Premier

Last year, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis placed the club into a blind trust in case they qualified for the Champions League.

That could have presented a conflict with his other club, Olympiakos.

With Forest in the semi-finals of the Europa League, once again they have a chance of being in the Champions League. And Olympiakos look like being in it too.

In a blind trust, relevant parties transfer their shares to independent trustees, whereby all the decision-making of the club will rest solely under the control of the third party.

The club are controlled through a company called NF Football Investments.

Until 28 February, Marinakis was the only person with significant control.

He was removed and it was passed to another company, Pittville Four Limited, controlled by Janet Lucy Gibson, Henry Peter Hickman and Eleanor Catherine Walsh.

Those three independent trustees were also added to the football club’s board, replacing Mighael Dugher, Simon Forster and Jonathan Owen.

Forest’s problem could be that the new additions had to pass the Premier League’s owners and directors test.

It was not until 17 April that Companies House was updated.

The Premier League’s register of directors, last updated on 2 April, still lists Marinakis, Dugher, Forster and Owen.

Will the lodging of the blind trust on 28 February be enough? Or would Uefa consider 17 April to be date the club were compliant?

Forest are adamant that control was officially relinquished by Marinakis on 28 February and they will have no issue with Uefa.

Two years ago, the CFCB accepted a blind trust to admit Manchester City and Girona to the Champions League, and Manchester United and Nice to the Europa League, satisfied that multi-cub ownership issues had been resolved.

However, at the time it stated that it “will not be bound by this alternative in subsequent seasons”.

Until the CFCB makes another ruling on a blind trust, there is no absolute certainty it would be accepted.

Arsenal would move six points clear of second-placed Manchester City if they beat Fulham in their home game next week, though City, who were in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend, would have two games in hand.

That is because Manchester City were playing in the FA Cup semi-final earlier on Saturday against Southampton and are not back in league action until Monday, 4 May when they play Everton.

Having that buffer of points built up by the time of City’s next game at Everton on Monday 4 May would be a huge boost for Arteta’s side given they went into this weekend off the top for the first time since October.

According to Opta, Arsenal have a 72.44% chance of lifting the Premier League trophy at the end of the season compared to the 27.56% chance of Manchester City.

“You can’t question their fight. Arsenal have given absolutely everything on that pitch today,” former Crystal Palace and Brighton striker Glenn Murray said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“Another huge three points for Arsenal to keep them top of the league.”

Arsenal are without a major trophy since the FA Cup triumph of 2020 which came in Arteta’s first season in charge.

And captain Martin Odegaard said that the effort the players put in is because every member of the team is doing what they can to get over the line.

“It was tough, very intense, very physical,” he told Sky Sports. “We did everything we could and we got the win, the most important thing was to bounce back with a win and get over the line with the three points.”

But for Odegaard, who played the full 90 minutes, and the rest of the squad attention quickly switches to the Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

“This schedule is crazy,” Odegaard added. “We just have to keep going. It is the end of the season, just leave everything out that we have inside, fight every single game and we just have to keep going.

“That’s where we want to be but it is going to go all the way to the end. We are ready for it and we will fight every single day.”

While Nottingham Forest struck the first blow of the weekend on Friday, Tottenham and West Ham – unusually – both play at the same time on Saturday.

The Hammers host Everton and former manager David Moyes, with Spurs visiting already relegated Wolves.

Tottenham boss De Zerbi, whose side conceded a last-minute equaliser to draw 2-2 with Brighton in their previous fixture, said “a win can change this part of the season”.

“We are suffering, they are suffering because it is not easy to play in Tottenham in this condition of the table, but I said they have to be stronger,” he added.

“We have to live every part of the day waiting for a win and preparing for a win.”

Tottenham and West Ham have to contend with similar run-ins, with Spurs arguably facing the slightly easier of the two. The average position of the teams they still have to play is 11th, while for the Hammers it is 10th.

What West Ham do have which Tottenham do not, however, is some semblance of form.

Nuno’s team have won two and lost just one of their past five matches. Spurs have not won since last year.

“The players are improving their levels and the standards,” said Nuno. “We have been solid in defence, good in attack… sometimes not so good. Finding that balance in the remaining matches is going to be crucial for us.”

Luke Littler overcame a chorus of boos in Liverpool to strengthen his grip on a Premier League play-off place with an impressive 6-1 win over Jonny Clayton.

