Key events
You can always count on The Guardian’s Paul Campbell to serve up the goods when it comes to quiz and this is a solid one. Very happy with my score of 12/15.
Have a go.
Forgive me for getting giddy about football … but De Zerbi’s Spurs taking on Brighton at 5.30pm on Saturday, then Chelsea v Manchester United at 8pm later the same night, before the Merseyside derby and Manchester City v Arsenal on Sunday … this weekend should be a real treat.
Haaland says Manchester City v Arsenal is ‘a final’
Erling Haaland believes Sunday’s clash between Manchester City and Arsenal will be “like a final”.
The game between the top two Premier League teams could have major ramifications in the race for the title. The Gunners’ lead currently stands at six points, and a win for either team would be a major boost in the hunt for Premier League glory, with City having a game in hamd.
“It’s always a nice fight and it’s always good to, as I said, to play against the best because that’s something you want to do,” Haaland told Sky Sports. “It’s a massive game without a doubt. We all know the importance of this game. It’s like a final. Like last weekend was against Chelsea, it was a final as well. Let’s be honest and say that.
“We have a final every single weekend now for the next six weeks. It’s a massive game, it’s probably the biggest and the best game there will be, so hopefully it can be an amazing game. These are the games you want to play and these are the moments you want to be in.”
Howe must also be perturbed that so many of his players are being linked with moves away from Newcastle.
Stories this week suggest Anthony Gordon is the latest to become disgruntled, joining Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall and Bruno Guimarães as a possible departee from St James’s Park this summer. (Although they surely will not all be sold)
“I don’t necessarily address transfer speculation unless it gets to the point that I feel I have to,” said Howe, addressing the transfer speculation.
“After I had the chat with Sandro, the biggest thing I look for is the commitment to training. That will be the same with Anthony and every player. I won’t play a player if I don’t think they are 100% committed to the club and its future. I have to do what I think is right for the team.”
All eyes, then, on whether Gordon is included in the starting lineup against Bournemouth.
Eddie Howe has come out fighting in his press conference this morning, saying Newcastle are feeling “angry” and want that winning feeling back, after a run of just one victory in their past six in all competitions.
We need that feeling back. It’s been too long. We’re desperate to win and play well. This week we have had a mix of emotions. We had the disappointing result against Crystal Palace and there was a bit of anger, all those emotions which can be really positive for you, so we’ve tried to use them.
There haven’t been too many smiling faced around the training ground but I think the feeling is one of steely determination to put it right. It’s been a strange year in terms of the Premier League table, it’s been very tight all season. We need a run of wins that we’ve needed all season. We can still end up with a really successful season so that has to be our aim.
All is seemingly not well at Newcastle, who are ending their season with a whimper as Eddie Howe prepares to welcome his former club, Bournemouth, to St James’s Park on Saturday. The spectre of Andoni Iraola – to leave the Cherries in a month or so – is one of a few looming large over Howe right now.
Louise Taylor wrote this piece on Howe’s future on Tyneside as the grumbling gets ever louder.
Thanks Dave. I’ll begin my stint with some Newcastle news/chat …
It’s time now to hand the blog over. Take it away, Dominic Booth.
The two members of the Iran football team who remained in Australia after the Women’s Asian Cup are beginning their new lives away from the spotlight, even if their dream is to return to elite football. Here’s Jack Snape on the story of Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, who issued a statement on Friday saying they “respectfully ask” for “privacy and space”.
The slight consolation for Liverpool and Slot is that Alexander Isak is back in action again after the fibula fracture he suffered against Spurs in December. The Swedish striker has had minutes in both quarter-final legs against PSG and the home win over Fulham last weekend although the Reds are being careful with their record signing’s comeback. Here’s Slot.
It’s a good thing we signed two number nines. Lots of people were debating why we signed two, but now it looks like a good idea. Now people are saying we should sign another in the summer!
Someone said to me the day after [the Ekitike injury] that you cannot write the script that on the day Alex is back on first start the other leaves the pitch with a long-term injury.
