Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has dismissed talk of Spurs getting relegated before their recent return to form as “ridiculous” and “hysteria”.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
Postecoglou’s side have officially turned the corner after months of being ravaged by injuries, which led to them losing six out of seven league matches at once stage, with several of their big name stars returning to action and better results have come with them.
Tottenham’s 4-1 win away to relegation-threatened Ipswich Town on Saturday was their third straight Premier League victory, the first time they have achieved a hat-trick of wins in the league since the early days of Postecolgou’s tenure in December 2023.
Brennan Johnson scored a brace in his first start in more than a month due to a calf injury, while Djed Spence also hit the score sheet after a heavy knock kept him out for three games last month and Dejan Kulusevski, who has battled admirably all season, capped things off with the fourth and final goal.
The win pushed them to 12th on the table, on 33 points, somehow with the fourth best goal difference in the league.
Tottenham have won ten of their 26 matches, but are second only to league leaders Liverpool for goals scored this campaign, with 53.
Based on those numbers, it is clear to see why Postecoglou was displeased when asked post-match about the victory putting them 16 points clear of the drop zone, meanwhile they are 11 points out of the top four.
“It goes to show you how ridiculous a notion it was to start with,” Postecoglou said. “People saying we’re safe with 12 games to go, and people are actually talking about it. That’s the hysteria. And that’s all framed around putting pressure on me and the club. I get that, when you’re in that position you’ve got to accept that.
“For me, it was always about trying … We always had the [Aston] Villa FA Cup game as a marker for us. We’ve got to get to that space as best we could. We obviously didn’t get the outcomes we wanted during that time. But not through a lack of will or effort from the players.
“That was always my primary concern, to protect them and support them. Because they gave everything during that period. Now they’ve got some help, they’ve got some rest.
“Like I said, we’re not happy where we are in the league, obviously, it’s unacceptable. But we’ve got an opportunity to address that.”
To improve their position on the table, Tottenham will need to put in more performances like they did at Ipswich.
An undermanned defence has struggled massively for much of the season, but it was a far more assured performance from the back four of Destiny Udogie, loanee Kevin Danso, teenager Archie Gray and Spence with the support of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Postecoglou’s preferred centre back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven were absent, but he was pleased to lean on some improved squad depth.
“I thought we did the hard things really well,” Postecoglou said. “A couple of times in the first half we lost a bit of concentration in terms of the second ball and duels.
“It was a disappointing goal we conceded, but aside from that I thought we handled that side of the game really well.
“I always felt we were a threat when we had the ball. Son Heung-min was unplayable in the first half and so good to get Brennan back in those areas where he’s always a threat.
“All four of our goals were quality goals. We had to do the hard things, but the fruits of that labour was that our front third play was super exciting and clinical,” he said.
“We’re certainly in a good space of using these two weeks as well as we could to re-energise the team and I think it has.
“We’ve still got some significant players out. We’ve got (Dominic) Solanke, Richarlison, (Cristian) Romero, (Micky) Van de Ven, Ben Davies, he’s out today. They’re all still to come back.”
Tottenham’s resurgence faces a stern test in the coming weeks, started by hosting Manchester City mid-week.
Spurs have had the wood on Pep Guardiola’s side this season, demolishing them 4-0 at the Etihad as well as knocking them out of the Carabao Cup.
But City have had a bounce back of their own, and they now sit fourth on the league table after winning three of their last four fixtures.
Also looming is the final pursuit of silverware for the season.
Spurs have been drawn to face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, who they defeated 1-0 in the league phase, in the two-leg Round of 16 Europa League tie.
The first leg will take place on March 6, with return leg in London to be played the following week, and Postecoglou believes the lead-up is going to be crucial.
“I just feel like we’ve got a really good opportunity in these next 10 days to be well equipped for what’s ahead,” he said.
“What’s ahead is obviously Europe but also an opportunity to address our league position, which is obviously not good enough.”
Tottenham won the battle of the Premier League’s underachievers 1-0 on Sunday to inflict another dismal result on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
James Maddison scored the only goal on 13 minutes as Spurs moved above United in the table into 12th thanks to a third win over the Red Devils this season.
The Spurs midfielder delivered his trademark goal celebration before putting his fingers to his lips.
It appeared to be a response to stinging criticism from United legend Roy Keane who doubted Maddison’s return would do much to improve Spurs fortunes.
