Right, that’s it for today’s weekend countdown live blog. Thanks for reading, for your favourite centre-back duo submissions and for engaging with The Guardian in general.
All roads lead to West Ham v Wolves tonight and then a busy weekend of action after that. Enjoy the football, stay safe and be kind.
Here’s a summary of the main headlines as they currently stand.
Celtic boss Martin O’Neill has hailed the return of the club’s Green Brigade supporters group, believing they could be key in the Scottish Premiership title race.
The group were banned after exhibiting “violent and threatening behaviour” at a home match against Falkirk in October but will return to Celtic Park this weekend after being reinstated for last weekend’s 2-1 win at Dundee.
“In terms of support, in terms of vocal support, it’s great to see them back again,” O’Neill said. “I think that that would give us a boost. The support we got from Dundee was fantastic.
“I thought they kept us going during the course of the game. They didn’t seem to be highly critical of us when we conceded the penalty. It could have dropped away and they kept us going.”
Celtic are three points off leaders Hearts, and two behind second-placed Rangers, with six games left in the season. They host St Mirren tomorrow, with Hearts at home to Motherwell and Rangers away at Falkirk on Sunday.
FPL: If you’re a player of Fantasy Premier League and have (understandably) left your team dormant for the past three weeks, now is the time to make those all-important adjustments. The deadline for this gameweek is 6.30pm BST today!
Have you caught up with our latest Football Daily yet? It comes from Michael Butler and it centres on the back and forth between Enzo Fernández and Chelsea. LinkedIn Liam and his mob face in-form Manchester City this weekend …
Mikel Arteta has issued a ‘special request’ for Arsenal fans to turn up early and bring the noise for their vital clash with Bournemouth at the Emirates tomorrow.
“Get up early, have an early breakfast, bring your lunch, bring your dinner, it has to be a big day!”
A bit tinpot, or fair enough as a rallying cry to supporters ahead of a big game?
In fairness, most grounds can be quiet for the 12.30pm kick-offs.
Shall we engage in some Friday night predictions?
Here are mine for the Premier League games:
West Ham 2-1 Wolves
Arsenal 2-0 Bournemouth
Brentford 1-1 Everton
Burnley 1-2 Brighton
Liverpool 3-2 Fulham
C Palace 1-1 Newcastle
N Forest 1-0 Aston Villa
Sunderland 2-2 Tottenham
Chelsea 1-3 Man City
Man Utd 2-0 Leeds
Feel free to disagree/ridicule/bookmark and send to me on Monday night!
And here’s a timely look at the coverage you can expect on this fair website over the next couple of days. It’s a tasty ol’ weekend.
Thanks Barry – one last push and we’re right in the thick of Friday night!
Handover: Dominic Booth is here to take you through to 6pm. Have a great weekend!
Liverpool ticket prices: Liverpool fans are currently disgruntled for all sorts of reasons but the club’s apparently tone deaf decision to announce Anfield ticket price rises for the next three years has further infuriated them. The club’s CEO Billy Hogan has written to all season ticket holders and members ahead of a planned protest at Anfield ahead of tomrrow’s match against Fulham.
“Liverpool Football Club fully respcts the right of supporters to protest and we acknowledge those supporters who are opposed to this approach,” it reads. “But we would also ask one thing in the days and weeks ahead; that any protest and any debate is grounded in the facts – what is changing, why it changing and what it means in real terms.”
Hogan goes on to say that matchday operating costs have risen and point out that the price increases are quite small and that unspecified other clubs have raised ticket prices “at a materially higher rate”. He also reminds fans that Liverpool have frozen general admission ticket prices in eight of the last 10 seasons. Liverpool’s new ticket prices are expected to boost the club coffers to the tune of £1.5m-£2m per season. The club’s matchday revenue is approximately £4.3m per game.
Wales: Still recovering from the heartbreak of Wales’ failure to qualify for the World Cup, comedian and podcasting legend Elis James was dealt another hammer blow upon learning that his hero Aaron Ramsey has retired from professional football.
The midfielder’s absence for the semi-final of Euro 2016 was the great ‘what-if’ of Welsh football, he writes, but even so his brilliant career managed to transform a footballing public for ever …
Everton: On the the not entirely implausible possibility of his side qualifying for the Champions League, Moyes said the thought “makes me shake a wee bit”, but added: “we’d hate to disappoint everybody, and there’s talk about it, but I do want to talk about it because this club, all the supporters have suffered so much. I think the thought of getting them back into Europe makes me think it would be fantastic for the support here, the club and everything they’ve been through recently.”
Everton: Before a ball was kicked this season, a certain know-nothing idiot not a million miles from here predicted Everton would be relegated, so imagine my surprise upon discovering they will draw level on points with Liverpool in fifth place if they beat similarly high-flying Brentford, a team many others predicted were destined for the drop. The two sides meet tomorrow in a potential Champions League qualification six-pointer at the Gtech Community Stadium.
