The Guardian

Dejan Kulusevski has undergone knee surgery and will miss Tottenham’s Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao next Wednesday.

The club have confirmed the setback, which came after Ange Postecoglou raised fears on Monday about the attacking midfielder’s involvement in the showpiece.

Kulusevski was forced off in the 19th minute of Spurs’ Premier League defeat at home against Crystal Palace on Sunday, with Postecoglou saying the player was still sore 24 hours later and everybody had their fingers crossed for him.

Kulusevski’s absence against United is a significant blow given his fine form for much of the season and how Postecoglou is without his other main option for the No 10 role, James Maddison, who also has a knee injury. The manager has said previously that another midfielder, Lucas Bergvall, is likely to be out for the rest of the season with an ankle issue.

Postecoglou’s remaining options in midfield are Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma, Pape Sarr and Archie Gray.

The leader of Enfield council is under pressure to recuse himself from decisions over the property plans of Tottenham Hotspur, after accepting match tickets days before the felling of an ancient oak by a company financially linked to the football club.

Labour’s Ergin Erbil has been the public voice of the council’s outrage at the felling on 3 April of a 500-year-old ancient oak by contractors for Mitchells & Butlers Retail (MBR), the pub chain that runs a Toby Carvery on land leased from the London borough.

In a declaration on gifts and hospitality Erbil disclosed that on 23 March he accepted five free tickets from Spurs’ charity arm, the Tottenham Hotspur FC Foundation, to watch a friendly veterans match between the club and AC Milan.

Spurs and MBR are majority-owned by the investment company Enic. Last month the Guardian revealed Spurs had an option to lease from MBR the land where the remains of the felled tree are.

In February, Enfield granted Spurs outline planning permission to build a women’s football training academy on 17 hectares of adjacent land on a former golf course on Whitewebbs Park. The club plans to rent the land involved from the council in a £2m deal.

During the match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which Spurs legends won 6-2, Erbil chatted to the club’s executive, Donna-Maria Cullen, but he said he was not lobbied by the club and they did not discuss the Whitewebbs development or the lease option on the Toby Carvery site.

Erbil and another Enfield councillor accepted the tickets after planning permission was granted to Spurs for the Whitewebbs development – a decision in which neither councillor was involved.

Erbil said any suggestion of a link between his attendance at the game and the felling of the oak “veers into conspiracy theory territory”.

He said: “I reject the idea that attending a charity event with other community stakeholders compromises my integrity. The event had no connection to council business and no bearing on any future decisions involving Spurs or MBR.”

But campaigners said the hospitality raised questions about the relationship between Spurs and the council and urged Erbil to recuse himself from future decisions involving the club property plans in the borough.

Ed Allnutt, the secretary of Guardians of Whitewebbs, a group campaigning to retain the area as a public park, said: “Erbil claims a lack of involvement in the development of the park. This is not credible. It is a major development in the borough where he leads the council. Our understanding is that in his role, he will have to sign off on the S106 conditions for the Spurs plans. Will he recuse himself from this responsibility?”

A Labour London spokesperson said Erbil would recuse himself from any possible future decisions on the development and any potential switch of the land leased by Mitchells & Butlers to Spurs.

But Erbil said such decisions were matters for his colleagues on the planning committee and the property and legal team. A spokesperson for Enfield council said: “Erbil has acted with integrity and transparency throughout. We are not going to get into speculation about whether he would recuse himself from hypothetical situations sometime in the future.”

Tree specialists commissioned by Spurs last year, as part of its Whitewebbs development, concluded that the Toby Carvery oak was a “fine specimen” that would live for at least another 50 years. MBR said it was felled for safety reasons as it was dead or diseased – a claim rejected by campaigners and experts who this week valued the tree at £960,000 due to its ecological importance.

Spurs’ tree survey suggested the oak was on council-owned land outside the area leased by MBR. Erbil said his officers had “100% confirmed” the felled tree was on council land leased by MBR.

He said: “The idea that the tree was removed to facilitate a future road for Spurs is factually wrong and geographically implausible.”

He added: “Enfield council is taking legal action against Mitchells & Butlers for cutting down the tree without permission, which breached their lease. As a result, the council has stopped accepting rent from them.”

Under the terms of the lease, MBR committed to protecting landscape and to only carry out works to trees with the permission of the council, which it did not seek before felling the oak.

A separate Forestry Commission inquiry into the felling of the tree is taking place.

A Spurs spokesperson said the charity match Erbil attended raised money for its foundation that promotes local projects on wellbeing, employment and education.

Son Heung-min says the biggest reason he has stayed at Tottenham for so long is to succeed where others have failed and win a trophy with the club. The captain will have the chance to do so next Wednesday in the Europa League final against Manchester United, and he described himself as being driven by “desperate passion”.

Son, who is fighting to regain peak fitness after a foot injury, joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. He has scored 173 goals for the club, putting him fifth on their all-time list behind Harry Kane, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Smith and Martin Chivers. But he has been on the losing team in each of the finals he has contested with them – against Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League and Manchester City in the 2021 League Cup. Tottenham’s last trophy was the 2008 League Cup. Son is under contract until 2026, the club having triggered a one-year option on him in January.

“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Son said. “The biggest reason I stayed at Tottenham was because I wanted to do something others couldn’t achieve. That’s probably why I’m where I am now.

