{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1","title":"Tiki News","home_page_url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news","feed_url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/feed.json","description":"Latest football news and match context from Tiki.","language":"en-US","items":[{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-like-proving-the-doubters-wrong-says-england-s-blindkilde-brown","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-like-proving-the-doubters-wrong-says-england-s-blindkilde-brown","title":"I like proving the doubters wrong, says England's Blindkilde Brown","summary":"Laura Blindkilde Brown has played 1266 minutes in the WSL this season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Laura Blindkilde Brown has played 1266 minutes in the WSL this season By Emma Sanders BBC Sport women’s football news reporter England midfielder Laura Blindkilde Brown says she \"likes proving people wrong\" after becoming a regular starter at Manchester City this season. The 22-year-old revealed there were \"doubts\" by City boss Andree Jeglertz at the start of the campaign and the club had contemplated sending her out on loan. However, injuries in midfield meant Blindkilde Brown had an opportunity - and she took it, starting 16 of their 19 Women's Super League matches this season. Her impressive performances have helped City build a nine-point lead at the top of the WSL table and they are closing in on a first league title in 10 years. \"Maybe at the start of the season [Jeglertz] had his doubts. I hadn't been a regular in a top club before and I'm still a young player,\" said Blindkilde Brown. \"He definitely had his doubts. I think I managed to prove to him that I can play. The belief that he's shown in me has been really helpful. He's had faith. \"I like proving people wrong anyway. When it's me and Yui [Hasegawa], we're two very small midfielders. Maybe people thought that we'd get out-muscled. \"I think we've proven that we like to play football so that's ultimately outweighed anything else. I've shown that I can play in the City team, and we're top of the league at the moment.\" 'I definitely feel more confident' Blindkilde Brown joined City for £200,000 from Aston Villa in 2024 where she made 58 appearances in the WSL as a teenager. The midfielder has gone on to make four appearances for England but faces stiff competition in Sarina Wiegman's squad. But with injuries this month, can she force her way into Wiegman's plans for Tuesday's Women's World Cup qualifier against Spain at Wembley? \"There's world class players here and the midfield is really strong so I knew I'd have to be patient,\" said Blindkilde Brown. \"I just take whatever comes really. Being around a lot of the City girls who are also here is really helpful as well. This makes me feel very comfortable. \"The standard at City is pretty similar to the standard here. Ultimately, how I play at City is why I get picked for being here. \"I definitely feel more confident. When I first got called up I was probably really nervous in training, and it was not a familiar situation for me to be in.\" Predominantly an attacking midfielder, Blindkilde Brown has shown this season she can play a more defensive role in Jeglertz's City team. She believes that has helped her progress as a player and can give her more opportunity on the international stage. \"I went to City because I knew I was going to improve so much as a player. Those first few years and months were about development,\" she added. \"I feel like I've really developed as a player since being there. Being given the opportunity this year to have more game time has been really nice. \"I'd say a big thing for me is my out-of-possession work, especially changing roles in the midfield. I knew I had to develop that part of my game a little bit more.\" Head here to get involved","date_published":"2026-04-12T12:38:51.577549+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx24r575y9po"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/farke-says-fa-cup-buzz-can-lift-leeds-for-relegation-fight","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/farke-says-fa-cup-buzz-can-lift-leeds-for-relegation-fight","title":"Farke says FA Cup buzz can lift Leeds for relegation fight","summary":"Leeds won their only FA Cup in 1972","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Leeds won their only FA Cup in 1972 By Elizabeth Botcherby BBC Sport journalist Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke dismissed suggestions an FA Cup semi-final could distract his side from their Premier League relegation battle, saying it should give them \"lots of confidence\" instead. Farke's side beat West Ham on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final to reach the last four for the first time in 39 years. They sit just three points above the relegation zone with seven matches remaining, returning to Premier League action with a trip to Manchester United on Monday. Further matches follow against bottom side Wolves (18 April) and mid-table Bournemouth (22 April) before their FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley on 26 April. Although Farke is banning his players from discussing the FA Cup, he says the return of the \"winning feeling\" against West Ham – something they have experienced just twice in 14 league matches since Christmas – can only be \"positive\". \"We take lots of confidence from it,\" Farke said. \"I can guarantee no-one is distracted right now about the FA Cup semi-finals. I will make sure after this press conference no-one speaks about it. \"There is no excuse for not being focused on the next three games. \"It's definitely a positive. You just have to look in the eyes of the people for how much it means to them. \"It's a different competition. It doesn't help us in terms of points for the Premier League, but there's no replacement for wins and this winning feeling.\" Wigan became the first club to win the FA Cup and be relegated in the same season when they beat Manchester City in the 2013 final. But while there are significant financial benefits to Premier League survival, with a 17th-place finish earning a club in excess of £10m in merit payments compared to a prize of £2.1m for winning the FA Cup, Farke indicated he will not sacrifice Leeds ' shot at Wembley glory. \"We want to grab this with both hands and we will never use this as an excuse [for league performances],\" he added.","date_published":"2026-04-12T12:38:48.68171+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c93e13ed7wlo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/four-months-and-counting-de-ligt-s-wait-for-man-utd-return-goes-on","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/four-months-and-counting-de-ligt-s-wait-for-man-utd-return-goes-on","title":"Four months and counting - De Ligt's wait for Man Utd return goes on","summary":"Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt spent last week at the club's Carrington training ground having treatment and doing rehab work on his back injury","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt spent last week at the club's Carrington training ground having treatment and doing rehab work on his back injury By Simon Stone Manchester United reporter \"Licha back in the squad. Harry's new contract. Good day to be a centre-half\" - so crowed the Manchester United Instagram account last Tuesday lunchtime. Try telling that to Matthijs de Ligt. Unlike Lisandro 'Licha' Martinez and Harry Maguire, and Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven for that matter, De Ligt did not spend the week in the plush surroundings of the Carton House Hotel in Maynooth, 20 miles outside Dublin. While most United players were having a getaway, De Ligt was back in Manchester, keeping himself in shape for the point, as yet undetermined, when he gets the green light to start playing again. The 26-year-old's absence from Michael Carrick's 25-man squad was particularly noticeable because Patrick Dorgu was in it. Dorgu is back 'out on the grass', in football speak, after his recent hamstring issue, so it was felt worthwhile to bring him along even though he was not going to be involved in Monday's Premier League encounter with Roses rivals Leeds at Old Trafford. Therein lies the problem. As Dorgu suffered a muscular issue in the closing minutes of Manchester United's win at Arsenal in January, the club's medical staff knew what they were dealing with: eight to 10 weeks, give or take, and the Denmark international could start pushing again, hence his presence in Maynooth. De Ligt is not in the same position. Multiple sources acknowledge that despite his status as a professional athlete – and the medical facilities available to him - the Dutchman is in the same position as anyone else managing a back problem. That is to say that one day it might feel OK, but the next day not so much. De Ligt – and interim United boss Carrick – need to be sure his back can cope with the physical toll that comes with preparing for, and playing in, Premier League matches. There have been periods when it was felt De Ligt was getting close. Sources have said he has also been 'on the grass' at times. This is not one of those times. It is not being categorised as a setback. If De Ligt feels OK, he can do work outside. If he doesn't, he can't. Unlike with a muscular problem, the situation can change very quickly. De Ligt has not played for United since the 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on 30 November. Former head coach Ruben Amorim was not being deliberately misleading when, after De Ligt missed his first game of the season against West Ham in December, he told Sky Sports the problem was \"a small thing\" and he expected the defender to be available for the next game, against Wolves four days later. At that stage, that is what Amorim genuinely felt. Those around him were also making plans that suggested he would be playing again pretty soon. Sadly for De Ligt, an outstanding performer for United in the early months of the season, that is not what happened. De Ligt upbeat but chances of return this season receding It is over four months since De Ligt last played. While sources stress his mood is good and he remains optimistic about a return before the end of the campaign, he is also acutely aware there will need to be some kind of lead-in time and games are running out. There is also the reality that with United within touching distance of securing a return to the Champions League, which may prove decisive in Carrick getting the full-time head coaching role, the man in charge is unlikely to take risks with player availability. Asked about the possibility last month, before the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, Carrick said he did not want to talk about surgery as a possible remedy to De Ligt's problem. It is understood that is not a path the player is speaking about either. There is a good reason for that. No two cases are the same, but Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams' recovery from back surgery in the summer of 2024 went well. It was nearly four months before he was ready to start games. There are other examples of absences stretching on far longer. For now, De Ligt's wait goes on. Tuesday was a good day for Martinez and Maguire, but for another of Manchester United's central defenders, it was a familiar and frustrating one, which Carrick outlined when he spoke to media before the Leeds game. \"Just treatment and rehab,\" was his answer when asked what De Ligt had been doing at United's Carrington training base while his team-mates had their enjoyable camp on the other side of the Irish Sea. \"The reason he didn't come, and Patrick did, is that Patrick is a little bit further on.\" But what does treatment and rehab look like? Carrick tried to make a joke of the situation, but there was a serious undertone. \"You're not trying to ask me to dissect his day?\" he said. \"It's different treatment and different exercises. He's obviously in the gym and he's doing work, but he's not ready for the grass yet. \"Unfortunately, that's the kind of process you have to go through when you're injured. \"Sometimes it happens quicker; sometimes there's things that don't quite go to plan and it's a bit slower. \"He's working through that at the moment and we're trying to get him back right.\"","date_published":"2026-04-12T12:38:47.708936+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj60w61z4lzo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/robertson-has-verbal-agreement-with-spurs-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/robertson-has-verbal-agreement-with-spurs-gossip","title":"'Robertson has verbal agreement with Spurs' - gossip","summary":"Tottenham Hotspur reportedly have a verbal agreement to sign Andy Robertson this summer, while Celtic are linked with Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan.","content_text":"Image source, SNS Tottenham Hotspur reportedly have a verbal agreement to sign Andy Robertson this summer, while Celtic are linked with Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. Tottenham Hotspur have a verbal agreement to sign 32-year-old Scotland left-back Andy Robertson when he is released by Liverpool this summer - if the London club avoid relegation. (TalkSport) , external Andy Robertson could finally make his long-awaited return to boyhood club Celtic when he leaves Liverpool on a free transfer this summer. (Football Insider) , external Lawrence Shankland looks increasingly likely to stay at Heart of Midlothian until the end of the 30-year-old Scotland striker's current contract despite long-standing interest in his signature from Rangers. (Football Insider) , external Celtic and Club Brugge are interested in 33-year-old Australian goalkeeper Mathew Ryan, who is out of contract with Levante this summer. (Voetbal24) , external Two Scottish Premiership clubs, plus clubs in League One and League Two, have expressed an interest in Harrison Jones after Sunderland opted against triggering a one-year option for the versatile 21-year-old midfielder. (Sunderland Echo) , external Brazil assistant Davide Ancelotti has warned Scotland his father could still recall 34-year-old Santos forward Neymar to their World Cup squad. (The National) , external The Scottish Professional Football League is preparing for a potential Old Firm Premiership play-off should the title race end in a deadlock between Rangers and Celtic. (Daily Record) , external","date_published":"2026-04-12T08:37:32.933507+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cvg0pzwvwd8o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wales-told-to-show-up-in-albania-qualifiers","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wales-told-to-show-up-in-albania-qualifiers","title":"Wales told to show up in Albania qualifiers","summary":"Rhian Wilkinson has been Wales head coach since February 2024","content_text":"Image source, FAW Image caption, Rhian Wilkinson has been Wales head coach since February 2024 By Gareth Vincent BBC Sport Wales Rhian Wilkinson has told Wales they must \"show up\" in their Women's World Cup qualifying double-header against Albania if they are to maintain their bid to finish top of the group. Wales face the Albanians at Wrexham's Stok Cae Ras on Tuesday (19:15 BST) before travelling for the return fixture in Elbasan next Saturday (17:00 BST). Wilkinson's side began their bid to book a place a Brazil 2027 in positive fashion last month, when they followed up an away draw against Czech Republic with a comprehensive home victory against Montenegro to lead the way in Group B1 on goal difference. The Czechs, who are one place below Wilkinson's team in the Fifa rankings, are expected to be Wales' main rivals to claim top spot and the more favourable play-off path which comes with finishing first. Wilkinson says the target this week is two victories – but insists her players cannot take Albania lightly. \"We're looking to win the group, that's the goal, the ambition, we don't want to be shy about saying that,\" the Wales head coach said. Wales v Albania Women's World Cup qualifying Tuesday, 14 April at 19:15 BST Stok Cae Ras, Wrexham Watch on iPlayer Listen on Sounds Watch live on BBC One Wales and iPlayer from 19:00 BST; radio commentary on BBC Sounds via BBC Radio Wales , BBC Radio Cymru; text commentary and match highlights on BBC Sport website and app. \"We go again against Albania who we don't know much about and we need to make sure that we're hitting the ground running because it's going to be a tight race with [only] a few teams in our group. \"I think they've got a few really excellent players and in that way on any given day, if you don't show up, you'll be punished. On paper I think that we are the favourites in these games, but we will need to show up.\" Double-header means 'different' window Image source, FAW Image caption, Safia Middleton-Patel is set to add to her eight Wales caps this week Wales' preparations for Albania have not been helped by the loss of Ceri Holland, who is arguably Wilkinson's most influential player following the retirement of Jess Fishlock. Liverpool's Holland has withdrawn from the squad named earlier this month – as has Lois Joel – while goalkeeper Olivia Clark is absent with an issue picked up during the previous international camp. As a result, Wilkinson will abandon her usual policy of rotating her keepers, with Manchester United's Safia Middleton-Patel in line to start both Albania games. The hope is that Middleton-Patel will not be overworked against opponents ranked 71st in the world, 40 places below Wales. What information do we collect from this quiz? Albania were thumped 5-1 at home by the Czechs last month, though they do have three points on the board having opened their qualifying campaign with a 2-1 victory in Montenegro. Wilkinson says playing the same opponent twice in quick succession means a \"different\" international window. \"For my analysis team they're happy there's only one team to break down,\" she said with a smile. \"No matter what the first result is, you're going to face the same team again in a few days. Can you go again if it's a good performance, can you turn it completely around if it's not? It's a different kind of challenge.\" Wilkinson expects progress in performances Last month's 6-1 victory over Montenegro in Llanelli was Wales' first competitive success since they beat the Republic of Ireland in December 2024 to book a place at Euro 2025, the maiden women's major championship in the nation's history. They were beaten in all three games at the tournament, with the trio of losses part of a 12-game winless run which ended last December courtesy of a creditable friendly win over Switzerland. Having been boosted by the Swiss triumph, Wales maintained momentum thanks to Elise Hughes' added-time equaliser against the Czechs, even if their performance in Uherske Hradiste was not wholly convincing. And though Montenegro were swatted aside, Wilkinson was not entirely satisfied with her team's display in that game either. As a result, she believes there is room for improvement this week. \"Four points from the first window is not a bad thing at all - we're very pleased with it,\" she said. \"But I think there's this step up that I expect from the team and our standards. \"I hope that no-one here has ever heard anything different from me… that performance is what I think I want to be judged on, because that leads to consistency which leads to real change.\"","date_published":"2026-04-12T08:37:30.973679+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ce35kw0d89lo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-is-going-on-with-garnacho","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-is-going-on-with-garnacho","title":"What is going on with Garnacho?","summary":"Alejandro Garnacho has scored eight goals and delivered four assists in all competitions for Chelsea this season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Alejandro Garnacho has scored eight goals and delivered four assists in all competitions for Chelsea this season By Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter Alejandro Garnacho has multiple tattoos depicting Stranger Things - his favourite show. But unlike many of its characters, he is being forced to wait for his coming‑of‑age journey. The Argentine, 21, is struggling to stand out among the cast at Stamford Bridge, having been linked with a transfer and drawing criticism for a lack of output in attack and switching off defensively. Garnacho has started only seven of Liam Rosenior's first 20 games in charge, with opportunities often coming in cup games against lesser opposition such as Pafos, Charlton, Hull City and Wrexham. So what's happening with the winger, signed for £40m from Manchester United last summer, and can he still realise his potential at Stamford Bridge? A new plot in west London Garnacho simply answered \"no\" when asked in December whether he had any regrets about the manner of his Manchester United exit, having left under a cloud. In a recent interview with Premier League Productions, he said he \"loved\" United, had only good memories of his time there, and reflected on scoring for them in the 2024 FA Cup final success over Manchester City , who visit Chelsea on Sunday. However, Garnacho also addressed the controversy surrounding his departure. \"I remember that, in the last six months, I was not playing like before at Manchester United ,\" he said. \"I started to be on the bench. It's not such a bad thing - I was only 20 years old - but in my mind it was like I had to play every game. \"In my mind, maybe it was also on me. I started to do some bad things. But it was just a moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions. I am really proud to be here [at Chelsea ] and still in the Premier League at a club like this. \"About United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, anyone at the club or my team-mates. It was just a moment that changed and life continues. I have no regrets.\" The controversies he referred to included accusations of ill-discipline, a lack of professionalism and a series of public social media posts by him and his brother. These issues contributed to his exit under former boss Ruben Amorim, with Garnacho running down his contract and securing a move to Chelsea . Since arriving Stamford Bridge, the forward has repeatedly said he is \"happy here\", praising vice‑captain and compatriot Enzo Fernandez as being \"like my dad\", having spoken in the same way about United captain Bruno Fernandes. He has acknowledged the need to improve quietly on the training pitch and has been working in detail on his defensive output. The door remains open for a late‑season impact, with rival left‑wing option Jamie Gittens sidelined for three months because of recurring hamstring injuries. And, despite it not being reflected in team selections, boss Rosenior praised Garnacho last month when he said: \"He's got huge ability and potential. For any young player, the biggest thing to be challenged on is consistency. \"But he's shown really good signs - not just in training, but in meetings - that he's on a really good track.\" Asked why opposition fans often boo Garnacho, he added: \"Maybe it's because people judge a book by its cover.\" Garnacho told Premier League Productions this week he was aware some people think he is \"arrogant\" and his bleached blond hair and tattoos attract comments both \"good and bad\", but he is just a \"normal boy\". In terms of a mooted move this summer, Chelsea deny any decisions have been made, despite links to a loan stint with Argentine giants River Plate. That said, Garnacho cost £40m and is not among the club's highest earners, making him affordable for many European sides, while Chelsea also have plans to add another attacker alongside Sporting's Geovany Quenda, who was signed in March 2025 to join once this season is over. It means some of the current squad will inevitably be sold this summer. 'A lot more to come' Garnacho's best moment this term came in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Arsenal , when he struck twice as his side were beaten 3-2, eventually losing the tie 4-2 on aggregate. He is averaging one goal every 4.6 games - a slight improvement on his return of one every 5.5 games for Manchester United across all competitions. Eight goals and four assists in 37 appearances this season is a reasonable tally. However, a return of just one strike in 20 Premier League appearances, across 1,122 minutes, while underperforming his expected‑goals figure of 3.11 from 28 shots, paints a less encouraging picture. Garnacho has also been criticised for switching off at set-pieces and failing to track back when Chelsea conceded in league defeats by Brentford , Bournemouth and West Ham . Additionally, the Madrid‑born player - part of Argentina's Copa America‑winning squad in 2024 - has not added to his eight international caps since moving to Stamford Bridge. Garnacho acknowledges he has yet to reach his peak and added: \"There is a lot more to come, this is just the start. \"I joined two months after the rest without pre-season, then you need time to adapt to a different club and a different place. \"Sometimes the first season is harder but I will work very hard in the games we have left. \"I will try to be ready from the start in pre-season because I know what I can do and that's the most important thing to have the confidence in the player I can be. \"Of course, in football you have to show it and that's what I have to do.\" Yet the statistics suggest Garnacho is hardly moving forward quickly following the early promise of his Manchester United debut at the age of 17 against Chelsea in 2022. As with Stranger Things, there is an element of nostalgia to his story. Another one of his tattoos is from another television series, Prison Break - and he is still waiting to feel the freedom to perform and for his talent to truly break out.","date_published":"2026-04-12T08:37:28.102227+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8x71741kkdo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/union-berlin-appoint-first-female-head-coach","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/union-berlin-appoint-first-female-head-coach","title":"Union Berlin appoint first female head coach","summary":"Eta joined Union Berlin's coaching staff in July 2023","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Eta joined Union Berlin's coaching staff in July 2023 By Elizabeth Botcherby BBC Sport journalist Marie-Louise Eta has become the first woman appointed to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues after being named interim head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin. Her appointment until the end of the season follows the dismissal of Steffen Baumgart, whose team lost 3-1 to bottom side FC Heidenheim on Saturday. Union Berlin, who sit 11th in the 18-team Bundesliga, are 11 points clear of the automatic relegation zone with five matches remaining but have only won twice in 14 league outings in 2026. Eta, 34, is no stranger to breaking barriers, becoming the Bundesliga's first female assistant coach, also with Union Berlin, in November 2023. She deputised for then-manager Nenad Bjelica, who was serving a three-match suspension, during a 1-0 win over Darmstadt in January 2024 to become the first woman to lead a Bundesliga team from the touchline. Eta, a former Germany youth international and Women's Champions League winner with Turbine Potsdam, has been working as Union Berlin's under-19s manager since July 2025 and will become the club's women's head coach in the summer. \"We have had a hugely disappointing second half of the season and will not allow ourselves to be blinded by our league position,\" said Horst Heldt, Union's director of men's football. \"Our situation remains precarious. The performances shown in recent weeks do not give us confidence that we can turn things around with the current set-up. We have therefore decided to make a fresh start.\" Eta pointed to the challenges she faces, with Union seven points ahead of St Pauli, who sit in the relegation play-off spot. \"Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,\" she said. \"I am delighted the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union's strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations. \"I am convinced that we will secure the crucial points.\" Eta's appointment comes more than 25 years after Carolina Morace became the first woman to manage a men's professional team in Europe when she joined Italian third division side Viterbese in 1999. Corinne Diacre spent three seasons in charge of Clermont Foot in France's Ligue 2 from 2014 to 2017, leaving to become head coach of the France women's team. In July 2023, Hannah Dingley became the first woman to manage a professional men's team in English football when she was appointed caretaker boss of Forest Green Rovers, although she did not lead the side in a competitive fixture.","date_published":"2026-04-12T08:37:26.788278+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cq59yvy6v0eo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bayern-interest-in-newcastle-s-gordon-sunday-s-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bayern-interest-in-newcastle-s-gordon-sunday-s-gossip","title":"Bayern interest in Newcastle's Gordon - Sunday's gossip","summary":"Bayern Munich express interest in Anthony Gordon, Manchester United hope to beat their rivals to Elliot Anderson, Liverpool consider Brighton's Yankuba Minteh.","content_text":"Image gallery Skip image gallery Image source, Sunday Mirror Image source, Sunday Express Image source, Sunday Telegraph Image source, Sunday People 1 of 4 Slide 1 of 4 , Sunday Mirror back page , End of image gallery Bayern Munich express interest in Anthony Gordon, Manchester United hope to beat their rivals to Elliot Anderson, Liverpool consider Brighton 's Yankuba Minteh. Bayern Munich have expressed interest in 25-year-old Newcastle United and England forward Anthony Gordon, who is also being monitored by Arsenal . (Caughtoffside) , external Manchester United hope to use connections within the England squad to beat Manchester City to the signing of Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23. (Teamtalk) , external Liverpool are looking at Brighton and Gambia winger Yankuba Minteh, 21 - who worked under Arne Slot at Feyenoord - to potentially replace outgoing Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33. (Mirror) , external Arsenal and Manchester City have joined Aston Villa in the chase for Real Betis defender Oscar Mingueza, 26. (Teamtalk) , external Aston Villa and Leeds United are also interested in Union Berlin's Dutch defender Danilho Doekhi, 27, who has been tracked by Besiktas too. (Inside Futbol) , external Tottenham are chasing RB Leipzig midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, 21, who played under Roberto de Zerbi while on loan at Marseille . (Caughtoffside) , external Real Madrid could still sign Borussia Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, 26, despite the Germany defender having signed a new contract with the Bundesliga side. (Goal.com) , external","date_published":"2026-04-12T01:29:58.811824+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cz0epykxp89o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/are-these-the-30-minutes-that-saved-hearts-title-bid","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/are-these-the-30-minutes-that-saved-hearts-title-bid","title":"Are these the 30 minutes that saved Hearts' title bid?","summary":"Lawrence Shankland, Pierre Landry Kabore and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored vital goals","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Lawrence Shankland, Pierre Landry Kabore and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored vital goals By Clive Lindsay BBC Sport Scotland It could prove to be the 30 minutes that saved Heart of Midlothian's Scottish title chances. Derek McInnes' side have led the Premiership since September, but with an hour gone at Tynecastle on Saturday, they were 1-0 behind classy looking visitors Motherwell, while third-placed Celtic were leading St Mirren by the same scoreline. If it stayed that way, Martin O'Neill's reigning champions would have drawn level with Hearts, only then behind on goal difference. Worse still for the Edinburgh side, Rangers would be handed the opportunity to leapfrog both and go top should they win away to sixth-placed Falkirk on Sunday. With Celtic hosting Falkirk next on 27 April before Hearts' next game the following day, McInnes' side would have faced the prospect of going into a testing Edinburgh derby away to fifth-top Hibernian while down in third place. Instead, a 3-1 win made sure they will go into that first of five \"post-split\" fixtures leading the Premiership as it breaks into two sections of six teams. That might be particularly significant considering the team doing so have gone on to win the title every year since 2009. 'It's five cup finals' - Shankland Letting Celtic draw level on points could have been particularly fatal for Hearts considering the reigning champions have three of their remaining five games at home, including a potential final-day title showdown against Hearts, while both their title rivals have two. There was plenty of tension at Tynecastle as a result, but McInnes hailed his side as they \"had to dig deep\" for victory. It is not for the first time. Hearts have won 13 points from losing positions in the Premiership this season - only Dundee United, with 16, have recovered more. Amazingly, though, this was their first win in the seven games in which they have conceded the opening goal since 30 August against Livingston - and they will surely take confidence from that. Emmanuel Longelo had put Motherwell ahead in the 50th minute and the visitors squandered several good chances before and after Claudio Braga levelled. \"There's no two ways about it - we were under the cosh,\" McInnes admitted. \"But I still felt quite calm in the sense I thought we would score. We very rarely don't score, particularly here at Tynecastle.\" Indeed, Hearts have found the net in 29 of their 33 games - more often than any other team in the Premiership this season, and one more than Celtic. \"The reaction of the players is magnificent,\" McInnes said. \"It's exactly what you want. Nobody's settling for a draw. \"It says so much about them that they found something just to drag themselves off the canvas again and get the win.\" A Lawrence Shankland penalty three minutes from time and a stoppage-time strike from substitute Pierre Landry Kabore secured a first win over Motherwell this season after two draws. McInnes would \"not get carried away\" with going into the split still leading the table, but captain Shankland enthused: \"It's five cup finals, really, isn't it? \"It'll make for a brilliant end to the season for Scottish football.\" Heart of Midlothian v Motherwell highlights 11/04/2026 Watch on iPlayer Celtic 'energy levels' a concern Digging out a victory was also O'Neill's theme as his side secured a 13th clean sheet of the league season - albeit that is still less than Hearts. However, they failed to build on a bright start and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's breakthrough after 15 minutes. \"Winning the game was really important, but we didn't play well,\" said Celtic's veteran interim manager. \"I thought the energy levels looked low.\" O'Neill suggested that would be understandable if his side were holding on to a lead in the final stages. \"But it set in pretty early in the second half, which is a bit of a concern,\" he added. \"We've stayed in the hunt and, in fairness to the players, they did dig it out in the end, so it was good.\" As Hearts head off to sunshine training camp in Spain before the Premiership resumes at the end of the month, Celtic must prepare for a return match with St Mirren in next weekend's Scottish Cup semi-final, with O'Neill promising \"to rectify\" what he saw go wrong against the Paisley visitors. Celtic v St Mirren highlights 11/04/2026 Watch on iPlayer 'No reason why Hearts can't do it' Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner found that lack of energy \"a real worry\" after a performance that \"was not very convincing\". \"It was actually St Mirren who were the better team, especially in the second half, when they pinned Celtic back but didn't have that cutting edge,\" he told BBC Scotland. \"You could see the relief not only around the stadium but among the players.\" Former Hearts striker Steven Naismith pointed out Celtic had only had seven goal attempts against St Mirren but stressed that, at this stage of the season, \"it was about winning\" for all the title chasers. As for his former club, he added: \"Having not been in this position before will be the biggest test for me. \"They are playing the best teams in the league, but they have fared well against the best teams in the league. All to play for.\" Former Hearts midfielder Ryan Stevenson felt McInnes' side could easily have found themselves 4-1 behind to Motherwell but suggested: \"Somehow, cometh the hour, cometh the men and their big players had to step up. It is a massive three points.\" Fellow ex-Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart added: \"For Hearts to be sitting top of the table, they are not there by chance, they are not there by sheer luck. They are there through a lot of good play but also mentally showing some real strength. \"And they are going to need that going into the post-split fixtures. I don't see any reason why Hearts can't do it.\"","date_published":"2026-04-12T01:29:57.852455+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx2ew8q0g7go"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fortune-favours-the-brave-will-slot-start-ngumoha-against-psg","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fortune-favours-the-brave-will-slot-start-ngumoha-against-psg","title":"Fortune favours the brave - will Slot start Ngumoha against PSG?","summary":"The strains of Duran Duran's 80s hit 'Rio' swept around Anfield after the pressure and scrutiny that has been closing in on head coach Arne Slot and Liverpool was relieved - for now - by victory against Fulham.","content_text":"By Phil McNulty Chief football writer at Anfield The strains of Duran Duran's 80s hit 'Rio' swept around Anfield after the pressure and scrutiny that has been closing in on head coach Arne Slot and Liverpool was relieved - for now - by victory against Fulham . It was played in celebration of the brilliance of Rio Ngumoha. He was born 26 years after the song was released – but on this day it was a timely soundtrack of celebration after the 17-year-old delivered an electrifying performance to lift the mood of discontent hanging over Liverpool . Ngumoha not only answered their call for inspiration in these troubled times with a goal and a starring role in this 2-0 win against Fulham that kept Liverpool fifth in the Premier League - he also gave Slot a dilemma. Does he now start the teenage prodigy in a game that could play a part in shaping his own future as well as this current team's? Anfield was not a happy place before kick-off as Liverpool fans expressed their anger at events on and off the pitch in what has, so far, been a season of suffering. The Kop, Anfield's heartbeat, was an unfamiliar sight as the giant flags which form such an integral part of the atmosphere and celebrate the club's rich history were missing as part of a protest by fans' groups against proposed ticket price increases by Liverpool owners FSG. It made for a highly effective visible – or non-visible – peaceful protest, while a group of supporters marched along the front of The Kop after the game started parading a giant banner emblazoned with the words: \"No To Ticket Price Increases\". The protests continued with colourfully critical chants against FSG, the cleaned-up message being \"Enough Is Enough\". Liverpool started against this backdrop following heavy criticism after the FA Cup quarter-final thrashing at Manchester City , followed by the gross timidity of the 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first leg in Paris. Slot, and Liverpool , needed a spark with the season – and perhaps the Dutchman's future – at a pivotal point. Step forward Ngumoha to provide it - and to leave Liverpool 's supporters who were thrilled by his performance posing a crucial question. If fortune favours the brave, will Slot have the courage to start Ngumoha in an attempt to retrieve that deficit when the Champions League holders come to Anfield for Tuesday's second leg? Including Ngumoha would be the high-risk strategy, and Slot's natural default position has been conservatism this season. He will also be wary of PSG's threat on the counter-attack that has torn apart better teams than this current Liverpool side. The other side of the argument asks what Slot has to lose? Slot has managed Ngumoha's minutes carefully, and was playing his cards close to his chest afterwards. \"In this game Rio showed why I play him more and more and more, because he is getting stronger and stronger, fitter and fitter, and more and more ready to already play at this level at 17 years of age,\" said Slot. \"He dominated his one v one situation, which is crucial, and that is why we went 1-0 up.\" Former Liverpool and England defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live that Slot needed to be \"careful\" with the teenager but that he had \"earned his right to play\". \"You've got to drip feed him in as and when you can,\" he said. \"However, the one thing I would say is that his performances are better than Cody Gakpo's at the moment, so Liverpool fans are looking at that and thinking 'he should be playing'. \"The question now is who starts in the forward positions on Tuesday, particularly that left-hand side? Will it be Ngumoha to start and then Gakpo comes on at a later point? Because he's earned his right to play.\" Against Fulham , Ngumoha was Liverpool 's biggest threat, scoring a superb curling opener with skill and precision after 36 minutes, then playing a part four minutes later when Mohamed Salah showed some of the old magic remains with a finish of similar accuracy and technique to seal a win that keeps Slot's side in the Champions League places. He was a constant threat on Liverpool 's left-flank, receiving a deserved standing ovation when he was substituted after 69 minutes. Was it to preserve energies for Tuesday? Or was it simply because Slot felt Ngumoha had done enough? Former Liverpool midfield man Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports: \"Rio gives you a great option from the bench for the PSG game, but who knows? \"If they did start him I wouldn't be surprised, but I think right now if I'm trying to pick Liverpool 's best team for a game, I like the midfield they ended the game with. \"It was Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, which is the midfield which pretty much won Liverpool the league last year, and I also think it might be a game where Hugo Ekitike starts as the nine, and you might need Florian Wirtz on the left and Mohamed Salah on the right. \"That feels like it has a nice shape to it. With Alexander Isak to come off the bench if you need him, then also Rio to give you a bit of 'X-Factor'.\" The odds are probably against Ngumoha starting, but most observers (including this one) would suggest he is contributing more than the subdued Gakpo. Only Wayne Rooney, at 17 years and 51 days, and Cesc Fabregas, at 17 years and 113 days, have started a Premier League game and scored at a younger age than Liverpool 's Ngumoha, at 17 years and 225 days. He is a guaranteed star of the future. Will Slot be bold enough to make him a star of Liverpool 's present by playing him against PSG?","date_published":"2026-04-12T01:29:52.6909+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cddqgqgyerjo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/ipswich-looking-good-but-foxes-look-doomed-aaron-mclean-s-efl-takeaways","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/ipswich-looking-good-but-foxes-look-doomed-aaron-mclean-s-efl-takeaways","title":"Ipswich looking good but Foxes look doomed - Aaron McLean's EFL takeaways","summary":"Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker and Final Score pundit Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways from across the Championship, League One and League Two after an enthralling day of EFL action.","content_text":"Former Peterborough United and Hull City striker and Final Score pundit Aaron McLean gives his five takeaways from across the Championship, League One and League Two after an enthralling day of EFL action. Ipswich favourites for second automatic place Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Kieran McKenna enjoys Ipswich Town's first win in 20 years at rivals Norwich City Ipswich Town have opened up a lead over Millwall and Middlesbrough in the race for the Championship's second automatic promotion place, and Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys have games in hand. McLean: \"I must say I believed Ipswich would finish second. I think in terms of who was going to win it, it was always going to come down to the head-to-head between Coventry and Middlesbrough, and Coventry winning in such convincing fashion kicked them on and almost dismantled Middlesbrough's season. \"So I think what you're seeing now is Ipswich being the most consistent team, and they have games in hand on Middlesbrough and Millwall in the race for second place. \"From their past nine games, they have six wins and three draws. Middlesbrough, by comparison, have gone six games without a win. \"Middlesbrough, even with all the possession they had against one of the bottom teams, they're not clinical like they were earlier in the season. \"Millwall and Hull have dropped off a bit, but just being in and around the play-offs and being talked about as a team that could have gone on and got automatic promotion, is still a huge positive. \"They're going to get little bumps in the road and it's about how they react, and I expect both of them to bounce back.\" Pedersen deserves to carry on as Owls boss Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Henrik Pedersen celebrates Sheffield Wednesday's fine draw at champions-elect Coventry Sheffield Wednesday gained their first clean sheet in 20 games with a draw at champions-elect Coventry. McLean: \"Coventry would have been promoted if they had beaten Sheffield Wednesday, so full credit to Wednesday for getting a draw. \"I've said it for a long time - even though they have been relegated in record-fast time and have a minus points tally, at no point have I looked at them and thought, 'They've downed tools.' \"Every game they've gone into, they've given everything. Yes, they lack the quality of a lot of other teams, but that's because their squad was so depleted before a ball was even kicked, and in terms of bringing players in, they were young players on loan. \"But what they do have is they've gone out and given everything they have for the fans, and their fine draw at Coventry was a reward for that attitude. \"I just hope the club can get to a position where they're on an even keel again and I hope Henrik Pedersen is still managing them. \"He was been unrelenting in his positive attitude and I think he deserves to have an opportunity to show what he can do as a manager when things off the pitch are better.\" Leicester have let themselves and their fans down Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Leicester City boss Gary Rowett faces a tough task in trying to keep the Foxes up Leicester are on course for a second successive relegation, with the Foxes four points below the Championship survival line. McLean: \"I don't see Leicester staying up and I've been thinking that for a long time. \"I don't think their players have got the stomach for a relegation fight. I know they've had a six-point deduction and there are a lot of things wrong, but when I look at their squad, there's no way they should only have one win in 16 games. \"That's an application thing and it's down to the players. The players haven't performed anywhere near the level they should have. \"We've seen teams like Blackburn win the Premier League and drop down to the third tier, but not as quickly as Leicester are [going to]. It's only a decade since they were Premier League champions. \"I think as well as being really mismanaged off the pitch, the Leicester players have not done themselves justice and I think they have let the fans down.\" Cardiff will get job done after massive win Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Chris Willock celebrates scoring Cardiff City's second goal against Bolton Wanderers Cardiff have opened up a 10-point lead over third-placed Bradford City after beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0, and are red-hot favourites to get automatic promotion up from League One with Lincoln City. McLean : \"Today was a massive result for Cardiff. They'd had a little wobble, only winning two from eight before beating Bolton, and that was a massive scalp for them. \"I expect them now to get the job done. They've got a big enough cushion over Bradford and the games are running out. I expect them to get it done soon. \"Lincoln have gone on the run they have - 25 league games unbeaten with 20 wins – and that's almost a freak of nature. They've been near enough perfect. \"But from Cardiff's point of view, as long as you get promoted, come the summer, that's all that matters. \"Cardiff are a big club and they're almost too big to be in League One. It's almost unfair on the other League One clubs when you look and see they're there. I think they all want to see Cardiff out of their league as soon as possible.\" Bromley, MK Dons and Cambridge United to finish in top three Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Andy Woodman has led Bromley to the verge of a second promotion in two years Bromley's defeat at MK Dons was only their second in 25 games, while Cambridge United beat Notts County to move up to third in League Two. McLean: \"I wasn't really expecting Bromley to win today, even though they would have been promoted, because they were at MK Dons and their away form hasn't been as good as their superb home form. \"They were playing away against an MK Dons side who, really when you look at squad and money spent, they should be winning the league. \"So for Bromley, I don't think they should worry too much that they weren't able to win, and I expect them to go up, especially because they are unbeaten at home - the only unbeaten side at home in the top four leagues. \"After them and MK Dons, you look at Cambridge, who had a brilliant win against Notts County and have leapfrogged them into third in the table. \"They've got the best home record in League Two, and manager Neil Harris believes they're good enough to go and finish at least second in the division, and I agree with him. MK Dons will have something to say about that and those three will finish top three for me.\" Aaron McLean was speaking to BBC Sport England's David Anderson.","date_published":"2026-04-11T20:22:05.185695+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/crm1l8492xzo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/no-semenyo-no-problem-how-bournemouth-continue-to-defy-the-odds","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/no-semenyo-no-problem-how-bournemouth-continue-to-defy-the-odds","title":"No Semenyo, no problem? How Bournemouth continue to defy the odds","summary":"Bournemouth's ability to move on from losing star players seems to know no bounds - as a club record 12th Premier League game without defeat boosted their European hopes, and threw a spanner into the works of Arsenal's title bid.","content_text":"By Emlyn Begley BBC Sport journalist Bournemouth 's ability to move on from losing star players seems to know no bounds - as a club record 12th Premier League game without defeat boosted their European hopes, and threw a spanner into the works of Arsenal 's title bid. Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott struck as the Cherries beat the Gunners 2-1 at Emirates Stadium. Andoni Iraola's side have not lost a game since star forward Antoine Semenyo left for Manchester City in January. And that came following the exits of three of their defenders to some of Europe's largest teams in the summer - plus the loss of another big-money forward. \"You have to give credit to the manager but also to the recruitment department. Losing three of their back four last summer, losing Semenyo in January - nobody would have been critical if they'd fallen off,\" said BBC Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy. \"But they don't, they bring in another one, then another one: Rayan, Kroupi looks like a star in the making, both full-backs have done really well. It's credit to the way the club's run.\" Scott's second-half winner on Saturday also sparked talk of a World Cup spot with England this summer. The Cherries' remarkable run since January Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bournemouth are the only Premier League team not to lose a game since Antoine Semenyo's departure to Manchester City in January Bournemouth 's recruitment has been remarkable in the past few years. Last season was probably the best in their history, with their highest Premier League points total (56) and joint best position - ninth. They had to replace three of their back four - plus their goalkeeper - and somehow recovered. Forward Dango Ouattara also left in the summer, joining Brentford for £42.5m, but it really felt like losing Semenyo could be unsurmountable. The right winger had scored 10 goals this season before leaving - including a last-minute winner in his final game against Tottenham - and chipped in with a few assists. That farewell gift ended an 11-game winless run. And, incredibly, without Semenyo they have yet to lose a game, going 12 matches unbeaten including that Spurs win. His place in the team effectively went to Rayan, a 19-year-old who joined a couple of weeks after Semenyo's exit. The Brazilian, seven years younger than Semenyo, arrived for a fee of up to £30.3m, less than half of the £65m they pocketed for the Ghana international. And he became only the third teenager ever to score or assist in his first three Premier League games (two goals and an assist). He has not directly had a hand in a goal in his next five goals, but has continued to impress. And he is not even the most prolific teenager in Bournemouth 's front line. Kroupi's opener against Arsenal made him the first teenager to score 10 goals in his maiden Premier League season since Robbie Keane for Coventry in 1999-2000. The Frenchman joined Bournemouth properly in the summer, having signed in January 2025 before remaining on loan for the rest of the season with Lorient. \"I've watched a lot of Bournemouth this season. They always try and play positive football. They press high and play with good energy,\" said ex-England midfielder Murphy. \"They've had some defeats playing that way and being open against good quality teams, but it never seems to dampen their spirit to keep trying to do it the right way.\" Only five Premier League teams have scored more than Bournemouth 's 48 goals. This is all more impressive when you consider that Justin Kluivert, who was Bournemouth 's 12-goal top scorer in the league last season, has not played since Semenyo's exit because of injury. All change at the back Their ability to brush off stars' exits was also apparent in the summer. When Milos Kerkez left for Liverpool , Dean Huijsen went to Real Madrid and Illia Zabarnyi departed for PSG, it seemed as if last season might have been the peak of Iraola's time in England. Plus goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had been on loan at Chelsea , opted to join Arsenal . Only Marcos Senesi remained of that back four - but they did not seem to miss a beat. Right-back Alex Jimenez came in, initially on loan from AC Milan, left-back Adrien Truffert came from Toulouse, and James Hill stepped up from the bench. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic arrived from Chelsea . All three defenders have impressed. Truffert has made about twice the amount of overlapping runs as any player in the league this season - and it was his deflected cross that led to Kroupi's opener. Admittedly the Cherries have leaked goals - conceding 49, more than anyone else above 17th place in the table. But defenders' jobs, especially in the modern day, are about a lot more than actual defending. Murphy added: \"It was an outstanding performance of quality. The passing out from the back was exquisite, the full-backs were up and down non-stop.\" Could Scott grab late World Cup spot? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Alex Scott scored Bournemouth's winner at Arsenal Scott excelled again in Bournemouth 's midfield. The 22-year-old from Guernsey was named in the England squad in November, but did not get on the pitch, and is running out of time to force himself into World Cup contention. Three of his six Premier League goal involvements (two goals and one assist) have come in 2026. His winner was a well-taken finish, picking up the ball on the edge of the box from Evanilson, before taking a touch and slotting past David Raya. Murphy believes Scott could grab a World Cup spot despite having yet to make his international debut. \"If he keeps his level of performance like he did today and there's one or two injuries, then he gives himself a hell of a chance,\" he said. \"There are others ahead of him, but he can't do much more than that level of performance today. \"There aren't many English midfielders getting enough goals, so if he can start adding goals to his game, then all of a sudden he might elevate himself ahead of others.\" Scott's recovery from major injury woes continues to impress, having spent about six months sidelined with different problems since his 2023 move from Bristol City. Team-mate Hill told BBC Sport: \"He's come on leaps and bounds during the season and he has been a shining light and he is pushing for an England spot. \"He has been fantastic and today he showed his quality.\" Iraola added: \"Alex has been like this for many months. He was amazing today. He's in such good form. I'm so happy for him. He's worked a lot to be at this level.\" Scott himself told TNT Sport: \"David Brooks said it was a tap-in, and Hilly said it was a worldie, so that sums the pair of them up. \"It was a good finish. I was playing deeper a lot today, so about a minute before I moved more advanced, and popped up with a goal. I need to add more goals to my game, so I was really happy with that.\"","date_published":"2026-04-11T20:22:04.239311+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyv1wxjd45o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/big-punch-in-the-face-could-arsenal-really-blow-title-from-here","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/big-punch-in-the-face-could-arsenal-really-blow-title-from-here","title":"'Big punch in the face' - could Arsenal really blow title from here?","summary":"Top of the league and in charge of the title race only to fade away and be pipped at the post - Arsenal have been there before.","content_text":"By Alex Howell Arsenal reporter at Emirates Stadium Top of the league and in charge of the title race only to fade away and be pipped at the post - Arsenal have been there before. But nine points clear after 32 games played and still failing to win the league? No team in Premier League history has capitulated to that extent. Could Mikel Arteta's side really be the first to throw it away from that position? After back-to-back draws for nearest rivals Manchester City , along with a four-game winning streak for the Gunners, many were beginning to assume Arsenal 's 22-year wait for the Premier League title was finally set to end. Saturday's chastening 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth , however, has once again left the door ajar for Pep Guardiola's side. \"They could blow it playing like that,\" said former Newcastle and England forward Alan Shearer, who is a pundit on Saturday's Match of the Day. \"They were poor in every department. No energy, flat – they looked very, very nervous. \"The whole place seemed nervous. As they haven't won it for so long I perhaps understand, but they have to get through that or they're going to miss out.