“People say, ‘Maddison’s the man’, but when is he going to step up to the plate? He got relegated with Leicester and [looks like] with Spurs. Maddison isn’t bad but if you think he’s going to come back and get Spurs top six, you’re in cuckoo land,” Keane said on the Stick to Football podcast this week.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Ange Postecoglou, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur, celebrates after James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur (not pictured) scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Manchester United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He’s a talented player, but if you’re a player in the Spurs dressing room and he’s back in the squad, you wouldn’t be looking and going, ‘James is back today – we’re going to be fine!’”
Speaking after the game Maddison hinted that his goal celebration may have been in response to Keane’s comments.
“It’s always difficult being out injured. You miss one game or 10, you are always champing at the bit to get back. I went into the game today knowing I can be the difference.
“I’m really proud of the boys, obviously it has been an up and down season, we are not where we want to be in the league table. I’m really happy for the lads and for the fans, we’re sending them home happy. I’ve always been a goalscoring midfielder.
“That’s why Spurs brought me to the club. I’m there to be that creative outlet and score goals. There was a little bit of outside noise this week. People will have their opinions. Nobody is more critical of me than myself.”
Victory eased the pressure on under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after exiting both domestic cup competitions this month to go with their lowly league position.
EPL Wrap: Ange claims back-to-back wins | 02:53
United now find themselves down in 15th, but do enjoy a 12-point cushion over the bottom three.
Tottenham’s first home league win since November came amid a spirit of revolt among their support.
Before kick-off Spurs fans again vented their frustration towards owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy.
A huge banner read “24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy – Time for change” as a sizeable contingent of the home crowd joined a protest calling for Levy to go.
However, the mood for Postecoglou was lifted even before kick-off as he was able to welcome back a host of first-team regulars who have been sidelined by injury.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made his first appearance since November along with Maddison in the starting line-up, while Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert were on the bench.
United had their own injury troubles with Amad Diallo joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines for the rest of the season and Kobbie Mainoo ruled out for a month.
Amorim had to name eight teenagers among his nine substitutes, forcing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to start together up front after both were overlooked for United’s last league game, a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Manchester United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Hojlund had the first chance when he fired too close to Vicario before the Italian flew to his left to deny Alejandro Garnacho.
Instead it was Spurs who got the opener when Andre Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall’s shot into the path of Maddison, who tapped into an empty net for his 10th goal of the season.
United should have been at least level by half-time as Garnacho blazed over a glorious opportunity with just Vicario to beat after being picked out by Bruno Fernandes.
Vicario continued to frustrate Garnacho with another fine save after the break. Zirkzee wasted a huge chance to equalise 20 minutes from time when the Dutch international headed Noussair Mazraoui’s cross wide with the goal gaping.
But United’s inability to put the ball in the net comes as little surprise. Only the bottom three plus Everton have scored fewer than United’s 28 goals in 25 league games this season.
At the other end, Onana kept the visitors in the game by parrying Dejan Kulusevski’s powerful effort.
But even Spurs’ makeshift backline could not be breached by Amorim’s men to allow Postecoglou to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
– ‘This one is big’: Slot salutes Liverpool spirit in win over Wolves –
Arne Slot hailed Liverpool’s fighting spirit as the “fatigued” Premier League leaders survived a tense 2-1 win against Wolves on Sunday.
Slot’s side moved seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal thanks to Luis Diaz’s early opener and a Mohamed Salah penalty before the interval at Anfield.
It wasn’t easy for Liverpool despite that strong start as fourth-bottom Wolves hit back impressively.
Matheus Cunha’s blast reduced the deficit and Liverpool had to hold on in the closing stages before they could celebrate a first win in three games in all competitions.
Indebted to Alisson Becker for some crucial saves, Liverpool boss Slot said: “This one is big. We needed to fight and we needed Alisson.
“Wolves took a lot of risks. In a season where you want to achieve something, you need to have wins like this as well.
“It’s never the game-plan never to create anything at all. They got better and better, we got worse and worse.
“We had to show a different mentality and got it over the line. If this is what it takes to win a game then I’m happy the players could do that again.”
Slot admitted Liverpool were running on fumes at times after Wednesday’s emotionally draining 2-2 draw at Merseyside rivals Everton, which featured a stoppage-time equaliser for the Toffees, and last weekend’s embarrassing FA Cup exit at second tier Plymouth.
“Fatigue comes from running a lot and a bit of mental fatigue a lot. We were mentally tested today. We thought we’d scored a third and then a penalty for the third but both were correct from the referee,” he said.
“Maybe it did lead to us being a bit tired. I did see for the first time this season that players were more tired than they have been.
“If you want to achieve something it is not only about bringing the ball out from the back or Mo scoring goals, it is also about defending.”
– ‘You can never breathe’ –
Liverpool’s ability to grind out a fourth win in their last five league matches kept Arsenal at bay in the title race.