“You need all the pieces to complete a puzzle. I think I’ve gathered all the other pieces to make that puzzle complete. I’ve been missing that one most important, final piece and I’ve been trying to find it for the past 10 years. I really hope I can finally complete the puzzle this time.

“Every game is special and meaningful. But this game [against United] feels like an opportunity that may not come back. It feels different this time. I really want to win – more than anyone else. So many people are supporting us with the same desperate passion I feel. If we prepare well, I believe we can achieve it.”

Son has just seen his former Spurs teammate Harry Kane win the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. It is the first team trophy of Kane’s career. “I texted Harry and he called me back on a video call,” Son said. “I was really happy to see him happy. He is one of my best friends and to see a once teammate achieve so much, I was delighted for him like he’s my family. With that positive energy I hope he can support Spurs in the game as well, so we can achieve a good result like his.”

Son returned on Sunday from a month-long layoff with ta foot problem in the 2-0 home defeat against Crystal Palace in the Premier League, appearing as a 58th-minute substitute. He said he had worked with his personal therapist, Ahn Deok-su, and Tottenham’s medical staff to come back “much earlier than expected”.

He said: “I have to say I’m OK because I want our fans, as well as those who support me, to feel at ease while watching the game. So, I will always say that I’m fine. And I will be fine.”

Tottenham are set to discuss the future of their women’s team head coach, Robert Vilahamn, in the next fortnight after their second-bottom finish in the Women’s Super League.

The Guardian understands that while no decision has yet been made about whether the Swede will remain in charge for next season, senior figures at the club will be weighing up his position after a poor campaign. Vilahamn is under contract until 2027, having signed a new deal last summer after what had been an impressive debut season in the English game. The 42-year-old guided Spurs to their first Women’s FA Cup final in May 2024 and a sixth-placed finish, but they have been unable to repeat that this campaign.

This season Tottenham finished with 20 points after five wins from 22 games, their 11th place the lowest of the surviving sides. They were winless in their last 11 matches in all competitions, a run that stretched back to late January.

Speaking to reporters in March, Vilahamn said: “I always feel the trust from the board and the leadership around me, they always give me that support. I also know that coaches in the other clubs have felt that and then they have been dropped quite quickly.

“I’m fine with that, I get it. I have a plan if I get fired, what I should do and what I should not do. If the club decides to fire in the future, you can stand and say I was professional and did everything I could for the club.”

Meanwhile, the Wolves chair, Jeff Shi, has promised the club will apply for promotion at the end of next season after criticism of the decision not to submit an application to go up to the Women’s Championship this season. That came despite them finishing second in the Women’s National League Northern Premier Division.

Commenting on the matter for the first time on Monday, Shi said: “Wolves Women remains a vital part of our football family, and we are committed to building a sustainable, competitive future for the team. We know the women’s setup requires strengthening, and we’ve already begun addressing that.

“Moving forward, we will apply for the tier 2 licence on an annual basis in line with our sporting achievements, and ensure that every on-pitch achievement is supported by the right procedures and documentation.”

Play like this at Wembley and Crystal Palace will have every chance of upsetting the odds when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Oliver Glasner has built a clever, flexible and wonderfully mobile team since taking over from Roy Hodgson last year and it helps that an efficient collective is backed up by the dreamy individual quality of Eberechi Eze, whose double in this straightforward win over Tottenham Hotspur’s second string ensured that Palace have vital momentum before taking on City.

Before anyone gets carried away, though, it is worth pointing out that Spurs were abysmal. Nobody played themselves into Ange Postecogolou’s plans for the Europa League final against Manchester United later this month. There was also concern about Dejan Kulusevski departing with an early injury and although the Spurs fans sang about going to Bilbao there was no disguising their displeasure after their side’s 20th defeat of a dreadful Premier League campaign left them in 17th place with two games left.

This is why there were so many empty seats in the home sections. Those who reasoned that there are better ways to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon than by watching Ange Postecoglou’s B team go through the motions appeared to have made a wise choice during a first half dominated by the visitors to a comical degree. Spurs were lethargic and disengaged after making eight changes to the team that beat Bodø/Glimt last Thursday. They barely constructed a single memorable move before half-time and, given that the primary goal had to be avoiding injuries, it summed up Postecoglou’s luck when one of the few players who can expect to start against United limped off after 19 minutes.

If the plan was to build Kulusveski up after his return from a foot injury then it backfired when he came off worse in a 50-50 challenge during the early stages. The Swede seemed to hurt a knee and was soon trudging down the tunnel. Spurs will hope that Kulusevski was simply being cautious. They cannot afford to be without the midfielder’s creativity after already losing James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall for the rest of the season.

Palace were already on top before Kulusevski went off, though. There was no rotation from Glasner, who wanted his team to be sharp when they meet City. Palace were intense, imaginative and vibrant. Daniel Muñoz was as positive as ever at right wing-back, Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma ruled midfield and Jean-Phillippe Mateta caused problems with his smart movement and link-up play up front.

Spurs lived on the edge from the start. Palace kept looking to exploit the space behind Djed Spence, who was in daydreaming mode at left-back. They repeatedly released Muñoz with clever reverse passes and thought they were in front when the Colombian crossed for Ismaïla Sarr to score after three minutes, only for the goal to be ruled out for a minuscule offside against Mateta in the buildup.

On it went. Antonin Kinsky saved from Mateta and almost spilled a volley from Muñoz. Sarr went through but failed to get his shot past Ben Davies. Mateta had a chance deflected wide by Kevin Danso. Muñoz clattered an effort against the bar. Palace had another goal ruled out when Maxence Lacroix’s goalbound header went in off Marc Guéhi’s arm.

