That’s about it for today folks. Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend!
Will Leeds stay up? It’s becoming a bit hairy again with Burnley on the up and Everton beating Chelsea last weekend.
However, Jonathan Liew says new boss Jesse Marsch has the appetite for a relegation fight.
* Join Jonathan Liew on 24 May as he leads a panel with Andy Cole and more to discuss the role Black British footballers have played both on and off the pitch. Book a ticket here.
Updated
Jürgen Klopp was asked about Luis Diaz in his press conference today. Here’s what he had to say about the Colombian attacker, who scored the second goal in Liverpool’s 3-2 win away to Villarreal in midweek.
“An unbelievable impact, clear. There’s enough space in each squad in the world for a world-class player – that’s what Luis is, that’s why we were so desperate to get him and that’s why we were so happy that we could get him. It makes all the difference.
“If you go through our games in the Champions League when we played Porto, he was still there, so it’s a really strange situation. Now he goes with us to the final, which is absolutely outstanding. You could see what it means to him.
“Yes, involving an outstanding player is good for each squad and was good for us, definitely – not only because we had the African Cup when the boys were not here, but because of that as well. Thank God we made that decision because it helped everywhere.
“It’s so much up to him more than it was to other players maybe because he communicates with everybody without really speaking the language. OK, we have the Spanish faction, that’s no problem, they are really close and they helped him so much – Thiago, Fab, Ali, Bobby, all these kind of guys, Adrian is great in these aspects. But he’s really close with Curtis, he’s really close with Harvey – I have no idea how they talk, to be honest. On an emotional basis, they are like this [locks fingers] and they were after a week and it’s really strange. But it’s up to him.”
Crystal Palace v Watford: Our preview of the Roy Hodgson derby. Roy will get a warm welcome but perhaps nothing else.
Updated
The Fiver: It’s here and it features David Moyes.
Under law 24b, paragraph 7, if the ball is there to be hit then it’s absolutely fine to belt it at anyone’s face. pic.twitter.com/kUQBNNiBDL
— Max Rushden 💙 (@maxrushden) May 6, 2022
“Oh come on. You try summat and that’s....
“Erm, thanks David.”
Updated
Crawley part ways with John Yems
A bit of breaking news and League Two Crawley have “mutually agreed” to part ways with manager John Yems with immediate effect.
Crawley suspended Yems two weeks ago after reports that he presided over a culture of racist abuse.
“We’re looking forward to the next era of Crawley Town Football Club,” said Preston Johnson, co-chairman of Crawley Town FC.
“We have an opportunity to build on more than 125 years of rich history and take this club to the next level. We’re eager to partner with our players and supporters as we build a team and community that Red Devils fans can continue to be proud of — both on and off the pitch.”
Assistant manager Lewis Young will continue to serve as interim manager for the remainder of the current season.
Updated
Chelsea v Wolves: A team news update and Chelsea will be without N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.
The influential midfielders remain sidelined with minor injuries so will not feature at Stamford Bridge.
Callum Hudson-Odoi continues to battle a back complaint, with Ben Chilwell a long-term absentee after knee surgery.
For Wolves, it remains to be seen if there is any involvement for Daniel Podence, who has missed three games due to a foot issue but done some training ahead of this fixture.
Nelson Semedo will not play again this season after coming off injured in last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Brighton, and Max Kilman is sidelined by an ankle problem.
(PA Media)
West Ham: Declan Rice got very hot under the collar in the loss to Eintracht Frankfurt last night but Hammers boss David Moyes is playing the “it shows how much he cares” card.
Here’s the incident and Max Rushden’s take.
Declan rice is a brilliant player. But this isn’t great. Blatant red card. They weren’t good enough either leg. Great shame - they just didn’t quite turn up. But also hilarious how Sunday league this chat is. pic.twitter.com/vCsZCCcNyD
— Max Rushden 💙 (@maxrushden) May 6, 2022
From PA Media:
David Moyes insists Declan Rice’s foul-mouthed rant during which he accused Europa League referee Jesus Gil Manzano of corruption shows how much West Ham’s players care.
