Month: May 2023

Ivan Toney has a gambling addiction, an independent regulatory commission has found.

The written reasons for the eight-month betting ban imposed on the Brentford forward were published on Friday and it found Toney had bet on himself to score in addition to betting on his own club to lose during a four-year period.

It did state, however, that: “There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning – he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.”

Toney was charged with 262 betting offences in November and was last week banned from all football activity until January 17 after he admitted 232 breaches.

An independent regulatory commission imposed Toney’s sanctions, which included a £50,000 fine, following a personal hearing and he is not able to train with club side Brentford until September 17.

Psychiatrist Dr Philip Hopley attended Toney’s personal hearing and diagnosed that Toney has a gambling addiction.

“The commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by Dr Hopley,” the written reasons document said.

“The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction.

“The present case is not one of match-fixing. If it was, the charges would have been pursued under different provisions.

“There is no evidence that Mr Toney did or was even in a position to influence his own team to lose when he placed bets against them winning – he was not in the squad or eligible to play at the time.”

Toney’s 232 breaches of FA Rule E8, the general prohibition on betting on football by a participant, took place over five seasons from February 25, 2017 to January 23, 2021.

It has been revealed the forward placed 13 bets on his own team to lose in seven different matches during the 2017-18 season, 11 of these bets were against Newcastle when he was out on loan away from the St James’ Park club.

Two other bets were placed on a game between Wigan and Aston Villa, but Toney, on-loan at Wigan at the time, was not involved in the matchday squad.

England international Toney also bet on his own team to win 15 different matches and himself to score in nine different matches, the commission found.

The FA had called for a minimum ban of 12 months but the commission reduced it due to his guilty plea and took away a further three months from his suspension owing to his gambling addiction diagnosis.

“Of particular importance, the Commission finds that a significant reduction should be made to reflect the diagnosed gambling addiction identified by Dr Hopley,” the written reasons read.

“The lack of control the player has in respect of gambling is clearly a reflection of his diagnosed gambling addiction. The position appears to be that Mr Toney has ceased gambling on football although he still gambles on other sports and casino games.

“He is determined to address his gambling problem with therapy at the conclusion of this season.

“Taking all of those matters into account the Commission reduces the sanction by 3 months to a suspension of 8 months. There is no clear and compelling reason to suspend any part of that suspension.”

It was also revealed the FA invited the Commission to order the suspension to begin from the commencement of next season, but it was decided to implement the ban immediately.

Toney’s club Brentford have promised to support the 27-year-old with his gambling addiction.

“Ivan and Brentford FC accept that offences were committed and sanctions were inevitable,” a club statement read.

“The commission noted that none of the charges related to events where Ivan could negatively impact his own team. The detail is included in the written reasons.

“The club will now be doing everything possible to provide support to Ivan and his family to deal with the issues raised in this case.

“Conversations regarding this and all matters relating to the case will remain confidential in order to protect the player and his family.

“We consider this matter closed and look forward to welcoming Ivan back to training in September and seeing him representing Brentford in the Premier League in January.”

Real Madrid take on Europa League finalists Sevilla on Saturday as they bid to secure second place in LaLiga.

Atletico Madrid are just a point behind Los Blancos but face tough opponents in fourth-placed Real Sociedad, while champions Barcelona host inconsistent Mallorca.

At the other end of the table, relegation-threatened pair Almeria and Real Valladolid meet in Andalusia with only two points separating the latter in 18th from 13th-placed Valencia.

Los Che are in action against second-bottom Espanyol, who are three points from safety and running out of opportunities to escape the drop zone.

Game of the week: Sevilla vs Real Madrid (Saturday, 6pm)

Following a disappointing start to the campaign, Sevilla have rallied to climb within a point of the top seven — as well as reaching the Europa League final, where they will face Roma.

Their next domestic opponents are the mighty Real, who will be keen to avoid the ignominy of finishing below local rivals Atleti in a campaign that has seen Barcelona claim the title with relative ease.

Los Blancos remain the division’s top scorers ahead of Matchday 37, netting 72 times in just 36 games despite not boasting the competition’s leading scorer at this stage.