Spurs played with an air of resignation. They were waiting to concede and duly did so when Mateta dropped deep to sweep another pass down the right channel in the 45th minute, again exposing Spence’s lack of positional awareness. Left alone, Muñoz charged through, held off Rodrigo Bentancur and squared for Eze to tap into an empty net.

The half-time boos were deserved. The punishment continued, though. Postecoglou brought Yves Bissouma on for Bentancur but Spurs remained farcical at the back. Playing through them required little ingenuity, although it must be said that Palace’s second goal was a counterattacking beauty. It began with Eze using the outside of his right foot to send Sarr sprinting past Spence. Sarr waited for support and when his first cross was blocked he made the most of a second chance to deliver by rolling the ball to Eze, ghosting into the and free to clip a composed finish past Kinsky.

Palace looked for a third, Mateta testing Kinsky and Sarr heading over. Spurs stirred and Pape Matar Sarr missed an easy header. In the end, though, the most encouraging moment for Postecoglou was Son Heung-min making a late cameo after returning from injury. Spurs will need their captain against United.

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Man Utd 0-0 West Ham, 21 min: Nothing of note happening at Old Trafford so far aside from the face Amad Diallo is having a bright start to the match.

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Tottenham 0-0 Crystal Palace, 21 min: Spurs have been forced into an early change with Kulusevski coming off with an injury, Mikey Moore on in his place.

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Nott’m Forest 0-1 Leicester, 20 min: The hosts are looking to hit back but their final touches are letting them down at the moment. Morgan Gibbs-White took a long range shot but it was over the bar.

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Nott’m Forest 0-1 Leicester, 18 min: There was a VAR check on the goal for offside but it looks as though it is going to stand. And it will.

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Nott’m Forest 0-1 Leicester, 17 min: Bilal El Khannouss took a hit which was saved by the keeper but Conor Coady reacts to hit home. An upset on the cards.

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GOAL! Nott'm Forest 0-1 Leicester (Coady, 16)

On the rebound.

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Updated at 15.38 CEST

“No snacks for me so far as it is just nearing 9:30 in the morning here, and I am not really a breakfast person,” Joe Pearson says, “But I did scramble an egg for my dog for his breakfast, so there’s that. I do have some leftover pizza for lunch later, though. Supreme, if you’re asking.”

A very sophisticated breakfast for a dog, better than mine! Enjoy that pizza though, perhaps one to tuck into for the Liverpool Arsenal game.

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Nott’m Forest 0-0 Leicester, 13 min: Leicester are growing into this game but Jamie Vardy has just gifted the ball away when the visitors were in a great position.

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NO GOAL! Tottenham 0-0 Crystal Palace

Oh wait, VAR have got involved and the goal has been ruled out for offside. As you were everyone.

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GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Crystal Palace (Sarr, 9)

We have our first break through. A calm finish by Sarr gives them the lead away at Spurs.

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Nott’m Forest 0-0 Leicester, 10 min: Leicester have their first attacking chance but it lacks a punch and the hosts are able to clear.

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Nott’m Forest 0-0 Leicester, 8 min: The atmosphere is absolutely electric. Elanga has started really well and ha just won a free kick for the hosts, Anderson pops it in but it’s easily collected.

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Nott’m Forest 0-0 Leicester, 5 min: Chris Wood has had two chances already but both have skimmed over the bar. One of those at least should have been scored. A bright start for the hosts though.

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“Jamie Vardy has had the kind of career usually reserved for centre backs - to do it from centre forward is quite something,” Peter Naylor says. “We’ve been lucky to witness it.”

You are quite right Peter. If he could score his 200th goal on his 300th Premier League start his legacy would only continue.

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Nott’m Forest v Leicester, 2 min: The hosts have an early corner and Anthony Elanga delivers a good ball but Leicester are able to clear.

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Kick-off: Manchester United 0-0 West Ham

Both clubs are in need of a win as both have had disappointing Premier League seasons, the game is underway.

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Updated at 15.27 CEST

Kick-off: Tottenham 0-0 Crystal Palace

If Man Utd lose or draw and Tottenham win this afternoon, Spurs will leapfrog them in the table. Will they do it? Action to come.

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Updated at 15.31 CEST

Kick-off: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Leicester City

The action is underway, can Nottingham Forest boost their Champions League chances? All to come.

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Updated at 15.24 CEST

Get in touch. I’d love to hear from you and it doesn’t have to be only about football. You can let me know your weekend plans, snack choice or anything else. You can get in touch via email.

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Peep! The full time whistle has been blown at St James’ Park and Newcastle move into third with a 2-0 win over Chelsea. Sandro Tonali opened the scoring int he second minute before Nicolas Jackson was shown a red card. The Blues played well in the second half but couldn’t find a goal and Bruno Guimarães sealed the result late on.

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Newcastle have doubled their lead against Chelsea after a goal by Bruno Guimarães and if the score remains the same come the final whistle in a few minutes time then Eddie Howe’s side will move to third. It also means Nottingham Forest can leapfrog Chelsea into fifth if they come away with a win over Leicester. Catch the last few minutes here:

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Peter Lansley

Forest need a point in the last East Midlands league derby for some while to be guaranteed European football for the first time since 1995/96.

Having won only two of their last six games in all competitions at the City Ground, Nuno could do with Wood rediscovering his finishing touch to reach the 20-goal mark.

