Month: May 2023

Roy Hodgson has asked his Crystal Palace players to ensure he goes out on a high if Sunday’s Premier League finale against Nottingham Forest proves to be his last game in charge.

The 75-year-old has said he is assuming Sunday’s match will be his last, having signed a contract to the end of the season when he returned to his boyhood club following the sacking of Patrick Vieira in March.

His impressive record – 17 points from nine games – has led to speculation that Steve Parish may ask Hodgson to stay on and the former England boss said he would keep his options open – but for now he is treating this weekend as his last in charge.

“We have got satisfaction as a coaching staff from the way the team has played,” Hodgson said.

“We have got satisfaction from the way the team has worked both on and off the training field and in matches, and as a result it leaves a very warm glow going into the last game.

“When I think back to the time we had, it also makes me a little bit nervous. It is the final game of the season in front of the home crowd, playing against a team below us in the table.

“I would like the boys to do well on Sunday and finish off in the best way possible and not finish on a bit of a damp squib.”

Hodgson has steered Palace comfortably clear of the relegation battle as they go into the final round of fixtures in 11th place.

And Hodgson said that was down to the commitment of the players and his backroom staff during the last two months.

“I will look back on this time working here with this group of players with a lot of satisfaction in the end, and what it has done is it has given us a lot of good moments in games when we have played well and got reward for playing well,” he said.

“That’s the thing you are always concerned about as a coach. Can you get the team playing well and doing the right things, defending as you want to defend and attacking as you want the team to attack, but then to get any rewards from it you have to win?

“The good attacking movement has to finish with a goal, not a shot which hits the crossbar or is saved by the goalkeeper or goes behind, because they get forgotten.

“The move will only be discussed or analysed or dissected by the pundits at the end of the game if the ball has gone in the back of the net.”

– Chelsea have lost eight of their last 10 matches 
– Newcastle have won four of their last six matches 
– Recommended bet: Newcastle to win

It has been a contrasting season for Chelsea and Newcastle and they head into the final day of the campaign in very different spirits.

Newcastle will be in a buoyant mood after securing a top-four finish with a game to spare and Eddie Howe will hope to end the season on a high, potentially leapfrogging Manchester United in the process.

For Chelsea, the end of the season cannot come soon enough. 

Caretaker manager Frank Lampard will end his second tenure at the Blues in the bottom half of the table after a disastrous year, despite their huge transfer outlay, and defeat on Sunday could even send them as low as 14th in the ladder.

Team news

Frank Lampard will end his second tenure at Chelsea without a host of players, with Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, Reece James, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Armando Broja and Benoit Badiashile all ruled out and Manchester United target Mason Mount a doubt in what could be his final game for the Blues.

Newcastle are not without their own selection issues, either, with Joelinton and Javier Manquillo joining Nick Pope, Joe Willock, Jamaal Lascelles, Emil Krafth and Matt Ritchie on the sidelines.

The stats

Chelsea have lost eight of their last 10 games in all competitions.

Only four teams have won fewer home Premier League games than Chelsea this season.

Newcastle have the third-best away record in the top flight.

The Magpies have won four of their last six assignments.

Chelsea are winless in their last seven competitive home games.

Prediction

A disastrous season for Chelsea finally comes to an end on Sunday and, after losing seven of their last 10 Premier League matches, defeat against Newcastle could leave them with their worst league finishing position since the 1993-94 season.

Only four sides — Southampton, Leicester, Bournemouth and Leeds — have won fewer home games than the Blues in the Premier League this season and they head into the final day of the season winless at Stamford Bridge in seven competitive games.

By contrast, Newcastle will end the 2022-23 season jubilant after securing Champions League football next term, and victory at Stamford Bridge could see them leapfrog Manchester United into third.

It remains to be seen how motivated the Magpies will be but, even without the absolute necessity of winning, Eddie Howe’s side have the quality to beat the torrid Blues.

Newcastle have won four of their last six Premier League away games and scored 15 goals in the process. 

They have not done the double over Chelsea since 1987 but, after a 1-0 win at St James’ Park in November, that record could be set to change on Sunday.

Back Newcastle to win at 11/8 with LiveScore Bet.

Win big with LiveScore 6!

Fancy winning up to £100,000?

Simply predict six correct scores from the weekend action for your chance to win, with consolation prizes also on offer if you go close.