“I don’t know how we’re going to finish but if you would have given me this position at the start of the season I’d have said ‘thanks very much, I’ll shake your hand’ and hopefully we can keep it going,” said David Moyes today. “If you really want to get the big prizes, you have got to win your games at the right time at the end of the season. We’ve started well with the couple of games recently. We have to try and keep that form and momentum going.”
Everton’s achievement this season is all the more impressive given that Jack Grealish has been absent for most of this year and their alternating strikers, Beto and Thierno Barry, are at best … erratic.
Sunderland: Regis Le Bris’s side get the opportunity to riff, be-bop and scat all over Tottenham Hotspur’s pain on Sunday but the Stadium of Light is not the fortress it once was at the beginning of the season. Sunderland have lost their last three home games but come into this match against Spurs high on the hog after securing a Premier League double over Newcastle at St James’ Park last time out.
“We want to win again at home because we struggled a bit in the last sequence,” said Le Bris, when asked if his team might be forgiven for taking things easy after after securing their Premier League safety and beating their bitter rivals home and away. “It’s about our standards. The main goal of the season is probably achieved and it’s easy to forget this wasn’t easy. We showed togetherness and quality. We want to keep the standards.”
Sunderland have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe but Le Bris didn’t seem massively enthused by the possibility as his young team continue to find their feet in the Premier League. “I don’t know,” he said. “Two seasons ago when I first started here, going to the Premier League was too early. We didn’t set any goals but we said we will work hard, we will work for our identity. For this season, it is the same. If it is possible, we are ready to achieve the goal. We will see and then we will manage the next goal.”
In terms of personnel, Sunderland will be without Jocelin Ta Bi, Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traore, Simon Moore Dan Ballard and Nilson Angulo for Sunday’s match against Tottenham.
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And with that expletive, I’ll hand over to Barry Glendenning! Enjoy the rest of your Friday, all.
The Northern Premier League has relieved chairman Mark Harris of his duties pending a full disciplinary investigation into an apparent X-rated email sent to a supporter.
The decision to move FC United of Manchester’s home match against Stockton Town – a potentially key match in the promotion race – to a neutral venue on April 21 after six previous postponements has caused controversy.
One FCUM supporter emailed NPL chairman Harris outlining their frustrations and claimed to receive a curt response, which the FA council member signed off, with “now go fuck yourself”.
The Football Association confirmed that it was investigating, with the NPL also “actively investigating” what it considered a “serious matter”.
An urgent meeting was convened on Friday morning and a statement from the NPL later that day read: “Following a meeting of the board, the Northern Premier League can confirm that chairman Mark Harris has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect, pending a full disciplinary investigation.” PA Media
I have been waiting for this one all week: Elis James on Aaron Ramsey, who announced his retirement from football on Tuesday.
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Liverpool women agree deal to sign Vivien Endemann
The WSL side Liverpool have reached a deal to sign the Germany forward Vivien Endemann on a free transfer from 1 July, upon the expiry of her contract at the German side Wolfsburg.
The 24-year-old has 17 senior caps for Germany and was part of the team that won a bronze medal at the Olympics in 2024.
She was part of the Wolfsburg side that reached this season’s Champions League quarter-finals and she is Liverpool’s first summer signing.
Big news from Germany: Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck has ended speculation about a possible move to Real Madrid by extending his contract with the German club until 2031.
The 26-year-old Schlotterbeck, who only had another year on his existing contract with Dortmund, signed a new deal on Friday, the club announced.
Dortmund chief executive Carsten Cramer said the extension is “of enormous significance. He is of great value to us, both as a player and as a person. And Nico, in turn, knows exactly what he has in our club. He is highly valued and senses that we are building something here right now.”
New sporting director Ole Book evidently made Schlotterbeck’s uncertain future one of his first priorities.
“In Nico, we have one of the best center-backs in the world in our ranks,” Book said. “His play with and without the ball, his distribution, his tackling, together with his presence and determination on the field, all of this makes him incredibly valuable to us. We’re certain that we can achieve great things together with Nico at Borussia Dortmund.”
Mikel Arteta has 'no news' on new Arsenal contract talks
Mikel Arteta played down speculation over a contract extension at Arsenal but insisted he remains fully committed to the club, before Saturday’s Premier League home clash against Bournemouth.
The London club has reportedly held positive initial talks with Arteta over his current deal, which expires at the end of next season. When asked about a contract extension, Arteta said his focus remains on the current campaign.
“There is no news on that. We don’t have time to discuss that now,” Arteta told reporters. “The full focus is on what we have to do from here until the end of the season. I am fully committed here. I am really happy and I feel good. My family’s good. I still have so much ambition and things to do at this club. For now, we are in a good place.“
Eberechi Eze returned to training on Thursday after recovering from injury, but Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber were among those not involved.