Hammers captain Rice was filmed berating the Spanish official in the tunnel after his side suffered semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening.
The Premier League club were denied a first European final in 46 years following a 1-0 loss in Germany, which resulted in a 3-1 aggregate defeat.
Rice’s post-match remarks to Manzano were were captured by America TV company Fox Sports, with footage circulating on social media.
“Ref, ref, it’s so poor, all night, it’s so bad,” said the England midfielder.
“How can you be that bad, honestly? You’ve probably been f****** paid. F****** corruption.”
West Ham do not intend to comment on the incident until receiving the referee’s report.
Manager Moyes – who was sent-off during the match for kicking a ball at a ball boy – felt it demonstrated the passion within his squad and was also aggrieved at the standard of officiating.
“It just shows you how much all the players cared,” the Scotsman said on Friday afternoon.
“We all cared very much last night. We felt as if we had been treated quite badly overall and that is what happens.
“If you know about football, everybody is emotional so unless you’re in the heat of it sometimes people don’t understand how it feels.
“Last night, we had a group of players who were really connected, trying to win the game and felt it was very difficult under lots of different circumstances.”
West Ham had Aaron Cresswell sent off after just 19 minutes at Deutsche Bank Park and conceded the only goal of the evening to Rafael Borre just seven minutes later.
Defender Cresswell, who pulled down Jens Petter Hauge as he attempted to go through on goal, was initially shown a yellow card but it was upgraded to a red after a video assistant referee review.
Regarding Rice’s behaviour, a West Ham spokesperson said: “The club is aware of the video circulating on social media but will not be commenting further until the referee’s report from the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt has been considered.”
Chelsea v Wolves: The Blues can’t blow it, can they? Certainties for third place not so long ago, they could still miss out on a Champions League place if it all goes wrong (Chelsea 66pts, Arsenal 63pts, Tottenham 61pts) over the final four matches. Breaking: Wolves boss Bruno Lage misses the game due to a positive Covid test.
Burnley v Aston Villa: Villa have a big part to play in Burnley’s relegation fate given that they still have to play them twice while Steven Gerrard’s men are also cast in the role of kingmakers in the title race (home to Liverpool on Tuesday and away to Man City on final day). Here’s our preview of the first, erm, claretandbluesico.
Brentford v Southampton: Let’s start our match previews with two sides in the curious position of not yet being mathematically safe but still in the running for a top-half finish.
Football Weekly Extra: The latest podcast has dropped. Max Rushden is joined by Barry, Lars Sivertsen and Archie Rhind-Tutt as the Europa League and Conference League semis conclude. Colin McMillan from the Rangers podcast Heart and Hand also joins to celebrate his team reaching the Europa League final.
Take a listen!
WSL - West Ham v Arsenal: The equation is simple for Arsenal ahead of their trip to West Ham. They have to better Chelsea’s result at home to Manchester United to win their first title since 2019.
Arsenal ensured the race went to the final day with a 3-0 home win over Tottenham on Wednesday. Here’s Suzanne Wrack’s match report of that one.
WSL - Chelsea v Manchester United: Victory for Emma Hayes’ side at Kingsmeadow on Sunday will see them crowned champions for the third season in a row.
They lead Arsenal by a single point although their London rivals have a better goal difference.
That means if Chelsea lose and Arsenal draw, the Gunners would pinch the title. That looks unlikely though given that Chelsea have won their last eight league games.
In addition, Chelsea won the reverse fixture 6-1 although they were pushed harder by an improved United when beating them 3-1 in the Continental Tyres League Cup in February.
United have incentive too as third place in the table would secure a Champions League spot.
They’re currently two points behind Manchester City going into the final round of fixtures.
Our final @BarclaysFAWSL match is on Sunday.
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) May 3, 2022
Chelsea v Manchester United.