Be interesting to know how much the Forest players keep abreast of the Newcastle/ Chelsea game but a draw there would feel like an early goal for Forest. Nuno’s side could then join those teams on 64 points with a victory here in the Midlands sun.

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Leicester’s Jamie Vardy will hit a milestone for the club today if he scores. The goal would be his 200th for Leicester and it would be fitting as the striker is leaving the club at the end of the season.

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Peter Lansley

Nott’m Forest v Leicester

Big blow for Forest that Murillo, their Brazilian colossus, has not recovered from his hamstring injury to play against Leicester today. His compatriot Morato deputises in the only change from the team that drew 1-1 at Palace on Monday.

Leicester, after finally winning a game, against Southampton, last weekend, have named an unchanged line-up.

In the hunt for the Champions League places, Forest will not mind Newcastle beating Chelsea, especially with Jackson red-carded - and thereby suspended for the visit to the City Ground two weeks today.

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Jamie Jackson

Man Utd v West Ham

A glorious and obviously regulation sun-dappled early afternoon here in Manchester at Old Trafford where Graham Potter was sipping from a plastic mug on the hallowed turf near the centre circle and perhaps contemplating when he was one of the 5 million or so alternatives to Erik ten Hag Sir Jim Ratcliffe considered circa this time last year to the next United No 1.

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Newcastle are currently leading Chelsea 1-0 at St James’ Park after Sandro Tonali scored in the second minute. That is not all that has happened in that game as the Blues’ Nicolas Jackson has received a red card. He was sent off after a foul on Newcastle’s Sven Botman. You can follow all the updates here:

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Nott'm Forest v Leicester team news

Nottingham Forest make one change from their game against Crystal Palace last weekend as Murillo is not included in the matchday squad.

Nottingham Forest: Sels, Morato, Sangare, Williams, Anderson, Gibbs-White, Wood, Dominguez, Elanga, Milenkovic, Aina

Subs: Miguel, Awonyi, Toffolo, Jota, Yates, Sosa, Danilo, Boly, Abbott

Leicester, meanwhile, are unchanged from the starting line-up who beat Southampton 2-0 last weekend.

Leicester City: Stolarczyk, Justin, Faes, Coady, Thomas, Skipp, Ndidi, El Khannouss, McAteer, Ayew, Vardy

Subs: Iversen, Couibaly, Okoli, Kristiansen, Soumare, Evans, Buonanotte, Monga, Daka

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Tottenham v Crystal Palace team news

Tottenham have made eight changes from their Europa League semi-final. The biggest news though is that Son is back in the matchday squad and starts from the bench.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Danso, Davies, Spence, Sarr, Gray, Bentancur, Kulusevski, Tel, Odobert

Subs: Vicario, Romero, Van de Ven, Bissouma, Morre, Johnson, Son, Richarlison, Solanke

Palace, meanwhile, make one change with Adam Wharton dropping out of the matchday squad with injury.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes, Sarr, Eze, Mateta

Subs: Turner, Nketiah, France, Clyne, Kamada, Esse, Chilwell, Devenny, Kporha

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Man Utd v West Ham team news

Manchester United have made six changes from their Europa League semi-final against Atletic Bilbao. The main change comes at goalkeeper with Andre Onana rested for today’s game.

Man Utd: Bayindir, Mazraoui, Mount, Fernandes, Hojlund, Yoro, Amad, Shaw, Ugarte, Mainoo, Amass

Subs: Heaton, Dorgu, Fredricson, Lindelof, Maguire, Casemiro, Eriksen, Garnacho, Obi

West Ham, meanwhile, make three changes from their game against Tottenham.

West Ham: Areola, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Wan-Bissaka, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Bowen, Kudus

Subs: Fabianski, Soler, Paqueta, Fullkrug, Mayropanos, Guilherme, Alvarez, Emerson, Ferguson

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Updated at 14.08 CEST

Preamble

Hello and welcome to the Premier League clockwatch. We have three games to oversee with a 2.15pm BST kick-off as Manchester United take on West Ham, Nottingham Forest host Leicester City and Crystal Palace travel to Tottenham.

A win for Nottingham Forest this afternoon would see them back in European football qualification spots. Champions and Europa League qualification is the only thing left to be decided with Liverpool already winning the title and all three relegation spots confirmed.

But the 2.15pm game action is not the only thing we will have here. Newcastle vs Chelsea has already got underway and I will bring you the latest update from that game shortly. While Liverpool vs Arsenal takes place later on this afternoon and so when the team news drops I will bring that to you.

The team news for the main three games on this blog are about to drop so stay tuned for updates.

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Ange Postecoglou has played down the prospect of his Tottenham squad recording a cup final song before their Europa League final with Manchester United.

The record ‘Ossie’s Dream’ by Chas and Dave – in reference to the former midfielder Ossie Ardiles – is synonymous with Spurs’ history after being recorded with the squad to commemorate reaching the 1981 FA Cup final. However, Postecoglou insisted no repeat would occur with the class of ‘25, who secured a place in Bilbao with a 5-1 aggregate victory over Bodø/Glimt.

“Na, na, na,” Postecoglou laughed. “If you walk in our dressing room, there’s too many extremes in the playlist to get some consensus from the South Americans, to I don’t know what Biss [Yves Bissouma] and the others are listening to … and then you have got some of the other lads. Anyway, none of that would be on my playlist, so I definitely wouldn’t contribute.”