Arteta said forward Eze would be available for Saturday without offering an update on the other absentees. Reuters
Re centre-back partnerships, an email from Ben Torpy.
“For me it has to be Paul McGrath and Shaun Teale. The greatest defender I’ve ever seen (and an amazing human to boot with an incredible story) and his granite-like partner who rocked a glorious ‘tache before hipsters were a thing. Whilst they were locking up the Villa defence the much missed Dalian Atkinson was destroying others at will.”
An exclusive from Matt Hughes:
A number of American cities named in the running to host games at the 2031 Women’s World Cup are considering withdrawing over concerns related to Fifa’s handling of this summer’s World Cup.
The Guardian has learned that several cities are exploring whether to focus solely on winning the right to host matches at the men’s 2031 Rugby World Cup. The US will also stage the women’s rugby tournament two years later.
Chicago and Pittsburgh declined to enter the running for Women’s World Cup hosting rights, understood to be because of concerns about Fifa’s financial demands, and some cities are considering pulling out.
On De Zerbi, a reminder that we had this fine piece from Chris Paouros go live earlier today.
Richarlison and Solanke catching strays, there! Ha!
De Zerbi vows to attack as Spurs tenure begins
Roberto De Zerbi called on Tottenham Hotspur to embrace their attacking instincts as he battles to save the club from their first relegation since 1977, declaring on Friday that the ‘DNA’ of the club is to attack and score goals.
Having been appointed as Spurs’ third manager of the season, the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss has seven games to steer the north London side to safety and he acknowledged the urgency of his task. Spurs have not won a Premier League game in 2026 while they have scored only 40 league goals this season to register a negative goal difference (-10).
“I don’t have time for principles or build-up, I want to give organisation with the ball and without the ball,” De Zerbi told reporters before the trip to Sunderland on Sunday.
“What I want to do and what I want to achieve is the character. The right spirit, courage to play and attack. The DNA of this club and squad is to find the goal, to score. In this part, I can be able to transfer my principle.”
The Italian manager had vowed to remain in charge next season regardless of results, describing the role as the biggest challenge of his career after signing a long-term contract.
Spurs plummeted in the standings, first under Thomas Frank and then under interim boss Igor Tudor, with the club sitting in 17th place – one point above the relegation zone.
“I believe to keep (Spurs) in the Premier League, it has to be clear to everyone, because I want to work in the Premier League. I think (I) deserve to work in the Premier League,” De Zerbi said.
“Anyway, if I sign my contract in April, I have to be ready to stay no matter what in the next season. I want to stay focused on Sunderland and the other six games. But my idea is very clear.“
However, he was dealt a blow when forward Mohammed Kudus suffered a setback in his recovery from a quad injury, with the Ghanaian international also in danger of missing out on the World Cup.
“I started with not big luck. Kudus was, in my head, a crucial player. But we have to look forward anyway. We have a lot of very good attackers and we have to help them show their qualities,” De Zerbi added.
“Kolo Muani is not playing a great season but he is a good player. Mathys Tel, I wanted him in Marseille. Xavi Simons is a big talent. Richarlison and Solanke, you know better than me. We have to put them in the best condition.” Reuters
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Here are a few more Rosenior quotes from his Chelsea press conference, courtesy of Reuters.
I had a really good conversation - three or four - with Enzo. He’s apologised to me and to the club, and we’ll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday. It’s a serious meeting about something very serious. Enzo, every single step of the way, I’ve not been questioning his character or who he is as a person. I believe people make mistakes.
Qualifying for the Champions League is all we can focus on right now. There are teams fighting relegation, teams mid-table, teams pushing at the top end - it doesn’t matter. Every game is so difficult in this league. It’ll be a big challenge on Sunday, but one we’re looking forward to.”
Rosenior said centre back Levi Colwill was back in training after suffering a serious knee injury in August, and that right-back Reece James has been running following a hamstring problem. “Trevoh Chalobah is working hard, he’s back on the pitch. Colwill is in full training but he still needs to overcome some hurdles regarding selection,” he added.
Not sure if we can extend these centre-back pairings to centre-back trios but my favourite central defensive partnership of the modern era was probably BBC – Bonucci, Barzaghi and Chiellini. Hardly a left-field shout, it should be said, but they were such a formidable force under Allegri. Barzagli is often forgotten about – not as talented as Bonucci with the ball, not as fierce as Chiellini in the tackle – but he really was the glue that held that entire 3-5-2 Juventus backline together, with Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado bombing on from wing back. Woof.
Should also flag that Barzagli was assistant manager to Silvio Baldini at the Italy Under-21s. Baldini has just been placed in interim charge of the senior Italy team for the next two friendlies, so it will be interesting to see if Barzagli follows him there.
