The Guardian

World Cup 2026 news; Al-Mubarak on City’s 134 charges; Spurs sign Robertson – as it happened

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 05/06/2026 - 08:56

World Cup 2026 news; Al-Mubarak on City’s 134 charges; Spurs sign Robertson: football– live - The Guardian

Key events

To close out the blog for the day.

double quotation markWorld football’s governing body introduced a social media protection service after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has offered its moderation element for free to all football associations at the 2026 tournament, which starts next Thursday. The Football Association has not confirmed whether it is taking up the offer.

An increasing number of Premier League clubs are using AI to hide racist, homophobic and misogynist content from players on their social media channels. Tottenham, who condemned the “vile, dehumanising racism” aimed at defender Kevin Danso following his mistake against Brighton last season, are among them.

Some USMNT news on Chris Richards: the Crystal Palace defender, is unavailable for Saturday’s friendly against Germany. Richards has a continuing ankle problem, and may yet miss out.

“He’s still not ready to compete and to play,” Mauricio Pochettino said ahead of a training session. “We have the next few days to assess him … and then make a decision.

“Maybe if it’s the final of the World Cup he can play. But the advice of the medical [team] is that he doesn’t play.”

Southampton have continued their, er, busy summer, with signing Cyle Larin, 31, on a permanent move from Real Mallorca, a two-year deal with an option for one more.

Larin: “From the first day I came into Southampton I was very welcomed, and we just had a great season. I really felt I wanted to continue.”

The UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has criticised Fifa’s decision to ban plastic water bottles from World Cup stadia.

This from an interview with LBC.

double quotation markHow do you respond to Fifa’s announcement overnight, the decision they’re going to ban plastic bottles from the World Cup - some people will think that sounds a bit odd?

PM: It’s just wrong. And I can’t help but think that it’s about making money. So you can’t bring plastic bottles in but you can buy a bottle of water when you get in the crowd. And then it’ll be expensive. The tickets themselves cost a fortune, far too expensive in my view. So the ticket sales are too high. And this is the wrong policy.

Will you be writing to Fifa to ask them what they’re going to be doing about it?

PM: Well, I would call on Fifa to just look again at this. Think about it. Think of the fans. They are football fans from all sorts of backgrounds across our country, across the world. They’re already spending a fortune getting there. They’ve got to pay a lot for tickets, too much in my book. Don’t impose further costs on them. So I’d say Fifa, look again.

Daniel Tunnard gets in touch: “Ello, please note it’s Elo, named after Arpad Elo, not ELO, which is the Electric Light Orchestra. (Scrabble geek here).”

The World Cup guides keep rolling in; here’s Saudi Arabia, penned by John Duerden.

double quotation markThere is talent and, now, perhaps a little less pressure. There are also other things to think about. Saudi Arabia are hosting the Asian Cup for the first time in January and seeking a first continental title since 1996 and this is where preparations for hosting the 2034 World Cup really start.

Les Street is heading to North America to watch his third World Cup.

double quotation markMy search for accommodation began the moment Australia were drawn in Group D. Stays in Vancouver and Seattle were already eye-wateringly expensive, upwards of $1,000 a night. Knowing the demand for the USA match, I booked an overpriced backpackers near the stadium even though I have well crossed the age and comfort bar for lodging in hostel dormitories. For Vancouver, I played 4D chess and discovered a stay not found on booking search engines at a university campus for cost price.

Here’s the story on those free World Cup tickets.

Behnam Jafarzadeh reports from Tehran, where the World Cup has a different hue considering real-world events.

double quotation markEconomic pressure, declining purchasing power and the shadow of war (which had not yet happened) contributed to football’s importance for Iranians falling to its lowest level in decades. There is a stark contrast to the atmosphere around the 2014 World Cup, when even a 1–0 loss to Argentina in the second group game led to hopeful street celebrations. During the 2018 World Cup the team’s matches were shown on the big screens at Azadi Stadium and received a great response.

Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal has been named La Liga player of the season.

The 18-year-old helped Barca retain their domestic crown, became the first player to win the league’s Player of the Month award three times in one season and finished as the club’s top scorer in La Liga with 16 goals and 11 assists. Barcelona’s Hansi Flick was named the coach of the year on Thursday.

Bad news for those World Cup ticket holders who thought they had a freebie.

Per Reuters: Fifa has cancelled World Cup tickets for about 60 fans who were able to mistakenly purchase them for free due to a website error, and world soccer’s governing body is now asking for them to be paid in full.

The affected fans were notified on Wednesday about tickets that were “allocated at no charge (0 USD) due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process“.

“The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount. FIFA regrets the error and any inconvenience caused.”

Here’s David Hytner’s report on Tottenham’s signing of Andy Robertson.

double quotation markSpurs tried and failed to sign Robertson in January but they have got the deal done now and without having to pay a fee, the left-back’s contract at Liverpool having expired after nine hugely-successful seasons with the club. Robertson is the captain of Scotland and is preparing for the World Cup with them.

Thomas Frank 'will not rush into new role'

Thomas Frank, sacked by Tottenham in February, and set to be a pundit at the World Cup, has released a statement to the League Managers’ Association. It nixes talk of him being linked with Fulham, Crystal Palace and various other vacancies.

double quotation markI wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has reached out over the past few months. Your support and encouragement have been greatly appreciated.

Leaving Tottenham has given me the chance to step back and reflect on my journey so far. Football management is a profession that demands complete commitment every single day, and periods like this are a rare opportunity to assess, learn and gain a fresh perspective. From the outside, it may have looked like a time of many challenges at Tottenham when results were not what we wanted. From within, however, it becomes clear why the club is so special - full of talented people who work tirelessly every day. I have no doubt Tottenham has a bright future.

Football remains a huge part of who I am, and I have chosen to use this time productively. Over the coming months, besides spending time with family and friends, I will continue studying, observing and learning from other leaders both within sport and beyond it.

I am also looking forward to covering the World Cup for Danish television and the BBC, as well as experiencing the Tour de France. Time away from the touchline is allowing me to broaden my perspective and gather insights that I look forward to bringing into my next challenge.

There have been conversations and opportunities since leaving Spurs, but I have decided not to rush into the next role. For me, this summer is not the right time to go back into management.

When the time is right, I will look forward to my return as a manager, ready to embrace the job with great energy and dedication.

Transfer news: Inter have announced their triggering of a buyback clause to re-sign Aleksandar Stankovic from Club Brugge, with the Serbia midfielder penning a five-year contract.

The 20-year-old player is the son of former midfielder Dejan Stanković, who spent almost a decade in Milan.

Some more detail on Brooklyn Earick, whose Eight Sports company claims to have purchased a 24.99 per cent stake in Tottenham’s parent company, via PA Media.

“Earick is said to be a lifelong Tottenham fan, according to sources close to the deal, who has raised more than $25 billion from family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and leading institutions worldwide.

“Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, he worked as an engineer at Nasa Ames Research Center, contributing to small spacecraft and satellite technology.”

Updated at 15.42 CEST

Fancy a World Cup stroll? A scenic walk to the MetLife here.

