Right, I’m going to wrap this blog up now but there is just one last bit of news breaking before I go. Kevin Thelwell has been appointed as Everton’s new director of football, filling the vacancy left when the club parted ways with Marcel Brands.
This is from Everton’s website:
Currently Head of Sport at New York Red Bulls, who he joined in February 2020, Thelwell was Sporting Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers between 2016 and 2020, and was previously the Midlands club’s Head of Football Development and Recruitment between 2013 and 2016. With a glowing reputation for developing young talent, Thelwell guided New York Red Bulls into the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2020 with the youngest roster in the MLS. As Sporting Director at Wolverhampton Wanderers and previously Head of Football Development and Recruitment, Thelwell orchestrated Wolves’ rise from League One in 2013/14 to qualification for the Europa League in 2019/20, identifying and recruiting players like Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Leander Dendoncker and Conor Coady.
Everton fans are also planning a show of solidarity with Ukraine tomorrow, as I’m sure many football fans around the world will do. Thanks for reading today. Have a good weekend and stay safe.
Frank Lampard’s Everton™ could be in the relegation zone before they kick a ball against Manchester City tomorrow evening – but the Blues’ boss is not going to panic:
It’s difficult to beat Manchester City. We can’t put all our eggs in the basket of this game being a game-changer completely as there are a lot of games left. There is a lot of football to be played, against teams around us and teams we have games in hand on. These next two games [Everton go to Tottenham a week on Monday] are going to be difficult but I still won’t change my mindset, whether we get positive results or not. There is a long way to go. What I do want to see is belief from the players that we can go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Some good news for Lampard is that he will have Demarai Gray (hip) and Abdoulaye Doucoure (groin) back in his squad. Doucoure has not been fit since Lampard took the job and is such an important player in midfield.
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The Fiver has landed – and it’s well worth a read:
If it’s an interview with Jürgen Klopp that you want, this should satisfy your needs. Andy Hunter speaks to Liverpool’s manager about why Wembley is sung as “Wem-ber-lee”, his desire to win more trophies with his Liverpool team and his preference for wearing swim-shorts over a suit. (Note: this doesn’t mean he’s going to stroll out wearing a pair of trunks in London on Sunday).
And here’s Andy’s team news before the big match:
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Get all the team news before the weekend’s Premier League matches here. And if you like quizzes, give this one a go:
Some big news out of Luton now, with the Hatters revealing that “vastly experienced” is a handy synonym for “34-year-old”.
We are excited to announce the signing of vastly experienced midfielder Robert Snodgrass on a deal until the end of the season! ✍️#COYH
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) February 25, 2022
Brazil manager Tite has told Brazilian channel SporTV that he will leave his role after the 2022 World Cup. The 60-year-old took the job in June 2016 when the Seleção were struggling under Dunga, who had failed to revitalise them after the 2014 World Cup. Brazil are unbeaten in 2022 World Cup qualifying and won the Copa América under Tite in 2019. Arguably his most memorable Brazil moment, though, is that time he went for a run.
Jordan Henderson is the only survivor from Liverpool’s last League Cup final victory, when he helped beat Cardiff to win the trophy as a 21-year-old with Kenny Dalglish in charge in 2012. The Reds captain reckons victory could fuel his side’s assault on the other three competitions they are still involved in.
To get a trophy so early on in the season can give the squad a big boost. It’s a cup final and one we want to win so we’ll do absolutely everything to make sure we bring the trophy home. We want to use it as a platform to give us a big confidence boost going towards the business end of the season. There are some big games coming up … Yes we are still in all four but that can change very quickly. Sunday, whether we win or not, that’s done.
The only player (male or female) to have played in seven World Cups and seven Olympics, Formiga, is still playing football for São Paulo at 43. Here the Brazil legendary Brazil midfielder talks to Júlia Belas Trindade about finding her voice off the pitch and what must be done to fight racism and sexism in the game:
There’s a big derby on Sunday when Manchester United host Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup fifth round. The two sides met just over a week ago in the WSL and on that occasion City edged the match 1-0 to dent their rivals’ outside title chances. United manager Marc Skinner believes that defeat is just the motivation they need to get one over on City in the cup.