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Chelsea's Rosenior speaks on Enzo Fernández
Hello from Cobham. Liam Rosenior has just spoken to the media and has confirmed there are still hurdles to overcome with Enzo Fernández, who remains suspended for Chelsea’s game against Manchester City despite apologising to the club for his recent controversial comments about his future.
All very cryptic from Rosenior, who said: “He won’t play on Sunday, but hopefully after that he’ll be a massive part of the group moving forward. There’s still a few hurdles that need to be overcome that I won’t go into, but at the same time I want every player really, really focused now on a huge run.”
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Secondly, Luciano Spalletti will stay on as Juventus coach after signing a new two-year deal, where he will reportedly earn an annual salary of €5.8m.
“It’s important that I tell you first before it becomes official that we have decided to extend my contract for two more years,” Spaletti said in a video released by the club which showed him speaking to his players.
Spalletti was brought in by Juve in October to replace the sacked Igor Tudor and charged with ensuring qualification for the Champions League. Spalletti, whose previous job was a tumultuous and unsuccessful stint as Italy coach, has Juve one point away from fourth place which is currently occupied by Como.
The club have been convinced by the 67-year-old who most famously won the Serie A title with Napoli in 2023.
Key event
Esteemed! Feeling buoyed by both that and the gallon of tomato soup I have just absorbed (with salt and vinegar crisps – and people say British cuisine is dead), let’s crack on with the afternoon’s footy news (and of course, your favourite centre-back pairings).
First order of business, we have two bits of managerial news from Italy. The first is a significant change for the men’s national team.
Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini will lead the senior national team for upcoming friendly matches next month. The announcement came Friday, 10 days after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup again.
Italy’s penalty shootout loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina led to the resignations of Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso. Baldini, 67, will coach the team against Luxembourg on 3 June and Greece four days later. A new permanent coach will most likely be chosen after Gravina’s replacement is appointed, with elections set for 22 June. Antonio Conte is favoured to return. AP
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And just like that here is the esteemed Mr Michael Butler ready to take the reins. There’s plenty more Premier League presser goodness for him to sink his teeth into this afternoon.
Before I hand the blog over, I must plug this excellent piece by Harry De Cosemo – with great photos by Gary Calton – on National League leaders York. There’s a potentially massive promotion/title decider with Rochdale coming up at the end of the season …
Some more emails re best/favourite Premier League centre-back duos:
Matthew Davis: “Hi Dom. Put it like this; if Vertonghen and Alderweireld were still at Spurs, even now we wouldn’t be in danger of relegation.”
Bruce Crawford: “There can be a big difference between what is the ‘best’ pairing and what constitutes one’s ‘favourite’. As a United fan aged 66 I have several favourites down the years, especially Buchan and Holton prior to the latter’s leg break during the first half of the season in Division 2. McGrath & Moran were much loved in the 80s.
“In the PL era though, I would have two pairings ahead of Ferdinand & Vidic: Stam & Johnsen in the Treble season, but best of all time Bruce & Pallister in the first half of the 90s. Fantastic as a pairing that complemented each other perfectly, with the handy addition of Steve Bruce being a terrific penalty taker. Also have a grudging respect for Adams & Keown at Arsenal.”
Danny from Leicester: “Morgan/Huth, 15/16, the rock upon which a miracle was built. Serenely ignoring the present, happily living in the past.”
Pereira tells Premier League to protect clubs in Europe
Vitor Pereira has called on the Premier League to “protect” its clubs by adapting the schedule to help them prosper in Europe, insisting doing so would result in them winning more silverware.
In France, the Ligue de Football Professionel rescheduled Paris Saint-Germain’s recent Ligue 1 matches to provide them more rest to prepare for Champions League knockout fixtures.
Nottingham Forest host Aston Villa on Sunday less than 48 hours after arriving back in the East Midlands from their first-leg draw at Porto, while Villa also played in Bologna on Thursday, winning 3-1.
Pereira referenced how the Portuguese Liga have shifted games to help Porto cope with the schedule. Last month the league approved Sporting’s request to postpone a league game against Tondela in between last 16 matches.
“What they do here, they schedule the game for Sunday but [move it] to Monday and this is completely different,” said the Forest head coach. “It is one more day, they can recover – 24 hours more to recover makes a big difference.
“In my opinion, to protect the teams who are playing in the Europa League and the Conference League especially, and even the Champions League, just one day after is very important to get results. Sometimes it’s important to protect the clubs, to give them the chance to win more titles.”
Forest and Villa could meet in the Europa League semi-finals if both teams prevail in the second legs against Porto and Bologna respectively.
