The Premier League is reaching a thrilling conclusion with the title race, the push for European spots and one relegation place still to be decided. Plenty of managers gave their views today, you can relive it all here with Daily Mail Sport…
Maddison on bench for vibes only
Roberto De Zerbi admits James Maddison is not fit to play but wants his positive vibes on the bench as Tottenham battle against relegation.
Maddison, who has not played a minute since damaging cruciate knee ligaments in preseason, was a surprise selection among the substitutes against Brighton on Sunday.
He did not come on and is unlikely to feature against Wolverhampton on Saturday, but he will be at Molineux in a cheerleading capacity.
De Zerbi said: ‘He is not available yet, and especially this week because he felt pain but not such an important problem. Tomorrow, he comes with us on the bench because he is important if plays or not.
‘It’s better if plays, but he is important as a leader and a positive guy. Inside my dressing room, I want nice, positive people and he is important for his team-mates.’
De Zerbi ruled Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr out of the Wolves game. Antonin Kinsky will continue in goal with Guglielmo Vicario still not fit after hernia surgery.
Matt Barlow
Arteta’s rallying cry
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to treat their final five league matches as a new season in a psychological bid to overcome Manchester City.
The Gunners are level on points and goal difference with their rivals going into a crunch run-in for the Premier League title which could go down to the final day.
Ahead of Arsenal’s match against Newcastle on Saturday, Arteta said: ‘I think the clarity of what we have to do, it cannot be better. Tomorrow, game one, all in. Let’s go for it. Win tomorrow, game one win, and then we’ll be much closer.
‘It’s five games to go, four weeks, two big competitions to play for and everything to play for. If somebody would have told us that at the beginning of the season, we would have taken it and we are so excited.
‘I have belief in our players, in our people, and the willingness that we have to achieve what we want.’
In a major boost, Arteta confirmed that Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori will both be in Saturday’s squad.
Saka has not featured for the Gunners since their Carabao Cup final defeat to Man City last month, with the winger managing an Achilles issue. Since then, the north London club have won just once in five games.
While Calafiori has missed the last three matches with a knock. Though Jurrien Timber is still unavailable.
On Saka, he added: ‘Yeah we have given him some time because there was a moment that he was struggling to sustain the performances because he wasn’t comfortable at all and we’ve done that (taken our time) so he had the right treatment, the right space.
‘He has some time as well for himself and it’s the most important part of the season and he’s part of us.
‘He was in great spirits today, you can see the sun is shining and now he’s back with the team. He had a different energy. He’s had a tough period, we certainly missed him and he’s back with us now.’
Isaan Khan
City blow as Rodri confirmed to miss FA Cup semi-final
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Rodri will not feature in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton.
The Manchester City midfielder missed the midweek win over Burnley with a groin injury sustained when they overcame Arsenal.
Guardiola said that Rodri is improving but doesn’t want to take risks at Wembley before City head into their final five matches of the Premier League campaign.
‘He’s better,’ Guardiola said. ‘No, [he is not likely to play] we don’t want to take the risk.
‘I don’t know [if he will be back for the Everton game] but we don’t want to take risk, because if he’s injured, and we lose him the next five games. Rodri is so important.’
The Manchester City midfielder missed the midweek win over Burnley with a groin injury and won’t recover in time to feature at Wembley
Guardiola has a selection headache against Saints, who are gunning for promotion from the Championship and are unbeaten since January.
‘On the train to London, with my staff, we will have to finish to discuss plans,’ he added.
‘The players are happy. The guys who don’t play much are not as happy as they must be. And now just focus on the game tomorrow, with the selection, the spirit, how we’ve recovered players from the last two incredibly demanding games.’
Nuno promises surprises on Moyes’ return to West Ham
Nuno Espirito Santo plans a few surprises for David Moyes when the ex-West Ham manager brings Everton to the London Stadium.
The Hammers need a win against their two-time former boss to ensure they stay out of the relegation zone.
But Nuno, who has previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, knows the advantages of facing a former club.
‘It’s not just another game, basically because we’ve been in these clubs. I speak for myself,’ he said.
‘The advantage is that you know the players. You sometimes know the routines. In this case, David knows the routines and knows the players.
‘So we have to try and make new things happen so we don’t become so predictable.
‘But it’s not just another game. It’s always a special game due to respect and love that you have from former clubs. But you want to win. You want to compete and win.’
Lampard: We have to believe we can compete
Frank Lampard challenged Coventry to match his ambition after leading the Sky Blues back to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.
Coventry secured promotion with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn on April 17 and their 5-1 win over Portsmouth four days later made them champions with two games to spare.