I’ve said to the players to feel [the pain of defeat]. Feel it because it is fuel. It is really important that we put ourselves in a position where we learn from it, and then that fuels you because you don’t want to feel like that again.
Women’s FA Cup fixtures
Saturday 26 February
Chelsea v Leicester City (1pm)
Sunday 27 February
Liverpool v Arsenal (noon)
Manchester City v United (12.30pm)
Charlton v Everton (1pm)
Durham v Birmingham City (2pm)
Reading v West Ham United (2pm)
West Bromwich Albion v Coventry United (2pm)
Ipswich Town v Southampton (2pm)
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Steven Gerrard reckons a win would be just the “medicine” Aston Villa need after after their recent blip in form but he cautioned that beating Brighton is not a cure for all their ills. Villa have won just one their last seven matches and Gerrard hopes he find the solution to get his players back on track:
Our form of late needs improving. We’re all aware of that, no one more than myself, and Brighton gives us the opportunity to bounce back. A good win here is the medicine we all need right now. Our form’s dropped, we admit that and take that on the chin but this wasn’t a job that was going to be sorted in 12, 13, 14 games. We knew that there was still a gap where we needed to get to and where we want to take the team to, that doesn’t change. If we go and win three on the spin, we know this is a long-term thing we need to improve.
He just needs to stick this on full blast in the dressing room doesn’t he?
The only time Liverpool and Chelsea have met in the League Cup final was 2005, when José Mourinho won the first trophy of the Roman Abramovich-era. It was a cracking match that Chelsea won 3-2 in extra-time. If you have a spare two hours, the EFL have the entire game for you to watch here. I miss Cardiff for cup finals:
Uefa in talks over ending relationship with Gazprom
Uefa is in discussions with its lawyers over ending the governing body’s longstanding relationship with Gazprom, a sponsor since 2012, after confirming that this season’s men’s Champions League final has been moved from St Petersburg to Paris.
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There was a shocking story in Brazil overnight that some of you may have missed among the news elsewhere. Brazilian second tier club Bahia said at least three of their players were injured by a homemade explosive that detonated inside the team’s bus on its way to a match the club later won.
The goalkeeper Danilo Fernandes had to go to hospital due to shattered glass in his face and left-back Matheus Bahia and forward Marcelo Cirino were also hurt. Bahia posted pictures of blood on bus seats and another showing a large hole in one of the windows. The team played Sampaio Correia in a Copa do Nordeste match and, remarkably, won 2-0, a result that players barely celebrated.
O Esporte Clube Bahia informa que uma bomba explodiu dentro do ônibus da equipe na chegada à Fonte Nova e atletas ficaram feridos. O caso mais preocupante é do goleiro Danilo Fernandes, atingido por estilhaços no rosto e já encaminhado a um hospital. Grupo discute se terá jogo. pic.twitter.com/qHpRJtmpnf
— Esporte Clube Bahia (@ECBahia) February 24, 2022
Bahia coach Guto Ferreira told media the team decided to play the match “because of its dignity and its professionalism.” Bahia state police said in a statement they are investigating the incident.
So, how does David Moyes feel about West Ham drawing the record six-times Uefa Cup/Europa League winners in the last 16?
I think it’s the pick of the round. Sevilla have been unbelievable in winning the competition. They’re probably the form side in Spain after Real Madrid at the moment. It’s a really tough game, but we want to test ourselves against the best. It would be good to get used to the stadium if we could go back there for the final! I was looking forward to the prospect of going to Rangers, but great credit to them for getting through against Dortmund. We’ve played well in Europe and we’ll take a big support to Seville and really look forward to it. There is more pressure on them than there is on us because we’re new to it.”
