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Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray admitted his side are in “good spirits” ahead of the second leg of their Championship play-off semi-final at Luton. The Black Cats take a slender advantage into the game after securing a 2-1 win at the Stadium of Light in the first leg on Saturday. Luton had gone ahead in the 11th minute through Elijah Adebayo’s close-range strike, but Amad Diallo curled in a stunning equaliser before Trai Hume headed them in front after the break. “I think the team are in good spirits. I’ve said all season, we believe we can compete against anybody in the league,” Mowbray told a pre-match press conference. “This game is against a team who finished 11 points in front of us, finished third in the league, a fantastic season Luton have had, they’ve been growing their club for the last three or four years. “They’ve got an experienced group of players, very together, and you can feel that. I said at the last press conference, you feel their comradeship. “I think we did amazing to come out on top in the first game and I’m not anticipating too much difference second game. It’s a tighter environment of course, if anything they might double down on what they do and how they play and we have to try and do the same.” Sunderland will be aiming to build on their lead at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night and Mowbray urged his side to “enjoy the challenge” of playing against the Hatters. He added: “Obviously (we’ve) been there this season, it’s a tight ground, tight dressing room, tight tunnel, it feels a tighter pitch than the Stadium of Light. “It’s a totally different challenge for us but one that we should look forward to and go with some confidence and enjoy the challenge of trying to play against a team that are very athletic, very physical. “If they get their game plan right, they could give us lots of problems, of course, but we have to concentrate on what we do well and see if we can give them problems.” There are more injury concerns for an already stretched Sunderland side, with Mowbray admitting he is unsure whether Alex Pritchard and Patrick Roberts will be involved. Both players were withdrawn in the final 10 minutes of the first leg, but Mowbray confirmed that Aji Alese could be involved following his return to training. “Pritchard and Roberts are touch and go, I’d suggest,” the Sunderland boss said. “They might both make it, they both might not make it, one might make it. I sit here today not really knowing. “Alese trained today, which is good. I discussed with him maybe (being) on the bench. “A 6ft 3ins kid who can run all day up and down, whether we get him on the pitch if they’re chasing a goal or putting it in our box, it will be good to have someone over the height of six foot in there to try and head it out. “We’re not too far away from what we were the other day.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Michael Carrick not losing sleep in Middlesbrough’s bid to overcome Coventry Carlos Alcaraz stunned by world number 135 Fabian Marozsan at Italian Open Alex Iwobi targets maximum haul from Everton’s crucial last two games

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick will not be losing any sleep as he tries to guide his club past Coventry into the Sky Bet Championship play-off final. Carrick and his players were woken in the early hours on Sunday morning after fireworks were set off outside the Forest of Arden hotel at which they were staying ahead of their first-leg clash with the Sky Blues at the CBS Arena. Whether the ploy, which has been attributed to mischievous City fans, worked or not is moot after the teams fought out a 0-0 draw, and everything is still to play for in the return at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening. Asked if he was the sort of person who ever lost sleep over football matches, a relaxed Carrick said: “I’m generally a good sleeper fortunately. “Sometimes after games…before games I sleep well – most of the time before games, I sleep well. Sometimes after games, if it’s a night game especially… “It was a little bit worse when I was a player because there’s that little bit more adrenaline going through your system, but most of the time I sleep pretty well.” Mark Robins and his players can expect a hostile welcome and a packed Riverside as Boro attempt to book a trip to Wembley and a showdown with either derby rivals Sunderland or Luton, with the Hatters facing a 2-1 deficit as they welcome the Black Cats to Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening. Asked if that reception might extend to a tit-for-tat last-night display of pyrotechnics, Carrick said: “Fireworks? I don’t know. “As I said after the game, I had a little chuckle and went back to sleep. Fans are fans, they want to create the atmosphere. “For me, it’s about in the stadium, the atmosphere and how the boys can feed off it. We’ll prepare and we’ll plan and we’ll go into the game exactly as we would for any other game. “But there’s no hiding that extra adrenaline. That extra spark that the supporters inside the stadium can create for us is vital to give us that boost, and I’m sure the boys will feel it and feed off it and hopefully respond to it very well. “But it won’t affect how we prepare for the game. That will be a natural kind of feeling that we benefit from.