Chasing a record-equalling 20th English title and their first since 2020, Liverpool are 13 games away from the trophy.
They face significant clashes with Aston Villa, Manchester City and Newcastle in their next three league games.
And Slot knows Arsenal — who have finished runners-up for the last two seasons — will do everything they can to take the race to a dramatic conclusion.
“If you look at the last few seasons it has mostly been a battle between two teams. As things stand now it mostly looks like between us and Arsenal,” he said.
“You can never breathe in this competition. I saw Arsenal’s 15-game unbeaten run and the gap has always been the same so that shows that we do.
“If you want to compete for something special then you have to win a lot of games in this league.” Slot was able to sit on the bench against Wolves despite being charged with abusive behaviour towards the match officials after being sent off at the end of the stormy Merseyside derby.
The Dutchman could eventually face a suspension and he said: “It is an ongoing process, it is not smart to talk about it.
“We’ve seen the comments from the referee and now we can say our part. It’s down to a panel to decide if I get a ban.”
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said it is his responsibility to turn around a miserable Premier League season after a 3-2 defeat to Everton on Sunday (Monday AEDT), which helped the Toffees pull clear of the relegation zone.
Previously goal-shy Everton tore through Spurs’ under-strength backline to net three times before the break through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Iliman Ndiaye and an Archie Gray own goal.
A first win in seven league games takes David Moyes’ men four points clear of the bottom three.
Tottenham’s 12th Premier League defeat of the season leaves them just four points above Everton in 15th and ramps up the pressure on manager Postecoglou.
However, it was chairman Daniel Levy, not the Australian, who felt the fury of the travelling support as they chanted for change at the top of the club.
“This is not about me, but what is about me is I have a responsibility to the players I do have. For me to focus on anything else is abstaining from the responsibility I do have,” said Postecoglou, who was without 10 first-team regulars due to injury.
Everton did bite the bullet to sack Sean Dyche earlier this month and it was like the Goodison days of old for Moyes as he enjoyed a first win of his second spell in charge.
“Really pleased we could give everyone something to shout about,” said Moyes. “We played ever so well in the first half, scored three and could have scored more.”
Ange Postecoglou (R) consoles Archie Gray after defeat at Goodison Park.Source: AFP
Moyes’ homecoming fell flat in a 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa in midweek, after which the former Manchester United boss said he was aware of the task he faces to preserve Premier League status due to a lack of firepower.
Calvert-Lewin had not scored since September but did not look like a striker short on confidence as he turned Gray and Lucas Bergvall before firing in the opening goal on 13 minutes.
To compound the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and three of Postecoglou’s preferred back four in Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Destiny Udogie, Tottenham were also without club record signing Dominic Solanke.
Captain Son Heung-min stepped in to start as a makeshift centre-forward and should have levelled when he shot too close to Jordan Pickford from Dejan Kulusevski’s cross.
But Tottenham looked likely to concede every time Everton sprang out on the counter-attack.
Calvert-Lewin should have had a second but for a heavy touch that allowed Antonin Kinsky to block before the Czech goalkeeper turned Orel Mangala’s effort onto the post.
David Moyes applauds Toffees fans after Everton beat Tottenham.Source: AFP
Everton had scored just 15 goals in 20 league games prior to kick-off, going goalless in nine of their last 11.
What little inspiration there has been from the Toffees this season has come from Ndiaye.
The Senegal international produced a moment of magic to double the lead as he skipped past the statuesque Radu Dragusin before slotting high past Kinsky.
Gray’s own goal compounded a terrible first 45 minutes for the visitors as their frailty from set-pieces was again exposed when the 18-year-old could only turn Calvert-Lewin’s flick into his own net.
Kulusevski’s classy chip over three scrambling Everton defenders pulled a goal back before Richarlison turned home at the back post in stoppage time.
Postecoglou’s men remain alive in three cup competitions, but Levy has a decision to make on whether the quest for a first trophy since 2008 would be better served by a change of manager.
“We’re still in all four competitions. Our league position is not great to say the least but eventually our players will come back. Significant talent will come back,” added Postecoglou.
“I’ve got great motivation to get through this so when we do get our players back we can get something significant out of our season.”
Nottingham Forest’s stunning season continued with a 3-0 victory at Wolves on Monday to give manager Nuno Espirito Santo a winning return to Molineux.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
England international Morgan Gibbs-White and the in-form Chris Wood struck before half-time to take Forest to within six points of leaders Liverpool, who they host in their next Premier League game.