Pereira accepted the schedule is beyond his powers: “If we protect these teams, the teams in the Europa League, Conference League and the Champions League, for sure England can get more titles. For sure, I don’t have any doubts. If you look at PSG, they [LFP] delayed the previous four matches to be in conditions to compete in the league and Champions League. This is what we need to reflect on.”
The Guardian’s Luke McLaughlin has been in touch re: favourite Premier League centre-back pairings: “Chettle and Cooper at Forest, mid 90s, for me Clive,” he says.
Leeds midfielder Ao Tanaka played a key role in last week’s epic FA Cup semi-final win at West Ham, scoring the opening goal, and could be in line for a rare start in place of the injured Anton Stach in Monday night’s Premier League game at Manchester United.
Daniel Farke praised Tanaka’s “really good performances” of late and said: “I’m very happy with his development because Ao is not the youngest anymore and for him it’s his first season in a top flight.”
Tanaka is a fan favourite at Leeds fans, but has been self-critical of his own performances since helping the club win promotion last season. He hasn’t started in the league since 14 December.
“He has said publicly he’s not yet good enough for this level, but we’ve always believed in Ao,” Farke added. “He produced a really good performance [at West Ham] and proved against a Premier League side that he can play at the top level.
“For Ao there is no limit because he’s a top player. He’s done this in recent weeks and for that there will be more chances for him in the coming weeks to shine. If he produces performances like he did at West Ham then we are all happy.”
The lads and lasses on The Overlap have been asking who is the best centre-back partnership in Premier League history …
Lots of love for Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, which would be my answer, closely followed by John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Jamie Carragher said Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson, perhaps forgetting that A) both retired before the Premier League began and B) their contrasting punditry careers.
Drop me an email with your favourite PL CB duo.
What a day of sport we have. The return of the Premier League tonight, county cricket back in full swing and the Masters day two. Lovely.
I’ve received an email from Krishnamoorthy:
“Having successfully completed the exits from Carabao and FA [Cups], and that the Champions league pursuit will probably be over by next week, what wizardry will Arsenal deploy this weekend to surrender the league?”
Despite those cup exits, I feel like Arsenal aren’t quite as weakened as their detractors may think/be hoping. Bournemouth at home this weekend ought to yield three points.
Want some more from Pep on Bernardo? He’s really waxed lyrical about the former Monaco man, despite having the grump with him …
All managers would say how much they love him because he is incredibly competitive, has a fire inside him always. In the toughest moments and on the biggest stages, he is always there.
He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide.
He has been an incredible signing with the numbers, minutes, titles. I judge players when everything is difficult and he always steps up
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'Grumpy' Guardiola asks Bernardo Silva to confirm City future
Pep Guardiola admitted he doesn’t know whether Bernardo Silva will be at Manchester City next season, after his assistant Pep Lijnders appeared to suggest the midfielder was leaving.
Guardiola was asked to clarify Bernardo’s future at today’s press conference, but said: “I don’t know.
“I am so grumpy with Bernardo. A month ago I said I had to be the first [he would tell] and he didn’t say anything to me yet. I do not know if he has already decided. I said jokingly to him to tell me, I deserve it, but he didn’t tell me. I do not know what is going on.
“He is really good in all departments. He plays a lot of games. Nine years we have been together and no injuries. He can play in different positions, he is so smart and reads every moment that the action and game requires. When you play a lot of games, it gives us a lot of trust and confidence how he is going to perform.”
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Here’s Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s hopes of chasing down Arsenal in the final weeks of the season:
Hopefully we can get a lot of points. The situation we are in in the Premier League, we need to get all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end.
We need to get a lot of points. We have not been consistent enough in the season. We have dropped points that we should have taken which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do it differently.
We have to win every single game.
Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams is set to return from injury to feature against Arsenal in the Premier League tomorrow (Saturday).
The 27-year-old has missed Bournemouth’s last two matches as well as two USA international friendlies over the recent break with a quadriceps problem.
“I am feeling strong and ready to go,” Adam has told club media. Staying in Bournemouth over the international break to rehab “gave me a period of time to get stronger, get more fit and focus on the objectives with the boys here.” He added: “I’m feeling consistent, I’m feeling strong now and I think it’s just important to finish the season strong.”
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Thanks Barry. As a follower of Manchester United, these three weeks without Premier League action have felt VERY long. Thank goodness it’s back.
It’s easy to forget Manchester City are still nine points off Arsenal, for all the talk of the Gunners wobbling. Guardiola’s men do have a game in hand, but they also have to travel to Chelsea on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola is due to speak to the press any minute now and Dominic Booth is here to tell you what the Manchester City head coach has to say for himself.
Bayern Munich: Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the return leg of his team’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid with a hamstring injury. The 18-year-old rising star was an unused substitute in the first leg but will now be sidelined indefinitely.