The World Cup fashion parade has begun.

double quotation markFashion moments range from the outfits players wear to get to training, to the suits worn on planes and their training gear. The French team’s training camp in Clairefontaine became something of a catwalk this week thanks to the style of players such as Jules Koundé and Kylian Mbappé. Meanwhile, brands including Loewe, Gabriela Hearst, Patta and the rapper Drake’s Nocta have worked with teams on suiting and training gear.

Since the last tournament in 2022, fashion’s influence on football has skyrocketed, with brands working with players and clubs, and the personal style of players influencing what young men wear, often thanks to carousels of images on Instagram and the outfits photographed when they arrive at training. This is set to increase further at the World Cup, with players including the Spanish ace Lamine Yamal, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Koundé already posting outfits to their Instagram accounts.

Lawrence Shankland, the Scotland striker, has been speaking about his move from Hearts to Rangers.

“Obviously I finished the season pretty strong, so confidence was already high.

“To join my boyhood club, somewhere that I’ve always had a dream to play, and to get that opportunity, especially in the later stages of your career, I’m just happy and excited to get that opportunity. It can give you that wee boost and hopefully it does going into these games.”

“Obviously, I was due to meet up with Scotland on the Tuesday but I had to delay to the Wednesday for my medicals and stuff,” he said. “I felt like it was pretty important for me to get it done before I came here. I think when you come to a World Cup, you want to enjoy that experience. I don’t think I wanted anything hanging over my head with my club football so I was quite keen to get things wrapped up.

“Obviously, it was a big decision for me, leaving Hearts. It’s a great club. I’ve got a lot of good times and good memories there. But the opportunity to go and join Rangers is one that I couldn’t really turn down.:

Scotland play Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday.

Eight Sports Capital claim to have bought Levy shares

Good afternoon, let’s start with some more Tottenham news.

A press release drops: “Eight Sports Capital Limited today announces the signing of a sale and purchase agreement to acquire a 24.99% interest in ENIC Sports and Developments Holdings Limited, the parent company of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, from the trustee of Daniel Levy’s family trust.

A spokesperson for Eight Sports Capital Limited stated: “We are delighted to have signed this agreement to acquire a significant stake in ENIC. We look forward to working with the Club’s shareholders, management, staff, players and fansto support Tottenham Hotspur’s continued growth and success.

“The parties have agreed that no further public comment will be made regarding the commercial terms of the transaction.”

Eight Sports Capital is a firm owned by Triller which is owned by Wing-Fai Ng and Richard Tsai. Eight Sports Capital CEO is Brooklyn Earick, reported to be a Tottenham fan and behind previous interest in purchasing the club.

The family of Joe Lewis, the former owner, are the majority owners of Spurs, and that holds an 86.58 per cent share in Tottenham. Last week, the family stated they are “all in”.

Updated at 15.41 CEST

Okay, time to brush up on Curaçao’s likely starting XI. John Brewin is now your man in the hotseat. Give him a big hand.

Real Madrid will launch a £130m bid for Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise if Florentino Pérez wins re-election as the club’s president this weekend. Rival candidate Enrique Riquelme had earlier promised to sign Erling Haaland from Manchester City if he got in. You guys.

Here’s a good omen for England. The ELO rankings are considered a better guide to who sits where in football’s pecking order. The FIFA rankings only go back to 1993 and they’ve tinkered with their workings several times. The ELO version was actually adapated from chess but they’re the rankings of choice for the football hipster.

Looking at past World Cup winners, eight of the last 10 champions were ranked in the top four of the ELO rankings pre-tournament. The current list has England in a top-four slot:

Updated at 14.49 CEST

Thoughts on Andy Robertson joining Tottenham on a free from Liverpool? A bit odd? More likely to get first-team football? A chance to experience the bright lights? More opportunities to hang out with Michael Dawson?

Tottenham sign Andy Robertson

Tottenham have unveiled a truly inspirational video welcoming Andy Robertson to the club ahead of his move from Liverpool.

Starring ex-Tottenham defender Michael Dawson, a former teammate of Robertson’s at Hull, he sends this heartwarming message:

“This shirt, the cockerel, that’s us since 1882. Worn by those who came before you, and everyone supporting from the stands.

“This club has been family to me, and we always have room for someone new.

“On the back, where your name is, that’s your chance to add something of your own to our story. As your old teammate and captain, I’m proud that I can welcome you to Spurs. Robbo, this is yours now too.”

The Scotland captain will officially join on 1 July when his Liverpool contract expires.

Sporting Director, Johan Lange, said: “We are delighted to welcome Andy to the club.

“First and foremost, he is an outstanding left-back - one of the best of all time in the Premier League, and someone who will improve our squad.

“In addition, his quality, character and leadership have been evident throughout a career in which he has regularly competed for - and won - major honours.

“Andy’s professionalism and commitment will also be invaluable to the development of our squad, and he shares our ambition and determination to bring success back to the Club.

“We are excited for Andy’s new chapter with us and look forward to having him here after the World Cup.”

Head Coach, Roberto De Zerbi, said: “Andy is someone I’ve admired for a number of years and he will bring outstanding technical qualities, experience, leadership and mentality to our team.

“He is a proven winner at the highest level over a long period and is someone who can be a big player for us, both on and off the pitch.

“I can’t wait to start working with him and seeing the positive impact he will have on everyone around him.”

Updated at 14.32 CEST

Al-Mubarak on Man City's 134 charges

Jamie Jackson

Khaldoon al-Mubarak has vowed to set the record straight once the verdict is returned on Manchester City’s estimated 134 Premier League charges related to alleged financial wrongdoing.

The chair was asked whether there was an update, more than three years after the charges – which City deny – were brought. It remains unclear when there will be an announcement.

“Until we have a ruling, I can’t say much,” Al-Mubarak said. “Once we have a ruling, believe me, we’re going to have a wonderful sit down together and I’ll say everything I’ve wanted to say for the last three years.”

City are the flagship club of City Football Group, the organisation that has 12 teams across of the world. A Sheikh Mansour company owns most of CFG, with almost 17% controlled by the American company Silver Lake and a small stake held by China Media Capital and CITIC Capital.

Mubarak said the group was worth at least $10bn (£7.4bn). “Over the years we’ve had multiple stop points where the value went from $120m to $1bn, then $2bn, $3bn, then we had investors come in and invest in the club at $3bn,” he said. “We went up to $5bn and more money came in, investors buying into this strategy. And Sheikh Mansour took a very important choice, which was that the money stays in because we’re going to keep building. If you’re going to sell all today in the market, you wouldn’t sell it for less than $10bn minimum. That’s value creation.

“There’s no intention to sell. There’s only intention to keep growing this because the view here is this will only grow and this is a beautiful business to own.”

If you were reading earlier about England’s 6-1 win over Panama in the 2022 World Cup, there was a quiz question. Harry Kane got a hat-trick but I also asked which player scored an unlikely brace?

The answer: John Stones. Yes, really.

Thanks Luke. Player-guide session a little compromised due to a parcel delivered to the wrong door, a phone call about US Open golf shifts and a ham omelette that wouldn’t cook itself.

That’s the lot from me: David will be back from his marathon player-guide reading session imminently.

Updated at 13.58 CEST

Craig McLeish has been given the St Mirren job on a permanent basis after he maintained their Scottish Premiership status.

“I want to thank Keith [Lasley, chief executive] and the board for giving me this opportunity and I’m ready to grasp it. I’m delighted that my vision aligned with the club’s and they feel I’m the best person to take us forward,” McLeish said.