\" Arteta described Arsenal 's first league defeat since January as \"a big punch to the face\" and a \"painful day\". \"That's what I said to the boys - and now it's about how we react to that,\" he added. React they must. Their next league game is at Manchester City next Sunday - and it could now go a long way to deciding the title. History still on the Gunners' side - what the stats say Nine points clear with six games to play - you would have thought it was practically a done deal for Arsenal , despite the defeat by Bournemouth . As it is, with games in hand a factor, they may not even be top by the time they next play at Emirates Stadium. If Manchester City beat Chelsea on Sunday they will cut the gap to six points, and will trim the deficit further if they are able to beat the Gunners next Sunday. City then travel to Burnley for their other game in hand on Wednesday, 22 April. Another victory in that match - providing they have been able to wipe out Arsenal 's six-goal advantage on goal difference by then - will see Guardiola's side sit top with five to play. The title race does still remain in Arsenal 's hands - but it is now also in Manchester City 's given the game between the two next weekend. Manchester United threw away an eight-point advantage after 32 games in 2011-12 - when City went on to win the title - but a nine-point lead has never been surrendered at this stage of a season. Arteta's men have, however, gained a reputation for letting leads slip. They were top after 32 games played in 2022-23 and finished second, although they were only five points ahead of City, who also had two games in hand then. In the Premier League era, they've been top after playing their 32nd game on four occasions, winning the title in 2001-02 and 2003-04 and finishing second in 2002-03 and 2022-23. They have never been nine points clear at this stage of a campaign. Data analysts Opta still give Arsenal a 93.62% chance of winning the title, based on thousands of simulations of each team's remaining fixtures. What information do we collect from this quiz? 'I don't think there is pressure' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Arsenal have lost three of their past four matches Whatever the result, this was a poor performance by Arsenal , who looked jaded compared to a fresh Bournemouth side who had not played for three weeks. This was the 53rd game of the Gunners' season as they have attempted to win trophies in multiple competitions. However, defeats in the Carabao Cup final, FA Cup quarter-finals and now against the Cherries means they have lost three of their last four in all competitions. Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka, captain Martin Odegaard and Jurrien Timber through injury, while Myles Lewis-Skelly was making just his second start of the season at left-back with Riccardo Calafiori also unavailable. \"I thought the result in Lisbon in midweek would have helped them massively, just to get a little bit of momentum and confidence after the two cup defeats,\" added Shearer. \"But there was nothing I saw today that would give me confidence that they're going to go and win the league.\" There was a nervous atmosphere inside the stadium, with loose passes met by groans from the home supporters as it was clear that the Gunners were not at their best. Arteta had asked the fans to turn up early to create an intimidating atmosphere - but the Gunners boss does not think that the expectation is getting to his side. \"I don't think there is pressure,\" Arteta told BBC Match of the Day. \"We have been coping with a lot of pressure since the beginning of the season. \"Today there were some actions that are very far from the level that we have shown and that shocks the system. \"We ask a lot from our crowd and today we didn't respond to those standards and we have to apologise, take it on the chin and move on.\" Gyokeres & bouncing back - why Arsenal can still win it Despite this blow, there are still positive signs for the Gunners. As mentioned, the title race is still in their hands. They do have the nine-point lead and there is no guarantee that City will win all of their games - or even beat the Gunners next weekend when the two sides meet. Arsenal also might be without a number of key players through injury, but it does look like striker Viktor Gyokeres is finding form at the right time. After his heroics for Sweden in their World Cup play-offs, which saw them qualify for the tournament in the summer, he is full of confidence. Eleven of the striker's 18 goals for Arsenal in all competitions have come since the turn of the year. He is also the top goalscorer for the Gunners, with his penalty against Bournemouth his 12th of the season in the Premier League. The loss against the Cherries is just Arsenal 's fourth in the league and, at other times in the season when they have faced a setback, the Gunners have put together an unbeaten run. That has happened at all other times apart from the current run they're on. Momentum may be against them at the moment but if they can regroup and start to put together a run of results, the Gunners can still be celebrating with a trophy at the end of May.","date_published":"2026-04-11T20:22:00.722242+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4g5v6552l2o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fc-basel-postpone-fixture-after-stadium-fire","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fc-basel-postpone-fixture-after-stadium-fire","title":"FC Basel postpone fixture after stadium fire","summary":"St Jakob-Park hosted the 2016 Europa League final and the final of the 2025 Women's Euros","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, St Jakob-Park hosted the 2016 Europa League final and the final of the 2025 Women's Euros By Elizabeth Botcherby BBC Sport journalist FC Basel's Swiss Super League match against FC Thun has been postponed following a fire at Basel's St Jakob-Park stadium. The fire, which occurred on Friday evening, \"destroyed\" the first-team dressing room, including the players' kits and boots. It also caused \"significant damage\" to the equipment rooms, coaching and team manager's office, physio and shower facilities, and medical and technical equipment. No-one was injured in the fire. Its cause has \"not yet been clarified\", a statement said. FC Basel, who sit in fourth place in the Swiss Super League, were due to travel to table-toppers FC Thun on Saturday. \"The fire, accompanied by heavy smoke development, caused significant damage and completely destroyed the entire locker room area of the first team,\" the club said in a statement. \"Due to the damage incurred and no usable game and medical equipment available, the away game against FC Thun is not possible for FCB.\" FC Basel confirmed the postponement has been approved by the league, with the fixture set to be rearranged. St Jakob-Park hosted the 2016 Europa League final, in which Liverpool played Sevilla, and the final of the 2025 Women's Euros between England and Spain.","date_published":"2026-04-11T16:25:08.670211+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ce8jeg4k3p0o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/uncapped-chambers-deserves-ni-chance-bell","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/uncapped-chambers-deserves-ni-chance-bell","title":"Uncapped Chambers deserves NI chance - Bell","summary":"Bell plays her club football alongside Chambers at Linfield","content_text":"Image source, Inpho Image caption, Bell plays her club football alongside Chambers at Linfield By Jana McCabe BBC Sport NI journalist Northern Ireland midfielder Megan Bell said she is \"really delighted\" that uncapped Linfield striker Cora Chambers has been included in the squad for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers against Malta. NI welcome Malta to Mourneview Park on Tuesday, 14 April before the away fixture four days later. New boss Michael McArdle will take charge of the side for the first time in Lurgan and has included Linfield's Chambers, who netted 20 league goals last season, in his squad. \"Cora coming in, she deserves her chance,\" Bell told BBC Sport NI about her Linfield team-mate. \"She has been a proven goalscorer the last number of years and she has worked really hard. \"I am really delighted for her and if she gets her opportunity, I am sure she will grab it with both hands. Sometimes she scores goals and I am like 'how has she done that?'\" Northern Ireland were beaten by Turkey and Switzerland in their opening two qualifiers, with Malta also losing against both teams in their first two games. Since those matches, McArdle has been announced as the new permanent NI boss following Kris Lindsay's spell as interim manager. The 46-year-old has previously managed Scotland on an interim basis during their first four Nations League A games last year. \"It is a fresh slate, everyone is starting off. A new manager, new ideas and I think everyone is optimistic about the future,\" Bell said. \"We are really looking forward to the games, home and away. We are looking for six points out of the games. \"It has been difficult results-wise recently, but we have got to put that behind us and move forward.\"","date_published":"2026-04-11T12:35:39.366728+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpd567l25j2o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/moore-ready-to-influence-wrexham-s-run-in-after-injury","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/moore-ready-to-influence-wrexham-s-run-in-after-injury","title":"Moore ready to influence Wrexham's run-in after injury","summary":"Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore has won 52 caps for Wales, scoring 15 goals","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore has won 52 caps for Wales, scoring 15 goals By Ian Mitchelmore BBC Sport Wales Kieffer Moore says he is ready to make an impact during Wrexham's run-in after recovering from a second hamstring injury in just three months. The striker missed Wrexham's opening four games of 2026 due to injury and was then sidelined for a further four matches prior to the March international break. Moore made his return to action as a substitute in the Red Dragons' 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Good Friday and started the 5-1 loss to Southampton last time out. \"To get another hamstring injury wasn't great, but I feel really good now,\" he told BBC Sport Wales. \"I'm ready to really affect the final part of this season and hopefully we get something from it.\" Sam Smith has stepped up admirably when Moore - who has netted 13 times across all competitions in his debut season with Wrexham so far - has been unavailable. Seven of Smith's nine goals this season have come in the second half of the campaign when Moore has been out of action. \"Sam's a great guy, a great striker, he's scored some great goals for us. His movement's really, really good,\" Moore said of team-mate Smith. \"Having that repertoire where I can play a game, he can play a game, and we can dovetail like that, it's been really good for us.\" Phil Parkinson also added to his forward options during the January transfer window by signing Bailey Cadamarteri and Davis Keillor-Dunn while Jay Rodriguez returned from injury after Christmas. Moore hopes the fierce competition to lead the line for Wrexham will serve the club well over the remainder of the run-in. \"Competition like that, it breeds success. We're all pushing each other. We're all trying to get the best out of each other,\" added Moore. \"You can see that day-by-day in training, whenever we do any sort of shooting drills, the competition is always high. \"To have that at our disposal and for these lads to really come on and make a big difference, it's great for us.\" Wrexham dropped out of the Championship play-off places as a result of their defeat by Southampton, although they remain in the hunt for a top-six place. Parkinson's men sit seventh in the table, two points adrift of Saints and four points behind Hull City with five matches left to play. The Red Dragons' quest to return to the top six begins at Birmingham City on Sunday (12:00 BST). \"It'll be a fun game to play and a big game. In the context of this season and where we are now, it's a big game for us,\" said Moore. \"We'll be looking to assert ourselves and really show the performance we're capable of and hopefully get the three points. \"They're good on the ball, they'll hurt you in certain areas and they'll try to command and dominate you, especially at St Andrews. \"They get the crowd right behind them, so it'll be a testing fixture for sure, but one we're looking forward to.\" Farewell to 'great servant' Ramsey Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Kieffer Moore (left) and Aaron Ramsey have played at two major tournaments together for Wales Moore's most recent hamstring injury meant he was unavailable for Wales' World Cup play-off campaign. It left him helpless to watch on as Craig Bellamy's side were beaten on penalties by Bosnia-Herzegovina to bring an end to their dreams of featuring at this summer's global showpiece in the USA, Canada and Mexico. \"It was a weird game. I think we dominated huge parts of that game and then, I think everyone could see it, it was the last 15 minutes, not intentionally, but I think we just retreated a little bit,\" he said. \"Against teams that, as Bosnia do, they put balls on to you, they tested our back line and ultimately got a goal. \"When you go to penalties, it's pot luck really, it's a lottery. No matter how much training and prep you do for a penalty, you can't replicate that pressure.\" Wales are back in competitive action later this year as they take on Portugal, Denmark and Norway in the Nations League. With Euro 2028 qualification firmly in Wales' sights, Moore is confident that boss Bellamy can deliver success. \"Bellers is a great guy,\" Moore said. \"The way he sets the team up, the way he does training, his whole ethos around everything is exactly what the nation needs. \"He's been great with everyone and hopefully the next few years are successful for us.\" Wales no longer have Aaron Ramsey to call upon after he announced his retirement from football. Moore issued a glowing tribute of the midfielder who scored 21 goals in 86 appearances for his country. \"He's a great guy. He'll be missed. He's been a great servant for Wales,\" Moore said. \"He's had so many amazing moments in a Wales shirt. \"It's sad to see him leave this way, but when you get injuries and your body goes that way, it's hard not to, but he's had an incredible career and I wish him all the best.\"","date_published":"2026-04-11T12:35:36.927184+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ce9m1kygpxlo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/new-faces-pushing-wales-and-why-game-in-wrexham-is-so-important","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/new-faces-pushing-wales-and-why-game-in-wrexham-is-so-important","title":"New faces pushing Wales - and why game in Wrexham is so important","summary":"In her debut BBC Sport column, Rhiannon Roberts discusses Wales' upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header with Albania, the changing of the guard within the squad and her excitement at playing for her country in Wrexham again.","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images In her debut BBC Sport column, Rhiannon Roberts discusses Wales' upcoming World Cup qualifying double-header with Albania, the changing of the guard within the squad and her excitement at playing for her country in Wrexham again. The last camp was really important for us and it just showed the togetherness in the group. Against Czech Republic, it's a valuable point for us - it was never going to be an easy place to go as they are ranked higher than us. We followed that up with a really impressive win against Montenegro in Llanelli which was important to keep the unbeaten run going, and, of course, to get three points on the board. With a back-to-back camp, we haven't really had much time in-between to wait, which is actually always quite a nice thing. When you're out of it for a bit too long and back into club mode, you can sometimes forget the little things, so it's really nice to be back in so soon. As for this camp, the performance is key, but the main thing is to get the points. We want six points out of these two games and we want to finish top of the group. That's our aim. Image source, FAW Image caption, Elise Hughes netted in stoppage time as Wales earned a 2-2 draw with Czech Republic in their opening 2027 World Cup qualifier in March Changing of the guard It's always going to feel a bit strange when you see the same faces for more than 10 years and then, all of a sudden, they're not there. It is quite strange. Players like Jess Fishlock and Kayleigh Barton, who have retired so recently, and the likes of Helen Ward before that, they've played such a massive part in our journey. Without them, we wouldn't have had the success we've had. But there comes a time when the squad has to evolve and it's time for certain players to move on. We create a nice environment for anyone to come and step in. It's really important for us to make the new players feel welcome and feel settled as quickly as possible. As a senior member of the squad, I've always been quite level-headed and a player that people could come to if they need any help or advice. I try to lead the team in the best way possible. Nothing changes now that some of the big characters have gone, and it's time for a few others to step up. The good news from a Welsh perspective is that some of our young guns are really pushing the group. Mayzee Davies is such a great person to have around, she's so talented and I can't wait to watch her flourish. Mared Griffiths, I'm with her at Sunderland as well, she's really come out of her shell. I absolutely love her to bits, she really is class. She's just playing with freedom, you can see she's really enjoying herself at the minute because she's putting in fantastic performances for club and country. I can't stop smiling when I speak about them and I'm just thrilled to see what the youngsters can bring. You have to give praise to the manager on that side of things too. Rhian Wilkinson has been massive for us. She sets us targets and expects the best out of us. She rotates the team and gives other people opportunities which I think is really good, especially at this stage where we've got players who have retired or players that maybe haven't got as many years of playing left in them. Welcome to Wrexham - Wales edition I have to admit, I've been so excited for the Albania game in Wrexham. I just love playing up north and I think it's really important for us to travel around Wales and be visible for the whole of the country. We've had some great experiences at Cardiff City Stadium, and when we've gone to Swansea, Llanelli and Newport. But it can be really difficult for people to travel down south to watch us all the time so I think it's really important go to up north when we can. The Stok Cae Ras, it's a nice small, compact ground. I feel like you can really pack it out and get a really good atmosphere. Just look at the men's team, it's such a great environment and atmosphere to be around. The north of the country has produced some very good footballers too, and you have all of those academies where youngsters are coming through as well, at clubs like Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool. So I think it's really important for us to be visible in the north and I can't wait to get back on that pitch in front of the Red Wall in Wrexham.","date_published":"2026-04-11T12:35:35.482775+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckgekdxnzndo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wilshere-seeks-first-trophy-against-wembley-regular-challinor","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wilshere-seeks-first-trophy-against-wembley-regular-challinor","title":"Wilshere seeks first trophy against Wembley regular Challinor","summary":"Luton's Jack Wilshere will take charge of just his 39th game as a senior manager in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley, while Stockport boss Dave Challinor will oversee the 605th of his career","content_text":"Image source, Shutterstock/Getty Images Image caption, Luton's Jack Wilshere will take charge of just his 39th game as a senior manager in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley, while Stockport boss Dave Challinor will oversee the 605th of his career By Ben Ashton , BBC Sport England  and  Jay Freeman , BBC Sport, North West Luton Town and Stockport County share the same nickname - they are both the Hatters - but that might be where similarities end for these two EFL Trophy finalists. There are certainly few parallels when it comes to the opposing managers who will lead their sides out at Wembley on Sunday (kick-off 15:00 BST). Luton boss Jack Wilshere is in his first full-time senior managerial job since leaving his Arsenal under-18 coaching role in October 2024 and has never been in charge of a final, let alone won a trophy as a manager. Stockport boss Dave Challinor has been there and done it all before with five titles, three play-off final promotions and an FA Trophy on his CV across a 16-year career in the dugout. Challinor, 50, most recently won the League Two title with Stockport in 2023-24 to follow on from National League success in 2021-22. He faces 34-year-old former England international Wilshere, who oversaw two games as interim manager at Norwich at the end of last season before taking the job at Kenilworth Road in October 2025. Sunday will present itself as a classic case of past master versus ambitious rookie. A proud moment - Wilshere \"It will be a really proud moment for me to lead this club out at Wembley because it's a big club that has had a tough few years,\" Luton's Wilshere told BBC Three Counties Radio. \"Obviously they were at Wembley a couple of years ago [in the Championship play-off final] and then I think before that it was 2009 with Mick Harford in this competition. \"To follow someone like that and lead the team out is amazing, it's something to look forward to.\" Luton also played at Wembley in 2012, losing a National League play-off final to York City. Their journey since that setback has been quite extraordinary. Since a remarkable surge through the leagues was capped by promotion to the Premier League in May 2023, Luton have suffered back-to-back relegations and are 10th in League One, three points behind the play-off spots. However, Wilshere, who won FA Cups in 2014 and 2015 as a player with Arsenal, said the EFL Trophy final will provide an opportunity to build confidence in the quest for an immediate return to the Championship. \"It's a step because we know there's more to do and there's still a big part of the season to play and we've still got ambition in the league,\" he said. \"This is still a work in progress but this is a big step to bringing the fans together. We're going to have 30-35,000 fans there, which is outstanding. \"It just shows you how much this club means to so many people and they've suffered the last few years and to win something would be amazing - a big step on the road to where we want to get to.\" Luton beat Stockport 3-0 in November, while the two sides played out a 1-1 draw just three weeks ago, but Wilshere does not believe those results will feed into Sunday's encounter. \"There's a slightly different context because it goes into who manages to deal with the occasion, the environment, better,\" he said. \"Hopefully that will be us.\" Luton were, of course, beaten by Swindon Town at the last-16 stage, only to be reinstated in the competition after the Robins were penalised for fielding two ineligible players in that game. Challinor on verge of Stockport history Should Stockport reign victorious on Sunday, Challinor would write himself into the club's history books. County have never won the EFL Trophy but have previously come up short on two occasions in successive seasons - in 1992 and 1993. \"When this competition starts, maybe the first thought isn't getting to a Wembley final, but the further you progress that thing certainly enters your thinking,\" Challinor told BBC Radio Manchester. \"As much as we've been successful over the past few years, the opportunity to go and play at the home of English football on a national stage in terms of what the competition brings is one that we have to look forward to.\" Challinor is the first manager in Stockport's history to take them to Wembley on more than one occasion. He hopes, however, that their second trip to the national stadium is more prosperous than the last time, when they were beaten by Carlisle United on penalties in the 2023 League Two play-off final. \"Wembley never gets old or is something you don't want to experience. I went to the old Wembley as a player and I've gone to the new one four times as a manager,\" Challinor said. \"I'll never lose sight of the fact that I am really lucky to do that. To go back there with this club is great and shows that we've been progressing and moving forward. \"The last one ended in disappointment and we'll go to right some wrongs, if you like. It's a brilliant occasion but you have to embrace it.\" Challinor's managerial career is at a different point to that of Wilshere, who is still at the beginning of his coaching journey. Despite this, the pair know each other having completed their coaching credentials together and Challinor says his counterpart knows what is expected of him. \"I know Jack, I did my Pro Licence with him. When players come down from the Championship and you don't have alignment, it takes you a while to get going and that's probably been the case. But they've had good runs throughout the season and they've got stacks of quality within their team,\" Challinor said. \"We know it'll be really tough. We know we'll be outnumbered in terms of supporters, but our supporters will certainly make themselves heard.\"","date_published":"2026-04-11T12:35:34.004545+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cew7jd0jk95o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/english-clubs-eye-move-for-celtic-s-nygren-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/english-clubs-eye-move-for-celtic-s-nygren-gossip","title":"English clubs eye move for Celtic's Nygren - gossip","summary":"Celtic to cash in on Sweden international as the Glasgow club scout midfielder on loan in English Championship.","content_text":"Image source, SNS Celtic to cash in on Sweden international as the Glasgow club scout midfielder on loan in English Championship. Celtic are ready to sell Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren after a goal-laden debut season in Scotland amid interest from Tottenham and will hope to start negotiations at about £26m, with Brighton, Bournemouth and Valencia also keen on the 24-year-old. (SportsBoom) , external Martin O'Neill believes Robbie Keane has the credentials to be the manager of Celtic , saying the club should be \"looking at someone of that calibre\". (Scottish Sun) , external Celtic interim manager Michael O'Neill was at the recent Preston North End v QPR game to watch on-loan Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine in action for the home side. (Football Insider) , external Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Nasser Djiga is unlikely to return to Rangers once his season-long loan is up. (Express & Star - subscription required) , external Hibs teenager Owen Elding has the potential to bring in a higher transfer fee than the £6m Kieron Bowie was sold for in January, reckons former Easter Road forward Tam McManus. (Daily Record - subscription required) , external Tottenham are favourites to sign Liverpool and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson, 32, as a free agent in the summer, subject to Spurs avoiding relegation this season. (Athletic - subscription required) , external Atletico Madrid are expected to make another move for Scotland captain Andy Robertson, while Napoli and Juventus and clubs in Saudi Arabia are also interested. (Sky Sports) , external Belle and Sebastian have written a song to mark Scotland's return to the World Cup, with the band playing It Only Takes One Lion for the first time live during a gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London. (Glasgow World) , external","date_published":"2026-04-11T08:32:26.69143+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cjw81n4zpqpo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/could-guardiola-s-best-and-arteta-s-worst-month-decide-title","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/could-guardiola-s-best-and-arteta-s-worst-month-decide-title","title":"Could Guardiola's best and Arteta's worst month decide title?","summary":"Manchester City have won six out of the past eight Premier League titles, but Arsenal have not lifted the trophy since 2004","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manchester City have won six out of the past eight Premier League titles, but Arsenal have not lifted the trophy since 2004 By Shamoon Hafez , Manchester City reporter  and  Chris Collinson , BBC Sport statistician As the Premier League season approaches its finale, April could be the defining month for leaders Arsenal and closest challengers Manchester City . Mikel Arteta's men are aiming for the club's first league title since 2004 - and with a nine-point lead and seven games remaining, have destiny in their own hands. Second-placed City, though, are looking to push them all the way and have a game in hand and experience of getting over the line in this decisive period. Pep Guardiola's side, looking to claw back the deficit, can increase the pressure when they host the leaders in a monumental fixture at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, 19 April. And recent history shows this is the month where City excel and Arsenal flounder. \"We need to get a lot of points,\" said Guardiola. \"We have not been consistent enough in the season. We have dropped points that we should have taken, which is why we are now in the position where we cannot do it differently. \"We have to win every single game.\" Arteta will be desperate to triumph come May, having won only the FA Cup and the Community Shield since taking charge in 2019. Like City, his side have drawn seven games, but they have suffered two fewer defeats. Arsenal can further extend their lead when hosting Bournemouth in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off, before City face a tricky trip to sixth-placed Chelsea on Sunday. \"The closer we get, the relevance and importance of the match increases,\" admitted Arteta, whose side have finished runners-up for the past three seasons. \"[Saturday] is a big day for us. The players know it, the supporters know it. \"It is a 12:30 kick-off, an early kick-off, so get up early, have an early breakfast, bring your lunch and let's go all together for it because it has to be a big day.\" Out of the regular 10 months of a Premier League season - from August to May - April has been both Manchester City 's best month under Guardiola in terms of win percentage and Arsenal 's worst during Arteta's tenure. City did have a better success rate and Arsenal a worse one in the summer months of 2020 during the Covid pandemic, but those were only a handful of games. It's no real surprise either that Arsenal recently extended their lead at the top as the opposite is true for March, with it being their best month under Arteta and City's worst month under Guardiola. In fact, it's the only month in which the apprentice Arteta has a higher win percentage in the Premier League than his former managerial master, with the pair having worked together at City from 2016 to 2019. Guardiola's side have incredibly had 30 victories in 38 games in April under him, drawing five and losing just three. They have often dominated opponents at this point in the season too, scoring 102 goals at an impressive rate of 2.7 per game. City's recent record is even more impressive, winning 19 and drawing just two of their past 21 games in April since a 2-1 home defeat by Leeds in 2021. They've also scored two or more goals in all but one of those 21 games - the exception being a goalless draw at Manchester United last season - and scored four or more in 10 of them. Arsenal have lost seven Premier League games in April under Arteta, with five of those defeats in 2021 and 2022. Since then, the Gunners have lost just two of their past 18 games at this time of year, winning 10 and drawing six. Those two defeats did prove costly, however, as both a 4-1 loss at City in 2023 and 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in 2024 had a significant impact on their title challenge in both campaigns. Even draws at this crucial stage could be damaging, so the Gunners will be keen to avoid dropping points like they did at this time last year against Everton , Brentford and Crystal Palace . The meeting of the top two next Sunday is likely to be hugely significant in the outcome of this season's title race. On paper at least, Arsenal 's two other games at home to mid-table Bournemouth and Newcastle look eminently winnable, while City visit Chelsea and host another Champions League-chasing side Aston Villa on the final day. But given the form that both rivals have shown under their managers in April, it would be foolish to consider the title race over just yet.","date_published":"2026-04-11T08:32:21.404201+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cy81j3dd7m5o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/a-tough-season-playing-angry-and-messaging-michael-owen","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/a-tough-season-playing-angry-and-messaging-michael-owen","title":"A tough season, playing angry, and messaging Michael Owen","summary":"The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport.","content_text":"The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport. We'll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the player. Interviews will drop on weekends across BBC iPlayer, YouTube, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website. This week's interview will be broadcast on BBC One from 23:35 BST on Saturday, 11 April (and after Sportscene in Scotland) . Ollie Watkins' journey to the top has been a circuitous one - from playing in the National League with Weston-super-Mare to scoring the winner in a European Championship semi-final almost a decade later, then competing in the Champions League with Aston Villa. This season has been a mixed one for Watkins. A tally of nine goals and just one assist from 30 Premier League appearances is below his usual rate, but having scored against West Ham before the international break, he then hit two against Bologna in the Europa League on Thursday. That took him to 99 goals for Villa and prompted renewed talk of a late run into Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad. He talks to Kelly Somers about Villa, his international ambitions, and how talking to former England striker Michael Owen has helped him through what he describes as a \"difficult\" season. Kelly Somers: Well, Ollie, let's go back to the very beginning. I want to know where your love of football came from and the first time you can remember having a ball at your feet. Ollie Watkins: Ah, it was a long time ago now! Kelly: You were so young that you can't remember... Ollie: Yeah, I was so young. My mum always used to say as soon as I could walk I was kicking bouncy balls and stuff around. Then whenever I used to go out to play in the street, I'd always come back with a football. Kelly: What, you just nicked another kid's football?! Ollie: I would just find footballs around and I'd have a collection of different ones. I was playing with my brothers in the street and stuff like that. One day my friend came around and he was going to football practice later, but I didn't have a team. He told me to come with him and then it started from there. Kelly: So, that was your first team. What can you remember of your first session with them? Ollie: It was just different. I was used to playing football down at the park with my friends. This is a little bit more... it was still fun, but obviously you have a little bit of coaching and stuff like that. And then I found that I was quite good at it, so just kept going. Kelly: At what point did you realise, 'OK, I've maybe got something here that the other kids haven't got'? Ollie: Well, to be honest, there was a player that played in my team... his dad actually ran the team as well... he was the best player. And I always just wanted to kind of get close to him and just be like him really. At that age, I don't think you think about it. You're just playing football. It's maybe when you get into academies and stuff like that then you start to think about doing it more seriously and thinking of the level you're at. But at that time - I think that's the fun thing about when you're young - you just go out and play. There's no rules. You can run everywhere. I think that's the fun bit about football at that age. Kelly: There's been a lot made of your journey and it not being your typical route. It was Exeter that picked you up first, wasn't it? But that wasn't the easiest path straight away was it, either? Ollie: No, I went for a trial when I was nine. I didn't get in and then they told me to come back in six weeks, but I couldn't concentrate. I was always looking around and stuff like that, so coming back six weeks later, I didn't feel like I was going to improve. I needed to go back and, you know, play with my friends and just enjoy it because at that age it is very serious. Kelly: So, you didn't go back six weeks later? You decided not to? Ollie: No, I went back two years later. I got in the academy and then, yeah, I was there until I left at 21 I think. Kelly: I know it's a long time ago now, but at nine years old that must have been your dream to play for your local team. To be told, 'no, sorry, this isn't right for you at the moment' ... can you remember how that felt? Or were you able to just go and enjoy football again? Ollie: They weren't saying: 'Oh no, you aren't good enough.' It was more the fact that I couldn't focus. Well, that's what they told me anyway. But I just kind of saw it as… I just went and played more football and just enjoyed it. And I think I kind of saw it as a little bit of a blessing. At that age, you just want to go out and play, have that freedom to express yourself. So, that's what I went away and did. When I then went into it, I was ready to focus more. Kelly: And when you were at Exeter as well, you went on some loan spells. I know Weston-super-Mare was quite a big one, wasn't it? Ollie: Yeah, I feel like that was crucial in my development. One of my best friends at the time, Matt Jay, he made his debut at 16 I think. Obviously, I was very happy for him. He was my best friend, but I was so envious because you want that to be you. But me going out on loan definitely helped me, because I felt like I was then… I'd experienced playing men's football. I just learned to fight for three points. People had mortgages to pay and stuff like that and I didn't understand that because I'd just been playing reserve-team football and playing games where I could win 5-0 or lose 5-0, it didn't matter. Going out and playing for three points was a real learning curve for me and it definitely helped me. I learned a lot that year. Kelly: You did, of course, make it at Exeter and then the rest is history because that's where the rest of your journey started. But has there been a turning point along the way, where if you look back, you think, 'OK, all of this... I wouldn't be an England international scoring that goal at Euro 2024, playing in the Champions League... none of this would have happened without it'? Ollie: I think there's an element of luck. I remember the day I got into the first team at Exeter. Ryan Harley - one of the main midfielders - was ill that day. I ended up playing, scoring and then I stayed in the team and did well. But after that, I think just working hard. And when I made the jump to Brentford, I was a little bit surprised at how well I took to it. Kelly: Really? Ollie: Yeah, I think because when you're younger, you look at players that you want to play against... you search them on YouTube and then the next thing you know, football changes so quickly, you can be playing with those players that you had once watched or aspired to be like. I think just working hard and timing - everything just kind of falls into place naturally, I think. Kelly: Is it quite hard to believe in that at times, though, because you kind of... you can control so much, but you can't control your luck? Or can you, do you think? Ollie: Yeah, I think it's still something I'm coming to terms with. You can do all you can throughout the week and prepare as best as you can for a game, but sometimes things are out of your control. There are times where, you know, it's lonely. You can't take your mates everywhere with you and your family and the people closest to you. You've got to work hard and do it yourself and persevere at the end of the day, and if you keep working hard it will pay off. Kelly: What's been the toughest moment? Ollie: The toughest moment for me has probably been... throughout all my career... I would probably say this season. Just because I've done so well to get to where I am - getting to the Premier League... we had a bit of a dip... I scored goals. And then you set that expectation of... I think I hit a new level, scoring goals and being in Europe as well. That goal... after the Euros, I think there's more eyes on you then. This year, I haven't been at the level I wanted to. So, to learn to deal with that is hard. And, look, it can always change. Football can always change. It will be a game where you can go out, score three goals and then everyone talks about you, like: 'Ah, he's back in form.' I think that change of not being at the level where you want to be... I think for me this year has been difficult. But I've always got faith in my ability and I work so hard that I know I can get back to the level that I've achieved in previous seasons. The Football Interview - Ollie Watkins Watch on iPlayer Listen on Sounds Kelly: How have you dealt with it? Ollie: Yeah, it's been hard. I've got a lot of good people around me. I've spoken to a lot of players. I speak to Michael Owen quite a bit. Kelly: Do you? Ollie: Yeah, just because sometimes they know how… it's easy to speak to your friends and stuff when they come and watch you, but they've got a biased opinion. Someone like Michael Owen, who has played the game... he's hit levels that I've not achieved... he can know how I'm thinking and just see from afar and give you some advice on what to do. I think it's always nice to be in my position and be able to reach out to these people. Kelly: Is that like a regular check-in? How did that start? Ollie: No, not a regular check-in. I was actually going through my followers on Instagram. It just said, 'Michael Owen - follow back', so I followed him back and then I messaged him and we just had a chat. And he was just saying he just feels like when I play angry and I'm being a nuisance, that's when I'm at my best. So I just try and bring that to the table as much as possible. Kelly: How easy is it to just play angry and be a nuisance? Ollie: I feel like sometimes I'm too nice! My dad would always say it to me when I was younger. When I was playing, he'd be like, 'you need to like, play angry' and stuff, but I couldn't just do it. There'll be days where I wake up and you have that feeling, but I'm just a nice, honest player. Kelly: How's Unai Emery helped you through this? Because he's guided you to some of the best form that you've had. What's he been like for you this season as well? Ollie: For me, he's unbelievable. He's seen me when I'm obviously at my best, at my worst, but I've had all my best moments under this manager and I think some of the best moments of the club have come through me... you know, some of my moments. He has a lot of faith in me and I think that's why there will be times when I haven't scored any goals and he'll keep picking me because he believes in me. I think he knows that, even if I'm not bringing goals to the table, I'll always work hard for the team and do my job. And he can rely on me. Yeah, he's got a lot of faith in me and, like I said, I feel like I've gone up another level since he's come in. Kelly: I also read in another interview you said you've worked with a sports therapist, in terms of for your mind and the mental side of the game in recent years. How's that helped? And I believe you actually did that before this season, didn't you? Is that something that's been important for a few years? Ollie: Yeah, I've done it for a few years now. I think it's just good to… like I said, you have your friends and family that are close to you, but they're always going to have a biased opinion and sometimes sugar-coat things and tell you what you want to hear. I think when it's someone outside of your close circle, it's nice to get another opinion. Not just about football - all-round day-to-day life. If you need opinion on things or some advice, someone to open up to and get things off your chest... Kelly: Is that like a regular part of your routine then, along with training? Ollie: Yeah, I try to. Sometimes it feels like a little bit of a chore but I feel like it's definitely needed. I keep things bottled up quite a lot, so having that is something that is beneficial for me and has definitely helped me. Kelly: Let's not just focus on the tough moments because before this season, it had - as you said - kind of been an ascent like that. If there was one match you could go back and relive, what would it be? Ollie: Well, for Villa, I probably would have said the 7-2 game [victory over Liverpool in October 2020] just because it was a complete shock. I wish there was a full Villa Park, though. But, obviously the Euros goal. Yeah, that was an amazing moment. I wish I'd celebrated a little bit differently. Kelly: Why? Ollie: I said I was going to do it, but you know when you say something, but you don't truly believe it's going to happen? And then I kind of celebrated as if I was like a fan, in shock, that's just scored their first goal. Kelly: I think that's what people really loved about it though. Ollie: Yeah, I do think people like that element of it. I don't know... I think I should have owned it a little bit more. Just stood in the middle of the pitch, like, you know when Eric Cantona used to score? Kelly: Yeah. Ollie: Yeah, with his collar up. Just do something like that. Kelly: It was an amazing moment, wasn't it? Ollie: It was. After that, I think a lot of people noticed me a lot more, just through that goal. They may be like Wolves fans and they'll say to me: 'Ah, that was an amazing moment. You've given me the best moment I've had in football.' And that's an amazing feeling, you know, because I've been there in the beer gardens, watching England before and when someone scores... that togetherness that it brings is nice. So to know that I've done that to a lot of people is a nice feeling. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Watkins wheels away to celebrate his winning goal against the Netherlands at Euro 2024 Kelly: There's another tournament that you can do it in this summer, isn't there? You can just remind people of what you can do again. Ollie: We've got a massive tournament in the summer. I'm doing all I can to get there, score some goals before the end of the season, and hopefully be in that World Cup squad. Kelly: OK, let's try to get to know Ollie away from the pitch a little bit. What were you like growing up, other than being football obsessed? What was a young Ollie like? Ollie: Very energetic. Probably a wind-up merchant. Kelly: Are you still like that now? Ollie: Not really. I feel like I'm a bit different away from football with my friends. Here, I'm very focused, professional. When there's time for a laugh and a joke I do, but I'm not really a wind-up like I was back then, I think. Kelly: What's your ideal day off then? How do you like to escape? Ollie: There's two separate days. There's one, like a nice little spa day... Kelly: Where are the kids? No, I'm joking! Ollie: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. A nice little spa day and then there's another day where I'm just taking the kids out and having like a nice lunch with them. They're running round in a soft play, just getting to spend quality time with them. Kelly: You've got two kids? Ollie: Two kids. Kelly: What are you like as a dad? Ollie: I like to think I'm a good dad. I like to think I'm very present. One thing I've learned to do is just not really be on my phone a lot around them because they grow up so quickly and they've got such good memories and I don't want them to remember me for not listening and being on my phone and just sat there looking at social media and not anything useful over playing with them and putting time in and nurturing them. I like to think I'm present. I like to think I'm fun and just being there to love and care for them. Kelly: And one thing that people get wrong about you the most... Ollie: My age. They think I'm a lot younger – Kelly: Do you want to clear it up now?! How old are you? Ollie: I'm 30, yeah. I think people will be like: 'Aw, he's 30!' Hopefully people keep saying, 'ah, the young, up-and-coming talent' and I get a new five-year deal or something like that! That's what I think they say about me, yeah.... they think I'm younger than I am. Kelly: Best piece of advice you've ever been given? Ollie: Talk to yourself as if you were someone you love, because obviously the negative self-talk can get to you and stuff, but you wouldn't talk like that to your kid or your friends or family. Kelly: Aside from your children and your family, what are you proudest of? Ollie: Proudest of just what I've achieved in life. To be in my position - to be playing week-in, week-out in the Premier League, to have a beautiful family. Kelly: There was probably a time when you were playing in non-league that you didn't think that half of this... Ollie: No, I definitely didn't think it was going to be achievable. I think my aim was to get into the Championship because I remember one of the boys said to me: 'Ah, I think you can play in the Champ.' So, that was like my aim. To be here where I am today, I'm very grateful and need to appreciate it more. Kelly: What is the one thing that you still would love to achieve? Ollie: I think Europa League is something that we can definitely achieve. Kelly: Short-term, yeah? Ollie: Short-term. World Cup would be special, wouldn't it? So, yeah, there are a few things that I want to do. Kelly: Ollie, thank you for your time. Ollie: Thank you.","date_published":"2026-04-11T05:21:35.954442+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c87w429w3j5o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-are-european-stakes-for-scottish-clubs-this-time","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-are-european-stakes-for-scottish-clubs-this-time","title":"What are European stakes for Scottish clubs this time?","summary":"Celtic were the last Scottish team standing in Europe this season, losing to Stuttgart in in the knockout round play-off for the Europa League in February","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Celtic were the last Scottish team standing in Europe this season, losing to Stuttgart in in the knockout round play-off for the Europa League in February Scotland cling on to five places in Europe for one more season before it starts to get really tricky in 2027-28. However, there are a few knock-on effects from a declining coefficient hoving into view this summer. Heart of Midlothian, Rangers and Celtic are involved in an almighty scrap at the top, while Motherwell are just in front of Hibernian in the race for the last guaranteed European spot from Scottish Premiership placings. So what lies in store once the dust has settled? Same again for the champions - or is it? The team finishing top of the pile is again scheduled to enter the Champions League play-off needing to win that two-legged tie to reach the 36-team league phase. Current leaders Hearts would be unseeded due to their low club coefficient, but Rangers or Celtic would have a good chance of being seeded if they win the title, although that will depend on the other teams involved. Then there is a scenario whereby a triumphant Rangers avoid the play-off due to something Uefa calls \"title-holder rebalancing\". If this year's Champions League winners have also qualified for the league phase via their domestic league, \"the club with the best individual coefficient of all the domestic champions involved in qualifying will enter the league phase directly instead of the original round they had qualified for\". Liverpool, currently fifth in the Premier League, could mess that up, but they face a difficult quarter-final second leg at home to holders Paris St-Germain, having lost 2-0 in France on Wednesday. Olympiakos are in front of Rangers in the queue of hopefuls but trail by five points in the Greek Super League. Reaching the league phase means eight games among the continent's elite, while losing the play-off carries the safety net of dropping into the Europa League's league phase. What happened last time? Celtic were stunned by Kazakh side Kairat Almaty, losing the play-off on penalties after two dreadful goalless draws. They finished 21st in the Europa League before being beaten in a knockout round play-off by Stuttgart. Nothing changes for runners-up The team finishing second in the Premiership enter the Champions League's second qualifying round. Win that and a third round awaits before the play-off for the league phase. Losing in the second qualifying round results in a Europa League third qualifying round spot. Losing in the third qualifying round has the consolation of a Europa League play-off. What happened last time? Rangers beat Panathinaikos and Viktoria Plzen before a play-off thrashing from Club Brugge. The Ibrox side picked up just four points in the Europa League, finishing 32nd. Less shine on Scottish Cup reward In recent years, the prize for lifting the Scottish Cup was a Europa League play-off, with a guaranteed parachute into the Conference League's league stage. That is gone as our ranking slides. Now it is a place in Europa League third qualifying round, with a drop into the Conference League play-off in the event of defeat. Should semi-finalists Celtic win the cup this season and finish in the top two, then the competition's European standing is transferred to the team finishing third. What happened last time? Cup winners Aberdeen lost out to Romanian side FCSB 5-2 on aggregate and entered the Conference League, where they failed to win a game and ended up second bottom of the 36-team table. Early start for last two entrants It is getting harder here too, with two places in the Conference League's second qualifying round now allocated to third and fourth spot. Last term, third got you into the same stage of the Europa League. So that leaves the prospect of three two-legged ties to reach the league phase of the third-tier tournament. In the event of Celtic winning the cup, the team finishing fifth in the Premiership nudges in. If St Mirren, Falkirk or Dunfermline Athletic do the business at Hampden, then that fifth-placed side can start planning for Scottish League Cup football instead. What happened last time? Hibs lost out to Midtjylland in Europa League qualifying, beat Partizan Belgrade in the Conference League, then suffered a play-off defeat by Legia Warsaw. Dundee United got past UNA Strassen of Luxembourg before losing to Rapid Vienna in the third round of Conference League qualifying.","date_published":"2026-04-11T01:20:20.795686+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cg73v50kjj4o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spurs-lead-race-for-robertson-saturday-s-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spurs-lead-race-for-robertson-saturday-s-gossip","title":"Spurs lead race for Robertson - Saturday's gossip","summary":"Tottenham in pole position to sign Andy Robertson, Manchester City in talks for Morten Hjulmand, Arsenal monitoring Anthony Gordon and Kees Smit attracting Premier League interest.","content_text":"Image gallery Skip image gallery Image source, Mirror Image caption, Mirror Image source, The Times Image caption, The Times Image source, The i Image caption, The i Image source, Daily Star Image caption, Daily Star 1 of 4 Slide 1 of 4 , Mirror , Mirror End of image gallery Tottenham in pole position to sign Andy Robertson, Manchester City in talks for Morten Hjulmand, Arsenal monitoring Anthony Gordon and Kees Smit attracting Premier League interest. Tottenham are favourites to sign Liverpool and Scotland left-back Andy Robertson, 32, as a free agent in the summer, subject to Spurs avoiding relegation this season. ( Athletic - subscription required , external ) Chelsea could put Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez up for sale in the summer if the club fail to qualify for next season's Champions League, with the 25-year-old linked with Real Madrid . ( AS - in Spanish , external ) Manchester City have held informal talks with Sporting to sign 26-year-old Denmark defensive midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who is also attracting interest from Manchester United and Juventus . ( A Bola - in Portuguese , external ) Atalanta midfielder Ederson has rejected approaches from clubs including Arsenal , Manchester United and Newcastle with the Brazil international, 26, keen on a move to Atletico Madrid . ( AS - in Spanish , external ) Arsenal , Chelsea , Liverpool , Manchester United , Newcastle , Barcelona and Real Madrid are all linked with a summer move for highly rated Netherlands and AZ Alkmaar midfielder Kees Smit, 20. ( Caughtoffside , external ) Manchester United , Arsenal , Chelsea , and Paris St-Germain are all considering a summer move for Aston Villa and England forward Morgan Rogers, 23. (Sky Sports) , external Arsenal have conducted detailed research on England winger Anthony Gordon's situation at Newcastle and are monitoring the 25-year-old's availability before the summer transfer window. ( Teamtalk , external ) Celtic are ready to sell Sweden winger Benjamin Nygren, 24, in the summer amid interest from Tottenham and will hope to start negotiations at about £26m, with Brighton , Bournemouth and Valencia also showing interest. ( SportsBoom , external ) FC Cincinnati are exploring options to bring Brazil forward Neymar, 34, from Santos to the Major League Soccer with preliminary discussions already under way. ( Athletic - subscription required , external ) Interim head coach Michael Carrick is now in pole position to become Manchester United 's permanent manager after the former England midfielder, 44, helped the club secure 23 points from a possible 30 since taking charge in January. ( Talksport , external )","date_published":"2026-04-11T01:20:19.327896+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c5yw9y4x4geo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/west-ham-have-fresh-hope-but-spurs-now-in-uncharted-territory","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/west-ham-have-fresh-hope-but-spurs-now-in-uncharted-territory","title":"West Ham have fresh hope - but Spurs now in uncharted territory","summary":"After a season of turmoil, at last some light at the end of the tunnel for West Ham.","content_text":"By Keifer MacDonald BBC Sport journalist After a season of turmoil, at last some light at the end of the tunnel for West Ham . Friday's thumping 4-0 win over Wolves - their biggest of the campaign so far - lifted West Ham out of the Premier League relegation zone, and plunged London rivals Tottenham into it. Just three points now separate four teams in the battle to avoid the third relegation spot, with Wolves and Burnley both having been cut further adrift. West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo insisted there was still \"a lot of work to do\" - but enjoyed a \"big step\" towards safety after Taty Castellanos and Konstantinos Mavropanos both scored twice at London Stadium. \"We are happy, extremely happy,\" he told Sky Sports. \"All of us deserve this kind of evening, especially our fans. \"The London Stadium today was amazing, bouncing with energy and helping us in the hard parts.