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Ordinarily, it would not be much of a story. A kid has a game of highs and lows in front of millions all over the globe.

The sticky part for Luka Vuskovic is that he and his entourage have made plenty of noise to get him into the media spotlight over the last fortnight.

The 19-year-old contracted to Tottenham Hotspur has been heavily linked with a mega-money move away before even representing them in a competitive game.

Vuskovic was linked with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich during his loan at Hamburg last season, though Spurs have maintained they would rather keep such an asset.

More recently, he has been the subject of two bids from Brighton & Hove Albion, who are selling Jan Paul van Hecke to Spurs for £52m – and the wonderkid is said to be keen on becoming the Seagulls’ next budding prospect to sell for major profit. He is resistant to another loan and seemingly not fancying his chances under Roberto De Zerbi.

Brighton’s highest offer so far has come in at £35m, but Tottenham are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £60m. If Vuskovic is to live with the ruthless intensity and fast pace of the Premier League, then Brighton’s bids don’t actually seem too derisory now.

In Croatia’s eventual 4-2 defeat to England in their World Cup opener, their youngsters shone through. The man who scored their first equaliser, Martin Baturina of Como, is 23. He was assisted by Petar Sucic, Inter’s 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

That move actually started with a contribution from centre-back Vuskovic. A mighty and meaty 6’4”, he took his initiative to step free of Croatia’s back three, from which he started slap bang in the middle, to crunch into Jude Bellingham just inside England’s own half and win back possession, with the ball flying past Jordan Pickford a few passes and one shot later.

Despite an opening 45 minutes which saw four goals fly in, that was the only time Vuskovic was forced to do some actual defending. England’s main threat was from set plays, with Noni Madueke winning a penalty off the wily Luka Modric following a corner, and then Harry Kane heading home a wicked delivery from Declan Rice.

Coming into the break, Vuskovic must have assumed the step up to the World Cup stage was a doddle. He had snatched the soul of a Real Madrid “Galactico” and, at the very least, didn’t look out of place defending Kane in open play. This would have followed the rapid trajectory of his career so far, after all. So far, so good.

But whatever Thomas Tuchel said to his Three Lions at the interval felt like a personal attack on Vuskovic, whose entire performance was turned inside-out within 90 seconds of the restart.

England worked the ball round the back nicely before Elliot Anderson whipped a pass into the channel, allowing Bellingham to run at the stretched Croatia backline. Central midfielder Mario Pasalic had to cover for the vacant Josko Gvardiol at left centre-back, but didn’t have the legs to keep up.

That left Vuskovic as the last defender ahead of Bellingham. And he didn’t want any of that smoke. The teenager shuffled inside to cut out the passing lane to Madueke instead, leaving England’s buccaneering No 10 the space he needed to gallop into the box and finish.

A wrong decision? Sure. That happens. Vuskovic is not even 20 yet, mistakes are part of his life. What was more alarming was how off the pace he looked.

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This is as quick as Vuskovic should ever look in his entire life. Yet here he was moving with the same slow speed you have when trying to flee the monsters in your nightmares. Someone unfamiliar with the two would have guessed Bellingham was several years Vuskovic’s younger given the stark difference in athleticism.

England’s bombardment, again largely through their dead-ball prowess, dominated the rest of Vuskovic’s time on the pitch before he was hooked after 66 minutes.

This sudden drop in market value doesn’t benefit any party involved here. Spurs still hold all the cards with the player on a long contract – and Brighton would now need to pay over the odds to get their hands on someone who is ultimately still a project.

Tottenham Hotspur will undergo a major overhaul both on and off the pitch after avoiding relegation on the final day of the Premier League season.

The club have been left shaken by back-to-back 17th-placed finishes. In Roberto De Zerbi there is a relief that they do not have to rip up the entire project and start again from scratch, now that he is tied down to a five-year contract.

However, there is expected to be at least one new appointment to the board over the summer. The inquest is also ongoing over the injury crisis that derailed Spurs for a second consecutive season and very nearly plunged them into the Championship.

After the 1-0 victory over Everton that kept his side up, De Zerbi said he had “10, 11, 12 players good enough to stay.” It will be easier to retain top earners having dodged the £200m loss that relegation would have entailed and Tottenham are hopeful of keeping a core group of players on.

Who could stay?

Joao Palhinha has underlined his importance with the winning goals in the wins over Wolves and Everton and his performance away to Aston Villa. He is still only on loan from Bayern Munich but there is an option to buy and making that deal permanent is a priority. Bringing in at least one goalkeeper and another left-wing option are also being explored.

It is hoped the most promising youngsters – Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall – will remain in north London, with Gray a particularly useful asset because of his versatility. Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are recovering from serious injury over the summer, while Dejan Kulusevski will also be continuing his rehabilitation and is not going to the World Cup with Sweden.

Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison are also players De Zerbi is set to build around going forward, along with Conor Gallagher – who only arrived in January – and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Who could go?

Guglielmo Vicario has attracted interest from Italy. He is fit again after a hernia operation but did not play the final games of the season as Antonin Kinsky kept his place.

There is also uncertainty over the long-term futures of Mathys Tel and Yves Bissouma. Randal Kolo Muani is not expected to make his loan move permanent after a disappointing season.

Ben Davies’ contract is up after missing the end of the season with a broken ankle. There has been some suggestion he could stay on in a part-playing capacity, also taking on another role off the pitch but talks are yet to be finalised either way.