Of course, Moyes has history of managing in La Liga, with Real Sociedad, for a year in 2014-15. I still can’t forget the size of the picture of him on the board behind him when he faced the press there. Extraordinary.
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More from Tuchel now, who is asked about Romelu Lukaku, he of the seven touches. It doesn’t sound like he’s itching to start him against Liverpool:
He played a lot of matches. We had a similar situation with Jorginho, one of our captains, because we feel him a little mentally tired. The focus on Romelu that I understand but it’s a similar situation as Jorginho. The decisions are made clear and the players accept [them]. Once you play for Chelsea, you accept the team goes first and that’s why there are no hard feelings, not from Romelu or from me.
Tuchel would not confirm if, like Jürgen Klopp, he would continue to play his second-choice goalkeeper ahead of his first-choice one in the Carabao Cup: “I will not tell you. I will take the decision late. Kepa played in the Club World Cup semi-final and brought us to the final but then we took the decision to go with Mendy (Édouard Mendy) for the final, who was back from the African Cup of Nations. The last decision we will take after training as always. Kepa did fantastic in the period that we had to be without Mendy, so it’s an uncomfortable and very comfortable situation to be in.”
And on the situation in Ukraine and if Uefa had made the right call by stripping Russia of the Champions League final: “Yes a clear yes, but sadly it is the worst reason to change location, the absolutely worst reason we feel horrible about it in general it clouds our minds and it clouds our focus of course and we can absolutely understand the decision. There are things more important and the focus from us in sport and globally speaking is not on the final.”
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Ralf Rangnick is anxiously looking over his shoulder at Arsenal and is aware that Manchester United must keep their focus fully on Watford before a huge month ahead for the club. They face Atlético in the second leg of their last 16 Champions League tie, as well as Premier League trips to Liverpool and Manchester City in March.
“We have to keep the momentum, win tomorrow against Watford and then be ready for the upcoming games afterwards against the top teams,” said Rangnick. “It only makes sense to take it one game after the other. Now the job is to fully recover from the game the day before yesterday and play on the highest possible level at home and hopefully win the game. Then we have a normal week to prepare for the derby at Manchester City.” United will be without midfielder Scott McTominay, who is ill, and Edinson Cavani (groin).
Updated
Tuchel may be ‘crazy enough’ to play James
Thomas Tuchel has been previewing the Carabao Cup final and he’s feeling like he might be wild enough to throw the fit-again Reece James straight back in against Liverpool. The wing-back has finally beaten the hamstring tear that has kept him out since 29 December and Chelsea haven’t really been the same without him or Ben Chilwell, who is out for the rest of the season.
He looked brilliant in the last two training sessions, let’s wait another session, and then let’s see if I’m crazy enough to just put him on the pitch or if the reasonable side of me wins in the end and we go for step by step. It would be a huge step, but honestly yesterday and today he looked so strong, so confident, and so, so involved in training that you are tempted to do it. Let’s see, we have a little bit of time, and the most important [thing] for him and for us is that he’s back and that he feels so confident that he can step up to the kind of level he did yesterday and today.
Here is some more from Guardiola on his Ukrainian full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is available for Manchester City’s Premier League match at Everton on Saturday and has the club’s full support amid the crisis in his home country.
He is worried. What would we feel if in our country where we were born and have family and friends innocent people are being killed? How will you feel? I guess that’s what he feels. Of course, the team and the club is close to him, unconditionally of course. Oleks is an incredible, strong guy, really, really. Of course it’s not easy at the moment but playing in the training session yesterday he was brilliant so he’s ready to play in case he has to play.
Guardiola confirmed that Zinchenko attended a demonstration in Manchester city centre on Thursday evening following the invasion of his home country by Russian forces.
Conte: 'The problem is I am a perfectionist'
For a while on Wednesday evening it looked like Antonio Conte might not be in the Tottenham job much longer. The Italian cast doubt over his future when he suggested he was not “good enough” to fix Spurs’ problems following the midweek defeat to Burnley – the fourth loss in five games – and the club would have to make an assessment. But today Conte has committed himself to Tottenham and acknowledged that he is prone to tempestuous outbursts.