“It feels like maybe the end of a cycle with where we were at. We’ve achieved a lot over this last period, and we have to now look at what we do and how we operate as a club.” PA Media

Fresh from Premier League title success, Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard wants to play a significant role for Belgium at the World Cup.

“I really can’t wait to get started,” he said on Friday, a day after belatedly joining up with his teammates after last Saturday’s Champions League final.

“Everyone is starting the World Cup campaign full of enthusiasm, which is very positive. I’ve only been able to take part in one training session so far, so not much has stood out to me yet, but I can see that everyone is focused and ready to begin the World Cup.”

Asked if he is in his best form ever, Trossard added: “That’s always difficult to answer. But I’m certainly in very good form, and I hope to carry that into the World Cup.”

Winning the Premier League is also a positive for Belgium’s hopes, he said.

“It’s very good when players arrive here having won titles, but that doesn’t change your status. Not mine either but I will try to bring that experience into the national team.

“We’ve had a very good season with Arsenal. Of course, it’s disappointing how the Champions League ended. Penalty shootouts are a lottery, and it was stressful to experience it from the sidelines. But we’ve still had a fantastic season and we’re very proud of winning the English title.

“The title celebrations and the parade were fantastic. We were able to celebrate properly with the squad.“

As for his club future Trossard gave nothing away: “At the moment I am still an Arsenal player. We’ll see what happens in the summer,” he said.

Belgium have a friendly against Tunisia in Brussels on Saturday before Monday’s departure to the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US, where they begin their Group G campaign in Seattle, on June 15, against Egypt. Reuters

Updated at 13.50 CEST

How is Sergiño Dest getting on for the USMNT?

I know it’s a question you’ve been pondering.

Jeff Rueter has all the relevant details here:

Updated at 13.45 CEST

Ewan Murray

The summit of Scottish football provides a wonderful environment for those who value long-term career stops. Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, arrived at the then Scottish Premier League in 2009. Ian Maxwell, bizarrely headhunted from relegation-bound Partick Thistle, has been the Scottish Football Association’s chief executive since 2018. Scot Gemmill’s tenure as the nation’s under-21 manager has lasted a decade despite underwhelming results.

Glass half-full or half-empty; either this is a domain that delivers admirable continuity or one in which no one makes sufficient progress to appeal to those in bigger ponds.

Against this backdrop, Steve Clarke’s four-year extension as Scotland manager is really no surprise. “It’s pretty staggering for anyone to say that giving him a new contract is a gamble,” said Maxwell. The Scottish FA’s president, Mike Mulraney, delivered standard bluster when assessing the deal. “I don’t need other people to vindicate my decision,” insisted Mulraney.

Next up on Friday’s football content smorgasbord: a piece from Ewan Murray on Steve Clarke, the Scotland head coach. (They’re in Group C with Haiti, Morocco and Brazil. Their first match is against Haiti on Sunday 14 June, at 2am UK time.)

And here, for good measure, is their team guide by Ewan Murray:

Updated at 13.43 CEST

The Guardian

Tottenham v Everton: Premier League final day – live

Submitted by daniel on Sun, 24/05/2026 - 16:00

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Updated at 18.48 CEST

Updated at 18.35 CEST

Updated at 18.29 CEST

Updated at 18.20 CEST

Spurs finally get the second half started. Apart from the linesman’s battery pack, there have been no changes.

The West Ham v Leeds game has now reached the 51st minute. What nonsense.

Seems they were waiting to synchronise the second-half kick-off with the West Ham game. At which point the game at West Ham were given the go-ahead to start … only for this technical issue with the assistant referee to crop up. The fans whistle in irritation. This is a fiasco.

Spurs are left hanging for a minute or so by Everton, who emerge from the tunnel late, having presumably been given a full-fat bollocking for their first-half performance. They were abysmal. Then everyone has to wait while one of the linesman gets his walkie-talkie battery replaced. Dear me.

HALF TIME: West Ham United 0-0 Leeds United. So with Leeds holding the Hammers at the London Stadium, and with apologies to Simon McMahon’s liver (26 min), here’s the table AS IT STANDS. West Ham will be playing Championship football next season.

HALF TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton

A deserved lead for Spurs on the balance of play. Will it stop the nerves jangling in the second half? Of course it won’t! But the mood is a whole lot better since Palhinha headed against the post and rammed home the rebound. A whole lot better.

Updated at 18.36 CEST

GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Everton (Palhinha 43)

After a shaky few minutes, Spurs are finishing the half strongly … Richarlison dribbles down the left and wins an actual corner this time. Tel sends it to the far stick. Palhinha heads against the right-hand post. The rebound falls to him, and he pokes over the line. Bedlam!

Updated at 17.56 CEST

Updated at 17.38 CEST

Hey, have a nippy sweetie on us.

The Guardian

Premier League finale with survival on line for Spurs and West Ham – matchday live, as it happened

Submitted by daniel on Sun, 24/05/2026 - 08:15

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That is all from me here today but follow along our live coverage for the final day of the Premier League season.

And here is the table before kick-off. Title winners decided. Race for Europe and to avoid the drop? All to play for.

This matchday live will be wrapping up soon. Here is the final ten things to look forward to of this 2025-26 Premier League season.

Kev McCready writes in:

double quotation markAs a Liverpool fan, my patience, sanity and hairline have been sorely tested. End of an era, with two (possibly three) players leaving. We need a holding midfielder, a right-sided winger and a definite 9.

I notice Slot is bringing in Etienne Reijnen as a coach. He looks like a malevolent Steve McMananan. I hope this improves things.

Here is our reporting on Liverpool’s search for Slot’s right-hand man from this week’s The Talk:

Liverpool are closing in on the appointment of Etiënne Reijnen to their coaching staff, a move that would underline the club’s continued support for Arne Slot.

Slot’s position remains under intense scrutiny with Liverpool yet to seal Champions League qualification, the Anfield crowd turning on the style of play in the last home game and several members of the first-team squad liking Mohamed Salah’s critical social media post last Saturday. The club, however, are backing Slot’s request to strengthen his backroom team this summer and are working on a deal for the Feyenoord assistant manager Reijnen.

Reijnen played with Slot at PEC Zwolle and became the Liverpool head coach’s assistant at Feyenoord in 2023. Slot wanted to bring the 39-year-old with him when he was first appointed at Anfield but work permit issues scuppered the move.

A deal to reunite Slot with his former assistant has not been completed but is progressing. Feyenoord’s technical director, Dennis te Kloese, seemingly confirmed Reijnen’s exit this week when saying: “Reijnen is simply a very talented young coach. He doesn’t just go abroad to work for no reason.”

Slot refused to confirm the move on Friday. “As long as things are not done, then I will not be commenting on who we are signing or who we don’t,” he said. But he added: “It is fair to say that I have worked with him before and I have a very high regard for him in terms of the coach he is. It is also clear that I tried to sign him two years ago when I first came here but we couldn’t do it.”

The Liverpool head coach would also not be drawn on Salah’s latest attempt to undermine him or whether the Egypt international will be involved in Sunday’s finale against Brentford, when both the forward and Andy Robertson will say farewell to Anfield. But he agreed with Salah on the importance of Champions League qualification and insisted Liverpool’s focus must be on securing a top-five finish before turning to the send-offs.