Manchester United fan Littler, 19, was booed throughout the night on Merseyside, but he kept his cool to claim his fourth nightly win in week 12.

The world champion saw off Luke Humphries 6-2 in the quarter-finals, but was pushed to the limit by Michael van Gerwen in the last four.

With the top four in the Premier League table going through to the finals night, Clayton leads the way overall, three points clear of second-placed Littler, who is 15 ahead of Gian van Veen in fifth.

Clayton and Littler are clear of the rest with four league-phase nights to go before finals night at London’s O2 Arena on 28 May.

When comparing his reception in Rotterdam last Thursday to the one he got in Liverpool, Littler said: “Rotterdam was way louder than this tonight.

“There was a little bit [of booing] but this week was nothing compared to last week.

“I’ve just got to forget about it. I was definitely focused and wanted to win tonight, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Littler has finished top of the table in the previous two years and is determined to do so again, saying: “I’m very close to Jonny now and I’m going to go chasing.

“I want to finish top once again and if it’s not to be then it’s not to be, but there are still four weeks left to play for.”

Littler, who was booed in Rotterdam last week following his exchange with Dutch number one Gian van Veen in Manchester three weeks ago, showed his resilience to secure another five points.

He quickly raced into a 4-0 lead over Clayton in the final after capitalising on missed doubles from the 2021 Premier League champion.

While Clayton was only able to land one out of his six double attempts, Littler averaged more than 104 and had a 60% checkout rate to secure victory.

Clayton was a significant outsider with bookmakers to win this year’s tournament. He wasn’t even fancied to make finals night.

Given his record, it was something that clearly rankled with the former plasterer.

Speaking at the Premier League media launch in early February, Clayton said: “It motivates me alright because people don’t rate me, obviously they rate the others more. Let’s see on finals night.”

A 6-4 victory against Luke Littler in the Rotterdam final last time out earned Clayton back-to-back night wins for the first time this season.

He now holds a 16-point buffer over defending champion Luke Humphries who is fifth going into night 12 in Liverpool on Thursday.

“He has sewn up a place at the O2 in London,” Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle said of Clayton after his triumph in Rotterdam.

“Jonny Clayton will be there, that is certain. He is so far clear of the rest.”

A week earlier, Clayton produced a remarkable comeback to win 6-5 against seven-time champion Michael van Gerwen in Brighton having been 5-2 down in the final.

After his victory against reigning world champion Littler in Rotterdam, Clayton revealed he re-watched his win against van Gerwen from a week earlier.

“I don’t watch many games back, but I watched last week’s game against Michael and it hurt a little bit when somebody said I was favourite to finish bottom. That really hurt,” he said.

“That really annoyed me to be honest. It’s going well for myself and I’ve got a massive smile on my face.

“I’ve been here three times before and I’ve done finals night on each one.”

At 51 Clayton is comfortably the oldest player in this year’s field, although he is consistently proving to be a thorn in the side of the game’s younger talents.

And with the £350,000 Premier League winner’s prize still well within his sights, Clayton can have no doubts that his long-delayed full-time move into darts was entirely justified. And then some.

Every year when the fixtures are announced you hear the familiar refrain that “it doesn’t matter, you play everyone twice”.

But there is no doubt that when you face a certain team can make a big difference across a 10-month campaign.

With five games remaining Spurs will definitely think their run-in, at least on paper, gives them every chance of staying up.

Next up is a trip to Wolves, whose relegation to the Championship was confirmed on Monday.

A home match against Leeds on 11 May is another Tottenham will view as an opportunity, especially if Farke’s side have ensured their safety by then.

Even a tricky-looking match at Champions League-chasing Aston Villa on 3 May comes at a good time for Spurs, as it falls between the two legs of the Europa League semi-final for Unai Emery’s men.

A visit to rivals Chelsea before hosting Everton on the final day is not a straightforward way to finish, given both teams seem likely to be fighting for European places.

But, given how tight things are, that is something all the relegation candidates will have to deal with.

West Ham host Everton on Saturday before an away game at Brentford – and it only gets tougher with title-chasing Arsenal the visitors to London Stadium on 10 May.

Even with Newcastle enduring a disappointing season, an away game at St James’ Park on the penultimate weekend is far from simple and there could be plenty riding on the home match against Leeds on the last day.