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The biggest question comes at centre-back. Cristian Romero has been a long-term target of several Champions League clubs, including Atletico Madrid, and Spurs have no European football to offer next season. Romero also courted anger after flying to Argentina amid reports he would miss the final day of the season to watch his old team Belgrano – though he quickly returned to London and was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch his teammates stay up.

Spurs are in the same boat with Micky van de Ven, who will attract European suitors – but there is a hesitancy to allow them both to leave in the same summer. Kevin Danso has made a huge impression but Radu Dragusin is set to move on, with a move outside of England most likely.

Richarlison’s future is not entirely clear – he missed out on Brazil’s World Cup squad and had previously considered a move away. Dominic Solanke was among those who was unlikely to stay due to his wages if Spurs went down but there is now much more prospect of him staying put.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM — Over the last few days, you will no doubt have heard a variance of the idea that Tottenham Hotspur deserved this torturous day. I wanted to sit among their supporters for a few hours because the point is this: the owners may have long had this coming. These people did not.

Theirs is the ultimate triumph of hope over experience. After so much pain endured, it is a happy ending. “Believe, believe, believe,” they were told at kick-off. They will play Premier League football next season and this can never, ever be allowed to happen again.

At full-time, tears of disbelief. Delirious hugs with strangers. Buckets of sweat on the hottest, most fractious day of the year. It takes nearly losing something to realise what it means.

The Russells have been coming here for 30 years. “This week I got the all clear from prostate cancer,” Norman tells The i Paper. “It would have been unfortunate to have a heart attack four days later.”

“This is the most sick and nervous I’ve felt,” says Ben. “Am I allowed to swear?” asks Naomi. “Please Spurs – don’t ruin my f***ing life”.

The news of West Ham’s first goal trickles through with dread. The second half is needlessly delayed. The air is sick with it: “we can’t have nice things”.

They had climbed lampposts and scaled bus stops to welcome the team bus, a sea of navy-white mist and a coronation normally reserved for league champions.

That they lined the streets in such numbers speaks to an unfailing loyalty, when so many have felt exploited, taken for granted, described as “legacy fans”. They have been derided by virtually the entire country and theirs is the last laugh. “Tottenham away, ole ole.”

This has been the home of genuine distress and the relief feels all the more palpable because so much of the pent-up angst has been building for years. The club of Greaves, Gascoigne, Hoddle, Kane, reduced to this. So many fear Tottenham Hotspur will never be what it was.

The fact Spurs fought this battle as the ninth richest club in the world can be cast aside for now. Even the cultural vandalism this grand old club has suffered can be forgotten for a few hours. Spurs are staying where they belong.

On the whistle, a banner called for “change”, one last hollow scream into the void. Nobody is convinced these owners have any inclination to change. It simply cannot get worse.

So it had to be like this, one final scrape over the line from Joao Palhinha. You can feel the air plummet from the lungs in real time as Everton surge forward with nine minutes of stoppage time and Antonin Kinsky is the hero again.

“An overwhelming feeling of relief,” Callum Lidington tells The i Paper. “We deserved that.”

“Once this fades, we cannot forget how close this club came to disaster,” says Ben Overlander. “And slightly painfully,” adds Solly Jackman-Overlander, “we did it the Arsenal way: 1-0, a goal from a corner.”

It has been hard to maintain a sense of humour through all this. On the PA system, they have tried, every home defeat ushered out with Stereophonics, “I don’t know where we are going”, and from Harry Styles, “you know it’s not the same as it was”. Well… quite.

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Glenn Hoddle: The surreal advice Boy George gave me at 2am

Amidst the misery has been the resurgence of a song I believe is the perfect serenade from any fan to their football team: Barry Manilow’s Can’t Smile Without You. I feel glad when you’re glad. I feel sad when you’re sad. If you only knew, what I’m going through.

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Arsenal may have already clinched the 2025-26 Premier League title, but there is plenty still to play for in several hotly contested fixtures across the country today as another enthralling season in England’s top flight reaches its final act.

Multiple spots in Europe are still up for grabs, some between clubs going head to head this very afternoon, while at the other end of the league table Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham take to the field in their respective homes knowing only one of them will survive relegation.

There is a full slate of games kicking off at the same time, as is customary for the last day of the campaign, and we’ll have eyes on the action across the country to deliver all the latest updates and expert analysis, right here.

Follow The i Paper’s live blog for updates from the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League season.

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Salah off on final Liverpool appearance

Mohamed Salah looked his old, lively self today for Liverpool, and he has been warmly applauded off the Anfield pitch.

The Reds are still level with Brentford, with Champions League qualification essentially secured in fifth place.

Ovation for Eze on Palace return

Bowen doubles West Ham’s lead – but still may not be enough

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen, having delivered the corner for Taty Castellanos’ opener, has given his side a 2-0 lead over Leeds now.

It still won’t be enough to stay in the Premier League, though, unless Everton come from 1-0 down to beat Tottenham.

We are about five minutes ahead at the London Stadium compared to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, due to delays returning from half-time at Spurs.

A nervy final period for everyone involved!

‘Mid-match guard of honour for Stones’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

Another guard of honour! Two in one match, after Bernardo Silva’s earlier (see post at 5.24pm BST).

John Stones in tears as he departs. Man City vs Aston Villa, sponsored by Kleenex.

Race for Europe: Watkins gives Villa lead at City, Brentford level at Liverpool

Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins has scored again – a super individual goal, getting the better of John Stones again – so Aston Villa now lead Manchester City in Pep Guardiola’s final match in charge.

