And finally, here’s Nick Ames’ match report. Thanks all for your company and comments - enjoy the rest of your weekends.
Mourinho says Brendan has done a great job but has trouble with injuries, and if anyone knows about them it is poor old put-upon Mourhino. He says he knew his team could win the game in transition, and by sitting deep they took away the space in which Vardy plays and now have a shot at making the Europa.
He goes on to say that “we were phenomenal” at the back – their block was “always in control” and Lloris made a couple of big saves. He also praises the “amazing quality” of Kane, who is up there with the best he’s managed, praising him as a “striker, leader, team-player”, then asked if he can improve him, says if he can build a better team around him.
As for Spurs, they’ve looked more like a team these last few games. They’ll need to do some good work in the transfer market if they’re to get back to challenging for the title, but they’re no longer painful to watch.
I guess that if Leicester end up fifth, that’s still a good season for them. But given where they were, it’ll feel like a heel to the solar plexus.
At Wembley, the second cup semi is underway. Click here, and Rob Smyth will guide you through it.
Harry Kane is very pleased with how Spurs countered in the first half, and though they dropped too deep in the second half, he’s pleased. He felt confident and sharp today, and did a lot of work as well as taking time to rest during lockdown, and feels as good as he’s felt for five years.
He’s less pleased when it’s put to him that Gary Neville said he’s got his “running power back” – most particularly the inference that he ever lost it. He proceeds to remind us that he scores 20+ goals every season, injured or not, and in the silences we see him waving metaphorical fingers.
“It’s just one of them,” he says of his second goal, and he’s right, it was.
Harry Kane, though.
Leicester played pretty well in the first half, but didn’t take their chances and Harry Kane was just too good for their depleted defence. Spurs move above Wolves into sixth place, giving themselves a decent shot at the Europa League – Wolves meet Chelsea in their final game – while Leicester stay fourth on goals scored from Manchester United. But in all likelihood, their Champions League hopes were extinguished this afternoon, because they’ll probably need to bear United on Sunday, and with that same defence.
Full-time: Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leicester City
A rotten afternoon for Leicester and a fine for Spurs, Harry Kane in particular.
90+3 min “Who’s your man of the match?” asks Martin Tyler of Gary Neville – perhaps the most redundant question of all-time. Kane has scored two fine goals and made another – what a player he is.
90+2 min Skipp replaces Winks.
90+1 min Hirst doesn’t wait to be asked. He picks the ball up outside the box, then whips an outswinger just wide.
90 min There’ll be four added minutes.
90 min Gedson finds Davies outside him, and he crosses looking for Kane, but he’s on his heels. Please do not adjust your screens, that is not a misprint.
89 min “Just to point it out,” emails Tom Barnett-Young. “Leicester wouldn’t need to beat United by the same amount United beat West Ham, only by half that amount. Leicester’s winning margin against United would effectively have double the impact on the teams’ goal difference differential, since each goal would simultaneously improve Leicester’s goal difference by one while reducing United’s by the same amount.”
In other words: I am a moron.
89 min Gedson replaces Son.
88 min Iheanacho curls a shot from the edge of the box that Lloris tips around the post and the ensuing corner is a good one, finding Hirst at the back post! But he panics and heads wide. That was a good chance, one of a few Leicester have had.
86 min Sanchez ploughs through Hirst - welcome to THIS LEAGUE, old mate – and Sanchez is booked. Gray deposits the free-kick directly into the wall.
85 min Iheanacho drives towards the box and unloads for Vardy, who tries one more to Thomas – he’s in space – but Sanchez intercepts.
85 min In commentary, they’re talking about Watford and Nigel Pearson, which tells you that this game has died a death.
83 min George Hirst, son of Eric Cantona David, comes on to make his Leicester debut, replacing Barnes who looks to have a knock.
82 min Leicester have lost their vim. Gray shoves wide to Thomas, whose cross is easy for Lloris.
81 min Kane runs across the line as Davies sweeps a pass into space; he finishes as adroitly as you’d expect, but he was well offside.
