Key events
Hürzeler reveals frustration with João Pedro
Fabian Hürzeler revealed he has spoken to João Pedro about his behaviour after the striker’s sending off in Brighton’s 4-2 defeat at Brentford last week. The Brazilian was shown a straight red after lashing out at Nathan Collins and is there suspended for this weekend’s home clash with West Ham.
“Very frustrating,” said Hürzeler on the incident. “He immediately apologised that he did something wrong. We had a discussion with him – we don’t accept things like this.
“João is a young player and he makes a mistake and hopefully he has learned from this mistake for the future.”
This year’s love had better last.
We are delighted to announce that Head Coach David Gray has signed a new deal with Hibernian FC! 💚
Following his side’s magnificent run of form, the 36-year-old has penned a new three-year contract with the Club.https://t.co/a3i1Xar5Tv pic.twitter.com/o03eg59Fdl
— Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) April 25, 2025
Away from Liverpool for a moment and here’s Marco Silva on the steps he’s taking to ensure Fulham keep progressing. (He’s doing a damn good job of it).
“We have been demonstrating the progression in our football club,” Silva said at a press conference. “Step by step we are going in the direction that the club deserves – but you are not, myself, never satisfied. We always want more.”
Silva said Harry Wilson could be involved after returning from foot surgery. He added: “Harry is always a threat. We can use him from the start or the bench, (but) it has been a long period out of the game and training. He is in good shape and from the start or the bench he will definitely be involved. We need his goals and assists as well.”
More emails – from a couple of lucky Liverpool fans:
Stephen Cunningsworth: “Getting in touch as someone (hopefully) lucky enough to be going to Anfield on Sunday. Will be travelling up on the Official London Supporters Club coach – five hours up and five hours down although I’m anticipating we leave a lot later than the usual 30 mins after the final whistle. We will be bringing our ‘420 miles to see my bird’ flag onto the Kop on Sunday to add to what will be a sea of red and hopefully one big party vibe!”
Michael Jones: “I’ll be heading to the ground Sunday as one of those lucky people who will be in attendance to hopefully see us crowned champions for a 20th time
“This means so much to us, it’s our bread and butter as Shanks used to say. Slot will be joining the immortals, he has done an unbelievable job and once he’s got his hands on it and drops the soft approach to the fans a magnificent love affair will begin!”
Is there ANY chance at all Spurs will spoil the party on Sunday? It seems incredibly unlikely.
If the Premier League, FA Cup, Women’s Champions League, Spanish Cup and EFL wasn’t enough drama and jeopardy for you this weekend, there’s plenty of it to be found in non-league, as Simon Burnton reports.
Over to Spain – where there’s plenty left to play for in the remaining weeks of the season. Real Madrid and Barcelona contest the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night and both are still tussling in La Liga’s title race.
Celta Vigo are fighting for European after previously flirting with relegation. Sid Lowe has the skinny on Claudio Giráldez’s Galician revolution.
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna believes his club have made progress despite their impending relegation from the Premier League.
Ipswich’s return to the Championship after just one season back in the top flight will be confirmed on Saturday unless they win at Newcastle and 17th-placed West Ham – who have a 15-point cushion – lose away to Brighton.
McKenna, though, insists the club are well placed to go again next season.
“(We are) in a project that has been an incredible journey – the project here is to try and build a sustainable Premier League football club,” McKenna told a press conference. “We have taken some incredible steps to that quicker than anyone would have believed.
“It looks like we are going to take a step back this year, but that is often how progression needs to happen. We are all focused on making the best of the next few games and then tackling the next challenge, whatever it will be next season. It is my full 100 per cent focus.” PA Media
Some more emails, both from Irish Liverpool fans:
Trevor Byrne: “I’m a Dubliner in Manchester (and a Liverpool supporter, often undercover). The Premier League has cruelly timetabled Liverpool v Spurs at 4.30pm on Sunday, despite me having to collect two 10-week-old kittens from Warrington at 2pm. I’ll be in the house with Atari and Disco, bamboozled, amazed, delighted by their kitteny madness as they’re introduced to their new home, and as the Liverpool game plays out. But since there’s a pub with a big beer garden right next door, I’ll keep an eye on the MBM and may – if Liverpool aren’t losing – dare to dash over to catch some of the vibe (there’s another human in the house, the sisters won’t be alone). The big celebration will be after the Palace game, anyway (that’s what I’m telling myself).”