Forest arguably face the toughest last five with away games at Chelsea and Manchester United in May – the former coming just three days before the second leg of the Reds’ Europa League semi-final against Villa.

Home games against Newcastle and Bournemouth, on the last day, could be crucial but getting a result at Sunderland on Friday would help alleviate a lot of stress for Vitor Pereira’s side before the remainder of the run-in.

Manchester City relegate Burnley with 1-0 win to also take top spot from Arsenal in the Premier League title race.

Manchester City completed its ominous, late-season rise to the top of the Premier League by winning 1-0 at Burnley – who are relegated as a result – thanks to Erling Haaland’s early goal, ending Arsenal’s 200-day stay in first place.

Haaland’s clinical ⁠finish after five minutes on Wednesday could have paved the way for a boost to City’s goal difference, but they ‌lacked a cutting edge in a nervy affair as Burnley dug deep.

Haaland hit the post and had other chances as City tried to give themselves a safety margin, but Pep Guardiola’s side ⁠had to make do ⁠with a surprisingly narrow victory.

“The chances were there. We created a lot. It was a fantastic game and we did everything after a demanding game three days ago [against Arsenal],” Guardiola told Sky Sports.

“We won and are top of the league, why be frustrated? Of course we can do more, but we won.

“We made a better performance than on Sunday because we created chance after chance.

“It is five games to win the Premier League now – that is the reality.”

The goal came as Haaland ran onto Jeremy Doku’s pass to convert a deft finish, allowing City to back up its 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday that, for many, turned Guardiola’s team into the title favourite.

Winning by a one-goal margin left City and Arsenal tied on both points (70) and goal difference (+37). City only leads courtesy of more goals scored (66 to Arsenal’s 63).

City were nine points adrift of Arsenal after drawing with West Ham on March 14. Three straight wins, combined with back-to-back losses for Arsenal, have seen the title race turn on its head.

The result condemned American-owned Burnley to relegation after one season back in the top flight.

For Scott Parker’s side, the inevitable became a ‌reality as they are stuck on 20 points, 13 points behind ‌the ‌safety zone with only four games remaining.

Arsenal can retake top spot in the league when they entertain Newcastle United on Saturday, while City play Southampton on the same day in the semifinal of the FA Cup, before returning to Premier League action on Monday, May 4, against Everton.

“It is a big opportunity to play four finals in a row,” Guardiola added about Saturday’s match against Southampton.

“We may have to rest players, but we are ready.”

Chelsea only appointed Liam Rosenior in January, but the FIFA Club World Cup holders have lost their last five games.

FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea have sacked their head coach Liam Rosenior following a run of five consecutive defeats.

The 41-year-old had only been appointed as Enzo Maresco’s permanent replacement in January.

Rosenior, who started his managerial career at Derby County and Hull City in England, joined the west London club after two years in the French top flight with Strasbourg, where he won 51 of 63 matches.

Only 11 wins were secured in 23 games in charge of the Blues, however, and the recent run of losses also marked the first time the club had lost that number of games without scoring since 1912.

Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Brighton saw the side slip to seventh in the league, a hammer blow in the chance of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

“Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following his appointment midway through the season,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“This has not been a decision the club has taken lightly, however recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards with still so much more to play for this season.”

Rosenior described the performance of his players in his final game in charge as “indefensible” and “unacceptable”.

Follow the live build-up, with full team news coverage, ahead of our text commentary stream of the crunch EPL clash.

Arsenal travel to Manchester City knowing their Premier League could be eradicated by next Wednesday.

Mikel Arteta has urged spluttering Arsenal to embrace the “huge privilege” of facing Manchester City in a potentially decisive showdown in the Premier League title race.

Arteta’s side are six points clear of second-placed City ahead of their blockbuster clash at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

But City have a game in hand on the Gunners and a victory for Pep Guardiola’s men would tilt the balance of power in their favour heading into the final weeks of the season.

Adding to the drama of the do-or-die battle, Arsenal are enduring an untimely loss of form after losing three of their last five games in all competitions.

They were beaten by City in the League Cup final, suffered a shock FA Cup quarterfinal exit at second-tier Southampton and slumped to a home league defeat against Bournemouth.

The Gunners were well below their best once again on Wednesday when they edged past Sporting Lisbon, drawing 0-0 to secure a 1-0 aggregate victory in the Champions League quarterfinals.