Let's do it, Blues! 💪 pic.twitter.com/VZTGkbMbNH
Updated
Cheers Barry. Coming up, we’ll focus on the Women’s Super League title race.
That’s all from me. David Tindall is returning to see out the afternoon (other time zones are available) but thanks for your time and attention, and have a great weekend.
Guardiola: 'Maybe I'm not good enough'
Manchester City: Pep Guardiola has said “maybe I’m not good enough” to lead Manchester City to Champions League glory but the manager is clear the team will keep trying to triumph in the competition. Jamie Jackson reports ...
Tuchel confident Chelsea sale will be conducted quickly
Chelsea: While likely, a top four finish is by no means secure for Chelsea, with the club’s future still shrouded in uncertainty. However, Thomas Tuchel has revealed his confidence that the sale of the club will now be completed quickly.
Tuchel revealed he was informed last week that Todd Boehly’s consortium had been handed preferred bidder status by Raine Group, the New York bank overseeing Chelsea’s sale.
A co-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team, Boehly’s bid is expected to be put forward to the Premier League to undergo the owners and directors tests, with the UK Government required to grant the eventual sale by issuing a new licence.
“I’ve been told last week that we have a preferred bidder and things are going forward,” said Tuchel. “It’s a pretty important week for the club, but I was fully focused on the pitch. But after what I heard last week I’m confident.
“Clearance is always the best, because when the situation is clear you can take actions, make judgements, take actions. Otherwise you’re in a passive role, and this is what we are right now.
“We tried to make it the smallest issue possible, but of course it is always there. We prefer to have it in a clear and forward-thinking situation.
“This is what we’re hoping for, we know what we deal with, this is what the circumstances are in improving the team, and that we can act, rather than react, or even worse, do nothing.”
Roman Abramovich insisted on Thursday, that he still wants to write off Chelsea’s £1.5bn debt to him when the Stamford Bridge deal is closed. The UK Government sanctioned the Russian-Israeli billionaire on March 10, claiming to have proven his links to Russia’s president Vladimir Putin. Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on March 2, owing to Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
Champions League: Spirit of Shankly aren’t the only folk associated with Liverpool who are dissatisfied with Uefa’s Champions League final ticketing arrangements and have been joined by Jurgen Klopp in their condemnation of the organisation.
The Liverpool manager has questioned the validity of Champions League final ticket allocation after the club received less than 20,000 for this month’s showpiece against Real Madrid. The Stade de France holds more than 81,000 but both clubs have received just 19,618 apiece - well below half the capacity of the ground in Paris.
There are a total of 75,000 tickets available, with 12,000 on general sale via a ballot which closed last month. Prices range from £50 to £578.
“Now when you see the ticket prices and all that kind of stuff, the amount of tickets you get ... is it right that we only get 20,000, they get 20,000 and there’s 75,000 in?” asked Klopp. “That makes 35,000 [left over]. What?!?! Where are these tickets [going]?”
Jurgen and Spirit of Shankly probably don’t need us to tell him that the lion’s share will be going to the fabled “Uefa family”, the cuddly catch-all term used by European football’s governing body to describe their sponsors.
Europa League: “Like it or not, Rangers have overachieved by reaching the final of a tournament which has seen bigger names beaten and others fall by the wayside.” Words: Ewan Murray.
Spirit of Shankly cry foul over ticket prices
Champions League: The Liverpool supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly has accused Uefa of hypocrisy for condemning the greed of Super League clubs while increasing its ticket revenue by 38% over the past four years. Liverpool and Real Madrid have been allocated 19,618 tickets each for the final in Paris, priced at £50.32, £125.79, £410.91 and £578.63. Andy Hunter reports ...
Manchester City v Newcastle United: Pep Guardiola says he has not yet spoken to his Manchester City players about their shock midweek elimination from the Champions League.
City were just moments away from claiming a place in the final on Wednesday when they were stunned by a dramatic Real Madrid fightback in their semi-final at the Bernabeu Stadium.