Yet Lampard’s future appears uncertain. He has only one year remaining on his contract and though he is expected be offered a new deal, the former England midfielder said on Friday there had been no talks. Owner Doug King is unlikely to spend lavishly on new players.
‘I am an ambitious man and an ambitious manager and I do know what the competitive levels are,’ he said. ‘We’ve had lots of plaudits this year, as a collective and myself, but I understand that when the level goes up you need to be able to compete.
‘That’s what we’ll have to talk about quickly to be able to get the squad strengthened in the right areas, so we can compete.
‘I want that. I want to be able to go there and show the best version of myself as a coach. That’s the work we’ll be talking about.
‘It’s the Premier League. We see it now with teams like Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and West Ham – there are some stellar teams with stellar squads that are finding it tough.
Frank Lampard has reaffirmed his commitment to Coventry after securing the Championship title
‘Maybe some of those teams will not find it as tough next season. Your duty is to do the best you can with the group, but we’ve seen many examples of teams going up and coming straight back down, having invested heavily as well.
‘The gap is clear. It’s how smart and how aligned we can be. It’s important we all have the same idea of what we want to do when we get there.
‘Do we want to go there and compete and challenge and try to stay in the league? We have to have that mindset so there is action to be done.’
Tom Collomosse
Gordon IS injured, Howe tells the doubters
Eddie Howe has shut down any suggestion that Anthony Gordon is not injured.
The Newcastle boss did not take kindly to a question about players picking and choosing games for which they are available, on the back of the England winger’s continued absence.
As revealed by Newcastle Confidential on Thursday, Gordon has not trained this week and will miss Saturday’s trip to Arsenal because of a lingering hip complaint.
But amid speculation over his future, conspiracy has emerged over the legitimacy of the 25-year-old’s fitness.
Multiple sources have confirmed to Daily Mail Sport that a scan last week showed an injury, and Howe hit back when the player’s commitment was brought into question.
‘Anthony Gordon is injured, 100 per cent,’ he said. ‘So it’s a non-question.’
Earlier, Howe had given an update on Gordon’s condition.
‘He won’t make the game,’ he said. ‘He hasn’t trained this week. It’s not a serious injury, but not in time for this game. Hopefully for the next game (Brighton at home on May 2).’
Anthony Gordon has missed training but Newcastle hope to have him back next week
Tino Livramento is definitely out with a thigh injury and faces a race against time to play again this season, but captain Bruno Guimaraes could start after returning from two months out as a second-half substitute during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth.
Howe said: ‘He’s had a full week of training and he’s trained really well. I’ve been very pleased with him. It’s been tough for him. I think you could see against Bournemouth that he came on with all the right intentions to deliver a really good physical performance, but you could see that he was struggling at times physically to adapt to the pace, because he really had minimal training. He was playing on heart and spirit and determination.
‘But the week he’s had will serve him really well. He’s such an important player for us on so many levels that, of course, we’re keen to get him on the pitch as quickly as possible, but I’ve just got to make sure it’s not to his detriment.
‘It’s been great to have him back around the group, though. He’s such a positive person that he can only help and inspire the players around him.’
Craig Hope
Woodman set to make first Premier League start for Liverpool
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insisted he was only focused on the short-term future of goalkeeper Alisson Becker – and that was getting him back into the team after injury.
The Brazil international has been sidelined for over a month with a hamstring injury – his second of the season – and this week was linked with Juventus, even though the club have taken the option to extend his expiring deal by 12 months.
Alisson’s unavailability has become increasingly more of an issue and that has been thrown into sharp focus with Giorgi Mamardashvili ruled out by a gashed leg sustained in last week’s Merseyside derby victory.
It means 29-year-old third-choice Freddie Woodman is set for his full Premier League debut for the club, having come off the bench against Everton.
‘I am only focused on the short-term future and that is getting him back into goal as soon as possible,’ said Slot on the future of Alisson, who was close to a return, according to the head coach.
Freddie Woodman came on against Everton after Giorgi Mamardashvili suffered an injury
‘All these rumours that are out there about him and about probably me and about others, we don’t react to. We only react when facts need to be told and that is not the situation at the moment.
‘The main focus for Ali is very clear, that is getting back in goal as soon as possible for the club he loves to play for and then he wants to be in goal for the country he wants to play for, that is Brazil.’
‘I think that is already the short and mid-term future.’
Liverpool have had more than their fair share of injuries this campaign but the Achilles problem sustained by Hugo Ekitike against Paris St Germain 10 days ago is set to rule him out well into next season.
‘The surgery went well. That is the first and important step he had to make,’ said Slot of the France striker. ‘It is going to take a long time and then it all depends on how rehab goes.’