Our chairman Daniel Levy knows very well I am here to help the club and we will help the club until the end. This is the reality, he knows this and he knows that we are working very hard. The club is very happy with my work, what I am doing with my staff. I am sure the club appreciates what we are doing. The problem is I am a perfectionist. When I lose I don’t stay so happy, this has helped me have success in my career. When I lose a game my mood is very bad and I prefer to stay alone and live the defeat, to stay alone and metabolise the defeat. I need one day to recover at least. This is me. It is me. I don’t like to lose. If you ask me what I hate in life it is to lose games.
Updated
Eriksen 'will get on the pitch tomorrow'
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has confirmed that Christian Eriksen will make his return to competitive football for Brentford against Newcastle tomorrow, nine months after his on-pitch cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. It’s a moment many of us never imagined would happen but Eriksen’s desire to play again has been nothing short of remarkable. Here’s what Frank had to say:
Christian will be in the squad and he will get on the pitch tomorrow. It is a big day for all of us, but especially Christian and his family. When is he in training, it is really remarkable the things he has been doing.
The Denmark international has impressed on his return to action in friendlies, with a couple of appearances in behind-closed-doors fixtures. Rules in Italy would not allow Eriksen – who revealed last month he had “died for five minutes” after his collapse - to play after having an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device fitted.
Firmino ruled out of Carabao Cup final
More from Lijnders. Roberto Firmino is out of the Carabao Cup final but Diogo Jota may feature. “Firmino we have to see in the next two days [how he is] but he will not be available for the final. Jota, so far there has been no reaction with what he did, which is a good sign. He is not ruled out but it will be a challenge.”
Lijnders then talks about the pathway for young players to progress and achieve things for Liverpool in the first team.
Kelleher is a really good example; him reaching the final it shows that there’s an inside path for young goalkeepers at the club. A compliment for the goalkeeping department, that is what I like that it’s possible a young keeper can make the final. It’s nice to see.
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Thanks John. Liverpool assistant manager Pep Lijnders has just arrived to face the media to preview the Carabao Cup final. He’ll be joined by Jordan Henderson at some point. Before addressing football matters, Lijnders replies to a question about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
I’m a father, I’m a son, I’m a brother, I’m a husband. It’s really frightening. This war is a true disappointment for humankind.
Right, time to hand back to Gregg to take the blog through the afternoon.
David Moyes on West Ham Ukrainian winger Andriy Yarmolenko, who has been given time off by the club.
He’s not in a very good position at the moment. We’ve given him a few days off. We’ll do all we can to help him, it’s a really difficult time for him and his family.
I spoke with him yesterday and he was upset, which you can imagine. We just hope his family keep safe.
A snippet from Pep Guardiola’s press conference, ahead of Manchester City’s game with Everton, with Oleks Zinchenko the focus of questioning.
Further details to follow.
Pep on Zinchenko: "He is worried. He has family and friends. If they are killing innocent people in your country how would you feel? He has our support. That is normal."
— Paul Hirst (@hirstclass) February 25, 2022
"Oleks is an incredibly strong guy. It's not easy but today and yesterday in training he was brilliant. He is ready to play."
— Paul Hirst (@hirstclass) February 25, 2022
The Wolves manager, Bruno Lage, has been speaking after last night’s loss to Arsenal and ahead of his team’s home match with West Ham on Sunday. Wolves, in conceding late, blew a chance to make inroads on the race for the top four.
When you see what happened in the last four or five days: we beat Tottenham, Tottenham had beat Man City and after Burnley beat Tottenham.
That’s why here in the Premier League every game is a hard game to win and that’s why here we we need to prepare the game every time in the best way. That’s why it’s so important, in my opinion, we need to continue to play like we played against Arsenal.
So people can dream about that and what I can promise them is we will continue to work in that way, it is to play now against West Ham in the same way we played here, to create chances but to score the goals. If we beat Arsenal we have 43 points and in the end, in added-time, we don’t have any points.