“If you were to ask these two players – and I think it was also one of the things Mo said in his post – that he also understands how important qualification for the Champions League is for us.

“If we want to have an even more solid base than the one we have built this season, going into next season, then Champions League football is vital for that. It will give it an even more solid base than without Champions League football.”

Some early drama in the League One playoff final. It’s 1-1 but a VAR check is under way … Follow along with Emillia Hawkins here.

Updated at 14.22 CEST

Thanks Cameron and hello all. Some more of your emails have come in on the best/worst matches you’ve missed.

Kieran McHugh:

double quotation markI missed the Villa 1-2 Spurs game this season. I was using a system known as Schroedingers Tottenham by simply ignoring all media until the morning after the game. A good rule of thumb for much of Spurs’ season. Obviously delighted to wake up and find out we had won. No such option available today as I’m on my way to the Lane now. COYS!

Kieran, is there any way you may have just relegated your club before they have even kicked off?

Andrew Thomas:

double quotation markI had a ticket to see one of the all time greatest comebacks – Fulham beating Juventus 4-1 in the Europa league in 2010. We’d lost 3-1 in the first leg. I’d had a bad day at work and the idea of going out for further humiliation just didn’t appeal. So I went for a drink with friends instead and then totally forgot about it. Walking past a pub on the way to the tube home I heard a cheer and looked in. I’d just missed Clint Dempsey’s goal and stayed for the last five minutes of nailing biting to catch Juventus’ consolation goal.

That’s it from me. But I leave you in the very safe hands of Yara El-Shaboury who will take you through to 2pm.

Also make sure to check out our MBM blog of the League One play-off final between Bolton and Stockport County. That has kicked off right about …. now.

Updated at 14.12 CEST

The best/worst missed matches of your life.

“Cup Final Day 1992. Liverpool v Sunderland. My mate Mike and I were commanded by our bosses to do a conference presentation for Czech teachers of English, of course at exactly the same time as the game. The topic we chose was popular songs, which was not only guaranteed to go down well - we’d done it before elsewhere - but also allowed whichever of us was not actually leading any given segment of our workshop to listen to the match; the attendees, meanwhile, thought we were cueing up the next song. Well, at least till Michael Thomas put the Reds ahead...”

Very creative from Simon Gill. We’ve had some cracking tales of major matches missed this morning. Keep them coming either in the comments or via email.

Updated at 13.49 CEST

Hanoi, beer, lakes and beauty (and Arsenal).

“I’m sitting at one of my favourite bars in Hanoi, watching the sun set over West Lake and thinking about the beautiful prospect of watching an Arsenal game with absolutely nothing on the line. Life is good.”

Oliver Newman has got it all sorted over in Vietnam. I can’t imagine how much fun it would be to be an Arsenal player this afternoon. Waltzing around Selhurst Park with a smile on your face and a Premier League winners medal in your pocket.

Updated at 13.49 CEST

But if Pep Guardiola content is more your vibe.

Feast on the array of articles from Barney Ronay, Will Unwin and Jonathan Wilson who all wrote on Pep’s legacy and tenure at Manchester City across the week.

Bernardo Silva is, of course, also on his way out after almost a decade at Manchester City.

Simon Hattenstone wrote on the joys of watching a, “time-travelling, shapeshifting superhero.”

An afternoon of goodbyes.

It’ll be an historic day across the Premier League with two legends in Pep Guardiola and Mohammad Salah managing and playing in their final matches in the Premier League (for now).

On the Egyptian King, our writers put together their favourite six moments from his time at Anfield.

Updated at 13.30 CEST

The worst place to be for the cup final.

We’ve had a belter in from Phil Lewis.

“I’ve been an Ipswich fan since the days of Alf Ramsey. I promised myself that I wouldn’t go to Wembley until Ipswich did and in 1978 they finally made it. I unfortunately was on stage in Nairobi on that fateful day, playing Freddie in Pygmalion, and missed their 1-0 drubbing of Arsenal. Funnily enough our Higgins (the main character) was also an Ipswich fan. Our director had a short wave radio but refused to update us on the score during the show. After curtain down we were able to celebrate wildly which must have confused one or two of the locals.”

Email any and all of your tales here.

Actually, what am I talking about?

I want Eze in my team of the year. Pick him anywhere. As a QPR fan there are rare moments we can hold on to some form of Premier League glory so Eberechi makes the cut for me. Final answer.

Updated at 13.16 CEST

Who makes your team of the season?

With just one match to go, who makes your team of the season? There’s some bankers, of course. David Raya and Bruno Fernandes to begin with. But who are you giving the nod to?

For me, I’m going with: David Raya, O’Reilly, Gabriel, Saliba, Timber, Fernandes, Rice, Szoboszlai, Thiago, Haaland, Semenyo.

And as always with online team of the year selections. I’m sure everyone will accept that my choices are accurate and the only reasonable answer possible.

Updated at 13.01 CEST

All the latest: If you’re interested in a wrap of the most recent news stories from the Premier League, look no further than here.

A show of confidence in Arne Slot, Mikel Merino potentially back in action and Marco Silva’s future set to be decided. It’s all here.

Party on the streets of London.

Been getting a few emails through about how Arsenal fans spent their Tuesday night. Check out this gallery of some of the best snaps from the red-side of North London’s night of celebrations.

Updated at 12.42 CEST

There’s still plenty of time before kick-off.

Find all ten previews ahead of the league-wide 4pm start here.

And while we’re at it, can anyone help out Sunderland fan Steve?

“I haven’t degree in applied maths. Any chance you could explain what has to happen for Sunderland to get into Europe. Probably best if it doesn’t happen, but it would be the second time in my life. I have sworn for decades I would go to the first away leg which of course will be either Azerbaijan or Connahs Quay.”

I also do not have a degree in applied maths. But I think given Sunderland play Chelsea, all they need to do is win their fixture, and hope Brentford draw or lose to Liverpool, which would mean the Mackems would hop to eighth from tenth and find themselves in Europe! Please, however – someone, anyone, correct me if I’m wrong.

Updated at 12.32 CEST

Simone’s holiday lives on:

“Thank goodness Arsenal won the league on Tuesday as my husband, unconsciously trying to avoid deep disappointment, booked flights at the PRECISE time we will be playing today. He is a Gooner since birth. CHAMPIONES!”

This is an excellent point Simone. There I was thinking about all the great places Arsenal fans might have been celebrating, but I hadn’t stopped to consider some of the worst. There must be some catastrophic absences, missed title wins and dreary celebrations that fans have had over the years. Keep the emails coming.

Arsenal fans, how did you celebrate on Tuesday?

And did you have as good a night as Gunners fan Daniel Bull, who sipped champagne with Ian Wright and ended up in the same Mayfair nightclub as the entire squad.

Adam Griffiths has an important point to make:

“While Spurs getting relegated would be the funniest of the outcomes, I would prefer them to stay up because I would still get to say “it’s ze De Zerbi derbi” when they play Brighton. Cheers.”

Hard to argue, really. Keep your emails on all things football coming in.

Keep your World Cup feelings coming in:

This just in from Kári Tulinius.