Instead, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have spread the goals around. They are the only team with five players to have struck at least seven times in the competition — Karim Benzema (18), Vinicius Junior (10), Marco Asensio (nine), Rodrygo (seven) and Federico Valverde (seven).

Barcelona vs Mallorca (Sunday, 6pm)

Barcelona have lost both their LaLiga outings since wrapping up the title at Espanyol, so head coach Xavi will be keen for an improved performance against Mallorca this weekend.

Los Piratas surprisingly find themselves with an outside chance of qualifying for the Europa Conference League, sitting three points off seventh-placed Osasuna.

Despite the Blaugrana’s poor recent form, their defensive record remains remarkable with just 18 goals conceded in 36 league outings — an average of just 0.5 per game. No other side in the division has conceded fewer than 30 at this stage of the season.

The Catalan giants pair that defence with the competition’s most prolific striker in Robert Lewandowski. He is five goals clear at the top of the standings with 23, making him the clear favourite to win the Pichichi Trophy.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad (Sunday, 6pm)

Fourth-placed Sociedad could yet leapfrog Atleti into third — but they must win this encounter to have any chance of closing the five-point gap between the two.

Los Rojiblancos have been led in attack by their talismanic forward Antoine Griezmann, whose total of 27 direct goal contributions (14 goals, 13 assists) is the second-highest in the division.

The Frenchman’s seven match-winning goals is also the joint-second most in Spain’s top tier, representing half of his total haul.

La Real will look to top scorer Alexander Sorloth to help them earn a result in the capital. 

A remarkable seven of his 11 LaLiga strikes have come away from home — he is one of just three players in the competition to hit double figures while scoring more often on the road.

Almeria vs Real Valladolid (Sunday, 6pm) 

Almeria and Valladolid go into Sunday’s clash desperate for points as they look to finish above the drop zone.

The pair are two of seven teams still threatened by relegation with two games to play, so defeat for either could prove decisive.

It is Almeria’s shortcomings at the back that have put their LaLiga status in jeopardy. Outside of the bottom three, no side has conceded more times than their 62.

Valladolid do boast a similarly poor defensive record (63 goals conceded), though — and despite recording a passable total of 11 wins in 36 games, their 20 defeats is the second-most in the league ahead of only bottom side Elche (23).

Valencia vs Espanyol (Sunday, 6pm)

Of all the teams at risk of going down, Valencia are best-placed to dodge the drop — sitting 13th and two points clear of the bottom three.

But the opposite holds true for their opponents this weekend. Espanyol are three points from safety and appear the most likely to find themselves in the Segunda Division next term.

The Barcelona outfit have, surprisingly, enjoyed a relatively free-scoring campaign. In fact, outside the top five, only Girona have registered more goals than their 47. However, only Elche have conceded more than their 64 goals against.

Los Che, meanwhile, boast the second-best defensive record in the bottom half of the table (42 goals conceded) and will hope they can secure their top-flight status with victory and favourable results elsewhere.

The weekend’s other games

Athletic Bilbao vs Elche (Sunday, 6pm) 

Cadiz vs Celta Vigo (Sunday, 6pm) 

Getafe vs Osasuna (Sunday, 6pm)

Girona vs Real Betis (Sunday, 6pm) 

Rayo Vallecano vs Villarreal (Sunday, 6pm)

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Liam Kelly insists “sleeping giant” Coventry must avoid letting the occasion of a Wembley play-off final ruin their Premier League dream.

Coventry, one of the Premier League’s founder members in 1992, will end a 22-year exile from the top flight if they overcome Luton in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on Saturday.

Victory would cap a remarkable journey for Coventry and Kelly as the veteran midfielder was part of the Sky Blues team which beat Exeter in the League Two play-off final at Wembley in 2018.

“The attention surrounding this game is more (than 2018), but on a personal level it’s just the same for me,” said skipper Kelly.

“We were expected to be promoted from League Two and League One, but at the start of the season I don’t think anyone expected us to be in this position.

“When I came here I don’t think many people envisioned where the club would be now. It’s been a great journey.

“It’s a big club and it’s been a sleeping giant for a while, but we’ve seen the support the last few years.”