79 min “I disagree on Kane,” says Jeremy Dresner. “The man is more beautiful mind than beautiful self. He is obsessed with records. The only questions is if Jimmy Greaves’ Tottenham Hotspur’s highest ever goalscorer (266 goals) and the highest goalscorer in the history of English top-flight football (357 goals) are more interesting than rewards elsewhere. It’s different to being selfish per se.”
I don’t mean it in a pejorative sense. Just that he’ll prioritise whatever suits him, not whatever suits Spurs, and rightly so.
77 min Lamela and Bergwijn replace Lo Celso and Moura.
76 min Evans and Kane scuffle for the ball, Evans introducing arm to face but probably in error. VAR sees nothing amiss.
75 min Lamela and Bergwijn, who Mourhino assured us wasn’t fit, will soon be upon us. Maybe it’s a test.
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73 min Kane eases away from Evans, gleefully accepting the shove both of them know is a matter of principle in such circumstances. Evans is booked.
71 min Mendy finds Gray, who finds Praet ... who shoots directly into legs from 25 yards. A goal for Leicester would make such a difference, because if United beat West Ham on Wednesday, they’ll need to beat them by the same amount.
69 min Change for Leicester, Tielemans and Ndidi going off – perhaps to save them for the humungous effort next Sunday will demand - with Mendy and Praet replacing them.
68 min Leicester scurry about trying to find something, Iheanacho moseying along the left by-line and winning a corner ... which Lloris comes and punches clear! I know! We then check VAR to see if Sanchez fouled Evans at the ball came across, which he did not, and that’s ... drinks.
66 min Evans plays a blind pass and Son intercepts, racing forward before botching his pass to Kane. My little group of Manchester United fans used to call Evans 98 Percent, because he could be good for that much of a game, then do something terrible, just like that.
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64 min Barnes is enjoying his free role and he wriggles space 20 yards out, dragging a shot straight at Lloris.
63 min “Harry Kane - not as much as he loves himself, quoting me back to myself. “Footballers are generally not overburdened with humility but I have not seen a lot of evidence to suggest Kane is any worse than his peers in this regard. I assume you have?”
No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that his loyalty is to himself, not a club, so I’d not be surprised to see him plump for more trophies and more money by moving away from Spurs. This is in no way meant as a criticism - no one should ever feel obliged to work for anyone.
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61 min Leicester move the ball about, but they know the jig is up. Take players as good as Ricardo, Chilwell, Soyuncu and Maddison out of any team, and they’ll struggle, but unlike those they’re competing with, Leicester just don’t have the resources to compete. It’ll never happen, but I wonder if the best way of redressing this kind of imbalance would be to limit subs to two or three – though that might hamper the development of younger players.
59 min Change for Leicester, Iheanacho replacing Perez. Leicester seem to be playing a 4-3-1-2, with Harvey in the hole.
59 min Tielemans sends over an outswinger, but Morgan can’t get his head properly behind it and his effort goes wide.
58 min Gray fancies this, curling into Sissoko’s back, peeling off the wall, and forcing Lloris to tip over for a corner which yields another.
57 min Moura is late on Tielemans, earning himself a booking. Free-kick Leicester, 25 yards out, just left of centre...
56 min Leicester win a free-kick out on the left and Tielemans curls in an absolute scumbag. For a second it looks like Morgan is there, but Davies does brilliantly to force himself underneath it, heading behind. I’m not sure why Lloris didn’t come for that, but he soon has the ball in his hands when the corner comes over.
54 min A long ball sets Kane against Morgan and he brushes him off ... is this the hat-trick? No it is not, because Morgan, huffing and puffing, does really well to get back at him, and the shot is blocked wide for a corner that comes to nothing.
52 min “I can’t wait for headlines proclaiming how good Mourinho’s team were during this match(at least during the first half that is),” emails Aamir Mohamedy. “Meanwhile, I cannot help but wonder what Kane’s thinking right now with the transfer window around the corner. Should he stay and help keep the Spurs in contention for European football for the year after. or should he move to places where he might actually win a trophy. Surely, this can’t go on forever!”
It’s tricky, because hardly anyone, if anyone, has the money to buy him and he clearly loves Spurs. Not as much as he loves himself, though, but I’d expect him to give it one more season at least.
51 min Moura has really tested Thomas these last 20 minutes, and he spins him here, forcing a free-kick out of him. Spurs are looking lively in attack, much better than a few weeks ago.