Play LiveScore 6 for free this weekend (18+, UK only). Click here for details on how to get involved.

Fashion Sakala grabbed a double as Rangers signed off on their cinch Premiership season with 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley.

Both teams had little to play for but the Gers attacker was determined to leave a lasting impression on the campaign, scoring following a solo run after 26 minutes before adding a second just after the break with a similar run and finish.

Fit-again Croatia striker Antonio Colak climbed off the Rangers bench to score a third in the 77th minute as the Ibrox side – consigned to finish runners-up to champions Celtic – enjoyed a comfortable finale to their trophyless season.

Boss Michael Beale, who took over from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst last November, has already begun the revamp of the squad he hopes can overcome treble-chasing Celtic and Gers supporters will welcome a very different team into the new season – but expectations will remain as high as ever.

Saints had reached the top six for the first time under the present league format but were without a win in their previous six games.

However, manager Stephen Robinson had stressed the season had been a success and for the last fling, there as a league debut for goalkeeper Peter Urminsky and first starts of the season for midfielder Coalan Boyd-Munce and attacker Lewis Jamieson.

For the visitors, goalkeeper Robby McCrorie replaced the departing Allan McGregor, with midfielders Ryan Jack and Ianis Hagi and attacker Rabbi Matondo starting.

Buddies defender Ryan Strain went off with an injury after just six minutes and – before he was replaced by Marcus Fraser – Matondo curled a shot from the edge of the penalty area which just escaped Urminsky’s left-hand post.

Sakala’s goal came when he took a pass from left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, slalomed across the Saints penalty area past a couple of black and white shirts before his shot struck Paisley defender Scott Tanser and limped over the line. The visiting fans at the other end of the ground seeming to take time before realising the ball was in the net.

Moments later, McCrorie made a decent save from captain Mark O’Hara’s header before the Rangers goalkeeper was caught by Curtis Main as he went for a Jamieson cross, the Paisley forward picking up a booking from referee Matthew MacDermid for his troubles.

Less than three minutes after the restart, Sakala added a second, again coming in from the left evading tackles and this time his low drive was clean and powerful as the ball sped past Urminsky.

St Mirren slowly began to work their way into the game, pushing Rangers backwards and giving them some defending to do.

Beale made a quadruple substitution in the 67th minute, bringing on Adam Devine, Borna Barasic, Scott Arfield and Colak with skipper James Tavernier, Yilmaz, Hagi and Sakala making way.

The changes did little to repel the Buddies who were working hard to get a lifeline in the game.

However, after firing a drive wide of the target from outside the box, Colak knocked the ball in from close range, after Todd Cantwell’s corner from the right had been flicked on by Nicolas Raskin, before taking the acclaim of the Rangers supporters behind the goal.

Celtic turned on the style in their final league game but the title party was tinged with concern for the fitness of Kyogo Furuhashi and Alistair Johnston after the pair went off injured in a 5-0 win over Aberdeen.

Furuhashi went off after scoring twice in five first-half minutes to consolidate his place at the top of the cinch Premiership goalscoring charts.

The Japan international came off worse in a 50-50 with Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos and limped off five minutes into the second half despite initially trying to play on.

Johnston was making his comeback from the heavy leg knock he suffered during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers and he went down holding his leg before making way in the 64th minute.

After collecting one point from the three games since clinching the title, Ange Postecoglou had picked 11 players that have a good chance of starting next Saturday’s final against Inverness, barring injury and the possible return of the suspended Daizen Maeda.

Celtic returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as Carl Starfelt notched his first goal at Parkhead and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu grabbed a double before the team collected the Premiership trophy.

The champions emerged to a guard of honour from Aberdeen, who clinched third place and a European spot in midweek and will be guaranteed group-stage football if Celtic win the cup.

Postecoglou, who was named Scottish Football Writers’ manager of the year earlier in the day, will join Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon in becoming a treble-winning Celtic manager if that happens and a full-stadium fan display referenced the club’s history before the game.

Huge images of Stein and Willie Maley filled both ends of Celtic Park with a banner declaring ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’.

Liel Abada made a lively start, before making way for James Forrest at half-time, and Celtic looked to have rediscovered the intensity missing since they won the title at Tynecastle.