Coventry took 42,500 fans to Wembley when they beat Oxford to win the EFL Trophy in 2017.

This time the Sky Blues have sold their allocation of 36,237 tickets for a game described as one for the romantics given Luton’s rise from non-league football over the past decade.

Luton ended the campaign two places higher and with 10 points more than Mark Robins’ Coventry, but their two games in the regular season were both drawn.

Kelly said: “Luton finished third and are one of the best teams in the Championship.

“It’s going to be a fantastic day but at the same time you can’t let the occasion get the best of you.

“You’ve got to realise what’s at stake and use that energy from the crowd to achieve what we want to.

“I remember it (2018 play-off final) went really quickly, but you’ve got to go out and be on it rather than be overawed by it.

“We just have to go with the momentum and not overthink it, realise where our form has taken us and give everything to try to win this game.

“Sometimes the best way to get into the play-offs is to creep into it in the last couple of weeks, which we’ve managed to do, and we can take confidence from that.”

Kelly has made 160 appearances for Coventry after being relegated out of the English Football League as a Leyton Orient player in 2017.

But the 33-year-old could be playing his final game at Wembley as he is coming to the end of his contract and facing an uncertain future.

He said: “I won’t pay too much attention to that. I just want to concentrate on this final and we can sort everything out at the end of the season.

“I just want to get that winner’s medal round my neck.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits his side failed to live up to expectations this season and has no issue with Mohamed Salah saying the team let down fans.

Writing on social media after Manchester United’s win over Chelsea on Thursday night consigned Liverpool to Europa League football, the Egypt international said he was “devastated” and there was “absolutely no excuse” for not making the top four.

Klopp had already resigned himself to not playing Champions League next season and admits he even thought fifth place was out of reach prior to their current 10-match unbeaten run, which includes seven victories.

“It was a just a normal description of his situation, of his feeling, and in that moment directly after the game he’s right, it’s not the moment to immediately send any optimistic messages,” said Klopp.

“But I saw him now in the canteen and he was smiling. I don’t know for which reason as I didn’t ask him, but he is not in a bad mood. That’s it.

“We didn’t deliver what everybody wanted or expected but but we are still really united, that’s the good thing about it.

“The dressing room is not in a bad mood. We have learned to deal with the situation. We didn’t get divided in one moment between manager and team, which is super helpful.

“For a long time and it was clear from a specific point on it would not be a historically good season. We made mistakes, we couldn’t deliver often enough and were not consistent enough.

“We didn’t point fingers at each other. That’s all good. If you don’t qualify for the Champions League, the best place you can possibly end up is fifth, so that’s what we did.

“If you’d have asked me 10 games ago if that was possible, I’d have said no. That the boys did that is really good but it’s not perfect.

“We didn’t end up fifth because of the last 10 games, we ended up there because of the lack of consistency before that.”

Failure to qualify for the Champions League is set to cost Liverpool at least £50million next season but there may be implications in the shorter term as UEFA’s second-tier competition is likely to be less attractive to leading players.

The club have already pulled out of the running for primary target Jude Bellingham after the asking price for the Borussia Dortmund midfielder became prohibitive and reports this week suggested Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount’s preferred destination is Old Trafford.

Klopp is keen to get his business done early and is hopeful finishing fifth will not put a spanner in the works of their planning.

“I don’t think so but we will see. That is obviously possible, it’s always possible things don’t go as quick as you want. It’s not only possible, it is probably likely,” he added ahead of Sunday’s final match of the season at Southampton.

“The better the players you want the lesser is the desire of the other club to let him go and that’s exactly what we are prepared for.

“But it’s a long window and a long pre-season and a long break in-between so we have time. If we get in players tomorrow or in six or seven weeks it is not a game-changer for me to be honest.

“In an ideal world they all sign tomorrow and I can tell them when to be and we can start giving them the plans for the summer break but that will not likely happen likely.”

Borussia Dortmund head into the final matchday of the Bundesliga season knowing that victory over Mainz will clinch the title.

Reigning champions Bayern Munich need BVB to slip up, while earning maximum points themselves against FC Cologne, to be in with a chance of claiming top spot.