49 min I should note that Leicester haven’t changed formation. Tielemans moves the ball to Gray, whose shot is blocked.
48 min Kane’s passsing! He mooches across the centre-circle, has a look, mooches some more, then lasers a gorgeous reverse-pass into the path of Son! For a second it looks like he’s in, but he can’t collect properly, slipping trying to right his first touch.
47 min So what do Leicester do here? If they go wild looking to score, they could easily concede more; maybe they need to stay in the game at try to repair the goal difference, so that if they beat United next Sunday, they finish above them.
46 min Ryan Bennett, who will not remember his afternoon’s work fondly, is replaced by Demarai Gray.
46 min We go again.
Elsewhere, the teams are in for the Chelsea-Man United cup semi. Rob Smyth has more here...
“Jose is building this team after his great counter attacking Real Madrid team of 2011-12,” reckons Jeremy Dresner. “This is effective and he has the explosive players to hurt teams that come to play. Don’t want to be downer with a 3-0 half-time lead but unlocking the safe at Roy’s ‘banks of four’ next week will be a more tricky challenge for this team.”
Yes, I see what you’re saying, but to succeed in that style requires a much better defence and midfield than he has. I wonder if it’s circumstance that is forcing him to play that way.
“As a finisher, Kane is close to Shearer,” tweets Roy Everitt, “but there’s a fair bit of Sheringham in his passing and anticipation, too.”
Yes, I can see that – imagine if he got that wad of hair sticking out at the back. His passing is both extremely underrated and extremely good, but for building play rather than creating goals.
“Rodgers teams perform better when there are no expectations,” says Ambar Bokare.
I’m not sure about that. Taking on Harry Kane with that back four is like taking on coronvirus with Boris Johnson.
“I think this is the only type of game that Mourinho can get excited about now,” says Stephen Carr.
Surely not the...
Half-time viewing: this is great.
Half-time: Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leicester City
On the one hand, the score doesn’t tell the full story; on the other, it tells all the story. Leicester have played ok, but their defence is just not equipped to deal with Harrance Kane and that’s all there is to it. They desperately need a goal or two, even if they wind up losing, because if they do not, and if Manchester United beat West Ham in midweek, even a win in the final game might not save them.
45+1 min Gary Neville compares Kane to Shearer, and there are definitely similarities – the hunger for goals, principally, in which group also belongs Ruud van Nistelrooy. I’d have probably have Shearer, given a choice between the two, because the pace and change of pace he had at Blackburn was exceptional, but Kane is a much smoother technician. As I said earlier, I can’t think of anyone as deadly when it comes to difficult finishes from that 12-22 yard range.
45 min There’ll be three added minutes.
45 min Harry Kane, though.
43 min “Your musing on pretending reminded me of this REM song from the late 80s,” says Peter Oh, who seems to know me better than he thinks. I was obsessed with how profound I perceived it to be at a 14-year-old, on which point, has any band ever come up with the run the equal of theirs, Murmur to Automatic? This is a rhetorical question.
41 min Harry Kane, though.
WHAT A GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Leicester City (Kane 40)
Moura, who’s suddenly appeared into the game, progresses down the right and moves the ball over to Kane, down the left side of the box. Faced by a squared Bennett, he’s allowed to move the ball onto his right foot - that is miserable defending - but what a finish Kane supplies, smacking a curler into the far side-netting, halfway up. What a player! What a privilege to watch him work! Leicester, meanwhile, are in all sorts – their goal difference advantage over Man United has gone, and their Champions League spot looks to be going with it.
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39 min Kane’s ability to finish from 12-22 yards is absolutely magical. It’s the earliness and the accuracy, mainly, but the deftness is also brilliant.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Leicester City (Kane 37)
It’s the Spurs counter. They clear a corner and Lo Celso streaks through centrefield then spreads to Moura, who slides a ball in behind for Kane, played onside by Barnes. He doesn’t look because he doesn’t need to, sweeping a finish across Schmeichel like so many fringes over so many undercuts.
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36 min Spurs have been a little better these last few minutes, but are falling into the Mourinho trap of sitting back to protect a lead without a defence suited to such behaviour.