But, despite criticism of Arsenal’s perceived mental weakness under pressure, Arteta is convinced his players have the right character to take a huge step towards winning the Premier League.

“We have earned the right to be in this position and to be challenging, with an opportunity to win against arguably the best team and best manager this league has ever seen,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.

“That is a huge privilege. We see this as a big opportunity for us. Who is more privileged to be in this position?

“I don’t know how Pep and Man City are feeling, but I feel very privileged to have earned the right to be in this position to play such a big and great game.”

Arsenal are chasing a first English title since 2004 after finishing as runners-up for the last three seasons.

In 2023 and 2024, they squandered substantial leads that allowed City to pip them to the title.

But Arteta knows that beating City this weekend would put Arsenal in a virtually unassailable position of strength.

“Winning at this stage, then you are a bit closer,” he said.

“There are six games to go. Obviously, it is a really important one for both teams.

“It will incline the balance a little bit, but winning a game in the Premier League is so tough for everybody.”

Arsenal ‘prepare to win’ against Man City

Arteta has challenged Arsenal to learn from the pain of their League Cup loss to City in a rematch with even higher stakes.

“The pain we felt afterwards, [we need] to use that the right way on Sunday,” he said. “To learn from that game and the things that we want to change for the next one.”

Arteta refused to deny a report that a fire was lit at the club’s training ground this week in a motivational ploy after he told his team to play with “pure fire” against Sporting.

“Every game we use different themes to try and prepare for the game in the best possible way, and that depends on what we do,” he said.

“The best ones are the players’ initiative; those are the ones I love the most.”

Arsenal have failed to win any of their past 10 league games at the Etihad Stadium, losing seven of those meetings, in a barren run stretching back to 2015.

Arteta dismissed suggestions that he could tell Arsenal to play for a draw to maintain their six-point lead over City.

“We prepare every game to win, that is why we are where we are, and we are going to continue to do the same,” he said.

⁠Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ⁠has called Sunday’s Premier League clash with leaders Arsenal a final, saying defeat would end his side’s title hopes before the much-anticipated showdown at the Etihad Stadium.

City trail Arsenal by six points but have a game in hand, ⁠and victory would cut the gap while ramping up the pressure as the race enters its decisive phase.

Guardiola, however, said there was little room for error, acknowledging that anything less than three points would leave his team facing too steep a climb.

“Yes, obviously,” the Spaniard added on whether he sees ⁠the game as a final. “If we lose, it is over.”

Despite the fine margins, Guardiola said City are confident, stressing that belief is crucial at this stage of the season.

“If you could buy confidence in a supermarket, we would buy it immediately. It is one of the most important aspects,” he told a news conference. (Our confidence) is good. We are ready,” he added.

“A month ago, because we dropped points in moments, I thought we would not be here. (But) we ‌saw the calendar and said, ‘OK, we play Arsenal at home for a chance. It is six points. It is not a short distance, but we have a chance to do it.’

“That is the situation we are in. It depends on our behaviour, and everything will be said on Sunday. Our fans have sold out. Everything is perfect to play a game.”

Guardiola said Nico O’Reilly, who scored twice in City’s 2-0 League Cup final win over Arsenal, is fit after he left last weekend’s game at Chelsea clutching his left hamstring.

Solid Man City form sows unease among Arsenal fans

That thrilling victory was part of a solid City run of form, including a 4-0 throttling of Liverpool in the FA Cup ⁠quarterfinals. They have not lost a league game since mid-January.

City’s results have begun to sow unease among Arsenal ⁠fans.

“If we play like the second half (of the League Cup final) during 95 minutes and they play like the second half, we are going to win. Well, maybe not, because football is unpredictable,” Guardiola said.

“I know (Arsenal manager) Mikel (Arteta). They are going to adjust something, and we have to prepare to do it. In the end, it is more simple. It ⁠is how your players individually win the me-against-you.”

Guardiola insisted City must still raise their level if they are to sustain a title push through the final weeks.

“We need to get even better,” he said. “The first half against ⁠Chelsea (a 3-0 win on Sunday) was not bad but not great. The first 30 minutes ⁠against Liverpool was not good either. The first 30 minutes against Arsenal in the final, they were better.

“You cannot pretend that these kind of teams will be 90 or 95 minutes perfect, but this one aspect is not about the future, present or past, it’s about confidence, which is an incredible aspect.”