Substitute Taiwo Awoniyi rounded off the scoring in stoppage time. Defeat leaves Wolves outside the relegation zone only thanks to goal difference as they suffered a first defeat under new boss Vitor Pereira.
Forest remain third in the table but move level on points with Arsenal. Even if a shock title challenge proves beyond Espirito Santo’s men, they are building up an impressive cushion in the race for Champions League football next season.
They are five points clear of fifth-placed Newcastle and six in front of struggling champions Manchester City in sixth.
A top-four finish would guarantee a return to the continent’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years for the two-time European champions.
However, fifth could also be good enough depending on how English clubs fare in European competition this season.
Gibbs-White savoured his return to the club where he spent the early part of his career.
In front of the watching new England manager Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder did his case for further international recognition no harm with a cool finish from Antony Elanga’s pass.
Forest’s unexpected rise from battling relegation until the final day of last season into Champions League contenders has been build on a solid defence and Wood’s purple patch.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 06: Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Molineux on January 06, 2025 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The New Zealand international turned in Callum Hudson-Odoi’s low cross for his 12th goal of the season to double the visitors’ lead just before half-time.
Wolves pressed and probed for a way back into the game after the break but were toothless in the absence of talisman Matheus Cunha through suspension.
Mats Sels was forced into one brilliant save to deny Jorgen Strand Larsen to preserve a ninth clean sheet of the season and fourth in a row.
That solidity is familiar to Wolves fans from Espirito Santo’s time in charge of their club between 2017 and 2021.
The Portuguese coach led Wanderers from the Championship into Europe for the first time in 39 years.
Now after troubled spells at Tottenham and Saudi club Al-Ittihad, he is recreating that magic to leave Forest fans in dreamland.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
At the start of the season, no one would have predicted Nottingham Forest to be guaranteed a place in the Premier League’s top three on New Year’s Day.
The once mighty Forest, who famously won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, were in fact one of the favourites to be relegated this season, according to the bookmakers.
After winning two of their last three matches to finish one place above the drop zone last campaign, that prediction made sense.
But now, they are one place off top spot and everyone else has egg on their face.
Forest moved to second with a 2-0 win at Everton in the early hours of Monday morning Australian time, and at worst they will start 2025 in third if Chelsea win at second-last Ipswich Town.
It was their fifth consecutive victory in the league, which is the longest winning streak in English football’s top flight since 1995.
Sitting on 37 points with 11 wins and four draws for 19 matches, they have already surpassed their entire points tally from last season by five.
Forest returned to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years in the 2022/23 season and in their two previous campaigns back among England’s heavyweights, they only won nine games in each season.
“We are enjoying it,” Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said of their league position. “We are especially enjoying because our fans are enjoying.
“This is what we have to do together, let’s enjoy the journey, compete in every match. Nothing changes, we have to realise we didn’t achieve anything.”
It has been a stunning turnaround, and it has been built off the back of staunch defence.
The 26 goals they have scored so far is the equal least, alongside Aston Villa, among the top 12 teams, but they have still presented a serious attacking threat.
New Zealander Chris Wood has been the hero up front with 11 goals after earlier in the year knocking back the pursuits of the A-League’s newest team, Auckland FC.
The tall striker is a major threat in the air and is a proven finisher with a double figure goal tally in six different Premier League seasons across his stints at Forest and Burnley.
Reds hammer West Ham in 5-0 rout | 00:45
The 33-year-old is on track to better his best season tally of 14, which he has reached twice, and sits equal fourth in the golden boot standings, six shy of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
Everton boss, and Wood’s former mentor at Burnley, Sean Dyche was full of praise for Wood after he scored at Goodison Park.
“He’s got a different format they’re working to there which seems to be to his liking. He’s got wide players, they’ve got a strength behind them, and they get the ball up to him quickly,” Dyche said.
“That seems to be a thing that’s good for him and not massively dissimilar to what we were trying to achieve at Burnley.
“But yeah, I think a lot of credit to him, credit to his professionalism to keep on top of himself. He had a quiet spell when he first went there and [there were] a few question marks over him.
“That can happen with strikers. He’s had that before, and he’s come through it. Certainly a very good player, and someone I’ve got a lot of respect for.”
But it is at the other end of the pitch where Forest are causing the most headaches for their opponents.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels boasts the most clean sheets in the league with eight, and has made many crucial stops throughout the first half of the season.
In front of Sels is real the star of the show, however.
Centre back Nikola Milenkovic was bought from Fiorentina for £12 million in the summer and is proving to be bargain in comparison to what the richer clubs fork out for the linchpins of their defences.
In fact, the 27-year-old is widely regarded as the best signing of the season.