“On the one hand, this is a bloated World Cup where the first gazillion games will only lead to a handful of eliminations, but on the other my son is ten and is already excited. I’ll be swept up in the whole thing, I know, despite my reservations.”

We’ve also had a few emails expressing reservations about the competition citing hiked up ticket prices, Trump’s relationship with Infantino and the potential presence of ICE agents at matches. “Can’t help feeling hopelessly compromised,” emails in Michael Knuppell. Before adding: “Go Socceroos.”

A message from Joshua Keeling:

“Don’t support either team, but want Spurs to go down. Come on West Ham/Everton.”

I also, as a supporter of neither team, want Spurs to go down. For no good reason other than I’d find it funny.

David, please can we have that favour again?

David Moyes saved West Ham from relegation twice, and delivered a first major trophy in 43 years, but was nevertheless let go for a second time in May 2024.

Now, the Hammers need David Moyes’ Everton side to do the business against Tottenham for them to have any chance of staying up.

Read Sam Cunningham’s preview of West Ham’s final day here.

Updated at 11.32 CEST

Spurs first, as Robert De Zerbi reaffirmed his commitment to Tottenham even if the club go down.

“It’s still an honour to be a coach for Tottenham, even if on Sunday we play for the relegation fight, it’s not a problem,” he said in his pre-match presser.

Injured captain Cristian Romero had attracted criticism for choosing to attend a fixture in Argentina rather than being present for Spurs’ final fixture, although reports on social media from Alasdair Gold, Tottenham’s correspondent for football.london, are now suggesting the Argentinian is back in the capital for the match.

Updated at 11.26 CEST

Right. Let’s focus on the bottom end of the Premier League table and who, out of Tottenham and West Ham, will survive.

Spurs have not been relegated since 1977 but are favourites to stay up with a draw against Everton all they should need to stay in the Premier League.

West Ham, however, need to beat Leeds, and cross their fingers that David Moyes’ Everton side does them a favour. The same David Moyes of course, who West Ham fired in 2024.

Updated at 11.14 CEST

Comment from hubbahubba:

“I want to say I’m excited for World Cup to start, but this time...I’m just not feeling it.”

I’ve been hearing this a lot recently and intrigued to other people’s thoughts. Personally, I know as soon as the World Cup starts I’ll be swept up in it. Qatar v Switzerland, Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina, Australia v Turkey. Give me the lot.

Do get in touch via email or in the comments section below about how you’re feeling about the World Cup.

Make sure to read Jonathan Liew on Arsenal’s title celebrations.

As a recently new resident of Finsbury Park myself. Can attest to the presence of several thousand Lime bikes outside the station. Flags in windows remain everywhere. The title parade next Sunday is going to be a remarkable event.

Updated at 11.25 CEST

Over in Germany, Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in the DFB-Pokal Cup as Bayern Munich completed the double.

Kane has played 147 games for Bayern, and scored 146 goals. Remarkable.

Updated at 11.04 CEST

The Premier League may end today. But football never really does as the World Cup looms ever closer.

Read Jonathan Wilson’s column on Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti’s selection of Neymar in their World Cup squad.

Lionel Messi was 35 when he lifted the World Cup. Neymar is now 34. Can Brazil’s talisman have his own fairytale finish?

Updated at 10.35 CEST

It’s been a hell of a season. We asked our fans’ network to review each and every teams season including the highs, the lows, and what they need from the summer ahead.

Brighton for the Champions League?

I’ve enjoyed this a lot from David Howell who has been in touch.

“There is a way Brighton can get into the Champions League, hinging on a sequence of four results.

“As mentioned, wins for City (against Villa) and Liverpool will put Villa fifth and cascade the European Performance Spot down to sixth; wins for Forest (against Bournemouth) and Brighton will mean the Seagulls swoop into that spot.

“That would have seemed unthinkable four months ago, let alone back in the club’s infamous Gillingham groundshare days...”

On the ball – guess the footballer

The Guardian has kicked off a new chapter in puzzles with the launch of its first daily football game, On the ball. It is now live in the app for both iOS and Android … so what are you waiting for?

And later today, Bolton take on Stockport County in the League One playoff final.

At the beginning of May, Dominic Booth sat down with Stockport manager Dave Challinor and it includes one of the more remarkable sporting stats I’ve come across. In Challinor’s 16 years as a manager, his team has finished in a playoff spot or higher in 15 of them!

Are you also that good at your job? Let us know in the comments.

Updated at 10.05 CEST

It’s not just the Premier League on today. The final weekend of May is always fun as the weekend of playoff finals continues. Yesterday, Hull nabbed a dramatic win against Middlesbrough to win a final that had the shadow of spygate hanging over it. Read Jonathan Wilson’s piece from Wembley here.

Updated at 09.53 CEST

A question from Albert Birkicht:

“With Aston Villa winning the Europa League, isn’t there a sixth guaranteed spot for England in the Champions League? Greetings from Switzerland.”

Albert, I’m glad you asked. So in a quirk of various rules, England could have six teams in next years Champions League, but only if Aston Villa finish fifth.

This is because, as Europa League winners, Villa won’t need the European Performance Spot that is awarded to the fifth-placed team, so it would drop down to sixth. Unai Emery’s side are currently fourth, so would need to lose today and for Liverpool to win for this to happen.

Updated at 10.02 CEST

What to look out for on the final day

Our writers have done the rounds on the ten things to keep an eye on during the final day of the season. Many things to keep an eye out for (ten, to be precise) but I’m with Will Unwin that the real jeopardy is to be found at Turf Moor where Burnley and Wolves will duke it out to see who finishes rock bottom of the table.

Updated at 09.31 CEST

Today’s Premier League fixtures

Brighton v Manchester United

Burnley v Wolves

Crystal Palace v Arsenal

Fulham v Newcastle

Liverpool v Brentford

Manchester City v Aston Villa

Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

Tottenham v Everton

Sunderland v Chelsea

West Ham v Leeds

Preamble

Hello, good morning and good day. We’re back with another Matchday live for the final day of the Premier League season!

After Arsenal wrapped up the title on Tuesday after Manchester City drew with Bournemouth, eyes turn to the bottom of the table where we’ll finally discover who survives out of West Ham and Tottenham. There’s also the small matter of who pinches the final Champions League spot between Liverpool and Bournemouth. All 10 matches start at 4pm BST so set your watches.

We’ll also be covering the major stories of yesterday, including Hull’s dramatic injury-time winner to seal promotion to the Premier League, as well as Celtic securing the domestic double, and Charlton beating Leicester on penalties to gain promotion to the WSL.

And finally, if you weren’t happy with England’s World Cup squad, I’ve got good news. Pep Guardiola hasn’t ruled out one day managing the national side. Stick with us for the latest updates and news from around the football world and send me an email with your thoughts.

Updated at 09.51 CEST

The Guardian

Chelsea v Tottenham: Premier League – live

Submitted by daniel on Tue, 19/05/2026 - 20:15

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GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham (Richarlison, 74 mins)

A lifeline for Tottenham! Pedro Porro pulls back to Sarr, whose backheel was presumably intended to fly into the net but instead bobbles to Richarlison, who turns it in!

Updated at 22.48 CEST

GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham (Andrey Santos, 67 mins)

And that should seal it! Spurs give the ball away, and Chelsea punish them!