Bissouma revealed after Thursday’s 2-0 win in Norway that even the club’s chairman, Daniel Levy, would be encouraged to sing on the plane home, but Postecoglou said: “There was no belting of tunes. It’s fair to say me and the chairman probably have different playlists mate, so don’t see him banging away to AC/DC.”

Tottenham have two Premier League fixtures before the trip to Bilbao and host another club with a final on the horizon on Sunday in Crystal Palace.

Even though Postecoglou will heavily rotate his squad after a big physical excursion in the Arctic Circle, the 59-year-old is determined to build more positivity after he paid tribute to the fanbase for their efforts in Europe.

“We only had sort of 400 to 500 the other night and the rest are all here and they’ll be euphoric. This will be their first chance to maybe share that experience of the other night with the people they go to games regularly,” Postecoglou added.

“We want to make sure we continue giving them that positivity, so it’s important we go out there and put in a performance. I’ve certainly felt and I think the supporters have played a huge role in our European run. The AZ game at home, then Frankfurt home and away and then Bodo home and away – they’ve been brilliant. I’m sure, come the final, they will have an important part to play there as well.”

Spurs’ cup exploits have kept alive their campaign after a winter injury crisis saw them drop into the bottom half of the Premier League in December.

Postecoglou admitted: “There is no doubt that if we weren’t in Europe, if we got knocked out pre-January and we didn’t have the Carabao Cup (semi-final) run we did, even with our injuries, it’s fair to say our league position would be better than what it is today. I’m not saying we would be in the top four, but we would certainly be in a better position.

“The tough stuff we’ve had to go through in the league and the scrutiny and the criticism the guys have received has brought them really close together and they have said ‘we’re not going to let this beat us. We have an opportunity to do something special’. They have used that as motivation to stay strong through the Carabao Cup and now in Europe to try and achieve something.”

Supporters hoping to travel to the all-English Europa League final in Bilbao could end up paying thousands of pounds for the privilege. There are ways to drive that cost down, however, especially for those willing to spend two days on a ferry.

After Tottenham and ­Manchester United confirmed their places at the San Mamés on 21 May via their respective semi-final second leg ­victories over Bodø/Glimt and Athletic ­Bilbao on Thursday, eyes immediately turned to the prospect of attending a game both Ange Postecoglou and Ruben Amorim described as ­“massive”. Uefa has allocated 15,000 tickets to each club, with a further 11,000 tickets on general sale, out of a total capacity of 49,000. Tickets reserved for official allocations start at €40 (£34), the same price as last year, but general admission has risen in price, with the most ­expensive ­Category 1 ticket costing €240 (£203), up from €150 last year.

United had already communicated their travel plans to supporters before the second leg against Athletic, with a 24-hour return trip to the Basque city costing £899 for those who secure a ticket in a lottery. Spurs, meanwhile, are set to confirm their official travel plans shortly.

Fans planning to travel independently face pricing pinch points on tickets, travel and accommodation. With a number of general sale ­tickets expected to have been bought by Athletic fans, there is the ­prospect of a substantial resale market. Even though selling on is expressly ­prohibited by Uefa’s rules, second-hand ticket sites had prices starting from £950 on Friday. Hotel rooms, meanwhile, were in short supply, with Booking.com saying 97% of venues are already sold out, with its cheapest available offering for the night of the final starting at £1,300. Direct air travel for one person is coming in at around the same price.

“Football fans are being exploited by airlines and hotels and Airbnb owners in the same way that people applying for Oasis tickets are when there’s surge pricing,” said Stephen Cavalier of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust. “Not all fans can afford to pay those sort of exorbitant prices and there are people going from a variety of different routes.”

Both United’s and Spurs’ supporters trusts say fans are choosing to save money by flying indirectly to the venue, taking the train or ­driving down to the Basque Country. That return journey on the 48-hour ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao, meanwhile, comes in at just under £400.

According to Tom Hall, an editor and writer for Lonely Planet, being more imaginative in your travel plans might cost you time but will also save you money as well as lead to a more enjoyable experience. “If people are prepared to take on a bit of overland travel through Spain, they can have the most brilliant trip,” he said. “Flying into Barcelona, for example, means you’ve got the option to break the journey pretty much anywhere, which means you can box and cox on the cost.”

He also recommends searching for rail-based options or driving down through France, with camper vans offering the possibility to save on accommodation too. “As a first choice look at overland options, consider driving and constructing a bit of a holiday out of it. I think all of those things are a ton of fun,” he said.

Hall does, however, warn against some of the more complicated flying options which involve changing flights in third countries. “You’re going a long way out your way,” he says, “and if something goes wrong with that then you’re in Istanbul and you’re not in Bilbao.”

Take the emotion out of it. It is easier said than done. Tottenham Hotspur are not in the business of hoarding silverware and there will be a temptation to stick with Ange Postecoglou if they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final. The pressure on Daniel Levy to give Postecoglou another chance would be intense. It is not hard to see which way a chair with a history of populist moves would go.

Yet there is rarely much to gain from the impulsiveness of judging a manager on the basis of a one-off game that could be won on penalties or with a lucky late goal. The obvious cautionary tale is provided by United keeping Erik ten Hag after last season’s triumph in the FA Cup, only for the Dutchman to be sacked five months later. Serious clubs are supposed to be clinical. The mistake is often to look for wider meaning in a weird and illogical cup run.