Meanwhile, Union Berlin will be hoping to stave off Freiburg and qualify for the Champions League by beating Werder Bremen, with only goal difference separating the two top-four contenders.

At the other end of the table, Bochum and Schalke could still secure safety ahead of Stuttgart but face formidable opponents in Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. 

Game of the weekend: Borussia Dortmund vs Mainz (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Borussia Dortmund are one win away from claiming their first Bundesliga title since 2012. It would be the ninth time they have been crowned German champions, level with Nurnberg in second spot behind Bayern Munich.

Should they beat Mainz and guarantee first place, BVB would also set club records for home wins (15) and home points (46) in the competition.

Additionally, Mats Hummels could find himself in the unique position of being the first player to win at least three league titles with two different clubs. This would be his third with Dortmund, after winning four with Bayern.

Encouragingly for Die Borussen, Mainz are on a run of four consecutive defeats and have nothing left to play for. They are safe and can no longer finish in a European qualification place.

FC Cologne vs Bayern Munich (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bayern Munich have won 10 league titles in a row — but that run may be about to end.

The Bavarian giants need Dortmund to fail to beat Mainz on the final day if they are to clinch an 11th successive championship with a victory over FC Cologne. However, no side that was not top of the table going into the final matchday has won the Bundesliga in any of the last 22 seasons.

Bayern will still be fancied to claim maximum points in this fixture and push Dortmund all the way, though, having beaten FC Cologne in each of their last eight trips to face the Billy Goats.

However, Thomas Tuchel’s personal record against these opponents is less impressive, winning just one of his last eight competitive games (four draws, three defeats).

Union Berlin vs Werder Bremen (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Union Berlin sit fourth ahead of the final matchday of the season, though their position is far from secure.

Should Union match or better Freiburg’s result, they will have secured Champions League qualification — unless both teams win and Freiburg’s victory comes by four more goals.

Encouragingly for the capital club, they have won each of their last four meetings with next opponents Werder Bremen.

Additionally, Werder have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their previous 11 league games, while Union have managed five in the same timeframe — more than any other club in the competition.

Bochum vs Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bochum go into their final game of the season in the bottom three, level on points with 15th-placed Stuttgart but with a vastly inferior goal difference.

Der Blau must therefore better their relegation rival’s result on the final day. However, they go up against European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen, who can only guarantee sixth place with a win.

Furthermore, Bochum have not emerged victorious from any of the previous seven meetings between the pair (three draws, four defeats), last winning in 2008.

Thomas Letsch’s team have also failed to win any of their last four games on Matchday 34 (one draw, three defeats) while Leverkusen have won 10 of their previous 12 final day fixtures (two defeats).

RB Leipzig vs Schalke (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Schalke find themselves in the bottom two ahead of their last game of the season, just one point off Bochum and Stuttgart.

Unfortunately for them, their opponents are third-placed RB Leipzig, who beat them 6-1 in the reverse fixture to record their joint-biggest away win in the Bundesliga.

However, Marco Rose’s men are guaranteed to remain third and have nothing to play for, as Schalke look to spring a surprise and avoid being relegated from the Bundesliga for the fifth time in their history.

If Die Knappen are to make a great escape, they will have to do so without suspended defender Moritz Jenz. They have managed just 0.7 points per game without him, conceding 2.5 goals on average — compared to 1.5 points and 1.1 goals conceded with him.

The weekend’s other games

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Freiburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Stuttgart vs Hoffenheim (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Wolfsburg vs Hertha Berlin (Saturday, 2.30pm)

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Manchester United have made Harry Kane their No1 transfer target as they search for an elite centre forward this summer.

Kane — along with midfielders Declan Rice and Mason Mount — are the type of characters that manager Erik ten Hag wants in the dressing room, report Sky Sports.

The 29-year-old has enjoyed a fine season on a personal level, scoring 28 league goals for a Tottenham side that may not even finish in the European qualification positions.

Only Erling Haaland has netted more often than the England captain, who has reportedly been keen on a move away from Spurs in the past.

Kane has 12 months left on the six-year contract he signed with Tottenham in 2018, meaning that should he stay in North London for one more season he could pick and choose his next club for himself.