Cormac Culkeen: “I’ll be at the Menlo Park Hotel in Galway at the Poetry Lobby. They’re launching the posthumous collection of the great Irish poet, Kevin Higgins. He was a big Liverpool fan like myself. So, happy on one hand, but a lot of churning sadness and memories on the other.”
Here’s the full story from Newcastle, with everyone glad to see a healthy Eddie Howe back on duty.
An email: “Hi Dominic,” writes David Shaw. “I’ve been a weekly fan for more than 30 years. I’ve never lived in Liverpool but have close links to the city and the club. Having watched from afar, along with everyone else, when we won in 2020, I was looking forward to being much closer to events this time. However, thanks to my wife’s thoughtfulness and my absentmindedness, I’ll be in Marrakesh on Sunday. Any top tips from fellow Guardian readers on where to catch the game would be appreciated!”
Jamie Carragher has prompted a debate among some on social media with an argument in his Telegraph column that “a power shift has taken place in the Premier League” of late. I’d largely agree.
However, the Liverpool defender’s assertion that Manchester United and Tottenham “must wonder how they’re going to get back into the top six, let alone Champions League spots” is slightly flawed.
The sharp rise Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and others have enjoyed in recent times shows how level the playing field now is – financially and otherwise in the PSR era – but will actually allow United and Spurs the chance to leap back up the table next season if they get their ducks in a row. Especially if one of them wins the Europa League …
By the way, if you’re a Liverpool fan heading to Anfield this weekend, we’d love to hear from you.
Or any weird or wacky ways you’re planning to watch the game on Sunday afternoon.
Away from the Premier League and FA Cup semi-final glare, this was an illuminating piece. As a new parent, I really hope I don’t become one of those football dads.
If you’re planning an idle non-football related trip to Liverpool this weekend this weekend, I’d probably advise against it. No doubt the city will be absolutely packed with fans ready to bask in the warm glow of the club’s 20th league title – and second in the Premier League era.
That previous title was in the 2019/20 Covid season, so this will be a proper chance to celebrate drawing level with Manchester United. Slot said he hoped Liverpool’s fans would bring their usual level of noise and support … I think it might be a little louder than normal, Arne.
Tickets in the home sections are going for more than £600 each on resale sites – and even some Spurs fans are selling their away end seats.
Southampton ‘not obsessing’ about points tally
Interim Southampton boss Simon Rusk has told his players to forget about their share of an unwelcome Premier League record as they attempt to rid themselves of it for good.
The Saints have only pride for which to play after being relegated from the top flight with seven games to go, writing themselves into the division’s history books in the process, and they matched Derby’s points low of just 11 for the season after last weekend’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.
They have five games remaining in which to scrub their name from that particular entry starting with tomorrow’s game against Fulham – but Rusk is trying not to focus on that.
When asked about the record, he said: “Well, we were behind it last week and it’s good that you’ve pointed out on the positive front that we’re now equal to it, so that was the first thing to achieve, a step forward, and we did that and we did that really well last week.
“I’m not going to obsess about it, I don’t think it’s helpful. I can understand – my head’s not in the sand around it – that it’s an important thing and we want to pick up as many points, which would obviously make that something that we don’t have to talk about.
“At the minute, it’s there, but really it’s noise. As a group of men that set foot on the pitch in our set of particular games, we’ve got to look at what do we want to define us, what are going to be the things that contribute to good performance, what are going to be the things that connect us with our fans, who have been brilliant since I took on the job?