If the scoreline stays like that, fifth place is the cut-off for Champions League places.

Liverpool are there at present despite being pegged back by Brentford, for whom Kevin Schade scored a diving header a few minutes ago.

As things stand, the Reds will join the top four in Europe’s top tier competition, Bournemouth will enter the Europa League by finishing sixth, along with Sunderland in seventh, while Brighton will hold onto eighth and a Conference League spot despite being 3-0 down at home to Manchester United.

Brentford are ninth as things stand, while Chelsea are 10th for as long as they are losing at Sunderland.

‘Castellanos on verge of Hammers’ history books’

Reporting from the London Stadium

Header at the back stick…sometimes the ugliest goals get the biggest celebrations.

Taty Castellanos will enter West Ham legend if that goal keeps the Hammers up.

Suddenly, Everton are everybody’s second team in Plaistow.

West Ham score but still relegated as things stand

Taty Castellanos has scored for West Ham!

Hope for the Hammers, and all they can do is win against Leeds.

They are still going down as things stand, as Spurs are holding that 1-0 lead against Everton from the first half, but will things get nervy now in north London?

‘Sun setting on West Ham’s top flight spell’

Reporting from the London Stadium

Second half drinks, West Ham fans doing what they can to lift a team that even were they to win would be saying goodbye to the Premier League as things stand, given Spurs are still 1-0 up against Everton.

Shadows creeping across the pitch, as if lowering the lights on 15 years in the top tier.

Callum Wilson on for Pablo Felipe at the interval has not worked yet.

‘Chelsea down to 10 in rollercoaster game at Sunderland

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

What a rollercoaster this game is.

Wesley Fofana gets a second booking for manhandling Wilson Isidor and Chelsea are on the back foot again.

Sunderland are 25 minutes from Europe and, looking at the way the results are going, a Europa League berth!

‘Bernardo Silva receives mid-match guard of honour on final City appearance’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

Pep Guardiola in tears as Bernardo Silva is substituted. the City captain gets a full guard of honour from both teams, mid-match.

Never seen that before, from both teams! Bernardo is in bits, too! I’m going to go next.

‘Sunderland nerves as Chelsea pull one back’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

Might we have a twist in the tale yet?

Cole Palmer takes a shot from distance and Robin Roefs is beaten far, far too easily at his near post. Those nerves I said didn’t exist? Well, suddenly here they are.

The Stadium of Light has gone quiet and Chelsea are enjoying their first spell of possession.

Watch: Madueke joins Arsenal fan chants

Goals galore early in second half

The goals are flying in now!

Bruno Fernandes, having registered a record 21st Premier League assist of the season in the first half, puts Manchester United 3-0 up at Brighton.

At Selhurst Park, England international Noni Madueke pokes through a crowded penalty box to give title winners Arsenal a 2-0 lead over Crystal Palace.

At the City Ground, Marcus Tavernier has equalised for Bournemouth against Nottingham Forest. The Cherries are set for a Europa League spot at present, but that could become a Champions League berth if Manchester City and Liverpool win their respective matches…

At the Stadium of Light, Cole Palmer squeezes his shot past Sunderland’s Robin Roefs to cut Chelsea’s deficit. The scoreline is now 2-1 to the Black Cats in that shoot-out for a European place.

Burnley have also drawn level against Wolves, with Zian Flemming’s effort denying the Old Gold 19th place as things stand.

And at Anfield, Mohamed Salah has set up Curtis Jones to give Liverpool the lead against Brentford!

‘Sunderland on track for Europe at Chelsea’s expense’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

I’m not sure what is more striking here – how good Sunderland have been or how dreadful Chelsea have been.

It’s 2-0 now, courtesy of another excellent move as Enzo Le Fee – superb today again – screws a cross to Brobbey, whose shot is prodded into his own goal by Malo Gusto.

Chelsea look like they’d rather be anywhere else. Sunderland look like they’ll be playing in Europe next season!

‘Feel-good factor at Stadium of Light’

Reporting from the Stadium of Light

There’s such a feel-good factor here at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats are playing as if they have nothing to lose and the crowd are picking up on that.

Results elsewhere mean Sunderland could be heading for the Europa League – a simply stupendous achievement for the promoted side if it stays this way. 45 minutes to go…

‘Poor mistake from Stones’

Reporting from the Etihad Stadium

“Sacked in the morning” comes down from the away end as Ollie Watkins equalises for Villa.

Not the moment for John Stones to make a mistake like that.

Second halves getting underway

We’re back up and running at most grounds now, for the final 45 minutes of the season.

Who will finish in the remaining four European spots?

Will there be any more twists and turns in the relegation battle, or will Spurs stay up and West Ham go down?

Let’s find out!

Arsenal fans reclaim the ‘bottle’

‘Spurs now 45 minutes from safety’

Reporting from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

A very big sigh of relief at half time but Spurs have been much better.

Forty-five minutes to keep themselves in the Premier League.

STAMFORD BRIDGE – It is never wise to celebrate too early. Winning the lottery before the cheque has cleared. Fancying yourself to have signed Eberechi Eze before the paperwork is finished. Or believing you have stayed up at the expense of a West Ham side who have inexplicably proven even more chaotic.

For Tottenham, every one of those anxieties, every imaginable kind of neuroses will follow them into the final day of the season. It bears repeating: Tottenham Hotspur will go into the last gasps of this campaign of misery fighting for their Premier League lives.