Asked if City are underdogs, Guardiola played down the label. “I understand ‌your message, but maybe we’re not,” he said. “They have been the best so far, but we want to challenge them.

“I said today to the players, it is just a football game, and we have to approach it like a football game. If you get distracted by emotions, that is ‌how ‌you lose focus.”

Guardiola said City remain proud to still be challenging on multiple fronts, even if Sunday’s result could prove decisive.

“We will see what happens,” he said. “But it is never over until it’s over, and we are still here. I am proud to be there, still challenging them.”

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe says captain Bruno Guimaraes has “a chance” of returning on Saturday after missing 12 games with a hamstring injury.

“He is desperate to help the team, desperate to be involved, so there is a possibility,” added Howe.

Joelinton begins a two-match ban for accumulating 10 bookings this season.

Bournemouth remain without Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook, although the latter is back in partial training.

They have no other absentees for the team’s first match since the announcement that head coach Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of the season.

Players out: Newcastle – Joelinton, Krafth, Schar Bournemouth – Cook, Kluivert

Doubt: Newcastle – Guimaraes

Key FPL notes:

● From Gameweek 28 onwards, no FPL midfielder has scored more goals than Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon (£7.4m, three).

● In Gameweek 32, Junior Kroupi (£4.6m) became the first teenager to score 10+ goals in his debut Premier League season since Robbie Keane for Coventry City in 1999-00. He has scored in back-to-back matches for Bournemouth.

● Cherries defender Marcos Senesi (£5.2m) has picked up more defensive contribution points than any other defender (44) this season. He is the sixth-highest scoring defender in the game with 141 points.

Who: Chelsea vs Manchester United
What: English Premier League (EPL)
Where: Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom
When: Saturday, April 18 at 8pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Chelsea can tighten up the Premier League battle for UEFA Champions League qualification when they host third-placed Manchester United on Saturday, but they will have to reverse a dreadful run of form to do so.

The Blues have only won one of their last five Premier League matches, increasing the pressure on manager Liam Rosenior in his first season in charge of the football club.

United suffered a shock home defeat by Leeds United last week and arrive with injuries and suspensions that will leave them feeling vulnerable for the first time under interim head coach Michael Carrick.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that could ignite a late-season scrap for the top five finishing spots, which offer the route to Europe’s top table next season.

How does the Premier League race to the Champions League stand?

Third-placed United will arrive at Stamford Bridge with sixth-placed Chelsea seven points behind them.

Fifth-placed Liverpool are four points in front of the Blues, while Aston Villa are fourth, level on points with United but seven down on the Red Devils on goal difference.

With Villa and Liverpool not playing until Sunday – Sunderland at home and Everton away, respectively – a Chelsea win would close the gap between third and sixth to just four points for Saturday at least.

Four clubs, including Sunderland and Everton, sit just two points behind Chelsea. A certain run of results across the weekend means just six points could separate third from tenth by the close of this round of matches.

If fans of a close race were to be particularly greedy, wins for Bournemouth and Fulham – 11th and 12th, respectively – as well this weekend could mean the gap from third to 12th would only be eight points with five games to play.

As the former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson once said: “It is squeaky bum time”.

Clock ticking on Champions League qualification, admits Chelsea manager

Rosenior has warned Chelsea that their bid to qualify for the Champions League is hanging in the balance.

The Blues are on a dismal run of one win from their last seven Premier League games, placing their hopes of reaching Europe’s elite club competition in jeopardy.

It is more than six weeks since Chelsea last scored a goal in the league, but Rosenior knows there is no time left to feel sorry for themselves after last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City.

“As the season goes on, the less games you have left, the more important the games become,” Rosenior told reporters ahead of the game.

“We have to take advantage of this moment. We’re running out of time.

“We need to show that initiative on Saturday and play on the front foot and make up those points, which is still definitely possible.

“If I look at each game, I think it’s just come down to loss of concentration of focus in a moment that then has snowballed into the rest of the performances.

“What we have to do is manage the margins of the game a little bit better.”

Chelsea braced for fan protest ahead of Man Utd visit

A protest by Chelsea supporters is planned ahead of the United game, reflecting the growing discontent since owners BlueCo took over from Roman Abramovich almost four years ago.

Unless results improve drastically in the next few weeks, this season will be the first under the club’s American owners that the team’s league position has dropped.

Rosenior’s position is also likely to come under scrutiny after a disappointing start to his reign, which started in January when he arrived from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.