Updated at 22.44 CEST

Updated at 22.38 CEST

Arsenal are Premier League champions

Updated at 22.26 CEST

Updated at 22.22 CEST

Right then, players back out. No halftimely changes to report.

Meanwhile at Bournemouth, Manchester City are 10 minutes away from defeat and Arsenal thus 10 minutes away from the title. Tonight is not going Tottenham’s way at all.

Half time: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

Updated at 22.07 CEST

GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham (Fernandez, 18 mins)

… Enzo Fernandez has just curled one past Kinsky from over 30 yards! It’s a lovely shot, curling and dipping perfectly into the corner, but it’s surprising to see a keeper beaten quite so emphatically from quite that distance by a shot that isn’t exactly vicious.

Updated at 22.09 CEST

The players are out, hands have been shaken and preambles completed. Spurs are going to kick off, and they’re going to do it soon.

The players are in the tunnel! And over in Bournemouth, Manchester City are in arrears! As things stand, if no further goals are scored tonight, Arsenal will win the league and West Ham will be (all but) relegated.

Joao Pedro has just been presented with his Chelsea player of the season award, which is a remarkably understated thing, a similar size and shape to the standard Premier League player of the match awards and not at all of the ostentatious magnificence that I’d expect for such a thing.

Calum McFarlane has a quick chat with Sky. He’s not in very chatty mood. On tonight’s team changes, he says that “we had a big game on Saturday, so there’s a few lads carrying some knocks. We needed to freshen up the squad.” And on whether Xabi Alonso has been in touch with any requests or instructions: “No. It’s been the same prep for the last three games. Nothing different there.”

Roberto De Zerbi has a pre-match chat:

double quotation markThe message is to play with order [I think Order is what he said]. To fight on the pitch but to enjoy on the ball, because my players are good and they have to play like they can.

Is the Alonso factor going to make a difference tonight?

double quotation markFor us, nothing changes. He’s a great coach, but it’s not my club. For us the focus is to play well, to play a good game. We are suffering this season. It’s not finished yet, because it’s still tough. But I’m positive for my players.

And on why Antonin Kinsky remains in goal despite the return of Guglielmo Vicario:

double quotation markVicario is still No1. Kinsky has played very very well the last two games and for this game I didn’t want to take risks. And Vicario, he’s available but he’s not 100%. We found the best decision for the team.

In the chat about Alonso that follows, Daniel Sturridge says of that interview: “You could see Cole Palmer was buoyant, can’t wait to play for him.” You could only just tell that Palmer was conscious.

A couple of players have quick chats with Sky. First, Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie:

double quotation markWe know today’s a massive game for us. We can end the season the right way. It’s a London derby, so we want to make sure we’re ready for the game. We’re prepared for everything, hopefully it’s going to be a good game.

It’s fair to say that Cole Palmer could have looked more interested in being interviewed about the potential impact of Xabi Alonso’s imminent arrival:

double quotation markYeah, everyone’s excited. He’s a top manager, so we can’t wait to get started. We shouldn’t need the motivation, but we are going to want to impress the new manager.

Tonight’s other Premier League game sees Manchester City visit Bournemouth in the knowledge that anything but victory would hand the title to Arsenal. Rob Smyth is watching that one, which kicks off at 7.30pm, 45 minutes before this:

The teams!

Tonight’s lineups, with Tottenham unchanged. Chelsea make four changes to the side that started the FA Cup final:

Chelsea: Sanchez; Fofana, Acheampong, Hato, Cucurella; Andrey Santos, Caicedo; Palmer, Fernandez, Pedro Neto; Delap. Subs: Essugo, Chalobah, Derry, Garnacho, James, Jorgensen, Kavuma-MccQueen, Mheuka, Sarr.

Tottenham: Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie; Palhinha, Bentancur; Kolo Muani, Gallagher, Tel; Richarlison. Subs: Bergvall, Bissouma, Dragusin, Gray, Maddison, Sarr, Spence, Vicario, Souza.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.

VAR: John Brooks.

Southampton kicked out of Championship playoffs

Just the most extraordinary thing, this. An entire season, in the bin. Southampton admitted spying not just on Middlesbrough before their playoff semi-final, but Oxford last December (before their Boxing Day fixture, which Oxford won 2-1) and Ipswich in April (before a game that ended 2-2). One might conclude, though obviously it would be pure speculation, that if they did it three times they may have done it more often than that. Anyway, they’re out of the playoff final, and will start next season on -4 points.

Here’s our story on the punishment, which will be updated as the details become clearer:

Updated at 20.18 CEST

Hello world!

A huge game, this, for at least three clubs, and probably biggest of all for the one that isn’t playing.

If Tottenham win tonight, West Ham will be relegated. If Tottenham draw tonight, West Ham will also be relegated – but not until Sunday (because it wouldn’t be mathematically certain this evening, there still being a chance that Spurs will lose their last game by six goals while West Ham win theirs by seven and stay up on goals scored). If Tottenham lose the whole business will roll through to the weekend, and if they lose by lots things really get interesting down towards the bottom of the table.

Chelsea though are significantly incentivised. Having missed the chance to secure a place in Europe by winning the FA Cup, they go into the game in 10th place, currently outside the qualifying spots. But if they win tonight they’d move into eighth, above Brentford on goal difference, and be back on track for at least a place in the Conference League. They could then make sure of a place in the Europa League by winning at Sunderland on the final day, so long as (deep breath) Brighton don’t simultaneously beat Manchester United, unless Bournemouth – who host Manchester City in tonight’s earlier kick-off – don’t get any more points, and so long as assuming Brentford fail to beat Liverpool so convincingly they go back above them on goal difference. This is, to be sure, all a bit complicated but the simple version is this: Chelsea really need to win this game, and so do Spurs.

Add the fact that Chelsea’s recent home record is appalling – they’re one bad night away from losing five successive league games at Stamford Bridge for the first time ever – and the fact that their record against Tottenham (who have won one of their last 35 league games here) is extraordinary, and you’ve got all the ingredients for an intriguing evening.

Pre-match reading: Here’s David Hytner on Spurs and Roberto De Zerbi, who thinks “everyone wants Tottenham relegated”:

De Zerbi has spoken to his squad about the Stamford Bridge hoodoo but mainly to tell them it is not something to worry about. He has been all about the power of positive thought since he came to the club five matches ago and he leaned into it when he addressed those who would revel in Spurs’s demise.

“I am Italian and in Italy it’s the same,” De Zerbi said. “For the biggest teams, it’s the same. We have to accept the pressure. We have to enjoy this pressure. We have to find new motivation from this pressure. It’s a good thing for us. If everyone wants Tottenham relegated, it’s a big motivation for me and I hope for my players as well.”

Much more here:

Updated at 20.06 CEST

The Guardian

Tottenham v Leeds: Premier League – live

Submitted by daniel on Mon, 11/05/2026 - 19:10

Roberto De Zerbi has a chat with Sky:

double quotation markWe played very well in Birmingham [beating Aston Villa 2-1], and I think the whole idea was to keep the same first XI. But I’m lucky also on the bench I have good players.

We have to forget the last two wins. We have to keep just the same spirit, the same style of play, because we need to play football if we want another win tonight. And to be positive, but we can’t forget what the situation was two weeks ago.