Whatever happens next, that is a damning indictment of an appalling situation which may yet turn into a catastrophe for this grand old football team.

A glimmer of hope

Those Spurs supporters crammed into a corner of Stamford Bridge hoped they had suffered enough indignities for one evening upon hearing news of Arsenal’s coronation, a sorrow they have not had to endure for 22 years. It was about to get even worse.

We do not yet know whether Chelsea will welcome them again next season, or whether they will tour the string of teams definitely consigned to the Championship: Portsmouth, Preston… Southampton.

But in the present day the Bridge was treated to an exquisite effort from Enzo Fernandez, hit with his left to leave a powerless Antonin Kinsky – in goal over a fit again Guglielmo Vicario – rooted to the spot. In the away end, heads wilted into shaking hands as Randal Kolo Muani’s careless pass set away Cole Palmer to spark the move for Andrey Santos and Chelsea’s second.

In Richarlison, there is always hope. Without him Tottenham would have been gone long ago. He picked the ball out of the net in a gesture to epitomise Spurs’ current feel: they are not finished, it is not over, but goodness, are they in a bad way.

A treacherous race to the bottom

Their record here is so abject the pain was simultaneously familiar and newly injurious. When Roberto De Zerbi’s men face Everton on Sunday they will begin two points clear of West Ham, who play Leeds.

Even if they are favourites to escape, for a group who have looked so fragile and bereft of confidence as this one there are no guarantees of the point they need.

And ultimately that is the logical outcome of this treacherous race to the bottom, where trying to run your football club mildly better than David Sullivan is the aim. De Zerbi has injected bite but that is the minimum requirement and has not yet overridden the most glaring issue – a simple lack of quality going forward. Kolo Muani and Mathys Tel took turns blazing over. “That’s why you’re going down,” delighted the Chelsea fans.

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That darkest of chapters in Tottenham’s history may not materialise. Relegation would be utterly unthinkable. Yet if you were to peruse the results of a team who failed to win a game between 28 December and 25 April, it is undeniable how terrifyingly fine they are cutting it.

In the desperate tension of the dying minutes, there was no full reenactment of the Battle of the Bridge but the reality of that ominous plight was setting in.

Should the worst happen, this will have been a demise inflicted not here at Stamford Bridge but in a north London boardroom over years of neglect and complacency. Tottenham have 90 minutes to save themselves from their own shadow.

James Trafford will be a wanted man this summer with four Premier League clubs already expressing an interest in the Manchester City understudy goalkeeper.

Trafford is likely to start in the FA Cup final for City against Chelsea at Wembley, where he has excelled in cup competitions for Pep Guardiola’s domestic treble-chasing side.

Gianluigi Donnarumma is first choice in Europe and the Premier League, leading to the England international – who rejoined City last summer before the Italy goalkeeper was also signed – to consider his options this summer.

Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring Trafford’s situation. Several sources suggested a fee of around £40m could be enough to tempt City into letting Trafford go.

Villa have already made contact with the 23-year-old’s representatives as Emiliano Martinez’s future remains up in the air. The Argentine stopper has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool, who look set to lose Alisson Becker in the summer.

Newcastle are the other frontrunners for Trafford’s signature, with signing a new goalkeeper a priority this summer after a difficult season between the sticks for Nick Pope.

Chelsea and Tottenham have also joined the race more as a “market opportunity”, one source added. The chance to sign an England international for a reasonable price could tempt them into a move, with both lacking in sufficient quality in the goalkeeper department.

Trafford is understood to be open to a move away from the Etihad. He is likely to finish the season with at least two trophies, but his bit-part role in the Premier League and slim chances of usurping Donnarumma on a permanent basis will come into his thinking in the summer.

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Pete Hall: The stunning assist that resurrected Phil Foden’s World Cup hopes

The signing of Donnarumma took everyone – including Trafford – by surprise, not long after the England goalkeeper had returned to City from Burnley.

City are not actively looking to sell at the moment, as they brought Trafford to the club as a long-term investment. They are perfectly set up in the goalkeeper department to fight on multiple fronts, as they have this season, with Trafford starting 16 times. However, making a profit on a second-choice option could tempt them into selling.

A lighter workload is not what Trafford returned to City for, something that will not be enough to see him replace Jordan Pickford as England’s number one regularly. He is set to go to the World Cup this summer as second choice.

This is The Score with Daniel Storey, a subscriber-only newsletter from The i Paper. If you’d like to get this direct to your inbox, every single week, you can sign up here.

An abridged Premier League weekend thanks to a Monday night fixture and two FA Cup semi-finals, but plenty of moves made and positions that matter continue to bunch up.

Arsenal carried on Arsenalling, a set-piece goal in a tight victory to go back to the top. Tottenham won for the first time in the league in 2026 but then saw their move matched by West Ham and Nottingham Forest to leave us as we were at the bottom. Forest’s scoreline was surely the most surprising of the season.

The other huge point of interest are the European places, a tussle potentially extending all the way down to Crystal Palace, 13th but with a game in hand. And the chances of the Premier League having six Champions League places just went up…

Here is one piece of analysis on each of the top flight clubs who played this weekend (in reverse table order)…

This weekend’s results

Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Liverpool 3-1 Crystal Palace

West Ham 2-1 Everton

Wolves 0-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle

Wolves’ leading issue

We know what Adam Armstrong is. Anyone who signs Adam Armstrong knows what he is. Heck, even Adam Armstrong must know what he is.