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi insists the players are targeting victories in their final two games to secure their Premier League status. Defeat at home to champions-elect Manchester City was not unexpected, even after the vital, morale-boosting win at Brighton six days previously, and has not really changed the equation for Sean Dyche’s side. One win could possibly be enough to extend their top-flight stay into a 70th season but beating both Wolves away and Bournemouth at Goodison Park would almost certainly do that. A year ago the Toffees safeguarded their future in their penultimate fixture, the final home game against Crystal Palace, but with things so tight at the bottom it is likely the outcome of one or both remaining relegation places will go to the final day. Which is why a maximum haul for Everton will be absolutely crucial. “We can’t be too down but there is a saying in football that you can’t be too high, like against Brighton, and then too low about City. We just need to kick on and go again,” said Iwobi. “The mindset is to have the belief that we can stay up and get maximum points – get six points. “We have to prepare, analyse and see Wolves’ weaknesses and how we capitalise against them.” Despite the City defeat the fans who remained behind at a rapidly-emptying Goodison Park were keen to voice their support for the players. Iwobi accepts that will be crucial for the final day of the season against a Bournemouth side who are already safe but said it was an important boost for the squad heading to Molineux before that, especially in a campaign which has been fractious between fans and the club. “To have the fans having our back after a disappointing result shows how much the fans care and want us to do well,” he added. “We use that as motivation to go into the next game. If they can fight for us, it is only right that we can fight for them as well.” Right-back Nathan Patterson is still trying to find his feet in the side having struggled with fitness and it has been difficult for him coming into an under-performing side, starting the last two matches due to an injury to Seamus Coleman. But having been given his chance he is focused on the fight for survival rather than worrying too much about his own personal difficulties. “You always have to be ready any time you are called upon and I feel I’ve done that in the last couple of games,” he said. “We are making sure we are focused on the things we do and as long as we do our job and do our best I’m sure we will be fine. “All season we’ve concentrated on ourselves, trying to not look at the table and anyone around us. “We just have to make sure we are focused and everyone is on the right page.” Everton are still waiting to find out the extent of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s groin problem, which forced him to be taken off as a precaution at half-time with the side already 2-0 down against City. Manager Sean Dyche refused to take any chances after the injury-plagued forward reported a niggle in the first half and took him out of the firing line in the hope he can still feature in their remaining two games. While Calvert-Lewin has scored only once in five appearances after two-and-half months out with a hamstring problem, his return to the side has contributed to better performances with him being able to provide a focal point. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rising stars have chance to emulate footballing greats at FIFA youth tournament Carlos Alcaraz stunned by world number 135 Fabian Marozsan in Rome FA take no action against Oxford’s Ciaron Brown after spot-fixing investigation

A tournament which gave players like Sir Bobby Charlton, Pep Guardiola and David Beckham one of their first tastes of international competition is poised for its 83rd edition this week. The Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup was first held in the Swiss city of Zurich in 1939, with FIFA assuming the patronage of the event in 1991 before it took on its current name in 1995. It welcomes clubs’ under-19 teams from around the world, and since 2018 a women’s tournament runs concurrently with the men’s. This year, Liverpool and Arsenal have been invited to the men’s and women’s tournaments respectively. Any players in their squads who are in need of any extra motivation heading into the tournament on May 17 and 18 need only look at some of the star names who have competed in the past. Manchester United’s ‘Busby Babes’ team – featuring Charlton and Duncan Edwards among others – triumphed in 1954, one of 18 titles won in this tournament by the Red Devils. A decade later, a United side featuring George Best took part. Best, who had just turned 18, wrote a postcard to his parents from the tournament, reporting: “The weather here is brilliant. The food isn’t too good. The girls are fabulous.” United’s ‘Class of 92’ also took part, with Beckham playing in the tournament alongside Gary Neville every year between 1992 and 1995. Paul Scholes also featured in 1992 and 1994, while another United star Roy Keane took part in the event for Nottingham Forest in 1990. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is another Blue Stars alumnus, having played at the 1988 tournament for Barcelona alongside Albert Ferrer. The pair would go on to help the Catalan giants become champions of Europe just four years later. Current Arsenal midfield star Lia Walti sees the event in her home country as an event the young Gunners should relish playing in. “Looking back at my childhood, it was mostly small tournaments we played,or tournaments at weekends when we used to camp overnight,” the Switzerland international told fifa.com. “So yes, I would have loved to have had more of those tournaments as they gave me some of the best memories from my childhood. I’m sure that nowadays women and girls have more opportunities than 15 or 20 or years ago when I was at that age. “At the beginning (of my career) we could hardly make a living from the game, the pitch conditions were bad and there were only a few spectators. “Now the time (for women’s football) has come, and everything is a bit closer to the men’s game. Not yet on a financial level, but the situation in general, with better pitch conditions, lots of fans, big stadiums and more support.” Walti described the Arsenal team which will go for glory in Zurich as “physical”. They will be up against Swiss sides Basel and Zurich, along with Swedish outfit Rosengard in Group A. The top two from the group advance to the semi-finals to take on the top two from Group B. The teams finishing third and fourth in each group will also face each other. The men’s competition follows the same format. Liverpool are in Group B alongside founding club Blue Stars, their Zurich neighbours Grasshopper and Brazilian side Corinthians. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Alex Iwobi targets maximum haul from Everton’s crucial last two games Carlos Alcaraz stunned by world number 135 Fabian Marozsan in Rome FA take no action against Oxford’s Ciaron Brown after spot-fixing investigation

Pep Guardiola says a week in which Manchester City can reach the Champions League final and win the Premier League again is a “dream come true”. Arsenal’s 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton following City’s victory by the same scoreline at Everton means Guardiola’s side can clinch a fifth title in six seasons next weekend. But before that City will have to get past holders Real Madrid in a home semi-final second leg to maintain their quest for a first Champions League triumph, with the tie level at 1-1. “It is a dream come true being here, honestly,” said Guardiola, whose side also have an FA Cup final against Manchester United to look forward to next month. “I know at the end we maybe don’t get all the trophies, people say we are a not good team, a ‘failure’ team, but it is a dream come true being here. “We are the only team in Europe fighting for all the competitions: the FA Cup final with Manchester United and still it is not over, the Premier League never ends, we know that from the past with Liverpool. “(We have) the semi-final at home with our people, second leg trying to reach the final of the Champions League. “Where we have come from previous seasons is an extraordinary season and hopefully we can finish well.” It is a dream come true being here, honestly. We are the only team in Europe fighting all the competitions Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola City, who are currently on an 11-match winning run in the league as part of a 22-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, can guarantee the Premier League title with victory at home to Chelsea next Sunday. But they will be confirmed as champions even sooner if Arsenal are defeated at relegation-battling Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. Guardiola is taking nothing for granted but knows the win at Everton, after their draw in the Bernabeu, was key in keeping the Gunners out of reach. Everton went into the game on the back of an impressive 5-1 win at high-flying Brighton but a brace from Ilkay Gundogan either side of Erling Haaland’s 36th league goal of the season secured the points for City at Goodison Park. “When I see Chelsea and Brighton (City’s next two matches) we have a lot of work to do,” Guardiola added. “But this one (Everton) away was a tricky one. “I was really impressed by the way Everton handled the game against Brighton but from the first minute we controlled the game, except certain transitions. “They are the best in the Premier League from every free-kick and corner since Sean Dyche went in there, it is almost a goal every time. Arsenal lost here for one corner, so it happens. “We had the patience and momentum and movements from Riyad (Mahrez) and Phil (Foden) was really good in behind. We scored the goals in the right moment. “It was so important and nice to to celebrate with our fans away because they are always with us.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wrexham plan talks with Ben Foster over whether he wants to carry on playing Nat Sciver-Brunt says mental health break helped put her in a ‘good place’ Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are out on their own, says Curtis Strange

Wrexham are to hold talks with Ben Foster over whether the former England goalkeeper wants to prolong his career with them in the English Football League. Foster was retired for nine months until he answered a Wrexham SOS in March after regular goalkeeper Rob Lainton was ruled out for the rest of the campaign through injury. The 40-year-old played the final eight games of the season, saving a stoppage-time penalty in the crunch 3-2 victory over title rivals Notts County, as Wrexham won the National League with a record points total of 111. “A discussion will take place with Ben Foster to establish if his intention is to return to retirement or continue playing,” Wrexham said in a statement announcing their end of season release/retained list. Foster said last month he could extend his career after Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the EFL under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. “You have to contemplate it because to be part of Wrexham is a special thing,” said Foster, who had a loan spell at the Welsh club in 2005 before going on to play for Manchester United, Watford, Birmingham and West Brom. “It’s nice to be a man of leisure and freedom and I really enjoyed my retirement. I had a great time for nine months. “But everybody who plays here can see that Wrexham is a really special club.” Wrexham have extended Paul Mullin’s contract by a further season following promotion. Mullin has scored 76 goals since joining from Cambridge in the summer of 2021, 47 of them coming last season. Mark Howard and Anthony Forde have also had one-season contract extensions and Liam McAlinden will be offered a new deal. Wrexham will exercise the option to keep Scott Butler and Aaron James. Harry Lennon is to retire from playing due to injury, while Reece Hall-Johnson, Jake Hyde and Rory Watson are among other players to be released. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Nat Sciver-Brunt says mental health break helped put her in a ‘good place’ Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are out on their own, says Curtis Strange Martin Odegaard admits Arsenal must learn from crushing Brighton defeat