Maresca departed by mutual consent after hinting he did not receive sufficient support from the owners.

Strasbourg are owned by BlueCo, which led some fans to criticise Rosenior’s appointment and claim he would be a puppet for the board, in contrast to the volatile Maresca.

“Every supporter has their viewpoint,” Rosenior said. “Every supporter wants their club to do well and to win games. Our job, my job, is to produce those results in the long term.”

What happened the last time Chelsea played Man Utd?

The reverse fixture at Old Trafford earlier this season resulted in a 2-1 win for the Red Devils at Old Trafford.

Following the sending off of Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez in the fifth minute, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro gave the home side a two-goal advantage at the break.

The latter, however, saw red in the last minute of the first half, but Trevor Chalobah’s 80th-minute strike was in vain as United held on for the win.

Head-to-head

This will be the 199th meeting between the clubs, with United winning 81 of the matches and Chelsea emerging victorious on 56 occasions.

Stat attack – Manchester United

United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is just three assists away from equalling the all-time record of 20 in a single Premier League season.

Chelsea team news

Chelsea manager Rosenior says midfielder Enzo ‌Fernandez has returned to full training and is available for ⁠selection for the visit of Manchester United after being dropped for disciplinary reasons.

The 25-year-old Argentina ⁠World Cup winner was omitted from the squad for the 7-0 win over League One Port Vale in the FA Cup quarterfinals and ⁠last week’s 3-0 Premier League defeat by second-placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Fernandez, who had been wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Reece James, had previously said he would assess his future after the World Cup ‌and expressed a desire to live in Madrid, comments for which he later apologised.

“Enzo has been with the group and has been training very, very well,” Rosenior told reporters on Thursday. “So, it’s business as usual in terms of selection for the game.

“In terms of his training, his application to training, Enzo has been fantastic as well.”

Rosenior also provided updates ⁠on defender Trevoh Chalobah, who has not played since ⁠the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, and on James, who has been sidelined since the loss to Newcastle United also in March.

“Trevoh trained today but ⁠not quite fully; it was a modified training,” Rosenior said. “We’ll make a decision on him, but he’s very, ⁠very close. Reece is a little bit further ⁠away.”

Predicted Chelsea starting lineup

Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Pedro

Manchester United team news

United’s first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire are both suspended for the match.

Maguire was set to return from a one-game ban, but has had his suspension extended by an additional game for improper conduct following his sending off against Bournemouth last month.

Fellow centre-back Matthijs de Ligt is still sidelines by a back injury, while Kobbie Mainoo missed the defeat by Leeds with a knock and remains a doubt.

Predicted Manchester United starting lineup

Lammens; Dalot, Yoro, Heaven, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo

Why is a Europa League place given up? This is all about applying the EPS after all other factors.

So in this example, Aston Villa have earned a place in the Champions League but finished in a league position that qualifies them for the Europa League.

Uefa rules state that the berth in the lower competition has to be forfeited and passed to another league.

For instance, La Liga had no team in the first edition of the Conference League because Villarreal won a European competition and finished in seventh.

Let’s say Villa finish fifth. The Premier League gives up the Europa League place.

Then you apply the EPS, which goes to sixth – the first team not in the Champions League.

The Conference League place drops to seventh.

If Villa finish sixth, then it is the Conference League place which is given up. After the EPS, eighth plays in the Europa League.

But could Villa winning the Europa League give England a ninth European spot? Only if they finish outside the domestic European places.

Right now that would be outside the top six – or the top seven if, say, Manchester City win the FA Cup.

As Villa are eight points ahead of seventh-placed Brentford, there is only a slim possibility this could happen.

For Forest, it’s a very simple situation as they sit 16th in the Premier League on 33 points.

Forest are out of the FA Cup, so they cannot qualify for Europe domestically.

If Vitor Pereira leads Forest past Villa and on to Europa League glory there will be a sixth English team in the Champions League, and at least nine in Europe.

This would mirror what happened with Tottenham Hotspur last season.

Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac (who recently changed his name from Rob McElhenney) have made their ambitions clear ever since their first interview as owners in 2021.

A member of the media asked the actors what their perfect ending would be? Reynolds responded: “We’d be lying if it wasn’t the Premier League.

So far, so good for the north Wales outfit. They’re one promotion away from the top flight and their latest accounts reveal a record turnover of £33.3m in the process. But was it ever really the aim to make it four promotions in a row?