“We didn’t speak,” he said. “No words can help what we feel. It’s a question of time, try to sleep and think of the targets. Tomorrow we will talk.”
Currently a point ahead of Liverpool in the title race with four games to go, City could find themselves relegated to second place in the table by the time they host resurgent Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon. It falls to Guardiola to lift his players off the floor ahead of what could be a tricxky encounter.
“We’re not thinking about the title, we’re thinking about Newcastle,” he said. “That’s enough to focus on. Then Wolves, then West Ham. It’s not necessary to listen to what people are saying we can achieve.”
Brentford v Southampton: Ralph Hasenhuttl is still eyeing a “massive” top-half finish for his Southampton side as he calls for some much-needed consistency amid a stuttering end to the season.
Asked if it would be an achievement to finish in the top half for the first time in five years, he replied: “Massive, definitely, because I think from the financial opportunities we had in the past, the goal was to stay in the league and that is the toughest one I think. But in the end, we have shown, and this is the key part, we have played like a top-10 team.
“But you have to be clear that there are some fantastic teams in there with quality, but I think the consistency is the big issue. We have not shown this for 38 games in all the time that I have been here. This is the goal to be more consistent to lift the bad times we have so that we don’t get too far away from what we can definitely play. When we manage this, I think then the chances are there, although we know that we are playing a super tough league.”
Saints captain James Ward-Prowse came out on top in the club’s end of season awards, collecting the player of the season and goal of the season gongs. Hasenhuttl has witnessed his side score some fantastic strikes this year, but at the business end of the campaign he is more interested in quantity over quality.
“When you add the ugly goals to the beautiful goals it is even better,” he said. “I don’t care too much about the quality of the goals, the main part is that the ball is in the goal, in the back of the net. However, I don’t care really.”
Rangnick outlines reason behind Lingard 'snub'
Ralf Rangnick has defended not using Jesse Lingard as a replacement in Monday’s 3-0 win over Brentford. As this was Manchester United’s final home game and the forward will leave in the summer he was unhappy not to be given an Old Trafford send-off at the club he has been with since a boy. Lingard’s brother, Louie Scott, branded the interim manager’s decision to use Edison Cavani instead as “classless”.
Rangnick offered a calm response. “To start with, in the last couple of weeks under my tenure he has played far more games than he used to. Number two: on game day against Chelsea [two weeks ago] he asked me to release him from the game and training the following day for personal family reasons.
“And this was the reason – with only three subs I had to take a decision between Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard, or the young Alejandro Garnacho - who I would have loved to have brought on and given a chance to play for the last 15 minutes at 3-0 up. I took the decision to bring on Edinson. Had I not brought him on, someone might have asked if it’s classless not to bring on Cavini or Alejandro Garnacho. After two subs, you have to take a decision and this will not be to the liking of everybody and this is part of the game.”
Lingard’s brother expressed his discontent in an Instagram post, a social media hub Rangnick claims he does not look at. “To be honest,” Rangnick said, “I’m not reading a lot, I’ve not had the time in the last six months to read, I’m not on Instagram, I’m not on Facebook, I’m not engaged in those areas. My focus has been to develop the team. In these days with social media there is always somebody posting something and it’s important not to take too much notice of that.”
Harry Maguire is back in training following a knee injury and is in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Brighton. Marcus Rashford is ruled out due to a “high temperature and bronchitis”, Rangnick said.
Crystal Palace v Watford: Having announced that his current spell at Watford will definitely be his last job in football, Roy Hodgson takes his team to his old stomping ground of Selhurst Park tomorrow. Watford are all but mathematically relegated and Patrick Vieira has been paying tribute to his predecessor.
“I don’t have any doubt about the way our fans will welcome him back,” he said. “He gave a lot to this football club. He built this kind of stability, the kind you need to be a Premier League team. He managed to keep the team in the league when it was really challenging.
“He did a fantastic job. I came on with those players who have a good experience of the league and it allowed me to bring in young players and find balance to maximise potential. When you have a solid foundation it gives any new manager a chance.”
