuing to be prolific in front of goal while also becoming the team's best playmaker when dropping into a number 10 role.
He is on the brink of becoming his country's all-time leading goalscorer, a record he is also close to breaking at Spurs, while he has targeted breaking Alan Shearer's all-time tally in the Premier League. Conte already rates him as world class but think he can go on and have a lasting legacy.
"I think he deserves an important position in the world of football," Conte said ahead of Saturday's visit to Aston Villa. "I think Harry also he has the right age to show that he can be one of the best, best in the world but especially in history no? I think he's already in the history because he scored a lot of goals for the club and scored a lot of goals for the national team. He's the captain.
"He has the right age to consolidate and be one of the best in the world. His role, he's a number nine but at the same time he can be a number 10 because of his quality. He's very good to make assists and to put the ball where he wants. We try also to exploit this aspect and give the ball to him.
"About our team, I'm trying to improve not his quality but to be more effective, to be in the box and a striker. I repeat we're talking about a fantastic player, so it's very difficult to improve him but we're trying to work, to push him to have the top ambition to become the best striker."
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Hasenhuttl Chelsea verdict
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is not reading too much into Chelsea's Champions League humbling by Real Madrid as he prepares his squad for Saturday's clash at St Mary's Stadium. Karim Benzema plundered a hat-trick as the European champions suffered a chastening 3-1 home defeat in the first leg of their quarter-final on Wednesday night.
It was a second straight loss for the Blues, who were beaten by Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, having previously been on a six-match winning streak through all competitions. Hasenhuttl, though, is not expecting anything other than the sternest of tests from Thomas Tuchel's men.
"Real Madrid are a very good side, surprisingly good that they play in this way," Hasenhuttl said. "In the first half the way Chelsea played isn't good enough for the Champions League, Thomas knows this. The team also looked like they were affected by the home loss to Brentford, you could feel it, (they were) not so confident with everything they do.
"It is a good thing to see that the big teams are struggling sometimes - the bad thing is that this doesn't happen very often. As I know them and how they work, he (Tuchel) will be very critical with them and will try to find a reaction. I always expect the most difficult opponent, even if they win this game 3-0 and have the next game against them, that's important for them also.
"A Premier League game against Chelsea is always important to us, especially as I know it's not easy coming here. I think it will be a tough game, tough fight and we'll try to make it as tough for them as possible."
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