\" But while West Ham fans were bouncing, Tottenham supporters watching at home were likely slumping further into their armchairs as each goal went in. Spurs, who face Sunderland on Sunday in new boss Roberto de Zerbi's first game in charge, are now in completely uncharted territory. So what next? A new low for Tottenham in Premier League era While Spurs have flirted with the bottom three for the past two seasons - even during their run to Europa League glory 11 months ago, they finished 17th in the league - this is the first time they have actually occupied the relegation zone since 2015. On that occasion, the league season was only one game old and Tottenham - then managed by Mauricio Pochettino - had lost their opener against Manchester United , but finished the campaign in third place. To find the last time Spurs were in the relegation zone past the midway point of a campaign, you have to go back to February 1998 - when they sat 18th after 24 games. But after 31 matches? That has never happened in the Premier League era. This is another new low. What will worry Spurs fans even more is that across 31 Premier League seasons, a team occupying 18th place after 31 matches has been relegated on 21 occasions. \"When I look at the Tottenham team... where's your match-winner? Who's going to win you the game?\" said ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports. \"When I look at Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville, they have moments - that's the important thing. \"And that's now put almighty pressure on Tottenham Hotspur , who have to go and beat Sunderland in their next game. That's not an easy fixture. \"Anything can happen. There will still be twists and turns. West Ham have only got to lose their next game at Crystal Palace next week and they're right back in it. \"It's very difficult to predict. But you need calm heads and what West Ham did today - look a threat from set-pieces, a real threat from your best players - you give yourself a real chance.\" After their trip to the Stadium of Light, four of Tottenham 's six remaining games are against teams in the top half of the table. They still have to go to Aston Villa and Chelsea , both chasing Champions League football. But while the stats suggest 18th position is not the place to be after 31 games, not all the data is doom and gloom for Spurs, who have only spent one season outside the top flight since 1950 - way back in 1977-78. Of the 17 times a team has been on 30 points after 31 games ( Tottenham 's current tally), only six were relegated. It is something to cling on to. Which other teams are battling for survival? There are sure to be plenty more twists and turns in the final weeks of the season. But, after their hard-fought and well-deserved win against Wolves , West Ham 's players can at least breathe a sigh of relief as attention turns to their relegation rivals - Leeds United , Nottingham Forest and Spurs - for the rest of the weekend. Up first are Forest, who host Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at 14:00 BST on Sunday, after a gruelling Europa League quarter-final first leg against Porto on Thursday. Later in the day, Spurs, as mentioned, will have to inflict just a fourth home defeat of the season on an impressive Sunderland side if they are to move out of the relegation zone at the first time of asking. Leeds - one point and two places above West Ham - round off the weekend's fixtures on Monday when they travel to Manchester United . But it will not be easy against one of their fiercest rivals - Daniel Farke's men have not won at Old Trafford in the league since 1981. A favourable weekend of fixtures for the Hammers then? It is little wonder West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen admitted he would be keeping a close eye on the television over the weekend. \"I've got three kids to entertain but I will keep an eye on the games,\" added Bowen. \"We have a bit of time before the game against Palace then go again. \"The spirit, the togetherness is so important in this situation. You can always have quality, but you need grit and desire and a will to win through the whole squad. \"The only thing we know as a club is to keep fighting and doing what we're doing and take it into the next six games.\" Image caption, Opta's supercomputer still predicts that West Ham are more likely to finish in 18th than Tottenham Edwards sticking to 'same message' - but was this it for Wolves? While those above them continue to battle it out for survival, it looks almost certain that Wolves ' race is run. Fifteen points from safety with just 18 points left to play for, their relegation could be confirmed as early as next Saturday if results go against them. They have been made to pay for a dreadful first half of the season, failing to win any of their opening 19 games and picking up just three points in the process. Defender Ladislav Krejci apologised to the fans after their defeat at London Stadium - \"not just for this game but the situation in the table\". But manager Rob Edwards would not be drawn on whether it was a result that killed any remaining hope. \"For us it is the same message,\" he told Sky Sports. \"We have to try to finish strong, respect every game and go for it. \"We are all under the microscope and we have to make sure we perform.\" What information do we collect from this quiz?","date_published":"2026-04-11T01:20:15.899033+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr71jvrpp5ro"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wales-ingle-back-to-best-after-injury-nightmare","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wales-ingle-back-to-best-after-injury-nightmare","title":"Wales' Ingle back to best after injury nightmare","summary":"Midfielder Sophie Ingle made her senior Wales debut against Azerbaijan in October 2009","content_text":"Image source, FAW Image caption, Midfielder Sophie Ingle made her senior Wales debut against Azerbaijan in October 2009 By Ian Mitchelmore BBC Sport Wales Sophie Ingle says she feels back to her best having enjoyed a sustained run of appearances with Wales and Bristol City since fully recovering from an ACL injury. The midfielder missed the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign but made her long-awaited return to action as a substitute in Wales' Euro 2025 loss to France on 13 July. She has featured 25 times across all competitions for the Robins this season and is now bidding to help fire Wales to the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. \"I think throughout my whole rehab, it was just focusing on getting back for the Euros and that was the main aim,\" Ingle told BBC Sport Wales. \"I was lucky enough to do that, and then joining Bristol City, I think it was just about getting game time. \"I've played near enough every game this season.\" Asked if she is back to her peak levels following a prolonged spell on the sidelines, Ingle said: \"Yeah probably, I feel good, I feel fit. \"Obviously it's coming towards the end of the season so you start to feel that your body's a bit tired and you need to recover a bit better. But throughout the season I've felt really good.\" Having lost seven successive matches during an historic 2025 for Wales, Rhian Wilkinson's side are now unbeaten in their past four matches. Ingle has been central to the Red Dragons' turnaround having scored three goals in her past four appearances for her country. \"It doesn't happen often. I don't really know what to say about it,\" Ingle said of her recent form in front of goal. \"Since coming back from my knee injury, it's something that I looked at when I was injured. \"I don't really score that many goals but I think it helps when I'm up for corners now and in and around the box.\" Image source, FAW Image caption, Sophie Ingle spent eight seasons with Chelsea across two spells Wales currently sit top of their World Cup qualifying group having thrashed Montenegro 6-1 in Llanelli last month - four days after they earned a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic. And Ingle will reach 150 caps for her country this month should she feature in both of Wales' fixtures against Albania in Wrexham and Elbasan. \"It's quite scary really to think that I've been here that long and played that many games,\" she said. \"Being on 148 [caps] now is such a great achievement and one in the moment you don't really look at. \"But every single game, I've loved putting on the Welsh shirt and if I reach 150 it'll be another big achievement.\" The one positive from her lengthy period out of action was that it afforded Ingle the chance to reflect on her glittering career to date. \"I think when you're out injured, you get to reminisce about the things that have gone on in the past for both club and country and trophies that I've won,\" she added. \"In the moment you have to move on to the next game. It's always the next game, the next game. You don't really celebrate it in the moment. \"So being out for nine months, you get to look back on highlights and some really good things that you did within the team.\" Only two wins will do Some may feel that extending their unbeaten run will be the bare minimum this month for Wales as they host Albania at Wrexham's Stok Cae Ras on Tuesday (19:15 BST) before the away fixture against the same opponents at the Elbasan Arena four days later (17:00 BST). However, as far as the players are concerned, only six points from the two fixtures will suffice. \"Rhian [Wilkinson] said it on day one of camp that we are going for two wins. I think we're all aligned with that,\" Ella Powell told BBC Sport Wales. \"We started the campaign relatively well. We're at the top of the group, and that's exactly where we want to stay. \"In order to do that, we need to win our games. \"We're not hiding away from that. That is our goal.\" And Ingle's verdict was equally unequivocal. \"Two wins,\" she said emphatically.","date_published":"2026-04-10T20:25:17.61388+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpwjkq4exxko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/nike-investigating-issue-with-world-cup-kits","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/nike-investigating-issue-with-world-cup-kits","title":"Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits","summary":"Cole Palmer's England shirt featured the shoulder seam flaw during the recent international break","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Cole Palmer's England shirt featured the shoulder seam flaw during the recent international break Sportswear giant Nike is investigating a design issue with the shirts set to be worn by several teams - including England - at this summer's World Cup. Bulging around the shoulder seams of the shirts was visible during the recent international break, particularly on the designs worn by England, France and Uruguay. Nike did not respond to a request for comment from BBC Sport but a spokesperson told the Guardian , external : \"During the recent international break, we observed a minor issue with our Nike national team kits, most noticeable around the shoulder seam. \"Performance is unaffected, but the overall aesthetic is not where it needs to be.\" Nike has also produced the kits of co-hosts Canada and the USA, as well as Turkey, Australia, Croatia, South Korea, Brazil, the Netherlands and Norway. The shoulder seam issue is apparent on both 'match' shirts designed to be worn by the players, and 'stadium' shirts aimed at supporters, with many fans voicing their concerns over the issue with their purchases. In the United Kingdom, Nike is retailing England's stadium shirt at £89.99 and match shirt at £134.99. The American company has produced England's men's and women's kits since 2013. \"We always hold ourselves and our products to the highest standards and this fell short,\" the spokesperson said. \"We're working quickly to make this right for players and fans, because every kit should reflect the care, precision and pride that the game deserves.\" The kits have been designed to incorporate performance cooling technology in an effort to combat the extreme temperatures expected at the tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico which begins on 11 June. England's campaign starts on 17 June against Croatia in Arlington, Texas, while Scotland face Haiti on 14 June in Massachusetts. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bulges in the shoulder seams were clearly visible in Uruguay's shirts in their match against England in March","date_published":"2026-04-10T20:25:16.125894+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c2evp8283wgo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/green-brigade-return-may-boost-title-bid-o-neill","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/green-brigade-return-may-boost-title-bid-o-neill","title":"Green Brigade return may boost title bid - O'Neill","summary":"Martin O'Neill was enjoying himself at Celtic training on Friday morning","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Martin O'Neill was enjoying himself at Celtic training on Friday morning The return of the Green Brigade supporters group after their suspension was lifted will be \"a boost\" to Celtic's title challenge at a vital part of the season, boss Martin O'Neill says. O'Neill felt Celtic fans \"kept us going\" as they scored a late winner at Dundee and the Green Brigade will return to Celtic Park for the first time since November for Saturday's visit of St Mirren. An initial six-game ban was imposed on about 200 people following \"violent and threatening behaviour\" at a home match against Falkirk in October and the ban was extended in December because of \"safety incidents\". \"In terms of support, in terms of vocal support, it's great to see them back again,\" O'Neill said. \"I think that that would give us a boost. The support we got from Dundee was fantastic. \"I thought they kept us going during the course of the game. They didn't seem to be highly critical of us when we conceded the penalty. It could have dropped away and they kept us going.\" O'Neill was speaking as the Scottish FA announced sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne will lead its investigation into the disorder that followed the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic in March. Tensions have arisen between elements of Celtic's support and the board about such matters as summer transfer activity, managerial appointments and crowd safety. Discussions have been held between the Green Brigade and the club and Celtic said earlier this week that Glasgow City Council's Safety Advisory Group was happy for the suspension to be lifted. \"I think that the safety regulations have been sorted,\" O'Neill said. \"We've got to just see how it goes and see what the end of the season brings. Let's have a proper conversation at the end.\" Defending champions Celtic go into Saturday's game three points behind leaders Heart of Midlothian and two adrift of Rangers. Hearts have been handed a visit to Celtic Park on the final day of the season following the publication of the post-split Scottish Premiership fixtures, but O'Neill said \"it's certainly a long way off for us\" to be thinking of that possibly being a title decider. Celtic's goal difference is worse than both their title rivals, but the Northern Irishman said \"it's too late now\" to think about that and \"I would just be delighted to win the games\". Meanwhile, O'Neill revealed on-loan right-back Julian Araujo had suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury after returning to Bournemouth for treatment and would miss the rest of the season - and possibly the World Cup with Mexico. Fellow right-back Colby Donovan also has a hamstring injury that will rule him out for perhaps the next two weeks, but Canada international Alistair Johnston could return next weekend for the first time since October.","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:41:00.437242+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8958z0q2pzo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/efl-preview-open-top-buses-booked-as-finish-line-comes-into-view","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/efl-preview-open-top-buses-booked-as-finish-line-comes-into-view","title":"EFL preview: Open-top buses booked as finish line comes into view","summary":"Frank Lampard's Coventry City could end a 25-year exile from the top flight on Saturday","content_text":"Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Frank Lampard's Coventry City could end a 25-year exile from the top flight on Saturday By Alex Hoad BBC Sport journalist The open-top buses have been reserved for weeks, the local authorities have been put on notice for road closures, the fridges are stocked and you just know there are boxes of gaudy celebratory merchandise lurking in warehouses waiting for the green light to be shipped to a stadium. We're approaching the finish line on the final straight of the marathon EFL race and there are podium places up for grabs this weekend. There are also some huge games in the battle to avoid dropping through the relegation trapdoor in the Championship, League One and at the very foot of the EFL. Calculators at the ready, here are five things to look out for this weekend. Champions elect are almost there Image source, Opta/Shutterstock Image caption, Coventry will be promoted to the Premier League on Saturday should they beat Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall and Middlesbrough fail to secure three points Coventry began the Championship season with a 12-game unbeaten run, rising to the summit at the start of October and, despite a wobble early in 2026, have remained there ever since. That run of 16 points from 13 games either side of Christmas allowed Middlesbrough to temporarily wipe out an eight-point deficit to go level on points with the Sky Blues in February, but a 3-1 win over Boro launched a run of eight wins in nine games and moved Frank Lampard's men 12 points clear and has fans counting down the days until their 25-year exile from the top flight comes to an end. That could happen on Saturday. Should Millwall fail to win at West Brom on Friday (20:00 BST) then Coventry will host rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday (12:30 BST) knowing a win would mean Middlesbrough must beat Portsmouth at the Riverside at 15:00 BST to prevent the Sky Blues celebrating automatic promotion this weekend. League One Lincoln became the first side to secure promotion this season on Monday, ending a 65-year wait to return to the second tier. When the Imps suffered a last-gasp 3-2 defeat at Wycombe on 22 November they slipped out of the automatic promotion places. But they have gone unbeaten in the 24 games since, winning 19 of them, including at long-time title favourites Cardiff on 7 March, which saw the Imps take over at the top and they have not looked back. With promotion secured, they now have their sights set on being champions. A home win over Leyton Orient on Saturday (12:30 BST) coupled with the Bluebirds losing to Bolton would leave the Imps 15 points clear of Cardiff who would have five games to play. When Bromley lost 3-1 at Walsall on 29 November they dropped to fifth in League Two while the Saddlers were sitting pretty at the top of the table. But that only served to spark the Ravens into life and they strung together a run of 21 games unbeaten, 14 of them wins, before finally coming unstuck at lowly Barrow two weeks ago. Tuesday's 2-1 win over Shrewsbury gave Andy Woodman's side a seven-point cushion over second-placed MK Dons, who they visit on Saturday (12:30 BST) with four games remaining. Should Ian Holloway's fifth-placed Swindon fail to win at Colchester on Friday night then Bromley would secure a second promotion in three seasons with a win at Milton Keynes and could then seal the League Two title when Cambridge visit Hayes Lane next Thursday. If Swindon win and Bromley win then a win for Cambridge over Notts County would also be enough to see the Ravens flying into the third tier. Image source, Opta/Shutterstock Image caption, If Swindon fail to win on Friday night then Bromley would be promoted with a win at MK Dons on Saturday Bonded by history, Saints and Rams face play-off showdown Image source, Opta/Shutterstock Image caption, Tonda Eckert has Saints on track for the play-offs, but they will face a stiff test from Derby Southampton and Derby. Statistically the two worst teams in Premier League history, both have a chance of getting back there as they prepare to face-off on Saturday (15:00 BST). Saints lost a record 30 top-flight games last season on their way to finishing bottom with 12 points, just one more than Derby managed in 2007-08. The St Mary's hangover lasted until Bonfire Night, with 12 points from their opening 13 Championship games under Will Still leaving Southampton 20th. But things changed when Tonda Eckert took charge and they mustered 53 points from the next 27 games, and he also guided Saints past Arsenal to book a Wembley date with Manchester City on 25 April in the FA Cup semi-final. Their cup heroics certainly did not look like a distraction as Southampton swept aside Wrexham 5-1 at the Stok Cae Ras on Tuesday night to take a firm grip on the final play-off spot, two points ahead of the Red Dragons, with a game in hand, though the six-point gap to the automatic promotion places might prove too much to close with six games remaining. Saints' 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions will face another test on Saturday from a resilient Rams side just three points behind them. Derby have taken 15 points from their past seven games and kept three clean sheets in four – only conceding in the last-gasp defeat at leaders Coventry on Good Friday. Foxes know the equation, but can they solve it? Image source, Opta/Shutterstock Image caption, Gary Rowett's Foxes are in a fight to stay in the Championship Leicester fans, are you cup half-empty or cup half-full? One defeat in six, just a point from safety and with a game against your nearest rivals looming on 18 April. Doesn't sound like the end of the world. However one win in 15, still in the bottom three and having to snatch a late point on Monday against a Sheffield Wednesday side who were relegated on 22 February puts a different complexion on the situation. Now the appeal over the Foxes' six-point deduction has been rejected , crystalising their predicament, the lunchtime trip to Pompey on Saturday week will be in the back of many minds, however there is a home game against Swansea to come first on Saturday (15:00 GMT) and the points on offer count just the same. The 15th-placed Swans are precisely half as good on the road as they are at home, picking up just 18 points from 20 away games and losing a dozen of them. Leicester's home form was the least of their worries with 22 points from their opening 13 at the King Power but four points from their past seven games has made this a very big fixture indeed for Gary Rowett's under-fire squad. Something for everyone in third tier League One has been fantastic from start to finish this season - we're at the second weekend of April and every team still has something to play for. While the EFL Trophy Final between Luton and Stockport on Sunday has limited us to 10 fixtures on Saturday, they all have something at stake. Lincoln's march to the title will inch even closer if they beat Leyton Orient, while a win for Cardiff would go a long way to securing their promotion, though third-placed Bradford will seek to keep the pressure on when they host Stevenage in sixth. Plymouth, who play local rivals Exeter at Home Park (12:30 BST), are waiting to pounce and leap into the top six should Boro lose, while Reading and Huddersfield are within striking distance of the play-offs ahead of their games at Doncaster and home to Wycombe respectively. The Grecians remain in the drop zone in 21st, though after beating Doncaster on Monday eight teams are sitting nervously within five points of them. Blackpool host Peterborough and Burton welcome AFC Wimbledon in crunch clashes while third-bottom Rotherham entertain Barnsley. Second-bottom Northampton's fate is out of their hands and despite having no game they cannot mathematically be relegated but might find themselves on the very brink by Saturday evening while rock-bottom Port Vale's clutch of games in hand keeps their slim hopes of survival alive for now. All eyes on EFL basement battle Image source, Opta/Shutterstock Image caption, Simon Weaver will be hoping his Harrogate side can pick up three points at Newport to boost their hopes of survival On a weekend of big games none may prove more monumental than Newport v Harrogate at the foot of League Two. Newport are seeking a 14th straight season in the division and sit third-bottom, one point outside the relegation zone, with the Sulphurites bottom on goal difference below Barrow, who have a game in hand. Town were stung by a late Bristol Rovers comeback on Monday, having secured an eye-catching 3-1 win at Grimsby on Good Friday to boost their survival hopes. The Exiles have lost four of their past five games with a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury sandwiched in the middle and tasted defeat in their last attempt at a relegation six-pointer at home to Crawley last Friday. Tranmere and Crawley are within striking distance but it increasingly feels like one of these sides will be lining up in the National League come August, and Saturday afternoon (15:00 GMT) will go a long way to determining which of them it is. BBC Sport will have live text coverage of all the weekend's EFL action, starting with West Brom v Millwall and Colchester v Swindon on Friday night, before the entire Saturday programme and the EFL Trophy Final between Luton and Stockport on Sunday.","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:59.429136+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c33lm1056dno"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/consultant-leads-review-into-old-firm-cup-disorder","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/consultant-leads-review-into-old-firm-cup-disorder","title":"Consultant leads review into Old Firm cup disorder","summary":"Sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne will lead the Scottish FA's investigation into the disorder that followed the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic in March.","content_text":"Sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne will lead the Scottish FA's investigation into the disorder that followed the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic in March. Ugly scenes ensued after Celtic's victory on penalties, with spectators entering the pitch. The match had finished 0-0 after extra time. It was the second successive meeting of the sides at Ibrox in all competitions, but there were more visiting supporters at the cup game than the league encounter seven days earlier. Approaching 2,500 Celtic fans attended the 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw on 1 March, but under Scottish Cup rules Celtic received an allocation nearing 7,500 - a full stand - for the quarter-final. As of 30 March, 13 arrests related to the cup game had been made. Celtic and Rangers are scheduled to meet once more this season, in the Premiership at Celtic Park on 10 May. The review has commenced following a meeting of Blackbourne, both clubs, Police Scotland and the SFA. The SFA describes Blackbourne as \"a vastly experienced sports event consultant who continues to lead on match operations at major club and international competitions under Uefa and Fifa jurisdiction\". They added: \"The review will seek to establish the facts surrounding what happened during the day of the match, both within Ibrox Stadium and the surrounding area, including examining events and decisions made in advance of, during and following the match, with a view to identifying lessons learnt and making recommendations to avoid a repeat of similar scenes at other fixtures with a similar risk profile.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:58.445235+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cg40n6xk0y9o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fernandez-sorry-but-will-miss-man-city-rosenior","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fernandez-sorry-but-will-miss-man-city-rosenior","title":"Fernandez sorry but will miss Man City - Rosenior","summary":"Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Enzo Fernandez joined Chelsea from Benfica in 2023 By Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez will remain unavailable for the upcoming home match against Manchester City despite apologising for recent comments about Madrid, head coach Liam Rosenior says. Fernandez was handed a two-match internal ban by the club last week after he gave an interview during the international break in which he expressed his admiration for the city of Madrid. The Argentine has repeatedly been linked with a move to La Liga club Real Madrid. His agent, Javier Pastore, said this week that \"we cleared the air\" with Chelsea after Fernandez missed last Saturday's 7-0 FA Cup victory against Port Vale, and had hoped that the ban would be reduced to one match. However, Rosenior says Fernandez will miss Sunday's Premier League fixture against Manchester City as Chelsea have decided to stick to their original punishment, despite the Argentine apologising for his comments. \"I had three or four [conversations] with Enzo,\" said Rosenior. \"He's apologised to me, he's apologised to the club, and we'll deal with that after a massive game on Sunday. \"It was a serious meeting about something very serious. I'm not questioning Enzo's character or who he is as a person. We've made a sanction, we made a decision – I made a decision – and what I want for Enzo is for him to come here and have an outstanding career.\" Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League, one point behind Liverpool , who occupy the fifth and final Champions League qualification position. Rosenior insisted he was not \"shooting myself in the foot\" by suspending Rosenior and said there were \"hurdles\" to overcome in order for the midfielder to return to action. \"He won't play on Sunday, but hopefully after that he'll be a massive part of the group moving forward,\" Rosenior added. \"There are still a few hurdles to be overcome that I won't go into, but at the same time I want every player really focused on a huge run.\" The former Strasbourg manager says that Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill all remain unavailable for the game at Stamford Bridge.","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:55.125514+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c70drp00yyqo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/guardiola-would-love-silva-to-stay-at-man-city","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/guardiola-would-love-silva-to-stay-at-man-city","title":"Guardiola would 'love' Silva to stay at Man City","summary":"Bernardo Silva has made 450 appearances since joining Manchester City from Monaco in 2017","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bernardo Silva has made 450 appearances since joining Manchester City from Monaco in 2017 By Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter Pep Guardiola would \"love\" captain Bernardo Silva to \"finish his career\" at Manchester City but says it is up to the player to make the decision on whether he stays or leaves the club. Last week, City assistant Pep Lijnders hinted Silva's nine-year spell at the club will end this summer, saying \"every good story comes to an end\". The 31-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season and he has been linked with a move to La Liga leaders Barcelona, Serie A side Juventus and teams in Major League Soccer. But Guardiola suggested hope of Silva staying at the club was not lost as the Portugal international has yet to communicate a decision over his future. \"I'm so grumpy with Bernardo because a month ago I said, 'if you take a decision I have to be the first to [know]', and he didn't say anything to me yet,\" said Guardiola. \"I think the proper one must be Bernardo, I don't know if he has already decided. I said, jokingly, 'tell me I deserve it', but he didn't tell me so I don't know what's going on.\" Lijnders made the comments after City's 4-0 FA quarter-final win against Liverpool last weekend, with Guardiola unable to fulfil media duties as he was serving a touchline ban. \"You never replace a player with the same kind of player because they don't exist,\" said Lijnders. \"But every good story comes to an end, and I hope he enjoys the last months - there are only six weeks - and has a good farewell.\" Silva, a 2017 signing from French club Monaco, made his 450th appearance for City in the EFL Cup final success over Arsenal last month. The 31-year-old was made club captain last summer following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne. \"He is not the tallest one, the most muscular one, or score 50 goals or make 50 assists a season,\" added Guardiola. \"These are the type of players that are spotlighted and everyone talks about. From nine years, I know him quite well and for what a manager requires. \"All managers would say how much they love him because he is incredibly competitive, has a fire inside him always. In the toughest moments and on the biggest stages, he is always there. \"He has been an incredible signing for us, incredible. I love this club and I would love if he could stay and finish his career here but I do not know. He will decide what he will decide. It is his decision.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:54.151061+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8r43zp81lgo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-m-not-better-than-frank-or-tudor-spurs-boss-de-zerbi","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-m-not-better-than-frank-or-tudor-spurs-boss-de-zerbi","title":"I'm not better than Frank or Tudor - Spurs boss De Zerbi","summary":"Roberto de Zerbi managed Marseille between July 2024 and February 2026","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Roberto de Zerbi managed Marseille between July 2024 and February 2026 By Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist Tottenham manager Roberto de Zerbi says he is \"not better\" than predecessors Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor as he prepares to take charge of his first game at the Premier League strugglers. Sunderland will be Spurs' first opponents under the Italian, who was appointed on 31 March with the club one point outside the relegation zone with seven games remaining. De Zerbi is Tottenham 's third manager of the season after Frank and Tudor - the latter only lasting 44 days and seven matches in the role. \"I am proud and happy to be here and I have to say thank you to Vinai [Venkatesham] and Johan [Lange] because they showed me a big, big confidence,\" said De Zerbi on Friday. \"I'm sure about the level of the players because I was very, very close to bringing many of these players to my former teams in the past. \"I think I am not better than Frank or Tudor because I consider them very good coaches. \"I try to bring my style, my character, my personality and my strengths to achieve our target, which is the most important part now.\" Tottenham have not won a domestic league game in 2026 and only two since 26 October 2025. They were also knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Atletico Madrid 7-5 on aggregate . Since 1950, Spurs have only spent one season outside the top flight, which was back in 1977-78. \"For me, it was a big opportunity because Tottenham are a very important club in the Premier League and the Premier League is the best league in the world,\" said De Zerbi, who previously managed Brighton between 2022 and 2024. \"I love the qualities of the players and the crucial part that there was 12 days before the first game and for me it was important to have more than one week. I thought it would be important to understand the problems. \"The message for my staff and players is that we have to deserve the support because the fans are suffering like us. But for the fans, there is just one club. The players can change but for the fans, their club is unique. \"We have to make them happy with the right spirit and the right behaviour on the pitch. Then it's easier to make points.\" Tottenham travel to the Stadium of Light to face 11th-placed Sunderland on Sunday (14:00 BST kick-off). 'I would like to stay for a long time' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mohammed Kudus is set to miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury Tottenham 's season has been hampered by injuries to key personnel, with creative forces Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison long-term absentees. Striker Dominic Solanke was also sidelined for months with an ankle injury while Xavi Simons has also struggled with fitness in his debut season in England. Mohammed Kudus, who joined from West Ham in the summer, had a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury this week, which may require surgery and means he is unlikely to feature again this season. \"Kudus was in my head a crucial player, especially for the position but we have to look forward,\" De Zerbi said. \"We have a lot of very good attackers but we have to help them and put them in the very best condition. I know [Randal] Kolo Muani isn't having a great season but he is a good player. I know him, like Mathys Tel, I wanted him when I was in Marseille. \"Simons is a big talent, Richarlison and [Dominic] Solanke you know better than me, so we have to put them in the best condition we can.\" The Spurs boss also confirmed goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario will miss the trip to Sunderland after having hernia surgery during the international break. \"I hope he can come back early next week, but I don't know yet,\" De Zerbi said. \"[Rodrigo] Bentancur is working with us but not completely. But we have enough to fight and to play and to get points.\" The 46-year-old said he \"would like to stay for a long time\" at the north London club. De Zerbi said: \"I don't know how many years. In Marseille, my idea was to stay for a long time but then you have to speak with the club and when you have different views of the football or other things, you have to leave. \"In my plan, the idea is to stay for a long time. I'm not speaking about titles because it's not the right moment now, but to help Tottenham to stay in the Premier League.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:53.146952+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cdxde1g4dvqo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spalletti-signs-new-juventus-contract-amid-italy-links","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spalletti-signs-new-juventus-contract-amid-italy-links","title":"Spalletti signs new Juventus contract amid Italy links","summary":"Spalletti's Juventus are 15 points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Spalletti's Juventus are 15 points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan By Alex Brotherton BBC Sport journalist Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has signed a two-year contract extension with the club, effectively ruling him out of a return to the Italy national team. Spalletti was linked with the vacant Italy manager's job following the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso last week, after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive men's World Cup. Spalletti, 67, took charge of Juventus on a short-term contract in October following the sacking of Igor Tudor. \"Since Luciano joined our great Juventus family, he has had an immediate and very positive impact on our players, the whole club and the entire Bianconeri community,\" Juventus CEO Damien Comolli said in a statement. \"It was immediately clear to everyone that Luciano was the right person to lead the team on a path of growth.\" Former Roma and Inter Milan boss Spalletti led Napoli to a first Serie A title in 33 years in 2023, before leaving the club that summer to become Italy manager. His Italy side suffered a last-16 exit at Euro 2024, and he was dismissed in June 2025 after a 3-0 World Cup qualifier loss to Norway. In March last year he said that Napoli would be the last Italian club he ever coached. Juventus are fifth in the Serie A table with 57 points, one point off the Champions League places with seven games remaining.","date_published":"2026-04-10T16:40:51.15288+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4gvkg7e8mro"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/robinson-urges-togetherness-in-aberdeen-survival-bid","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/robinson-urges-togetherness-in-aberdeen-survival-bid","title":"Robinson urges togetherness in Aberdeen survival bid","summary":"Stephen Robinson endured an unhappy return to St Mirren last weekend","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Stephen Robinson endured an unhappy return to St Mirren last weekend By Tyrone Smith BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter Stephen Robinson has called for \"togetherness\" in Aberdeen's relegation battle and says the time to \"scrutinise\" is at the end of the season. Before Saturday's home Scottish Premiership meeting with Hibernian, the Dons are three points above second-bottom Kilmarnock, who occupy the relegation play-off place. With just one win in their past 16 league games, Aberdeen have faced heavy criticism. \"We scrutinise everything at the end of the season and that is where I will make changes to things but right now it is a togetherness that will get us through this situation,\" said Robinson, who is seeking his first win as Dons boss. \"The players have been ridiculed from pillar to post and some will say it's justified but certainly in these last six games that doesn't help, we need everybody together, we need them to be really believing in themselves, which is my job to do.'' Hibs' visit is just the fourth match in charge for Robinson, who arrived from St Mirren last month. While attempting to arrest Aberdeen's slide and with top-division survival the immediate priority, the Northern Irishman was asked if he was facing the biggest challenge of his managerial career. \"It is one of them,\" he replied. \"There is no two ways about it, it is a huge challenge and it is one we are right up for. \"I will use every bit of experience I have got out of all the league games I have had to try and give the boys confidence. \"My job has tried to be this week to be positive for the players, to try and get them to believe in what they have. \"At the end of last season, they were lifting a cup and you have to try and remind people there are good players there and you have to get that belief within the team. \"What I have found this week is nobody has gone hiding, nobody is looking for excuses; we all know it hasn't been good enough, we all know that nobody has chosen this and it is now to fight and scrap our way out of that and I believe every single person - staff and player - is up for that.\" 'People would enjoy Aberdeen relegation' As well as hovering precariously close to Kilmarnock, Aberdeen sit above St Mirren on goal difference and are two points behind Dundee. And Robinson said: \"There is more than Aberdeen in a relegation fight. \"People would enjoy it because it is not meant to be. The teams that are down at the bottom have been down at the bottom previously and have lost their status in this division previously so that obviously adds to it with the size of the football club. \"We have to stick together, ignore the outside noise and try and get everyone together for Saturday. \"And the remaining five games after that to use that energy to guide us through this situation.\" Meanwhile, Robinson will make a late call on midfielder Dennis Geiger, who has a slight hamstring injury. Defender Mats Knoester will resume full training next week and may be available for the second game after the split.","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:58.377495+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/czxrgze6nxpo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/ksi-targets-premier-league-for-dagenham-redbridge-but-not-as-manager","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/ksi-targets-premier-league-for-dagenham-redbridge-but-not-as-manager","title":"KSI targets Premier League for Dagenham & Redbridge - but not as manager","summary":"KSI owns a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, KSI owns a minority stake in Dagenham & Redbridge By Chris Slegg , BBC London Sport  and  Chris Peddy , BBC London Sport \"No, I'll stick to Baller League!\" That was the emphatic response from influencer KSI when asked if fans might see him in the dugout at Dagenham & Redbridge. The YouTuber, former professional boxer, music artist and all-round entrepreneur recently purchased a minority stake in the London-based National League South club. His arrival has brought a wave of attention to the sixth-tier side and has coincided with striker Andy Carroll becoming a shareholder, before taking over as caretaker manager in March. And KSI, who coaches a team in six-a-side indoor Baller League, says he has no intention of taking over from the former England striker on a permanent basis. Instead, the 32-year-old plans to use his influence to help grow the club's profile and following, and hopes to one day help them get to the Premier League, whether it takes \"five, 10, 15 or 20 years\". \"I'd like to do my own journey. I want to do things my way and I was born and bred through social media,\" he told BBC London Sport. \"I feel like my expertise in social media will help Dagenham & Redbridge be a worldwide club. \"I'm not focusing on just England, I'm focusing on the world. I want the world to know about the Daggers.\" 'We're bringing a completely different audience' KSI, whose real name is Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, and Carroll's investment announcements followed a takeover of the club by Happy Fan Group Ltd in February. Last month, Dagenham's league game with Hampton & Richmond became the first National League fixture to be live streamed on YouTube when it went out on his channel to an audience of more than 17m followers. \"We're bringing a completely different audience to Dagenham & Redbridge. And that has always been my goal,\" KSI added. \"Bit by bit we're going to just build the fanbase, build the foundation and use that to elevate us.\" The Daggers are 12th in the table with 63 points, with three games of the season remaining. A point for Maidenhead United and Hemel Hempstead Town this weekend would ensure the play-offs are out of reach. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, KSI has regularly been seen in the crowd at Dagenham & Redbridge's home games since becoming a stakeholder in the club But KSI has a long-term vision for the club, which he believes can emulate the success of Wrexham under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Red Dragons have gone from the National League to the Championship and are chasing a record-extending fourth consecutive promotion. KSI said he had been inspired by Wrexham's climb up the pyramid and is charting his own experience through a docuseries similar to Welcome to Wrexham, titled Race to the Top, which is set to debut on his YouTube channel in the summer. He believes the insight from the series will mean fans care about the club on a \"deeper level\" and reach a new generation of Daggers supporters. \"That's why I say that I'm going to be here for many, many, many, many, many years because this is a long-term goal for me and I know where I want it to go and yeah it's going take a while but it's exciting,\" he said. \"This is now my baby and I'm going to give it as much time and respect and focus as it needs.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:57.450262+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cm25vll1pmvo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/naderi-injury-serious-says-rangers-boss-rohl","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/naderi-injury-serious-says-rangers-boss-rohl","title":"Naderi injury serious, says Rangers boss Rohl","summary":"Ryan Naderi has scored three goals in 10 Rangers appearances","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Ryan Naderi has scored three goals in 10 Rangers appearances By Andy Burke BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter Ryan Naderi's muscle injury is \"serious\", says Rangers head coach Danny Rohl, who is unsure when the German forward may return. Naderi, 22, was withdrawn at half-time of Saturday's 4-2 win over Dundee United, in which he scored his first league goal for Rangers and third overall. Asked about Naderi's condition, Rohl said: \"Not well. \"It's a serious one. We don't know when he's back. If you have muscle injury then you have to look week by week. We have to re-scan him in two weeks and then we will know more about how long. \"The hope is always there. \"Ryan made a great impact since he arrived, not just the goals. Also a lot of work off the ball, against the ball, a lot of runs for the team.\" And the German added: \"It's always not nice when you lose players from your squad. This is football, it happens. \"We have to look for a new solution. We have a lot of players that are available, that are ready for this. We have to stick together.\" Falkirk v Rangers commentary Sunday, 12 April from 11:30 Listen on Sounds While Rohl revealed other members of his squad had \"small issues\", central defender Derek Cornelius is back training and Rohl has had positive news regarding left-back Tuur Rommens, who missed the win over United. \"Tuur had one more treatment this week, was very successful,\" Rohl said of the Belgian. \"This weekend will be too early but it looks great that he is back, maybe the first, if everything goes well, but latest the second game in the split.\" After Sunday's visit to Falkirk, Rangers will have a two-week break before they start their post-split programme at home to Motherwell, followed by trips to Hearts and Celtic then a home meeting with Hibernian and a final-day return to Falkirk. \"We have an exciting schedule,\" Rohl said. \"I'm happy with the group and we have to believe we have the quality, we have the mindset and the mentality to win this title.\" Rangers have not beaten Falkirk this season, having drawn twice, and Rohl said of John McGlynn's side, who sealed their top-six place last weekend: \"They have nothing to lose now. They can just win. \"It's for some teams nice because there are moments where you can also gamble. You can go more offensive. \"We are ready for this game. We want to win the final game before the split to have a great opportunity then in the split. \"It's a tough one away.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:56.537331+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/crr1k4wzr2ko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/is-fernandes-own-goal-the-worst-of-all-time","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/is-fernandes-own-goal-the-worst-of-all-time","title":"Is Fernandes' own goal the worst of all time?","summary":"Martim Fernandes' (right) first half own goal for Porto helped gift Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Martim Fernandes' (right) first half own goal for Porto helped gift Nottingham Forest a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie By Jonty Colman BBC Sport journalist Porto defender Martim Fernandes made the headlines for all the wrong reasons during Thursday's Europa League quarter-final draw with Nottingham Forest by scoring a bizarre own goal. Fernandes, 20, beat his own goalkeeper Diogo Costa from 45 yards with a misplaced backpass to level up the first leg, which ended 1-1. To make matters worse, the Portuguese then suffered an injury minutes later and had to be substituted. But is Fernandes' own goal the worst of all time? BBC Sport looks at some of football's most infamous OGs. Lee Dixon v Coventry (1991) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lee Dixon chipped David Seaman from 25 yards out in a First Division match against Coventry Former Arsenal duo Lee Dixon and David Seaman were part of a formidable backline for the Gunners during the 1990s and early 2000s - and both also featured for England. Indeed, such was the Gunners' strength at the back that '1-0 to the Arsenal' became a familiar chant from the terraces. But in 1991, Dixon and his goalkeeper were certainly not on the same page when he attempted a long-range back pass to Seaman in a match against Coventry at Highbury. And the right back gave his goalkeeper no chance when the ball sailed over Seaman's head and into the net. Jamie Pollock v QPR (1998) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Jamie Pollock was left red-faced by his misplaced header against Queens Park Rangers On the penultimate weekend of the 1997-98 First Division season, Manchester City hosted Queens Park Rangers knowing they needed a result to give themselves the chance of avoiding relegation down to England's third tier. But they didn't count on Jamie Pollock doing his best Paul-Gascoigne-versus-Scotland-at-Euro-96 impression - only at the wrong end of the pitch. Pollock somehow managed to flick a QPR cross high into the air and, in one graceful movement, head the ball over goalkeeper Martyn Margetson and into the net to put City's opponents 2-1 up. City would equalise to earn a 2-2 draw. But despite a 5-2 win at Stoke on the final day, they were relegated to what is now League One by a single point. Franck Queudrue v Bastia (2001) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Franck Queudrue went on to become a League Cup winner with Middlesbrough Franck Queudrue spent nine years in English football, featuring for Middlesbrough, Fulham, Birmingham and Colchester, but it was months prior to leaving boyhood club Lens in 2001 that he produced one of the most iconic own goals of all time. In a Ligue 1 match against Bastia, the left-back attempted a volleyed clearance 30 yards out from his own goal. Queudrue connected with the ball superbly, but in completely the wrong direction to loop it high into the air and over his own goalkeeper. For a defender who only scored only 28 league goals in his entire career, it is probably a contender for one of his best-ever strikes, albeit into the wrong net. Chris Brass v Darlington (2006) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Chris Brass' own goal is one of the most iconic of all-time Darlington were aiming to sneak a play-off spot at the end of the League Two season and in a match against Bury, were gifted the perfect start. Bury defender Chris Brass' attempted clearance smashed into his own face before trickling past a young Kasper Schmeichel in Bury's goal. There was good news, of sorts, for Brass, though. The unfortunate incident actually saved him having surgery on his nose, which he'd broken earlier in his career, such was the impact. Every cloud. And despite the early setback, Bury won 3-2 and went on to avoid relegation. Darlington missed the play-offs. Alisson Cassiano v Novorizontino (2024) Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Sport Recife's players made a number of passes prior to the own goal, with Novorizontino going 1-0 up without touching the ball Brazil are known for the way they play the beautiful game. But Alisson Cassiano would surely prefer not to be remembered for scoring one of football's slickest own goals. In a second division match, Cassiano produced the rare feat of scoring an own goal for Sport Recife without their opponents Novorizontino even touching the ball. From kick-off, Sport Recife passed the ball among themselves for 18 seconds before Cassiano finished the move - to his own embarrassment. After his team-mates had knocked it around with their opponents chasing shadows, Cassiano rolled the ball back towards his own goal - only to see his goalkeeper standing next to him on the edge of the penalty area and the ball cross the line for an unfortunate, and beautiful, own goal. What information do we collect from this quiz? Have you seen a better own goal? Tell us all about it below.","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:54.694571+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckg9k8vn79zo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/premier-league-must-protect-teams-in-europe-pereira","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/premier-league-must-protect-teams-in-europe-pereira","title":"Premier League must protect teams in Europe - Pereira","summary":"Nottingham Forest earned a first-leg draw after Martim Fernandes' own goal","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Nottingham Forest earned a first-leg draw after Martim Fernandes' own goal By Nick Mashiter Football reporter Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira has urged the Premier League to protect clubs by easing the schedules of teams in Europe. Forest, who drew the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Porto on Thursday, host Europa League rivals Aston Villa on Sunday (14:00 BST) in the Premier League. Last-eight opponents Porto face Estoril Praia later on Sunday, at 20:30 BST, before the second leg at the City Ground next Thursday. The Portuguese league has moved fixtures for their teams in Europe this season. Paris St-Germain were successful in a request to move a Ligue 1 fixture against Lens before their Champions League quarter-final first leg win against Liverpool on Tuesday. The Parisians said moving the fixture would allow them to \"prepare in the best possible conditions for their upcoming fixtures\". \"If we protect these teams, the teams in the Europa League, Conference League and the Champions League, for sure England can get more titles,\" said Pereira. \"If you look at PSG, they [France's Ligue de Football Professionel] delayed the previous four matches to [allow them to] be in conditions to compete in the league and Champions League. This is what we need to reflect about it. \"Sometimes it's important to protect the clubs, to give them the chance to win more titles. \"In my opinion, to protect the teams who are playing in the Europa League and the Conference League especially, and even the Champions League, just one day after is very important to get results.