Look at Chelsea. Would they have been right to give Avram Grant another season if John Terry had scored his penalty in the Champions League final in 2008? Obviously not. Four years later, though, Chelsea were swept away by the romance of becoming European champions after appointing Roberto Di Matteo as caretaker manager. Giving Di Matteo the job on a permanent basis was a mistake. It was not a surprise when he was sacked three months into the following season. There are also parallels with David Moyes leaving West Ham a year after guiding them to Conference League glory. It was West Ham’s first trophy in 43 years but it did not stop supporters grumbling about Moyes’s tactics and their team’s uneven league form.

Maintaining a sense of perspective is the challenge. Juande Ramos was the last Spurs manager to lift a trophy but beating Chelsea in the 2008 League Cup final was not the start of a dynasty. Ramos was gone before the turn of the year. Tottenham acted quickly after a disastrous start to the 2008-09 campaign. Any outrage at Ramos’s treatment was forgotten when the Spaniard’s replacement, Harry Redknapp, led the club into the Champions League 18 months later.

Yet there will be a case for Levy to give Postecoglou another chance if the Australian wins the club’s first trophy in 17 years. It would be a major achievement. Spurs are the lovable losers. They play nice football but wilt under pressure. The smart money is on United overcoming their awfulness and tapping into their greater knowhow in the final. Spurs cannot match that experience. The challenge for Postecoglou is as much mental as tactical; he has to ensure that his players are not overcome by the size of the occasion. Do that and letting him go would feel harsh.

Equally Spurs have to calculate whether success in Europe would demonstrate that Postecoglou is capable of succeeding in English football. An uncomfortable reality for Uefa is that the financial dominance of the Premier League is starting to tell in the Europa League and Conference League.

For all their domestic struggles, Spurs and United reaching the final is a predictable turn of events. Spurs are richer than every team they have faced in the knockout phase. They saw off AZ in the last 16, recovering from a first-leg defeat to beat the sixth-best side in the Eredivisie. Eintracht Frankfurt, their quarter-final opponents, sold their star forward Omar Marmoush to Manchester City in January and are third in a mundane Bundesliga. A semi-final against the first Norwegian side to go this deep in Europe was even more inviting.

Where Postecoglou deserves credit is in how he has adapted his tactics in this competition. He put pragmatism over principles in the second leg against Frankfurt, ensuring that Tottenham won a game many expected them to lose, and a direct approach proved similarly effective against Bodø/Glimt. Spurs were calm, professional and deserving of their 2-0 win on the plastic pitch at the Aspmyra Stadium on Thursday.

Yet that flexibility has rarely been seen in the Premier League. Spurs have been chaotic at the back and careless with leads. Nineteen defeats says it all. Postecoglou finished fifth last season but a strong start to the campaign papered over a lot of cracks. It is hard to overlook how bad the league form has been since November 2023.

Injuries have been a factor this season. Then again Spurs were not convincing when everyone was available at the start of the campaign. The pressure grew when they squandered a 2-0 lead against Brighton in October. They were close to full strength when they lost at home to Ipswich. There have also been suggestions that Postecoglou’s gung-ho style has contributed to the fitness issues. It is unclear whether Spurs’ cautious approach to recruitment under Levy can cope with the physical demands of Postecoglou’s system. The strain will increase if they are in the Champions League next season.

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Hello everyone. Michael Butler here, taking over from John Brewin. Feel free to email me any thoughts about Alonso, the Europa League final or whether at the age of 37, with a second child on the way and almost no prospect of playing 11-a-side football regularly for the foreseeable future, you are considering a big spend on a brand new pair of boots for next season (despite already having a perfectly serviceable pair already in the wardrobe).

michael.butler@theguardian.com

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Updated at 14.21 CEST

Confirmed: Alonso to leave Leverkusen

“The club and I have agreed that these two last games will be my last as Bayer Leverkusen coach,” he has announced in a press conference. “Now is the right moment.”

It has been reported in Spain he has agreed a pre-contract agreement to coach Real Madrid. More to follow…

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Updated at 14.11 CEST

John Brewin

Maresca highlights ‘fantastic’ Tonali ahead of Newcastle visit

Having safely booked Chelsea’s Conference League final place, Enzo Maresca turned his attentions to his team’s noon kick-off at Newcastle. In fifth place they have to see out their final three Premier League matches to book a place in next season’s Champions League.

“The players need to be focused on the Newcastle game because it’s the next one and for us, it has to be like thinking that it’s the last game of the season, give everything and then we’ll see at the end,” the Italian said, depicting his team’s remaining domestic fixtures as three cup finals. Manchester United next Friday and Nottingham Forest on final day follow Newcastle.

“We have two days, tomorrow and Saturday,” Maresca said, having shuffled in ten changes into the team who beat Swedish outfit Djurgarden 1-0 on Thursday. “The frustration is that we had many games where we created enough chances to win the game and we didn’t win. But now is not the moment to think about that. Now is the moment to try to win as much as we can in these last three games and then we’ll see.”

Maresca acknowledged the growing influence of compatriot Sandro Tonali in Newcastle’s midfield. “Sandro probably this season has been top for Newcastle. For him, he’s doing very well. He’s a fantastic player. I know him since he was in Brescia and then moved to Milan and then now here in England. He’s a fantastic player, he’s doing well but they have many, many good players.”

Tonali has been inspirational this season on his return from a gambling-related ban. “I think he has been always a good player. Probably that kind of moment is not ideal but not for Sandro, for no one of us. And now it’s more stronger and you can see how good he is.”