Uefa’s executive committee confirmed last year the most significant changes to the Champions League in a generation. Days before the failed European Super League plot was launched back in 2021, Uefa announced reforms to the Champions League had received unanimous backing from the European Club Association and Uefa Club Competitions Committee. It confirmed plans to change the format of European football’s top club competition from 2024, giving the tournament its first new look in 20 years. The proposals were not met with the same level of backlash that greeted the Super League plans but have still been criticised by leading fans’ groups, including the Football Supporters’ Association [FSA]. “We are united in opposition to proposals to reform the Champions League that are a back door attempt at a return to the discredited idea of a European Super League,” read a statement from the FSA’s Premier League Network. But what are the changes, and how will the Champions League look from 2024 now the plans have been voted through? Here’s everything you need to know. What would the new Champions League look like? Since 2003, the Champions League has been a 32-team competition with a single group-stage phase followed by a knockout phase. The 32 teams, seeded according to league position and Uefa coefficient, have been split into eight groups of four, with the top two teams progressing to the last-16 after six rounds of matches in a round-robin format with both home and away matches. That has then been followed by three two-legged rounds, the last-16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, with matches played home and away, before the final at a neutral venue. From 2024, the group stage will look completely different. There are two main changes: four additional teams will be added to take the number of clubs up to 36, and a single league format will be used. The league phase will determine an overall ranking - from 1st to 36th, with three points for a win and one for a draw as usual. The top eight teams will advance to the last 16, with the 16 teams finishing between ninth and 24th entering the play-off round over two legs, with a victory securing passage to the last 16. Teams who finish 25th or below will be eliminated and will not drop down to the Europa League. How will the league format work? Uefa and the European Club Association reached agreement on this last year. The number of fixtures is set to increase from the current six to eight, after Uefa compromised on its original plan of ten. Fixtures would be determined using a ‘Swiss-style’ seeding system. All eight matches will be played against different teams, with four at home and four away, and organised by seeding. All the results would contribute to the overall league ranking. Will it change the knockout phase? Apart from the play-off round, the knockout phase is set to be the same from the last 16 stage. There have been reports, however, that Uefa will discuss the idea of scrapping two-legged semi-finals in favour of a ‘final four’ format played across a week in one European city. Will some clubs be able to qualify based on past performance? No, this has been scrapped by Uefa, after the plans were met with criticism and would have opened the door to there being a safety net for the biggest clubs and widening the inequalities in European football to an even greater extent. Instead, Uefa will award two extra places to the countries who collectively performed best in Europe in the previous season. If applied to next season that would mean England gaining an extra spot, along with the Netherlands. This would mean the Premier League would have five Champions League teams for that season. Unlike the coefficient plans, it would mean there would be no barrier to certain clubs receiving an additional spot. How will the other two extra Champions League spots be allocated? According to Uefa, the other two spots will be allocated according to this criteria: Slot one: One of the additional places will go to the club ranked third in the championship of the association in fifth position in the Uefa national association ranking. Slot two: Another will be awarded to a domestic champion by extending from four to five the number of clubs qualifying via the so-called ‘Champions Path’. Read More Uefa insist Champions League final will be held in Istanbul despite Turkey election unrest UEFA in talks over salary cap and ‘everyone agrees’ – Aleksander Ceferin Ceferin would not rule out a Champions League final being held in United States Bruno Fernandes warns Alejandro Garnacho he cannot relax at Manchester United Brighton win puts Manchester City on title brink – 5 things from Premier League Sam Allardyce refuses to criticise Leeds’ Patrick Bamford despite penalty miss

