Key events
Championship: Charlie Kelman has just curled home an absolute purler from distance to put Charlton a goal up against Hull City at The Valley. With West Brom currently holding Ipswich, as things stand Charlton and the Baggies are safe, Oxford are relegated and Hull’s hopes of making the playoffs will take a severe dent.
National League: Rochdale host York City in today’s winner-takes-all decider in the race for the one automatic promotion place available at the top of the table. York are top with an astonishing 107 points, while Rochdale are two points back on a similarly eye-watering 105. A draw will do the Minstermen, while Rochdale have to win to leapfrog their rivals and avoid being forced into the playoffs. It’s currently scoreless in the first-half at the Crown Oil Arena.
Premier League: Fans of both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are feeling similar levels of stress at different ends of the Premier League table, writes Jonathan Liew …
Daniel Farke: ‘I was the slowest striker in Europe’
Leeds United: A self-confessed “football romantic who has learned that romanticism shouldn’t blind you to reality”, Daniel Farke looks to have secured Premier League survival for Leeds United and takes them Wembley for tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final against beleaguered Chelsea. Words: Louise Taylor.
The Championship
Coventry City have already secured promotion as champions, while Millwall, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Middlesbrough are all chasing the second automatic promotion spot. Ipswich Town and Millwall, who were held by Leicester City last night, are guaranteed playoffspots at least. Wrexham, Hull City and Derby County are also hopeful of making the playoff party.
Needing one point from their final two games to guarantee their safety, Charlton Athletic are currently hosting Hull at The Valley in one of today’s early kick-offs. Following yesterday’s points deduction, West Brom also need a point to guarantee their survival and host Ipswich Town in another.
At the bottom, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City have both been consigned to the drop, while Oxford are clinging on with a six-point gap to overhaul and only two games left in which to do so. With Charlton and West Brom already in action, Oxford could be relegated before their basement battle against Sheffield Wednesday kicks off at the Kassam Stadium.
Today’s fixtures
Charlton Athletic 0-0 Hull City (L)
Middlesbrough 1-0 Watford (L)
West Brom 0-0 Ipswich Town (L)
Birmingham City v Bristol City
Norwich City v Swansea City
Oxford United v Sheffield Wednesday
QPR v Derby County
Sheffield United v Preston
Stoke City v Portsmouth
Saturday’s Premier League fixtures
Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa (L)
West Ham v Everton (3pm BST)
Wolves v Tottenham Hotspur (3pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (3pm)
Arsenal v Newcastle (5.30pm)
Manchester United v Brentford (8pm BST)
Welcome to the clockwatch …
Good afternoon and welcome to a Saturday Clockwatch where the stakes could scarcely be higher or the nerves any more frayed. It’s late April and we find ourselves in the upside-down world where two of London’s finest are staring into the abyss.
The focus today centres on a desperate fight for survival. In 18th place and winless since December, Tottenham travel to already-relegated Wolves knowing that anything less than three points would be another disastrous pratfall in the direction of a first relegation since 1977. Just two points above them, West Ham host Everton at the London Stadium in a match that is likely to be every bit as tense. While Nuno’s side are fighting for their lives, Everton still dare to dream of a return to European football.
Meanwhile, at Anfield, Liverpool are facing a bizarre psychological hurdle. They host Crystal Palace today, having already lost to their visitors three times since August – in the Community Shield, the Premier League and the Carabao Cup. Should Palace prevail again, they will become the first side in history to beat Liverpool four times in a single season.
Away from the Premier League drama, we’ll be keeping a sharp eye on the Football League, flagging up promotion clinchers and heartbreak from the Championship down to League Two as the business end of the season reaches boiling point. Stick with us for every goal, every VAR grievance and every existential crisis as it happens.