\" Premier League fixtures are decided between the Premier League and its broadcast partners. The Premier League initially establishes a fixture list, before broadcast partners such as Sky Sports and TNT Sports select matches for television. Fixtures are subject to change based on a team's progression in European competition.","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:53.775272+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8x7d9g4q52o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/sheff-utd-definitely-interested-in-phillips-move","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/sheff-utd-definitely-interested-in-phillips-move","title":"Sheff Utd 'definitely' interested in Phillips move","summary":"Kalvin Phillips has not appeared for Sheffield United since being sent off in the derby win over Sheffield Wednesday in February","content_text":"Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Kalvin Phillips has not appeared for Sheffield United since being sent off in the derby win over Sheffield Wednesday in February Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has said they would like to bring Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips back to the club next season, despite his loan spell being blighted by suspension and injury. The 30-year-old former England man joined the Championship side on transfer deadline day in February but has played just three times. He was sent off in the Steel City derby win over Sheffield Wednesday on 22 February and has not played since his ban ended because of a knee injury. Phillips moved to Manchester City from Leeds United for £45m on a six-year deal in July 2022 but has made just two Premier League starts for Pep Guardiola's side. \"He'll have a lot of people still after him,\" Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield. \"We've brought a really good pro in. He was unlucky with his injury and he's not played as much as he wanted to play. \"I spoke to him and said we'd love to be an option for you, your agent and your parent club if that is a possibility. \"He certainly ticks the box in terms of personality and characteristics, off the pitch and on it. \"If there's an opportunity I'm sure we'll try and explore that one.\" Wilder also confirmed that Phillips could return for the Blades, who have slipped to 17th after a six-match winless run, in the near future. The 31-cap international previously had loan spells with West Ham and Ipswich in the Premier League before linking up with Sheffield United. Including his loan moves, he has made a total of 46 league appearances since joining City almost four years ago.","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:51.67042+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4gje15w8rko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/we-asked-fans-of-premier-league-clubs-how-they-are-feeling-find-out-the-results","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/we-asked-fans-of-premier-league-clubs-how-they-are-feeling-find-out-the-results","title":"We asked fans of Premier League clubs how they are feeling - find out the results","summary":"The Premier League returns after a three-week hiatus, and as we enter the final furlongs of the top-flight season, we asked you to tell us how you are feeling.","content_text":"The Premier League returns after a three-week hiatus, and as we enter the final furlongs of the top-flight season, we asked you to tell us how you are feeling. Arsenal are top of the table and while more than half of their fans are feeling positive, there are still some supporters preparing themselves for disappointment. At the other end of the table, there's a sense of anger at Tottenham , a minority of Wolves fans are hopeful something is building, while over on Merseyside, supporters of defending champions Liverpool are largely a mix of fear and frustration. Every team's fanbase was asked the same question on their BBC Sport club page. You can still have your say below - or hit 'skip' to see the results, then add your views in the comments. What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? What information do we collect from this quiz? Want to get all the latest news, views and insight on your Premier League club? Click the team name below and then hit follow to make sure you don't miss a thing. If you are on the BBC Sport app, you can use the bell icon to sign up for news alerts - and if signed in on a browser, you will start seeing more content about your club on your BBC Sport homepage. Arsenal | Aston Villa | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Burnley | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds United | Liverpool | Manchester City | Manchester United | Newcastle United | Nottingham Forest | Sunderland | Tottenham Hotspur | West Ham United | Wolverhampton Wanderers","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:50.706496+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cz78np0yjego"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/howe-100-committed-to-newcastle-but-i-just-need-support","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/howe-100-committed-to-newcastle-but-i-just-need-support","title":"Howe '100% committed' to Newcastle but 'I just need support'","summary":"Eddie Howe took charge of Newcastle United in November 2021 when they were in danger of being relegated","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Eddie Howe took charge of Newcastle United in November 2021 when they were in danger of being relegated By Ciaran Kelly Newcastle United reporter Head coach Eddie Howe says he is \"100% committed\" to Newcastle United but it is \"very difficult\" to look too far beyond the end of the season. Howe ended Newcastle 's 70-year wait for silverware last season by guiding the club to the Carabao Cup, and also qualified for the Champions League, but his side are 12th in the Premier League. Newcastle 's chief executive, David Hopkinson, said in March that he did not have a stance on Howe's future , before stressing the club were \"not looking to make a change at the moment\". Speaking for the first time publicly since those comments, Howe says he has felt no need to seek assurances from above as he is \"totally aligned\" with Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson. \"For me, nothing has changed,\" he said. \"I'm absolutely 100% committed to the job. That commitment has never wavered from my side. \"I've been working during the break to make sure that we come back a stronger team. \"I think, in this day and age, it's very difficult to look too far in the long-term. I can only look to these seven games and make sure that we perform at our very best level.\" Howe, who emphasised he has a \"very good\" relationship with those above him, has been across Newcastle 's future plans, including pre-season schedules and transfer targets, depending on whether the club qualify for Europe or not. Despite the club's domestic challenges, sources have told BBC Sport that the board remain behind Howe. 'I just need support' It is set to be another busy window for Newcastle , who may well sell at least one more key player if they miss out on the Champions League, in order to reinvest, having already sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer after the striker pushed for a move away. Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon are among those prized assets who have attracted interest . Although Howe is focused on the run-in, he insisted he had \"no issues\" working with the conditions that the club set, as long those restrictions were made clear externally as he does not think \"you can have expectations that warp reality\". Hopkinson stated in December that his vision was for Newcastle to be in the debate to be the number one club in the world by 2030. \"I just need support,\" Howe added. \"Good working relationships with the people around me, a feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself. \"If I feel that and the club feels that, they are getting the best manager that they can from myself. \"Obviously, if that's not working, for whatever reason, on both sides, then it's what's best for the football club. \"The most important thing in all of this is Newcastle United . Not me, not anyone else, and I'll always reflect that in my decision-making. I'll put the club before anyone.\" Newcastle resume their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace on Sunday (14:00 BST). Bruno Guimaraes will miss the trip to Selhurst Park after illness delayed his return from a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since mid-February.","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:49.773635+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckgwdjjggy9o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-feel-complete-backing-from-owners-and-fans-slot","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/i-feel-complete-backing-from-owners-and-fans-slot","title":"I feel complete backing from owners and fans - Slot","summary":"Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists he feels \"complete support\" from the club's hierarchy and fans despite a run of poor on-field performances and growing discontent about his Anfield future.","content_text":"By Elizabeth Botcherby BBC Sport journalist Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists he feels \"complete support\" from the club's hierarchy and fans despite a run of poor on-field performances and growing discontent about his Anfield future. Slot, who replaced Jurgen Klopp when becoming head coach in June 2024, won the Premier League in his first season on Merseyside but now finds himself fighting to secure European football with just seven points separating Liverpool , in fifth, from 13th-placed Bournemouth . His side have only picked up one point from their past three league matches, most recently losing to Brighton 2-1. Liverpool were also eliminated from the FA Cup with a 4-0 quarter-final mauling at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday before being handed a 16th defeat of the season in their Champions League quarter-final first-leg against Paris St-Germain. Following the 2-0 defeat in Paris, during which Liverpool had just 26% possession and registered only three shots compared to PSG's 18, former defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport it \"feels like confidence is at an all-time low\" while French football journalist Julien Laurens is \"struggling\" to see Slot continuing as Liverpool boss next season. However, Slot, who is under contract until the end of the 2026-27 campaign, has no immediate concerns about his future and praised the fans for continuing to cheer for his side even in defeat. \"I'm repeating myself a lot, but I feel a lot of support. Not only from the owners but from Richard [Hughes] and Michael [Edwards]. A lot of support from them but as weird as it might sound, I also feel the support from the fans,\" said Slot. \"In Paris when the players went out for the warm-up and after the 4-0 loss [against Manchester City ] the fans immediately started singing 'we love Liverpool '. \"I think it's fair to say we were outplayed for 90 minutes and they were still singing and clapping for us. \"I've said it many times, the club knows the period of time we're in and in the meantime, I feel complete support.\" He added that Wednesday's defeat to PSG would serve as motivation during this \"defining\" period of the season, which starts with Fulham 's visit to Anfield on Saturday. \"We faced the champions of Europe and we experienced that we were not on the level we should have been. \"The good thing is we have four or five days to show we can be much more competitive. It also tells us we want to keep improving and playing at that level next season. \"I think if you experience that two days ago, you want to be involved next season to show we can do even better. Therefore, we have to perform in the league as well.\" Robertson 'won everything and really loves this club' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Robertson joined Liverpool from Hull City in 2017 Slot paid tribute to departing defender Andy Robertson, who announced on Thursday he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season. He hailed the Scot's \"intensity\" and long service to the club while acknowledging the 32-year-old's lack of game time was a contributing factor in his departure. Robertson has made 373 appearances for Liverpool and won a total of nine trophies while playing at Anfield, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League. However, he has been restricted to just 19 league appearances this season, including six starts, after falling behind Milos Kerkez in the pecking order. \"He's had many great seasons here not only as a player but as a great person as well. Every team-mate of his will tell you how funny he is, how great he is,\" Slot said. \"What I remember most about him is the intensity he plays with. I can remember Robbo making a press from the left-back position to the right wing a few years ago and I showed it to my players I was working with back then. \"He's won everything at this club, served his club and really loves this club. [It's] been a great nine years for him. This season, he didn't play as much as he was used to and as a result of that, he's leaving.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T12:45:48.458682+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ckgx9633e81o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/keane-wants-to-manage-at-higher-level-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/keane-wants-to-manage-at-higher-level-gossip","title":"Keane wants to manage at higher level - gossip","summary":"Robbie Keane has had more than 130 games as a manager","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Robbie Keane has had more than 130 games as a manager Ferencvaros head coach Robbie Keane admits he wants to manage at a higher level after emerging as the clear front runner to be the next Celtic boss. (Herald - subscription required) , external Current Celtic manager Martin O'Neill dismisses any conspiracy theories after the Scottish Premiership post-split fixtures were released. (Sun) , external Celtic and Club Brugge are keen on Australia international goalkeeper Mat Ryan, with the 34-year-old out of contract at Spanish club Levante at the end of the season. (Voetbal24 - in Dutch) , external Liverpool left-back and Scotland captain Andy Robertson, 32, has left the door open for a move to Celtic this summer, when he will leave Anfield. (Record - subscription required) , external Former club captain Paul McStay will front up the Celtic season ticket alliance campaign being led by Glasgow businessman Willie Haughey. (Go Radio via Sun , external ) Hearts have concerns over 23-year-old midfielder Tomas Magnusson's fitness. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required) , external Manager Derek McInnes and Hearts are seeking more than just \"pats on the back\" and wants his Scottish Premiership leaders to \"see the job through\". (Record - subscription required) , external And Hearts will go out to attack Motherwell on Saturday. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required) , external Motherwell forward Elijah Just is on a list of Rangers transfer targets, along with Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, Dundee defender Luke Graham and Sheffield United forward Tyrese Campbell. (Record - subscription required) , external Former Rangers manager Barry Ferguson sees similarities between Ibrox winger Andreas Skov Olsen and Vaclav Cerney, who played for Ferguson last season. (Record - subscription required) , external No Scottish referees will feature at this year's World Cup. (Sun) , external","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:31.66431+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr41d7q14wxo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/why-ross-county-are-facing-back-to-back-relegations","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/why-ross-county-are-facing-back-to-back-relegations","title":"Why Ross County are facing back-to-back relegations","summary":"Stuart Kettlewell returned as Ross County manager in late December","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Stuart Kettlewell returned as Ross County manager in late December By Jonathan Sutherland BBC Sport Scotland \"It's the worst result in the club's history, the worst performance in the club's history.\" Ross County manager Stuart Kettlewell went thermonuclear last weekend as his side were thumped 4-0 at home by fellow relegation strugglers Airdrieonians. It was an abject scoreline for County, who are bottom of the Scottish Championship and now face the very real possibility of a second successive relegation. All such a far cry from the start of the season when the recruitment of experienced second-tier players like Ross Docherty and Declan Gallagher was being lauded. They had held on to their top striker Ronan Hale too. County were backed by many to bounce back to the Premiership at the first time of asking but instead they look destined to be sucked into the quicksand of League 1. Former player Don Cowie started the campaign as manager, despite being at the wheel when the ship went down. He was the local boy done good, entrusted with the responsibility of returning County to the top flight. It took nine games for County to record their first league win. Not good enough. Cowie walked the plank. In his place came the experienced Tony Docherty but that did not work out either. Even with former St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson as his right-hand man, the County vessel continued to take in water. The final act for Docherty and Davidson was a 6-0 defeat by Raith Rovers in December, with prodigal son Stuart Kettlewell answering the rescue call. Queen's Park v Ross County Friday, 10 April from 19:30 Watch on iPlayer Recently dismissed by Kilmarnock, his arrival looked like the final roll of the dice. It was back to the future for County, a nod to the glory days of the not-so-long-ago when Kettlewell and co-manager – now chief executive – Steven Ferguson guided Ross County to the Championship crown back in 2019. Early signs were promising. In his first game back – in front of the BBC Scotland cameras – County downed high-flying Partick Thistle 2-0. Defeats followed to St Johnstone and Motherwell in cup competitions, no shame there. The embers were flickering, with three wins from their next six league matches. However, the past six have been winless. Four of those have been defeats. That 4-0 loss to relegation rivals Airdrie tells a grim story and Kettlewell's strong words felt like a desperate attempt to salvage something. Anything. A final 'Hail Mary', full of hope for a reaction rather than expectation. Can it stir an unlikely rally from a moribund squad? If only they could take a leaf out of the Queen's Park book. After losing their best player Josh Fowler in the January window, few predicted the Spiders would climb out of their web of misery at the bottom of the table. But a run of four wins from six games in February and March transformed their season and suddenly they had a glimpse of making the promotion play-off places. Form has tailed off slightly but just two defeats in their past nine matches means they remain buoyant and last week they held league leaders St Johnstone to a 1-1 draw in Perth. County can get off the bottom of the table with a win on Friday. It would move them a point above Airdrieonians, albeit the Diamonds would have two games in hand. With four fixtures remaining, County's survival chances appear slim. They have won the fewest games in the division and lost the most; they are the joint lowest scorers and have conceded the greatest number of goals. There is a small sliver of hope for the Staggies, based on the three previous meetings with Queen's Park this season. The away side has edged it each time and County really need to keep that sequence going.","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:29.294282+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8x7d5z19gwo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-s-next-in-captivating-scottish-premiership-title-race","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-s-next-in-captivating-scottish-premiership-title-race","title":"What's next in captivating Scottish Premiership title race?","summary":"Last weekend, Heart of Midlothian were knocked off their Scottish Premiership perch - very briefly - for the first time since late September.","content_text":"By George O'Neill BBC Sport Scotland Last weekend, Heart of Midlothian were knocked off their Scottish Premiership perch - very briefly - for the first time since late September. Rangers' 4-2 home victory over Dundee United took them above the Tynecastle outfit on goal difference, before Hearts reclaimed top spot on Sunday with an unconvincing 2-2 draw at Livingston. Celtic then narrowed the gap to the leaders with a 2-1 win at Dundee as this captivating title race tightened up once again. There has still only been one weekend all season in which the top three have all won and, with just one round of fixtures until the split, onlookers can be sure there will be further twists and turns. Hearts host fourth-placed Motherwell on Saturday, at the same time Celtic welcome St Mirren to Glasgow's east end. Both hosts have the opportunity to put pressure on Rangers, who travel to Falkirk on Sunday. Will Hearts' home comforts continue? Derek McInnes' side have stumbled on the road recently, with the draw at Almondvale, a 1-0 reverse at Kilmarnock last month and defeats by Rangers and St Mirren in February. However, they have kept their noses in front of their better-resourced rivals thanks to a superb record at Tynecastle. Hearts are yet to lose in the league in front of their own fans and have had four straight 1-0 wins in Edinburgh's west. Doubters would point to those narrow margins of victory as evidence they are likely to slip up at some point, while believers would call it the mark of champions. Another would guarantee their position at the top of the table heading into the final five games of the season. Their next visitors to Gorgie are Motherwell, who have played some of the most attractive football in Scotland this season but are winless in their past four outings. The previous two meetings this season both ended in draws - a dramatic 3-3 at Tynecastle in August as Hearts came from three behind, before a more tense 0-0 at Fir Park in November. Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou said he was hoping for something closer to the first match in his pre-match media conference. A repeat would test the nerves of even the most steely Hearts fan. Who will start up front for inconsistent Celtic? Part of Celtic's relative struggles has been their inability to find a consistent striking option. Johnny Kenny - loaned to Bolton in January - is still their highest-scoring centre forward this season, with midfielder Benjamin Nygren leading the way. Daizen Maeda has often been shifted inside off his preferred left flank and has struggled to replicate his form from previous campaigns. Kelechi Iheanacho was signed on a free by former boss Brendan Rodgers, but has been unable to build up a head of steam because of injuries. January arrivals Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu have failed to nail down a starting berth - Adamu has been substituted at half-time in both his league starts and has not been in the matchday squad for two of Celtic's past three league games. Cvancara was substituted at Dens Park last weekend, having missed a flurry of chances, and his replacement Iheanacho slammed in a dramatic late winner. Manager Martin O'Neill has spoken more than once about how his team cannot afford many - if any - more slip-ups in their final six league matches, and he could do with some consistency in forward areas to achieve it. The defending champions might have the easiest fixture of the top three on paper this weekend but St Mirren have won back-to-back games under interim manager Craig McLeish and are battling to avoid the dreaded relegation play-off. The two sides will meet again in next Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final. It seems likely O'Neill will start Iheanacho after his impact off the bench against Dundee. How he and his club would love the Nigeria striker to go on a hot streak. Rangers get final-day practice run Much of the attention when the post-split fixtures were released was on the tantalising final-day encounter between Celtic and Hearts, with Rangers' trip to Falkirk often a secondary mention. However, John McGlynn's side have not lost against Rangers this season and will provide a stern test both on the final day and this Sunday. Russell Martin's final match as Rangers boss came in October as he was escorted out of the Falkirk Stadium amid considerable fan anger following a 1-1 draw. And, under new head coach Danny Rohl, Rangers again failed to beat the Bairns in November as the visitors ground out a goalless draw at Ibrox. Should Hearts and Celtic do the business on Saturday, the pressure would ramp up on Rohl's side. Top of the table last Saturday night, they could be third come kick-off on Sunday. And the previous two Sundays of Premiership action have brought shocks. Dundee United beat Celtic 2-0 before the international break, while, as mentioned, Hearts dropped points at Livingston last time out. Will Rangers buck that trend or will Falkirk throw a spanner in their title charge for a third time this season?","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:28.40202+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cy017dy18lwo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/it-makes-english-football-unique-why-the-football-league-is-important-too","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/it-makes-english-football-unique-why-the-football-league-is-important-too","title":"It makes English football unique - why the Football League is important too","summary":"I've written a lot in this column about my experiences as a Premier League manager, but I also have many unbelievable memories of my life in the lower leagues, having been promoted out of each division.","content_text":"I've written a lot in this column about my experiences as a Premier League manager, but I also have many unbelievable memories of my life in the lower leagues, having been promoted out of each division. Sometimes the rest of English football - anything outside the top flight - feels overlooked, but it shouldn't be. England is unique in world football for the strength in depth of our professional leagues. No other country can compare with the number of professional clubs we have, or the standard of football as you go down the divisions. Of course the Premier League is the centre of attention. It's world renowned and has undoubtedly captured the market of football fans not only in this country, but all over the globe. Its revenue stream attracts the top players internationally and finances the signing of the best foreign imports into our top league, more than any other country, so I understand why it gets most of the focus from abroad. At home, however, it should be different. I wonder how many of our foreign viewers would recognise that the supporter base of the 72 clubs in the English Football League [EFL] is larger than the 20 teams in the Premier League - it's certainly not reflected in the coverage they get. Why do the lower leagues attract so many die-hard fans? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lincoln City have secured promotion to the Championship with five League One matches still remaining This week, Lincoln City became the first club in the English Football League to be promoted this season, and they are back in the second tier of English football for the first time in 65 years. It's a fantastic achievement but, over the past 10 months, their success has mainly only been followed by their own supporter base. They have been rewarded for all the money they've spent on tickets, home and away, plus travel - including journeys to grounds as far away as Plymouth and Exeter. I have always admired that kind of dedication. Why is it that support for clubs in the lower leagues, and non-league too, attracts so many die-hard fans? Take the Championship for example, where crowds are so big that in the 2023-24 season it was the second-most attended league position in Europe, ahead of Spain's La Liga, the German Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A. Only the Premier League was higher, and all three EFL divisions featured in the top 15. I believe its all down to strong local identities in the towns and cities with league clubs, which are almost tribal in their own way, and also affordable ticket prices, compared to the Premier League. Parents also play a part - just ask any young lads and lasses at games about that, and mum or dad's influence in picking their teams even before they could walk or talk! These die-hard supporters arrange their whole year's calendar around the schedule of their beloved clubs, even going to watch them in pre-season in different countries. From playing and managing in the lower leagues myself, I've got massive respect for those fans and their commitment - and also the players, coaches and staff who work at that level too. I joined Bristol Rovers as an apprentice in the early 1970s, and memories of that time still linger. Apprentice life was hard and you had to show complete respect to senior players, but I loved every minute and it gave me an early exposure to real life. Training at such a young age with senior professionals was just an unbelievable experience and playing alongside them was even more rewarding. You were not given any grace because of your age and you soon learned that it was sink or swim - these lads had families to feed and a profession to try to stay in, and you were never going to hinder that in any way. I have huge admiration towards the many mentors I had at that club, who I believe helped steer me on to the many years I enjoyed as a player, coach and eventually manager. I loved life at the bottom of the ladder England players' EFL appearances League games only (including play-offs) Transfermarkt The opportunities I had to make my way in the game are still there today. You only have to look at the England team that reached the final of Euro 2024 to see how important the EFL was in their journey. Of the 26-man squad Gareth Southgate selected to go to Germany, 19 players [shown in the graphic above] had played in the EFL, with more than 25 EFL clubs represented in the squad. It shows all young players now that there is life outside the Premier League and also how opportunities outside of academies can come your way. If you are determined enough and resilient in your own belief, then you can follow in their footsteps. As I have talked about in previous columns, the same opportunities exist for young coaches and managers in the EFL. I believe they need lower-league experience to prove their worth and have a chance of getting jobs in the Premier League, rather than just from being involved in academy football. That is certainly the way it worked for me, when I stepped into coaching with Bournemouth , who were then in League One. It was 1990, and I was 32. It was always something I wanted to do - I'd passed all my coaching qualifications by the time I was 21 - but when Harry Redknapp offered me a player-coach role, it consisted of less money and more hours, mostly spent travelling up and down the country three nights a week, watching games. I soon realised the real work had begun, and not just in coaching the team which I really enjoyed. It was there that I understood everything from scouting and the importance of knowing about players, to man-management and consoling players who were left out of the team. My Football League education also included driving a battered old mini-bus myself, to take the reserves from Bournemouth to Swansea, playing the game too, and then buying everyone fish and chips afterwards and trying to eat them on my lap on the journey back. It was worlds apart from when I was working in the Premier League a couple of decades later, but I still loved it, and embraced it fully. The same applied when I was offered the manager's job at Bournemouth when Harry left for West Ham in 1992. Working with my chairman Norman Hayward, who had only just bought the club, we were both quite naive in terms of experience in our respective positions. I have unbelievable respect for Norman and although I only lasted two years in my first job, he taught me so much about all aspects of running an organisation, in terms of its direction but also financially. Again, these experiences of life at the bottom of the ladder stayed with me throughout my career. Success comes from the lessons you learn Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Pulis (front right) leads his Gillingham side out at Wembley for the 1999 Second Division (now League One) play-off final. They lost to Manchester City on penalties There's one other aspect of the Football League, and football in general, that I discovered when I was sacked by Bournemouth . There's a camaraderie that exists with people you encounter, whether they are working above you at your club like Norman was or further afield, and an effect they can have if they give you any kind of opportunity. During the 12 months I was out of management, I got a phone call from Bruce Rioch, who at the time was at Bolton with Colin Todd. He asked me to watch games for them every weekend and midweek and I spent months travelling around the country. To this day, I don't think Bruce realises the impact he had on my career. At the end of that season, Gillingham offered me the manager's job. They had just finished the season in 89th place out of the 92 clubs in the Premier League and Football League, avoiding relegation by seven points, but I had played a season there before taking that coaching job with Bournemouth , so I knew the club quite well. Tony Smith and his lovely wife Val had owned the club then, and I knew it was financially sound. They were great people too, by the way. Tony passed away in 2023 but Val still comes to visit us on the south coast and we remain great friends. I still needed to find a way of bringing the Gills success, though. I knew they were about to release a load of players but, from the scouting I'd done for Bolton, I knew exactly where I would find replacements. Taking two players from non-league and the rest mostly on free transfers, my four-year journey was about to begin. That first season ended up with us being promoted, conceding only 20 goals - including just six at home - and with Jim Stannard, our goalkeeper, keeping 29 clean sheets to set a record that still stands today. It was the start of us building three different teams at Priestfield, with the last group suffering a heartbreaking defeat on penalties against Manchester City in the 1999 Second Division (now League One) play-off final at Wembley, then finally reaching what is now the Championship a year later under Peter Taylor and doing a great job to stay there for five years. I am probably best known for my time at Stoke, Crystal Palace and West Brom but those years at Gillingham were the catalyst for my future career. It was an unbelievably difficult but an extremely rewarding job and, to this day, my players from those times still hold a very special place with me. The success I had at Gillingham was gained because of what I learned at Bournemouth as a coach and manager, and then that chance encounter with Bruce Rioch. I'm not alone there, however. In my day, Dave Bassett, Graham Taylor, Jim Smith, Ron Atkinson, Harry Redknapp and many more would talk about how the EFL played such an enormous part in their great careers, and in the modern game I am sure David Moyes feels indebted to his experience at Preston too. Like me, they will understand how Lincoln fans are feeling now, and will know how their team's achievement has given them as much joy as any similar feat in top flight football - or even more, I would say! Tony Pulis was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:27.480861+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cg73nxnz7mko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/egypt-goalkeeper-banned-for-striking-referee","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/egypt-goalkeeper-banned-for-striking-referee","title":"Egypt goalkeeper banned for striking referee","summary":"Mohamed El-Shenawy was in Egypt's 2018 World Cup squad and played in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mohamed El-Shenawy was in Egypt's 2018 World Cup squad and played in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations By Mike Peter BBC Sport journalist Al-Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy has been given a four-match ban for striking a referee on the head following a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra in the Egyptian Pro League. The Egypt international, who was on the bench for Tuesday's game, was angered by Al-Ahly not being awarded a penalty for a handball in added time. \"A four-match ban and fine of 50,000 Egyptian pounds (£700) for assaulting the referee by pushing or pulling [use of the hand without violence],\" said a league statement on El-Shenawy's punishment. The 37-year-old was Egypt's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and is expected to be in his country's squad for this summer's World Cup in north America. He will now be sidelined until the final week of the league play-offs, when the competition's top seven teams face each other in a Championship round. Defending champions Al-Ahly are third after one match in the play-offs on 41 points, five points behind leaders Zamalek.","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:25.608704+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8jkw2n3z1yo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/schmeichel-in-spotlight-after-night-of-gloom-for-celtic","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/schmeichel-in-spotlight-after-night-of-gloom-for-celtic","title":"Schmeichel in spotlight after night of gloom for Celtic","summary":"Kasper Schmeichel was at fault for two of Stuttgart's four goals at Parkhead","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Kasper Schmeichel was at fault for two of Stuttgart's four goals at Parkhead By George O'Neill BBC Sport Scotland At half-time in Celtic's eventual 4-1 Europa League play-off defeat by Stuttgart , the focus was on home goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. \"It looks to me as if he is not expecting shots, which is strange for a goalkeeper,\" former Scotland forward James McFadden said. \"He's expecting defenders to stop every shot. \"Teams will be saying there appears to be a weakness to his left-hand side.\" The Denmark shot-stopper had been beaten down to his left by a tame Bilal El Khannouss shot for Stuttgart's opening goal, before the on-loan Leicester City man added a second with a free header from seven yards out. And at full-time, attention was on Schmeichel again. Jamie Leweling's powerful strike from range - not in the bottom corner - went straight through the 39-year-old goalkeeper for the visitors' third. Tiago Tomas added a fourth in the closing stages to compound a disappointing night for Celtic, who host Hibernian and go to Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, either side of next Thursday's unlikely salvage mission in Germany. Sportsound: Celtic face Europa League exit 19/02/2026 18:00 Listen on Sounds With fans protesting against the club's board at the start of the game and later ironically cheering Schmeichel making a save, the atmosphere at Parkhead was far from harmonious. \"It's bitterly disappointing,\" former Celtic captain and manager Neil Lennon said of the jeers directed at Schmeichel. \"He had a bad night but it still doesn't warrant that kind of treatment.\" Thursday night was the latest in a string of perceived errors made by Schmeichel, following Joe Hugill's looping header for Kilmarnock last weekend and Jonathan Rowe's effort for Bologna last month. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Celtic closed ranks around their embattled goalkeeper post-match. \"It's a tough evening for us,\" interim manager Martin O'Neill said. \"On paper, 4-1 looks pretty poor. \"We were masters of our own downfall in many respects, conceded some poor goals. \"Kasper [Schmeichel] has made some great saves while I've been here. This is a collective, there's no doubt about that. \"We played Feyenoord in a game we probably had to win and he made an unbelievable save, otherwise we wouldn't be here playing tonight. \"I will think about all sorts of things [before the next game], but Kasper has done really well since I've arrived at the football club, in both spells.\" Captain Callum McGregor added: \"Everyone makes mistakes. \"Kasper has been amazing since he's come to the club. He'll dust that down. We win as a team and lose as a team. \"There's no blame, he's made so many big saves for us. He'll bounce back for sure.\" 'Sinisalo should have got a run in the team earlier this season' There is evidence that - particularly in Europe - Schmeichel has underperformed this season. He has conceded 19 goals in nine Europa League matches this term, with a save percentage of just 62. Celtic's expected goals on target conceded - the likelihood of an on-target shot resulting in a goal - is 13.96 across those games. In essence, Schmeichel has conceded four goals more than the data would expect him to. McFadden thinks Celtic's season could go one way or another based on whether O'Neill decides to stick with Schmeichel or promote understudy Viljami Sinisalo. \"Does the season hinge on it? It might do because if Martin O'Neill opts to stick with Kasper Schmeichel, that's a big decision. If he opts to change him, that's a big decision. \"If you feel that's the decision to be made because you feel more secure at the back, then you make it.\" One man who knows what it feels like to line up between the sticks at Parkhead is BBC Scotland pundit Pat Bonner, who thinks a change should be made. \"My opinion is that Sinisalo should have got a run in the team earlier this season,\" he said. Despite Schmeichel's mistakes, Lennon also questioned the way Celtic performed as a collective on a night when Stuttgart proved far too strong. \"Celtic lacked a lot of power and intensity, certainly in a defensive capacity,\" he said. \"It was far too easy, far too stand-offish. \"That is not a Martin O'Neill team or a Martin O'Neill performance. \"I cannot believe the lack of passion.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:23.798264+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyg5yl9k2yo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-lens-embraced-underdog-status-to-become-psg-s-title-rivals","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-lens-embraced-underdog-status-to-become-psg-s-title-rivals","title":"How Lens embraced underdog status to become PSG's title rivals","summary":"Odsonne Edouard is Lens' top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions this season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Odsonne Edouard is Lens' top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions this season By Raphael Jucobin BBC Sport in Lens Lens were supposed to be gearing up for a potential Ligue 1 title-decider. Yet with Paris St-Germain exempted from domestic action because of their Champions League commitments, the Sang et Or (Blood and Gold) will instead be hosting third-tier side Rouen for a friendly match on Saturday afternoon. While the league authorities have made accommodations for other European campaigns in the past, PSG's request did prompt vocal opposition from Lens. In a statement published before the Ligue de Football Professionnel [LFP] convened, Lens had notably warned that the French top flight could become \"a variable to be adjusted at the whim of the European imperatives of certain clubs\". \"Our intention wasn't to pick a fight with PSG,\" Benjamin Parrot, the club's general director, tells BBC Sport. \"We wanted the schedule to be maintained as it was set out for teams like us, who have a budget and have built a squad around playing in the league and the Coupe de France.\" The league council's decision, he points out, means Coupe de France semi-finalists Lens will end their league campaign with three games in the space of a week. \"It went to a vote and the decision was unanimous, which means that our arguments either didn't get through or weren't considered. Given that outcome, we'll save our energy and focus on the rest of the season,\" Parrot says. Within four days, Lens managed to set up a replacement match. \"We would have played just once over a month. In terms of the team's performance and fitness, organising a fixture became a necessity,\" the club executive highlights. Proceeds from the match will go to Reporters Without Borders as the club lends its support to Christophe Gleizes , the French football journalist who is currently imprisoned in Algeria. Gleizes was handed a seven-year sentence in December for \"glorifying terrorism\" after travelling to the country to write about football club JS Kabylie. The sentence was roundly condemned in France, not least in football circles. \"We were one of the first clubs that signed the petition calling for his release,\" adds Parrot, a graduate of the same Parisian institute as Gleizes, who first joined Lens as part of the communications team. Parrot, 40, is now one of three people overseeing the day-to-day running of the club, along with sporting director Jean-Louis Leca and head coach Pierre Sage. Like the former goalkeeper Leca, Parrot was promoted to the role in May of last year. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Boss Pierre Sage joined Lens last summer. They currently sit second in Ligue 1, four points behind PSG Sage, who broke on to the top-flight scene two seasons ago when he led Lyon's spectacular recovery from the relegation zone to European football, joined a few months later. \"The three of us have a weekly meeting,\" Parrot explains. \"Pierre defines the profiles he needs, and Jean-Louis chooses the players along with the scouting team.\" Lens are, in the general director's words, one of the \"challenger clubs\", operating with only the 10th-highest wage bill in the league. After several spells in the second tier, the 1998 league champions returned to the forefront of French football three years ago when they pushed PSG to within one point in the title race. Despite recent success budget constraints remain, not least in the wake of successive broadcast deal collapses which have financially stunted French football. \"The club's strategy is to keep costs stable, because we know that revenue will keep going down,\" Parrot says, adding that much of the club's revenue currently rests on unearthing gems in the academy and reselling them. In December, Lens became only the third Ligue 1 team to own their home stadium, buying the property from the local authorities in a move which Parrot hopes will help diversify the club's income. \"One season isn't going to change our financial model or our identity. When you look at French football, we're up against billionaires, sovereign wealth funds, or multi-club ownership. The objective [club owner] Joseph Oughourlian sets out is for us to break even. \"We'll see what happens over the next month, but so far we're on track to reach our objectives this season,\" the director adds. \"We've stuck to the wage bill we set out, we've brought a number of young players into the first team, and we've upgraded some of our infrastructure.\" For Parrot, it would be \"pretentious\" for the club to consider themselves as a model for other Ligue 1 sides in terms of navigating financial uncertainties. \"We do it out of necessity as well as philosophy. I think other clubs would like to spend more, but in our case it's not part of our identity.\" Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lens regularly fill the 38,000-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis That cautious approach, Parrot says, is rooted in the club's role as the standard-bearer for a former mining heartland. \"As a club which has its roots in the mining companies, and is based in an area with a social housing rate of 60%, we have a responsibility to be financially reasonable,\" the director outlines. \"I think it's a historical aspect that we should respect.\" \"The club definitely plays a socio-economic role,\" Parrot continues, notably pointing to the local donations it makes through its foundation. \"We're in a region where the unemployment rate is the highest in the country and the median salary is among the lowest, so we try to do our bit.\" While the town itself only has a population of just over 30,000, its sizable catchment area within the Artois region of the north of France means it has no issue filling out the 38,000-capacity Stade Bollaert-Delelis. Given the economic downturn the area suffered when the mines closed, it's easy to draw a parallel with clubs across the Channel which are also based in former industrial heartlands. \"It sets us apart,\" Parrot explains. \"Our stadium is built on top of two former mines and is named after the director of the town's mining company. \"When we sign a player, we give them a miner's lamp. It's a symbolic act; we explain how the lamp was used back in the day, and how it now guides Lens players.\" Every home match, the fans greet their players' return for the second half with a rendition of \"Les Corons\", a 1980s pop song paying tribute to the area's mining heritage. This year, fans unfurled an extensive tifo display marking the 120th anniversary of the Courrieres mine disaster, Europe's deadliest accident of its kind, which killed 1099 local miners. The club also celebrates Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, by wearing a commemorative shirt every year during an early-December home match. This year's Sainte-Barbe fixture, a 2-0 win over Nice, came in the midst of an eight-match winning streak. Former Celtic and Crystal Palace striker Odsonne Edouard, Lens' top scorer this season, headed in two near-identical goals, both assisted by left-back Matthieu Udol. Much of the creative drive in this year's Lens team has also come from summer signing Florian Thauvin. With 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions, the former Newcastle man is even contending for a spot in France's World Cup squad. \"He's the marquee player that we needed this season,\" Parrot says of the 33-year-old. \"We might not have the financial leverage, but we can put forward other factors such as the confidence we put in them and our passion. Those arguments can only go so far, though, so his success will help.\" While a derby defeat to Lille last weekend did see them lose ground on PSG, Lens remain the most credible challenger to the league leaders heading into this season's final straight. Going toe-to-toe with the Parisians over the long term, though, remains a tall order for a club which has readily embraced its underdog status.","date_published":"2026-04-10T08:59:21.057956+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cdxdeyrgze4o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/the-premier-league-winner-fighting-for-league-two-survival","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/the-premier-league-winner-fighting-for-league-two-survival","title":"The Premier League winner fighting for League Two survival","summary":"Christian Fuchs was an assistant coach at MLS side Charlotte FC before joining Newport","content_text":"Image source, Rex Features Image caption, Christian Fuchs was an assistant coach at MLS side Charlotte FC before joining Newport By Dafydd Pritchard BBC Sport Wales Christian Fuchs has much to be thankful for Leicester City's great escape of 2015. The Foxes staged an almighty recovery to avoid relegation in the Premier League that year, bottom of the table in April but winning seven of their final nine games of the season to finish 14th. Fuchs joined that summer and was part of the Leicester team which won the title the following season, one of football's greatest underdog triumphs. A decade later, the Austrian is fighting for survival – but to stay in the Football League. Fuchs took charge of Newport County last November, with the Exiles four points adrift at the foot of the League Two table. Winless in his first seven games in charge, Newport were still there at Christmas but have since clawed their way out of the relegation zone. For now. County are 22nd in League Two, one point clear of the bottom two of Barrow and Harrogate Town, who Fuchs' side host on Saturday. \"We know about the significance of the game,\" says Fuchs. \"This is not something new for us. \"Most of the games we play right now are the same, from where the boys came from being bottom of the table and working their way up to where they are now. \"The boys' mentality is such a big strength, that despite all the adversity, despite all the setbacks, they are up for it and they keep going.\" Newport have four games left this season – including the Harrogate encounter – and they finish their campaign with what could be a decisive final fixture at Barrow. The lower reaches of League Two are a far cry from Fuchs' playing days, during which he won 78 caps for Austria, played in Germany's Bundesliga and represented Schalke and Leicester in the Champions League. Those achievements set a high bar, though Fuchs would rank survival with Newport among his finest feats. \"It would definitely be very high up,\" he says. \"But I don't want to get ahead of myself because, as short as the season is now with four games left, there's still a lot of work that needs to go in. \"I completely trust this team. I think one strength my players definitely have is to deal with setbacks. That's been the story of the whole season.\" The latest setback was Monday's 3-1 defeat at Notts County, three days after a 2-0 loss at home to relegation rivals Crawley Town. Fuchs is synonymous with Leicester's Premier League title win. He and his team-mates from 2016 will always be heroes to Foxes fans. But the 40-year-old wants to be known as a coach now and victory against Harrogate would go some way to ensuring he keeps Newport up. \"That [Premier League title] is what everybody knows, but I also was on the other end at some point, and this is definitely not a nice situation to be in and it's worth it for everybody to do everything to avoid it [relegation],\" Fuchs says. \"Every point counts and we need to make sure that we are at our best on Saturday, to go for the three points. \"We've looked at them [Harrogate], we've seen what they're all about. All I can tell you right now is that we'll be ready.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T05:53:20.047184+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c7059r9ek45o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/you-need-to-have-arrogance-rooney-and-littler-on-being-number-one","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/you-need-to-have-arrogance-rooney-and-littler-on-being-number-one","title":"'You need to have arrogance' - Rooney and Littler on being number one","summary":"Wayne Rooney and Luke Littler both know what it is like to be thrust into the limelight at a young age.","content_text":"Wayne Rooney and Luke Littler both know what it is like to be thrust into the limelight at a young age. A 16-year-old Rooney made the world sit up and take notice when he scored a stunning late winner for Everton against Arsenal in 2002. At 18, he joined Manchester United in a £27m move, and by the time he was 21 he was a Premier League champion. Darts world number one Littler was also 16 when he burst on to the scene by reaching the final of the 2024 World Championship. He won both the Premier League and World Championship at 17 and successfully defended his world crown at 18. At 19, he has 12 major titles to his name. But when did Rooney and Littler realise that they could be among the best at such a young age? \"I've always had belief and this is where I think there's loads of comparisons [between us]. I think you have to have a certain level of arrogance to be at your best,\" Rooney told Littler in the latest episode of BBC Sport's The Wayne Rooney Show. \"When I got in Everton's first team, I've said it many times, I felt like I was the best player at 16.\" For Littler, his moment of realisation came when he was beating players more than double his age. \"I've been playing tournament-wise for many years, maybe my first proper tournament was at like nine, maybe 10,\" he said. \"And just like Wayne said, when you've showed a bit of arrogance, the more you do it, obviously people might not like it, but as long as you feel comfortable about doing it, that's all that matters. \"When I started playing in pub leagues I started playing against adults. They weren't happy losing to a 10 or 11-year-old. \"When I was beating them, I was going to the darts academy in St Annes as well, and I think the younger players in there were better than these old men. I was pretty much winning all the time.\" The spotlight on Littler only got brighter when he won BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2024, 22 years after Rooney did. \"The press can be mind boggling - you're not used to it,\" said Rooney. \"And [coming] from a similar area as I imagine to where Luke is from, you're not used to that. \"You're not used to media, you're not used to talking in front of cameras and, and it can be intimidating, but one thing which is always remains is your safe place. \"Mine was on the football pitch and I would imagine where he's comfortable is on the oche where he's playing, that's where no one can get to him. He's safe - they can write what they want.\" Littler has started to draw more criticism over the past year or so, most recently following a mid-match spat with Gian van Veen during a quarter-final defeat on night nine of the Premier League in Manchester. \"When I first came on the scene, we were always looking at comments and everything, normally family, but now we just get used to it and just block it out,\" he said. \"There's always negativity with I think not only darts and football, every sport. Not everyone is going to like you and that's just that's just the way it is. \"Obviously the fans that pay the tickets, pay the money to watch us in person... I think obviously they do mean the most because obviously they want to watch us play good darts. \"But with the media - and bringing social media into it for the first time after the first [World Championship win in 2025] - it was hard to not bite back at people. But now it's just: Just leave it. We've gotten used to it.\" Image caption, Littler was booed in Brighton on Thursday as he suffered a second successive Premier League quarter-final loss Littler came close to becoming world champion at the first attempt in 2024, but was beaten by Luke Humphries in the final. In hindsight, was it a good thing that he had to wait another year to get his hands on the ultimate prize? \"I think if I won the World Championships on debut, it would have been mental,\" Littler said. \"Two days after, when we went back home, I think even my mum and dad said: Looking back at it, we're glad that you didn't win it because it would have just been 100 times worse.\" Rooney added: \"Luke is in a position where I think the other darts players should be thankful [for him] because the prize money has improved for everyone else because of the eyeballs and the interest that Luke's brought. \"If that's [Nathan] Aspinall, no-one cares. It gets brushed away. But when it's Luke, obviously it becomes bigger. And that's part of being a superstar at your sport, that's things you have to deal with. \"I [once] offered someone to come to the training ground for a fight . It's all part of learning and it's tough.