Aston Villa host Newcastle in a top-five battle while Leicester will be relegated if they fail to beat Liverpool
Saturday 3pm Venue Gtech Community Stadium
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Brighton hope their injury problems ease, Palace must stem the tide and Forest could do with Chris Wood fully fit
Considering the length of Brighton’s injury list, Fabian Hürzeler will be desperate to get Kaoru Mitoma back in time for Saturday’s trip to west London. The Japanese winger sustained a heel injury against Crystal Palace, ruling him out of the draw with Leicester. It was the first time he had missed a Premier League game all season after making 31 appearances. Whether he will be available against Brentford is yet to be seen but, with three teenagers on the bench last weekend, the more experience Hürzeler can name on the teamsheet the better. James Milner, Igor Julio, Georginio Rutter, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu and Tariq Lamptey are all out, while the goalkeeper Jason Steele returned to action for the under-21s this week but Carl Rushworth will remain the backup to Bart Verbruggen for now. If Mitoma can recover in time, it will be a timely boost as Hürzeler’s side fight for a European place. Will Unwin
Brentford v Brighton, Saturday 3pm (all times BST)
Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm
Everton v Manchester City, Saturday 3pm
West Ham v Southampton, Saturday 3pm
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Wolves’ revival continues, Jadon Sancho needs to show more consistency and Fabian Hürzeler backs his captain
Among several excellent individual performances, it was Newcastle’s collective endeavour that was most impressive against Manchester United, the home side’s press rarely giving their opponents a chance to settle on the ball. As a result the visitors kept coughing it up in dangerous positions, and this was where the game was won. None of the home side’s goals involved them crossing the halfway line, and the amount of time they spent in possession in the buildup to each of them was, in order of them being scored, eight seconds (with four players touching the ball), nine seconds (also four players), five seconds (one player) and three seconds (two players). More than a fifth of their total ball recoveries, 12 of them in all, took place in their attacking third, four of which led to goals; the equivalent figures for the visitors were two, and 4.3%. Simon Burnton
Match report: Newcastle 4-1 Manchester United
Match report: Liverpool 2-1 West Ham
Match report: Wolves 4-2 Tottenham
Continue reading...Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Arsenal take on Brentford at Saturday teatime while leaders Liverpool host West Ham on Sunday afternoon
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Etihad Stadium
Continue reading...Top-five tussle: how Premier League battle for Champions League spots is shaping up
With Liverpool and Arsenal in line for two of five guaranteed spots in the tournament we assess other contenders
The important thing for Forest is that they sit third and have an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to look forward to. Everyone below would like to be in their position. Injuries will be a cause for concern for Nuno Espírito Santo, who has been without his top scorer, Chris Wood, since the international break and then lost Wood’s replacement, Taiwo Awoniyi, leaving Forest without a recognised striker for the loss to Aston Villa, a game also missed by Ola Aina. Their final seven matches include four at home, where they have lost only twice, but three tricky away clashes in London mean the path to a historic return to Europe’s top table is unlikely to be straightforward for a team who have not been in this situation before. Forest have more experienced squads snapping at their heels as they seek to accomplish the most significant Premier League achievement since Leicester won the title. Will Unwin
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Lewis Dunk is running out of time, Jakub Kiwior rises to the challenge for Arsenal and Liam Delap has an audition
Manchester City’s tame outing at Manchester United on Sunday showed how they have flatlined this term, the goalless draw also damaging their prospects of Champions League qualification – after beating Leicester the following night, Newcastle vaulted them and went into fifth place. Without Erling Haaland, unavailable until mid-May at the earliest, City were toothless at Old Trafford, and with Crystal Palace arriving at the Etihad on a run of six wins in seven matches – the other was a draw – it is time for Pep Guardiola to earn his salary by ensuring his side are far better, or Europa League football may be on the cards next season. Jamie Jackson
Manchester City v Crystal Palace, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)
Southampton v Aston Villa, Saturday 3pm
Nottingham Forest v Everton, Saturday 3pm
Brighton v Leicester, Saturday 3pm
Arsenal v Brentford, Saturday 5.30pm
Chelsea v Ipswich, Sunday 2pm
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
United and City play out a deeply forgettable Manchester derby and Unai Emery gets his Aston Villa team right
This was a deeply forgettable derby, but it was Manchester United who looked the more likely to get a winner as time ticked down. Ruben Amorim spoke afterwards of using pace in transitions to try and carve out chances – and with a little more composure in the penalty area, it might have worked. Bruno Fernandes was the game’s standout player but Patrick Dorgu also caught the eye in just his fifth Premier League start. Signed from Lecce in January, the Danish wing-back is the first player Amorim has brought in that fits his system. Freed up by City’s narrow formation, Dorgu was able to get forward and test City’s backline at will. The 20-year-old’s red card at Ipswich sparked fears that, like some other young United recruits, he was too raw for regular Premier League football. Sunday’s performance should ensure he holds down the left-sided spot in Amorim’s 3-4-3 setup for the rest of this season, even with Luke Shaw nearing a return to fitness. Niall McVeigh
