Key events
On this day in 2000… Valencia reach their first Champions League final
A reminder we’ll have a WSL Q&A with Suzanne Wrack at 11am. She’s at the Emirates for the big game between Arsenal and Manchester United. You can email your questions to [email protected] or post them below the line.
Fantasy Football watch
The FPL deadline is 1.30pm, 90 minutes before the Premier League weekend begins. For what it’s worth – the square root of bugger all – this is what I’ve done with my team.
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Cole Palmer was a delight against Liverpool and should now end the season strongly, so I’ve bought him in place of Mo Salah, whose season has gone flat since it became obvious Liverpool were going to win the league. Salah has always been a much better player when there is jeopardy.
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I had a few transfers in the bank so I’ve signed Trent Alexander-Arnold. I need differentials as I’m languishing in the Smyth family league, and Trent’s ego (I don’t use that word pejoratively) is such that he’ll be trying all sorts in the last few games. There’s a good chance he’ll pick up goals and assists, maybe even the odd clean sheet.
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I’m tempted to bring in Yoane Wissa for Jean-Philippe Mateta. He’s in form, Brentford are rampant and have a decent run-in and Crystal Palace have one eye on the FA Cup final.
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Other potential signings. Goalkeepers Mark Flekken (£4.4m), Ederson (£5.3m) Defenders Rayan Ait-Nouri (£5.1m), Ian Maatsen (£4.5m), Ruben Dias (£5.5m), Ryan Sessegnon (£4.2m) Midfielders Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2m), Mason Mount (£6.3m), Amad Diallo (£5.3m), Kevin Schade (£5.2m), Julio Enciso (£5.4m) Forwards Cunha (£7.1m), Jamie Vardy (£5.3m), Evanilson (£5.8m)
Who will you be buying and selling? Or did you give up in mid-March when you realised you couldn’t win? Let us know below the line or by emailing [email protected]
Tottenham v Crystal Palace (Sunday, 2.15pm)
Tottenham could be boosted by the return of captain Son Heung-min for Sunday’s visit of Crystal Palace.
Son has missed Spurs’ last seven matches with a foot injury, but will aim to start his comeback trail ahead of this month’s Europa League final with Manchester United.
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said: “Half hopeful we get Sonny some minutes tomorrow, so he’ll be the only one who can come back in.”
Title decider in Portugal
Sporting and Benfica lock horns in a Lisbon derby today in a match that could decide the Portuguese league title in one of the closest races the country has seen in years.
The Portuguese capital rivals both have 78 points, with Sporting top by virtue of winning the first meeting between the teams 1-0 at the Jose Alvalade stadium back in December.
If Sporting win they will be champions, while if Benfica triumph by at least a two-goal margin they will reclaim the title with a superior head-to-head record.
A one-goal victory for Benfica would mean the title being decided next weekend when goal difference could come into play, with Sporting three goals better off than Benfica. If the match is drawn, Sporting will retain the title by at least matching their rival’s result on the final match day.
Benfica beat Sporting on penalties in the League Cup final in January and they will meet again at Jamor National Stadium in the Portuguese Cup final on 25 May.
Both coaches who took charge of struggling sides in mid-season and turned them around. In late December Rui Borges replaced Joao Pereira, who lasted only 42 days after he was named Sporting manager following Ruben Amorim’s move to Manchester United.
Amorin left Sporting in comfortable position at the top but a series of bad results forced the club to make a quick change and hire the 43-year-old Borges from Vitoria Guimaraes.
Sporting were already feeling the heat from Bruno Lage’s Benfica, who was hired in September for a second tenure after Roger Schmidt was fired only four match days into the season.
Sunday is clásico day, with a potential title decider at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Here’s Sid Lowe’s preview.
In truth, this clásico hasn’t really felt like the game of the season, nor had the buildup of other occasions. There was something about the Copa del Rey final a fortnight ago that was The End, the scenes at full time in which players threw ice cubes at the referee were Madrid’s final meltdown, a rage against the dying light. For Madrid, long since defeated by Arsenal, reality looking them in the face, the curtain was drawn that night, like this campaign had been concluded, written off. The future was somewhere beyond May, the conversation and the questions focused elsewhere.
Andy Hunter
Moyes keen for Sharp to attend final Goodison game
Graeme Sharp made a welcome and long overdue appearance at Goodison Park last weekend against Ipswich, with David Moyes helping to persuade his fellow Scot to return, but whether he will be involved in next Sunday’s final farewell remains to be seen.
The Everton legend, the second highest goalscorer in the club’s history, had stayed away for over two years as a result of protests against the near-ruinous ownership of Farhad Moshiri and his failing board. Sharp was a non-executive director at the time having accepted a poisoned chalice of an offer to return from the late chairman Bill Kenwright. It is understood he offered to resign long before Moshiri finally accepted his resignation in June 2023.