Scottish Premiership: With six games of the season remaining, Hearts remain a point clear of Rangers at the top of the table but the gap is closing with each passing week. At a time when every match is important, Hearts face another tough assignment when they host Motherwell tomorrow, ahead of an Edinburgh derby at Hibernian followed by a home match against Rangers.
Derek McInnes says Motherwell have been a “breath of fresh air” in the Scottish Premiership this season, echoing the sentiments of many who have praised Jens Berthel Askou’s side. Going into the final pre-split game of the season at Tynecastle on Saturday, they sit in fourth place, 10 points behind Celtic, albeit without a win in their last four matches.
Motherwell are the only side Hearts have failed to beat this season following a thrilling 3-3 draw at Tynecastle in August and a goalless stalemate at Fir Park in November. “I think they’ve been a breath of fresh air and the manager’s done a brilliant job,” said Mcinnes. “The players are responding brilliantly to him. Motherwell are playing with a lot of confidence and you see that in their game, and they’ve had a brilliant season.
“I know they’ve hit a wee sticky spell at the minute, but it’s not going to take away from a lot of the good work that they’ve done. I did say ahead of the game last week that certain teams are probably punching above their weight and kind of getting a bit more than maybe what was expected, and Motherwell is one of them. Very few people have not commented on how good they’ve been this season and you can understand why.” [PA Sport]
EFL Trophy final: Jack Wilshere’s promotion-chasing Luton Town take on Stockport in Sunday’s Vertu Trophy final with renewed momentum, writes Simon Burnton.
Brighton: Scott Parker’s side are 10 points from safety with seven games to remaining and while few people give them much chance of avoiding the drop, Fabian Hurzeler has said Brighton will not be taking them lightly.
“Burnley is a team fighting relegation but they proved in the last weeks that they can win against every team in the league,” he said. “They have individual qualities. They show really good togetherness. That they showed, especially in the last games, really good performances so you can’t underestimate any team in this league. It is a game where we have to reach our limits, our standards, our highest levels if you want to beat them.”
It sounds to me like Hurzeler might be confusing tomorrow’s opponents with some other club because since the end of October, the only Premier League team Burnley have proved they can beat is Crystal Palace.
Women’s football: Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football, has said their proposed changes to the structure of the women’s leagues are “vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football”, as she defends the plan which would include adding four WSL academy teams to the third tier.
“The purpose of these proposals is to futureproof the women’s game,” Day said. “We are approaching a crucial turning point. Too many talented young players are not getting the opportunities they need to develop, and without action, that risks holding back the future of the sport.
“No decisions have been made at this stage, and consultation is ongoing. We would not be putting these proposals forward unless we believed they are vital to securing the long-term success of women’s football.”
The Guardian exclusively revealed the plans on Tuesday and there has been a mixed reaction, including some heavy criticism from third-tier coaching staff.
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Tottenham Hotspur: Ahead of Roberto De Zerbi’s first press conference as head coach scheduled for 1.30pm (GMT), Chris Pauros writes that the Italian’s apology for past comments about his former player, Mason Greenwood, was important but insufficient and adds that if we want things to change in football, we need some accountability. Read on …
Brighton: Fabian Hurzeler’s side return to action against Burnley at Turf Moor tomorrow, having won four (and lost one) of their last five Premier League games before the international break. Brighton currently sit 10th in the table, six points off the final Champions League spot. Following the corresponding international break last season, Hurzeler’s team took just one point from their next four games before winning four and drawing one of their final four.
“I think after a very successful period before the international break and during the international break,” the German told reporters this morning. “Our players were quite successful and that is a very positive thing so they kept the positivity, they kept the confidence and belief.
“Now it is about when they return from their national teams. They come together as a group again, re-emphasising what made us strong, what we need to get back to the standards we reached before the international break. Re-emphasise what it means to play for the badge.”
Hurzeler will be forced to sit out Brighton’s match against Burnley on the Naughty Step, where he will be accompanied by his captain, Lewis Dunk. “We have a other leaders who can solve it on the pitch and beside the pitch,” he told reporters. “Regarding me, we already had a situation against Brentford where my team and my staff did an incredible job.
“Regarding Lewis, of course he played unbelievably well in the last weeks but we have shown we have a lot of options to replace him. Not just options, really good options to replace him. Therefore, we are quite confident that the team are strong enough to handle these things.”
Dunk will miss Brighton’s next two games after picking up his tenth booking of the season, while Jack Hinshelwood is available for selection after recovering from a knee problem that prevented him from joining up with England U-21s.
Newcastle United: Having missed Newcastle’s last 11 matches with a hamstring injury, Bruno Guimaraes is likely to sit out their next two through illness. The Brazilian returned from international duty with mumps and Eddie Howe says he is defintiiely next weekend’s game against Bournemouth too. Fabian Schar remains sidelined having had minor surgery on an infection in his foot, while Lewis Miley is back in training after recovering from an injury that has kept him out since January.