On the game itself, Vieira had this to say: “Mathematically anything can happen so while there is hope I expect them to be fighting. We expect them to work hard.
“When you get to this position players are playing for their careers and some are playing to have different opportunities at the end of the season. There won’t be a lot of space for us to express ourselves. We’ll have to move the ball quickly.”
Brighton v Manchester United: Brighton host Manchester United tomorrow and Graham Potter, a manager who could seriously do with a clinical finisher, has been wistfully talking up Cristiano Ronaldo’s contribution of 24 goals in 37 games to the United cause this season.
“I’ve been so impressed with Ronaldo, how he’s played, how he’s helped his team,” Potter said. “Scoring goals, his movement is sensational and you can see how his career has developed from wide to centrally and how that can help him now.
“Obviously he’s not getting any younger, but you still retain your brain and your football understanding. His finishing is as clinical as you’ll get. It’s a great experience for our players and hopefully he doesn’t have such a good day at the Amex on Saturday.”
Norwich City v West Ham: With Norwich already relegated, Dean Smith’s teams has nothing beyond pride and a few quid to play for as they host West Ham at Carrow Road on Sunday. Nevertheless, Smith has called on his players to finish the season as strongly as possible.
“The approach is still to try to win games, that has to be the approach,” he told reporters. “There is a lot to play for still. We don’t want to finish bottom and there is still a possibility of finishing above Watford.
“With that comes the positivity, but also an awful lot of money [for finishing higher] which is important to the football club and to try to get some momentum heading into the following season as well.”
WHile Norwich have lost Kenny McLean and Josh Sargent to injury for the rest of the season, the club has triggered extension options in the contracts of striker Teemu Pukki and midfielder Todd Cantwell, whose deals were set to expire in the summer.
Turkish club Fenerbahce are reported to have Finland striker Pukki, 32, on their radar, but Smith said: “I envisage Teemu Pukki kicking off the new season with Norwich City.”
Academy graduate Cantwell - who struggled for a regular place in the team under either Farke or Smith - has spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Bournemouth. As part of that deal, the south coast side retain an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season following promotion to the Premier League.
“We haven’t heard from Bournemouth yet,” Smith said. “It is their choice if they want to take up the option with Todd or not, and if not he comes back to Norwich.”
(left) and Todd Cantwell could both leave Carrow Road this summer. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock
Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur: Antonio Conte has been chatting ahead of Tomorrow night’s big match at Anfield and has been dropping some sledgehammer subtle hints about what he’d like Tottenham to do if they want to keep him at White Hart Lane.
Conte, who joined Spurs in November, has continually refused to say whether he will be at the club next season, recently revealing that his future will be decided after an end-of-season meeting with chairman Daniel Levy and football managing director Fabio Paratici.
He also suggested that the key factor would be whether the club were able to match his ambition and how soon they would give him the tools to get Tottenham challenging for the Premier League title again.
Klopp was able to turn Liverpool from a club who had lost their seat at the top table of English and European football to arguably the best team in the world as they pursue an unprecedented quadruple this season.
The German has been given time and hefty backing in the transfer market, with key additions Mohamad Salah, Virgil Van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz helping propel them to new heights.
Conte would love similar backing in north London and said spending money is the only way to guarantee success. “I don’t know but if I was sure this type of situation can happen, I sign, you understand?” he said, upon being asked whether Spurs are in a similar position now to Liverpool were when Klopp took over in 2015.
“But also the time for Liverpool was easier than now because when Liverpool started this work with Jurgen, they were a top team but not in a way they are now - so consolidated with an important manager, always the same team, big investment, big money spent on the transfer market. They had also the right space to improve and reach this.
“Now, in my opinion, I am talking about this league, it is more difficult because the space is not so big. To reduce this gap, you need to spend a lot of money because you need to buy important players. You have to know this otherwise you cannot reduce this gap and hope always for a miracle.