Moyes invited Sharp to Everton’s Finch Farm training ground recently and discussed the possibility of a Goodison return. He believes one of the greatest strikers in Everton’s history should also be part of the ceremony that will follow the final game at Goodison against Southampton next Sunday.
“I want Sharpy to come back,” the Everton manager said. “I think Sharpy is one of the finest players to play here and a legend as well. I don’t know all the reasons why there were the problems. I am not privy to all that. But what I do know is that I can’t see for a minute that Graeme Sharp was doing anything that would be bad for Everton. I can only ever see him doing good.
“If I was someone who had been watching Everton over a certain generation, Graeme Sharp would certainly be one of the players I would hope to see when the last game comes.”
On this day in 1980… Willie Young puts one in Bambi’s head
Liverpool v Arsenal (Sunday 4.30pm)
Time for an archive piece on some great Liverpool/Arsenal contests. When house genius Scott Murray writes about football history, the world is a wittier, breezier place.
In the second FA Cup semi-final replay, Arsenal took their turn to be the stronger team; after a pre-match which saw a fan rush on to the pitch and drop his kecks in the centre circle, the Gunners went one up after 13 seconds through Alan Sunderland, only to let the game slip deep in injury time, Kenny Dalglish saving the day for Liverpool.
The FA mooted a penalty shootout, but Liverpool threatened to walk off. Their stance was approved by Arsenal, with both teams telling the FA that they weren’t interested in penalties should the upcoming fourth match be drawn either. “I don’t believe the FA are entitled to change the regulations in the middle of a competition,” said the Arsenal chairman, Dennis Hill-Wood. “To introduce them,” added Paisley, “would be like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.”
Who will finish in the Premier League’s top eight?
The PL title race never really happened after City had their mid-season wobble, and Arsenal failed to seize the opportunity by realising they would need to bring a striker in during the January window.
City did exactly that and while Marmoush hasn’t been prolific, he has given the team a lot more energy and provided back up to the injured Haaland.
With Arsenal with their tails between their legs after their Champions League exit and having to go to Anfield with Liverpool smarting from losing at Chelsea last time out I fear it will be another bad day at the office for Mikel Arteta.
City are finishing the season very strongly and it is hard to see them failing to win their remaining games and finish second, which if they win the FA Cup will be a very good season by anyone else’s standards and more to the point make them favourites to take the title next season.
Main game today is Bournemouth v Villa. A must win for the Cherries to keep their Europa League qualification chances alive, and a must win for Villa to have the chance to squeeze into 5th if Newcastle or Chelsea falter. As those teams meet tomorrow Villa could if they win come out of the weekend just a point behind 5th place with two games to play.
Villa’s next game is home to Spurs who have nothing to play for but avoiding injuries ahead of the Europa League final, while Chelsea are home to United who are probably better placed with the return of Amad, Mount, Mainoo and Shaw over the last few weeks and might prove a bit more difficult for the Blues.
Newcastle have to go to Arsenal, so they seem the more likely to drop points.
The last game of the season comes after the Europa League final so hard to see either United or Spurs having much left in the tank or even caring. That may well be excellent news for Villa who have to finish their season at Old Trafford, while Chelsea go to Forest who are still in the CL race but seem to have run out of steam. Newcastle’s last match is home to Everton who are unlikely to have more than pride to play for.
My prediction for the final top 8 is
Liverpool
Manchester City
Arsenal
Chelsea
Villa
Newcastle
Forest
Brentford
Mine, and I know you didn’t ask but I’ve got the keys to this car so pipe down, would probably be:
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1. Liverpool
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2. Arsenal
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3. Manchester City
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4. Newcastle
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5. Nottingham Forest
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6. Chelsea
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7. Aston Villa
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8. Brentford
Don’t know why – and it could just be nostalgia – but I have a feeling Forest might win their last three games. But it’s Spandex-tight up there and it wouldn’t take much to persuaded me that Villa and/or Chelsea will make the top five.
Bristol Pity
yep, that is indeed the worst pun in the Guardian’s history
Predictably we got slashed at Ashton Gate on Thursday night by Sheffield United and our faint hopes of getting to Wembley are over with the return game on Monday night at Bramall Lane a mere formality.
Why is it that none of these deep pocket billionaires see any potential in Bristol City? I mean we are streets ahead of Wrexham and Bristol is a great city with a strong maritime and aerospace history so you would have thought that someone would have taken a punt.
Looks like we just continue to be a mid-table Championship side with the occasional sniff of the play-offs or the bad season relegation fight.
I had exactly the same thought while watching Thursday’s game. With pre-emptive apologies for any ignorance, it does feel like both Bristol clubs have enormous potential. I know the concept of ‘cool’ is a load of nonsense in many ways but Bristol is arguably Bristol’s coolest city and that alone should generate more interest.
