The Guardian

The pre-match postbag is here!

Jim on what the Spurs line-up tells us about next week’s final:

The front line for Spurs today is interesting. I think Tel may be playing as the striker with Son as a number 10. With Kulusevski out it’s not clear who will fill in for Madison on Wednesday, and any of Tel, Son, or Odobert could be auditioning for that role this evening.

Jeremy with some Rashford analysis:

Rashford will not be playing any part in Villa’s last two games this season, just like last season at VeryOld Trafford, but he remains a constant source of fascination for fans and neutrals, an enigma wrapped in clouds of doubt and uncertainty. If only he could deliver on the pitch as he has on the social level, let’s not forget, he shamed a government and became an overnight people-person. We all think of him as a 22-year-old with chin fuzz and great attitude, he’s nearly 28 and should be in the prime of his life, but here he is, struggling for identity, form and a club. We all want him to be brilliant/the new Harry Kane for England, but time may run out on the lad before he gets to realise his potential. Whatever, 3-0 Villa, despite their protests about the game brought forward …

And Antony hears something in the distance:

UTV. Hear that Yara? Listen carefully …. Squeaky bum time. In a season of massive games for us this is yet another. Enjoy the match.

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Villa playing Champions League football next season partly relies on results of teams around them. One of them is Chelsea, who host Manchester United at Stanford Bridge.

Rob Smyth will bring you all the updates from that game.

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Despite Tottenham’s make or break game of the season coming next week, Ange Postecoglou said he will “put out a team that hopefully gets the job done” against Aston Villa and “go out there to try to win the game.”

The head coach said tonight’s game could be a chance for his players to prove themselves for the final.

It’s an opportunity for them to put their name forward for the big game the following week because, as we have already seen in the past couple of weeks, as much as you would like to think there is an ideal starting line-up things happen and players have to be ready for that.

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Marcus Rashford is not involved tonight, as expected. The striker, on loan from Manchester United, has failed to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered last month. Rashford cannot play in Villa’s final game of the season at his parent club United on 25 May.

Rashford has made 17 appearances for Villa, scoring four goals, since joining from Old Trafford in February and earned an England recall in March after a 12-month absence. It is unlikely he will play for United again while Ruben Amorim is the head coach owing to a breakdown in their relationship. Another loan deal is an option. Villa have a £40m option to buy the player but his future remains unclear. Rashford has made clear he wants a Champions League club and is reluctant to join a team in London.

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In our 10 things to look out for this weekend Ben Fisher wrote that Aston Villa could use their “anger” and the rescheduling of this fixture to motivate them to a win. The Premier League agreed to bring forward Tottenham’s trip to Villa Park by 48 hours in order to help them prepare for a Europa League final (before they even reached said final).

The flipside to all of this is Villa can get on the front foot, kicking off 45 minutes before Chelsea entertain Manchester United and two days before Nottingham Forest head to West Ham and Arsenal host Newcastle. Victory for Villa could hoist them as high as fourth before a final-day trip to Old Trafford and, psychologically, that could prove a knockout blow.

Read more from Ben and the rest of our writers on what to keep an eye out for this weekend.

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Preamble

Hello and welcome to the penultimate matchday of the 2024-25 Premier League season. The champions have been decided. Those going back to the Championship have been decided. But second place, Champions League spots and qualification for next’s season’s Europa and Conference League still hang in the balance.

Aston Villa, who host Spurs tonight at Villa Park, have an outside chance of finishing second but they would need to win tonight and their final game of the season and hope several results go their way for that to happen.

Instead Unai Emery’s men will be targeting a finish in the top five which guarantees Champions League football next season. Only five points currently separate Arsenal in second and Villa in sixth. As things stand, Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Chelsea occupy the top five, but Villa along with Nottingham Forest are well-placed to capitalise on any slip ups.

As for Tottenham, full focus is understandably on the Europa League final against Manchester United. Ange Postecoglou’s side are a lowly 17th in the table and the manager will likely rest many of his starters tonight.

Join me for team news and buildup before the 7.30pm BST kick-off. And, as always, feel free to send me an email with your thoughts, questions, predictions, complaints and rituals. I want to hear it all!

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Son Heung-min has filed a complaint to South Korean police alleging he was the victim of a blackmail attempt, his agency said, after media reports that a woman had threatened the Tottenham Hotspur captain with a false pregnancy claim.

“The police are currently investigating, so we will let you know the results as soon as they are available,” his agency, Son & Football Limited, said. “We’d like to tell you that Son Heung-min is clearly the victim of this incident.”

Police had arrested a woman in her 20s and a man in his 40s, and were investigating allegations they tried to extort money from Son with the fake pregnancy claim, local media reported, citing police.

The Seoul Gangnam Police Station did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports. Son, 32 is hugely popular in South Korea, not only for his success on the pitch in the Premier League but also for his dedication to the country’s national team as their captain.

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.”