At the start of their first season back in the second tier of English football since 1982, Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson told the Telegraph, external that his aims for the season were Championship survival, a mid-table finish and to be competitive.

He proposed this to Reynolds and Mac, who immediately responded by asking what it would take to reach the top two.

Williamson went on to say that after discussions between the club’s hierarchy, they landed on: “Let’s be competitive and see where we end up.”

“If we can find ourselves in that position towards the back end of the season, I give us a very good shot of being in the play-offs. And then, ultimately, if we’re in the play-offs, I give us a very good shot of getting promoted just because of who we are and what we are and the DNA, the resilience and what it means to this town and for the squad,” explained Williamson.

The CEO also said that should promotion not be achieved this time, then that was OK too.

Speaking on the Monday Night Club, former Premier League defender Nedum Onouha says new Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi is right to focus on raising morale rather than tactics as he looks to keep the club in the Premier League.

WATCH MORE: Tottenham players don’t need a coach – De Zerbi

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Leeds went into the fixture having not scored in any of their past four league games. They had not netted with any of their past 64 shots.

But five minutes was all it took for Switzerland winger Okafor to net the opener with a smart first-time finish – Leeds‘ first league goal in 51 days.

He then doubled their lead in the 29th minute when his effort took a deflection off Leny Yoro on its way past Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

“To every player, every staff member that is with us, it’s a big compliment because we were fighting to the end and we deserved the three points,” Okafor told Sky Sports after helping end his club’s six-game winless league run.

Leeds will hope the victory will be the wind in their sails as they look to add to their points tally when hosting bottom side Wolves on Saturday, 18 April (15:00 BST).

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, their top scorer with 10 goals, said as much after the game.

“It’s important we don’t read too much into the external noise and continue to focus on what’s in front of us,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s easy to come here and make history, but it doesn’t matter come the end of the season when the points tallies are in. That’s all we’re focused on.

“One game after another – making sure that we stay in the Premier League.”

His manager Farke echoed Calvert-Lewin’s sentiments.

“We have to stay humble,” he said. “We are not perfect. We are not the finished, end product. We are on a good path, on the way to achieving something really positive this season.”

After the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea on 26 April, they will face fellow relegation candidates Burnley, Tottenham and West Ham in their final four games of the season.

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Chelsea host City at Stamford Bridge.

Whatever the result, this was a poor performance by Arsenal, who looked jaded compared to a fresh Bournemouth side who had not played for three weeks.

This was the 53rd game of the Gunners’ season as they have attempted to win trophies in multiple competitions.

However, defeats in the Carabao Cup final, FA Cup quarter-finals and now against the Cherries means they have lost three of their last four in all competitions.

Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka, captain Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber through injury, while Myles Lewis-Skelly was making just his second start of the season at left-back with Riccardo Calafiori also unavailable.

“I thought the result in Lisbon in midweek would have helped them massively, just to get a little bit of momentum and confidence after the two cup defeats,” added Shearer.

“But there was nothing I saw today that would give me confidence that they’re going to go and win the league.”

There was a nervous atmosphere inside the stadium, with loose passes met by groans from the home supporters as it was clear that the Gunners were not at their best.

Arteta had asked the fans to turn up early to create an intimidating atmosphere – but the Gunners boss does not think that the expectation is getting to his side.

“I don’t think there is pressure,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day. “We have been coping with a lot of pressure since the beginning of the season.

“Today there were some actions that are very far from the level that we have shown and that shocks the system.

“We ask a lot from our crowd and today we didn’t respond to those standards and we have to apologise, take it on the chin and move on.”

Jonny Clayton came from 5-2 down to beat Michael van Gerwen 6-5 and claim his third nightly win to move top of the Premier League.

Van Gerwen missed four match darts in total as the Welshman reeled off four straight legs to take the win in Brighton.

Victory takes Clayton, who began the evening in third, three points above Luke Littler after the world champion was beaten by Stephen Bunting in the quarter-finals and failed to add to his points tally.

While Van Gerwen had the edge both in terms of average and checkout percentage in the final, Clayton produced when it mattered as he made the seven-time champion pay for failing to wrap up the match at 5-2 and 5-4 and forced a decider.

Clayton then finished it in style, hitting two 180s in the leg before sealing it on double 16.

“I thought the game was over at 5-2 up for Michael,” Clayton told Sky Sports.