That is why, here, it is so hard to predict anything. The only thing we can control is that we need to continue to work and then give confidence for people to believe in us.
It was a very important game. I think in that moment, we did our best performance in October and November. It was very good for us, that was a good victory because we played very well in that game. In that moment they were doing very well, like now it is our moment to be doing very well and that is why, in football, it is so crazy.
Another monument to Sir Alex Ferguson, unveiled by the great man himself at Pittodrie to celebrate the amazing job he did with Aberdeen.
🔴 Sir Alex Ferguson unveils his statue to Pittodrie. #StandFree | #SAFHomecoming pic.twitter.com/j6mR1egQhi
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) February 25, 2022
Manchester United cancel Aeroflot sponsorship
A United spokesperson said:
In light of events in Ukraine, we have withdrawn Aeroflot’s sponsorship rights. We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected.
Aeroflot have been sponsor of United since 2013, the club and airline company signed an agreement to extend the sponsorship in 2017.
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Remember these golden days?
Graeme Souness’ strike collected the last of the quartet, a real turn and lash.
Good, generic stuff from the Leicester social media team.
It's 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀 next up for the Foxes in the #UECL pic.twitter.com/SKN1hCgces
— Leicester City (@LCFC) February 25, 2022
Europa Conference League last-16 draw in full
- Leicester v Rennes
- Marseille v FC Basel
- PAOK v Gent
- Vitesse v Roma
- PSV Eindhoven v FC Copenhagen
- Slavia Prague v LASK
- Bodø Glimt v AZ Alkmaar
- Partizan Belgrade v Feyenoord
Ties to be played 10 and 17 March
Updated
Partizan Belgrade will play...Feyenoord. And that concludes the draw.
Bodø/Glimt will play AZ Alkmaar....
Slavia Prague will play...LASK, of Austria.
PSV Eindhoven will play...FC Copenhagen.
Vitesse Arnhem will play...Roma, José Mourinho’s Roma.
PAOK will play...KAA Gent.
Leicester will play...Rennes.
Here we go....Marseille will play...FC Basel.
Before we begin, here’s the last 16.
Seeded teams:
- AZ Alkmaar
- Copenhagen
- Gent
- Roma
- Basel
- Feyenoord
- LASK
- Rennes
Unseeded teams:
- Bodo/Glimt
- Marseille
- PAOK
- Slavia Prague
- Leicester
- Partizan Belgrade
- PSV Eindhoven
- Vitesse
Altin Lala is the Tirana delegate. He won 79 caps for Albania, and played in Germany for Hannover and Bayern Munich II. He’s picked Leicester City as a team he’d like to see in the Albanian capital.
Altin Dodë Lala (born 18 November 1975) is an Albanian former professionalfootballer who played as a defensive midfielder and former manager. He spent his entire playing career in Germany and represented the Albania national football team.
Pedro Pinto is back in harness and that means it’s time for the draw, after a video segue of the clubs still left in the competition, featuring some Prodigy-lite music. “The road to Tirana continues”, says Pedro. On comes Giorgio Marchetti, who expresses solidarity with the Ukrainian people and then sings the praises of the Conference League.
Right, I’m going to grab some lunch but John Brewin will guide you through the lunchtime football news and the Europa Conference League draw, which is due to start shortly. I’ll be back later. Here’s a reminder of the teams that are involved in a tournament you all care deeply about:
The last 16 is complete ✅
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) February 24, 2022
👊 Who's your team? #UECL pic.twitter.com/21L1EkaMUk
After shipping 10 goals in four days, it’s little wonder Marcelo Bielsa says he is “very worried” by Leeds’ form. But El Loco says he will not change his footballing philosophy. Leeds have slipped to within three points of the relegation zone after a run of four defeats from their last five games and resembled a naive boxer walking on to punch after punch in the 6-0 thrashing at Anfield. Bielsa – and his translator – have been speaking before the upcoming match against Spurs – and an on the boil Antonio Conte – at Elland Road (12.30pm on Saturday).