Furuhashi missed two chances and Starfelt saw a header well saved by Roos before Greg Taylor’s pass set the forward up to finish into the top corner in the 27th minute.

The PFA Scotland player of the year soon scored his 27th Premiership goal of the season – three ahead of Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen, who still has one game left.

Roos spilled Callum McGregor’s curling effort and Furuhashi reacted quickest to knock the rebound home.

Furuhashi was not far over from a tight angle before his chances of a hat-trick were ended by injury.

Celtic continued to dominate. Matt O’Riley hit the post, Jota was just wide with an acrobatic flick and Reo Hatate came close before Starfelt headed home O’Riley’s corner in the 78th minute.

Oh headed home four minutes later from Jota’s cross before doubling his tally in the last minute after the Portuguese winger had struck the bar with a free-kick.

Ten-man Hearts held on for a 1-1 draw in a tense final-day Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle to stop Hibernian leapfrogging them into fourth place in the cinch Premiership.

The Jambos knew a point would be enough to keep their fifth-place city rivals beneath them and secure automatic European qualification next term, and they got off to the perfect start when Yutaro Oda fired them into a ninth-minute lead.

But a red card for Alex Cochrane – his third of the season – on the half hour and an equaliser from Kevin Nisbet immediately afterwards meant Hearts had to dig deep for more than an hour – including stoppage-time – to get the point they needed.

Despite Hibs failing to get the win they craved, they will join their old foes in getting a crack at the Europa Conference League as long as Celtic defeat Championship side Inverness in next weekend’s Scottish Cup final, albeit starting in an earlier qualifying round.

Hearts made two changes to the team that started Wednesday’s 2-2 draw away to Rangers as Cochrane and Barrie McKay replaced Toby Sibbick and Alan Forrest.

There was one enforced change to the Hibs team that started Wednesday’s win over Celtic as Chris Cadden replaced the injured CJ Egan-Riley.

Hearts got off to the perfect start when they took the lead in the ninth minute as Japanese forward Oda drilled home his first goal for the club from just inside the box after a long throw-in from James Hill was only partially cleared by the Hibs defence.

The hosts suffered a blow in the 17th minute when midfielder Peter Haring – who only recently returned following a lengthy concussion lay-off – was forced off after clashing heads with Cadden while trying to deal with a cross from Elie Youan. The Austrian was replaced by Orestis Kiomourtzoglou.

The game swung in Hibs’ favour just before the half hour, however, when they were awarded a penalty after Cochrane brought Cadden down as he burst into the box.

Following a VAR review, referee Don Robertson showed a red card to Cochrane – whom he had initially booked – for denying a goal-scoring opportunity but he changed the spot-kick award to a free-kick as the foul had been committed just outside the box.

This mattered little to the Hibees, however, as Nisbet, who had been preparing to take the penalty, instead drove the free-kick through the defensive wall and into Zander Clark’s bottom right corner.

The visitors’ tails were up and in the 35th minute Paul Hanlon saw a shot pushed over by Clark from the edge of the box, before Jake Doyle-Hayes’ effort from the resulting corner was deflected behind. Joe Newell then saw a 15-yard strike brilliantly tipped over by Clark from a Doyle-Hayes corner just before the break.

Hibs boss Lee Johnson, knowing his team needed a win to leapfrog their opponents, made two attacking changes for the start of the second half as Ewan Henderson and Harry McKirdy replaced Lewis Miller and James Jeggo.

The visitors went close to taking the lead in the 49th minute when Nisbet glanced a header just wide from a Cadden cross.

The Hibees’ cause was not helped by the fact they lost both Doyle-Hayes and Cadden to injury in the early stages of the second half.

Will Fish had a header from a Newell corner brilliantly saved by Clark in the 75th minute and the centre-back saw another header deflected on to the post, but for all their possession Hibs were unable to find a way through a resilient Hearts back-line, sparking jubilant full-time scenes from the home side.

– Brentford have only lost two home league games in the past year 
– Manchester City have drawn three of their last five away assignments 
– Recommended bet: Brentford or Tie

Manchester City head to the Brentford Community Stadium for the final game of the season after already securing their third successive Premier League title, but their hosts are still in with a chance of qualifying for Europe.