Armstrong has scored seven goals in 98 career Premier League appearances. In the Championship since August 2020, he has scored 63 goals in 131 appearances. So when Wolves signed him in January for £7m and sold Jorgen Strand Larsen, it was clearly with one eye on next season.

As with Rob Edwards, however, impressions towards the end of this season matter. And Armstrong isn’t just failing to score; he’s failing to take the chances that have come his way and failing to have many shots at all. In 816 minutes in the league, he’s had just 13 shots of any kind and managed a total of 0.13 xG per 90 minutes played. The question: do you trust this to just click into place back in the Championship given Armstrong is now 29?

Positives and negatives for Tottenham

Only the results matter. With Forest and West Ham winning, failing to beat the worst team in the Premier League would surely have consigned Tottenham to relegation. Now they have a chance. From green shoots, trees can grow quickly.

But we are still allowed to dwell upon the negatives. Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons, Roberto De Zerbi’s first-choice striker and creator, left the field with injuries. More importantly, Spurs looked perfectly pleasant in possession but hardly offered any goal threat from open play.

Obvious statements: Tottenham have to avoid defeat at Villa given the other results and they will need to be far more inventive to do so. For now there is still light, even if it is only a flicker. Richarlison and Lucas Bergvall might be two of their defining players now.

West Ham’s unlikely saviour

Crysencio Summerville and Jarrod Bowen are brilliant. Matheus Fernandes has been exceptional since moving slightly higher up the pitch. West Ham signed two strikers in January and both have contributed. But if they stay up this season, they will thank Callum Wilson more than most.

Wilson looked like he was leaving in January (there was talk of a move to Leicester City, which is a sliding doors moment for both clubs). But why would you want to lose him, when even as third choice his goals have been worth seven points?

Wilson has played 1,084 league minutes and scored six times. That minutes-per-goal ratio puts him in the same ballpark as every Premier League player this season bar Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago and Eli Junior Kroupi.

Nottingham Forest’s magic trick

Given Tottenham and West Ham’s results, Nottingham Forest ended the weekend in roughly the same place they began it. And yet it hardly feels like it given the margin of victory at Sunderland an unbeaten run that now stands at eight matches in all competitions.

The magic trick? Two strikers. At half-time against Burnley, Vitor Pereira took off a winger (Dilane Bakwa) and brought on a striker (Igor Jesus). He put Morgan Gibbs-White in a position best described as “left 10”, nominally a wide player but told to find space infield.

Since then, Gibbs-White has scored four goals and assisted another in three halves of football and Forest have scored nine goals. Chris Wood occupies central defenders and his movement is excellent, creating space for Jesus (who looks revitalised with a strike partner). Keep this up and Forest will not go down.

Newcastle’s £120m headache

Last summer, in a recruitment process that we know Eddie Howe was a large part of, Newcastle spent £120m on two forwards that they believed could replace Alexander Isak. There have been injuries, but it is the end of April and the only game that Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade have started together was at home to Bournemouth in the FA Cup.

Howe has to change that. He may feel that William Osula is his best striker option right now, but a) that hardly paints his own recruitment in a good light and b) Newcastle cannot afford to have two expensive forwards on the bench. It is not as if Osula in the team without the other two has provoked a vast improvement in attacking quality.

If Howe wants to keep his job beyond this season, the next few weeks are an audition for what might happen in 2026-27. With so many other areas of the squad needing surgery this summer and with key players likely to be sold, Howe surely has to try Woltemade off Wissa to create some better vibes for both players?

Crystal Palace can’t finish their dinner

You will never guess what; Crystal Palace played pretty well against Liverpool. They conceded to a few half-chances and they failed to take a couple of more presentable opportunities that they created themselves. Jean-Philippe Mateta was twice guilty.

This is the story of Palace’s domestic season, really: a good football team that failed to maximise the periods in which they are on top because they don’t finish their dinner in front of goal. Only Wolves, Burnley and Sunderland have scored fewer times this season. Only Wolves have scored with a lower percentage of their shots than Palace.

Unsurprisingly, Palace also have the worst record for goals vs expected goals (by an absolute mile) and for the difference between the number of goals scored and big chances missed (-21).

Le Bris rumours prove unhelpful for Sunderland

Last week, there was a media rumour that Regis Le Bris’ position as Sunderland manager could come under pressure if the club fail to qualify for Europe. The Black Cats quickly moved to deny anything of the sort, but you wonder whether it played into the club’s shambolic defensive performance on Friday evening.

Le Bris has done a phenomenal job here, but will also know that he cannot lose control of this season. Sunderland rank 17th in the Premier League over their last 20 and 25 matches; their fabulous start to the campaign has carried them through.

In that context, Le Bris overseeing Sunderland’s joint heaviest margin of home defeat in the club’s history came at an inopportune time. It would be nice to see the club publicly back him and create a little serenity before the final weeks of the season.

Do Everton have an April problem?

After Everton lost late against Liverpool and late again against West Ham to dampen the mood of prospective European qualification, supporters were quick to point out that, for all the progress of this season, there is a chance the Toffees could finish in roughly the same position as 2024-25.

It also begs an interesting question (particularly given the same has been said of Mikel Arteta at the top of the table): does David Moyes struggle in the month of April, when things get real?

Over his last 21 April Premier League fixtures, a run stretching back to 2021, Moyes has taken only 24 points. It is a far lower rate than his season average and, if it continues, it is going to annoy Everton fans.