34 min Spurs need to something about the right side of their defence. Maybe Tanganga will come on to provide a Michael and Bruce, also known as a double buffer, I’m not sure.
33 min “With the SkyDeutschland ticket,” says Rob Jacques, “there’s no crowd noise option and I like it that way, especially for Spurs games when Mourinho is near the microphone. He sounds like that insurance meerkat with very bad sweary Tourette’s.”
Go on then, footballers as cartoon characters. Mourinho as Yosemite Sam.
31 min The corner is a goodun too, hard and flat towards the near post – why has that move, pretty much indefensible when done right, gone out of the game – where Ndidi gets the flick-on! For a moment it looks like sneaking inside the the far, but it whooshes past and also beats Son’s slide.
30 min It’s nearly the latter! Winks clips a lush ball over the top for Son, buzzing across the line, and when he races onto it he makes great connection with a bouncing ball, thudding a riser that Schmeichel tips over the bar.
29 min Spurs enjoy a bit of time-consuming possession. Increasingly, it looks like this game will be decided by what happens first: a Vardy equalising goal or a Spurs counter-attacking goal.
27 min ““Everton fan here,” returns Mary Waltz. “The fact that Everton can raise their game against the top clubs and then turn around and drop points against lesser teams is the reason that many are giving the Cherries three points. Their talent should not produce a bottom half spot in the table. Frustrated!”
That’s the thing. In general, you see the value of a player not by how high their top level is but how high their bottom level is.
27 min Lo Celso scythes through Tielemans, doing well to avoid a booking.
26 min Here is the game. Spurs counter, and a ball into the middle almost finds Son, Leicester’s centre-backs doing a better job of defending him this time and conceding a corner which comes to nothing.
25 min Thomas keeps the width down the left – Spurs are looking extremely suss on that flank – and his cross is a goodun, chested down by Perez who then spins into a laces volley ... only for Lloris to tip away! That’s a really good stop from the keeper; I’m surprised he’s never been picked for Wales.
24 min Off we go again. I daresay Mourinho disbursed a few words for his players, because currently, a Jamie Vardy goal looks a matter of time.
22 min And that’s drinks. Can’t wait till they’re using them to hand out pints of sponsored Gazprom and chucking in a few ad breaks.
22 min Anyone else think this every time they see or hear Harry Winks?
21 min And have a look! Tielemans bends a ball in, Lloris rises with no one within five yards of him, then inexplicably drops it, forcing Winks to hook away.
20 min Leicester are pounding at the door here! It’s a right old game of knockdown ginger! The corner comes in and Morgan, watched but unmolested by Sissoko, wins the header, and Vardy blocks it in oder to backheel a shot from six yards; between them, Davies and Lloris smother.
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19 min Leicester look dangerous, and Vardy flashes at a cross, getting a minor touch that takes the ball against Sanchez and behind.
19 min “The fake crowd noise is artificial, I should be appalled and insulted,” emails Mary Waltz. “But I find I prefer it to the silence. The quiet makes me think of what we are going through instead of sport as an escape.”
I can totally see that. I guess it reminds me that it’s artificial, but mainly I can’t deal with pretending, an affliction that extends beyond football.
18 min Perez finds space in the box, then drills a shot into the back of the grounded Aurier. There’s a hint of handball, but a closer look shows nothing doing.
16 min “I know it’s fashionable to talk about how mediocre Everton are,” says Mtt Burtz, “which I concede is true right now, but I’d like to note that they haven’t lost at Goodison since November, a span that includes visits from Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Leicester. So let’s not hand Bournemouth three points next week just yet.”
Er, Everton have been mediocre for most of the last 25 years. But in a final game, you want a team with nothing to play for, ideally one in poor form.
15 min The goal has been taken from Son and awarded to Justin. Does anyone remember the Corrie when Kevin and Des – I think – convinced Raquel that her boyfriend Wayne’s own goal was an accolade given to him because he’d done all the work himself?
13 min Leicester look dangerous until they get to where the Subbuteo shooting zone would be and they run out of ideas or position. But here they come again, Barnes crossing low and Vardy swivelling to luz a low shot that Alderweireld does well to block at source. This is shaping into a decent game.