“You need time. I think in these seven months, we did a really good job with the club and the opportunity we had also in January to sign two good players for us, to help us, to improve the quality of the team.
“I think we did a good job but, for sure, you need time. Liverpool is a clear example. I don’t want to tell something wrong but maybe they struggle, no? They struggle at the start of Klopp’s path with Liverpool, also to qualify for the Champions League. Maybe they needed four years before they started to win.
“It is not simple because you have a master in front of you, you need time, you need a big investment because you have to spend a lot of money if you want to be competitive and try to reduce this gap, otherwise you have to accept to stay in the middle and finish.”
Good afternoon, everybody. More tangled Slinky than coiled spring, here but also looking forward to a weekend of Premier League action boasting plenty of potential jeopardy for teams at both ends of the table. My BIG SHOUT: much-improved Newcastle will travel to the Etihad and take points of Manchester City on Sunday.
While Eddie Howe’s record against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester Citry is an atrocious P11 L11 with an aggregate score of 34-5, he brings to Manchester a Newcastle side that is bolstered by new January signings and hugely improved from the rabble that lost the corresponding fixture at St James’ Park in December.
Newcastle have secured safety and can relax, while their hosts have to pick themselves off the floor following Wednesday night’s devastating defeat at the Bernabeu. CIty are an undeniably stronger team but I gotta feeling ...
Righty, that’s my stint over. Now for Barry Glendenning, who informs me he’s like a coiled spring.
Allan Saint-Maximin has gone on Twitter to explain himself. Nothing to see here says big Al, who also compares himself to Michael Jordan! Blimey!
The interview I did with Sofoot has been taken out of context and shortened on Twitter. I never said anything negative about my teammates, I simply said as any Newcastle fan would that I was looking forward to having an even better team so that we could progress collectively 1/2 https://t.co/p8CDR8fke8
— Allan Saint-Maximin (@asaintmaximin) May 6, 2022
Some quotes here from his interview with French publication ‘So Foot’.
“Those who have played alongside me know full well that when it comes to pure quality, I have no cause to be jealous of Sadio Mane.
“But the difference between these great players and me is that they show a lot of things on the pitch.
“The day I get a team-mate who is able to convert the chances I create, I will have 10 to 15 successful assists every season. That will change people’s minds.
“My aim is to do things that leave a mark on people’s minds, and to change the rules.
“In a similar way to what Michael Jordan has managed to do. He has changed people’s lives. Jordan has given motivation to people, and that is beautiful.”
Updated
You can’t beat a good mural. Here’s one Lucy Ward spotted last night. Hopefully David Moyes didn’t hoof a ball at it.
In Frankfurt for the game tonight. Interesting to see a Tony Yeboah mural in the city. Revered not just by #lufc fans! pic.twitter.com/nGoGIemFZN
— Lucy Ward (@lucyjward_) May 5, 2022
Some Burnley team news for that Villa game as the Clarets look to make it four straight Premier League victories.
Incidentally, Man Utd’s longest winning streak in the top-flight this is season stands at two.
From PA Media: Erik Pieters, Jay Rodriguez and Maxwell Cornet could all be in contention for a return to the Burnley squad against Aston Villa.
Pieters is the most likely having trained all week following a knee injury while Rodriguez (hamstring) and Cornet (knee) are also back out on the grass.
Captain Ben Mee has stepped up his recovery from a leg injury but may not feature again this season, which also looks set to be the case for both Johann Berg Gudmundsson (leg) and Ashley Westwood (ankle).
Never one to gloss over matters, straight-talker Steven Gerrard says Aston Villa have underachieved this season.
Victory over Norwich last week took them to 40 points but that was their first win in six Premier League games.
He told the club’s website: “We want to finish in a place where we can be satisfied – I don’t think we’re going to be happy or celebrating anything this season because the team, from the beginning of the season to now, has underachieved.
“In the remaining games, it’s about putting ourselves in a place that we can go and build on.