“He missed, he gave me a chance. You’ve got to take chances. That last leg was probably my best of the game.

“I’m back on top of the table, Luke Littler can start chasing me again.”

Despite falling just short of a first nightly win since the opening week in Newcastle, Van Gerwen’s run to the final helped him shore up his play-off place and open up a four-point gap to fellow Dutchman Gian van Veen in fifth.

Middlesbrough, who went into the Easter weekend in the top two, still had the opportunity to end it there with victory at Swansea City in the 17:30 BST game.

Alex Bangura set them on their way with a 12th-minute goal but, after two Zan Vipotnik penalties put the Swans in front, Boro needed a Tommy Conway spot-kick to rescue a point.

Boro are floundering with two wins in their past 10 matches and while they scored more than once for the first time in five games, the feeling remains they are a frustrating and inconsistent proposition in front of goal.

Manager Kim Hellberg said after the match there would be more “twists and turns” to come in the fight for promotion – after a day of such similar rollercoaster emotions.

“You’ve got three teams on 72 points – Ipswich have some games in hand, so they’re in a better position than the other two, but we are in a better position than Millwall because of our better goal difference,” he told BBC Radio Tees.

“There will be twists and turns. No team will just go and win games. It’s difficult and you need to just try in this period to get those points and wins.

“We have to keep fighting. It’s tough we didn’t win, because we thought we were good enough in the game to win, but then you have to do it.

“The easy answer at the moment is that we’re not being clinical enough or smart enough in different ways.”

With a four-point deficit to Ipswich, and a vastly inferior goal difference, plus the games in hand the Tractor Boys hold, Hull can be considered the outsiders in this race.

But the Tigers showed against Coventry they can match anyone in the division and once again reaffirmed the fantastic job Sergej Jakirovic has done in his first season in English football under a transfer embargo.

Although when asked about what that point means in terms of the wider context of Hull’s season, Jakirovic was talking more play-offs than automatic promotion.

“Somebody said it is 73, 74, 75 [to reach the play-offs] but God knows how many. Until we are in this position we will just look at ourselves and try to take points in every game,” Jakirovic told BBC Radio Humberside.

“Norwich are coming, Derby is there, Southampton… but, no matter, we must look at ourselves.”

Silva will leave Manchester City after winning the Champions League and six Premier League titles during his nine-year spell.

Manchester City ‌‌captain Bernardo Silva will leave the club ⁠⁠at the ⁠⁠end of the season, assistant manager Pep Lijnders has confirmed.

“Every good story comes to an end,” Lijnders told reporters after City’s 4-0 FA ‌‌Cup quarterfinal victory over Liverpool on Sunday.

“I hope he enjoys the last months – there are only six weeks left – and has a good farewell. He deserves all that attention.”

The 31-year-old Portugal international, who has ⁠⁠won six Premier League titles and the Champions League during nine years at the Etihad ⁠⁠Stadium, will depart as a free agent when his contract expires after the campaign concludes.

Pep Guardiola, who was serving a touchline suspension during the match, has previously described Silva ⁠⁠as “irreplaceable”.

Silva joined City from AS Monaco ⁠⁠in 2017 for a reported fee of about $57.35m and has since made 450 appearances for the club.

Known ⁠⁠for his tactical versatility, superb technique and tireless work rate, the midfielder has ⁠⁠been a cornerstone of City’s ⁠⁠side under Guardiola.

After winning the League Cup last month, City remain in contention for a domestic treble as the 2025-26 campaign enters ‌‌its final weeks, despite trailing Premier League leaders Arsenal by nine points.

The Manchester club have a game ‌‌in ‌‌hand and eight matches remaining to bridge the deficit.

Silva will become the second major player to leave the top four Premier League clubs this season, joining Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah, who confirmed he will exit the defending champions in May.

The 33-year-old Egypt international confirmed the news via a video message on his social media accounts last month.

“Unfortunately, the day has come. This is ‌‌the first part of my farewell,” Salah said. “I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.”

Signed from AS Roma in 2017, Salah established himself as one ⁠⁠of the best players in the club’s ⁠⁠history, helping Liverpool to two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups, as ‌‌well as an FA Community Shield.

He has scored 255 goals in 435 appearances, making him the club’s all-time third ‌‌highest ‌‌goal scorer, during which he won the Premier League Golden Boot on four occasions.