Forty years ago tomorrow, 56 football supporters lost their lives at Bradford’s Valley Parade and hundreds more were injured. The city came together that day and its unity since has been a constant source of pride.
Oliver Evans will lead his seventh memorial service as Bradford City’s club chaplain. He was due to attend the game against Lincoln, but was unable to go. “I’d been to every home game that season,” he says. “I used to cut the grass for my dad and that day I’d not done it. My mates all turned up to go to the game, but Dad said I couldn’t because I hadn’t cut the grass.”
Evans’s memories of that day do not end there. His father was a clergyman and faced a devastating task. “He was asked by the head of the ambulance service to receive the bodies at North Parade. I’d never heard him cry before. I heard him cry through the bedroom wall as he told my mum what happened.”
Women’s Super League Q&A
At 11am, our award-winning correspondent Suzanne Wrack will be here to answer your questions about all things WSL. You can email them to [email protected] or post below the line.
On this day in 1995… Nayim.
Championship playoffs
Sunderland are favourites to meet Sheffield United* at Wembley after a terrific 2-1 win at Coventry last night. Eliezer Mayenda scored a clinical winner in the 88th minute after a bad mistake from Coventry defender Milan van Ewijk.
* Or Bristol City. Anything can happen, but we won’t be putting the farm on City after their 3-0 defeat in the first leg at Ashton Gate.
What’s at stake in the Premier League
Today’s matches – see below, or click here – all involve teams hunting a European place.
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Manchester City and Aston Villa aiming for the Champions League.
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Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton and Fulham are in a four-team battle for eighth place. That will be enough for a place in the Conference League if Manchester City beat Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final.
It’s 20 years since the Glazers got their grubby hands on Manchester United. Jonathan Liew revisits their takeover in 2005.
Sir Alex Ferguson, perhaps the one figure capable of stopping the takeover dead in its tracks, repeatedly refused to do so, telling a bunch of disgruntled fans on a trip to Budapest to “go and support Chelsea” if they were dissatisfied with the way United were being run.
Ferguson would continue not simply to tolerate the Glazers but to defend them at every opportunity. Seven years later, on a pre-season tour of South Africa, he rounded on United fans who still opposed the regime. “There are a whole lot of factions at United that think they own the club,” he said. “The majority of the real fans will look at it realistically and say it’s not affecting the team.”
What’s at stake on the WSL’s final day
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Chelsea will become the first team to go through a 22-game WSL season unbeaten if they win or draw at home to Liverpool.
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Arsenal and Manchester United are battling for second place, which would mean a later start in Champions League qualifying. They meet at the Emirates with Arsenal needing a draw to stay in second.
Those are the main things. Crystal Palace have already been relegated so there’s no jeopardy at the bottom of the table. Arsenal’s Alessia Russo will win the golden boot unless West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez scores at least a hat-trick at Leicester.
And on this day in 1986, Liverpool did the Double by beating Everton in the FA Cup final. Thanks to the wonders of technology, Scott Murray was able to cover it on the information superhighway.
On this day in 1978… Liverpool retain the European Cup. Here’s David Lacey’s report from that night at Wembley. And if you don’t want to click on anything – anything – written by David Lacey, I’m afraid I can’t help you.
Nick Ames, our European sport correspondent, tells some fascinating stories from across the continent. This one, on a town and football club that were devastated by a volcanic eruption in 2023, is particularly good.
Nobody would dream of using the hall for football now. Its pitch is cleaved in two by a fissure up to 25 metres deep; one of the most striking images in a settlement that has been ripped apart. A chasm has destroyed their outdoor practice pitch too. But something remarkable will happen in Grindavík on Saturday: football will lead the way in a recovery few could have foreseen over the past 18 months. Grindavík will play at their Stakkavíkurvöllur home for the first time since the town’s abandonment, hosting Fjölnir in a second-tier fixture whose outcome feels distinctly secondary.
The morning headlines
Preamble
Good morning my dear football friends. Welcome to our Saturday build-up blog, known in Guardian Towers as matchday live (lower case).
This is our home for all the latest news and previews ahead of today’s action, which for our purposes begins at 12.30pm with the final day of the WSL season. Then we’ll have EFL playoffs, five Premier League games, a Bayern Munich title party and much else besdies.
At 11am we’ll have a WSL Q&A with Suzanne Wrack, so please send in any questions for that. You can contact us at [email protected] or post below the line.
Before we get cracking, these are some of the key matches we’ll be following today.
Premier League (all 3pm kick-offs unless stated)
Women’s Super League (all 12.30pm kick-offs)
EFL playoffs
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Leyton Orient v Stockport (League One, 12.30pm)
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Notts County v AFC Wimbledon (League Two, 8pm)