Manchester United are considering a move for Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel - despite ongoing contract talks with David de Gea. While Erik ten Hag wants the Spanish goalkeeper to stay, the Dutch coach is also intent on creating competition and ensuring he has different tactical options. Kobel is one of those who fits the profile required, especially given his ability with his feet, something that has been an issue for De Gea this season. Dortmund, aware of long-standing interest from a number of clubs, including Chelsea, are intent on offering Kobel a new deal themselves. The Switzerland international’s current contract runs until 2026 but has established himself as one of the leading goalkeepers in the Bundesliga this season, and among the most promising in the game. While the 25-year-old did make headlines following a high-profile error in Dortmund’s showdown with Bayern Munich, he is seen as having been influential to a first proper title challenge in years. Read More Mikel Arteta knows why Arsenal suffered title agony - here’s what must come next Erik ten Hag finally within sight of matching a past Manchester United great... no, not that one Bruno Fernandes warns Alejandro Garnacho he cannot relax at Manchester United

It was a eulogy from Pep Guardiola about a midfielder. He reflected on the excellence he can show when in a deeper role and celebrated his goalscoring exploits. He said how keen he is to keep him and that the club hierarchy know that. He was hailing Ilkay Gundogan, understandably after a tour de force. Just as predictably, Kalvin Phillips was not the object of his affection. The German’s afternoon at Goodison Park brought two goals. The Englishman’s brought two minutes of football. One could be bound for Barcelona on a free transfer in a couple of months. The other still has five years left on his Manchester City contract. Perhaps, when Gundogan plays as majestically as he has against Leeds and Everton, it is unfair to compare anyone to him. Yet in effect, Guardiola had to when Rodri sat out the games against Sheffield United and Leeds; on each occasion, he opted for Gundogan to anchor the midfield. Phillips was supposed to be the specialist defensive midfielder. Instead, he is the specialist substitute. Rodri is the most overworked member of City’s squad, with 4104 minutes under his belt. It is in part because Phillips has been trusted with just 407. Some 55 games into City’s season, Phillips has started just two: against a Bristol City team in the Championship and a Southampton side bound for that division. Guardiola’s side lost at St Mary’s, in their worst performance of the season, in the Carabao Cup. A bit-part role is not explained purely by a shoulder injury in autumn. City have scored 92 league goals, but none with Phillips on the pitch; indeed, they have a negative goal difference during his outings. Leicester scored one, and came close to getting three, after Phillips’ introduction a month ago; the midfielder described his own performance as “a bit of a stinker”. Since then, votes of no confidence have come from Guardiola, with cameos that have begun so late that nothing could go wrong: he came on injury time against West Ham, with a three-goal lead, slightly earlier at Goodison, and with the same scoreline. Scan Phillips’ season and Guardiola often brings him on so late he is destined to be the no-impact substitute: he was also introduced in injury time against Borussia Dortmund. He got one minute against West Ham in August, three against Arsenal in February, four against Chelsea in January, nine at Southampton, 12 against Sevilla, 13 at Wolves. A total of 17 appearances feels deceptive; even then, 161 of his minutes have come in the FA Cup. He may be having the worst treble-winning season ever, remembered in part for Guardiola branding him overweight after the World Cup. And if many could envy the medal collection he may soon have, Phillips in a better state could be the endearing success story – the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ who was transformed by Guardiola’s hero Marcelo Bielsa, integral for England on their run to the final of Euro 2020. Now he seems an afterthought, City’s third-choice defensive midfielder – fourth-choice if John Stones’ reinvention puts him ahead of Phillips – getting token appearances and meaningless minutes. For a while, it was possible to take solace in history. Many a player has flourished in his second season under Guardiola, after belatedly adjusting to his complex demands. Yet, even without being automatic choices, they were not marginalised. Bernardo Silva’s maiden season brought 53 appearances; 35 of them were in the Premier League, where he played 1520 minutes. Thus far, Phillips has played 105. Riyad Mahrez’s debut campaign brought 1338 top-flight minutes, Jack Grealish’s 1917, Rodri’s 2488. Each kicked on thereafter but, seemed with the benefit of hindsight, it was apparent he had a part in the manager’s long-term plans. It seems less likely that Phillips does; 10 days ago, Guardiola refused to confirm he will be at the Etihad Stadium next season and said the £42m man had to earn his confidence. So far, he has not. All of which feels more damning given Guardiola’s playing days and his status as the godfather of the midfielder. Rejection should be more painful. It could provide City with more of a problem, too. With Gundogan likely to go to Barcelona, with the prospect of another summer of interest from the Nou Camp in Silva, Phillips may present an unwanted problem; likely to be pursued elsewhere in the Premier League but adding to City’s need for reinforcements. As players of the calibre of Ronaldinho, Deco and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can testify, Guardiola can be swift to exile even the most distinguished; as Joao Cancelo knows to his cost, he can still be ruthless. Phillips faces a different form of public humiliation, embarrassed by the brevity of his contributions. He could finish the season with more medals than starts but, in a strange way, it would be a sign of how his move has gone wrong. Read More Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland It’s not necessary what he does – Pep Guardiola hits out at Everton’s Yerry Mina Kevin De Bruyne is Man City’s man for the big occasion but has he met his match?