“They’re the things that will define us and as a result, as a by-product of those things, hopefully we take care of the points record. But I can’t make it the main focus, I don’t think that’s useful and it’s actually negative energy, not positive energy and that’s what I’m going after at the minute.” PA Media
Time for some light reading ahead of the FA Cup semi-finals. Our very own Ed Aarons has been chatting to Crystal Palace defensive stalwart Maxence Lacroix.
Howe says the tussle for the top five will be “tight” and that Newcastle are in a “five-game league” to land Champions League qualification for next season. His first game back in the dugout will be at home to Ipswich tomorrow.
Howe recovered but says pneumonia was ‘difficult’
Eddie Howe is back up before the media today after his pneumonia diagnosis and the Newcastle manager is wearing a big smile on his face, which is nice to see.
He jokes: “Excuse me if I cough … I’m not contagious, I’m all good!”
“I’m not 100 percent in my body but I’m very close to 100 percent in my mind. I’m well enough to face you guys today. It’s been a real challenge, you take your health for granted, so when you don’t have the luxury of feeling normal it’s difficult. I feel like I’m on the road to recovery.”
Howe again thanks the NHS staff for the care he received and admits he’s had “zero” input on the team’s training in recent days and weeks, entrusting his assistant Jason Tindall. He said he was “lifted” by the team’s performances, which he watched on TV from his hospital bed.
There are further questions for Slot to answer on him becoming the 12th different manager to lift the Premier League – and the first ever Dutchman – and another, which he bats away nicely, on the perceived lower quality of this 2024/25 league season.
“It’s never been so hard to get in the top four, or top five. In my opinion it’s a really difficult league. There’s never been an easy game.
“The other teams, other than Arsenal, City and Liverpool, also have the funds to spend.”
Slot: Liverpool have a huge responsibility
Arne Slot is not getting carried away before this decisive match in Liverpool’s season … he is clearly desperate to lift the league title in front of a packed crowd at Anfield.
“We are aware that the last time this club won the league was during the Covid time,” he said. “So everybody is looking forward to Sunday.
“But we know there’s still a job to do. We need at least one point. That is what we know and, hopefully, what our fans know as well when they come to the stadium that they support us in the best possible way they can – which they’ve done all season, but also be aware of the fact that we still need a point. That’s something we are aware of.”
Slot has warned Tottenham could surprise his team, despite Spurs’ pretty abject form – and their historically poor record at Anfield.
He added: “We’re only focussed on the next opponent and that’s Tottenham, so we’ll try to prepare the team the same way we have all season. Hopefully the team can bring the same mentality. It’s a nice game to look forward to but also a responsibility we have for Sunday.”
Slot revealed the Liverpool team watched Arsenal’s midweek draw with Crystal Palace all together. Those dropped points by the Gunners have given the Reds the chance to lift the title this weekend with four games to spare.
It was different. Normally when you watch a game of football, you are either alone or with family or friends. But we watched it all together.
Before the game, I would have been surprised if the game ended in a draw. But during the game, I wasn’t because Crystal Palace again showed what this league is all about. It was a very good performance from them as a team and there were a few very good individual performances as well.
We’ll get straight into some Arne Slot. The Dutchman’s clearly had his early morning cornflakes because he is already chatting to the press …
Preamble
Good morning all. Wow, what a weekend the football Gods have in store for us. It’s FA Cup semi-final weekend, there are all kinds of promotion and relegation permutations to be settled up and down the EFL, there are Women’s Champions League semi-finals too, the Spanish Copa del Rey final … oh, and Liverpool can be crowned champions for a record-equalling 20th time. Small matter etc etc.
With the April sun shining in the UK and very little to play for in the Premier League schedule, that end-of-season vibe is very much here – and we’re here for it. The Wembley turf will surely be looking resplendent for those FA Cup last four clashes between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, and Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
We’ll get through all the various press conferences, including Arne Slot’s as his Liverpool side prepare to face Tottenham at Anfield knowing just a single point would secure the Premier League title. And please feel free to drop me an email with your thoughts on some/all/none of the action to come.