\" A lot of young sporting prodigies tend to fizzle out, but - despite a slow start to the Premier League season - Littler appears to be going from strength to strength. Where does he find the motivation? \"I think just being myself and staying grounded,\" he said. \"Obviously the money's there as well, but everyone growing up, they're not always going to have money. \"So I'm not really a big spender either and I've not started investing anything yet or anything but I'm sure it'll come to that point but I've just got to keep going, keep getting more trophies and that's the most important bit in creating more history.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T05:53:18.55314+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c62k3d1675ro"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fpl-talking-point-is-it-time-to-use-wildcard","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fpl-talking-point-is-it-time-to-use-wildcard","title":"FPL talking point: Is it time to use wildcard?","summary":"Erling Haaland and Manchester City are set for two double gameweeks before the end of the season","content_text":"Image source, AFP via Getty Images Image caption, Erling Haaland and Manchester City are set for two double gameweeks before the end of the season After a three-week break, the Premier League returns this weekend. With fixtures coming thick and fast between now and the end of the season, Fantasy Premier League managers have plenty of important decisions to make. As the campaign enters its final stretch, several teams are set to have double gameweeks in the coming weeks. But is it better to activate your wildcard this weekend or wait until later in the season? FPL expert Prasun Singhal and members of the FPL podcast team assess the situation ahead of gameweek 32. What do the next couple of gameweeks look like? The FPL landscape is now clear. Six teams (Manchester City, Chelsea, Brighton, Burnley, Leeds and Bournemouth) will play twice in gameweek 33. But the same same six teams will blank and not play a fixture in gameweek 34. It is also worth noting that Manchester City's game against Crystal Palace - postponed because of City's involvement in the Carabao Cup final - needs to be rescheduled. The working assumption is that it could go into the free midweek in gameweek 36, also making that a double gameweek. Image source, AFP via Getty Images As it stands, Crystal Palace are set to face Everton and Manchester City, while the Carabao Cup winners will play Brentford before welcoming Oliver Glasner's side to Etihad Stadium. To best navigate these next few weeks, a wildcard and a free hit will be handy chips. The bench boost is most effective when your squad has a high number of double gameweek players, ideally 13 to 15, to maximise potential points. The triple captain chip can be saved for a player with two favourable fixtures in a double gameweek. The main decision this week, however, is: Should you wildcard now and set up for the bench boost in GW33 or delay it for later fixtures? Alistair Bruce-Ball: \"My team looks good for 32 and 34. I will free hit in 33 and then wildcard in 35. \"You have to take a punt.\" What are the pros and cons to playing a wildcard in gameweek 32? Pros : You will be able to use the bench boost chip in gameweek 33. Since the wildcard and bench boost cannot be used in the same week, using the wildcard now will enable a huge bench boost, with possibly up to 15 players having two games each. It also allows you to capitalise on Manchester City, who will have doubles coming up in gameweek 33 and the unconfirmed second double that includes the game against Crystal Palace later in the season. Also: Look at a team's opponents. Brighton, for instance, have an excellent fixture against Burnley in gameweek 32. Cons: If the wildcard is played to target a bench boost, then a free hit will also be needed in gameweek 34, since a lot of the target teams will have no fixture that week. Teams such as Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Liverpool will need to be avoided to maximise the gameweek 33 bench boost. But these teams have favourable fixtures after gameweek 33. What if you want to keep hold of your wildcard a little longer? Pros: If the team look good in gameweek 32, then the advice is \"if it isn't broken, don't fix it\". It also allows you to keep players from strong teams such as Arsenal until the end of the season. But perhaps the biggest plus-point is that you can react to the state of the league, such as identifying which teams still have something to play for in the final weeks. Cons: Only having four gameweeks to target with a wildcard is not ideal. The bench boost, meanwhile, would also not be as strong with fewer players having double games. Overall, if your team are struggling this week and you have multiple players blanking in gameweek 34, consider using the wildcard now. Otherwise, monitor upcoming fixtures and wait for more information before committing to a strategy. Statman Dave: \"If you have a wildcard and bench boost, you are attacking 33, using the wildcard in 32 and bench boost in 33. \"If you just have a wildcard left, do that in 33. If you have a triple captain or a bench boost but no wildcard, do that in 33. \"If you don't have any of those chips and you have your free hit left, use your free hit in 33.\" Pras' proposed wildcard squad Image source, Premier League","date_published":"2026-04-10T05:53:15.036908+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cly09l7y1r3o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/estevao-could-be-brazil-s-world-cup-s-surprise-davide-ancelotti","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/estevao-could-be-brazil-s-world-cup-s-surprise-davide-ancelotti","title":"Estevao could be Brazil's World Cup's surprise - Davide Ancelotti","summary":"Estevao Willian has scored five goals in 11 appearances for Brazil","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Estevao Willian has scored five goals in 11 appearances for Brazil By Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist Brazil assistant coach Davide Ancelotti has tipped Chelsea's 18-year-old winger Estevao Willian to be the surprise package at the summer's World Cup. Former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid assistant manager Ancelotti will be part of his father Carlo's Brazil coaching staff at the tournament taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. \"The guy that will surprise you is someone that is not so well known,\" Ancelotti told BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast. \"We have a lot of attacking players. We have a lot of talent and a lot of different profiles. And if I have to give you a name, Estevao is one of the rising talents of Brazil.\" The highly rated teenager has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 34 appearances for Chelsea after joining from Palmeiras last summer for an initial fee of £29m, agreed in 2024 . Estevao missed Brazil's recent friendlies against France and Croatia having only returned from a hamstring injury for Chelsea against Everton right before the international break on 21 March. But he was on the scoresheet in Chelsea's 7-0 win against Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-final last weekend. \"He is a really big talent,\" said Ancelotti of Estevao, who made his Brazil debut at the age of 17 in September 2024 and has five goals in 11 caps. \"He is a really good finisher, so he is someone that can dominate in Europe as a talent for the next years.\" 'Neymar still has a chance' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Davide Ancelotti has been Carlo's assistant at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, Real Madrid and now Brazil Before moving to England, Estevao scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in 83 games for Palmeiras, surpassing Brazil legend Neymar's record at Santos to become the first under-18 player to record a combined 20 goals and assists in the Brazilian top flight. But Estevao's hopes of playing a World Cup alongside his childhood idol remains a doubt after Neymar, 33, was left out of Brazil's last set of friendlies before their World Cup squad is announced. The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain attacker returned to Santos in January 2025 and helped his boyhood club avoid relegation last season, but has not played for Brazil since 2023 amid his struggles with injuries. He was due to make his return to the national team last year after a 17-month absence but was forced to withdraw from the squad with a muscle injury. \"At the end, it is a decision of the manager that he will take and he has time to take it,\" Ancelotti said. \"The final list will be out on 18 May. Of course, he is the top scorer of the national team and he has a chance. He has a time to do his best and try to get into the list.\" Brazil's all-time top scorer Neymar has 79 goals in 128 appearances, eclipsing greats like Pele, Ronaldo, Romario and Zico. 'Vinicius best player in the world' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Vinicius has won three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice with Real Madrid One player who will carry Brazil's World Cup hopes on his shoulders is Vinicius Jr. The forward has eight goals in 47 appearances for Brazil and has been influential for Real Madrid again this campaign with 11 goals in La Liga and five more in the Champions League. \"Vinicius is a football star because of his talent,\" Ancelotti said. \"He's one of the most talented players in the world, so he carries this weight because everyone expects him to win the game alone and the expectations on him are higher than any other player - maybe only Kylian Mbappe right now.\" The 25-year-old has also had to deal with discrimination since moving to Spain, where he has faced 20 incidents of alleged abuse in eight years. The latest incident came in Real Madrid's Champions League knockout phase play-off tie at Benfica in February, following which the Brazilian winger said \"racists are cowards\". \"Having a manager like my father is really good - in being close to the stars,\" the Brazil assistant said. \"We just focused on what he [Vinicius] could improve and he has room for improvement. Even if he's one of the best, maybe personal opinion, the best player in the world, but everyone has room for improvement. \"So we focus on that because we have a manager who is a specialist in making stars not feel alone and he always did that with stars like Didier Drogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski.\" Ancelotti, 36, held discussions to take charge of Scottish side Rangers last season before taking up his first managerial role at Brazilian side Botafago - only to be sacked five months later in December 2025. The Italian, however, has continued to work with his father, who was named Brazil boss in May 2025 after four years at Real Madrid, where he won three Champions League titles and two La Liga titles over two spells. Five-time World Cup winners Brazil have not lifted the trophy since their last triumph in 2002 but Ancelotti believes the Selecao \"will be ready for the World Cup\". \"It will be difficult because it will be after a really long season,\" said Ancelotti. \"There are players that will reach the World Cup with more than 60 games and this is not good. It will be not good for the show or the people that are watching. \"So we will take care of the players physically. It will be important because the weather will be so hot. It will be a competition that will be decided by small details. \"But I can say that we have a really competitive team that can play football that could be efficient in a competition like that. So we are positive.\" Brazil will face Morocco in their World Cup opener on 13 June in New Jersey before taking on Scotland and Haiti in Group C.","date_published":"2026-04-10T01:26:19.547656+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cjd8r27e48mo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/hungry-watkins-is-man-on-mission-but-will-tuchel-take-notice","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/hungry-watkins-is-man-on-mission-but-will-tuchel-take-notice","title":"'Hungry' Watkins is man on mission but will Tuchel take notice?","summary":"Ollie Watkins has 12 goals in 44 appearances for Aston Villa this season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Ollie Watkins has 12 goals in 44 appearances for Aston Villa this season By Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist England might not play again until the summer but Thursday night would have brought a smile to Thomas Tuchel's face. The England manager watched his side labour for goals without captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane during last month's friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. It once again underlined Tuchel's limited options when it comes to an alternative for 32-year-old Kane, with the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico a little more than two months away. So he would have been very happy to find out Ollie Watkins had come up with two more goals for Aston Villa in their 3-1 win against Bologna in the Europa League quarter-final first leg in Italy. The Villa forward was left out of the expanded 35-man England squad by Tuchel in March, having scored just one goal in his previous nine Premier League matches. \"Watkins is not with us but this is more down to the fact that I know what he can bring to the group - I know him very well,\" Tuchel said during the squad announcement. Despite the comments, the striker's hopes of making it to the World Cup were left in doubt. Watkins' response to the setback has been nothing short of emphatic, with the 30-year-old adding to the goal he scored against West Ham in the Premier League just before the international break. \"It's the back end of the season and I'm raring to go,\" Watkins told TNT Sports after Villa moved one step closer to a place in a European semi-final. \"I could play another 90 minutes. I'm excited for the next few games. I'm hungry.\" After Ezri Konsa's opener against the run of play in Bologna, Watkins eased Villa's nerves with a second early in the second half as he pounced on a mistake from Torbjorn Heggem and finished through the legs of goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia. After the Serie A side then scored a late goal through Jonathan Rowe in the 90th minute, Watkins restored Villa's two-goal advantage in the 94th minute from a corner, before the return leg at Villa Park next Thursday (20:00 BST). 'It's good timing, isn't it?' Watkins has now scored three goals in his last five games across all competitions, after managing just one in his previous 12 appearances. His three goals in three Europa League games is the same amount he scored in his previous 24 appearances in major European competitions. Former Scotland winger Pat Nevin believes Watkins' uptick in form could not have come at a better moment for both club and country. \"It's good timing, isn't it? Lots of things happening at the end of this season,\" Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live. \"There is the possibility of the centre-forward position waiting with England at the World Cup, there's a chance at securing Champions League football and there's a possible European final, and here he is scoring two goals and looking very sharp and very lively indeed. The chances he got, he scored. \"Bologna went for it and left him one versus one, so he knew he was going to get opportunities, and it was up to him to take them. He did take them, and did so very well, and he will take the headlines.\" Tuchel handed opportunities to Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tottenham's Dominic Solanke in Kane's absence last month but neither was able to make a lasting impression. Watkins was injured for most of England's World Cup qualifying campaign and has played just once under the German manager - coming on as a substitute in a win over Serbia in September. But former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes Watkins' latest display has put him firmly back into contention. \"If you score two goals in a European knockout tie, trust me your name is back in the mix,\" Hargreaves told TNT Sports. \"To be honest the boys didn't rip up trees the other day either, so if Watkins keeps scoring he will be in. \"He is unselfish, he's humble and he is a good goalscorer when he gets opportunities. Yes, he can run the channels and create opportunities, but if he is scoring goals then he is almost impossible to leave off the plane.\" Former Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov added: \"For Watkins, there were so many questions about his performances and scoring goals, but every time Villa need him to produce, he does. That is what makes him first choice.\" \"In the back of his mind he is thinking of the World Cup, definitely. When he is with England he has to score, he has to perform and tonight is a good start.\" With Villa entering a defining period of the season - chasing their first trophy in 30 years and a return to the Champions League - Unai Emery knows his striker must continue to deliver. \"Watkins is a fighter,\" the Villa manager said. \"Sometimes he plays brilliant like today and sometimes not. When he is not scoring we lack something from him. But he always plays well because he his doing his task and working for the team. \"Today he scored two goals which is fantastic. It is positive for him and for us. He is always consistent in his work.\"","date_published":"2026-04-10T01:26:17.014703+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx2rdd3pv7eo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/rogers-centre-of-transfer-tug-of-war-friday-s-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/rogers-centre-of-transfer-tug-of-war-friday-s-gossip","title":"Rogers centre of transfer tug of war - Friday's gossip","summary":"Morgan Rogers likely to be centre of transfer tug of war this summer, Juventus gaining hope of signing Alisson Becker and Liverpool owners believe Arne Slot will still be head coach next season.","content_text":"Image source, BBC Sport Morgan Rogers likely to be centre of transfer tug of war this summer, Juventus gaining hope of signing Alisson Becker and Liverpool owners believe Arne Slot will still be head coach next season. Aston Villa and England midfielder Morgan Rogers looks likely to be at the centre of a transfer tug of war this summer after Arsenal , Manchester United and Chelsea renewed their interest in the 23-year-old. (Times - subscription required) , external Bayern Munich are also admirers of Villa's Rogers and could rival Premier League clubs for his signature. (Mirror) , external Juventus are gaining hope of signing Brazil goalkeeper Alisson Becker from Liverpool , with the 33-year-old reportedly open to a move to Serie A. (La Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian) , external Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group believe Dutchman Arne Slot, 47, will lead the club next season despite another defeat this week. (Telegraph - subscription required) , external Aston Villa are expected to be among the clubs hoping to sign 23-year-old Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford this summer. (Football Insider) , external Enzo Fernandez and his agent have apologised to Chelsea for comments the 25-yar-old midfielder made while on international duty in Argentina about a potential move to Real Madrid . (Sky Sports) , external Real Madrid could intensify their efforts to sign Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise, 24, who is also a target for Liverpool , in the summer transfer window. (Christian Falk) , external Liverpool and Manchester City have joined Arsenal in the race to sign 19-year-old Bayer Leverkusen and Cameroon forward Christian Kofane. (Teamtalk) , external Nottingham Forest are yet to receive any formal bids for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, 23, but the club are braced for offers before the 2026 World Cup, with Manchester City and Manchester United both interested. (Talksport) , external RB Leipzig and Castello Lukeba are in agreement that the France defender will leave the club this summer, with Arsenal , Chelsea , Liverpool and Manchester United all assessing the 23-year-old. (Teamtalk) , external","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:12.890249+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyxkqpxpl9o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/kudus-may-require-surgery-after-injury-setback","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/kudus-may-require-surgery-after-injury-setback","title":"Kudus may require surgery after injury setback","summary":"Mohammed Kudus scored three goals in all competitions for Tottenham this season before sustaining his injury in January","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mohammed Kudus scored three goals in all competitions for Tottenham this season before sustaining his injury in January Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus may require surgery after suffering a setback in his recovery from a thigh injury. The Ghana international has been out for more than three months after limping out of Spurs' 1-1 draw with Sunderland on 4 January. Spurs had initially hoped the 25-year-old former West Ham midfielder would return after this month's international break, making him available for the club's remaining seven matches of the campaign. But sources have told BBC Sport that he is now unlikely to feature again this season. In a statement on Thursday, Spurs said: \"He had returned to team training during the past week, however will now require further specialist review and, potentially, surgery. \"We will provide any relevant further updates in due course.\" Roberto de Zerbi's side are 17th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone. Kudus, a £55m signing from West Ham last summer, faces a race against time to be fit for Ghana's World Cup squad. The Black Stars open their World Cup campaign against Panama on 18 June, before facing England on 23 June and Croatia on 27 June.","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:12.000424+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cjd8r239139o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fa-investigating-non-league-chief-over-alleged-abusive-email","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fa-investigating-non-league-chief-over-alleged-abusive-email","title":"FA investigating non-league chief over alleged abusive email","summary":"FC United's Broadhurst Park stadium","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, FC United's Broadhurst Park stadium By Simon Stone Chief football news reporter Northern Premier League chairman Mark Harris is at the centre of investigations by the Football Association and his own organisation after he allegedly sent an abusive email to an FC United of Manchester fan over a controversial decision to change the venue for a crucial end-of-season game. Aled Duckfield emailed Harris complaining about the NPL's decision to switch the location of FC United's match with Stockton Town to nearby Curzon Ashton on 21 April. The game has been repeatedly postponed due to pitch issues with FC United's Broadhurst Park ground. In his email to Harris, Duckfield called the decision \"diabolical\" and accused the NPL of \"incompetence\" and a \"lack of governance\". Harris' alleged reply contained abusive language aimed at Duckfield, who said he was \"shocked\" by the response. Harris has refused to comment on the alleged email, but BBC Sport has been told he reported himself to the FA. The FA said: \"We can confirm that we are investigating this matter. As this is an ongoing process, we are not in a position to provide further comment.\" The NPL said: \"Following a reported communication between chairman Mark Harris and a member of the public, the League can confirm it is actively investigating this serious matter, with an urgent meeting convened for Friday morning.\" Harris is a highly-respected figure within football and was appointed NPL chairman in 2009. He also serves on the FA's National Leagues Pyramid Board. FC United argue the decision to move the match against Stockton could affect their title chances - they would go top if they win their game in hand - and also affects them significantly from a financial perspective. The club lost at Broadhurst Park to title rival Hednesford Town on Monday and have a further league match, a local derby against Hyde United on 18 April, which has not been moved. The NPL feel they cannot afford to risk a postponement given the season ends on 25 April and the outstanding game has significant implications for both the title and play-off pictures. FC United suggested having a pitch inspection at Broadhurst Park the day before the game and switching if the surface was deemed unplayable or the match was at risk. This was rejected by NPL. \"The language used in the email attributed to the NPL Chair is clearly completely unacceptable - however it is reflective of the attitude that so many involved in the governance of the game have towards supporters,\" said an FC United spokesperson. \"It also raises fundamental questions among supporters about whether decisions involving FC United can be approached with the true impartiality that the role demands. On the face of this email, many will be understandably concerned. \"We will be seeking urgent clarification from the Northern Premier League.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:11.122256+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cj94yzxn8y9o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/oliver-and-taylor-selected-as-world-cup-referees","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/oliver-and-taylor-selected-as-world-cup-referees","title":"Oliver and Taylor selected as World Cup referees","summary":"Michael Oliver (left) and Anthony Taylor (right)","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Michael Oliver (left) and Anthony Taylor (right) By Lorraine McKenna BBC Sport Journalist Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have been selected to officiate at this summer's 2026 World Cup. It is the second time Oliver, 41, and Taylor, 47, have been selected for the major tournament, after they both refereed in Qatar four years ago. In total, England is represented by six on-field officials, with Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring chosen as assistant referees. Six women have made the final list of match officials to oversee games but only two - American Tori Penso and Mexican Katia Garcia - will be part of the 52-referee team, compared to three female referees in 2022. The total of six female officials is the same as at Qatar 2022 - the first time female referees officiated matches at a men's World Cup. Pierluigi Collina, Fifa's chief refereeing officer and chairman of the Fifa referees committee said the world governing body was aiming to \"further develop women's refereeing\" by \"continuing the trend\" that was started in Qatar. This year's expanded World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will feature 48 teams and begins on 11 June. Australian Jarred Gillett, who has been a referee in the English top flight since 2021, will join the video assistant referee (VAR) team. Fifa said the process of choosing the 52 referees, 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials spanned more than three years and was \"based on quality and consistency of performances at the highest level\". Italian Collina, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final, said the selected officials \"are the very best in the world\" and Fifa will \"leave no stone unturned in ensuring that our match officials are fully prepared\". The selected officials will meet for a 10-day preparation seminar next month. \"Our goal is to ensure that they're in optimal physical and mental condition when they arrive in Miami on 31 May,\" said Collina. For the first time in a World Cup, referees will wear body cameras to give viewers an on-field perspective, while Collina added the use of goal-line technology and an advanced version of semi-automated offside will play an \"important role\" in supporting match officials.","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:10.221388+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cx2d5302rplo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/follow-thursday-s-european-games-live","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/follow-thursday-s-european-games-live","title":"Follow Thursday's European games live","summary":"There are three Europa League and Conference League fixtures involving Premier League clubs on Thursday night - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.","content_text":"There are three Europa League and Conference League fixtures involving Premier League clubs on Thursday night - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment. Europa League: Bologna v Aston Villa - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live Europa League: Porto v Nottingham Forest Conference League: Crystal Palace v Fiorentina All kick-off times 20:00 BST Follow all of the action and reaction here You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentary on most smart speakers. Just say \"ask BBC Sounds to play Bologna v Aston Villa\".","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:07.851163+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpwjx9yrx8zo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/barcelona-complain-to-uefa-about-var-in-atletico-loss","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/barcelona-complain-to-uefa-about-var-in-atletico-loss","title":"Barcelona complain to Uefa about VAR in Atletico loss","summary":"Barcelona were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Barcelona were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute Barcelona have submitted a complaint to Uefa over a \"grave lack of VAR intervention\" during their 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Hansi Flick's side were denied a penalty in the 54th minute of the quarter-final first leg when Atletico defender Marc Pubill handled the ball in the visitors' box. Pubill, who had received a yellow card earlier in the game, stopped the ball with his hand after goalkeeper Juan Musso had appeared to restart play with a goal kick. Barcelona players appealed for a penalty but referee Istvan Kovacs allowed play to continue and Video Assistant Referee Christian Dingert did not intervene. \"The club considers that the refereeing did not adhere to the current law, directly influencing how the game progressed and the result,\" Barcelona said in a statement on Thursday. \"FC Barcelona understands that this decision, along with a grave lack of intervention by VAR, represents a major error. \"Accordingly, the club has requested an investigation be opened, access to refereeing communications, and where applicable, official acknowledgment of the errors and the adoption of the relevant measures.\" Atletico were leading 1-0 at the time thanks to a sublime free-kick goal by Julian Alvaraz after Pau Cubarsi had been sent off for the home side. Cubarsi was initially shown a yellow card after fouling Giuliano Simeone as he broke through one-on-one, but that was changed to a red card when Kovacs was asked by the VAR to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. \"The VAR was very focused today for Atletico,\" Barca boss Flick said after the game. \"I don't know what happens in the situation where the goalkeeper starts the game and the defender stops it with the hand and then plays again. For me it is a clear red card - well a double yellow - and then a red card and penalty.\" Alexander Sorloth added a second in the 70th minute to give Atletico their first win at the Nou Camp since 2006.","date_published":"2026-04-09T20:40:06.93387+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr41dq4pywxo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/motherwell-miss-winning-says-manager-askou","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/motherwell-miss-winning-says-manager-askou","title":"Motherwell miss winning, says manager Askou","summary":"Motherwell are winless in their past four matches","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Motherwell are winless in their past four matches Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou is refusing to speculate on a points target that could land his side a fourth-place Scottish Premiership finish but admits his side \"miss winning\" games of football. Askou's side currently occupy fourth spot but are only three points above Hibernian in fifth with six league games to play. They were outside contenders in the title race for a time, but have fallen behind the top three in recent weeks. Up until March, Motherwell had not lost a league game in 2026 but have lost three and drawn one of their past four matches, with a visit to leaders Hearts to come on Saturday. When asked if he had a points tally in mind to secure fourth place, Askou said: \"When you start doing that then you get ahead of yourself and then you start suddenly thinking 'if we just do this and just do that, then we'll be fine'. \"So that's probably the worst thing you can do as a group of players, where you can only play one game at a time. \"I can assure you that no matter how many points we need, we will go for all three points all the time. \"We really, really try to push for the win because we miss winning. We want to win every game we compete in, and we know that every time we do, it's obviously a massive step towards achieving something big. \"I do expect us to need more points than we have now, to at least keep this position. How many? Time will tell.\" Hearts are one point above Rangers and three above Celtic with the final round of pre-split fixtures this weekend and Askou does not think any top-six side will win all of their remaining matches. \"I don't think anyone from the top will win all their games,\" he said. \"That is, looking at the history, unlikely. \"If they do they will have a very good chance, especially the top three, of winning the title.\" Motherwell have drawn both their previous matches against Hearts this season, but Askou hopes Saturday's meeting will be more like August's pulsating 3-3 draw than November's tense 0-0. \"When we look in the big perspective, both clubs are in a position that they could only dream of before the season started,\" he said. \"I'm pretty sure that they, as we will, will come with a big smile on their face, really excited to play that game, and expect it to be probably a little bit more lively and open at times than the last game, which was a bit tactical. \"Maybe [it will] look a little bit more at times like the first game, or something in between. But probably with a very intense atmosphere again.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:17.955518+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8r43pjzj2vo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/cardiff-city-stadium-to-host-wales-autumn-games","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/cardiff-city-stadium-to-host-wales-autumn-games","title":"Cardiff City Stadium to host Wales' autumn games","summary":"Wales' most recent game at Cardiff City Stadium was a 'flat' 1-1 friendly with Northern Ireland","content_text":"Image source, FAW Image caption, Wales' most recent game at Cardiff City Stadium was a 'flat' 1-1 friendly with Northern Ireland Wales men will continue to play games at Cardiff City Stadium this autumn, despite suggestions some matches could be switched to the Principality Stadium before Euro 2028. A Nations League double-header with Norway and Denmark will be staged at the home of Cardiff City in the opening week of October, followed by the visit of Portugal to conclude League A fixtures in November. With Wales co-hosting Euro 2028 - alongside England, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland - the 74,500-capacity Principality Stadium is set to stage six of the tournament's games, with Wales guaranteed to play there should they qualify. Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief Noel Mooney has said it would be wrong for Craig Bellamy's side not to have advance experience of the larger stadium. Bellamy's side will start their Nations League campaign at an as yet unnamed venue in Portugal on Thursday, 24 September, three days before a visit to Copenhagen against Denmark. A visit to Oslo in Norway is their penultimate group match on Saturday,14 November. Wales earned promotion to the highest level of Nations League football having secured top spot in League B Group 4 with a 4-1 win over Iceland in Cardiff in November 2024. They have not played an international match at the home of Welsh rugby since 2018 and have a strong record at the 33,000-capacity Cardiff City Stadium. They have lost only once in regular play in their past 14 all-competition games at the capital city's second largest venue, though suffered shoot-out qualifying defeats against Poland in March 2024 and against Bosnia and Herzegovina last month. Both Bellamy and his players have frequently praised the atmosphere at the ground, which was opened in 2009 to replace Ninian Park. Mooney has previously underlined that sentiment saying, \"our fans, our players, the FAW is really happy playing in Cardiff City Stadium\". However, the chief executive has also said that the FAW will engage with fans about what games can be held at Principality Stadium, which could include friendlies against high-profile countries or Euro qualifying games to be played between March and November 2027. Mooney has also raised the prospect of Wales' men following the women's side in staging a game at Wrexham in the future. However, the decision to stick with Cardiff City Stadium for the Nations League campaign means the ground currently hosting League One football could be graced by Norwegian superstar Erling Haaland and Portuguese legend Cristano Ronaldo later this year. Wales' Uefa Nations League fixtures Thursday, 24 September Portugal v Wales - Venue TBC (19:45 BST) Sunday, 27 September Denmark v Wales – Parken Stadium, Copenhagen (18:00 BST) Thursday, 1 October Wales v Norway – Cardiff City Stadium (19:45 BST) Sunday, 4 October Wales v Denmark – Cardiff City Stadium (19:45 BST) Saturday, 14 November Norway v Wales – Ullevaal Stadium, Oslo (18:00 GMT) Tuesday, 17 November Wales v Portugal – Cardiff City Stadium (19:45 GMT)","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:15.523234+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4gxp02p02mo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/why-95th-devon-derby-could-be-biggest-in-memory","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/why-95th-devon-derby-could-be-biggest-in-memory","title":"Why 95th Devon derby could be biggest in memory","summary":"Exeter beat Plymouth 2-0 in the reverse fixture at St James Park in October","content_text":"Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Exeter beat Plymouth 2-0 in the reverse fixture at St James Park in October By Matthew Cresswell BBC Sport England It is a local rivalry that first stems back to February 1909 when Plymouth Argyle beat Exeter City 2-0 in the second round of the English Cup. Almost 120 years on, the two clubs renew their feud as they meet up once more for the 95th edition of the Devon Derby. And Saturday's game at Home Park could well be one of the most important. A win for Argyle would push the Greens into the top-six - even just momentarily - for the first time this season before Stevenage's stern test at Bradford City later in the day. While three points for the Grecians would go a long way in their quest for League One survival with less than a month of the season remaining. With both sides coming into the game off the back of 3-0 victories on Monday, the need for the points for entirely contrasting reasons means Saturday, 11 April 2026 could go down as a date in Devon derby history. Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Joe Edwards was named Plymouth Argyle skipper in 2020-21 'You want to win this more than any other' \"You want to win this one more than any other game. There's no better feeling,\" Plymouth captain Joe Edwards says. Edwards, 35, is preparing for his fifth Devon derby, having won two and lost two. His most recent, a 2-0 defeat by Exeter in October, was a low point in his seventh season at Home Park which has included two promotions, a relegation, and even a stint as joint-caretaker manager after Wayne Rooney left in December 2024. That defeat by Exeter left Argyle in the relegation zone, and just over a month later, they had dropped to the foot of the table with a return to the second tier in their first season back in League One looking like a distant dream. \"We never lost sight of what we wanted to do,\" Edwards told BBC Radio Devon. \"At times it was going to be hard, and maybe not as possible as we thought it was going to be, but the way we've stuck together as a club has been amazing. \"To come from that to where we are now shows the togetherness. I always tell the boys once you get that off the pitch here, it's a special place to be.\" That togetherness has helped Argyle amass 36 points since the turn of the year - only promoted Lincoln City have picked up more since 1 January. Their victory against Barnsley on Easter Monday, along with Reading's last-gasp defeat by Lincoln, pushed Argyle up to seventh and within touching distance of the play-off places in a dramatic turnaround in form. Despite Exeter's precarious position at the other end of the table, Edwards says full focus is on themselves. \"It's about us, we've got stuff to play for this season,\" he added. \"We know what they're fighting for - which adds to the occasion - but I think going into the game it's all about us and how we can win the game.\" Pilgrims boss Tom Cleverley will take charge of his 51st game since arriving last summer. \"It's obviously a huge occasion for the area, and for our city especially, and the fact that both clubs are fighting for things that are really important to each club respectfully makes for a great day,\" he said. \"We know we've got a wrong to put right from earlier on in the season. Losing the previous derby has not sat right for the whole season. I have no doubts - we'll be intense, we'll be energetic. \"We know what we have to do to give us the best chance.\" Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Ilmari Niskanen starred in Exeter's 2-0 win against Plymouth earlier this season 'It's a massive, massive game' Exeter City midfielder Ilmari Niskanen was one of the standout performers in the Grecians' 2-0 victory against Argyle in October. Then managed by Gary Caldwell, they overcame an early flurry of Argyle pressure to come out deserved victors on the night and have the opportunity of a first derby double in a decade. The Finnish midfielder tasted the Dundee derby when at Dundee United between 2021 and 2023 and thinks Saturday will mean more than just three points. \"Obviously [it's] a massive, massive game even in the current situation we are in. The biggest game of the season, definitely, and we will be more than ready,\" Niskanen told BBC Radio Devon. \"The previous derby in October we played really, really well. They are in a lot better place at the moment than what they were then, so it's going to be a different kind of challenge for us. \"It's going to demand a lot from us for sure - we need to be willing to fight and suffer at times as a group, and we need to show how much we care about this football club. \"Derbies are the best games that you play in. Those are the matches you play football for. When the pressure is high and when the atmosphere is always unbelievable. This is definitely one of the most special derbies in football.\" Form book goes out the window Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, Exeter City boss Matt Taylor led his side to a memorable 4-0 win against Plymouth Argyle in his first spell in charge back in October 2019 Back in his second spell in charge of Exeter, head coach Matt Taylor is set for his first Devon Derby since leading the Grecians to a 4-0 hammering of Argyle in October 2019. Taylor won one and lost one derby as a player during the 2010-11 season and has not forgotten the feeling this fixture can provide. \"Massive game of football. Massive game in Devon, probably not to the outside world. I said to the players today I didn't know the magnitude of the fixture until I played in it,\" Taylor told BBC Radio Devon. \"I am a northern lad so the Devon derby wasn't exactly on my radar - until you are involved in one. \"And then once you're involved in one, it's all about winning. My experiences are from a long, long time ago. This group of players have got recent history of a good result earlier on in the season. \"Obviously, we feel that Plymouth were in a different place then to where they are now. They've hit form fantastically well post-Christmas. \"But I think if there is ever a game where form and league standing goes out the window, it's this one. \"Come 12:30 on Saturday, it's a game of football against your biggest rival. It's tribal, it's in our DNA. It's always a good place to play football, and we've got to make it a good place to play football for ourselves.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:14.554759+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn431qyp47xo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bbc-to-show-man-city-southampton-fa-cup-semi-final","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bbc-to-show-man-city-southampton-fa-cup-semi-final","title":"BBC to show Man City-Southampton FA Cup semi-final","summary":"Shea Charles scored an 85th-minute winner against Arsenal in the quarter-finals","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Shea Charles scored an 85th-minute winner against Arsenal in the quarter-finals The BBC will broadcast the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Southampton on Saturday 25 April. The last-four tie, held at Wembley Stadium, will kick-off at 17:15 BST and be shown live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The second semi-final between Chelsea and Leeds United has a scheduled kick-off of 15:00 BST on Sunday 26 April. Full radio coverage of both matches will be available on BBC Radio 5 Live and local BBC radio stations, with additional coverage, including live text commentary and clips, on the BBC Sport website. Seven-time champions Man City beat Liverpool 4-0 to reach a record-extending eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final. They last lifted the trophy in 2022-23. Southampton, who are eyeing a first FA Cup final since 2003, beat Arsenal 2-1 and are the only non-Premier League team left in the competition. Leeds reached the semi-finals for the first time in 39 years after beating West Ham on penalties while Chelsea thrashed League One side Port Vale 7-0.","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:13.612823+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cr41dzx9gkko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/scotland-confirm-final-world-cup-warm-up-against-bolivia-live-on-bbc","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/scotland-confirm-final-world-cup-warm-up-against-bolivia-live-on-bbc","title":"Scotland confirm final World Cup warm-up against Bolivia - live on BBC","summary":"Bolivia missed out on the World Cup after losing their play-off to Iraq","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Bolivia missed out on the World Cup after losing their play-off to Iraq Scotland have confirmed a friendly against Bolivia in New Jersey on Saturday, 6 June as their final warm-up game before this summer's World Cup finals. The match will be broadcast live on the BBC with kick-off at 21:00 BST. Bolivia missed out on qualifying for the tournament in the Americas after losing their inter-confederation play-off final 2-1 to Iraq in Guadalupe, Mexico, last week. Steve Clarke's Scots suffered 1-0 friendly defeats by Japan and by Ivory Coast earlier this month. But they have two more chances to improve their results before their World Cup opener against Haiti on 14 June in Massachusetts, when Curacao visit Hampden on 30 May and when they face the Bolivians at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison. Peru and Venezuela - two other South American sides who failed to reach the finals - had been touted as possible final warm-up opponents for Scotland, but instead they will face Bolivia for the first time. It completes a series of friendlies against teams from the same federations as Scotland's three Group C opponents - Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. \"It's good to be able to confirm our final friendly, which will round off our preparations for the tournament,\" head coach Clarke said. \"Bolivia will provide us with a feel for South American opposition, and will no doubt give us a stern test as they recover from the disappointment of defeat in the World Cup play-offs.\" How good are Bolivia? Bolivia are currently ranked 76th in the world - 70 places lower than Brazil and 33 below Scotland, who are down five places after their latest two friendly defeats. They finished seventh, above Venezuela and Peru, and only two places behind Brazil in South America's World Cup qualifying group. Most notably, they rounded off the group stage with a 1-0 home win over the Brazilians at altitude in September. That qualified them for the inter-continental play-offs and, although they defeated Suriname 2-1 in their semi-final, they fell short in their attempt to qualify for the finals for the first time since 1994 after losing 2-1 to the 57th-ranked Iraqis. Twelve of Villegas' current 28-man squad play in their homeland, with three in Europe and the rest spread around clubs in North and South America, Asia and the Middle East.","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:12.701917+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cm25yp3k8vlo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bedford-on-full-circle-moment-in-england-career","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/bedford-on-full-circle-moment-in-england-career","title":"Bedford on 'full circle' moment in England career","summary":"Lydia Bedford was Leicester City manager in the WSL in 2021-22","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lydia Bedford was Leicester City manager in the WSL in 2021-22 By Emma Sanders BBC Sport women’s football news reporter Returning as head coach for England Women's under-23s felt like a \"full circle moment\" for Lydia Bedford. The 38-year-old began her coaching career with the Football Association and has managed several youth teams, including England's under-15s, 16s and 17s. She became the first woman to hold a coaching position at a Premier League club when she took over Brentford's under-18s boys' academy in 2023. And she has gathered first team women's football experience as manager of Women's Super League side Leicester City and Canadian club Calgary Wild, as well as previously taking on an assistant coach role at Arsenal. Her career has been varied and rewarding, but Bedford has always eyed a return. \"I've got fulfilment out of every decision that I've made in my career so far and each [experience] has been great in their own way,\" she said. \"But it kind of feels like a full circle moment to be able to come back. The job I always wanted growing up was to be England manager one day. \"You've got to get experiences that will help you along the way. Why would I not want to come back and be in an under-23s environment to help our senior team tick the next the box, which is to win the Women's World Cup next year? \"I'm also looking forward to singing the English national anthem. I've heard a lot of the Canadian national anthem in the last few weeks!\" Who better for Bedford to learn from than three-time European champion Sarina Wiegman? The Lionesses head coach will work closely with Bedford at St George's Park on the development of England's youth players. \"Seeing the success of the senior team over the last few years and knowing how closely I'd be able to work with Sarina and her staff in this role, it seemed like a bit of a no-brainer [to return],\" added Bedford. \"It's a great opportunity to learn from someone I consider to be the world's best and to help to provide the next group of players to compete to win more.\" Arsenal role was 'eye-opening' Bedford was sacked six games into her second season at Leicester City, despite surviving WSL relegation the year before. It was her first role in senior club football and Bedford admits it was a learning curve that she needed to go through. \"It definitely, as a coach and a person, makes you think about what you really want in life,\" she said. \"To lose my job at Leicester, then get the opportunity to support Jonas Eidevall at Arsenal and see the complete opposite end of the WSL, and what good support and structure looks like, was really eye-opening. \"I think that experience at Arsenal has helped me in a lot of ways.\" The opportunity to later move to Brentford and work in the boys' game was something Bedford could not pass up. She helped the academy build structure and developed players before taking on a new project at Calgary Wild - one of six teams in a newly formed Northern Super League (NSL) - the first professional women's football division in Canada. It was a wide-ranging role which tested Bedford and she hopes to use what she learned in England. \"We lost our sporting director in December and effectively for the last three months, I was sporting director, head of recruitment and head coach,\" said Bedford. \"Managing people and players has been something that I've had a lot of experience doing now. One of the reasons I want to do this job is because I want to be a great coach. \"I'm blessed. I've got 18 members of staff that are working with the under-23s and they are really experienced. I don't need to be the physio, or the nutritionist, or the chef. I can just really focus on orchestrating and pulling that together.\" Head here to get involved","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:11.748418+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8x7dgvwww1o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/seven-games-to-go-how-will-de-zerbi-try-to-save-spurs","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/seven-games-to-go-how-will-de-zerbi-try-to-save-spurs","title":"Seven games to go - how will De Zerbi try to save Spurs?","summary":"Clubs at risk of relegation tend to hire pragmatic coaches.","content_text":"By Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent Clubs at risk of relegation tend to hire pragmatic coaches. But that is not how you would describe new Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi. The Italian is known for his attacking style of possession-based football, and has stayed true to his footballing ideas throughout his managerial career. Three years after starting in management in Italy's fourth division, De Zerbi was in charge of Serie A side Palermo, where he struggled to showcase his initial potential. When he was sacked, newly promoted Benevento hired him, but relegation followed. Despite that, De Zerbi's reputation was boosted - and he has enjoyed much success since. The 46-year-old's quality is clear but his system relies on smart and technical players more than most tactical plans. So what tactics will De Zerbi implement at Spurs, and will this relegation-threatened group of players be able to execute them? De Zerbi's high-risk high-reward style on the ball Looking at De Zerbi's Brighton and Marseille sides, you soon notice how often they repeat certain patterns of play. When building up, the idea is to draw opponents towards defenders on the ball before using quick passing routines to find free players facing forward. They are better positioned to play the ball up the pitch quickly into the attackers. When it works, De Zerbi's sides turn possession in their own half into shots near the opposition's goal within a few seconds. It's an electrifying watch - but the level of potential attacking reward comes with great risk. De Zerbi's approach requires defensive players to take responsibility with the ball - delaying actions until they have forced opponents to press them. In a recent training clip, , external he was seen coaching his new players through concepts to make his tactics easier to implement. For central defenders under no pressure, the advice was to take many touches. De Zerbi's centre-backs often provoke opponents by placing their studs on top of the ball - a sort of psychological trick that causes a striker to leave their shape and engage. Image caption, Brighton's centre-backs under De Zerbi often trapped the ball as seen here. This drew opponents out before passes were played into midfielders. Two central midfielders are usually in close proximity to the central defenders. The midfielders receiving passes are often tightly marked, and De Zerbi's advice for them this week was to take one or two touches. The ball doesn't stay with these players long to minimise the risk of losing the ball in dangerous areas. They instead act as a wall to bounce the ball off to nearby team-mates, who have lost their marker and can play forward under less pressure. Image caption, The midfielders are key to De Zerbi's system. They often position themselves close together and the goalkeeper looks to find them often. With one touch, they bounce the ball under pressure to the centre-back in space facing forwards. How De Zerbi's style compares to his predecessors De Zerbi echoed the sentiments of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta when he spoke to his team this week - highlighting the abundance of man-to-man defensive schemes in the Premier League. His teams, like the rest of the league, will face tight pressure across the pitch and - through these choreographed passing routines - the aim is to accept that intense pressure is inevitable and look for solutions through it, rather than avoiding it. It is the opposite approach to that of Thomas Frank, who was named Spurs boss in the summer but was sacked in February. Frank's Spurs opted to build up almost exclusively down the sides of the pitch. Instead of playing four or five players close together in the middle, Spurs usually had two central defenders and one midfielder in the centre. The flanks, meanwhile, were overloaded with three or four players and long balls were often played into the channel, where Spurs were more likely to win it. Image caption, Under Thomas Frank, the middle of the pitch was often avoided. Here the ball is progressed down the right, where Spurs have three players. Frank's wide build-up minimised the risk associated with playing through the centre. Brighton under De Zerbi accepted that risk, conceding the second-most high turnovers that led to an opposition shot (48) during his first season. Frank's approach results in fewer dangerous chances being created in open play, but it it is a risk De Zerbi is willing to accept for the quality of chances his sides can create when it works. Comparing that Brighton squad with the current Spurs squad, we see fewer players capable of thriving technically under pressure in small spaces - but the likes of Lucas Bergvall, Xavi Simons and Archie Gray may relish the challenge. And we should keep in mind that Ange Postecoglou - Frank's predecessor - will have drilled habits into his players that will be helpful under the new regime. Like De Zerbi, Postecoglou opted for a risky short-passing game that looked to penetrate teams through central play. Goalkeepers have been key for both men's systems - commonly becoming a third defender in possession, looking to break lines and find midfielders down the middle of the pitch. Image caption, This example illustrates what Postecoglu did similarly to De Zerbi. Note the narrow midfielders close to the defenders receiving passes in the middle of the pitch. James Maddison finds his team-mate here on the ball, facing forwards. There are differences, of course - one being Postecoglou's use of inverted full-backs as the central players receiving the ball from the centre-backs. The underlying principles remain, though - keep possession of the ball, draw pressure and play passes to team-mates nearby through the middle of the pitch before speeding up the play to find team-mates in space upfield. De Zerbi's system takes time to master but Spurs fans will hope the remnants of Postecoglou's system remains in the players' minds and they have fond memories of a more proactive and front-footed style of play. Can De Zerbi improve Tudor's defensive tactics? Off the ball, De Zerbi's tactics are equally front-footed. At Brighton, he often asked his teams to engage in a man-to-man press. A pass back from the opposition was often a trigger for his teams to aggressively apply pressure. Igor Tudor, who succeed Frank on an interim basis but lasted just seven matches, obviously struggled at Spurs but what he did do was to introduce man-to-man marking as their main defensive tactic. It wasn't particularly successful, but the work he did with the players means De Zerbi has a better base to build from than had he succeeded Frank. Image caption, Following a back pass, Brighton aggressively applied pressure across the pitch in a co-ordinated manner. As Manchester United discovered with Ruben Amorim, it is a gamble to bring in a coach known for moulding teams to a system he has in mind rather than adapting his system to the players he has at his disposal. That is exacerbated when the team is in the midst of a relegation battle. But of the managers available to Spurs at this moment, De Zerbi has arguably reached the highest peak in recent years - and Guardiola has called him \"one of the most influential managers in the last 20 years\". The swinging pendulum of managerial styles Spurs have had over the past 12 months adds another thread of uncertainty, but by building on the attacking principles Spurs adopted under Postecoglou, and the defensive ideas Tudor tried but failed to implement, De Zerbi may not be starting from scratch. For a fragile Spurs side seemingly out of ideas, perhaps his choreographed style of play can simplify the decision-making process for players, and help them pick up the points they desperately need to survive.","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:10.768561+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cvg3kxy221xo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/celtic-chair-urges-end-to-debilitating-conflict-with-fans","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/celtic-chair-urges-end-to-debilitating-conflict-with-fans","title":"Celtic chair urges end to 'debilitating' conflict with fans","summary":"Celtic players had to pick up tennis balls from the pitch against Stuttgart","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Celtic players had to pick up tennis balls from the pitch against Stuttgart Celtic interim chairman Brian Wilson has vowed to seek an end to \"this debilitating and unnecessary atmosphere of conflict\" after a fan protest during Thursday's Europa League game left the Scottish champions fearing disciplinary action. Uefa's disciplinary body will review reports from officials at the game against Stuttgart before deciding what, if any, action will be taken after it was held up for more than three minutes when tennis balls were thrown on to the Celtic Park pitch. It is the latest in a long line of protests this season as fans expressed disappointment at the club's board. Martin O'Neill's side lost the first leg of their knockout play-off 4-1. \"Last night was deeply disappointing for the club in many respects,\" Wilson said. \"This started with an orchestrated disruption of the game, causing a delay to an important match. \"Over the past two weeks, I have met with a range of supporters' groups and individual supporters. \"I have met in good faith with representatives of the Green Brigade and was hopeful that progress could have been made; indeed this remains the case. I also met in good faith with representatives of the Celtic Fans Collective. \"When I came into this role, I asked for unity inside the stadium to support the team while trying to resolve other issues. I want to see suspensions lifted and differences set aside, but this cannot be unconditional.