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard admits they must learn from Sunday’s crushing 3-0 defeat at home to Brighton. The Gunners’ faint title hopes went up in smoke after second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the visitors a stunning victory at the Emirates. Premier League leaders Manchester City now need only one more win from their final three games to clinch the title but they could be crowned champions without playing if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. City won 3-0 at Everton before the Gunners’ clash with Brighton and despite a strong first-half showing, Mikel Arteta’s side folded with the Seagulls going in front in the 51st minute through Enciso before they picked off the hosts with late goals from Undav and Estupinan. Asked if mentality was an issue, Odegaard insisted: “No, I don’t think so. “I felt like we were good going into the game but yeah, in the game, it was a different story. “We have to accept that and learn from it. “In the first half we did a lot of good things and we had some moments where we could create some big chances and maybe score a goal or two. “Then in the second half we gave them more and more momentum. They are dangerous when they go direct and especially on our right side, they attacked us there a bit too easy in behind but it is hard to say at the moment. A lot of things we could do better.” While Arsenal boss Arteta did not admit defeat in the title race, Odegaard conceded their hopes were probably over. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don't know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment. Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard City’s success at Goodison Park made it 11 Premier League wins in a row and the championship is expected to be decided this coming weekend. Odegaard told Sky Sports: “Yeah, it feels like that (the title is over). I think it is going to be very difficult now. We have to be honest, so it is tough to take. “It is not a good feeling at the moment. The way we played, especially in the second half, I don’t know what happened to be honest but big, big disappointment. “Yeah, it feels like there is no hope now.” Brighton produced a scintillating second-half display to get their unlikely top-four charge back on track after they had suffered a surprise 5-1 home defeat to Everton last Monday. Roberto De Zerbi wheeled off down the touchline after Undaz’s 86th-minute lob before he dropped to his knees in celebration after Estupinan wrapped up the scoring. The Italian played down comparisons with Jose Mourinho, who did similar during his time at Porto in a match against Manchester United in 2004, but admitted the sky is the limit for him and his team. “Jose Mourinho is a great manager but I have this character, this passion,” De Zerbi stated. “I don’t know (about the future). I am focused only on qualifying for Europe now. “In my future I want to dream because I am used to giving everything in my work. I live for my work and I want to dream. I want to reach the impossible target always. “Now with Brighton. Before with Shakhtar, before with Sassuolo. When I work in football, I want to fix the target very high and if I lose, I lose and we start stronger.” De Zerbi did remain coy over the absence of Robert Sanchez, who had been his first-choice goalkeeper up until February. “We spoke two days ago and we found an agreement that today he is not going to come here,” De Zerbi explained. “He knew he was not going to play so we found an agreement.”