He’s asked if the fact Leeds are now safe might make his team’s job a little easier:

double quotation markNothing changes, especially in the Premier League. You see Burnley against Villa yesterday – all games are very tough. To win we have to play our best, to fight, to run, to work, but to play according to our qualities. For sure, the first 10 minutes we have to start strong to [keep] the fans with us. But we have to play 90 minutes and extra time, because we are not in a condition to think we can close the game inside 90 minutes.

Hello world! Yesterday, as a result of Arsenal’s victory over West Ham, Leeds United secured another season of top-flight football. Their battle against relegation is over. And today, freed from the stress of uncertainty as well as the drive of desperation, they visit one of now just two clubs still vying to avoid the drop. Will they now relax, and if so will that enable them to find a new, higher plane on which to play, or just drain them of all motivation?

Spurs would pick option two, thankyouverymuch. After winning their last two league games, both away from home, they are one point above West Ham, with significantly better goal difference, and with one game (this one) in hand. That goal difference means that if they manage to win today, West Ham are likely to need victories in both of their remaining fixtures, and for Spurs to win neither of theirs while losing at least one, if the Hammers are to be reprieved. It really feels like tonight might be decisive. But if it isn’t, you may need to know the two teams’ fixtures after today:

Tottenham

West Ham

Plus those of Leeds, because they’re actually playing tonight so it would be rude not to:

Pre-match reading

Here’s David Hytner on Antonin Kinsky, the goalkeeper whose attitude has helped Spurs in fight for Premier League survival:

When Antonin Kinsky had his Madrid episode, there was an assumption that he would not play again for Tottenham this season. And maybe not the next one, either. The 23-year-old goalkeeper would have to rebuild himself elsewhere, probably on loan. Perhaps, given the scale of the horror against Atlético in the Champions League last 16 first leg on 10 March – and there really is no need to rake over the details – a permanent transfer may have been an option.

Kinsky’s comeback has been extraordinary; an inspiration to everybody at the club. With the first-choice selection, Guglielmo Vicario, undergoing hernia surgery towards the end of March, Roberto De Zerbi has counted on the Czech in each of his four matches in charge. The manager has not been let down.

Much more here:

The Guardian

Aston Villa v Tottenham: Premier League – live

Submitted by daniel on Sun, 03/05/2026 - 18:08

Villa’s Emery now speaks to TNT Sports.

“When we are playing [multiple] matches in a few days … sometimes players are not 100% … McGinn was confident yesterday, but he was not feeling 100%, and we decided not to take a risk, so he is not going to be involved today.”

Is this a chance to set the tone for a big week?

“We are in a key moment. We are playing very, very exciting matches … in the Premier League, because we are fighting for the top five … And we are playing semi-finals [in Europe]. In the beginning of the season we were dreaming it …”

Updated at 19.27 CEST

Poland’s Matty Cash had a chat a while back.

“You want to try and get as many points as you can,” he revealed.

“It’ll be a good battle, a good test, and hopefully we can win.”

This is astonishing stuff so far!

“Every game is important, if we get three today, we’re closer to Champions League … on Thursday we have an opportunity to put ourselves in a final. It’s exciting times.”

Any concerns about the last two results? (Defeats by Fulham and Forest.)

“We started the season really poorly, everyone was questioning us, then we showed what we are capable of,” he roars.

“Villa park is an amazing place to play, in front of our fans, the atmosphere is good, so hopefully today it’ll be like that.”

Updated at 19.28 CEST

Preamble

Relegation, for a club of Tottenham’s stature, is unthinkable. At least it should be given their resources, history and stature. But a deeply horrible season sees them teetering in 18th place, the third and final relegation spot, with four matches remaining.

It’s not all bad news: since taking over from the sacked Igor Tudor – who took over from the sacked Thomas Frank – Roberto de Zerbi has managed to generate four points from the past two matches, having opened his tenure with a 1-0 loss away against Sunderland.

Even better, perhaps, is that West Ham crumbled to a 3-0 loss away at Brentford yesterday, meaning Spurs can overtake the Hammers and climb out of the relegation zone with victory at Aston Villa this evening.

Easier said than done against Unai Emery’s fifth-placed Villans, who are well on course for Champions League qualification, but De Zerbi has undoubtedly made a positive impact. Spurs fans will be praying for another uptick.

Kick-off: 7pm BST

The Guardian

Wolves v Tottenham, West Ham v Everton, and more: football clockwatch – live

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 25/04/2026 - 12:30

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York equalise against Rochdale and win promotion!!!

National League: Josh Stone has equalised for York City in the 13th minute of added time and his side are back in the box-seat to win automatic promotion to League Two. The game continues, with the time added on down to a pitch invasion by Rochdale fans celebrating what they thought was their side’s late winner!

And it’s just ended at the Crown Oil Arena, where York have secured a late, late draw that is enough to send them up to League Two. It’s absolute heartbreak for Rochdale, who must now galvanise themselves for the playoffs.

Updated at 15.37 CEST

National League: Rochdale 1-0 York City is in its 13th minute of added time!

Championship: Middlesbrough have completed their rout of Watford, closing out a 5-1 win with Tommy Conway’s second goal of the afternoon. West Brom have held Ipswich Town at the Hawthorns, which means they are safe and Ipswich go second on goal difference with a game in hand over Millwall in third. Chartlton are 2-1 up against Hull City in added time and also look certain to stay up. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround at the Valley, Oxford United are relegated along with Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Rochdale score against York City!

National League: Sound the “limbs” klaxon! Rochdale have scored in the fifth minute of added time in their title and automatic promotion decider against York City. Emmanuel Dieseruvwe with the goal at the Crown Oil Arena.

Full time: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Premier League: Fulham have taken the points at Craven Cottage, where Ollie Watkins and Tammy Abraham missed chances to rescue a point for Villa in front of the watching England head coach Thomas Tuchel.

League One: A tip of the hat to the evergreen Billy Sharp, who has equalised for Doncaster Rovers against Stevenage at the ripe old age of 40. It’s 1-1 at the Eco-Power Stadium.

Championship: Middlesbrough have gone 4-1 up against Watford courtesy of a Tommy Conway penalty, while Charlton have taken a 2-1 lead over Hull City through Jayden Fevrier. It remains scoreless between West Brom and Ipswich Town. As things stand, Oxford United will be relegated this afternoon without kicking a ball, while Ipswich will leapfrog Millwall to go second on goal difference with a game in hand.

Updated at 15.17 CEST

WSL: Manchester City have suffered their third defeat of the season, going down 3-2 at Brighton, who stay in sixth place. Andree Jeglertz’s side still look set fair to win the title with two games to go.

View the WSL table

Updated at 15.18 CEST

Premier League: Fulham looked to have doubled their lead against Aston Villa but Timothy Castagne’s powerful header has been ruled out for a foul on Emi Martinez by Sander Berge, who had a fistful of the goalkeeper’s shirt. Marco Silva is furious.

Updated at 15.20 CEST

National League: It remains 0-0 between York City and Rochdale in the decisive final day clash at the top of the table. As things stand, York will win automatic promotion to League Two and Rochdale will be consigned to the playoffs despite amassing 106 points.

Championship: Showcasing some nifty close control in the six-yard box, Morgan Whittaker restores Middlesbrough’s two-goal lead against Watford. It’s 3-1 to the hosts approaching the hour mark at the Riverside Stadium.