Should Aston Villa and Tottenham fail to win their final-day clashes, a win for ninth-placed Brentford would see them leapfrog the duo and qualify for the Europa Conference League and they will be eager to take advantage of any complacency in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Team news

Brentford will be without top scorer Ivan Toney due to suspension, while Christian Norgaard, Pontus Jansson and Keane Lewis-Potter all remain sidelined.

Guardiola could have a full squad to select from, although both Phil Foden and Nathan Ake have fitness concerns and are unlikely to be risked. 

The Manchester City manager says his team will be “as strong as possible” but, despite this, heavy rotation is an option as the Premier League champions prepare for their upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals.

The stats

Brentford have won four of their last five matches.

The Bees have lost just two home Premier League games all season.

Manchester City’s only home defeat in 13 months came against Brentford.

Pep Guardiola’s side have failed to win three of their last five competitive away games.

Prediction

Brentford have a slim chance of securing European football next season and will be hoping to capitalise on a potentially heavily-rotated Manchester City side.

The Bees have a fantastic home record to look back upon, too, with just two top-flight defeats at the Brentford Community Stadium all season, while a 3-1 victory at Tottenham last weekend made it four wins from their last five outings.

Guardiola will be keen to keep momentum going ahead of their upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals, but at least some rotation is expected in preparation for these ties and their away record does have a few small blemishes recently.

The visitors have drawn three of their last five competitive away games, including their last trip to Brighton in midweek, while Thomas Frank’s side have had a full week to prepare for this fixture.

Brentford are the only side to beat Manchester City at the Etihad in the last 13 months and, given the motivation of potential European football and their fantastic home record this season, they could be in the position to do the double over the Premier League champions or at least secure a point.

Back Brentford or Tie at 21/20 with LiveScore Bet.

Win big with LiveScore 6!

Fancy winning up to £100,000?

Simply predict six correct scores from the weekend action for your chance to win, with consolation prizes also on offer if you go close.

Play LiveScore 6 for free this weekend (18+, UK only). Click here for details on how to get involved.

Jude Bellingham’s blockbuster move to Real Madrid will finally be confirmed next week.

That is according to Spanish outlet Marca, who report that the 19-year-old England youngster has agreed personal terms on a six-year deal with Los Blancos.

Bellingham is fighting to be fit for Borussia Dortmund’s vital final-day showdown with Mainz this afternoon, where victory would seal the club a first Bundesliga title in 11 years. 

But while the Stourbridge-born starlet has remained tight-lipped on his future, a deal starting at £87million is thought to have been pre-agreed between Dortmund and Madrid some time ago.

Carlo Ancelotti has been kept in the loop with negotiations throughout and all plans are in place for the Spanish giants to unveil their latest recruit in the coming days.

Marca also suggest the midfield ace, who caught the eye for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions at the Qatar World Cup last winter, had more lucrative financial offers on the table elsewhere.

However, Bellingham is said to have made his desire to join the 14-time European champions clear from an early stage.

Premier League giants Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City had all been previously linked with moves for the teenage sensation.

In other news

West Ham captain Declan Rice is ready to make clear his intention to join Arsenal this summer, according to The Mirror.

Chelsea are ready to get rid of one of their two first-team goalkeepers this summer, with 90min suggesting Edouard Mendy is likeliest to depart.

ESPN claim Marco Asensio is in advanced talks to join Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer when his Real Madrid contract expires next month.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell expects the unexpected as Dundee United travel to Fir Park needing goals galore to avoid the drop.

United must win at Fir Park and hope Kilmarnock beat Ross County while achieving an eight-goal swing against the Staggies to get off the bottom of the cinch Premiership.

Tannadice manager Jim Goodwin admits they would need a “minor miracle” which is all the more unlikely given United have lost four games in a row while Motherwell have only lost twice in 13 games under Kettlewell.

Nonetheless, the Well boss recognises the unusual circumstances make it harder to second-guess his opponent’s game plan.

“I have had a fair amount of thought about it since we all played on Wednesday, and it probably becomes a little bit unpredictable in terms of what Jim does with his team,” said Kettlewell, whose team are aiming to seal seventh spot.

“We just have to prepare as best we possibly can but we can probably all in this room have a stab at how they are going to set up, what they are going to do, and I don’t know if any of us would get it right.

“I don’t mean any disrespect in that, it’s just the situation they find themselves in.

“I think the one constant I would imagine, having played against Jim’s teams on more than one occasion, as long as there’s a chance they are going to be fighting and they are going to come here and try and win by a margin. We have to brace ourselves for that.