All hail Fulham’s four weeks of madness

The Premier League’s middle pack is often congested, but the increase in European places (and this season could be unprecedented) has changed the rules of engagement. These “other” clubs are not only competing for prize money. At least one of them is going to make Europe and their inconsistency makes it impossible to get a handle on the whole thing.

Fulham are the perfect example. Before Saturday, they were winless and goalless in three successive matches and the fanbase was getting itchy about Marco Silva’s potential long goodbye and another season that promised plenty and ended in perceived mediocrity. Fulham have finished 10th, 13th and 11th since promotion.

And Fulham are 10th again, only this time that puts them potentially two points off a Champions League spot and level on points with one team who will reach the Conference League. The mood turns with one win. Which is silly this far into a season, but I’m here for it.

Why everyone wants Aston Villa to win

It doesn’t really matter to Aston Villa whether they finish third, fourth or fifth (although Unai Emery will obviously be urging them to finish as high as possible). They are eight points ahead of sixth and that margin is surely not going to be overturned by anyone below them.

But for all of those clubs – and sixth to 12th are currently separated by four points – Villa’s Premier League form really does matter. Because if Villa win the Europa League (and they are favourites to do so) and finish fifth (a position they currently occupy), sixth place will qualify for the Champions League.

It creates a bizarre situation: supporters of Brighton, Chelsea, Brentford, Bournemouth, Everton, Sunderland and Fulham will all be cheering on Villa in the Europa League and cheering on their opponents in the Premier League.

Liverpool fans protest against ticket price increases

“You greedy bastards, enough is enough,” sang the Anfield crowd, plenty of them holding up yellow cards in protest at the move from owners Fenway Sports Group to put up season ticket prices again.

And good on those supporters. It’s always the same: football clubs talk up the importance of their home atmosphere as a genuine difference maker to team performance. And then they price out that grassroots support quite deliberately. And then, when form turns for the worse, they urge that they need the supporters to help them.

Make no mistake: the emotional blackmail about PSR and everyone having to help out is nonsense. Ticket revenue is a small percentage of the whole. If costs go up, there is one party capable of swallowing it (the club) and one who really can’t (the long-term season ticket holders). This isn’t a dilemma; it’s a choice.

Arsenal are doing it their way

The supposition was that the title race potentially coming down to goal difference might be a good thing for Arsenal. With their previous matches being uber-tense and uber-tight, margins reduced and set pieces becoming the only likely source of attacking joy, this gave Arteta a get out. He wouldn’t be sacrificing his principles; he’d simply be adapting to the needs of the situation by being more attacking to seek an advantage.

That did not happen against Newcastle, a team in no form at all who had conceded two or more goals in each of their previous four matches. Arsenal scored from a corner routine – setting a new Premier League record in the process – and largely refused to test Newcastle’s resolve from that point onward. They were fortunate for Newcastle’s own profligacy.

Perhaps the plan is to win every game their way and hope Manchester City stumble. Perhaps they will be more expansive against Burnley and score enough goals to pip City. But Arsenal have now gone seven games without scoring more than one goal. Which is an interesting vibe when the title might come down to how many you’re scoring.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur (Palhinha 82′)

MOLINEUX STADIUM – The prospect of this being a Championship fixture next season was unthinkable in September, when a third-placed Tottenham Hotspur drew with bottom-club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Now Tottenham are desperately fighting to prevent that from becoming the case, a gritty 1-0 win their first in the Premier League of 2026, and only secured thanks to a worldie Antonin Kinsky save keeping out Joao Gomes’ free-kick in the final minute.

A rare victory, then, and one only slightly soured by the fact relegation rivals West Ham United won against Everton as well.

It means Spurs remain in the Premier League relegation zone with four games to go, but their prospects are brighter than they were at 4.15pm on Saturday – when there was a four-point gap between themselves in 18th and West Ham in 17th.

At that point, Wolves fans revelled in singing “You’re going down with the Wanderers…” and “Premier League you’re having a laugh…”, but it was then Spurs supporters basking in the Wolverhampton sun after Joao Palhinha bundled the ball in from a corner in the 82nd minute.

And, what a shock, that is what can happen when you put corners in the box.

Somehow, in this game of probabilities, Spurs opted to send a first-half corner to the edge of the area, where Pedro Porro met the ball thinking he was Paul Scholes. The volley was as high as it was wide and a reminder the Spurs full-back does not quite boast the technique of the ex-Manchester United midfielder.

So when Spurs did find the breakthrough, it arrived in basic fashion, a messy corner resulting in Palhinha poking home the loose ball.

Few saw it coming. Spurs had look clueless in attack, had lost both Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons to injury either side of half-time, and utterly lacked a creative spark with a starting midfield of Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher and Yves Bissouma.

Sometimes then you just have to put it in the mixer. It wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t matter.

West Ham winning means the gap remains two points, and going forward the main worry for Spurs will be that no club they face after this – Aston Villa, Leeds United, Chelsea and Everton – are quite as bad as already-relegated Wolves.

The second worry: injuries. Again. Solanke hobbling off and Simons going off on a stretcher – sparking ACL fears ahead of the World Cup – means Spurs will have to limp their way over the line. If that is without Simons, then it is without their most creative outlet.

And at this rate, now onto 34 points to West Ham’s 36, the 40-point mark may not be so magic. West Ham were relegated with a record-high 42 points back in 2003. It’s unlikely that will be required this time, but it could be close.

And for Spurs, Saturday was a reminder of what they must fight to avoid. They have become the team everyone wants to lose, and should they drop down to the Championship, they would become the club every other second-tier club desperately wants to beat.