12 min “Did VAR look at Son being offside?” asks Kevin Porter.
I expect so. Sky mentioned it, and there was a brief pause before Leicester kicked-off again.
12 min Barnes spreads for Thomas, who drills a low cross into the box, but Sanchez is wise to the ruse and pokes it away, running towards his own goal.
11 min Lo Celso drives at the box, and seeks to slide a ball between defenders to meet the run of Son, but Evans intercepts.
10 min Leicester need to take a breath. There are goals for them here, but they need to avoid conceding more, and it’s not immediately obvious how they make that happen.
7 min But Leicester come back immediately, Justin arcing an extremely tasty cross into the box ... and Vardy is up! But he gets underneath it, heading over the top.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Leicester City (Son 6)
This goal is all about the brilliance of Harry Kane. He does really well to win a clearance, then takes a touch, has a look, and curves a sumptuous pass from centre to left that puts Son away. Cutting into the box, he squares up Bennett, chucks some Mason Greenwood-style lollipops, and when Bennett collapses onto the ground to pick them up like a crazed child, he shoots ... as Kane charges into the box, distracting Justin to deflects the effort inside the near post, wrongfooting Schmeichel!
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6 min Nice from Justin and Tielemans down the right, but the ensuing cross is to no one.
5 min ...but Kane’s the first head on it, and when the ball comes back, Lloris catches.
4 min Ndidi sticks Barnes at Aurier and shonuff, there’s Sissoko to help, blundering into a foul. Free-kick Leicester near at the top left corner of the box, Tielemans to curl it in...
2 min Early possession for Spurs, and does Harry Kane have a sort of undercut? Explanations of mid-90s barnet fads can be found here, should they be of interest.
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1 min Thomas catches Moura with an elbow to the ribs, but he seems fine.
1 min Away we go. So where are we with crowd noise? I’m without – if it was pumped into the ground, I’d be with, but ultimately we’re trying to create the matchday experience at home, which “for me” is whatever’s actually going on. I’ve set up some furniture at home so that my personal space feels invaded, and given my daughter baked beans for lunch.
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The players take a knee. Black lives matter.
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Che Adams has scored a second for Southampton. As such, Bournemouth need to win at Goodison on the final day and hope Watford lose to Man City and Arsenal. That is eminently doable.
Here come the teams...
Elsewhere, Bournemouth have just had a dying seconds goal disallowed by VAR. Rob Smyth has the latest...
Looking again at the teams, I fancy Spurs here, because the biggest discrepancy in the various matchups is between their attack and Leicester’s defence. Aside from Son and Kane, I’m really looking forward to seeing what Lo Celso gets up to. On his game, he’s electrifying, and as the extra man in midfield, he can have a big effect on this game if he can stay away from Ndidi.
Mourhino says his team need to win their two remaining games to get into Europe – harder now that Arsenal are in the cup final. He also notes that the way Leicester set up is not dissimilar to how Arsenal set up, and his team will be looking to counter-attack.
On Sky, Jamie Redknapp notes Leicester’s likely desire to get Barnes one-on-one with Aurier. I can’t believe this will have escaped Mourhino – I’d not be shocked to see Sissoko hanging about in that area of the pitch to help out. On the other hand, I’m not sure what Rodgers can do to stop Son and Kane, other than hope jhsi team play well enough to deny them opportunities.
Brendan Rodgers is grinning broadly. He tells Sky that his team are looking forward to the game and playing in Spurs’ new ground for the first time. He says the played “an uncharacteristic game” at Bournemouth and were much better against Sheffield United. He “won’t mention tiredness or fatigue”, noting a big physical effort last time out. I’m not sure if that shows they’re capable of another so soon afterwards, or or if they might struggle to step it up.
Chris Hughton is in the Sky studio. Here he is in 1981, wearing one of the great kits.
The problem for Leicester has been a lack of creativity, especially in the absence of James Maddison. In the games immediately after the restart they looked like they’d forgotten how to attack – an affliction from which Spurs have also suffered – but in the last few games, they’ve been more like their old selves. It was the first-half tousing at Everton that seemed to change things – as though they had to hit rock bottom in order to being playing with freedom again – only for them to collapse at Bournemouth. If Spurs can put the pressure on, Leicester might crumble, just as Spurs might crumble if Leicester can put the pressure on.