“I believe Dundee United players and staff will feel that they owe that to their supporters so that’s what we have to expect.

“It’s just important that we try to finish off the season with as best a performance as we can.

“Every single week we go out to win the game but it does become a slightly different situation to what we have faced in recent weeks.

“As much as teams have been fighting for their life, it almost gets to that point where you need an exact number of goals.

“So it can change the mentality a little bit but it’s my job to make sure it doesn’t change too much in our players’ approach and mindset.”

All eyes will be on the battle for survival and the scrap for the final European place on the final day of Premier League season on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points.

Everton are one of three clubs in danger, with two making the drop alongside already-relegated Southampton this weekend.

But the Toffees at least have control of their own destiny heading into a Goodison Park clash against Bournemouth, knowing that a 70th-successive season in the top-flight awaits if they match the results of Leicester and Leeds.

It promises to be a nervous afternoon, though, with Everton’s cause not helped by injury absentees Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey.

Seven years after the charismatic Claudio Ranieri masterminded Leicester’s stunning Premier League title triumph, the Foxes look Championship-bound.

They host West Ham knowing that victory over the Hammers might not be enough to keep them in the top division.

Dean Smith’s team must win and hope Everton do not collect maximum points against Bournemouth, otherwise their fate will be sealed. It is all a far cry from May 7, 2016, when Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan held aloft the Premier League trophy.

Sam Allardyce faced mission improbable when he was parachuted in as Leeds manager with just four games of the season left after Javi Gracia was sacked.

And so it has proved, with Allardyce overseeing one draw and two defeats so far.

Nothing less than a win will do for Leeds against Tottenham at Elland Road and even then they need the results from both the Everton and Leicester matches to go their way.

Tottenham have their own targets to worry about during their trip to West Yorkshire. After spending much of the season battling for a Champions League spot, they could miss out on Europe altogether as they fight Aston Villa and Brentford for seventh and a place in the Europa Conference League.

Villa are in pole position and know a win at home to Europa League-bound Brighton will be enough to secure European qualification for the first time since 2010. Anything less would open the door for Spurs, who last did not feature in continental competition in the 2009-10 campaign.

Should both slip up, then Brentford can secure European football for the first time in their history if they manage to win at home to champions Manchester City.

What kind of City side awaits Brentford remains to be seen. With the Premier League title already won, City’s hopes of a trophy treble rest with the FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3 then the Champions League final versus Inter Milan seven days later.

It will be about finding a balance between resting players and avoiding rustiness ahead of those games, so rotation can be expected for Sunday’s trip.

Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland could be among those rested, but if Haaland plays, it will be a last chance to extend his remarkable Premier League goalscoring record of 36 this term.

Boss Unai Emery admits Aston Villa’s final step to return to Europe will be their hardest.

Villa host Brighton on Sunday knowing victory would seal a European comeback for the first time since 2010-11.

It would book seventh in the Premier League and a Europa Conference League play-off spot but Emery knows it is a tough test.

“We have to be very ambitious and I am. I’m here trying to push everybody, to demand from everybody to get better playing and to take European places,” he said.

“We have to take each step being strong and being passionate about how to do it. We are in this way. We are progressing very well.

“I’m very, very happy with the players and their commitment, their character and they are responding very well. We are also connecting with our supporters.

“We are in the first step. If we achieve our objective on Sunday, we will be very, very happy.

“It’s the next step because we started by escaping from the bottom (of the table), we got into the top 10 and then we have the objective to be in the European places.

“The most difficult step is to get it, but we have our objective. And then if we don’t, it’s not changing our idea or our mind about how we want to improve.”

Brighton have already qualified for the Europa League, sealing sixth place with Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City.

Boss Roberto De Zerbi has impressed since replacing Graham Potter in September and Emery is an admirer.

He said: “Football is changing so quickly. I’m 51 years old, I started coaching at 32, so I’ve had 19 years as a coach and manager.

“Always I am very focussed on how I can improve each day to be today, better than yesterday, to be tomorrow, better than today.

“It’s not only about my work or my experiences or my analysis, it’s about trying to watch other coaches. One of them is Roberto De Zerbi.

“I like coaches who can show us something different tactically, offensively and defensively. In football, you have to be in the fast train because it moves so quickly.”