[I am] very worried. The worry is proportional to the results that we’ve obtained. I am used to living through these situations. In these four years, I have received criticisms or demands that are exactly the same. In this case they are a lot more justified as the consequences of what’s being done badly are a lot bigger. But they are the same problems that at some point we have already suffered and we were able to overcome. In moments like this when the confidence is lost in [the manager], which is natural and logical, how can I defend myself with a team that has conceded the most goals in the Premier League? I daily try to resolve it. As I reiterate, when you are the conductor in a bad situation, nobody trusts in what you say. What I am also sure of is that, if I stop doing what I believe in, which is what you are asking me, the situation instead of improving is going to be even worse. Of one thing I am convinced, what I will try is to do what we do but better. These players have already demonstrated they have the level to play in the Premier League. The style, the model has already shown it can work in the Premier League.
He really does need to try and tighten up at the back though doesn’t he?
Updated
Jürgen Klopp is going to stick to his word and start with Caoimhín Kelleher in goal for Liverpool instead of Alisson Becker in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea. How do you feel about this Liverpool fans? Personally, I think it’s a smart move that will help Klopp keep hold of a high quality second-choice goalkeeper for a little longer. Here’s Andy Hunter’s profile on the young stopper from Cork who used to be a striker:
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Sid Lowe gets his pun on:
West Jám. Excellent.
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) February 25, 2022
One of the more surprising football stories of the past few days was the return to management of Mark Hughes … at League Two Bradford City. In case you missed it, Aaron Bower followed the story of how it came to be that Hughes’s email was fished out of Bantams CEO Ryan Sparks’ junk email and resulted in the former Manchester United striker being appointed.
West Ham fans have got a huge tie there. They will be the underdogs for sure, given Sevilla’s fine form in La Liga. They trail leaders Real Madrid by six points and are the only real side pushing Carlo Ancelotti’s side for the title.
The first legs of all the ties are scheduled for 10 March, though the first legs of Porto v Lyon and Betis v Eintracht will be on Wednesday 9 March to avoid a clash with Braga and Sevilla, respectively. The second legs take place on 17 March.
The Europa League last 16 draw in full
Rangers v Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade)
Braga v Monaco
Porto v Lyon
Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen
Sevilla v West Ham
Barcelona v Galatasaray
Leipzig v Spartak Moscow
Real Betis v Eintracht Frankfurt
Updated
Completing the draw it’s Real Betis v Eintracht Frankfurt. Betis will hope to get to the final to play in their home city too – though they might would be playing on their hated rival’s ground.
Leipzig v Spartak Moscow. So Spartak will have to play their home leg on neutral ground.
It’s Barcelona v Galatasaray!
It’s Sevilla v West Ham! What a tie for the Hammers. They face the record six-times winners who will hope to get to the final so they can play it in their home city.
Now we have: Atalanta v Bayer Leverkusen. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are a decent shout to go all the way aren’t they?
It’s Porto v Lyon. Porto, of course, were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion by Atlético Madrid.
Next up is: Braga v Monaco
The first tie out of the pot is: Rangers v Crvena Zvezda. That’s Red Star Belgrade in old money.
Uefa will hope this draw goes better than the Champions League round of 16 one, which it made a right mess of in December.
Updated
Former goalkeeper Andrés Palop, who won the Uefa Cup three times with Sevilla and Valencia, is going to help pluck the balls out of the pot. (Insert your own safe pair of hands gag here). The Europa League final is in Seville, hence the link with Palop.
Uefa general secretary Giorgio Marchetti is introducing us all to the draw and he takes time to express his solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
It’s almost time for the Europa League draw. A reminder, too, that the Conference League draw will follow it at noon. What? You forgot about the Conference League. How dare you. Leicester and Roma will be in the bag for that one and could face each other.