It would be relentless, and not merely because of the schedule, as 46 times they would face teams who would nothing more than contributing to their spiral.

They have four games to avoid that. It is out of their hands, but by going back to basics, they have a chance.

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Relegation-threatened Tottenham continue their push to escape the Premier League’s bottom three when they visit Wolves, whose drop to the Championship has already been confirmed, at 3pm.

At the same time, there is another huge game in the battle for safety as West Ham, who are currently two points ahead of Spurs, host Everton.

Arsenal will look to return to the top of the table – at least temporarily – when they take on Newcastle at 5.30pm. They are currently second with a worse goal difference than Manchester City, who take on Southampton in the FA Cup semi-finals at 5.15pm.

In the day’s other Premier League games, Fulham host Aston Villa and Crystal Palace visit Liverpool.

Elsewhere, the Women’s Six Nations continues with England hosting Wales, Scotland traveling to Italy and France hosting Ireland. There is also action in the County Championship and across the football league.

Follow The i Paper’s updates below…

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Liverpool denied a penalty by VAR

Liverpool 0-0 Crystal Palace

Mohamed Salah is brought down by Brennan Johnson inside the Palace box, but the replays show he made contact with the ball before Salah.

Liverpool fans protest ticket price rises

Liverpool 0-0 Crystal Palace

Reds fans’ protests against rising ticket prices continue at Anfield today.

The ground becomes a sea of yellow cards at the supporters continue to voice their frustration.

Oh, Porro…

Reporting from Molineux

Wolves 0-0 Tottenham

Spurs are on top and playing with urgency, but unsurprisingly they are lacking confidence where it matters: in front of goal.

And in the game of percentages, it’s probably best to send any corner they win into the box. Instead, the corner picks out Pedro Porro 20 yards out, and Paul Scholes he is not…

His ugly volley goes well wide to the delight of this home crowd.

England lead Wales at half-time

In the Women’s Six Nations, England are 29-12 up against Wales at a sold out Ashton Gate.

England are currently top on 10 points, with France being the only other side to have won both of their first two matches.

Kick off

Right then, time for our three 3pm games in the Premier League.

Tottenham are at Wolves, West Ham host Everton, and Liverpool take on Crystal Palace.

Can Wolves drag Spurs down with them?

Reporting from Molineux Stadium

This feels huge, and to fall on a Saturday at 3pm: strange. Especially with Tottenham’s relegation rivals West Ham also in action at the same time at home to Everton.

Quite what the relegation picture will look like come 5pm remains to be seen, but on a glorious day at Molineux it’s time to see whether Tottenham can pick up points at what has become a bogey ground of late.

They’re winless against Wolves in the last six league meetings, and have lost the last three here. This is a poorer Wolves, a now relegated Wolves, but could they drag Spurs down with them? No one is ruling that out.

MK Dons promoted to League One

Elsewhere, a 3-0 won at home to Tranmere Rovers earned MK Dons promotion from League Two.

It is now down to a two-horse race for the title between them and Bromley.

Last-gasp drama as York win the National League

Wow! Utterly unbelievable scenes in the National League.

York City only needed a draw to win the division and earn promotion to League Two.

Six minutes added at 0-0. Then Emmanuel Dieseruvwe sent the home fans wild, scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time for Rochdale.

That wasn’t the end of it, though. Josh Stones scored in the 13th minute of stoppage time to equalise for York and win the league.

Rochdale, despite racking up 106 points across the season, will have to face the play-offs.

Rochdale fans invaded the pitch. It wasn’t all over.

Full time: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Well, far from the most thrilling of games to kick off the afternoon’s Premier League action, but it’s a win for Fulham.

They move up to within two points of sixth place.

Man City beaten by Brighton in the WSL

Khadija Shaw reduced the deficit for Manchester City, but they fall to just their third defeat of the season away at Brighton.

Losing means they remain five points from guaranteeing the title.

Team news – Liverpool vs Crystal Palace

Liverpool: Woodman, Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Isak, Gakpo.

Subs: Pecsi, Gomez, Kerkez, Chiesa, Frimpong, Gravenberch, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Wright.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Lacroix, Canvot, Munoz, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell, Johnson, Mateta, Sarr.

Subs: Benítez, Clyne, Riad, Sosa, Devenny, Lerma, Hughes, Pino, Strand Larsen.

Fulham have a goal disallowed

Timothy Castagne thinks he has doubled Fulham’s advantage as he heads home a corner from close range.

Butu the referee rules it out as Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was having his shirt tucked.

Team news – Wolves vs Tottenham

Wolves: Sa, Lima, Doherty, S Bueno, Toti, H Bueno, Andre, J Gomes, R Gomes, Mane, Armstrong.

Subs: Bentley, Tchatchoua, Olagunju, Wolfe, A Gomes, Bellegarde, Edozie, Hwang, Arokodare.

Tottenham: Kinsky, Spence, Danso, Van de Ven, Porro, Bissouma, Gallagher, Bentancur, Xavi, Kolo Muani, Solanke.

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Palhinha, Richarlison, Maddison, Tel, Gray, Bergvall, Souzs.

Team news – West Ham vs Everton

West Ham: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Fernandes, Souček, Bowen, Summerville, Pablo, Taty

Subs: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Scarles, Todibo, Potts, Magassa, Kante, Adama, Wilson.

Everton: Pickford, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Mykolenko, Garner, Gana, McNeil, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Barry.

