Why Premier League position is a focus for only eight teams right now

In a freakish season at the top and bottom of the league, competing incentives for the rest are unusually fractured

As Eddie Howe delivered his post-match press conference after Newcastle’s draw against Brighton on Sunday, Chelsea, his club’s rivals for Champions League qualification, took an early lead against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Howe gave a wry smile and was immediately asked whether it annoyed him that Liverpool had made six changes to their lineup from the side that had sealed the league title against Tottenham last week. Being Howe, and therefore both unflappable and impossibly earnest, he replied that team selection was their business: “Liverpool have got to do what Liverpool have got to do for them. I’m not involved in their football club, so I’ve got no opinion on that.”

And of course he was right to say so, partly because it’s true and partly because criticising other managers’ team selections is a slippery slope. All clubs have their own priorities and their job is to do what is right for them, with all due nods to the integrity of the league and satisfying those who have paid for tickets or broadcast rights. Liverpool have won the title early: giving fringe players a run out is a prerogative they have earned, and it’s not their concern how that affects other sides. But at the same time, Chelsea were given an easier game than they probably would have been had they met Liverpool a week or two earlier before the league title was wrapped up.

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Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

Jamie Vardy targets double century, Jérémy Doku makes his mark and Arsenal rue the absence of Gabriel Magalhães

There is rarely an opportunity for champions to show a sentimental side. It is such hard work to win a title over a 38-game season, with the race often going down to the wire. Arne Slot had four matches to spare and used the trip to Stamford Bridge to give first league starts of the season to Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott. The former has been used frequently as a late sub while the latter is often brought on to make an attacking impact, but the form of their teammates and Elliott’s long-term injury have limited chances under Slot. Jarell Quansah was given a rare start and Federico Chiesa was permitted a fifth league game which qualifies him for a medal. The four have rarely let Liverpool down; no one can blame Quansah for the own goal but he looked understandably rusty and tired when he gave away the penalty. They will have to decide if they want to be bit-part players at a title-winning club or drop down to be key men elsewhere. Will Unwin

Match report: Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool

Match report: Brentford 4-3 Manchester United

Match report: Leicester 2-0 Southampton

Match report: Manchester City 1-0 Wolves

Match report: Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham

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Arsenal 1-2 Bournemouth: Premier League – as it happened

Andoni Iraola’s side came from behind to boost their European hopes with victory at the Emirates

Bournemouth get the ball rolling. Zabarnyi goes long down the right, looking for Tavernier. Too long. Goal kick.

The teams are out! Arsenal in their famous red shirts with white sleeves, Bournemouth in a third kit which [MBM reporter squints, adjusts pince-nez] “draws its inspiration from our seaside roots, finished in deep lagoon green with an aquatic themed design on the front featuring subtle seashells and waves.” We’ll kick off after a verse or two of North London Forever.

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Hirst caps Ipswich fightback to spoil Everton’s Goodison farewell party

The penultimate game at Goodison Park proved an occasion for relegated Ipswich to savour far more than their obliging hosts. Everton were two goals up and cruising towards a second win in 10 games when Julio Enciso changed the complexion of the contest with a stunning finish.

Substitute George Hirst completed the fightback by Kieran McKenna’s spirited side with a late header. This was a big opportunity squandered by David Moyes’ team. Everton’s energy and composure declined markedly after taking a two goal lead and Ipswich’s punishment, and point, was merited.

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Vardy ends Leicester’s home drought to keep Southampton stuck on 11 points

Jamie Vardy ended Leicester’s long wait for a home goal in the Premier League as they defeated Southampton 2-0 in a clash between two already-relegated teams.

Vardy’s opener at the King Power Stadium was the 38-year-old’s 199th goal in a Leicester shirt and set Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side on their way to a first win since January. Jordan Ayew added a second before half-time for the Foxes to leave Southampton still needing one more point to avoid a share of the competition’s lowest-ever total – Derby’s 11 from 2007-08.

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Aston Villa 1-0 Fulham: Premier League – as it happened

Youri Tielemans scored to boost Aston Villa’s European hopes and damage Fulham’s

Richard Hirst, time-honoured Cottager, gets in touch: “Fulham need to bring Cairney on early then we can channel the 2018 play off final: Sessegnon to Cairney, 1-0. Although there won’t be the added delight of the pass beating John Terry.”

Unai Emery spoke to TNT ahead of the game: “We’re so focused to try to get Europe. Europe is the highest ambition we can dream of, and to play Champions League again.

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Leicester v Southampton may be El Crapico – but it’s a game with meaning

Two worst Premier League teams still have something to play for, not least to recognise the resilience of their fans

They’re calling it the worst Premier League game in history. They’re calling it El Chaffico. El Crapico. The Derby Della Mediocre. They’re calling it the first Premier League game in which both teams somehow manage to lose. They’re posting memes of old men playing walking football and Sideshow Bob stepping on rakes.

They’re mentioning the fact that none of the three relegated teams have won more games against Premier League opposition than Paris Saint-Germain have. The fact that since Leicester scored their last league goal at home, Southampton have sacked a manager, appointed an interim, appointed a permanent replacement, sacked the permanent replacement and re-appointed the interim from earlier.