“We can try and strengthen in the coming window, have a positive pre-season and reset everything going into a brand new season. Those are the short-term priorities.”
Villa play resurgent Burnley at Turf Moor this weekend and Gerrard added: “Burnley have got their own style and identity, but I think it’s very disrespectful to say that Burnley just fight and compete.
“I’ve watched their last three or four games and they’ve got really good technical players, they’ve got a really strong mentality within the group and they’re desperate to stay in the Premier League.
“If they achieve that, they’ve probably punched above their weight compared to other teams, but that’s none of my business. My business is to take maximum points off Burnley tomorrow.
“We’ve analysed a good, strong team that are on a new manager bounce, but my priority is to make sure Aston Villa go there and get the win.”
Leon Bailey is out after picking up and injury in the Norwich win while Gerrard describes Jacob Ramsey as “a big doubt” following an issue in training.
Leicester and set-pieces, eh. It cost them again last night as they lost their Europa Conference League semi-final to Roma due to some rather suspect planning.
This from Ben Fisher, who was at the Stadio Olimpico.
Jonny Evans seemed as bemused as anyone as to why 5ft 9in Ricardo Pereira was picking up 6ft 3in Tammy Abraham at corners at the Stadio Olimpico last night, with the England striker rising above the Leicester full-back to score the only goal of the game.
Brendan Rodgers said a mismatch was always inevitable given Roma had five main aerial threats.
“Set-pieces are a really important part of the game and they’re a problem for us,” Evans said, confirming Pereira was assigned to mark the former Chelsea striker. “When you look at Tammy Abraham being marked by Ricardo, there’s a problem there with the size difference. It’s very difficult in that situation.”
Here’s Ben’s full match report, including further reaction from Foxes boss Rodgers.
Updated
Still hard to believe that Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ shirt sold for £7.1m at auction.
Imagine if Steve Hodge’s dog (perhaps still outraged by the injustice) had ripped it to shreds.
Updated
Interesting piece here from Barney Weston on why football must do more to tackle climate change. How can we all help? Read on...
Looks like Roy Hodgson has realised it’s time to hand in the gun and badge. This from PA Media.
Roy Hodgson insisted he will not be looking for another managerial job ahead of Watford’s trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Watford’s relegation from the Premier League could be confirmed when they travel to Hodgson’s former club, with the Hornets needing favourable results, a goal difference swing and wins in all of their remaining matches to remain in the top flight.
Since he took over in January following the sacking of Claudio Ranieri, Watford have just two wins in 14 matches, and the 74-year-old is ready to call time on his managerial career.
“I mean, obviously, I still feel good. I still feel lively enough to do something but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I would be looking for another job at the top level of management,” Hodgson said.
“I think I’ve done my share of that now. And I think it’s only right as I did when I left Crystal Palace (to look forward) more to a quieter time in my life and a chance to spend more time in particular with my wife and son.
“But I think it would be foolish for me to sort of rule out any sort of activity in football because I don’t know what might be offered to me.
“So I’ll take every suggestion as it comes and give full consideration but it’s unlikely, as I said yesterday, that would involve full time coaching and management.”
Here’s our ‘10 things to look out’ for in the Premier League this weekend. Includes a pic of yogi Mo Salah in a lovely ‘tree’ pose (from the recent win over Man Utd). Hadn’t seen him pull that one since scoring against Chelsea a few seasons back. Hopefully he’s planning a ‘Warrior 2’ for the Champions League final.
Watford’s Juraj Kucka (left) appears to be in some meditative state too. Although perhaps he’s just missed a sitter.
Updated
Eddie Howe has an issue to deal with ahead of Newcastle’s home game against Manchester City after darling of the terraces, Allan Saint-Maximin, apparently told French magazine ‘So Foot’ that he would be more effective in a better team.
Howe said: “I saw the quotes, spoke with Allan. I think I need to make this clear that Allan’s quotes didn’t come across in the way he meant them to.