Subs: Travers, Patterson, George, Dibling, Coleman, Alcaraz, Rohl, Iroegbunam, Armstrong.

Games back under way

We are about six minutes into the second half at Craven Cottage, where Fulham are currently beating Aston Villa.

The visitors have had a bright start to the second half and are having a lot of success on the break.

The second halves have also started across the other divisions.

The top stories from across the pyramid so far

Championship side Middlesbrough are currently beating Watford 2-0. A victory moves them to within a point of second-placed Ipswich having played a game more.

It is currently 0-0 between Ipswich and West Brom.

In League Two, MK Dons are beating Tranmere 2-0. A win today would confirm automatic promotion to League One.

In the title decider in the National League, it is currently goalless between York City and Rochdale. Rochdale need to win to earn automatic promotion to the EFL.

Half-time: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Ryan Sessegnon’s goal means the hosts are in front at the break. Villa were just caught napping at the back.

If it stays as it is, Fulham move to within two points of sixth-placed Brighton.

Goal! Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

Fulham take the lead at Aston Villa and it is Ryan Sessegnon who has given them the advantage.

A cross comes in and Sasa Lukic’s initial header is saved by Emi Martinez, but Sessegnon is there to drill home the rebound

Brighton beating Man City in WSL

Brighton 2-1 Manchester City

Manchester City were ahead as they continue their push for a first Women’s Super League title since 2016, but are now trailing.

Goals from Kiko Seike and Madison Haley either side of the break have put Brighton in front.

City are still nine points ahead of Chelsea having played a game more and 12 ahead of Arsenal having played two games more.

Fulham creating chances but still struggling in front of goal

Fulham 0-0 Aston Villa

Fulham have not scored in either of their past two games and do not look like doing better this afternoon.

They are enjoying a lot of the ball in the Villa third but seem to be lacking bite inside the box.

It has been a bit of a drab affair so far.

SELHURST PARK — The wait for Brennan Johnson to fulfil the expectations of his £35m move to Crystal Palace continues.

Since arriving as Palace’s club-record signing in January, before being trumped in the same window by Jorgen Strand Larsen, Johnson’s attacking account has been flimsy.

There has been a consistent absence of end product from the Welshman, who ventures into promising positions but stops short of delivering the final ball or applying the finishing touch. That lack of quality has been a thread running through his nearly four-month stay at Palace, with the forward failing to score in 19 appearances and registering just two assists.

Against West Ham on Monday night, he should have netted his first Palace goal. An exquisite cross from Jefferson Lerma offered Johnson a free header less than 10 yards from goal, but the 24-year-old got his angles carelessly wrong and guided extremely wide of the target. It was the best chance of a relatively drab affair, as Johnson’s panicked header epitomised the disappointment of his early career in red and blue.

A foolish yellow card on El Hadji Malick Diouf followed. Although there was a hint of his quality, receiving the ball from Yeremy Pino before taking a touch and releasing a prompt effort narrowly wide of the post. On the whole, however, he struggled to have the desired impact.

His manager, Oliver Glasner, papered over the cracks in his post-match press conference — insisting Johnson’s performance marked progress as he attacked areas and occupied spaces he had previously struggled to, while demonstrating a better grasp of Palace’s defensive habits.

“He was a constant threat,” Glasner said. “It was his best performance out of possession; the job he did was amazing. In the last games, he didn’t come into great situations, so it was a great step in the right direction. The first step is getting into good areas and getting chances, then the next is to convert. When I see how he finishes in training, I am pretty sure he will score a few goals before the end of the season.”

In some ways, Glasner was right. This was an improvement, although it is more of an indictment of Johnson’s sluggish start than a glowing endorsement of his display against West Ham. Notwithstanding that Palace paid a hefty sum for attacking results, not defensive traits.

There is little invention, he is not overly progressive, has little flair to beat a man and does not carry the ball — making him appear like a passenger. He has crossing ability, which he demonstrated at times against West Ham, but there must be a more concerted effort to find him in those wide areas to get the best out of him.

There is merit in the argument that Johnson requires time to adjust to Glasner’s system, which utilises narrower attackers rather than wingers, with his experience coming out wide. But that is why it beggars belief that Palace spent £35m on him midway through the season when there is little time to bed in a new signing who is essentially learning on the job. The time to adjust – especially within a hectic European schedule – is non-existent.

A mid-season fix, especially when making a club-record outlay, should be compatible with the style of play to improve the chances of an expeditious impact. After all, Johnson was signed as Palace had a shortfall in attack from the start of the campaign. Midway through the season, the recruitment should have been much more considered, with a quick result in mind. Instead, the discourse is whether Palace have wasted £35m.

Johnson may benefit from Glasner’s departure in the summer, should Palace opt for a manager who prefers wingers to inside attackers. He is more accustomed to playing out wide and timing his blistering runs to the back post, losing his man to finish clinically. There have been very few opportunities to demonstrate that efficient part of his game, which enabled him to score 18 goals in 51 appearances under Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur last season.

That may still come in a Palace shirt, and a reset in the summer, accompanied by a full pre-season, could serve him well. But the signs have been uninspiring.

As Palace continue to contend in Europe, Glasner is intent on using his attacking options in the squad to keep it fresh: starting Johnson in the last two Premier League games, with Ismaila Sarr having played in Europe. With Shakhtar Donetsk on the horizon, opportunities are likely to continue as Palace seek Conference League glory – the onus is on Johnson to start taking his chances.