\" Wilson had taken over as interim chairman after former chief executive Peter Lawwell stood down in December citing \"abuse and threats\". Relations appeared to be thawing in January when the Celtic Fans Collective praised Wilson's appeal for unity and appealed for common ground while again calling for changes to the club's hierarchy. The latest tennis ball protest led to criticism from team boss O'Neill. \"Last night's disruption and the reasoning behind it illustrate the difficulty we face and have repeatedly had to contend with,\" Wilson added. \"This is not intended to deflect from other issues that affect the club and are fully recognised. However, the possibility of further disruptions needs to be addressed urgently. \"Surely the priority must be to give Martin and our players every opportunity to achieve their objectives within the remainder of the season. \"On that basis, I will continue to seek an end to this debilitating and unnecessary atmosphere of conflict.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:08.848002+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cqxdez7wr07o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/sutton-s-predictions-v-boxing-promoter-arsenal-fan-frank-warren","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/sutton-s-predictions-v-boxing-promoter-arsenal-fan-frank-warren","title":"Sutton's predictions v boxing promoter & Arsenal fan Frank Warren","summary":"The Premier League returns this weekend, and it might surprise you that Chris Sutton is back on top of the BBC predictions table.","content_text":"The Premier League returns this weekend, and it might surprise you that Chris Sutton is back on top of the BBC predictions table. His victory from the last set of league games played before the international break catapulted him from last place to first, based on outright wins. \"I'm back where I belong - above AI,\" said BBC Sport football expert Sutton. \"The title is in my hands now, although I am not sure that's a good thing.\" Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. His guest for week 32 is boxing promoter and Arsenal fan Frank Warren. Two of Warren's boxers, Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois, face each other for Wardley's WBO heavyweight title on 9 May. The fight is being shown live on DAZN and you can listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live. Do you agree with their scores? You can pick your own below. The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page. A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Wardley (left) and Dubois (right) are both signed to Warren's (centre) Queensberry Promotions. They will clash at Manchester's Co-op Live arena on Saturday 9 May After boxing, Warren describes football, and especially Arsenal , as his second sporting passion. The 74-year-old is a long-term Gunners season ticket holder - originally at Highbury, where he had one of the first executive boxes on the Clock End when the stadium was revamped in the early 1990s, and now the Emirates Stadium. He started going to watch Arsenal with his dad at the age of eight. \"It was always Arsenal for me,\" Warren told BBC Sport. \"All my family were Arsenal mad, and they were our local team - I was brought up in Clerkenwell in Islington, and I went to school in Highbury. \"I didn't see us win anything for a long time when I was a boy, but my first heroes were Joe Baker, a centre-forward who Arsenal bought from Torino in 1961, and a long-serving left-back called Billy McCullough, who was nicknamed 'Flint' after Flint McCullough from the TV show 'Wagon Train'. \"I actually only read Billy's obituary , external last week, because he died very recently aged 90. It's such a shame he's no longer with us, because all those old players were my first favourites. \"I always remember an FA Cup game against Liverpool where Joe was sent off after he knocked out Ron Yeats, their big centre-half. I think that's what got me into boxing. \"Over the years there were many more players who stood out. People like Frank McLintock, who actually became a partner of mine when we owned a nightclub in the Barbican together in the late 1970s, plus Liam Brady and Charlie George - who was another Islington boy who I knew from when we were kids. \"That's before you even get to the era of Dennis Bergkamp, so it's a massive list. Now? Declan Rice, all day long. He is the catalyst of where we are.\" Chris Sutton and Frank Warren were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan. The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat - we simply asked the tool to 'predict this weekend's Premier League scores'. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Another of Warren's boxers, Tyson Fury, makes his comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday. That fight is being shown live on Netflix Premier League predictions Friday, 10 April What information do we collect from this quiz? London Stadium, 20:00 BST It's so hard to know what to expect this weekend, because so many teams have not played for a few weeks, and they will have lost any momentum. Wolves know they are down but they have definitely improved under Rob Edwards, who has had some decent results after a difficult start. They are one of the teams who have been on a good run, but their last match was on 16 March. Seeing West Ham 's FA Cup tie with Leeds go to extra-time last weekend was the worst-case scenario for them, with a massive game like this on the horizon. They obviously lost on penalties in the end, and their league form has not been great either, with only one win in their past six games. That's why they are still in the bottom three at the moment but I think they will be out of the relegation zone on Friday night. Wolves have beaten West Ham twice already this season, at Molineux in the league and the Carabao Cup, but this time I am going for a Hammers win. All the pressure is on them here, but they are at home and Jarrod Bowen will probably be the player who makes the difference. Sutton's prediction: 2-1 Frank's prediction: It's almost a month since Wolves last played, which is crazy. 2-0 AI's prediction: 2-1 Saturday, 11 April What information do we collect from this quiz? Emirates Stadium, 12:30 As I was saying on this week's Monday Night Club, some of the stuff I heard criticising Arsenal after they lost two games in a row is over the top. Yes, they were well beaten by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, but City are a good side and they can do that to teams. Then it was Arsenal 's reserves who lost to Southampton in the FA Cup. We saw a reaction from Mikel Arteta's side with their win over Sporting on Tuesday. It was a big goal from Kai Havertz to give them an advantage to take into next week's second leg, and I think we will see a similar performance here. Bournemouth will give them a good game and they are in decent form too - they are on a run of five draws but they have not lost in 11 league matches since Arsenal beat them 3-2 on the south coast at the start of January. Everyone is trying to put the pressure on Arsenal but I've looked at the games they have got left, including this one, and their record against all seven opponents earlier this season is strong - the only team they have to play who they haven't beaten already is City. Sutton's prediction: 2-0 Frank's prediction: The players have to do what they did against Sporting, which is grit their teeth and show what they are all about. We have to approach this game with a winners' mentality too, and go out and make a statement. The title is there to be won but every game has to be do or die now - that's the only way to get over the line. 3-1 Frank on which is best - Highbury or the Emirates? I prefer the old stadium all day long. You were on top of the action and the atmosphere was brilliant. The atmosphere at the Emirates has been better in the last few years, they have worked on that, but I've always loved Highbury since I went there as a boy. It was always a very classy stadium, with the tradition of the old marble halls from Herbert Chapman's era, and the art deco stands. When I started going to games with my mates as I got a bit older, it used to be one and thruppence to get in but we were all skinny enough to squeeze in through the railings and get in for nothing. It was a big adventure, and all those memories and good times are part of why you support a club. I actually have a flat at Highbury now [the stadium was redeveloped as an apartment complex when Arsenal left in 2006] so I can go and watch a game at the Emirates and then nip over there. AI's prediction: 1-0 What information do we collect from this quiz? GTech Community Stadium, 15:00 Now we know that fifth place gets you into next season's Champions League, both of these teams must be thinking they have got a chance. They are level on 46 points in seventh and eighth, and the way the teams immediately above them, Liverpool and Chelsea , are playing then you don't feel it is beyond Brentford or Everton to catch them. Who would have thought last summer that there was the possibility of Everton finishing above Liverpool this season? It could happen though, and next weekend's Merseyside derby is going to be very interesting. Everton have to go to west London first, though. I was horribly wrong when I predicted the reverse of this game at Hill Dickinson Stadium in January. I went for a 1-0 Toffees win and the Bees won 4-2. This time? It will be a lot closer. Yes, I know I am sitting on the fence but there is a predictions title at stake for me here, so I am going to follow form and say Brentford will get their fourth draw in a row. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Frank's prediction: Brentford to edge it. 2-1 AI's prediction: 1-1 What information do we collect from this quiz? Turf Moor, 15:00 Brighton are another team who had hit a bit of form when the season paused. After going through a sticky patch under Fabian Hurzeler, they have won four of their past five games, and I can see them winning this one too. Burnley are always competitive and you can see them digging in again at home but that approach has not translated into many positive results. As I've said for a while now, they are going down. It is more about what happens next season and whether they stick with their manager Scott Parker to try to get them back up. Their fans don't appear to be convinced by him. Sutton's prediction: 0-1 Frank's prediction: A few goals in this one. 2-2 AI's prediction: 1-2 What information do we collect from this quiz? Anfield, 17:30 It feels like a lot of Liverpool fans have made their minds up about Arne Slot, and that he needs to go. That still feels harsh to me - after all, Slot won the Premier League last season. Yes, this has been a disappointing campaign, but surely winning a title in your first year buys you some time? Liverpool are clearly not playing well at the moment, though. I've been thinking for a while now that they are going to get out of this slump because of the players they have got - but when you watch them there is nothing to suggest it will happen, and they have been so inconsistent for so long now. They went to a back five in Wednesday's defeat at Paris St-Germain and the optics of that were not great for Slot - by playing with an extra centre-half, they always just looked like they were trying to hang on in there. Fulham are a good side and I can see them causing Liverpool problems too, no matter what shape Slot goes with this time. It finished 2-2 when these two sides met at Craven Cottage in January, and I have a feeling there will be a few goals this time as well. Sutton's prediction: 2-2 Frank's prediction: Liverpool are not having a great time at the moment.1-2 AI's prediction: 2-1 Sunday, 12 April What information do we collect from this quiz? Selhurst Park, 14:00 This game is sandwiched between both legs of Crystal Palace 's Europa Conference tie with Fiorentina and, now that they are effectively safe from relegation, I wonder if Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will prioritise Europe? That should increase Newcastle 's chances, but I am not convinced by their recent form, especially on the road. They have won on their past two visits to the capital, against Tottenham and Chelsea , but I don't see them getting three points here. Eddie Howe needs a strong end to the season, but the fact they have lost both derby games against Sunderland , and are below them in the table too, is not really helping him. I certainly don't think his job should be at risk but there are a few fans who do. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Frank's prediction: Palace to take this one. 3-2 AI's prediction: 0-0 What information do we collect from this quiz? City Ground, 14:00 Both of these teams play in Europe on Thursday but they will surely have at least half an eye on this game because it is so important at the top and bottom of the table. At the top, Villa are in the Champions League places and have a six-point cushion over sixth-placed Chelsea , with seven games to go. They beat West Ham in their last game, after losing three in a row, and they would dearly love to hit a bit of form now. Forest got a massive win over relegation rivals Tottenham last time out, but they still have a lot of work to do to stay up. It's a big boost for Forest that Chris Wood is back in the squad after six months out but the 'Wood-chopper' will be rusty and it might be a while before he is back in the swing of things - I've chopped a lot of wood over the years and I know if your axe is left in the shed for a while, it loses its sharpness. This is going to be an extremely tight game. A win would be huge for either team, but I'm going to say they will both have to settle for a single point. Sutton's prediction: 1-1 Frank's prediction: Forest to stay up? Well my mate's a director there so I'd better say they will! 2-1 AI's prediction: 1-2 What information do we collect from this quiz? Stadium of Light, 14:00 What is Roberto de Zerbi going to do with Tottenham and how will he set them up? I've read about when he went in at Brighton and how Lewis Dunk says it took the Seagulls players a while to get up to speed , external and adapt to his demands. The whole situation is just odd, with De Zerbi securing a five-year contract despite only hanging around for more than two years at one of his previous eight clubs. Good luck to him, but this is a difficult place for him to start. Sunderland 's form at the Stadium of Light has dipped a bit since they lost their unbeaten home record against Liverpool in February, but the Black Cats will be buoyant after beating Newcastle last time out. If Spurs are going to play the type of football we associate with De Zerbi, they will be open and expansive, and take risks - but will they have the confidence to do that? Sunderland are the team that come into this game with belief. They've had a brilliant season and their incentive now must be to stay above Newcastle in the table. Sutton's prediction: 1-0 Frank's prediction: The bottom two [ Burnley and Wolves ] have gone. For me it is out of West Ham or Tottenham who goes down too. Let's see what happens with this new manager at Spurs. 3-1 AI's prediction: 1-3 What information do we collect from this quiz? Stamford Bridge, 16:30 I don't agree with Liam Rosenior's treatment of Enzo Fernandez. All players have dreams of playing for big clubs - and, while Chelsea are a big club, if a player says he wants to play for Real Madrid then you don't leave them out of the side. I always think about these things from a player's point of view and, whether it was the manager's call to drop him or not, Rosenior is not going to endear himself to Fernandez by doing that. On top of that, Fernandez is not just a good player, he is one of Chelsea 's best. He scored the last-gasp equaliser when they drew at Manchester City in January, and now you are leaving him out of a massive game for your team's hopes of making it into the Champions League. It just seems like a really bad decision all round. This is a huge game for City too. Everyone seems to be getting carried away with City because of their past two results - against Arsenal at Wembley and Liverpool in the FA Cup - but their form before those games was much less impressive. I really want the Premier League title race to go the distance this season, so I am still going to back City to win this. But if I end up losing the predictions title race, it will be because of this game. I would not be surprised if City drop points here. Sutton's prediction: 1-2 Frank's prediction: Haaland is a monster, and what a player Antoine Semenyo is too. We should have gone for him - he's a matchwinner. As for the result? It will be a draw, fingers crossed! 1-1 AI's prediction: 1-2 Monday, 13 April What information do we collect from this quiz? Old Trafford, 20:00 I love the job Daniel Farke has done at Leeds United and it's great to see them at Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final, but the worry is that they picked up a few injuries in their win over West Ham . Michael Carrick has really turned Manchester United around, to the extent where they are basically nailed on for Champions League football next season. I don't think anyone would back against them at Old Trafford at the moment, either. I can only see a home win here, with Bruno Fernandes being integral again. Sutton's prediction: 2-1 Frank's prediction: This should be a good game - Manchester United to win it. 3-1 AI's prediction: 3-1 How did Sutton get on in the FA Cup? Southampton's victory over Premier League leaders Arsenal was the shock of the FA Cup quarter-finals, but quite a few of you did see it coming. Chris, his guest - boxer Richard Riakporhe - and AI all backed the Gunners to progress, as did 78% of the BBC Sport readers. But, from more than 30,000 predictions, over 7,000 of you did forecast a Saints success. That was the only tie where Chris and Riakpore did not pick the winner, while the readers and AI also wrongly went for West Ham to beat Leeds . Overall, Chris has been correct about 36 of the 60 ties from round three onwards. His guests are on 34, AI is on 41 but, with only three ties left in this season's competition, the BBC readers are still ahead with 43. How did Sutton do last time in the Premier League? It seems like it was a long time ago but, before the international break and FA Cup quarter-finals, Chris got four correct results from the eight Premier League games in week 31, with one exact score, for a total of 70 points. That means he takes the win - but maybe only for now. With one game from that set of fixtures still to be played, Manchester City 's home game against Crystal Palace - which was postponed because City were playing in the Carabao Cup final - he could still be overhauled. Hot on his heels are his guests, Crookhaven stars Amari Bacchus & Genesis Lynea, who both got two correct results with one exact score, leaving them both on 60 points. Further back are the BBC readers, on 30 points with three correct results and no exact scores, and AI, which managed two correct results and no exact scores and has 20 points so far . Chris currently has seven outright weekly wins, one more than everyone else. They have always been used to determine positions in the predictions table, since the days before AI and the readers could make predictions too, when his guests were his only opponents.","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:06.147086+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyj5w47zlwo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/arsenal-s-big-summer-arteta-contract-and-nwaneri-and-lewis-skelly-futures","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/arsenal-s-big-summer-arteta-contract-and-nwaneri-and-lewis-skelly-futures","title":"Arsenal's big summer: Arteta contract and Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly futures","summary":"For Arsenal, it's all about the here and now. Seven games from winning their first Premier League in 22 years and within touching distance of the Champions League semi-final.","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta By Sami Mokbel Senior football correspondent For Arsenal , it's all about the here and now. Seven games from winning their first Premier League in 22 years and within touching distance of the Champions League semi-final. Mikel Arteta is on course to come good on his mantra: \"trust the process\". That said, there is no sense that any glory in May would mark the culmination of Arteta's work or ambitions. The summer is seen as an opportunity for the club to take another step forward, regardless of how the end of this season pans out. But there are some crucial decisions looming. There's Arteta's own contract which is up at the end of next season. And then there is the question of who to let leave to help fund the signing of three key new players. At present, it appears the club will listen to offers for top England prospects Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. Academy players can be counted as \"pure profit\" in the accounts so would provide the biggest transfer fund boost. BBC Sport delves into all the issues that will shape Arsenal 's summer and why renegotiating the manager's deal is the priority. Ambition and pay set to be key factors in contract talks In the era of the head coach, Arteta is a football manager in the traditional sense. Few enjoy the level of autonomy the Spaniard does. He has earned that power, of course, after improving Arsenal over his tenure. Silverware, the first since an FA Cup in his first year, will serve to tighten that grip. So it is perhaps surprising, with that attention to detail, that Arteta will soon be in the final year of his contract. It is understood initial discussions have taken place and are described as heading in a positive direction. Given the magnitude of what is on the horizon on the pitch, all parties are understood to agree that it isn't the right time with the full focus on the season finale. But sources have indicated that talks will restart in the close season. From the ownership and club's perspective, extending Arteta's deal is what they want - and the manager is also keen to commit. Both parties want to build on their work together. Arsenal are currently nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and on course for back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club's history. Not winning a trophy this season would, of course, arrive as a major disappointment but it cannot be disputed that the club have taken giant strides under Arteta. They have reached three consecutive Champions League quarter-finals and consistently challenged for the domestic title for the first time since the early days of Arsene Wenger's reign. You'd imagine that Arteta will be aware that he is unlikely to be afforded the level of influence he currently has at any other club in Europe. Yet, with that said, finances will be a key factor once discussions recommence. Arteta is understood to want assurances that the club remain committed to providing the level of backing that has kept the team competitive. And there will also be the issue of what will be an upgraded remuneration package for Arteta. It is understood the three-year contract Arteta signed in 2024 is worth £10m a season plus a further £5m triggered by Champions League qualification. Only the salaries of Pep Guardiola (£20m) and Diego Simeone (£25m) are understood to eclipse Arteta's existing contract in European football. If Arteta does put pen to paper, how much closer he gets to Guardiola and Simeone in terms of pay will be a key question. Josh Kroenke, the son of owner Stan and co-chair, and CEO Richard Garlick are leading the process for Arsenal and given the duo were also involved in renewing Arteta's existing deal in 2024, the club are well positioned. Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri among five players that could leave While renewing Arteta's deal is an obvious priority heading into the summer, the club will be open for business in terms of player trading. Josh Kroenke was in London towards the end of February during which he was updated on plans for the summer window. Arsenal brought in seven permanent signings last summer to deepen the quality of the squad. There is a feeling the team does not require the same level of strengthening now. In terms of incomings, Arsenal 's recruitment team are set to target a versatile full-back, a central midfielder and left-winger. While the plan for the summer is in place, Arsenal 's recruitment team - led by sporting director Andrea Berta – are aware they may also need to react to market conditions and opportunities when they arise. Expect there to be outgoings following the £250m spend of last summer to ensure the club remains financially sustainable and meets the Premier League's new squad cost ratio rules . Among the players the club are expected to listen to offers for are Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both of whom signed long-term contracts last summer. Nwaneri has interest from Borussia Dortmund, who have a successful history of landing English football's best young talents. Rival Premier League sides are also monitoring the 19-year-old closely. Lewis-Skelly also has varying degrees of interest from top half Premier League sides. Because the pair came through Arsenal 's academy, their sales would be recorded as \"pure profit\" on the balance sheet as there is no initial transfer fee to deduct – a scenario that provides a clear financial attraction. Arsenal sources indicate they would look to recoup a minimum combined £100m for Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. Elsewhere, Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli are also among the players the club are understood to be open to selling ahead of next season. Intriguingly, Martin Odegaard enters the final two years of his contract this summer which could raise questions over the Norwegian's future, but it is understood Arteta is minded to keep his captain. Newcastle trio high on Arsenal list In terms of incomings, Arsenal are admirers of Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento and, with the Magpies likely to sell at least one of their key players this summer, the Gunners are monitoring the England international's situation. Arsenal also hold some interest in Livramento's team-mates midfielder Sandro Tonali and winger Anthony Gordon, who the Gunners looked seriously at in the summer of 2024. In terms of Livramento, the fact the 23-year-old has endured an injury disrupted campaign, it is understood, will be a factor for the Gunners as they consider whether to solidify their interest. Arsenal have also been made aware of Celta Vigo full-back Oscar Mingueza, who out of contract at the end of the season. The Gunners have been heavily linked with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, and, while their interest is genuine, it is understood either Viktor Gyokeres or Kai Havertz would need to leave for the Gunners to step-up their interest in the Argentina international. The Gunners are also expected to make Piero Hincapie's loan move permanent in a deal that will cost the club £45m. So, whether Arsenal win the league or not, it is set to be a busy and fascinating summer at the Emirates.","date_published":"2026-04-09T16:57:05.100099+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn78kdymmvpo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/caernarfon-town-eyeing-welsh-cup-history","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/caernarfon-town-eyeing-welsh-cup-history","title":"Caernarfon Town eyeing Welsh Cup history","summary":"Caernarfon beat CPD Y Rhyl 1879 in the Welsh Cup semi-final","content_text":"Image source, FAW Image caption, Caernarfon beat CPD Y Rhyl 1879 in the Welsh Cup semi-final By Aled Williams BBC Sport Wales Manager Richard Davies is looking to create more Caernarfon Town history in Sunday's JD Welsh Cup final at Newport's Rodney Parade. Caernarfon have never previously won the competition and are appearing for the first time in the final, facing fellow Cymru Premier side Flint Town United. Davies guided Caernarfon to European qualification for the first time two years ago and the prize for the winners on Sunday will be a place in next season's Europa Conference League. \"To lead the players out on Cup final day will be something special and a proud moment for myself and my staff,\" Davies told BBC Sport Wales. \"It's an occasion we want to enjoy and want to embrace it but more than anything we are going there to win and hopefully put our name on the Cup.\" Davies added: \"Just to win the Cup would be something really special and proud but to then get the golden ticket to go to Europe on the back of it and what it means financially. \"We've had a taste of it and once you taste something nice you want a bit more of it. \"As a club we want to be competing in Europe year-by-year but we're not there yet and we've got a tough game against Flint.\" Caernarfon secured their place in Europe for the first time in 2024 after winning the play-off final. Davies' side beat Northern Ireland's Crusaders in the Europa Conference League first qualifying round in 2024 but lost to Legia Warsaw of Poland in the next round. Newport's Rodney Parade will stage the final for the third successive season with Caernarfon facing fellow north Wales side Flint, who won the Welsh Cup in 1954. The Football Association of Wales confirmed in February that the final would be played in Newport despite all four semi-finalists in this season's tournament being from north Wales. \"For me as a manager it doesn't make too much of a difference,\" Davies said of playing the final in south Wales. \"We'll prepare as normal. \"But probably for the fans it would have been easier in north Wales with travelling. \"But I know the fans will be behind us in their numbers - I think we've already sold 1,400 tickets.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T13:00:35.607463+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0mjxegk7gjo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/caf-president-would-welcome-corruption-investigation","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/caf-president-would-welcome-corruption-investigation","title":"Caf president would welcome corruption investigation","summary":"Patrice Motsepe was re-elected as Caf president for a second four-year term in March last year","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Patrice Motsepe was re-elected as Caf president for a second four-year term in March last year Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe says he would \"encourage\" an investigation into corruption at the organisation. Senegal's government last month demanded such scrutiny after the national side was stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title by a Confederation of African Football (Caf) appeals board, with the trophy awarded to final opponents Morocco. The West Africans are waiting on the outcome of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). Motsepe visited Senegal on Wednesday, meeting President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and leading officials from the country's football federation. \"I welcome any investigation [into corruption at Caf], whether it is by a government or an authority or anybody,\" Motsepe said at a news conference in Dakar. \"Because any corruption in Caf we want to know about it and we will take action ourselves, immediately. \"We have a duty to our people in Africa. If any government or institution [wants to], please go ahead, conduct the investigation. \"We will give you all the co-operation. In fact, I encourage you.\" The Caf appeals board ruled Senegal forfeited the Afcon final in Rabat on 18 January after several members of the side walked off the pitch in protest at a penalty awarded to Morocco in second-half stoppage time. The Teranga Lions eventually returned and, after a delay of around 17 minutes, the resulting spot-kick taken by Brahim Diaz was saved and Senegal won 1-0 after extra time. The decision by the Caf appeals board on 17 March has left African football's governing body facing a crisis of confidence, with Veron Mosengo-Omba stepping down as the organisation's general secretary on 29 March. Motsepe says he has \"zero tolerance\" of corruption in any walk of life, describing it as \"worse than Covid and cancer\". \"Whilst I am president of Caf we will never conceal any corruption,\" he added. \"It is the biggest problem, not just in football. I have been told there have been lots of problems in the past [with corruption] and we intervened. \"We can't set a bad example in football, to give our children the perception that if you want to succeed in life, be corrupt. \"That's the best gift we can give football in Africa. Not just talking about corruption, but intervene, put the necessary laws [in place] and implement them.\" Caf 'will implement' Cas decision Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Senegal's initial victory over Morocco was their second Afcon title after winning the trophy in 2021 Motsepe would not be drawn on the matter between Senegal and Morocco which is now in front of Cas, and reiterated his previously stated position that he and Caf will respect the court's verdict when it arrives. \"There is nothing I can tell you that I haven't said already 10, 15, 20 times,\" Motsepe told BBC Afrique. \"You can ask me the same question 100 times, I'll give you the same answer 100 times. \"That is the duty and obligation the president of Caf has. He has to wait until the decision of Cas, which is the highest decision-making body in football in the world. \"We have to implement that decision.\" Meanwhile, the South African told reporters that the imprisonment of 18 Senegal fans in Morocco following disturbances at the Afcon final was an issue that was being discussed \"at diplomatic level\". On leaving Dakar, Motsepe travelled immediately to Morocco, where he will meet football federation chief Fouzi Lekjaa and government officials on Thursday before holding another news conference.","date_published":"2026-04-09T13:00:34.70152+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyk7rk097yo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/forest-s-two-ambitions-remain-in-their-grasp-during-season-of-upheaval","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/forest-s-two-ambitions-remain-in-their-grasp-during-season-of-upheaval","title":"Forest's two ambitions remain in their grasp during season of upheaval","summary":"Nottingham Forest went into the season aiming to win the Europa League.","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images By Nick Mashiter Football reporter Nottingham Forest went into the season aiming to win the Europa League. That desire grew again under Ange Postecoglou - however briefly - as he looked to defend the title he won with Tottenham , telling the players the trophy was a stated aim. So, with Forest in a European quarter-final for the first time in 30 years as they look to dispatch Porto, it stands to reason winning the competition is a goal - and a realistic one. Yet, Vitor Pereira has to strike a fine balance between European progression and Premier League survival. Forest are just three points above the drop zone with seven games left as they battle to stay up. It would, perhaps, be a perfect snapshot of the season should Forest get relegated and win the Europa League - to play Champions League in the Championship - after four managers during a chaotic campaign. Aston Villa or Bologna await in the semi-final, providing Forest get past Porto - who they beat 2-0 in the group phase in October. Porto have other targets as well - top of the league, they are aiming to win the title for the first time in four years. It could mean changes for the clash at the Estadio do Dragao - from both teams - as they look to protect themselves on all fronts. Pereira - returning to Porto where he won two league titles - batted away questions about priorities during his pre-match news conference on Wednesday, but Forest's two ambitions remain in their grasp - survival and European glory.","date_published":"2026-04-09T13:00:32.473257+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c2k34gyj9y1o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-to-follow-the-premier-league-on-the-bbc-this-weekend","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-to-follow-the-premier-league-on-the-bbc-this-weekend","title":"How to follow the Premier League on the BBC this weekend","summary":"The Premier League's title and relegation battles are heating up this weekend - and you can keep tabs on all of the games across the BBC.","content_text":"The Premier League's title and relegation battles are heating up this weekend - and you can keep tabs on all of the games across the BBC. It is the first round of Premier League fixtures in three weeks following March's international break and last weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals. You can watch highlights from every game on Match of the Day, listen to all the talking points on Football Focus and keep across all the goals as they go in on Final Score. Listen wherever you are in the UK via BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app. Live text commentary will also cover all of the weekend's action, while digital highlights will be available on the BBC Sport website and app. Get in touch Send us your questions Contact form Who is playing? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Arsenal are nine points clear with a game in hand at the top of the Premier League Friday, 10 April: West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers (20:00 BST) Saturday, 11 April: Arsenal v Bournemouth (12:30 BST) Brentford v Everton (15:00 BST) Burnley v Brighton (15:00 BST) Liverpool v Fulham (17:30 BST) Sunday, 12 April: Crystal Palace v Newcastle United (14:00 BST) Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa (14:00 BST) Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur (14:00 BST) Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30 BST) Monday, 13 April : Manchester United v Leeds United (20:00 BST) What time is Match of the Day this week? Image caption, Match of the Day will bring you all the goals and analysis from this week's Premier League games Match of the Day will bring you all the best of the action and talking points from the Premier League on BBC One on Saturday (22:25 BST) and Sunday at 22:45 BST. The BBC Sport website will feature highlights of every Premier League match during the 2025-26 season. At weekends, these will be available on the BBC Sport app, website and iPlayer on Saturdays and Sundays - ordinarily from 20:00 BST. If there is an evening match, highlights from all matches that day will be available 30 minutes after the final game of the day finishes. Highlights of weeknight matches will be published at 22:30 BST. You can join Alex Scott and guests every week on Football Focus (Saturday, 12:00 BST) for all the big talking points, reaction and interviews with players. Don't miss any of the goals as they go in on Final Score - starting on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Red Button from 14:45 BST and BBC One at 16:30 BST on Saturdays. How to listen on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds Image source, BBC Sport BBC Radio 5 Live is bringing you 209 live Premier League commentaries this season, meaning more live Premier League matches than anywhere else. Every matchday this season, you can listen to selected live commentaries, plus updates from all matches, on BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport app and website, and via your smart speaker. Sports Extra 2 and Sport Extra 3 are new radio streams available only on BBC Sounds, offering you the chance to discover and enjoy more live Premier League. These are the games being broadcast this weekend: Saturday: Brentford v Everton (15:00) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra * Burnley v Brighton & Hove Albion (15:00) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 Liverpool v Fulham (17:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live *First-half commentary available on BBC Radio 5 Live, full match commentary available only on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra Sunday: Crystal Palace v Newcastle United (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur (14:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live Chelsea v Manchester City (16:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live *All times listed as BST Here are ways to download the BBC Sounds app in the UK: Apple , external Android , external Listen on your smart speaker You can now listen to commentaries via your smart speaker, so if you're busy at home you don't need to miss a moment. Just ask your smart speaker to 'play 5 Live' or 'play Sports Extra 3', for example. Or if you want to find your Premier League team, you can also - for example - say 'ask BBC Sounds to play the Fulham match', or 'ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Burnley '. This is available on most smart speakers. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. More questions answered... Who is one card away from suspension in the Premier League? Who has the most Premier League assists in a season? Who is the face on Bournemouth's badge? How many points do you need to stay in the Premier League?","date_published":"2026-04-09T13:00:28.826322+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0kpzljpz6lo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/maguire-on-his-major-lows-and-belief-he-is-still-one-of-world-s-best","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/maguire-on-his-major-lows-and-belief-he-is-still-one-of-world-s-best","title":"Maguire on his major lows and belief he is still one of world's best","summary":"Manchester United defender Harry Maguire (left) with technical director Jason Wilcox during the club's four-day training trip to Maynooth","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire (left) with technical director Jason Wilcox during the club's four-day training trip to Maynooth By Simon Stone Manchester United reporter in Maynooth Even for a high-profile international footballer, sometimes mum knows best. In September 2023, when, by his own admission, Manchester United defender Harry Maguire was at his lowest ebb, as he was abused and mocked during an England appearance against Scotland (\"I came on, played really well, then scored an own goal\"), his mum Zoe took to social media. She called the treatment of her son \"disgraceful and unacceptable\". \"I didn't want her to, but she just said, 'I'm doing it! I'm not listening to you!'\" Maguire said, smiling, as he spoke at length about his career so far and hopes for the future to journalists at the club's training camp in Maynooth, 20 miles outside Dublin. \"I think it probably does affect your family a little bit more in those moments. They've seen what we're going through and how tough it is. \"That was probably the lowest point, but it's part of the journey. \"I wouldn't change where I've been and what I've been through. It's definitely made me stronger and got me to where I am today.\" It seems unfair to focus on negatives. Maguire, 33, feels he has \"performed really well\" in six out of his seven seasons at Old Trafford. \"I still believe, even at my age, I'm arguably one of the best defenders in the world in both boxes,\" he said. \"I don't think that's in question really; that I can be really effective later on in games, whether you're holding on to a lead or trying to chase a game.\" Yet the openness and the honesty with which he assessed his more difficult moments made it an obvious area to probe, 24 hours after it had been confirmed Maguire had signed a new deal that will give him an eighth campaign at the club, and potentially a ninth. After all, this is someone who had the captaincy taken off him by then-manager Erik ten Hag and the club were prepared to sell to West Ham a couple of months before that Scotland game. \"Obviously your first emotion is anger and disappointment, that's natural,\" he said of the captaincy call. \"But I always thought unless you are one of the superstars and a world, world class player, you have ups and downs and things that you have to deal with. That's why you see so many players have two or three years at the top, drop off, go to a different country and you don't hear too much about them again. \"Wayne Rooney was here, one of the best players to ever play for this club, and he got so much pelters at times when he wasn't doing too well. I always looked to the experience with players like Wayne and David Beckham and how they overcame it. \"I just kept my head down. I have great self-belief, more importantly, that I'm a top player. That's what helps me when things are tough.\" Clearly, strength of mind is a positive character trait. Maguire accepts it has been bumpy at times. He did not go as far as to say he benefited from having the captaincy taken away but did admit \"the form came back\" after it happened. \"I believe the form would have come back whether I was captain or not,\" he added. However, he concedes not everyone would have the mental strength to navigate their way through his pathway. \"Yes probably,\" he said, when asked if it would have broken most players. \"I think there'll be a lot who want to just close the book, go elsewhere and restart their career. I think it's probably broken them a little bit earlier. It got to a point with the mocking and the abuse - if you want to call it abuse - there was only one way it could go.\" Maguire 'desperate' to go to the World Cup Thankfully for Maguire, the public perception of him has changed considerably. His contract extension proves his value. Manchester United were not willing to let so much ability and experience leave the dressing room in the same summer as Casemiro heads for pastures new. There was a lot of interest in the defender, whose deal had been due to expire in June. But it never truly felt like this summer would be the end for him at Manchester United. \"It's a huge honour to play for this club,\" he said. \"To be here for eight years is a testament to myself really.\" \"My focus was getting it back into a competitive situation. \"I always wanted to be part of a squad I felt could compete. The recruitment went well last year, and I think it's going to be a big summer. \"The club let me know a couple of months ago they wanted to offer something. I was concentrating on matches, but we had this little break, and I thought, right, let's try and nail it down.\" United are third going into the final seven games of the campaign. With five Champions League places available, four wins and a draw is the maximum requirement to return to Europe's elite club competition. Maguire – who is suspended for the 13 April meeting with Leeds at Old Trafford, after which he expects to learn whether his reaction to being sent off at Bournemouth last month will rule him out of the following week's trip to Chelsea as well – is taking nothing for granted. \"You go away from home to anybody, it's a tough game and if you're not on it you get beat,\" he said. \"If we take our foot off the pedal, we could be caught. You've got Chelsea, Villa, Liverpool, who could all put six wins together on the spin.\" Nevertheless, he can see a brighter future. \"I feel like the squad is starting to look strong,\" he said. \"But this summer's going to be big. Really big. We need more players. We need better quality. We need players to come into the starting eleven. \"We're not in Europe this year. We've played 40 games. We definitely need a bigger squad.\" And if that happens? \"I don't think there's any ceiling on it,\" he said. \"We've got to be in the conversation to go and win the big trophies. Come February and March, we don't want to be adrift like we have been this year. \"Football is about memories. You can create memories by having iconic matches and scoring goals, but the bottom line is you get memories from winning big trophies.\" Maguire ended an 18-month exile from the England scene last month when he featured in World Cup warm-up games against Uruguay and Japan. It says everything about the player's form and the manner he is now viewed that the overwhelming sentiment was in Maguire's favour when Thomas Tuchel claimed the former Leicester man was currently his fifth-choice central defender. Maguire has overcome bigger battles than that as he tries to cement a place on the plane to the United States and feels he can make a positive impact. \"I think it would be my last World Cup,\" he said. \"I've been to two but I missed out on the Euros two years ago through injury, which hurt a lot. \"So, I'm desperate to go, in whatever role the manager would want me for; whether that's starting or deciding games late on. \"I still think there's an important part I can play; that I can help. \"If the manager believes the same, I'm sure he will pick me.\"","date_published":"2026-04-09T13:00:27.338471+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cg4036peyq7o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/rangers-fear-naderi-could-miss-rest-of-season-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/rangers-fear-naderi-could-miss-rest-of-season-gossip","title":"Rangers fear Naderi could miss rest of season - gossip","summary":"Some at Rangers fear Ryan Naderi may not play again this season as the club await scans to reveal the extent of the injury that forced him off at half-time at the weekend.,","content_text":"Some at Rangers fear Ryan Naderi may not play again this season as the club await scans to reveal the extent of the injury that forced him off at half-time at the weekend. (Daily Record - subscription required) , external Celtic have identified seven summer transfer targets, including Hibernian midfielder Miguel Chaiwa and former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak, who is out of contract at Hoffenheim at the end of the season. (TeamTalk) , external Celtic are waiting for the results of a knee scan on Colby Donovan, with fellow right-backs Alistair Johnston and Julian Araujo currently sidelined by injuries. (The Herald - subscription required) , external Hearts have no interest in allowing in-demand striker Claudio Braga to join Celtic this summer and are desperate to keep the 26-year-old for another season. (Football Insider) , external Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga should be Rangers' centre-back pairing until the end of the season, with John Souttar's confidence \"shot to pieces\", according to Ibrox hero Kris Boyd. (Glasgow Times via The Warm-Up) , external Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson wants a deal done quickly on a new contract for Findlay Marshall, the 19-year-old midfielder who has scored 13 goals on loan at Arbroath this season. (Press & Journal) , external Leeds United are ready to rival Crystal Palace in the race to sign Hearts midfielder Alfie Osborne, 17, who could be signed for a modest compensation fee. (The Hard Tackle) , external","date_published":"2026-04-09T08:59:08.378684+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyj54241zpo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-fluid-psg-exposed-slot-s-back-five-tweak","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-fluid-psg-exposed-slot-s-back-five-tweak","title":"How fluid PSG exposed Slot's back-five tweak","summary":"Liverpool host Paris St-Germain for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Liverpool host Paris St-Germain for the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final next Tuesday By Umir Irfan Football tactics correspondent Changing the shape of your side for a big game will always draw attention. So Arne Slot put himself in the spotlight by setting up Liverpool with a back five against the champions of Europe. The result - a 2-0 defeat by Paris St-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final - left Liverpool's season hanging by a thread. It was a surprising tweak. The only other time Liverpool have fielded a back five this season was in their Carabao Cup fourth-round defeat by Crystal Palace in October. So why make that change? Did Slot get his tactics wrong? Or were PSG just too good? Why PSG could bypass Liverpool high press In Wednesday's match, PSG had 74% of the ball and 18 shots to Liverpool's three. These stats are damning but Liverpool didn't set up to defend their own box for 90 minutes, despite starting with a back five. Out of possession, they looked to press high - albeit without much success. Hugo Ekitike, Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz formed a narrow line between PSG's defence and midfield. PSG dropped one of their midfielders back, forming a makeshift back three with the two central defenders. Liverpool's front three went man-to-man with these three players. Behind them were the remaining two PSG midfielders, who were marked by Liverpool's midfield duo. Liverpool's wing-backs were tasked with marking Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. PSG rotated impressively to find players unmarked. Full-backs Hakimi and Mendes both pushed high up the pitch, pinning back Liverpool's wing-backs. This prevented Liverpool having any presence in wide areas when they pressed. With Liverpool's midfield two marking PSG's central midfielders, they were unable to pull into these wide areas either. The French side dropped their attackers deep, into these empty wide positions with Liverpool's back three reluctant to follow them out into these areas. \"I thought we could try and press them really high and aggressive,\" Slot said. \"Every time we tried to press them high and aggressive, those were the moments we got ripped apart.\" Image caption, Achraf Hakimi pins Milos Kerkez in the middle of the pitch. Ousmane Dembele has moved from a striker position to the right wing before dropping deep to get the ball unmarked. Joe Gomez is forced to come out into an unnatural position. How Konate was exposed despite following instructions On the night, Liverpool's centre-backs were tasked with backing up the press when the players ahead of the ball applied pressure. Ibrahima Konate, on the right, carried out these instructions throughout the game in support of Jeremie Frimpong - but the distances he ended up having to cover in an unfamiliar role left him exposed. If he was slow to react, PSG would drop an attacker deep, who could then get on the ball, turn and drive at the defence, with space between him and an out-of-position Konate. At times, Liverpool executed the press well, with their front three blocking PSG's makeshift back three - before Frimpong jumped up to press whichever home player had rotated to the left side of defence. PSG, however, adapted to this. The players in full-back areas took up deeper positions, increasing the distance Liverpool's wing-backs had to cover when pressing. When Frimpong did press, it was Konate's job to follow his man. But with time on the ball, PSG began to play over the top, taking advantage of the spaces behind Konate, forcing 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk across from the centre. A good example of this early on was seen in Hakimi's run from right-back to the left wing. Milos Kerkez, a natural left-back, tasked with marking him, likely felt uncomfortable moving to the other side of the pitch before Mendes played a long ball over Konate to find Hakimi unmarked. Image caption, Jeremie Frimpong presses Nuno Mendes (on the ball). The distance he has to cover gives Mendes time to play a long pass for Achraf Hakimi (white) running in behind Ibrahim Konate who has stepped up to apply pressure on winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Why Van Dijk struggled with PSG's fluid attack As the game progressed, PSG were able to establish dominance in Liverpool's third. With Liverpool firmly in a back five at this point, the PSG attackers cleverly used unorthodox movements that made the game difficult for Van Dijk. PSG's fluid attackers either dropped deep or moved to one side of the pitch, creating overloads around Liverpool's midfield. Following the match, the Liverpool captain highlighted PSG's movement, saying: \"It's what they do, isn't it? They move around everywhere and we have to communicate well and follow our man. And take the risk in that sense.