Newcastle United: During an Eddie Howe press conference covering all manner of topics, the subject of Kieran Trippier’s imminent departure from Newcastle was addressed by the head coach who signed him four-and-a-half years ago.
“I think Kieran has handled himself superbly during this period,” said Howe. “He came to see me, we had a discussion. He had a clear vision of what he saw his future looking like and we respected that and wanted him to get the best reception and reaction for his time here.
“For me he goes down as one of the best players that’s played for me, without a doubt. In my time here he has been a model of consistency. He has had that will to win and will to help us prepare the best we can. I think he has been outstanding on the pitch. He has been a really good leader and he deserves to go with all the plaudits. We just hope he can finish the season off on a real high.”
West Ham: Victory over Wolves tonight will lift West Ham out of the bottom three for a couple of days at least and ahead of this crucial fixture, Jarrod Bowen has said it pains him to see his club in trouble. Helping them extricate themselves from their current predicament would “mean the world” to him.
“This club means so much to me,” he said in an interview with Sky Sports. “In the situation that we’re in, it hurts me probably more than anyone else. What I’m trying to do is bring my A-game every single week and also get the team ready to bring their A-game. We know what we have to do in terms of steering away from relegation. We have a massive opportunity to do that.
“We have to keep doing that. Of course you want to score, you want to get assists, you want to be the difference. But also your team-mates as well, they’re so important. They need to keep stepping up like they have been. We all need to keep stepping up and keep changing our destiny and changing our fortunes and win the games that we have. Then we can almost take control of the situation that we’re in. We know what we need to do, so that’s the most important thing.”
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Bayern Munich: Vincent Kompany turns 40 today but the Bayern head coach gave extremely short shrift to talk of birthday celebrations during his press conference this morning. Bayern Munich took a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg this week and travel to Hamburg to play struggling St Pauli tomorrow with a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table. They are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup.
“We can only wish for the three points [against St Pauli],” he told reporters who asked if he’d be swinging from the chandeliers tonight. “I always celebrated birthdays at the stage of semi-finals and quarter-finals so it’s a bonus if you get the wins at these moments.
“I am trying to run away from all the birthday stuff. We are in priority mode. At this moment there are enough emotions in the coming days. Maybe some red wine tonight but first prepare for the match.” [Reuters]
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Newcastle United: The first signing Newcastle made under their new Saudi owners, Kieran Trippier has confirmed he will be leaving the club this summer when his contract expires. Rumours also abound that Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon could be sold come season’s end. While Howe refused to discuss the future of individual players, he did speak out on the importance of Newcastle managing their fans’ expectations.
“If that’s the reality - and I’m not saying it is - then that’s the reality,” he told reporters. “I’ve no issue working with the conditions the club set and finances dictate. I’ve never had an issue with that all through my career.
“As long as that is made clear to everybody on the outside and the expectations are aligned within that. Because I don’t think you can have expectations that warp reality. Everything has got to be aligned for the players to enter the pitch and play in their best place, where they’re relaxed and not under undue pressure. That’s fundamentally important.”
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Howe rejects speculation of Newcastle fall-out
Newcastle United: Newcastle travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday to play their first match since losing the Tyne-Wear derby at home to Sunderland just before the international break. With no shortage of speculation surrounding his own future at the club and the potential summer exit of several key players, Eddie Howe wasn’t short of things to talk about this morning.
“Certainly there’s been no fallings out,” he said, when asked about his relationship with Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson and the club CEO David Hopkinson. “I’ve got a really good relationship with Ross and David. We’re plotting to try and take the club forward in the smartest way possible. I’ve had really good support from both of them, who are the key figures I work with day-to-day at the football club. We’re all totally aligned on what we need to do.
“The long-term prospects for the football club are really strong but certainly these seasons we’ve experienced previously. Not all the forces are with us and we’re going to have to act really smart and try to outperform the budget to try to hit the levels everyone wants.
“What do I need? I just need support. Good working relationships with people around me and a feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself. And I think if I feel that and the club feels that then they’re getting the best manager they can from me.
“Obviously if that’s not working for whatever reason on both sides then it’s best for the football club. The most important thing in all of this is Newcastle United, not me, not anybody else. I’ll always reflect that in my decision making: I’ll put the club before anybody.”
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Liverpool: Arne Slot has told reporters that Alisson is still sidelined but Liverpool fans are unlikely to be too concerned given how well Giorgi Marmadashvili has played in the Brazilian’s absence. Slot also said that some players who started against PSG will be rotated out of the side to face Fulham tommorrow because they cannot currently handle the intensity of playing two big games in four days. “The players I’m worried about for tomorrow will be Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez,” he said.