Even more a good thing that Alex is back but wouldn’t be the first time I didn’t have someone available in a certain position, such as right-back. Alex, we know, is not ready to play 90 yet.
Talking of right-back, Slot has confirmed that Joe Gomez will miss the trip to Everton due to the injury which forced him off against PSG.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby. Here he is on Hugo Ekitike’s Achilles tendon injury which has ruled the Frenchman out for the rest of the season and this summer’s World Cup.
He hasn’t been operated on yet. Devastating for him coming to a new club having so much impact straight away. Playing against your former club in the Champions League quarter-final with so much to come for him in the summer.
My first thoughts are with him being out for such a long time, missing out on so many special moments. But it is not the first and not the last player who experienced something like this at the start of their career, and there are so many examples of players coming back even stronger.
Hundred per cent he will be one of those say maybe this injury makes me even more strong and more ready to play at an even higher level.
Back to Europe for a bit and let’s confirm the last teams standing. These are the potential finals:
Champions League
PSG/Bayern v Arsenal/Atletico Madrid
Europa League
Aston Villa/Nottingham Forest v SC Freiburg/Braga
Conference League
Crystal Palace/Shakhtar Donetsk v Rayo Vallecano/Strasbourg
Manchester City v Arsenal will attract incredible worldwide viewing figures. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown at the Etihad, John Duerden has been talking to Gunners fans from around the globe. It seems there’s panic on the streets of Thailand ahead of the trip to Manchester.
Arsenal are six points clear in the Premier League and into the semi-finals of the Champions League. And yet, in cricketing terms, they seem not to be going for their shots anymore, trying to get over the line by nudging singles. Has Geoff Boycott given his approval to such a method? Boycs, confusingly, supports Manchester United so probably isn’t the man to ask. Much of the negativity around the Gunners centres around style though and clamming up at this crucial stage of the season could backfire. Here’s Rob Draper with a look at how Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola are taking different paths despite both being disciples of Johan Cruyff.
No doubt which game takes top billing this weekend. Let’s start with some Manchester City v Arsenal build-up in our Premier League: 10 things to look out for column. Here’s how Jamie Jackson frames it:
“If Arsenal are victorious, they motor back to London with a nine-point advantage and the 22-year wait for the title is surely over. If City win, then it is time to break out the popcorn as the title race will surely go down to the wire.”
After taking just five points from the last 42 available, Tottenham are heading towards relegation. Can new boss Roberto De Zerbi stop the ninth richest club in the world falling into the Championship? Harry Paterson from WhoScored examines their plight.
Crystal Palace will face Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk for a place in the final of the Conference League. Here’s how the Eagles completed the job against Fiorentina in the quarter-finals.
Nottingham Forest have reached their first European semi-final for 42 years. It was a nervy night at the City Ground but Morgan Gibbs-White’s 12-minute strike proved just enough to get Forest past 10-man Porto. Villa up next.
Let’s start with Aston Villa cruising past Bologna. Ollie Watkins reached a couple of landmarks in the 4-0 win and perhaps gave Thomas Tuchel a nudge.
Preamble
Good morning! Aside from Liverpool’s predictable exit to PSG, it’s been a rather excellent week for English teams in their respective European quarter-finals. Arsenal limped made it through against Sporting in the Champions League, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest set up an all-English Europa League semi-final after seeing off Bologna and Porto respectively and Crystal Palace, despite defeat on the night at Fiorentina, went through 4-2 on aggregate to reach the last four of the Conference League.
We’ll reflect on those successes and then turn to a Premier League run-in where there’s all sorts on the line this weekend. Will in-form Brighton bash another nail into Tottenham’s relegation coffin? Who will have bragging rights after the first Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium? And will Manchester City send already highly tetchy Arsenal fans apopletic by playing sexy Cherki football and winning Sunday’s title showdown at the Etihad? All that, plus team news, features and much more. Let’s go!