\" Konate did track his winger everywhere - which explains why he was seen defending on the right flank at times. Van Dijk largely stayed in the middle of the defence, venturing out less often than his defensive partner. The free-roaming Ousmane Dembele didn't engage much with Van Dijk and was often seen on the left side of the pitch, leaving the Dutch defender without an attacker to pick up. In the build-up to PSG's second goal, Dembele left the attacking line and picked up an unusual position in central midfield. Van Dijk moved over slightly before gesturing to Alexis Mac Allister to pick him up. While this occupied Van Dijk, PSG created a chance that led to their second goal, scored by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Image caption, Virgil van Dijk is fixated on Dembele as he moves into midfield, calling for midfielder Alexis Mac Allister to be aware of him. In the meantime, PSG create the chance that leads to their second goal. Joao Neves, Kvaratskhelia and Mendes ended up on the left flank in close proximity - an asymmetrical set-up intended to perplex Liverpool. Right wing-back Frimpong pressed Neves on the touchline, while right centre-back Konate marked Mendes, the spare man who then dragged him out of position. Kvaratskhelia made a run from deep into the space Konate vacated. The distance between Konate and centre-back Van Dijk here was big partly thanks to Dembele's role off the ball. That ultimately prevented Van Dijk from being able to come across to defend against goalscorer Kvaratskhelia. Image caption, PSG put three players in close proximity on the left before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made a run in behind Ibrahim Konate. In white, Virgil van Dijk is distracted by Dembele's unusual position. Luis Enrique's PSG are one of the most impressive sides in world football. In this kind of form, they would probably have found a way to win whether Liverpool set up in a back four or back five. Although Liverpool did end up having more bodies around their own box, their press was ineffective, meaning they conceded control of the ball and ultimately the game. The first leg was a clear mismatch but Slot and his players still have a chance to take the lessons learned and put things right in next Tuesday's second leg at Anfield.","date_published":"2026-04-09T08:59:06.009637+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0j6ewp0577o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/back-haaland-and-semenyo-to-shine-at-chelsea-fpl-team-of-the-week","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/back-haaland-and-semenyo-to-shine-at-chelsea-fpl-team-of-the-week","title":"Back Haaland and Semenyo to shine at Chelsea - FPL team of the week","summary":"FPL is back this week after a 19-day break and we're straight into it with a double gameweek announcement.","content_text":"Image source, BBC Sport By Thomas Woods BBC Sport Senior Journalist FPL is back this week after a 19-day break and we're straight into it with a double gameweek announcement. Six teams play twice next week, making this week key to setting up your team. Our expert Pras will delve into chip strategies in his Friday analysis article, and he will then be live on the BBC Sport website at 15:30 BST to answer your last-minute questions. Image source, BBC Sport It's not the most enticing double gameweek, especially as every team involved then blanks the following week. And your strategy will also depend on how many chips you have left. The double gameweek presents a good chance to bench boost, and you could use the wildcard this week to set that up. Another popular strategy will be to free hit in 33, getting you 11 double gameweek players. But first there is gameweek 32 and it features some enticing match-ups for the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool - teams that don't double the following week. The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit. How did last week's team do? A high-powered midfield performance, led by captain Bruno Fernandes (26 points), Anthony Gordon (10) and Harry Wilson (nine), propelled the team to a pleasing 66 pointer . BBC Sport FPL team of gameweek 32 Image source, BBC Sport Keeper and defence David Raya, Arsenal , keeper, £6m - Bournemouth (h) Raya is not a sexy keeper pick - he is expensive and is unlikely to pick up many save or bonus points. But he's the top-scoring FPL goalkeeper for a reason. Arsenal have back-to-back clean sheets and are the most likely to keep one again this week, according to bookies' odds. Bournemouth failed to score on their past two away trips and that was against struggling Burnley and West Ham . Gabriel, Arsenal , £7.2m - Bournemouth (h) When he is fit, Gabriel has to be in your team. His 29 points in his past three starts is testament to that. Nordi Mukiele, Sunderland , £4.5m - Tottenham (h) Sunderland 's early season form has tapered off but they still present a tough away trip, especially for a team playing as poorly as Tottenham , and have the third-best home defence in the league. Fit-again Mukiele was an FPL bargain before getting injured in week 27. He's the Sunderland defender most likely to get attacking returns with five assists and a goal this season. And his three double-digit hauls this season make him even more enticing - get one of those at this stage of the season and you can really shoot up the rankings. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool , £6.3m - Fulham (h) Liverpool have been hit or miss in general for FPL managers and have not kept a clean sheet in four games. But two things make Van Dijk a decent pick in a week where it is hard to predict clean sheets. Firstly, his goal threat - in the past six games he has the most big chances (4) along with Manchester City 's Nico O'Reilly, and the third-highest xG among defenders. And secondly, Fulham 's away record, with only Leeds , Wolves and Burnley picking up fewer points on the road. Diogo Dalot, Manchester United , £4.6m - Leeds (h) Leeds are another team with a poor away record and they've only scored 15 goals in their 15 games on the road. Dalot is United's highest-scoring defender and he's left a few points on the board too. There are a few examples of him blasting over the bar from a good position and the statistics prove that too. His xG is 1.54 but he has only scored once, when most players overperform in that area. His four big chances are the most among United defenders, as are his nine bonus points. Midfield Bruno Fernandes (captain), Manchester United , £10.3m - Leeds (h) Like Gabriel, Fernandes is a must-have FPL player. We'll have an interesting choice to make next week when the Portugal midfielder faces Chelsea away in the double gameweek. But for now he is a strong captain after 13, 10, eight and 13 points in his past four games. Antoine Semenyo, Manchester City , £8.2m - Chelsea (a) Chelsea away looks like a tough game on paper, but City have not lost at Stamford Bridge in five Premier League trips. Four of those were victories and the other one ended 4-4 so, if that form continues, City are a good bet to score and win. Semenyo has five goals in his past eight league games and is easily the best City midfield pick. Anthony Gordon, Newcastle , £7.4m - Crystal Palace (a) Gordon is bang in form, with three goals in three games, and will still be on penalties if Bruno Guimaraes is not fit to return. There's a chance Eddie Howe plays him out of position too, as a striker Newcastle need a response after their derby defeat by Sunderland - if they produce a strong performance then Gordon, who has been involved in 26% of their goals, has a good chance of picking up points again. Strikers Igor Thiago, Brentford , £7.3m - Everton (h) This game is a clash of two fine records. Everton have the fourth-best away statistics and Brentford 's home form is eighth. Thiago is one off 20 league goals for the season and scored a hat-trick away at Everton . Even when he doesn't play well, Brentford seem able to find ways of getting him the points. Pick Thiago with confidence, despite Everton 's away form. Jarrod Bowen, West Ham , £7.6m - Wolves (h) A huge game for the Hammers and that means it is time for their talisman to produce. Bowen is fourth in the FPL striker charts despite not really exploding this season. He's only scored eight goals but leads almost every attacking metric for the Hammers including the most big chances [nine] and the highest goal involvement (42%). Erling Haaland, Manchester City , £14.4m - Chelsea (a) The big man is back in the team and not just because he scored a hat-trick in the cup. Chelsea are in a poor patch of form, particularly defensively; demolished by Paris St-Germain, letting in three at Everton . There's inner turmoil too, with Enzo Fernandez missing this game due to a club suspension . If City get it right, this could be a walloping. And Haaland has scored in three of his past four league games against Chelsea . Subs bench Mads Hermansen , West Ham , keeper, £4.2m - Wolves (h) Yankuba Minteh , Brighton , midfielder, £5.5m - Burnley (a) Elliot Anderson , Nottingham Forest , midfielder, £5.5m - Aston Villa (h) James Tarkowski , Everton , defender, £5.7m - Brentford (a) Team total cost: £95.7m","date_published":"2026-04-09T08:59:02.863201+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/ce35yk45v12o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/howe-s-future-likely-sales-why-newcastle-face-key-summer","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/howe-s-future-likely-sales-why-newcastle-face-key-summer","title":"Howe's future & likely sales - why Newcastle face key summer","summary":"Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the only teams to have picked up more points in the Premier League than Newcastle United since Eddie Howe took charge in November 2021","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the only teams to have picked up more points in the Premier League than Newcastle United since Eddie Howe took charge in November 2021 By Ciaran Kelly , Newcastle United reporter  and  Sami Mokbel , Senior football correspondent Eddie Howe felt a lump in his throat as the open-top bus turned the corner. A giant tifo of the emotional Newcastle United head coach had been unfurled down the front of a city centre hotel to loud cheers and chants of \"Eddie Howe's black and white army\". It was a mark of how Geordies had taken this one-time outsider to their hearts after ending Newcastle 's seven-decade wait to win a major domestic trophy in March 2025. About 150,000 supporters lined the streets to celebrate that EFL Cup win, but it was hard to imagine a more contrasting scene before the one-year anniversary last month. St James' Park had rapidly emptied by the time Howe and his players set off on their lap of appreciation after a damaging derby defeat by Sunderland . There were some on the terraces who stayed behind to clap the team off, but others showed their displeasure by booing after a meek display left Newcastle 12th in the Premier League. The shift in mood was not lost on season ticket holder Adam Stoker, who feels Howe has the rest of the campaign to show he is still the \"right man going forward\". \"I couldn't be happier for what he has been able to provide for us,\" he said. \"Five years ago I never expected to be sitting here having finally won a trophy and seen two more Champions League campaigns. \"Eddie Howe has been hugely responsible for that and every Newcastle fan should be incredibly grateful for everything he has done. \"But what he's done in the past doesn't necessarily mean he's the man for the future. There's a lot riding on this end to the season and there needs to be an improvement when it comes to both results and performances. \"If we don't see signs of future progress then, absolutely, there should be pressure.\" So what do the hierarchy think? What is in store for Newcastle this summer? And would a strong end to the season change things? Another testing summer to come Those at the top remain behind Howe. Chief executive David Hopkinson was hardly unequivocal in his backing last week and made it clear he expected a strong finish to the campaign. But the Canadian stressed Newcastle were \"not having those conversations\" about a change of manager \"at the moment\". With Newcastle estimated to have the eighth-highest wage bill in the top flight, whether or not the club are getting enough bang for their buck would be a consideration when the season is reviewed after a £100m-plus net spend last summer. Howe has credit in the bank, but the hierarchy have been vocal in their ambition to become one of the world's top clubs by 2030. Change is already afoot elsewhere. Last weekend's announcement that defender Kieran Trippier is leaving at the end the season felt like a sign of things to come. Newcastle are gearing up for another busy summer and are preparing for separate scenarios in the transfer market, depending on whether they qualify for Europe or not. If Newcastle fail to maintain their Champions League status, and lose out on the associated financial benefits, it is understood they will need to sell at least one - potentially two - prized assets in order to strengthen for the 2026-27 campaign. Strategic trading is going to become a key part of Newcastle 's model as the club look to boost revenues to reinvest in the squad while still complying with financial rules. Some of their best players - Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Livramento - are already attracting Premier League interest. With Manchester United , Manchester City and Arsenal all eyeing central midfielders, Tonali will generate a market Newcastle can use to their financial benefit. Livramento is of long-term interest to Arsenal and City, although the England full-back's injury disrupted season may create difficulties for any sale. Gordon, too, is rated highly by Arsenal , who have identified a new left-winger as a priority position this summer. Howe is experienced enough to know selling is a necessity at certain clubs and in certain situations. Sources insist the head coach's appetite to rebuild the squad has not waned. When he is in, he is all in. But after experiencing the most difficult summer of his career last year, Howe will know another draining window awaits. 'We want to keep fighting for him' Howe cannot afford to think that far ahead, given the games to come. A late push for Europe would put a different complexion on a bruising domestic campaign. But Newcastle must go on a run to do so, which they have failed to do all season. When Anthony Elanga openly asked whether the dressing room could show they were fighting for the head coach \"again, again and again\", in a previous interview with BBC Sport , the forward was alluding to his side's inconsistency. \"We want to keep on fighting for him because he's helped us so much,\" he said. \"I'd even go as far to say he is one of the best managers I've worked for. I'm really grateful to have him as a manager and I try to take everything he says to me on board because I know it's for my benefit. \"I know he will help me so much. All the players feel the same.\" Yet you never quite know what you are going to get from Howe's team this term. Just as Newcastle can beat Manchester United with 10 men and record a rare win at Chelsea , this leaky side can also capitulate and concede seven goals in the Nou Camp or throw away a half-time lead against Sunderland . All in the same month. Is there a degree of mitigation for the ups and downs of a campaign where Newcastle reached the last 16 of the Champions League and a third EFL Cup semi-final in four years, but also suffered 13 Premier League defeats? Even as far back as the autumn, there was a belief internally there would be choppy waters to navigate following a turbulent summer . Newcastle missed out on a host of top-choice targets, buckled and eventually sold star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool on deadline day and tackled a crucial window without a chief executive and sporting director in place. Also, whereas the so-called 'big six' are used to fighting on multiple fronts, with deeper squads, this has been relatively uncharted territory for Newcastle , who have played more games (51) than any other side in Europe's top five leagues this season. Such has been the relentless nature of the schedule, there has been a feeling within the camp that they \"can't breathe\" at times. But the squad will soon be lifted by the return of talisman Guimaraes, who is understood to have been \"working hard every single day\" after being sidelined with a hamstring issue, as well as midfielder Lewis Miley and defender Fabian Schar. Howe will also have clear weeks to prepare for the final seven matches of the season - and a rare extended period to intensively work with record signing Nick Woltemade following the German forward's curious recent stint in midfield. The head coach and his staff will need no reminding they need to make that time count in what feels like a defining few months on Tyneside.","date_published":"2026-04-09T05:44:44.161546+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c248l3rezlno"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/dortmund-weigh-up-third-sancho-move-thursday-s-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/dortmund-weigh-up-third-sancho-move-thursday-s-gossip","title":"Dortmund weigh up third Sancho move - Thursday's gossip","summary":"Borussia Dortmund weighing up third move for Jadon Sancho, Tottenham pushing to sign goalkeeper James Trafford and Arsenal targeting defenders Victor Valdepena and Jacobo Ramon.","content_text":"Borussia Dortmund weighing up third move for Jadon Sancho, Tottenham pushing to sign goalkeeper James Trafford and Arsenal targeting defenders Victor Valdepena and Jacobo Ramon. Borussia Dortmund are weighing up a third move for 26-year-old English winger Jadon Sancho, who is on loan at Aston Villa and is expected to leave Manchester United as a free agent this summer. (Telegraph - subscription required) , external Tottenham are pushing to sign Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford this summer, with the 23-year-old a key target as the club prepares for a busy transfer window. (Teamtalk) , external Arsenal are looking to strengthen in defence this summer, with Real Madrid's Spanish defender Victor Valdepenas, 19, and Como's Spain Under-21 centre-back Jacobo Ramon, 21, among the targets. (Caughtoffside) , external Nottingham Forest expect England midfielder Elliot Anderson to join either Manchester United or Manchester City if he leaves this summer, however, the club want a fee of £100m-£120m for the 23-year-old. (Florian Plettenberg) , external Everton are not expected to trigger the £50m purchase option for England winger Jack Grealish contained in the loan deal with Manchester City , but the club are confident a new agreement can be reached for the 30-year-old to stay on Merseyside. (Athletic - subscription required) , external Manchester City have joined the race with several Bundesliga and Premier League clubs to sign Hertha Berlin's 16-year-old German midfielder Kennet Eichhorn. (Fabrizio Romano) , external Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, is 'pushing to stay' at Arsenal amid indications from the club that he could be sold this summer. (Football Insider) , external Leeds United are willing to allow Spanish forward Mateo Joseph, 22, to leave the club this summer following his loan spell with Mallorca . (Football Insider) , external Chelsea have no intention of selling 19-year-old English defender Josh Acheampong in the summer transfer window despite his limited game time for the Blues. (Express) , external River Plate head coach Eduardo Coudet has personally reached out to Chelsea and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 21, over a one-year loan move. (TyC via Football London) , external","date_published":"2026-04-08T20:33:46.065558+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c20qeyevzd1o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wood-in-forest-squad-after-six-months-out-injured","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/wood-in-forest-squad-after-six-months-out-injured","title":"Wood in Forest squad after six months out injured","summary":"Chris Wood's only Premier League goals this season came on the opening day against Brentford","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Chris Wood's only Premier League goals this season came on the opening day against Brentford By Nick Mashiter in Porto Football reporter Striker Chris Wood will end his six-month injury lay-off by returning to the Nottingham Forest squad in Porto. The 34-year-old has been sidelined since October and had knee surgery in December but has travelled to Portugal for the first leg of Forest's Europa League quarter-final on Thursday. He scored 20 goals as Forest finished seventh in the Premier League last season but has managed just four in 13 games during an injury-hit campaign. Boss Vitor Pereira said: \"He has started to train with the team. He is available for the game. \"He is working with us, we need to manage him a little bit physically but he has travelled. It means he is available to be in the game tomorrow. \"He is an experienced player, he scores goals and it's important to be ready for the team in this moment because we face a lot of challenges.\" Wood last played for Forest when Ange Postecoglou was in charge and was unavailable during Sean Dyche's 114-day reign before Pereira replaced him in February. The New Zealand international has made two appearances for Forest's Under-21 side as he stepped up his recovery, including scoring in a 3-0 win over Newcastle last month. Wood's importance to Forest clear Wood's career-best goal haul last season underlined his importance to Forest. They scored 58 league goals in the league - averaging 1.42 per game, with Wood providing 34.8% of them. This season, they have scored 31 times in 31 league games - a one goal per game average - with Wood scoring just twice on the opening day. Since his arrival at the City Ground in January 2023, Forest have played 67 games in which Wood has started, winning 25 times, and 59 games in which he has not, winning 15 times. Forest's win percentage with him starting is 37.3% with a points-per-game rate of 1.4, while it is 25.4% without him with a points-per-game of 1.0. He returns with Forest fighting to reach a European semi-final for the first time in 42 years while they also battle for Premier League survival. Forest are three points above the relegation zone with seven games left after last month's vital win at Tottenham. Pereira said: \"The priority is to win the next game and the next game is tomorrow. The Europa League is very important and it is very important to keep the club in the Premier League. \"I need to find the balance between the two competitions. This is the only way; the only way to compete tomorrow and again in three days' time against Aston Villa . \"The players have to feel they are important and have the qualities and conditions to compete and to help the club in this moment.\"","date_published":"2026-04-08T20:33:44.141535+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cgrl4vr58lgo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/jesus-eyes-world-cup-spot-with-brazil","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/jesus-eyes-world-cup-spot-with-brazil","title":"Jesus eyes World Cup spot with Brazil","summary":"Striker Igor Jesus has revealed his World Cup dream as he plots European glory with Nottingham Forest.","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images By Nick Mashiter in Porto Football reporter Striker Igor Jesus has revealed his World Cup dream as he plots European glory with Nottingham Forest . The 25-year-old has scored once in five games for the five-time winners and wants to seal his spot with Brazil for the summer's tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Jesus is the Europa League's seven-goal top scorer and is in Porto with Forest ahead of Thursday's quarter-final first leg. He has netted 13 times this season - although just three in the Premier League - since a £10m move from Botafogo last summer. \"To be among the players (going) to the World Cup it would be a dream and I think I have the skills for it but it will result from what I do here too,\" he said at the Estadio do Dragao. \"I have been preparing very well, I always try to help my colleagues the best way possible and I hope I can keep doing it.\" Listen to Jesus speak to BBC Radio Nottingham Listen to BBC Radio Nottingham's show on the Porto fixture The forward scored in the 3-0 first-leg knock out win in Fenerbahce , Vitor Pereira's first game in charge, and is eager for more against the Portuguese league leaders, where he will face former Chelsea defender and fellow Brazil international Thiago Silva. \"I'm really, really happy to be top scorer, we know it's not easy to be there. I always work and give my best to help the team. Tomorrow we have an important game and we can do it,\" said Jesus. \"He (Silva) is a top centre back, I don't care about that. I want to do my best and help the team. He is a good player and we have so many good players and we can do our best tomorrow and win the game. \"We know our quality and we know what we can do and we know we can do it.\"","date_published":"2026-04-08T20:33:43.215982+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c75k1p1qwqvo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-do-fans-of-top-three-make-of-premiership-split","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/what-do-fans-of-top-three-make-of-premiership-split","title":"What do fans of top three make of Premiership split?","summary":"Just three points cover Hearts, Rangers and Celtic at the top of the table","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Just three points cover Hearts, Rangers and Celtic at the top of the table By Charlotte Cohen BBC Sport Scotland Derbies, a potential title decider at Celtic Park and plenty of potential banana skins - the Scottish Premiership's post-split fixtures have got supporters of the top three sides nervy for the final five games. There is still one round of fixtures before then, but after Falkirk's victory in Motherwell last weekend decided the top and bottom six, the league bosses were able to get to work on arranging the final five games in what has been a thrilling campaign. Celtic are at home to relegation-battling St Mirren, Heart of Midlothian host a staggering Well and Rangers are away to Falkirk before the run-in begins. So what do fans of the title contenders make of the post-split matches? Hearts architects of their own downfall? Hearts are still top of the league but a draw away to Livingston at the weekend leaves that position looking a little precarious. Prior to Saturday, Derek McInnes' side had occupied the top spot for all but one weekend - matchday five back in September - and even then they were only behind Celtic on goal difference. After Rangers beat Dundee United, Danny Rohl's side moved on top for the first time in almost two years. It was shortlived, though, with a point in West Lothian enough to put Hearts back on the summit. The Tynecastle side head into their final pre-split game one point above Rangers in second and three in front of reigning champions Celtic in third. After the split, they are away to Edinburgh rivals Hibs before hosting Rangers, travelling to Motherwell and hosting Falkirk before a final-day trip to Celtic Park. However, Hearts supporter Liam Corbett, of the This is My Story podcast, fears their inability to beat some of the bottom-six sides has already seriously dented their title chances. \"I don't think the split is going to be any part of the conversation as to why we didn't win the title,\" he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast . \"When you can't beat the four bottom clubs in the league, it doesn't matter about the split. \"I think for Hearts fans now, the conversation of who plays who after the split is irrelevant. It won't play any part in where the title goes. \"We needed a points cushion going into the split. We essentially don't have one now and it's due to the fact that we can't beat Livingston, Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Aberdeen away from home over the course of the season. \"I think that we've got pretty tough fixtures, but we could have given ourselves a cushion and we haven't. So it's kind of our own downfall there.\" Get in touch Send us your views on Hearts Contact form 'Belief is there', but Falkirk trips daunting Rangers fans enjoyed a cameo at the top of the table on Saturday and have the chance to reach the summit again before the split. If Hearts drop points on Saturday, Rangers could overtake them with a win at Falkirk Stadium on Sunday. Tricky, but not impossible, for Danny Rohl's men who were13 points off the pace when the German head coach took over. It is a difficult run-in for Rangers, who have trips to challengers Hearts and Celtic sandwiched between home games against Motherwell and Hibs. However, Scott Cameron, of the Rangers Journal podcast, thinks their two trips to Falkirk - they also head there on the final day - are the most daunting. \"I'm actually more concerned about the trips to Falkirk,\" he said. \"I think the Hearts and the Celtic games should take care of themselves. I just think the Falkirk games, certainly this Sunday, playing last, the dynamic is slightly different for us. \"If both sides win on Saturday, it applies that little bit more scoreboard pressure on to Rangers players on Sunday. \"Going to Celtic and Hearts in the same week will be big, but if you've done the business before that, I think you put yourself in a far stronger position. \"Belief is there within the Rangers support, but I don't think anybody is singing from the rooftops that we're going to win the league or anything like that. We have to prove, starting on Sunday, that we can win on the road and apply that, get that momentum and keep on winning.\" Get in touch Send us your views on Rangers Contact form Green Brigade injects life into Celtic challenge Brendan Rodgers' resignation, Martin O'Neill returning twice as interim boss, with the debacle of Wilfried Nancy's reign in between, an unprecedented injury list and unrest between supporters and club hierarchy - hard to believe has all happened in one season for Celtic. For many supporters, it is something of a minor miracle that they are still in with a chance of lifting the trophy in May. They have lost eight games this season - Falkirk are the only team in the top six who have lost more - and have been without key players such as centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers, winger Jota and right-back Alistair Johnston for most of the campaign. However, O'Neill's side arguably have the most favourable run-in, with three of their five games at home - including Rangers and Hearts. Paul John Dykes, of A Celtic State of Mind podcast, thinks the return of the Green Brigade will be the most beneficial of all after the club hierarchy lifted the ultras group's suspension, which followed incidents earlier this season. \"I think it's huge,\" he said. \"There's been a cloud hanging over us and we've been architects of our own demise this season, so I'm not sitting here looking for sympathy. \"But the Green Brigade have been away for five months and they're massive. When you have relied on them for 20 years, then I think there's a generation of fans who have forgotten how to start songs and get involved in creating the atmosphere. \"It's been a bit of a morgue and then you start hearing other managers saying this is an advantage to us going to Celtic Park now. \"I'm a bit gutted it didn't happen sooner, but it is basically getting all the margins that we possibly can get back in our favour because we're not a great side. The only other thing that we can hope for is one or two players to come back [from injury] in the run-in.\" Get in touch Send us your views on Celtic Contact form","date_published":"2026-04-08T16:51:25.388392+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn78e1rz3llo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-are-the-scottish-premiership-post-split-fixtures-decided","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-are-the-scottish-premiership-post-split-fixtures-decided","title":"How are the Scottish Premiership post-split fixtures decided?","summary":"It is that time of the year again when the Scottish Premiership splits into two sections of six teams and the arguments begin immediately about which team the final five rounds of fixtures favour.","content_text":"Image source, SNS By Clive Lindsay BBC Sport Scotland It is that time of the year again when the Scottish Premiership splits into two sections of six teams and the arguments begin immediately about which team the final five rounds of fixtures favour. It is not a random decision made by a computer. It is the governing body, the SPFL who make the final call, in consultation with rights holders who want the best games on live TV and the police. The \"who plays who\" is obviously pre-determined, but the where and when is the result of many variables that have to be carefully considered and can leave the SPFL open to accusations of bias, favouritism, even conspiracy. Reacting to Tuesday's post-split fixture reveal, Hearts head coach Derek McInnes acknowledged some fans will be disappointed that the tendency to give the league leaders going into the split a home game on the final day had not been adhered to. However, he also accepted that the SPFL faces an impossible task to please all 12 clubs and their fans. But how is it all decided? Why is there a split and what is it? In its previous guise as the Scottish Premier League, the top flight had 10 clubs. That made a 36-game season with teams meeting four times. Ideal. Then the division expanded to 12 for season 2000-01. And a 44-game campaign was deemed too long. So an innovative split was introduced after the teams had met on three occasions. After that, the top six would play five more games among themselves and the bottom six would do the same. It meant the top six were left playing for the title and European qualification places, while the bottom six were trying to avoid the one automatic relegation spot and the relegation/promotion play-off against a Championship side. Upon their release of the fixtures, the SPFL pointed out that the split usually provides additional excitement, with clubs battling for a top-six place up until the 33rd fixture. Albeit Falkirk secured the final place with a game to spare this time. However, cleaving the division in two after 33 matches can also produce some anomalies... Do all clubs play an equal number home and away? Image source, SNS Image caption, Livingston and Falkirk will have an imbalance of home and away games Clubs play 16 or 17 home games in the 33 before the split - with a minimum of two, and a maximum of three, home fixtures after it. Ideally, they should play 19 of each by the season's end, but that is not always possible - and this is the second season in a row that there has been an imbalance. In compiling its initial fixtures, the SPFL tries to predict which clubs will end up in the top six and bottom six to best avoid such a scenario, but this season promoted Falkirk have overperformed and sit in sixth spot. As a consequence, they will play 20 home games and Livingston will have 18. Not ideal, but the SPFL explained that they have opted for that to mitigate the impact spreading too widely. With Falkirk five points adrift of Hibernian, an extra home game is the least likely scenario to affect European qualification. And Livingston having one fewer home game means little given they are all but relegated already. The Scottish top flight has had such a 20/18 scenario in nearly half of its seasons. Does that cause any other imbalances? It also means some sides play certain opponents three times at home and once away - or vice versa. Cue howls of complaint. Such fixture reversals have been required in every season since the split was introduced in 2000-01 and this time there are four reversals in the top six. Falkirk will host Rangers and Hibernian for a third time, and travel to Celtic Park and Tynecastle for a third time. There are also three reversals in the bottom-six - Livingston will travel to Dundee and Dundee United for a third time and Kilmarnock will host Dundee a third time. In coming up with those, the SPFL tries to avoid reversing fixtures that have a key impact on the battles for the title, European places and relegation. It also tries to avoid reversing the big city derbies and may also take into account how clubs have been impacted by the post-split fixtures in previous years. What impact does TV have? Live television coverage is also taken into consideration and McInnes is unhappy Hearts will not have a single traditional Saturday 15:00 kick-off after the split. Premier Sports have announced three live post-split broadcasts, while Sky Sports has confirmed six, with further selections for the final two rounds of games to come. With Celtic v Falkirk selected for live broadcast on Saturday, 25 April, it also means the Rangers v Motherwell match has been switched to the Sunday. That is because Police Scotland will not permit both Old Firm clubs being at home on the same day. But who will be at home on the final day? McInnes said he is just happy for his surprise long-time leaders to be involved in a three-way title race, with Rangers one point behind and Celtic two further back. However, he recognised that some Hearts fans are unhappy that they have to travel to Celtic Park on the final day, when they are likely to only be allowed 600 visiting fans against the reigning champions. The SPFL says Celtic have been given a home match on the final day partly because they have three home matches post-split and Hearts and Rangers only have two - but also cite \"competing constraints and the most exciting title race in years making each fixture round very unpredictable\". So what are these constraints it has to balance? The need for all clubs to finish home/away or away/home The number of home matches each club has already had before the split The need to avoid the two Dundee clubs, two Glasgow clubs and two Edinburgh clubs playing at home on the same day. This season's decision to have the second last fixtures on Wednesday, 13 May kick off at the same to allow equal recovery time also ruled out that date for such fixtures City derbies are ruled out on the final day for public safety reasons \"We have a fantastic final day to look forward to with Celtic and Hearts facing off at Celtic Park, Rangers travelling to a Falkirk side that have been one of the success stories of the season and a potential battle for European spots at Easter Road,\" the SPFL added in a statement explaining the decisions.","date_published":"2026-04-08T16:51:22.900131+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cd0r4mvgglno"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/raya-neuer-maignan-who-are-world-s-best-goalkeepers","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/raya-neuer-maignan-who-are-world-s-best-goalkeepers","title":"Raya? Neuer? Maignan? Who are world's best goalkeepers?","summary":"Manuel Neuer made his 136th Champions League appearance for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manuel Neuer made his 136th Champions League appearance for Bayern Munich against Real Madrid By Marissa Thomas BBC Sport journalist It was a tale of two goalkeepers in the Champions League. David Raya was described as \"the best in the world\" by some of his team-mates after his performance in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Sporting. Meanwhile, a stellar performance by Manuel Neuer for Bayern Munich helped his team to victory at Real Madrid and led to a clamour in the German media for the 40-year-old's return to the national team. It has opened up a new debate about who is the world's best number goalkeeper - especially with a World Cup on the horizon. BBC Sport assesses the claims of some of the contenders - and you can vote for your number one at the end. David Raya - Arsenal Image source, Getty Images Image caption, David Raya was hugely influential as Arsenal beat Sporting in the Champions League In Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League victory against Sporting, Raya made four key saves including tipping a thumping Maxi Araujo shot on to the crossbar to keep the score at 0-0 before Kai Havertz's winner. Since the start of last season, Raya has played 23 games in the competition and has conceded just 12 goals and prevented 9.0 goals. Raya has kept the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper in Europe's top-five leagues (22) across all competitions. He was nominated for the 2025 Yashin Trophy, presented annually to the best-performing goalkeeper at the Ballon d'Or awards, but did not finish in the top three positions. But he is one of the few goalkeepers on this list who is not first choice for his country. Unai Simon, who has spent his entire club career at Athletic Bilbao, was recently described by Spain national team boss Luis de la Fuente as \"indisputable\" when discussing his goalkeeping options. Former Arsenal and England right-back Lee Dixon described Raya as \"world class\" on BBC Radio 5 Live on Tuesday. He added that Raya \"has a way to go to touch the gloves of David Seaman, but he takes complete control of the defenders in front of him and they trust him\". Manuel Neuer - Bayern Munich Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Manuel Neuer was Player of the Match against Real Despite retiring from international duty in August 2024, Manuel Neuer is still highly competitive at the age of 40. Against Real in the Champions League, he made his 136th Champions League start for Bayern and rolled back the years with a superb performance. Legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, summarising for CBS Sports, said Neuer \"played one of the best games I have ever seen\" and that the save to deny Kylian Mbappe was \"probably the best save I have seen all season\". Neuer has never been nominated for the Yashin Trophy but has won 12 Bundesliga titles, two Champions Leagues and the World Cup with Germany. Only fellow goalkeeper Iker Casillas has made more starts for a single club in the Champions League (149 for Real Madrid), with Neuer equalling Lionel Messi's 136 for Barcelona. After his heroics in Madrid, there were calls for Neuer to return to Germany duty, where Oliver Baumann is the first choice. Thibaut Courtois - Real Madrid Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Thibaut Courtois is aiming to win his third Champions League title with Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois is missing with a thigh injury at the moment and his absence has been keenly felt by Real Madrid. He has played 23 Champions League matches since last season and in that time has made a whopping 105 saves with a save percentage of 78.2%. However, he has conceded 29 goals, 17 more than Raya in that period. Courtois has been described by his manager Alvaro Arbeloa as \"the best goalkeeper in history\" and he has proved his worth in his time with Real, winning two Champions League titles as well as three La Liga crowns - plus one with Atletico Madrid. The Belgium goalkeeper, who was a standout at Chelsea before moving to Real, also won the Yashin Trophy in 2022. Emiliano Martinez - Aston Villa Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Emiliano Martinez has won the Yashin Trophy twice A World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, Emiliano Martinez has won numerous goalkeeping awards since that triumph. He scooped the Yashin Trophy in both 2023 and 2024 and was voted Best Fifa Men's Goalkeeper in 2022 and 2024. He was described as the \"best goalkeeper in the world\" by his manager Unai Emery. Martinez played in 12 Champions League matches last season, when he made 49 saves with a save percentage of 80%. Alisson - Liverpool Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Alisson has won the Champions League with Liverpool When Liverpool somehow won 1-0 against eventual winners Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg last season, there was one very obvious reason for that. Alisson. The Brazil goalkeeper was immense in Paris and his manager Arne Slot told TNT Sports afterwards that \"I don't think there is a goalkeeper that played at this level, which is normal because he's the best in the world\". Since the start of last season's Champions League, Alisson has a save percentage of 86.1% from 12 games played and has made 37 saves. He won the inaugural Yashin Trophy in 2019 and came second in 2022 and 2025, and Alisson was immaculate as Liverpool won the 2019 Champions League final. Gianluigi Donnarumma - Manchester City Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Gianluigi Donnarumma won the Champions League with PSG last season Since joining Manchester City in September, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been Pep Guardiola's undisputed number one. Guardiola said of Donnarumma: \"He's so tall and so huge. All 'keepers want to give confidence and personality to the team. He's a big presence on the bigger stages.\" However, Donnarumma has sometimes been caught out by the physicality of the Premier League, especially at set-pieces. Since the start of the Champions League last season - which he won with PSG - he has conceded 25 goals in 24 games and has kept nine clean sheets in those fixtures. He won the Yashin Trophy in 2021 and 2025 but is still yet to go to a World Cup with Italy after they failed to qualify for a third successive tournament. Mike Maignan - AC Milan Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mike Maignan will be in goal for France this summer The man who replaced Donnarumma at AC Milan when he moved to PSG was Mike Maignan - and he has established himself as one of the world's top goalkeepers while in Italy. He came through the ranks at PSG but it was at Lille that he came to prominence. In his first season at Milan, he helped the club win their first Scudetto in 11 years, and had league-leading statistics in terms of clean sheets and save percentage. \"Because of his consistency, he is the best in the world,\" former Brazil goalkeeper Dida told La Repubblica. \"Then I'd put Donnarumma. Another one I like is Raya from Arsenal.\" Honourable mention - Yassine Bounou Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Yassine Bounou was awarded best goalkeeper at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Yassine Bounou last played in Europe three years ago with Sevilla and has since moved to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. He ranked third for the Yashin Trophy in 2023 after helping Morocco become the first African and Arab nation to reach a semi-final at a World Cup. Bounou was hugely influential as Morocco hosted the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, saving two spot-kicks in the semi-final against Nigeria. His nation has been awarded the Afcon title after the Confederation of African Football overturned the result of the final, although Senegal have appealed the decision. What information do we collect from this quiz?","date_published":"2026-04-08T16:51:21.86353+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c705jn7jw06o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/leicester-lose-appeal-against-points-deduction","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/leicester-lose-appeal-against-points-deduction","title":"Leicester lose appeal against points deduction","summary":"Leicester City are currently 22nd in the Championship, a point from safety with five matches remaining","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Leicester City are currently 22nd in the Championship, a point from safety with five matches remaining Leicester City have lost their appeal against their six-point deduction for breaching English Football League financial rules. The sanction was imposed on the club in February by an independent commission and saw the Foxes fall from 17th to 20th, however they have since dropped into the Championship relegation zone and are a point adrift of safety with five games remaining. They were initially charged by the Premier League in May 2025 for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR) relating to the 2023-24 season, when they were in the Championship. \"With the matter now at an end and five games of the season remaining, everyone at the club is fully focused on the matches in front of us and on shaping the outcome of our season through our results on the pitch,\" a Leicester statement said. , external \"We know this has been a challenging period, and we thank our supporters for the backing they continue to give the team. \"The responsibility now is to ensure these remaining games are approached with the focus and intent our current situation demands.\" Leicester were \"disappointed\" when it was announced they were docked six points on 5 February and described the punishment as \"disproportionate\". Under PSR, Premier League clubs cannot lose more than £105m over three years but the figure is reduced by £22m for every season a club spends outside the top flight. Despite being charged by the Premier League, the EFL took on the case following their relegation last year and they were found guilty of breaking PSR rules in the English Football League. Leicester had argued their case should have been considered over a 36-month period rather than 37 months, caused by a delay in submitting their accounts for 2023-24. The commission ruled that it should be 36 months meaning the club's overspend of the EFL's rules during that period was £20.8m above the £83m limit. The Foxes appealed the decision two weeks later - and less than 24 hours after the club appointed Gary Rowett as their new interim head coach until the end of the season. Since they were deducted six points, Leicester's form has slumped further and they now face an uphill battle to survive a second successive relegation, after a run of just one win in 12 games in all competitions.","date_published":"2026-04-08T16:51:20.866618+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c0mjx7wexnvo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-11-premier-league-teams-could-qualify-for-europe","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-11-premier-league-teams-could-qualify-for-europe","title":"How 11 Premier League teams could qualify for Europe","summary":"Arsenal's win over Sporting on Tuesday ensured the Premier League would have five teams in next season's Champions League","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Arsenal's win over Sporting on Tuesday ensured the Premier League would have five teams in next season's Champions League By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent Eleven Premier League teams in Europe? It sounds preposterous, but it is possible. Qualification for European competition has become pretty complicated in the past few seasons. This has largely been caused by the new European Performance Spots (EPS). These are the extra places in the Champions League given to the two leagues with the best overall record each season. The Premier League secured one of the two berths for 2026-27 after Arsenal won 1-0 at Sporting on Tuesday. It means there will be at least eight English teams in Europe next season. But what happens if an English team wins one of the European competitions? Could there be seven teams in the Champions League? And 11 teams in Europe? How the European places work The logic of the EPS is simple. But other factors complicate matters. It has two pillars: it is applied after all other considerations about domestic and European cup winners; it always provides one additional place to the overall allocation. So England was set to have seven teams in Europe before the EPS - but now will have at least eight. As it stands - and subject to who wins the FA Cup - that now means this: The team finishing fifth will go into the Champions League The team finishing sixth will go into the Europa League The team finishing seventh will go into the Conference League It looks like being an exceptionally tight race for fifth place, which is currently held by Liverpool on 49 points. Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth . Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42). What if Liverpool win the Champions League? If Liverpool win the Champions League and finish in the top four, then nothing changes in terms of England's European spots. There will still be five teams in the Champions League, and eight in Europe. The place reserved for the Champions League titleholders will pass to the league champions in qualifying with the best Uefa coefficient. That is likely to be Rangers if they win the Scottish Premiership. If Liverpool finish outside the top four, the Premier League will have six teams in the Champions League: The top four Liverpool as holders The EPS Liverpool 's precise final position will decide the Premier League's total European allocation. If Liverpool finish fifth, where they are now, the EPS passes to the Premier League's sixth-placed team. The Premier League would then surrender a place in the Europa League. Overall, England would still have eight European places. Why is a Europa League place given up? This is all about applying the EPS after all other factors. So in this example, Liverpool have won the Champions League but finished in a league position that qualifies them for the Europa League. Uefa rules state that the berth in the lower competition has to be forfeited and passed to another league. For instance, La Liga had no team in the first edition of the Conference League because Villarreal won a European competition and finished in seventh. Then, after the place has been given up, you apply the EPS. But could Liverpool winning the Champions League give England a ninth European spot? Only if they finish outside the domestic European places. Right now that would be outside the top six - or the top seven if, say, Manchester City win the FA Cup. As Liverpool are only three points ahead of seventh-placed Brentford , it is very much a possibility. What if Aston Villa or Nottingham Forest win the Europa League? The first thing to remember is that the Europa League winners qualify for the Champions League. If Aston Villa win it, the scenario is exactly the same as the one described above with Liverpool . So if the Villans finish inside the top four, nothing changes for the Premier League in terms of England's European places: the team in Champions League qualifying with the best coefficient moves up to the league phase. If Villa are outside the top four, where they finish will decide if a European place is forfeited or if the Premier League gets an extra team in Europe - just as with the Liverpool example above. But it is different with Nottingham Forest - as they cannot qualify through a domestic route. So if Forest win the Europa League, there will be a sixth team in the Champions League, and at least nine in Europe. How could Premier League have seven teams in the Champions League? The only way this can become a reality is if the Champions League and Europa League winners are both English - and both finish outside the Premier League's top four. Villa have a five-point cushion over fifth-placed Liverpool , so it seems less likely to happen if Unai Emery's team win the Europa League. But if Liverpool win the Champions League - while finishing outside the top four - and Nottingham Forest win the Europa League, there would be seven English teams in the top competition. How seventh can qualify for the Champions League There is a scenario too in which the team finishing seventh in the Premier League qualifies for the Champions League. It involves Liverpool winning the Champions League, Villa the Europa League, and those two teams finishing fifth and sixth - in either order. If that happens, the EPS place would go to the team in seventh. This is because at the time the EPS is applied, seventh would be the first league position which has not qualified for the Champions League. But in this case, there would still be eight teams in Europe overall - because England would forfeit one of its two Europa League spots, plus its only Conference League position. As the table shows, all seven European positions in the table would be for the Champions League. Who got the eighth European place there - and in which competition - would depend on who won the FA Cup. If it was won by a team who had not qualified for Europe by any other means - say, Leeds - they would go into the Europa League. But if, say, Manchester City won it, the team finishing eighth in the Premier League would go into the Conference League. What if Crystal Palace win the Conference League? The Conference League winners, remember, qualify for the following season's Europa League. And Crystal Palace - England's representatives - have only a very slim chance of qualifying for Europe domestically. So, if the Eagles win the Conference League, it is likely they would take up an extra place in the Europa League as a titleholder. That would mean the Premier League had at least nine clubs in Europe. If Palace and Forest were both to win European trophies, that would guarantee 10 English teams in Europe. How 11 Premier League teams could be in Europe When Uefa devised this system, it believed the idea of 11 teams from one country qualifying for Europe was so far-fetched as to be barely worth mentioning. But it is possible. For it to happen, English teams need to win all three European competitions and finish outside the qualifying domestic league positions. So, right now, that means finishing outside the Premier League's top six. That would become the top seven if, say, Manchester City were to win the FA Cup. In the most likely scenario, Liverpool , Forest and Palace would win the three European trophies. Liverpool 's final position could also impact other clubs in the table - in terms of which league positions will qualify for which competition. Say, for instance, Liverpool finish seventh and win the Champions League - meaning they qualify for next season's competition as holders. In this example, sixth is the Conference League place before the EPS is applied. Then the EPS is added, meaning fifth place qualifies for the Champions League, and everything else drops down one. Liverpool do not need the place in the Conference League, so this jumps over them and is given to eighth. Similar logic applies if Liverpool finish in sixth and win the Champions League. The Conference League place is forfeited - then when the EPS place is applied, the Europa League place jumps over Liverpool and is given to the team in seventh. How the FA Cup impacts the places This will depend on who lifts the trophy at Wembley on 16 May. Manchester City face Southampton and Chelsea take on Leeds in the semi-finals on the weekend of 25 April. If City win it, the European places will drop down one. So after the EPS, sixth and seventh will be in the Europa League and eighth in the Conference League. If Chelsea lift the trophy, the Blues would need to finish inside the top seven for the Conference League place to transfer to eighth. Should Southampton or Leeds win the competition, they would play in the Europa League and there would be no change for other teams. With many teams now in contention for fifth, and a huge number of permutations about how far down the European places could go, it promises to be a fascinating battle.","date_published":"2026-04-08T16:51:17.085158+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c8r40164ne4o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/neil-lampard-jakirovic-hellberg-up-for-manager-award","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/neil-lampard-jakirovic-hellberg-up-for-manager-award","title":"Neil, Lampard, Jakirovic & Hellberg up for manager award","summary":"Only Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna misses out on a nomination for Championship manager of the season among the current top five clubs","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Only Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna misses out on a nomination for Championship manager of the season among the current top five clubs Coventry City boss Frank Lampard, Millwall's Alex Neil, Sergej Jakirovic of Hull City and Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg have all made the shortlist for Championship manager of the season. The quartet are in contention for the award that was picked up by Burnley's Scott Parker in 2025. The winners will be announced on Sunday, 19 April at the English Football League's annual awards ceremony in London. Lampard's Coventry only need four more points from their remaining five matches to win promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years. Hellberg has kept Boro within the automatic promotion places for a large part of his tenure after the departure of Rob Edwards to Wolves in November. Millwall have thrived under Neil this season - winning 21 games, second only to the Sky Blues' 25 - and Jakirovic has taken Hull into the play-off places in his first campaign in charge. The Tigers only escaped relegation last season on goal difference. Four players are nominated for Championship player of the season. Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, Millwall forward Femi Azeez and Championship top scorer Zan Vipotnik, who has scored 20 goals for 15th placed Swansea City, are all up for the award. The Championship's young player of the season nominations feature three 21-year-old midfielders on the shortlist - Leicester City's Jordan James, Sheffield United's Sydie Peck and Bobby Clark of Derby County. Stoke City defender Ashley Phillips, 20, is also up for the award. Lincoln City & Bromley lead the way Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Last year's League Two manager of the year Graham Alexander has earned another nomination for his work with Bradford City in League One In League One, Lincoln City boss Michael Skubala is listed for manager of the season after the Imps secured promotion over Easter weekend. He is named alongside Graham Alexander of Bradford City, Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy and Stevenage's Alex Revell. League One top scorer Dom Ballard is nominated for the player award, as is Doncaster Rovers' Owen Bailey and Lincoln City pair Jack Moylan and Sonny Bradley. Leyton Orient's Ballard is also listed for young player of the season award. In League Two, Bromley boss Andy Woodman, Paul Warne of MK Dons, Oldham Athletic's Micky Mellon and Cambridge United head coach Neil Harris make the manager short list. Bromley pair Mitch Pinnock and Omar Sowumni are up for the player award, with Swindon Town's Aaron Drinan and Callum Paterson of MK Dons rounding off the nominations.","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:53.192254+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cn430g52z9jo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-the-red-arrows-have-helped-lincoln-soar","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-the-red-arrows-have-helped-lincoln-soar","title":"How the Red Arrows have helped Lincoln soar","summary":"Michael Skubala took charge of Lincoln City in November 2023","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Michael Skubala took charge of Lincoln City in November 2023 By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport, East Midlands The Red Arrows are world renowned as daredevils of the sky, an elite Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team based in Lincolnshire that specialises in the inconceivable. And so, when Lincoln City dared to soar to Championship promotion, reaching footballing heights not seen at the club for 65 years, it somehow makes sense that their high-flying neighbours had a part to play. \"The club is brave to think differently, look differently,\" Imps head coach Michael Skubala told BBC Sport. The club with one of the smallest budgets in League One have looked everywhere - the sky included - in search of an edge to return them to the second tier for the first time since 1961. In Skubala, a former England futsal head coach who studied psychology and sport science and has authored a number of books on coaching, they have a boss only too willing to try \"outthink and outwork\" their rivals. This season, more than a third of League One sides have played in the Premier League, with seven - Cardiff, Luton, Huddersfield, Bolton, Reading, Blackpool and Wigan - doing so in the past 15 years. \"With our resources, we have to get things right,\" Skubala said. \"But that doesn't mean you can't innovate, that doesn't mean you can't think about things differently, but it's not an uncalculated risk. It's just thinking differently that helps the boat go faster. \"The Red Arrows are right on our doorstep. We go down there and we learn from them about how they do things. \"They are flying at hundreds of miles an hour with millimetres between their wings, and we're trying to learn how their pilots are getting prepared to do all that. \"It's a cauldron, if you like, of keeping improving and finding ways to be different, but not for difference's sake, that's the important thing. \"It's to be different to find success in football, which is the most important thing we are trying to do.\" This from a 43-year-old who proudly - and rightfully - claims one of the more \"eclectic\" coaching backgrounds that spans the full football spectrum. Skubala played for and later coached England's national futsal side, worked as a non-league assistant manager, as well as a college PE teacher and director of football at Loughborough University. He committed years to youth development at the Football Association, Nottingham Forest and Coventry City, and it was only three years ago that he took charge of his first senior football match - stepping up from under-21 coach at Leeds United to take on caretaker Premier League duties when they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford in front of more than 73,000 spectators. \"My journey is so different because I've tried to learn everything along the way,\" he said. \"It's loads of work, loads of graft and driving minibuses back in the day. \"People probably know that story more from Leeds onwards, but there's probably 15 or 20 years before Leeds that has gone into the journey. \"In some ways you could probably see elements of futsal in the team's identity if you were to understand the game, because there's definitely some things that I've stolen, if you like, from that game and implemented into the 11 v 11 game.\" Fusing futsal with how Lincoln play – a high-energy, technically adept and tactically alert approach – is only one of the many things that sets Imps apart and why seeking advice from a squadron of elite pilots is nothing out of the ordinary for a club that was an early adopter of the use of artificial intelligence when it comes to set pieces. , external But with a backstory of being a club that was saved by fans when they brought the Imps out of administration in 2002, and its climb from the National League to League One with two promotions in three years - which was punctuated by a record run to the FA Cup quarter-finals as a non-league side in 2017 - what it has taken to put Lincoln in a position to get promoted to the Championship is a study in \"quiet, steady and thoughtful\" progress. 'Finding ways to punch above weight' Image source, Shutterstock Image caption, The win against Reading to seal promotion extended Lincoln City's unbeaten run to 24 League One games It is this rise that has drawn backers from abroad, starting with South African Clive Nates in 2016. High-profile American interest followed, with former United States international Landon Donovan coming in as adviser in 2021 alongside Arizona-based businessman Harvey Jabara who, in turn, helped bring former co-owner of Major League Baseball team the San Diego Padres, Ron Fowler, on board. By the time Lincoln were on the brink of promotion this season, Fowler had upped his stakes to become chairman and majority shareholder - with a 35% stake in the club's parent company. Fowler said there was a \"David versus Goliath\" appeal to Lincoln that drew the 81-year-old to a third-tier side run on a modest budget, when years earlier he was part of an American sporting franchise that was valued at $1.95bn (around £1.43bn) in 2025. How Lincoln have been bankrolled has constantly changed - and seemingly now been supercharged - but there is no hint that the Imps will change their approach to being fiscally frugal and creatively adventurous in pursuit of success. Skubala needs only mention Brentford - a club that curated a model for recruitment based on data that catapulted them from the lower leagues to become a Premier League mainstay - to highlight the importance of committing to an identity. \"This is a very well-run club. It knows what it is, it's always trying to find ways to punch above its weight and it's going to have to do that next season,\" he said. \"But look at other clubs like Brentford and what they've done, and you look at them as aspirations. \"We always talk about those type of clubs, that's probably more aligned to us than a Man United or one of the bigger clubs, so we have to look at those clubs as how we want to be. \"I'm sure there are ways and evidence in there that we can learn from. \"But I always believe when you have good people with a good plan that are hard-working, you can be successful. \"And that's what it is at Lincoln, and we're going to make sure we keep that, and keep driving that forward, and let's see what can happen.\" With Jack Moylan scoring the stoppage-time winner against Reading in the game that sealed promotion to the Championship, Skubala could not help but describe it as a \"fairytale\" and typically-Lincoln way of getting over the line. Moylan, who was plucked Shelbourne in the Republic of Ireland's top-flight in January 2024, is Lincoln's joint top scorer this term - alongside 28-year-old former Portsmouth winger Reeco Hackett - despite having spent three months out after undergoing ankle surgery in August. \"When he scores that goal he epitomises not just Jack and his journey, he epitomises the journey of the club,\" Skubala said. \"We want to develop players and prove that we can have a model that supports young players by also putting older players around them. \"And for me, the biggest thing is never giving up. We always talk about never losing football matches, we just run out of time trying.\"","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:52.254513+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c75k1d6g2xpo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/scotland-england-fans-in-boston-face-world-cup-train-fare-hike","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/scotland-england-fans-in-boston-face-world-cup-train-fare-hike","title":"Scotland & England fans in Boston face World Cup train fare hike","summary":"Boston Stadium has a capacity of almost 65,000","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Boston Stadium has a capacity of almost 65,000 By Kieran Fox BBC Sport Senior Journalist Scotland and England fans face paying more than four times the usual prices for train tickets when they travel to World Cup group-stage matches in Boston. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) has announced round-trip tickets from central Boston (South Station) to Boston Stadium at Foxborough for $80 (£60). Usually, a single ticket costs $8.75 (£6.50) while it is $17.50 (£13) for a round trip using two singles. Scotland will play two group-stage matches at the venue - against Haiti on 14 June and Morocco five days later - while England face Ghana there on 23 June. Paul Goodwin, co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, called the price increase \"totally out of order\". \"There will be a lot of second mortgages and costs being put on credit cards,\" he said. \"It's another huge disappointment. It's another reminder that the further up the tree you go, the game is getting further and further away from its origins and the people who will turn up on a wet Tuesday night in Forfar.\" The transport prices follow criticism over ticket costs for the tournament. Last week's first open sale of tickets showed Fifa charging up to $10,990 (£8,333) to be at the final while England and Scotland fans already face paying vastly inflated prices through Fifa's official resale platform. The stadium in Foxborough is the home of the New England Patriots NFL team and is located 22 miles - just over one hour's train ride - outside the centre of the city. The Boston Stadium - usually known as Gillette Stadium but whose name has to change for the tournament because of Fifa sponsorship reasons - is set to host seven World Cup matches including a quarter-final. Rail tickets, which are limited in number and non-refundable, go on sale on Wednesday at 16:00 BST. Children under 11 usually travel for free on MBTA trains but will have to pay for a ticket to Boston Stadium. But ticketed fans who may think driving is a better option may decide against that with one parking space at Boston Stadium starting at $175 (£132). Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Foxboro Station was used by fans for last month's friendly between Brazil and France In a statement on its Free Lions X account, the Football Supporters' Association said: \"At what is normally a $20 return, we are incredibly disappointed that this has been allowed to happen. \"For a stadium so far away from its advertised location, all organisers had a duty to ensure supporters could get there sustainably and for a fair price. Unfortunately, like much with this tournament, supporters are gouged.\" The MBTA has said it will operate 14 express services on the line between South Station and Boston Stadium on matchdays, adding that it is \"ready to deliver unprecedented transit services\" during the World Cup. Phillip Eng, interim Secretary of Transportation and MBTA general manager and CEO, said they are focused on ensuring a balance and \"support all of the celebrations and events this summer with the needs of our daily riders and drivers that count on the transportation system 365 days a year\". The MBTA added that no direct subway or MBTA bus services to Boston Stadium will be available.","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:51.326199+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cly797p1399o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-wsl-aims-to-bridge-academy-gap-and-why-it-needs-to","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/how-wsl-aims-to-bridge-academy-gap-and-why-it-needs-to","title":"How WSL aims to bridge academy gap - and why it needs to","summary":"Chelsea academy graduate Lexi Potter spent two seasons on loan at Crystal Palace","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Chelsea academy graduate Lexi Potter spent two seasons on loan at Crystal Palace By Emma Sanders BBC Sport women’s football news reporter While the Women‘s Super League grows each season, so does the challenge for England's youngsters hoping to break through - as Sonia Bompastor has noted. Chelsea's manager has raised concerns over the gap between academy football and first-team level - so is it an issue? And if so, how can it be solved? Last month, Bompastor flagged that her squad depth as thin - but did not feel she could call on many from the club's academy. \"We wanted to come into this game with 20 players including the bench and we couldn't for many reasons,\" she said following their Women's League Cup final victory over Manchester United. \"When I was in Lyon before, I could really have four or five players from the academy and they were able to perform at a really good level in the first team. \"Here, I think they are playing at a level where there is a huge gap and they are not ready. \"The FA (Football Association) should reflect with the top clubs about the structure of the competitions in order for the young players to be able to bridge the gap.\" What is the current structure? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lexi Potter scored her first WSL goal for Chelsea against Brighton in March According to sources at WSL clubs, Bompastor's comments are widely agreed with. At the leading English clubs, players are developed by Professional Game Academies (PGA), funded and operated by the Football Association. The FA first awarded 20 initial PGA licences to clubs in England’s two top tiers in 2023 as part of a major revamp. From the 2028-29 season, WSL Football - the company that operates the Women's Super League - will take over full responsibility. As well as the PGAs, lower-tier clubs often create partnerships with schools and colleges to form a local talent pool. They can also set up their own youth teams and academies but would not be part of a professional league. The FA has linked up with Women's National League clubs - the third tier - to provide funds and resources for developing young talent, as well as building connections with WSL sides who want to loan players out to clubs at that level. Some academies have also been involved in the Women's National League Cup and Plate competitions, and they can enter local Senior County Cup tournaments. The maximum number of matches teams can play in a PGA league - competitions set up for age groups up to Under-21 level - has increased from 19 to 27 in the past five seasons. In summary, England's youngsters are getting more game time and playing in a wider range of competitions - but it is not at the elite level. There are gaps in the data but both the FA and WSL Football have confirmed the number of minutes played in the top tier by English academy graduates has dropped dramatically in recent seasons because of the increased competition for places. Manchester City manager Andree Jeglertz told BBC Sport it is \"the biggest step a young player will take\" when they break into a WSL squad. \"I can only look at our own academy and it is a big step to go from there to being a senior player, especially for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City - teams who want to be competing in Europe,\" he added. \"What is the best solution to that? I don't know. There definitely has to be some way to bridge that gap, whether that's how they are training or [the] professional [environment].\" What are some ideas for change? One way City have prepared their young players is by having them train regularly alongside boys. It is a tactic mirrored by several WSL clubs, including Chelsea, who believe the increased intensity and physicality of boys' training is helpful. This month, England manager Sarina Wiegman called up teenager Erica Meg Parkinson to the squad after she had played regular women's first team football in Portugal and had spent a number of years training with boys. But Chelsea boss Bompastor says other leagues across Europe are tackling the problem in a different way and England could follow suit. During her eight years at Lyon, where she was also head of their academy, Bompastor held discussions with the French federation, which later introduced a system allowing top-tier academies to play in the second division. \"The young players play with the adults. There are some rules, so for example when I was at Lyon, the reserve team could not have players older than 23,\" said Bompastor. \"The biggest fear for the French federation was for a club like Lyon to go and take all the best players from other clubs. If you make the right rules, then the objective is to play young kids in that division. \"Playing against senior players will make them progress a lot. You need to find a good balance for them to have a really good competition in order to develop them.\" Who has made the step up? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Zara Shaw has graduated from Liverpool's academy to their first team There are now 22 academies across the WSL and WSL 2. West Ham remain the only WSL club without a category one academy - the highest-ranked environment for young players - though they have made significant staffing changes this year in an attempt to improve. WSL 2 side Charlton Athletic, currently challenging for promotion, also only have a category two academy. But while work needs to be done, there are academy graduates breaking through. Chelsea defender Chloe Sarwie signed her first professional contract this year, following in the footsteps of Lexi Potter and Aggie Beever-Jones. Liverpool's 18-year-old Zara Shaw returned from an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury to score the winning goal in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final win over Charlton. England goalkeeper Khiara Keating came through Manchester City's academy, while team-mates Gracie Prior, Lily Murphy and Codie Thomas have featured in the WSL and the Women's Champions League. Arsenal have also produced a number of youngsters, notably England forwards Michelle Agyemang - who spent last season on loan at Brighton - and Freya Godfrey, who is now at London City Lionesses. But Liverpool boss Gareth Taylor, who previously worked at Manchester City's boys academy, says England remains \"late to the party\" on youth development. \"Something needs to change,\" he said. \"Bompastor's [suggestion] is something to look at, for sure. How easy that is and the logistics around it... I think would be really difficult.\" What are the future plans? WSL 2 clubs Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest are not currently operating academies There have been huge developments at national level. Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman has called up more than 20 youth-team players in her four-and-a-half years in charge after a restructuring of England's pathway. There has always been talent in England - back-to-back European success for the Lionesses has shown that - but many of those players gained regular club first-team football at a young age which isn’t happening now. It is understood that WSL Football is working on major proposals regarding the structure of the domestic women's game, which could include allowing academy teams from the top tier to play in the Women's National League. Sources say WSL Football's future plans are centred around five key themes which include: Consistently producing world-class talent Creating an accessible route between grassroots and elite levels Personalised support systems for every player to develop on and off the pitch Building sustainable and 'investable' club environments Embedding high professional standards across all leagues The current dual registration system is expected to remain in place - allowing WSL academy players to represent their parent club's PGA, as well as play in the Women's National League. Tottenham defender Grace Breen, on a dual registration with QPR, recently summed up how playing on WSL 2 differed from academy football. She told Spurs' website: \"The main differences I'd say is probably the intensity is higher, the stakes are higher and it's less about development and more about performance and success.\" Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:50.374426+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyg0d2v5gyo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/mcinnes-happy-to-play-hearts-title-deciders-in-a-car-park","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/mcinnes-happy-to-play-hearts-title-deciders-in-a-car-park","title":"McInnes happy to play Hearts' title deciders in a car park","summary":"Derek McInnes is just happy for Hearts to be in a title race","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Derek McInnes is just happy for Hearts to be in a title race By Brian McLauchlin BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter Heart of Midlothian head coach Derek McInnes says he would be happy to \"play them in a car park\" as he responded to complaints from some fans about the fixtures for the final five games of the Scottish title race. On releasing the fixtures on Tuesday, the Scottish Professional Football League explained that it was unable this season to adhere to the tradition of handing a final-day home tie to the Premiership leaders before it splits into two sections of six. Instead, Hearts will be away to title rivals and reigning champions Celtic on Saturday, 16 May. A large number of kick-off times have also been moved for live television coverage of what is turning out to be a thrilling three-way chase for the title, with Hearts leading Rangers and Celtic in third. \"We could play them in a car park, I'll be honest with that,\" McInnes said while admitting he understands supporters' grumbles. \"I actually don't really care from our point of view where we play and the times and all the rest of it.\" McInnes said the fixtures came as \"no real surprise\" as Hearts had been pre-warned. \"We're just delighted to be part of the whole conversation, delighted that we're going to be in amongst it and looking forward to the games when they come up,\" he said. \"It's not great for the fans that they don't get Saturday three o'clock, but I think, you know, having three away games it was probably difficult to fit everything in. \"I get how not everybody's going to be happy. I think the league have got a tough job to try and keep every club happy and every set of supporters happy, but for us we're just obviously excited about the games that's coming up. \"I think you look at them, a lot of mouth-watering fixtures, we've said that the top six would sort everything out and these fixtures will. They're brilliant fixtures.\" The SPFL explained that Hearts are away on the final day because it was unable to have both Glasgow or Edinburgh sides play at home on the final two fixture dates, as they all kick-off at the same time, and not to have a city derby on the final day. Only around 600 visiting fans are likely to be at Celtic Park for what could be a pivotal day in Hearts' history as they aim to clinch their first top-flight title since 1960. \"That's disappointing, that is, and I can understand the frustration from that,\" McInnes said. \"Let's hope that we are getting into that game with plenty to play for and we've got a lot of work to do before then, but I totally get that.\" However, McInnes realised that the SPFL was keen to have \"a fixture at the death that would be pretty key\" and said: \"I think it's an unbelievable fixture if we are and particularly if Celtic have still got a chance as well. \"If both teams are still in the mix for winning a league, it's the most dramatic fixture you can have.\" McInnes fully expects the title race to go down to the final day, when Rangers also visit Falkirk. \"They've got a difficult away game last game of the season as well, so I think it's up to the league and the TV companies to try and maximise the drama,\" he added.","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:49.42298+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cg4030nvww1o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/dropping-fernandez-a-sign-of-rosenior-s-authority-or-a-big-risk","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/dropping-fernandez-a-sign-of-rosenior-s-authority-or-a-big-risk","title":"Dropping Fernandez - a sign of Rosenior's authority or a big risk?","summary":"Enzo Fernandez was sitting just behind Chelsea's bench, in a section for club staff, during the 7-0 win over Port Vale on Saturday","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Enzo Fernandez was sitting just behind Chelsea's bench, in a section for club staff, during the 7-0 win over Port Vale on Saturday By Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter Enzo Fernandez has presented Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior with the first major internal disciplinary issue of his tenure at Stamford Bridge. The Argentina midfielder, 25, had only just arrived at Buenos Aires airport on international duty last month when he cast doubt on his Blues future. Fernandez subsequently spoke to a YouTuber and then appeared on TV alongside his partner Valentina Cervantes, first saying he would \"like\" and then would \"love\" to live in Madrid, while highlighting his admiration for former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos. Rosenior and Chelsea 's hierarchy responded by issuing Fernandez with a two‑match internal suspension for \"crossing a line\" . The ban ruled him out of the FA Cup tie against Port Vale and Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester City . The decision was made by Rosenior alongside co‑sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, with the backing of influential ownership figures including Behdad Eghbali. It represented a significant early test for the English head coach, who was appointed in January following Enzo Maresca's departure after a breakdown in relations with the same leadership group. The episode also intensified what had already been a difficult time for Chelsea , who lost 3-0 to Everton in the Premier League just three days after being humbled by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League in a joint‑record 8-2 aggregate defeat. Those results sparked frustration among fans, while further scrutiny followed comments involving vice‑captain Fernandez and defender Marc Cucurella, who publicly criticised the club's transfer policy. After discussions with both players, Fernandez was handed an internal two‑match suspension, while Cucurella faced no sanction. The distinction lay in their responses. Cucurella was viewed as genuinely apologetic for failing to raise his concerns privately before speaking publicly. He addressed repeated questions about a potential return to his boyhood club Barcelona during a news conference, but subsequently reaffirmed his commitment to Chelsea . He is also understood to have been encouraged by discussions over the club's future direction, including plans for the forthcoming summer transfer window. By contrast, Fernandez is understood to remain keen on a move to Real, despite avoiding explicit references to the club - who want to recruit a midfielder this summer. Fernandez's agent, former PSG and Argentina midfielder Javier Pastore, described the punishment as \"completely unfair\" when speaking to the Athletic. Is the situation being handled correctly? Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Fernandez has 12 goals and six assists in all competitions this season Rosenior has sought to offer Fernandez an olive branch and a route forward following the punishment. The midfielder has continued to train with the first‑team squad and, at present, there has been no indication he will be stripped of his leadership role. After the Port Vale game - which Fernandez watched from behind the Chelsea bench - Rosenior said things are \"not what people think\" between the two of them. \"In the right time, in the right moment, I'm sure the discussion will happen in terms of what's been said between me and Enzo,\" he added. \"Enzo and I are in a very good place. Things aren't what people maybe think they are.\" The former Strasbourg, Hull City and Derby County boss has also chosen not to respond publicly to Fernandez's representatives, who have since insisted their client never said he wanted to leave Chelsea or London, nor referenced Real by name. However, a wide‑ranging interview from Fernandez's camp also claimed he \"deserves much more than he is currently earning\", while further reports in Argentina have suggested attempts were made this week to have the suspension reduced. The scrutiny is unlikely to ease and will add another layer of pressure to Fernandez's performances when he returns against Manchester United next weekend. It is a blow for Chelsea , who are also without Reece James through injury, leaving Andrey Santos or Romeo Lavia likely to step up against City. Chelsea have no regrets over their stance. Rosenior has said he needed to \"protect the culture\", with those involved believing the series of remarks, which also include two controversial post-match interviews after defeat by PSG, represented a point at which the club needed to act. There was a desire to set a precedent and avoid perceptions that Fernandez, one of the squad's senior figures, had received preferential treatment. Equally, Chelsea were keen not to allow ill‑discipline to take hold, having already collected nine red cards across all competitions this season . Chelsea remain in regular dialogue with senior players and accept some criticism, including Cucurella's comments regarding the recruitment of young players and how that contributed to a naive first‑half performance at PSG. Privately, the club have assured Cucurella and captain James - the latter during his most recent contract renewal - that signings with proven Premier League experience will arrive at centre‑back, central midfield and in attacking areas. That is also what Rosenior was referring to when he said \"you will see\" in response to questions about Chelsea 's ambition - a message the club view as important amid efforts by a fringe supporter group to build momentum towards a planned protest before the United match. Rosenior has also indicated a number of players are set to sign contract renewals before the end of the season. However, Fernandez's agent Pastore has suggested talks regarding his client will be paused until after the World Cup, where Argentina will bid to defend their title. Moises Caicedo and Levi Colwill are among those also believed to be seeking improved terms. How will this issue be resolved? It appears Fernandez is unlikely to back down unless he secures a new contract on significantly improved terms or is sold. However, facilitating an exit will be extremely difficult. Chelsea are well protected from a negotiating standpoint, with Fernandez under contract for a further six years until 2032. The club are also expected to hold out for at least the £107m they paid Benfica to sign him in 2023 - a British transfer record at the time. The situation also highlights how Chelsea 's incentive‑based contracts, which include bonuses linked to goals, assists and Champions League qualification, can deliver value for the club but also prove frustrating for high‑profile players tied into lengthy deals. Demanding such a fee is likely to deter potential suitors. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been linked but are considered unlikely to move under those conditions, while reports connecting Fernandez with PSG are understood to be wide of the mark. Rosenior has continued to extract strong performances from Fernandez and has spoken positively about their working relationship. Ultimately, it is expected that only financial resolution - in one form or another - will bring this situation to a close.","date_published":"2026-04-08T12:58:45.825789+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwywk1yx772o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/graham-keen-on-rangers-but-celtic-still-in-race-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/graham-keen-on-rangers-but-celtic-still-in-race-gossip","title":"'Graham keen on Rangers, but Celtic still in race' - gossip","summary":"Dundee centre-half Luke Graham is attracting interest","content_text":"Image source, SNS Image caption, Dundee centre-half Luke Graham is attracting interest Dundee head coach Steven Pressley vows Luke Graham will not be sold on the cheap amid Old Firm interest, while Pan Camara is trying to persuade team-mate Amar Fatah to extend his stay with Dundee United. Head coach Steven Pressley says Dundee will stick to their valuation of Luke Graham this summer, having already turned down big offers from Portsmouth for the 22-year-old centre-half in January. (The Courier) , external Luke Graham is very keen on a move to Rangers , who are working to get ahead of their rivals in the race for the Dundee centre-half's signature, but competition remains fierce, with Celtic and English clubs also interested in the 22-year-old. (TeamTalk) , external Dundee centre-half Luke Graham has a better chance of being a consistent starter for Rangers than he does with Celtic next season as both clubs eye a move for his services. (Football Insider) , external James Tavernier looks more likely to leave Rangers this summer with talks with the their 34-year-old captain about a new contract having stalled while pursuing their interest in taking 22-year-old Liverpool wide man Luca Stephenson, currently with Dundee United , on loan. (Football Insider) , external Leeds United are prepared to allow Joe Gelhardt to leave this summer despite his good form on loan to Hull City and Rangers will hope to use their financial links to the Championship club to their advantage in pursuing the 23-year-old forward for whom there is plenty of rival interest. (Football Insider) , external Dundee United midfielder Pan Camara has vowed to do his best to persuade his friend, Amar Fatah, to extend his stay at Tannadice at the end of the 22-year-old winger's loan from Troyes but suggests he is good enough to move to the Premier League. (The Courier) , external Queen's Park defender Harris Afzal is on a visit to Crystal Palace , who have agreed terms on a £40,000 transfer plus sell-on clause for the 16-year-old, after Southampton struck a similar agreement with the Scottish Championship club. (TeamTalk) , external Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin fears Ashley Maynard-Brewer's season could be over amid concerns that the 26-year-old goalkeeper may require surgery for a dislocated shoulder. (The Courier) , external Hamilton Academical owner Rob Edwards has denied a report claiming his Welsh Premier League club, Haverfordwest County , have been served with a winding up order by HMRC. (Scottish Sun) , external Image source, The Courier","date_published":"2026-04-08T08:52:16.752179+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c3dlnpveyezo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/legendary-manager-lucescu-dies-fives-days-after-resigning-as-romania-coach","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/legendary-manager-lucescu-dies-fives-days-after-resigning-as-romania-coach","title":"Legendary manager Lucescu dies fives days after resigning as Romania coach","summary":"Lucescu guided Romania to their first European Championship finals in 1984","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Lucescu guided Romania to their first European Championship finals in 1984 Legendary manager Mircea Lucescu has died at the age of 80, five days after stepping down as Romania's head coach. Lucescu resigned on Thursday after falling ill before a training session. He received treatment in hospital after reportedly , external suffering a heart attack on Friday morning. \"The Romanian Football Federation expresses its boundless regret following the death of the one who was, is and will remain an absolute legend: Mircea Lucescu,\" the country's federation said in a statement. \"Our football loses not only a brilliant tactician, but a mentor, a visionary, and a national symbol who carried the tricolour to the highest peaks of global success.\" He managed Romania between 1981 and 1986 before returning for a second spell in charge in 2024. His last game in charge was a 1-0 play-off defeat by Turkey on 26 March that meant Romania missed out on qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Lucescu also took charge of Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk, Zenit St Petersburg, Dynamo Kyiv and Turkey in a long and varied managerial career that began 47 years ago at Corvinul Hunedoara. \"We are deeply saddened to hear the passing of Mircea Lucescu, the winning manager of our Uefa Super Cup and 15th Turkish league titles. Rest in peace Luce, we will never forget you,\" Galatasaray posted on X. Inter Milan said: \"The entire Inter family mourn the passing of Mircea Lucescu and extend heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.\" As a player, Lucescu made 64 appearances for Romania and captained his country at the 1970 World Cup. \"It is a black day for Romania and for world football. A man who lived through and for football in every second of his existence has left us,\" said Romanian Football Federation president Razvan Burleanu. \"Mircea Lucescu was not just a coach, but a life teacher for entire generations of players. He was a man who loved this sport more than anything in life, and his impact on our football is immeasurable.\"","date_published":"2026-04-08T01:24:55.061205+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cgj0d8dz5dgo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spurs-want-trafford-as-vicario-replacement-wednesday-s-gossip","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/spurs-want-trafford-as-vicario-replacement-wednesday-s-gossip","title":"Spurs want Trafford as Vicario replacement - Wednesday's gossip","summary":"Tottenham choose Manchester City goalkeeper as Guglielmo Vicario replacement, Liverpool monitor Italy defender, Manchester United set to miss out on England midfielder.","content_text":"Image gallery Skip image gallery Image source, Daily Star Image source, i Sport Image source, Daily Telegraph Image source, Mirror Image source, The Times 1 of 5 Slide 1 of 5 , Daily Star back page - 8 April , End of image gallery Tottenham choose Manchester City goalkeeper as Guglielmo Vicario replacement, Liverpool monitor Italy defender, Manchester United set to miss out on England midfielder. Tottenham are considering a move for Manchester City and England goalkeeper James Trafford, 23, as a replacement for Italy's Guglielmo Vicario, with Inter Milan interested in the 29-year-old. (Sun) , external Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 25, is preparing to submit a transfer request to pave the way for a summer move to Real Madrid . (El Chiringuito, via Goal) , external England defender Harry Maguire, 33, snubbed a move to Inter Miami before signing a new contract with Manchester United , where he wants to finish his career. (Sun) , external Liverpool have joined Newcastle in monitoring 21-year-old Italy defender Marco Palestra, who is currently on loan at Cagliari from Atalanta. (Teamtalk) , external Manchester United will sell Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 24, this summer with Galatasaray, Newcastle and Tottenham all interested. (Fabrizio Romano) , external United look like missing out on England midfielder Elliot Anderson, though, with the 23-year-old preferring to move to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest this summer. (Mirror) , external Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado is open to leaving the club this summer after the 22-year-old Spain player lost his place in the first-choice XI. (SER Catalunya) , external Turkish side Fenerbahce want to sign Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma in the summer. The 29-year-old Mali international has only played eight times this season. (TurkishFootball) , external Tottenham and Chelsea are both looking at signing Sporting midfielder Maxi Araujo. The 26-year-old can play as a left winger or wing-back and is a regular for Uruguay. (CaughtOffside) , external Crystal Palace are close to signing 16-year-old left-back Harris Afzal - dubbed the next Andy Robertson - from Queen's Park . (TeamTalk) , external Chelsea are looking to bring former Brighton defender Valentin Barco from their sister club Strasbourg this summer. The 21-year-old only made six Premier League appearances for Brighton but has been capped by Argentina. (FourFourTwo) , external Leeds forward Joe Gelhardt, 23, who has scored 13 goals in the Championship for Hull City this season, is wanted by Rangers . (FootballInsider) , external","date_published":"2026-04-08T01:24:54.07919+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c4gv3zre8m5o"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/premier-league-secures-fifth-champions-league-spot","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/premier-league-secures-fifth-champions-league-spot","title":"Premier League secures fifth Champions League spot","summary":"The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League for the second successive season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League for the second successive season By Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year. The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie. Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions. The Premier League has been way out in front in the EPS table for most of the season, with all nine clubs reaching the last 16. Although only five clubs made it through to the quarter-finals, coefficient points gained throughout the league phase had put England in a very strong position. Fifth spot in the Premier League this season is now guaranteed to play in the Champions League, after Newcastle United benefited in the 2024-25 campaign. Spain look like the firm favourite to take second place, ahead of Germany and Portugal. However, the Bundesliga could yet make a late challenge after Bayern Munich won 2-1 at Real Madrid on Tuesday. Freiburg also face Celta Vigo in the Europa League. If the places do go to the Premier League and La Liga, it will be the same top two as last season. The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight. Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth . Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42). If Aston Villa , who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League. The same logic applies to Liverpool , who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday. If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place. If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League. Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table. Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.","date_published":"2026-04-08T01:24:49.876733+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c9vl1y7g1mjo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/world-s-best-keeper-raya-helps-arsenal-get-back-on-track","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/world-s-best-keeper-raya-helps-arsenal-get-back-on-track","title":"World's best keeper? Raya helps Arsenal get back on track","summary":"David Raya has kept seven clean sheets in the Champions League this season","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, David Raya has kept seven clean sheets in the Champions League this season By Alex Howell Arsenal reporter at Jose Alvalade Stadium David Raya is the best goalkeeper in the world. At least according to his Arsenal team-mates. The Gunners keeper made four superb saves in his latest excellent display in the 1-0 Champions League victory over Sporting, with Kai Havertz hitting a late winner . It is rare for a team who are top of the Premier League and in a European quarter-final to have a goalkeeper in the mix for player of the year - but Raya must be in contention. The Spain international has kept 22 clean sheets in 41 appearances in all competitions this season - and his latest could not have come at a more important time for his side. Arsenal travelled to Sporting after back-to-back losses for the first time this season - and the pressure and noise about Mikel Arteta's side being \"nearly men\" was loud before the game in Lisbon. However, notably, Raya did not feature in either of those losses: Arteta opted to stick with cup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga for the defeats by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final. Arteta's decision to pick Kepa for the final with City was questioned after the loss as the back-up goalkeeper's error gifted Pep Guardiola's side the opening goal. It also meant Arsenal 's wait for a major trophy since 2020 continues. But Raya's performance against Sporting showed why the 30-year-old is the Gunners' clear number one. \"Unbelievable\" is how match-winner Kai Havertz described Raya to Amazon Prime. \"I think [he is] still underestimated in the world of football but for me, the last two seasons, the best keeper in the world. \"He's outstanding, he's saved us so many times and we're very glad to have him.\" 'Extraordinary, magnificent, incredible' Raya has kept the most clean sheets of any goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues, with his 22 across all competitions four clear of Inter's Yann Sommer. The former Brentford goalkeeper has become a big presence at Arsenal and is part of the team's leadership group. He made a vital save to deny Maxi Araujo early on in Tuesday's match, tipping a thumping strike on to the crossbar before making three saves late on to keep the tie level before Havertz's winner. \"It's something that I'm there for. I'm trying to help the team as much as possible in any single action, not just defending but commanding and on the ball,\" Raya told Amazon Prime. The clean sheet was Raya and Arsenal 's seventh in the Champions League this season - the most of any goalkeeper and any side in the competition. \"That's something we've worked on a lot. It's so important for us, those clean sheets make it easier to win games. It showed tonight, scoring in the last minute and keeping that clean sheet decides those type of games,\" Raya said. The goalkeeper's acrobatic saves are not the only impressive aspect of his game. Raya is given a lot of responsibility with the ball at his feet and his passing range and decision-making make Arsenal a better attacking side. \"That's the evolution of the game,\" Arteta said. \"The keeper in the last few years has changed and evolved rapidly, and the amount of things that we ask him to do, it's a lot. \"But many positions have very similar situations and demands right now, and the players have to adapt to that. \"Apart from the qualities of David, the courage, the will to do certain things, that's when you can reach another level.\" But the Gunners boss would not be drawn on if he thought that Raya was the best goalkeeper in the world. \"He's extraordinary, magnificent, incredible,\" Arteta said. \"I don't know the right adjective. We are so happy to have him.\" Raya has 15 clean sheets in 31 Premier League matches this season, the most in the division. He shared the Golden Glove trophy with Nottingham Forest 's Matz Sels in 2024-25 - but Arsenal will hope that if Raya lifts that personal accolade again, it will mean they have secured silverware as a team too.","date_published":"2026-04-08T01:24:48.911209+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cvgldp4gjqlo"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/alexander-arnold-fails-to-ease-tuchel-concerns-as-kane-stars","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/alexander-arnold-fails-to-ease-tuchel-concerns-as-kane-stars","title":"Alexander-Arnold fails to ease Tuchel concerns as Kane stars","summary":"England outcast Trent Alexander-Arnold had a mixed night for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich","content_text":"Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England outcast Trent Alexander-Arnold had a mixed night for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich By Phil McNulty Chief football writer at the Bernabeu England head coach Thomas Tuchel made the journey to Madrid on his latest World Cup reconnaissance mission and was richly rewarded by a thrilling Champions League tie between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Tuchel's eyes were trained on Real Madrid pair Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham, as well as captain Harry Kane in his role as Bayern's prime goalscorer. He will have left with suspicions confirmed about Alexander-Arnold, as well as concrete evidence from Bellingham and Kane that they are surely indispensable when England's World Cup campaign kicks off against Croatia in Arlington on 17 June. Champions League nights at the Bernabeu are always special occasions, with supporters swarming around the magnificent arena hours before kick-off and thousands of fans clad in white gathering on Plaze de los Sagrados Corazones to welcome Real Madrid's team bus. To add to the drama, a warm Madrid afternoon suddenly turned to blackened skies and a deluge to set a spectacular stage for this meeting of European heavyweights. As a classic unfolded, the game held contrasting fortunes for those Tuchel had under his microscope. Alexander-Arnold is perhaps the most intriguing case study of the trio Tuchel was scrutinising, lavishly gifted and playing at the club most regard as the world's biggest, and yet seemingly with no part to play in England's summer strategy. The 27-year-old, who moved from Liverpool last summer, has had a rocky introduction to life at Real and also suffered the ignominy of being left out of Tuchel's 35-man England squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. And then, if that was not painful enough, when Tuchel called on replacements, he ignored Alexander-Arnold in favour of Ben White, not a regular at Arsenal this season and someone who had gone into self-imposed exile after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. For Alexander-Arnold to change Tuchel's mind at this late stage will not be easy, and his mixed display here may have confirmed misgivings about him rather than enhanced his prospects. In a poor first half display, Alexander-Arnold not only wasted possession far too often, but also almost gifted Bayern a goal with pass straight to Michael Olise. He was then caught napping by former Liverpool team-mate Luis Diaz as the forward put Bayern in front. Tuchel has voiced his concerns about Alexander-Arnold's defending and this was it in full view. And yet he then showed why he has admirers who find his exclusion from Tuchel's plans puzzling. As Real finally woke up with Bayern leading 2-0, it was Alexander-Arnold who delivered a series of dangerous set-pieces before firing in an inviting low cross for Kylian Mbappe to pull a goal back. This was Alexander-Arnold in microcosm, and was not the sort of performance to have Tuchel shuffling the names already formed in his mind for World Cup selection. The inconsistent nature of his performance is confirmed by his pass completion rate of 69.2%, the lowest of anyone in the match. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, England captain Harry Kane scored Bayern Munich's second goal in their impressive win against Real Madrid Kane absence too damaging to contemplate Bellingham was kept on the bench for an hour as he recovers from a hamstring injury but, with unrest growing inside the Bernabeu and Real fans likely to be thinking of reaching for the white handkerchiefs in their standard gesture of disapproval, he emerged. In a chaotic last 30 minutes, he drove Real forward with trademark surging runs as he single-handedly altered the tempo of their game. Bellingham is another hot topic for Tuchel, who has shown he is not afraid of dropping big names and that places - even in his squad, not just the starting XI - are earned on form. There is a genuine competition for England's number 10 spot between Bellingham and several other candidates led by Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers, with Cole Palmer and Eberechi Eze further alternatives. However, this influential cameo demonstrated why the temptation to start the World Cup with Bellingham may be impossible for Tuchel to resist. Any concern for Kane only centres on his fitness, not his world-class quality and importance as England's record goalscorer with 78 goals in 112 appearances. England looked toothless without him against Uruguay and Japan and when he also missed Bayern's game over the weekend, fears grew over a more serious issue than had been diagnosed. However Kane made Bayern's starting line-up, to huge cheers from their thousands of travelling fans when his name was read out, but - as he often does after an absence - looked sluggish in a frenetic first 45 minutes. Then in one moment seconds after half-time, Kane showed why England's hopes for World Cup success will be vastly reduced if he was missing. He picked up a pass 20 yards out before delivering a perfect low drive into the bottom corner, leaving Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin with no chance. \"All the hype around it, coming to Madrid and trying to get a result, is always a difficult thing to do,\" he said after the game. \"We had some good chances, credit to them they did too. We're in the business end of the season now. We always feel dangerous - we always feel like we can score goals for sure.\" And Kane, for Bayern and England, also feels he can always score goals. Tuchel would no doubt have smiled in satisfaction as this latest example of the elite striker he has at his disposal - and how life without him is impossible to contemplate. Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.","date_published":"2026-04-08T01:24:47.916701+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cp38dlkl7eko"},{"id":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fifa-starts-disciplinary-action-over-spain-v-egypt-chants","url":"https://www.tikitaka.gg/news/fifa-starts-disciplinary-action-over-spain-v-egypt-chants","title":"Fifa starts disciplinary action over Spain v Egypt chants","summary":"The friendly match in Barcelona ended in a 0-0 draw","content_text":"Image source, Reuters Image caption, The friendly match in Barcelona ended in a 0-0 draw By Tom Rostance BBC Sport journalist Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings against the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) after \"Islamophobic and xenophobic\" chants during a friendly between Spain and Egypt last month . A message warning fans against xenophobic remarks and singing was displayed on the screen at the RCDE Stadium in Barcelona - and was repeated early in the second half, leading to whistles from some sections of the crowd. The RFEF condemned the anti-Muslim chants while Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called them \"intolerable\" and said \"violent people use football to carve out a space for themselves\". \"Fifa has opened disciplinary proceedings today against the Spanish FA for the incidents in the friendly against Egypt,\" a Fifa statement said. Spanish police launched an investigation into the chants last week . The Egyptian Football Association condemned the chants as an unacceptable \"repugnant act of racism\", but said the acts of a small group of fans would not affect the close relations between the Spanish and Egyptian federations. The match finished 0-0 which led to Spain, one of the co-hosts of the 2030 World Cup, losing their top spot in the world rankings.","date_published":"2026-04-07T20:37:03.13588+00:00","external_url":"https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyvpnw4j1lo"}]}