The Premier League’s all-time second-top goalscorer turns 30 this summer, however, so time is running out if he is to enjoy more of his peak years elsewhere.

Ten Hag’s side are keen on a new striker, with Anthony Martial potentially leaving the club and loanee Wout Weghorst set to return to Burnley.

No United player has scored 20 goals in a single league campaign since Robin van Persie in 2013, while Kane has achieved that feat in six of his last nine seasons.

In other news

James Maddison and Kieran Tierney top Newcastle’s list of summer transfer targets, according to i sport.

The Sun report that Eddie Howe’s side could also enter a battle with West Ham to sign Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.

Chelsea and Liverpool are monitoring Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, say The Times.

– Leicester have won just two of their last 12 Premier League home matches
– West Ham have won four of their last five league and cup games
– Recommended bet: Tie or West Ham double chance

Leicester City need to beat West Ham in their final Premier League game of the season on Sunday to stand any chance of avoiding relegation to the Championship, while the Hammers may have one eye on next month’s Europa Conference League final.

It will have finally dawned on Leicester that there are no more chances and a win over the Irons is crucial if they are to remain in the Premier League next season.

Even that may not be enough, as any victory will be worthless if Everton beat already-safe Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

Poor King Power form goes a long way to explaining why Leicester find themselves needing to rely on other sides to help them out on the final week of the season and the Hammers will not be a pushover.

Their fans will be anticipating a trip to Prague for the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, but the players will want to guarantee their starting spots, so it seems unlikely they will be taking things easy.

Team news

Leicester’s worst fears were realised at Newcastle on Monday when central defender Jonny Evans limped off and they will be desperate for the Northern Ireland international to shake off a thigh injury.

Hopes are also high that Wilfried Ndidi will overcome a hamstring problem, but James Justin, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Ryan Bertrand have all been ruled out.

The stats

Leicester have won just two of their last 12 home matches.

Both teams have scored in seven of their last nine meetings, while five of the last eight matches between the sides have featured at least four goals.

Southampton are the only team to have lost more than Leicester’s total of 22 Premier League matches this season.

West Ham have won four of their last five league and cup games and nine of their last 11 league away games have featured at least two goals.

Prediction

There will be plenty of people claiming that Leicester should be too good to go down, but they have not shown enough in the last couple of weeks to suggest they can avoid the drop.

Their situation has been perilous for some time, but they didn’t get out of second gear when Liverpool eased past them 3-0 in their last home game and they failed to create much in the final third in Monday’s goalless draw at Newcastle.

They have not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 home games and they could be vulnerable against the Hammers who, despite not having a great record on the road this season, demonstrated they can give a relegation candidate short shrift when they beat Leeds 3-1 at the London Stadium last week.

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Erik ten Hag fears winger Antony suffered a “serious” injury as Manchester United fulfilled their “main objective” of Champions League qualification by thrashing Chelsea. 

The Red Devils sealed their return to European football’s top table with a game to spare by thrashing Frank Lampard’s wasteful Blues 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday evening. 

Casemiro, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford scored before Joao Felix struck a late consolation on a night that saw Antony leave on a stretcher in the first half. 

Asked for an update on the Brazil international, Ten Hag said: “I don’t know. Everyone has seen he came off. 

“I can tell you that it’s serious but we have to wait minimum 24 hours and then we know probably more about the status of his injury.” 

Ten Hag’s comments suggest Antony is in danger of missing the FA Cup final against Manchester City on June 3, with Luke Shaw also requiring assessment after being substituted with a reported back issue. 

He added: “We have to wait. Antony looks serious but we don’t know what it is. With Shaw, we have to wait as well. After tomorrow we know more.” 

Their absence would be big blows for a United side that are already without Lisandro Martinez, Marcel Sabitzer and Donny van de Beek for the FA Cup final. 

Beating City would be the cherry on top of what Ten Hag believes has already been a “successful season”.

The Dutch boss explained: “I have always high expectations of myself and I think this club belongs in the Champions League, so you have to qualify in the first four.

“But this league is very strong, and there are many teams, many clubs, who are competing for the position and they all can do it because they have high budgets, good squads. 

“We see Chelsea, they have massive, good squad with outstanding players. 