WSL: Having shipped a painful looking bang on the head in the first half, Bunny Shaw has recovered sufficiently to reduce Manchester City’s arrears against Brighton. Her side trail 3-2 with four minutes of added time remaining.

Championship: James Abankwah has halved the deficit for Watford, who now trail Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. Watford are playing for pride, while Middlesbrough are still in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot but look more likely to end up in the playoffs.

WSL: Madison Haley has scored her second goal of the game to extend Brighton’s lead against the league leaders Manchester City. It’s 3-1 the home side at the Broadfield Stadium, against a side who had won 16 of their last 18 games. City need five points from their final three games, including this one, to wrap up the title.

Championship: On the stroke of half-time, John Egan has equalised for Hull City against Charlton with an incredible header from the byline at a corner. It looked impossible for him to score from such a tight,bordering on non-existent angle but the ball just about crept over the line before being cleared. It’s Charlton Athletic 1-1 Hull City at half-time.

Championship: David Strelec sticks out a leg to convert a Morgan Whittaker ball squared his way to double Middlesbrough’s lead over Watford. It’s 2-0 at the Riverside, where Boro could go fourth.

GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa (Sessegnon 43)

Premier League: Ryan Sessegnon scores on the follow-up to put Fulham ahead after Raul Jimenez had his initial effort blocked. Tim de Lisle has the latest …

Updated at 15.22 CEST

WSL: Well, well. Japanese international Kiko Seike has taken just two minutes of the second half to fire Brighton ahead against Manchester City at the Broadfield Stadium in what could be a major turn-up for the WSL books.

WSL: It’s all square at half-time in today’s only WSL match. League leaders Manchester City went ahead at Brighton through Kerolin, before Madison Haley restored parity for the hostesses in added time at the end of the half. If City can win this game and their next one, they’ll be crowned champions.

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.

Updated at 13.57 CEST

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.

Updated at 13.52 CEST

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.

Updated at 13.54 CEST

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

View the Championship table

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)

View the Premier League table

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.

The Guardian

Crystal Palace v West Ham United: Premier League – live

Submitted by daniel on Mon, 20/04/2026 - 18:30

Preamble

What was a bad weekend for Tottenham Hotspur could get a whole lot worse at Selhurst Park. Spurs could and probably should have beaten Brighton to leapfrog West Ham in the relegation but a late, late equaliser for the south-coast side – compounded by wins for Leeds and Nottingham Forest – have left Tottenham staring down the barrel with just four games to go.

West Ham – with a game in hand – will stay 17th with a victory this evening but would put themselves four points clear of Spurs in 18th, an important margin given the east Londoners’ inferior goal difference. The Hammers are on something of a tear recently, revitalised under Nuno Espírito Santo, and since 17 January have the fifth best points tally in the Premier League. That they are still in the mire shows how far they had previously fallen.

Nuno deserved a lot of credit, and new signings have made a huge impact. Taty Castellanos and Pablo have given West Ham a focal point up top, while Axel Disasi and Konstantinos Mavropanos have formed an excellent partnership at the back – so much so that the Greek is even now being linked with a move to Borussia Dortmund, quite the transformation.

A trip to Palace is not normally easy, but this is a good time to face the Eagles, who (marooned in mid-table) have nothing to play for in the Premier League and are focused on Europe after reaching the Conference League semi-finals on Thursday. And following that aggregate victory at Fiorentina, Oliver Glasner allowed his players to celebrate by painting Florence red and blue. Spurs fans look away now: a crunch European tie, added travel and a potential hangover on Friday was not the ideal way to prepare for tonight’s game.

Selhurst Park under the lights is (nearly) always a cracker. Good luck to both teams.

Kick-off: 8pm BST.

The Guardian

Tottenham Hotspur v Brighton: Premier League – live

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 18/04/2026 - 17:00

Hello world! And welcome to today’s episode of Who Wants to Win a League Game in 2026!

Spurs are very close to using all their lifelines and they’ve still had no lucky, but with the two teams immediately above them, West Ham and Nottingham Forest, playing on Monday and Sunday respectively today is an opportunity to turn up the heat in the relegation dogfight, or indeed to deflate the pressure in the relegation dogfight balloon, depending how it goes.

The bad news for Spurs is that, well, they’re rubbish. Since that last league win, a 1-0 success at Crystal Palace on 28 December, they have taken a shameful five points from 14 games, by a massive margin the worst record in the division, while in the same period and also playing 14 times Brighton have 22 points, the fifth-best record in the land (above Everton on goal difference).

The good news is that Brighton begins with the letter B. Even while letting Bournemouth do the double over them Spurs have overperformed against B-sides this season, averaging 1.29 points per game, the record of a solidly mid-table side. Against non-B-sides they’ve taken just 0.84 points per game. But Brighton have won their last three and five of their last six, and ride into this reunion with their former coach Roberto De Zerbi on a wave of form.

Here’s what De Zerbi had to say about this game:

double quotation markI’m positive. I’m ready to fight. I believe to keep the Premier League, I believe in my words, what I said the last week was the focus is to win one game. I don’t know if tomorrow we are able to win, I hope and I think we have the quality enough to win a game.

I think it’s crucial to win a game, not just for the table - OK, one part for the table for sure - but because we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what they can do, because I have no doubt about the qualities of the players. OK, now is a tough moment, but to achieve the great target you have to pass through difficult times.

So here’s to a fun couple of hours, and an end to difficult times.

The Guardian

Spurs seek elusive victory, Lionesses in Iceland and Coventry seal Premier League promotion– matchday live

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 18/04/2026 - 08:12

Dominic Booth

Where else to start than with Coventry..

Lampard delight as nervy draw at Blackburn seals promotion for Coventry

An emotional Frank Lampard basked in the historic achievement of leading Coventry City back to the Premier League after an absence of a quarter of a century. The Sky Blues have returned to the big time for the first time in a generation, after a turbulent period in which they changed stadiums, hit financial rock bottom and plummeted to the depths of League Two as recently as 2017-18.

Lampard was front and centre of celebrations after a 1-1 draw at Blackburn that put the seal on a famous promotion. It has been a long time coming. The former England midfielder lauded Bobby Thomas’s equalising goal as an “incredible moment” in the champagne-soaked celebrations on the Ewood Park turf. “Because of how the game had gone, you were worried,” said Lampard. “We knew we were very nearly there, but to get it over the line like this for this club after 25 years, wow.”

Coventry had struggled to battle past a stubborn home side across a tense 90 minutes, knowing just a point would send them up. Ryoya Morishita’s goal for Blackburn briefly silenced the 7,000 Sky Blue fans, before Thomas nodded in from Victor Torp’s free-kick late on. It was hardly a vintage Coventry display but the result was all that mattered to Lampard and his men.

Read Dominic Booth’s full report from Ewood Park:

Preamble

Good morning, welcome to matchday live! We’ll be bringing you all the latest news and buildup to all of the weekend’s football, plus reaction to Coventry’s return to the Premier League after a 25-year wait. The end of the season is in sight and we’re finally getting some answers to the questions we’ve been asking since the beginning of the campaign. There’s plenty to discuss, so let’s get into it. As ever, you can get in touch with via the email at the top of the page.

The Guardian

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