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'Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen'

Via German magazine Kicker’s website: “Now it’s definitely a done deal: Xabi Alonso will leave Bayer 04 after this season. The successful coach announced this to the Leverkusen players before training on Friday afternoon.”

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Krishna gets in touch: “As a Chelsea fan, I dare Real to show us their Europa League and Conference league medals.”

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WSL to retain promotion and relegation

Big story from Tom Garry here, and still plenty to be decided.

It is understood no decision has been taken about how the formats will change from 2026. The league is believed to be exploring several innovative alterations that could make the top of the women’s pyramid look very different from the English men’s format.

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That’ll be all from me. John Brewin is here to take over so keep those emails coming.

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Vítor Pereira has been named the Premier League manager of the month. Wolves won five out of five in April, continuing their resurgence under the 56-year-old. The question is whether he’s here for the long haul; one of the sub-heads on his Wikipedia page is ‘Five clubs in eight years’.

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Updated at 13.34 CEST

A boiling, dangerous, swelteringly hot-take incoming from Jack Kirby-Lowe.

I feel winning a cup competition (becoming the “champions” of it, if you will) seems justification enough for being included in the Champions League. Arguably much more so than including teams that finish 2nd-5th in the league. What exactly are they champions of again?

Personally, I feel places in the CL in England should be awarded to the League, League Cup and FA Cup winners, with league position only coming into consideration in the event of a team doing the double or the treble, and only after the runners up in the cups have been discounted in this way too. If that only meant three English teams qualifying, so be it. Obviously winning the CL or EL should qualify too, because again, that team are the Champions of something.

Love and kisses, COYS.

Newcastle, fear not, you’ve already qualified. Crystal Palace, you’re one game away. Wigan might have found it touch balancing the Champions League with the Championship during their 2013/14 campaign.

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Spurs have met United three times this season – and won them all. The league double was backed up by a slightly mad 4-3 encounter in the League Cup. The kicker for Spurs is that this United team have held their nerve in finals across the last two seasons.

United, you’ll remember, also reached the Europa League final in 2021, when they lost on penalties (a long old shootout) to Villarreal. But only three members of the XI that started that night remain at the club (not including Marcus Rashford).

“Arsenal and other fans are so funny,” writes Louis Muspratt-Tucker. “When Spurs were consistently at the top of the league, generally agreed to be one of the best-run clubs in the league, we were repeatedly told that none of it matters without trophies. How times change.”

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Updated at 13.33 CEST

Vivek is not best pleased by the configuration of the Europa League final:

Now that we know either of these teams could be rubbing shoulders with the elite in Europe next season, I wonder if it’s time to rebranding the competition as the “Champions League” (double quotes inclusive).

In what universe would two teams who could end up finishing 15th and 16th in their league be considered champions, unless the gong is for greatest display of management ineptitude, chasing the bottomline, disregard for fans, comical recruitment and stinking up the rest of the league?

(Asking for an Arsenal fan)

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Some pretty dreadful stories here:

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Content, content, content. The broadcasters want more for their buck.

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Sam Turner writes in. I admire his brighter outlook on life:

It’s important to remember what the sport is about and why you enjoy it, the agony and the ecstasy of supporting your team through thick and thin and that has been on display for Manchester United fans in a big way this season.

Despite the turbulence on and off the pitch the past few seasons have given me some of my favourite moments as a United fan; the 4-3 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup, the 2-1 win over Barcelona with Antony’s late winner, the FA Cup Manchester Derby victory, knocking out Arsenal at the Emirates, the 5-4 mayhem against Lyon, these are moments that will live with me in a way that a clinical 2-0 win against Fulham won’t.

Loving your club means going through these difficult moments and I can accept the decision to sacrifice league position in order to pursue the best route to Champions League football and the rebuild necessary to compete on all fronts again.

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Paul MacInnes

David Kogan has cleared a significant hurdle in his bid to become the first chair of the English football regulator, after a parliamentary committee endorsed his candidacy.

The culture media and sport select committee conducted a ‘pre-appointment hearing’ with Kogan on Wednesday in which they grilled him on his priorities as a regulator, his past experience, and his well-publicised history as a donor to the Labour party.

On Friday the committee published their verdict on the hearing including a decision to endorse his candidacy. “We are content to endorse David Kogan OBE’s appointment as Chair of the Independent Football Regulator, recognising his vast experience in the football and media sectors,” the conclusion read.

The committee, which is led by the Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, did however say there were “concerns” over Kogan’s political impartiality and urged him to “take concrete steps” to prove his independence to stakeholders in the game.

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Here’s what Ange Postecoglou had to say about the significance of Spurs potentially winning the Europa League.

It’s massive. Of course it is, because you have to frame it against what this club has been through over the last 15 or 20 years and what the supporters have been through. A final is a unique standalone game, it’s a bit different to everything you do in the buildup to it. But if you’re talking about resilience and adversity, this group of players have had it in bucket-loads this year and we’ve still found a way to deal with it.

Spurs have lost four finals since winning the League Cup in 2008 – three in that competition, in 2009, 2015 and 2021. The real heartbreaker was the Champions League final defeat in 2019 to Liverpool. Jonathan Woodgate remains their last cup final hero.

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It’s that time of the week:

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Ben Lake writes in response to my preamble question:

On the opening question, I was having this discussion yesterday and the way I see it is this- Would I swap our (Arsenal) situation with Man Utd or Spurs?