Aston Villa: Despite the looming World Cup and this season still being very much up in the air for both sides, Bayern Munich have just announced they will be playing Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly in Hong Kong on 7 August.
For their part, Villa say they “hope to announce further fixtures in the far east in due course”. Whatever the outcome on the pitch in Hong Kong, you have to say the Bayern Munich club secretary has stolen a march on his or her Villa counterpart early doors. That’s clichéd German efficiency at its finest.
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Arne Slot on Andy Robertson: “First of all, he’s had many great seasons here not only as a player but as a great person as well,” he says of the Scotsman, whose departure from Liverpool at the end of the season was announced yesterday. “I got to know him as a great person. Every team-mate of his will tell you how funny he is, how great he is and I think that’s been shown on social media as well.
“But what I remember most about him is the intensity he plays with and we’ve seen and learned something about intensity two days ago but, I can also remember Robbo making a press from the left-back position to the right wing a few years ago and I showed it to my players I was working with back then.
“He’s won everything at this club, served his club and really loves this club. It’s been a great nine years for him. This season he didn’t play as much as he was used to and as a result of that he’s leaving.”
A tip of the hat to Slot for highlighting the fact that Robertson is a terrific character and all round good guy as well as a consumate professional. He seems to be universally liked and one imagines his is a presence that would be sorely missed from any dressing-room. He’s been an outstanding servant for Liverpool over the best part of a decade, even if quite a few people were sceptical about his credentials when he was signed from Hull City. Jurgen knew!
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Arne Slot: 'I feel the support from the fans'
Liverpool: The postponement of their Ligue1 match against Lens means Paris Saint-Germain have been given the weekend off ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg at Anfield on Tuesday, but Liverpool have a crucial match against Fulham to play at Anfield tomorrow evening.
Arne Slot’s side go into it on the back of two chastening defeats and are fifth in the Premier League table. Should either Everton or Brentford win their Champions League qualification six-pointer at the Gtech Community Stadium tomorrow afternoon, they will go level on points with Liverpool.
“I’m repeating myself a lot but I feel a lot of support,” said Arne Slot this morning, upon being asked if he feels he has the backing of the Liverpool club hierarchy. “Not only from the owners but from Richard [Hughes] and Michael [Edwards], a lot of support from them as well. As weird as it might sound I also feel the support from the fans.
“We were going out in Paris when the players went out for the warm-up and after the 4-0 loss [against Manchester City] the fans immediately started singing ‘we love Liverpool’. I think it’s fair to say we were outplayed for 90 minutes and they were still singing and clapping for us. I’ve said many times, the club knows the period of time we’re in and in the mean time I feel complete support.”]
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Column: While his “big team who win things” (well, the odd thing) are hovering above the Premier League relegation zone, his small team who never win anything have just dropped out of the League Two automatic promotion places. It’s small wonder the Guardian’s Football Weekly presenter Max Rushden is a bag of nerves …
Tottenham Hotspur: While he has already been interviewed by the club media team, Roberto De Zerbi’s maiden press conference as Spurs head coach is likely to be today’s hottest ticket in town. The Italian is scheduled to speak to the media at 1.30pm (GMT), ahead of his side’s match against Sunderland on Sunday afternoon. If West Ham beat the Premier League’s bottom side, Wolves, at the London Stadium tonight, Spurs will be in the relegation zone when their game kicks off at the Stadium of Light.
Andy Robertson to leave Liverpool after nine years
Liverpool: The Scottish left-back is to bring his illustrious career with the club to a close when his contract expires at the end of the season, with no shortage of big name European heavyweights believed to be interested in securing the 32-year-old’s services. Andy Hunter reports …
Crystal Palace 3-0 Fiorentina
Europa Conference League quarter-final first leg: A sensational performance blew away Fiorentina as Jean-Philippe Mateta scored on his first start since the end of January. Ed Aarons reports from Selhurst Park …
Bologna 1-3 Aston Villa
Europea League quarter-final first leg: Aston Villa were second best for large parts of the game in Bologna but a brace from Ollie Watkins put them in the box-seat. Paul MacInnes reports from Stadio Renata Dall’Ara …
FC Porto 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Europa League quarter-final first leg: A freakish own goal by the Porto defender Martim Fernandes earned Nottingham Forest a draw and fostered optimism of advancing to the Europa League semi-finals. Ben Fisher reports from Estádio do Dragão …
Friday football blog ...
Following a hiatus so long some Tottenham fans may have forgotten their team is in grave danger of relegation, the Premier League is back. In the build-up to a weekend schedule that kicks off when West Ham host fellow basement-dwellers Wolves at the London Stadium tonight, we’ll bring you all the news that’s fit to print from today’s round of managerial press conferences. In the time honoured tradition, we’ll also be keeping a beady eye on any tidbits of note from the EFL, Scotland and beyond. You know the drill …