“So, we are happy we are in the first four. I think we played a good season in the Premier League. I would say, a very good season.”

Only one of Everton, Leicester and Leeds can survive on Sunday — and I’m backing my old club to scramble over the line. 

Not only do the Toffees have control of their own destiny, I think they have the most attractive fixture out of the three sides in trouble. 

All of them will be delighted to be at home, naturally. But if you were picking one of Tottenham, West Ham and Bournemouth to face, you’d pick the Cherries.

To be fair, Gary O’Neil’s men have pulled off some huge results this season against far more impressive sides than Everton. 

But that was before they were safe.

They head to Goodison Park having lost three in a row. And while they have little to lose, Everton’s players should surely be able to trump them for desire and will to win given what’s at stake.

It will be tight. It will be nervy. But if you’d have offered Sean Dyche this when he came in — beating Bournemouth at home to secure safety — I think he’d have settled for it.

Floundering Foxes

You look at some of the players Leicester have and wonder how on earth they’ve got in this position.

I never expected them to be in relegation trouble back in August, though with hindsight, there were definitely a few concerning signs.

The way Kasper Schmeichel was allowed to leave the club for peanuts without an adequate replacement being signed was a really strange move.

Regardless of his ability or age, he was a huge presence in that dressing room with vast experience and leadership qualities. 

When you go on rotten streaks of form, it’s those kind of players you need in your camp to keep spirits up and drive everyone forward.

The Foxes could have worse fixtures than West Ham, given David Moyes’ men may have their minds on their European final. 

Sadly for them, though, I don’t see it being enough.

Sam old story

Sam Allardyce always had his work cut out with a four-game window to try and save Leeds.

Though he’ll be telling those players to just do their job and see what happens, they need a minor miracle to survive.

I think Leeds have fallen down through a lack of experience, putting too much emphasis on the future.

It’s all well and good wanting to buy young talent to develop. But when you’re struggling, you need people who have been there and done it.

Which players in that dressing room have 100 Premier League appearances? Many of them don’t even have 50.

Everton’s squad probably has less star quality but Dyche has been able to lean on experience — and it may end up being the decisive factor.

Anyway, for the final time this season, here are my predictions!

Joleon Lescott’s Premier League Matchday 38 predictions

Arsenal vs Wolves (Sunday, 4.30pm)

You never know what you’re going to get on the last day — especially when both sides have nothing to play for.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wolves get a result, though that could be my heart talking!

Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Wolves

Aston Villa vs Brighton (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Both teams will be absolutely thrilled with their campaigns, especially given the challenges they faced earlier in the season.

You’d imagine this will be an entertaining affair and I reckon a few goals are on the cards.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton

Brentford vs Manchester City (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Brentford are always dangerous but I think Pep Guardiola has made it clear the title celebrations are over for the champions.

They have two huge games coming up and I think they’ll want to go into that Manchester United FA Cup clash in the best frame of mind possible.

Prediction: Brentford 1-3 Manchester City

Chelsea vs Newcastle (Sunday, 4.30pm)

The fact I’m debating whether Chelsea can cause Newcastle problems sums up how bad things have become at Stamford Bridge.

Eddie Howe’s Toon have had a brilliant season but I can see them rotating and perhaps the Blues can take advantage in Frank Lampard’s farewell fixture.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Newcastle

Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest (Sunday, 4.30pm)

I’m sure both sets of fans were worrying about this game a couple of months ago but thankfully it’s going to be a very relaxed occasion now!

Forest are fully deserving of their top-flight status but I fear they’ll come up short in the capital.

Prediction: Crystal Palace 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Everton vs Bournemouth (Sunday, 4.30pm, Sky Sports)

As I’ve said, Everton have it in their own hands and I’m confident they’ll get the job done at Goodison.

It may well pan out that they don’t even need a result but you don’t want to be leaving anything to chance.

Prediction: Everton 2-1 Bournemouth

Leeds vs Tottenham (Sunday, 4.30pm, BT Sport)

Many seem to think Leeds will win this. I get that Spurs’ form hasn’t been great but the Whites haven’t exactly been flying themselves, have they?!

Their defence will be given a stern test from the visiting forwards and I’m sorry to say I think they come up short.