Match report: Manchester United 0-0 Manchester City
Match report: Fulham 3-2 Liverpool
Match report: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Southampton
Continue reading...Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Ipswich welcome Wolves in a must-win relegation tussle while City travel to United in the Manchester derby
Saturday 12.30pm TNT Sports 1 Venue Goodison Park
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Curtis Jones is not a long-term fix at right-back for Liverpool, Tyler Dibling is a wanted man and Arsenal are depleted
When Arsenal next visit Merseyside on 11 May their first act may be to form a guard of honour for Liverpool, who could by then be newly crowned Premier League champions. The title appears destined for Anfield – Arsenal have been unable to sustain a consistent challenge for it all season – but Mikel Arteta will feel duty-bound to delay the seemingly inevitable for as long as possible on his return to Everton. Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid may be the priority for Arsenal but rotating is hardly an option for Arteta at Goodison Park given he has four defenders available. A makeshift unit would benefit from a demanding afternoon together before welcoming Real to the Emirates. Arne Slot claimed it is unfair on Everton to have an early Saturday kick-off after Wednesday’s Merseyside derby. Depleted or not, Arteta’s team should take advantage. Andy Hunter
Everton v Arsenal, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)
Crystal Palace v Brighton, Saturday 3pm
Ipswich v Wolves, Saturday 3pm
West Ham v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm
Continue reading...FA Cup quarter-finals and more: talking points from the weekend’s action
Manchester City’s fire still burns bright, Marcus Rashford reminds critics of his ability and Eberechi Eze’s great week
A seventh semi-final in succession showed that Manchester City, at least, see magic in the FA Cup. The quarter-finals saw them cast as unwelcome outsiders, lacking the romance of their fellow hopefuls. None of the other seven had won a major trophy this century, four never in their history. Pep Guardiola’s frenzied reaction after Omar Marmoush scored his team’s second at Bournemouth showed his fire still burns brightly. Surely nearing the end at City, Kevin De Bruyne played the 90 minutes, remaining influential and mobile throughout. He and his teammates have played better this season but this display at the Vitality saw real gutsiness, a key part of the makeup during the glory years. If the hosts, shorn of Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, were incapable of holding City’s hand to the fire as they had in November, a new City is emerging. Nico O’Reilly added impetus from the bench. So did Marmoush, both offering the pace, strength and vigour their manager now desires. John Brewin
Match report: Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City
Match report: Preston 0-3 Aston Villa
Match report: Brighton 0-0 Nottm Forest (3-4 on pens)
Match report: Fulham 0-3 Crystal Palace
Continue reading...FA Cup quarter-final team news: predicted lineups for the weekend
Nottingham Forest visit Brighton while Preston can see Wembley within reach as they host Aston Villa
FA Cup (statistics from all competitions)
Continue reading...Oasis promoter behind rugby league’s Ashes series return to England
- Warrington owner Simon Moran instrumental in decision
- Bramley-Moore Dock, Wembley and Headingley to host
The music promoter backing this summer’s Oasis reunion will be a major figure behind rugby league’s Ashes returning to England for the first time since 2003. The venues and dates for the three-Test series were confirmed on Wednesday.
England will face Australia, the world champions, in Tests at Wembley, Everton’s new home at Bramley-Moore Dock and Leeds Rhinos’ Headingley on consecutive Saturdays: 25 October, 1 November and 8 November. All three games will kick-off at 2.30 and be live on the BBC.
Continue reading...George Foreman – a life in pictures
The American boxing champion, who twice held the world heavyweight championship, has died aged 76. He leaves behind a towering legacy
Continue reading...Eddie Jordan – a life in pictures
Eddie Jordan, the colourful former F1 team owner, has died at the age of 76. We take a look at his life in pictures
Continue reading...Premier League: talking points from the weekend action
Højlund finally finds the net, top-four battle hots up while Willian proves class once again
He finally scored. Rasmus Højlund broke his 21-match goal drought – dating back to 12 December – with a composed strike to put Manchester United 1-0 up against Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Having received the ball from Bruno Fernandes around 40 yards out from goal, he carried it into the penalty area before unleashing a powerful low shot into the bottom-left corner. You could just sense the relief on the striker’s face as he walked back to the halfway line for the restart. It was also a positive evening for Alejandro Garnacho, who ended his 25-game stretch without a goal, dating back to 28 November. It should give both players a much-needed confidence boost heading into the final stretch of the season. “The most important thing for me is the work they are putting in, especially defending,” Ruben Amorim said. “They live for assists and scoring goals. Rasmus, really good control right foot and then Garnacho is always trying to score a goal and he deserved that feeling.” Emillia Hawkins
Match report: Leicester 0-3 Manchester United
Match report: Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
Match report: Manchester City 2-2 Brighton
Match report: Everton 1-1 West Ham United
Match report: Ipswich Town 2-4 Nottingham Forest
Match report: Fulham 2-0 Tottenham
Match report: Bournemouth 1-2 Brentford
Match report: Southampton 1-2 Wolves
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