A frustrated Mikel Arteta apologised to the Arsenal supporters after a crushing 3-0 loss at home to Brighton all but ended their Premier League title hopes. Second-half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan earned the Seagulls a deserved victory at the Emirates that means Manchester City need one more win from their final three games to defend their crown. City could be champions on Saturday night if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest with the gap between the top two now four points, and Pep Guardiola’s side holding a game in hand on the Gunners, who have failed to win five of their last seven matches. “A really different feeling to the feeling that we all had last Sunday (at Newcastle) when we felt proud and we felt that we really did what we needed to win in certain moments. Today is completely the opposite,” Arteta admitted. “We have to apologise to our people, especially for the second half. What I have to accept first is what happened in the second half and digest it. “After that until it’s mathematically over… the second position is secure. That’s not going to change. We have to digest and that will take a few days. “At the moment it’s just frustration. The feeling that we gave the game away in the second half. We fought really hard to be in the position that we are in and today we were in a critical moment to keeping hoping and digging for that dream. When you have to play in these moments you cannot do what we did in the second half. “Then we have to look. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen.” Manchester City’s 3-0 victory at Everton earlier in the day had ramped up the pressure on Arsenal but they started strongly despite losing Gabriel Martinelli to an ankle injury after 19 minutes. Gabriel Jesus tested Jason Steele midway through the opening 45 and Leandro Trossard clipped the crossbar with a swerving effort before Bukayo Saka dragged an effort wide from 14 yards at the end of a stop-start half. Brighton punished Arsenal’s profligacy straight after half-time when Estupinan followed up his blocked cross with a scuffed centre that Enciso headed home for his third goal of the season. Arteta made a raft of changes after but the visitors stayed in control and picked off the hosts with Undav able to lob Aaron Ramsdale in the 86th minute before Estupinan grabbed a deserved goal with a close-range finish in stoppage-time. A reflective Arteta added: “Obviously what the team has done over the last 10 months is very different to what anybody expected and that generates a lot of expectation as well enthusiasm, happiness and joy. “That’s something that has to be managed in the right way and after we have the responsibility to make sure the team performs and I am responsible for that. “So, I hate the feeling of letting people down when they are expecting something. That’s the biggest regret I have today and I have to apologise for that.” It was a different set of emotions for Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who laughed off comparisons with Jose Mourinho after he wheeled off down the touchline to celebrate Undav’s goal. He did insist, however, that nothing had been achieved by his sixth-placed side. “Yes I am very delighted for the performances. I think we deserved to win but then really happy, really proud because the last five days were very difficult after the defeat on Monday (against Everton),” De Zerbi stated. “We have 58 points and not enough to qualify for Europe. “We have another four games, tough games, Newcastle, Southampton, City and last game Aston Villa and we have to fight to deserve to qualify because 58 points is not enough to play Thursdays next year.” Read More Title race over: Arsenal’s season ends with painful submission Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland Football rumours: Roberto De Zerbi expects Brighton duo to leave The sporting weekend in pictures Brighton win puts Manchester City on title brink – 5 things from Premier League

Leicester are fighting desperately against relegation from the Premier League as they welcome Liverpool to the King Power Stadium. A 5-3 defeat to Fulham, coupled with Everton’s surprise win at Brighton, has left Dean Smith’s side third from bottom with only three games left. With another tough fixture at Newcastle to follow this encounter, a positive result may be a must if Leicester are to avoid dropping out of the top tier. Liverpool will be seeking points, too - their winning run has brought them back into contention for a Champions League qualification place. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Leicester vs Liverpool? Leicester vs Liverpool is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Monday 15 May at the King Power Stadium in Leicester. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 6.30pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the Sky Go app. Team news Kelechi Iheanacho is expected to again be absent for Leicester, though the forward could return from his groin issue for the club’s final two fixtures against Newcastle and West Ham. Jannik Vestergaard, Ryan Bertrand and James Justin will not feature again this season, but both Jonny Evans and Ricardo Pereira were fit to make the bench against Fulham and could press to start. Jurgen Klopp suggested that this game will come slightly too soon for Roberto Firmino, though the Brazilian is moving closer to a return as he prepares to bid farewell to Liverpool this summer. Klopp was more pessimistic on Naby Keita, who could finish his injury-hit time at Anfield on the sidelines. Predicted line-ups Leicester XI: Iversen; Ricardo Pereira, Faes, Soyuncu, Castagne; Soumare, Tielemans, Dewsbury-Hall; Maddison, Vardy, Barnes. Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gakpo, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Jota, Nunez. Odds Leicester win 9/2 Draw 15/4 Liverpool win 3/5 Prediction Leicester nick a point to keep their surival hopes alive. Leicester 2-2 Liverpool Read More Jordan Henderson optimistic over Liverpool’s long-term prospects Surprise favourite emerges in race to be Liverpool’s new sporting director England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane, and who’s got work to do? The sporting weekend in pictures Chelsea close in on appointing Mauricio Pochettino as club’s new manager Dean Smith adamant Youri Tielemans is committed to Leicester’s survival fight