Prediction: Leeds 0-2 Tottenham

Leicester vs West Ham (Sunday, 4.30pm, Sky Sports)

To me, the Foxes are the most likely to put the pressure on Everton — especially given West Ham may make changes ahead of their Europa Conference League final.

However, the hosts have flattered to deceive all season and it would dent morale around the ground if Dyche’s Toffees score early.

Prediction: Leicester 1-1 West Ham

Manchester United vs Fulham (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Erik ten Hag will be satisfied with his first season at Old Trafford. Two finals, one trophy in the bag already and his side are back in the Champions League.

I’m sure they’ll be keen to end their league season on a high and Fulham have lacked consistency in recent months.

Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Fulham

Southampton vs Liverpool (Sunday, 4.30pm)

The Saints have long been resigned to their fate and I don’t see this being a happy ending to their Premier League stay.

Liverpool have been more like their old selves recently, in terms of results at least, and this has the look of a convincing away win for me.

Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Liverpool  

Joleon Lescott was talking to Matthew Hill

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Tottenham forward Harry Kane will celebrate a milestone birthday this summer but has talked up the possibility of playing until he is 40 after receiving his latest accolade on Thursday.

Kane was officially awarded the Freedom of the City of London during a ceremony at Guildhall alongside wife Kate, his three children and various members of his family.

Kane was nominated for one of the city’s most ancient traditions due to his outstanding sporting achievements, with the England captain only 50 goals away from becoming the Premier League’s record goalscorer.

While it has been a difficult season for club Tottenham, Kane has netted 28 times in the Premier League ahead of his 30th birthday in July.

When reflecting on his own potential longevity, the Spurs academy graduate referenced the ages of Karim Benzema, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were all in their mid-thirties when celebrating recent Ballon d’Or wins.

He said: “I am someone who always wants to push, always wants to get better, so if I am scoring goals at 39, then for sure I probably will play until I’m 40.

“I always said I think it depends how your career has gone and what you’ve achieved, what kind of mindset you are in at that stage.

“Sometimes there is a perception when you reach 30 that you’re coming to the end but in recent history some of the players who have been Ballon d’Or winners or Champions League winners have been 35, 36, 37.

“I think as long as you stay mentally hungry and physically in a good place, which I am, then I feel like you can play as long as possible.

“For sure I want to be playing another seven or eight years at the highest level and hopefully I can do that.”

There remains uncertainty over Kane’s future with only one year left on his deal at Tottenham, although the club have no intention of selling their star forward this summer.

Kane has repeatedly insisted his focus is on finishing another prolific season strongly as Spurs prepare to visit Leeds on Sunday with Europa Conference League qualification up for grabs.

Despite Tottenham’s poor campaign, Kane has closed in on Alan Shearer’s record haul of 260 Premier League goals.

He added: “This season has been difficult on a whole as a team. It has had its challenges but I always set myself little targets throughout the season, month by month.

“To score 28 goals is something I am proud of with one game to go and hopefully I can score a couple more on Sunday and finish strong.

“I just have to keep improving and every year I try to do that, finding different ways to score and that is something I will continue to do for the rest of my career.

“Yeah, that could be another couple of years away yet but I am feeling in a good place and hopefully I am playing for many more years so it is definitely a target that can be reached.”

After Kane added the Freedom of the City of London to the MBE he received in 2019, he joked it would take a major tournament win with England to earn a knighthood.

Whatever the future holds, he is determined to help the next generation through The Harry Kane Foundation, which was launched in October with the aim of changing perception about mental health.

“I reckon we’d have to win the Euros or World Cup and then it [knighthood] might be in the conversation but these things are incredible,” Kane said after he received the Freedom of the City of London.

On his Foundation, Kane explained: “We have had amazing feedback, [taken] amazing steps so far.

“I wanted to start the journey to learn more about mental health and especially with younger boys and younger girls, to see what they are going through and to use some of my experiences to help them.

“It has been a great journey and is something I want to build year on year. It is something I want to continue after I am finished, (in) 10 years or so.

“We’re on a good journey so far and it is not just London, it is for the whole country and the whole world to try to help as many people as possible.”