Breaking news: Nigel Pearson has been sacked as manager of Watford, who have two games left to secure their Premier League status. Normal behaviour.
As for Leicester, injuries have left them in a bind. Without two-thirds of his first-choice back-four, Brendan Rodgers has gone for a back three again. Wes Morgan was good against Sheffield United in midweek, but Kane and Son will offer him a very different threat, likewise Ryan Bennet who’s hardly played and Jonny Evans who has been iffy lately. And Spurs will also fancy their chances out wide, with James Justin making just his 10th Premier League start and Luke Thomas his second.
In midfield, though, is where this game is likely to be decided, and if Wilfred Ndidi and Youri Tielemans can impose their class, then Ayoze Perez, Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes are difficult night for anyone.
From a Spurs perspective, it looks like José Mourinho has decided which players he mistrusts least, and these are they. I’m not entirely sure what Moura offers him that Bergwijn does not – maybe he’s less likely to divert attention away from the manager – but otherwise, it’s looks a decent rendition of the best XI available to him. The defence needs the recovery pace of Sánchez, who will improve the more he plays, and the midfield needs the incision and improvisation of Lo Celso. Meanwhile, in attack, Kane and Son should offer Leicester’s makeshift defence a serious examination.
Well, both teams are unchanged. I’d be extremely unsurprised were this the first time this has happened in any game this season.
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Teams are here!
Tottenham Hotspur (an intelligent cee’s 4-3-3): Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sánchez, Davies; Winks, Sissoko, Lo Celso; Lucas, Kane, Son. Subs: Gazzaniga, Tanganga, Vertonghen, Foyth, Sessengnon, Skipp, Gedson, Lamela, Bergwijn.
Leicester City (a sophisticate’s 3-4-3): Schmeichel; Bennett, Morgan, Evans; Justin, Ndidi, Tielemans, Thomas; Perez, Vardy, Barnes. Subs: Ward, Johnson, Mendy, Choudhury, James, Praet, Gray, Hirst, Iheanacho.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Wythenshawe)
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Preamble
Dee, dee-dee, dee. Dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee. Dee dee dee-dee-dee-dee, dee, dee, dee, dee ... ding ding! So say the immortal opening bars to Nintendo’s seminal, timeless classic, Super Mario Land. Those of you familiar with it will remember meeting a young Jaap Stam, and also the feeling of spending an hour or so racing to World 4 level 2, the penultimate stage of the game, only to be killed, again, by the circling fireballs – a source of intense pubescent anguish.
This, he effortlessly segued, is where Leicester find themselves now – poised to be sent back to the start, with only wasted time and righteous fury to show for their work. They were excellent in the opening half of the season, solid at the back, enterprising in midfield and electric up front, but since the turn of the year have been careless, profligate and dry. As such, the Champions League spot that looked certain is now odds against; if they cannot win today, they will probably need to beat Manchester United in their final game, and even that may not be enough. They need to find a mushroom or catch a star, forthwith.
As for Spurs, well who even knows. They too need a result because, like all clubs, they’ve lost a ton of bunce and, unlike all clubs, they’re paying the mortgage on a new ground. If they cannot make the Europa League ... Joe Lewis will still be worth $4.8bn.
Meanwhile, the fans continue to experience the Mourinho cycle on warp. There’s a tendency among some to dismiss his football as outdated, but the reality is somewhat different to that. His Chelsea team would have a good go at winning “this league” – imagine the grief he’d give Jürgen Klopp, imagine Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson trying to get forward with Arjen Robben and Damien Duff behind them – but Mourinho’s refusal to adapt his style of play or management according to the squad and personalities that he has, and allowing the worst of him to consume the best of him, makes it difficult to see him getting close to another title. .
As such, Daniel Levy has some thinking to perform this summer. Will he trust Mourinho to build something, or will he anticipate a further season without Champions League football and good players pleading to leave. And, if so, will he be honest enough to admit an expensive mistake?
There’s a lot going on here; watching things unfold should make for an extremely acceptable afternoon.
Kick-off: 4pm BST
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