Would I take the constant chaos of Utd’s management and the siphoning of funds away from the club? The firing of ancillary staff to save a few pennies? The leaky roof? Abysmal recruitment strategy?

Would I swap with Spurs, a club who will almost certainly end up firing their manager early next season? Would I swap multiple season of competing at the top with increasingly worse performances season on season to the point where relegation might have been a realistic proposition?

No. I would not. Trophies are obviously, what we all aim for but if the cost of that is never ending chaos, instability and having to deal with the MBA types currently in charge of those other two clubs, you can keep it. I’m hopping a better organised structure and longer term plan will pay out eventually.

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John Brewin

As an eyewitness to events at Stamford Bridge, it became abundantly clear that the away fans were not confined to the Shed End. Some had obviously bought tickets elsewhere and made a break for the away end. They were allowed to pass through. Once the game began, it was clear parts of the West Stand’s corporate section were full of Swedish fans making no apologies for their noise levels. At full-time, as Chelsea fans exited, the Swedes stayed on and were in every corner of the ground.

Chelsea released a statement late last night: “At the start of this evening’s match, Chelsea FC were aware some away fans gained access to areas of the stadium in violation of our ticketing policy. The Chelsea supporters sitting in the immediate areas impacted were relocated, with additional security and police deployed.”

Questions are being raised by the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust as to how the ticketing system allowed in so many away fans. It made for an atmospheric night in the stands, and appeared good-natured enough, but videos of skirmishes in the concourses have since appeared.

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Updated at 11.47 CEST

Salah and Russo claim FWA awards

Alessia Russo has won the Football Writers’ Association women’s player of the year award, a reward for a fine season with Arsenal – she’s up top in the WSL goalscoring charts with 12 and has been key in the side’s run to the Champions League final.

Mo Salah has won the men’s title, equalling Thierry Henry with three wins. The Egyptian forward previously won the award in 2018 and 2022.

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Mason Mount enjoyed the finest night of his Manchester United career, scoring twice against Athletic Bilbao, the second a wonderful long-range ping. Ruben Amorim was chuffed for a player who has had it tough with injuries.

I’m so happy for him. He is such a player. He works really hard, he has quality. When you see that kind of guy like Mason working hard every day, eating well, having ice baths, when you have this kind of player you just want to help him. He is perfect for this position as he can be a midfielder, but also runs like a winger so I’m really happy for him.

Not just me – if you look at the bench, that is the best feeling as a coach, you look at the other guys on the bench and they are so happy for Mason Mount – everyone in that dressing room sees Mason Mount doing everything to be available. He is a really good player and both goals were really good.

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Slot: Bradley needs playing time to be ready for next season

Arne Slot has been speaking about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure:

“I think like everybody who likes Liverpool and who’s a fan of Liverpool we are disappointed for him leaving because not only a good human being is leaving the club but a very, very, very good full-back is leaving us as well.”

He says it’s “impossible for me to comment” on whether Alexander-Arnold will leave Liverpool before the Club World Cup as it’s yet to be confirmed where he’s going (though we all know the destination).

On Conor Bradley, potentially Alexander-Arnold’s full-time replacement, Slot says: “With Conor we all see the potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been fit throughout the whole season and to become a very good player you have to be available every single week as well. That’s the first step he has to make for next season. We have a lot of confidence in Conor as a very good full-back for Liverpool.

Bradley will start this weekend against Arsenal: “He needs playing time, to get some games under his belt to be better prepared for next season.”

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Updated at 13.36 CEST

The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has released a statement regarding visiting supporters after last night’s Conference League semi-final second leg with Djurgården at Stamford Bridge.

During Thursday’s Uefa Conference League vs. Djurgården, a huge number of away supporters were able to infiltrate large areas of the home end.

This is the most serious breach of stadium security in recent memory, and it significantly undermines any security protocols Chelsea FC put in place ahead of the fixture.

As a result, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will formally write a letter of complaint to Chelsea FC’s COO and Head of Security. We will call for a formal investigation by the club into the ticket sales process and Chelsea FC’s security response during the match.

The findings of this investigation and any subsequent recommendations must be made available to supporters.

The CST invites all supporters who attended the fixture on Thursday to submit written, photographic, and video evidence they captured during the fixture.

The CST will then collate this evidence and then submit it to Chelsea FC.

It is important to note that the CST shared concerns with senior club officials over the vulnerability of home areas ahead of this fixture. No supporter should feel unsafe while at Stamford Bridge, and the CST will do everything to ensure that a full and proper explanation is issued to supporters and safeguards are put in place to ensure that this situation is not repeated in the future.

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Updated at 10.55 CEST

Preamble

Let’s be honest: this is really, really funny. Manchester United and Tottenham have had a shocking time in the league this season (15th and 16th respectively, 35 defeats between them, record-breaking stuff in a bad way).

And yet here they are, ready to compete in a European final. Spurs could win their first major trophy in 17 years. A United victory would make it three consecutive seasons of silverware; even in crisis, they somehow find a way to compete.

Which leads to a genuine question regarding fandom. Would you rather opt for a season of solidity, excellent football to go with grand results but no trophy pay-off (Arsenal), or a year of misery until a glorious and triumphant day out at Wembley etc? I’m leaning towards the former but would be interested to hear from others.

Drop me a line with your thoughts on that and any other matters as we build up to another weekend of, let’s face it, rather inconsequential Premier League action.

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