Brighton have struggled of late after a fine start to the season in which they were in the top four for a number of weeks. They shouldn’t have any relegation concerns given they have already got 33 points to sleep comfortably on at night. The Seagulls, who have won only one of their last six games, face Aston Villa, who have hit a similarly sticky patch with just one win in seven, and Graham Potter reckons his side’s slump shows how tough the Premier League is. Richard Masters will love these Potter quotes:
Apart from the top three, getting points in this league consistently is very, very difficult. Previous to the Burnley game we have had some good performances. We are Brighton and Hove Albion, we have no divine right to win in the Premier League. There are bigger and better clubs than us suffering for points as well. The margins you need in this league haven’t gone our way. Apart from the top three, who hasn’t struggled? It is the best league in the world and it is difficult to get points. You can see what Villa are trying to do, you can see the performances, the structure of the team, on another day they could have won the games they lost. But the margins of this competition, this is the highest level of football in the world, so by definition it is not easy to win.
After making a bright start to life in the Premier League, Brentford have slipped down the table after an awful run of form, suffering six defeats and one draw in their last seven league games. Some good news for the Bees is that Christian Eriksen has been in fine form in friendly games he has played in the past fortnight and might be ready to make a remarkable return to competitive action after his on-pitch cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. The Bees play 17th-placed Newcastle, who are only two points behind them with two games in hand, and their manager, Eddie Howe, would love to see Eriksen back on the pitch.
I was watching the game where he collapsed and my thoughts and prayers were with him and his family hoping that he made a healthy recovery from that really tough situation, and thank God he has. It would be great to see him back on a football pitch. From our side, during the game, we can have no emotion towards that, we all have to concentrate on our jobs. But certainly it’s great to see him fit and healthy and enjoying his football again.
Howe will make a late call on Allan Saint-Maximin’s fitness after sending him to Monaco for intensive treatment.
Here’s a reminder of the remaining teams in the Europa League:
Seeded teams
Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Galatasaray (TUR)
Leverkusen (GER)
Lyon (FRA)
Monaco (FRA)
Spartak Moskow (RUS)
West Ham (ENG)
Unseeded teams
Atalanta (ITA)
Barcelona (ESP)
Betis (ESP)
Braga (POR)
Leipzig (GER)
Porto (POR)
Rangers (SCO)
Sevilla (ESP)
Spartak will have to play their home game at a neutral ground after Uefa said that Ukraine’s and Russia’s national and club teams will play outside their home nations “until further notice”.
Good morning!
Welcome to our live Friday blog, in which we count down to the weekend’s action and keep you up to speed with all the latest news in the world of football. There has been some early breaking – and not unexpected – news this morning as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted Uefa to strip St Petersburg of the Champions League final. European club football’s showpiece event on Saturday 28 May will now be played at the Stade de France. You can read more about that here:
Away from the troubling conflict in Ukraine, we have the Europa League round of 16 draw at 11am GMT. Rangers are in the pot for that after their mighty impressive 6-4 aggregate defeat of Dortmund on Thursday night.
There’s the small matter of the Carabao Cup final on Sunday as Chelsea and Liverpool clash at Wembley for the right to win English football’s first trophy of the season. Will Romelu Lukaku play? How will Chelsea’s defence nullify Liverpool’s rampant frontline? We’ll hear off Thomas Tuchel and Jürgen Klopp today.
And the Premier League continues apace this weekend, too, with Manchester City looking to extend their lead over Liverpool to six points again when they visit Everton. Will Antonio Conte simmer down after his midweek outburst after Spurs’ defeat at Burnley? There are important matches in the race for the top four and the battle against relegation. Here is the full list of fixtures:
Friday
Southampton v Norwich 8pm
Saturday
Leeds v Spurs 12.30pm
Brentford v Newcastle 3pm
Brighton v Aston Villa 3pm
Crystal Palace v Burnley 3pm
Man Utd v Watford 3pm
Everton v Man City 5.30pm
Sunday
West Ham v Wolves 2pm
Updated