“He was concerned yesterday. We spoke and in no way did he mean to damage the team and the unity that we’ve built. Of course, he said things in an interview, but, as I said, it wasn’t in the context that he meant, although it happened.
“We will be speaking with the squad, and making sure there’s no fall-out from that, because unity has been our strength. It’s vitally important that we keep that at all costs.”
In more heartening news for the Magpies, Callum Wilson and Kieran Trippier could return to the squad for the City game after lengthy absences.
Howe said: “Callum has trained all week. I’ve been really pleased with him, he’s trained very well. We’ve had two really tough days and he’s come through those days excellently.
“Physically, he looks very good – he’s put a lot of work in to get to this point, so I’m very pleased with the attitude, as always, with Callum.
“He’s incredible with his work and he looks in a good place. There’s a good chance he’ll be involved.
“Kieran is slightly behind him this week in the sense that he hasn’t trained every day, but when he has trained – he trained yesterday – he’s trained very well, so we’ll make a late decision on them.”
Wilson has been out for 17 matches and Trippier 12.
Time for some manager quotes but first... Dimitar Berbatov trapping a crossfield pass.
— No Context Skills (@SkillsNoContext) May 5, 2022
As well as picking up awards, Mo Salah has some karma in mind after getting his wish of a Champions League final against Real Madrid.
Here’s Andy Hunter’s piece on the Liverpool striker having a score to settle in a rematch that won’t feature either Sergio Ramos or Loris Karius.
David Moyes rather lost his cool in West Ham’s Europa League defeat and had to apologise for leathering a ball at a ballboy.
Click the video where he attempts a joke, realises it’s tanked and then apologises again.
Rangers are in the Europa League final but West Ham are not after falling at the final hurdle.
Our reports on the contrasting nights for the two British teams.
Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Chelsea’s Sam Kerr were all smiles last night after picking up their Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards.
Here’s a look at past recipients in case you were wondering.
Men’s winners
2021/22 Mo Salah (Liverpool)
2020/21 Ruben Dias (Man City)
2019/20 Jordan Henderson (Liverpool)
2018/19 Raheem Sterling (Man City)
2017/18 Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Thierry Henry is the only player to have won it three times.
Women’s winners
2021/22 Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
2020/21 Fran Kirby (Chelsea)
2019/20 Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal)
2018/19 Nikita Parris (Man City)
2017/18 Fran Kirby (Chelsea)
Arsenal managers' new deals
Let’s start with some Arsenal news and how’s this for some lovely co-ordination. Current men’s team and women’s team bosses, Mikel Arteta and Jonas Eidevall, have signed new contracts. Here they are in matching tops with matching pens.
Updated
Preamble
So here we are. Matchweek (or is it Gameweek?) 36 out of 38. In Grand National terms we’re at The Elbow. Much can still happen in the run-in.
Perhaps the biggest intrigue this weekend is how Manchester City will react to Real Madrid’s witchcraft on Wednesday night. We’ll have to wait to find out though as City don’t host Newcastle until 4.30pm on Sunday in the final Premier League match of the weekend.
Before then, Liverpool hope to keep piling on the pressure with victory over Spurs at Anfield on Saturday evening, a game that will have plenty of ramifications on the top-four battle. Current Champions League spot dwellers Arsenal host Leeds on Sunday afternoon.
And how about that crazy battle at the bottom? Norwich are gone, Watford are being issued the last rites while Burnley and Everton have momentum. Leeds fans are carrying a new sense of impending doom while the trio on 40 points - Southampton, Brentford and Aston Villa - would like another point or so just to be sure.
West Ham and Leicester have to pick themselves up after disappointing European exits while Wolves currently hold the rosette in the late-season ‘on the beach’ contest.
The Women’s Super League is even nearer the finish line and we go into the final weekend with Chelsea holding a one-point lead over Arsenal.
If Chelsea fail to beat Manchester United, Arsenal can pinch the title with victory at West Ham.
So, strap yourselves in and let’s play. Lots of manager quotes, build-up and other hot content coming your way.
Updated