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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend

City will be wary of a resurgent Wolves, Graham Potter needs a derby win and Roméo Lavia is vital to Chelsea

Six straight wins in a run of seven unbeaten has lifted Wolves to 13th. Now Vítor Pereira’s side pose a problem that Manchester City must solve as the latter chase maximum points from their last four games in the race for Champions League qualification. Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in the last eight in all competitions and buoyed up by last Sunday’s reaching of a third successive FA Cup final, so this should be a close one. Keep an eye out for Guardiola potentially having a complimentary word with Matheus Cunha, as is his habit when coming up against a high-class opposition player. Jamie Jackson

Manchester City v Wolves, Friday 8pm (all times BST)

Aston Villa v Fulham, Saturday 12.30pm

Everton v Ipswich Town, Saturday 3pm

Leicester City v Southampton, Saturday 3pm

Arsenal v Bournemouth, Saturday 5.30pm

Brentford v Manchester United, Sunday 2pm

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Was Liverpool’s title Klopp’s final masterpiece or Slot’s foundation stone?

After a drama-free title race, the legacy of Liverpool’s 20th league triumph will be determined in the years to come

It was probably just as well the decisive match came against Tottenham. Liverpool fans object to the suggestion this season has been anti-climactic, as though that somehow diminishes their achievement, but it is not a criticism to point out no side has come close to staying with them, that the title was effectively won on the January afternoon when Darwin Núñez scored twice in injury time to beat Brentford then Arsenal threw away a two-goal lead to draw against Aston Villa.

That was the season in microcosm: Arsenal carelessly squandering points, Liverpool always having enough, turning games their way in the second half. Nine times this season in the league, Arsenal have led in games that they have failed to win. On 13 occasions, Liverpool have improved their result in the second half (that is, turned a draw into a win, or a defeat into a draw or a win). It has not been a thrilling conclusion – they’ve wrapped the title up before the end of April with four games to spare and have looked probable champions for at least three months – but at least they had their day of celebration of Anfield.

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Liverpool fans ecstatic after winning Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season at club – video

Five years after Covid-19 restrictions prevented Liverpool fans from celebrating at Anfield their team's first top flight title triumph in 30 years, Reds faithful wasted little time on 27 April getting the party started on another Premier League success. With Anfield filled to the brim, Liverpool equalled Manchester United's record of 20 English top-flight titles with their 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur. But it was after Alexis Mac Allister struck a blistering shot to put the Reds ahead for good in the 24th minute that the delirious crowd at the sun-drenched stadium erupted and they did not stop singing until well after the final whistle sounded.Thousands of fans not fortunate to be inside Anfield on Sunday celebrated outside, setting off flares before the game ended in a party that carried on through the night

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Slot showed Liverpool in pre-season how to win Premier League, Konaté reveals

  • Head coach told squad what was wrong and how to fix it
  • Konaté sat alone in stands after title win almost in tears

Arne Slot predicted Liverpool could win the Premier League providing they corrected the flaws that ­undermined their title challenge last season, Ibrahima Konaté has revealed. The Liverpool defender was almost in tears after the club’s ­record‑equalling 20th league championship on Sunday. He took a moment to sit alone in an empty Main Stand at Anfield long after the 5-1 rout of Tottenham to absorb the size of the achievement.

Konaté cast his mind back to Slot’s debut pre-season. Liverpool had tailed off the title pace in Jürgen Klopp’s final campaign, dropping points in five of their last eight games to slip from first to third. One of Slot’s opening acts as head coach was to show the squad where they went wrong and what needed to change.

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Premier League and FA Cup semis: 10 talking points from the weekend

Palace’s best-paid player shows his class, Ipswich meet their fate and Mateo Kovacic sounds a warning

In April 1964 a side from north London came to Anfield with Liverpool one good result from winning the league, and conceded five. “Arsenal did little to allay the general suspicion that they were there just to be sacrificed,” Eric Todd wrote in his report for the Guardian. This time it was Tottenham but otherwise, for anyone whose memory stretches back 61 years it was a familiar story. Time and again Spurs meekly surrendered possession in dangerous areas, and while they defended in numbers – which suggests willing – they did so with terrifying inefficiency, which suggests poor organisation. Their focus is now fully on the Europa League, but if Liverpool had been a little more ruthless this would have been truly another real embarrassment in a season full of them. In April 1988 it was Spurs themselves who came to Anfield with Liverpool needing one point to guarantee the title. It had been a terrible season for Tottenham, and they were only just outside the bottom three. They lost 1-0. “Tottenham remain in the relegation penumbra,” wrote Stephen Bierley in his Guardian report. “Strange it seems that nobody much under the age of 30 will remember them being champions. Who would have thought it?” Simon Burnton

Match report: Liverpool 5-1 Tottenham

FA Cup report: Nottm Forest 0-2 Man City

Match report: Bournemouth 1-1 Man Utd

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Arne Slot’s coolness lies at heart of Liverpool’s record-equalling title | Andy Hunter

Head coach inherited a fine culture and squad but his level-headedness, honesty and analysis propelled club to a 20th league triumph

Liverpool players were looking for signs last summer as to how their new boss would succeed a club legend and turn his rich inheritance into Premier League champions. Arne Slot made sure they were unmissable from the start.

At the plush Fairmont hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, first port of call on Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the US and their first bonding trip abroad last July, names would be written on a board giving advance notice of that day’s meeting schedule. There were one-on-one meetings for players with a member of Slot’s coaching team, squad meetings with all of the new backroom staff, meetings to analyse the double training sessions and meetings to analyse individual performances within them. There had been two meetings a day at Liverpool’s Axa Training Centre before the trip but this was another level.

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