“The Serbian defender has helped turn Nottingham Forest into one of the best defensive sides in the Premier League under Nuno Espirito Santo’s guidance, with an old-school appetite for the battle with his centre-forward,” The UK Telegraph’s sports writer Lawrence Ostlere wrote.
“He’s also added a set-piece threat at the other end of the pitch, with a couple of goals and an assist already this season, and must have added plenty of value to his £12m transfer fee.”
Milenkovic’s impact has been so great, that it has even forgiven other missteps Forest have made in transfer windows past.
“Nottingham Forest were mocked, sometimes rightly, for signing vast numbers of players in recent years; so many that they didn’t have room in the squad for some of them,” The UK Telegraph’s senior football correspondent Richard Jolly wrote.
“Yet recruitment has clearly been refined: less quantity, more quality. Their side now has a series of fine buys. Nikola Milenkovic may be the best: not merely in what he is – a giant, dominant central defender – but in terms of what Forest lacks.
“He complements the excellent Murillo wonderfully. Forest now have one of the best central-defensive partnerships and defences in the division. And at £12m, Milenkovic is a bargain.”
In midfield, captain Morgan Gibbs-White has been inspirational.
He followed manager Nuno from Wolves to the City Ground, and has since become an England international.
Gibbs-White scored in their most recent outing at Everton, but it his creativity in the middle of the pitch that has drawn the most praise.
At Goodison Park, he also set up Wood’s goal and has been dubbed by his manager a “talented player” who is “fantastic”.
He along with Wood and Milenkovic will need to maintain their high standards if Forest are to challenge for the title or hang on to a Champions League place.
Chants of ‘we’re going to win the league’ have rung out from the Forest fans regularly in recent months, but with every win they are becoming less tongue-in-cheek.
It would take a mighty collapse from league leaders Liverpool, who are eight points clear with a game in hand, but the fact Forest and the Reds are battling it out at the pointy end of the table is a providing older fans with a lot of nostalgia.
Forest won the English First Division in 1978 with Liverpool finishing second, the following year their places were reversed.
During the 1980s, Forest finished third on three occasions and they last played in the European Cup, now the Champions League, in the 1980-81 season.
Now, the dream is real of hearing the Champions League theme on a Tuesday or Wednesday night at the City Ground.
It will be a challenge, but their biggest tests might be behind them.
Arsenal keep pressure on Liverpool | 01:27
In the second half of the season, their clashes with fellow top five teams Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are all at home.
That Liverpool match is only two weeks away, first they will travel to an in form Wolves in a grudge match for Nuno, and after that clash we will have a better understanding how serious about being a top team Forest truly are.
Their current standing proves this is more than merely a good start, but it remains unclear whether this could be another Leicester City fairytale title, an Aston Villa of last season charge to the Champions League, or a campaign that fades into the middle of the table.
The Premier League is entering the home stretch, with almost every team having 10 matches still to play.
For the first time in years, there’s a genuine three-way fight for the title. There’s also a tight battle for the European positions and a heated relegation race. From the top of the league to the bottom, there’s all to play for in a gripping run home.
Watch selected NRL & AFL games, along with every F1 race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today>>
GUNNERS ADVANCE… JUST – ALL PENALTIES | 01:39
TITLE RACE
1st: Arsenal, 64 pts (P28, 20W, 4D, 4L, +46)
Run home: Manchester City (a), Luton Town (h), Brighton (a), Aston Villa (h), Wolves (a), Tottenham (a), Bournemouth (h), Manchester United (a), Everton (h), Chelsea (h – postponed)
2nd: Liverpool, 64 pts (P28, 19W, 7D, L2, +39)
Run home: Brighton (h), Sheffield United (h), Manchester United (a), Crystal Palace (h), Fulham (a), West Ham United (a), Tottenham (h), Aston Villa (a), Wolves (h), Everton (a – postponed)
3rd: Manchester City, 63 pts (P28, 19W, 6D, 3L, +35)
Run home: Arsenal (h), Aston Villa (h), Crystal Palace (a), Luton Town (h), Tottenham (a), Nottingham Forest (a), Wolves (h), Fulham (a), West Ham United (h), Brighton (a – postponed)
Three teams, three incredible storylines.
This season marks 20 years since Arsenal last won the Premier League, although they came agonisingly close to breaking the drought in the last campaign.
The Gunners sat in pole position but could not hold on, losing two of their final three games to hand the title to Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side are once again back in the title frame and sit top of the ladder at time of writing with the most goals scored in the entire league (70).
Equal on points with Arsenal but in second place is Liverpool, who finished a disappointing 5th last season but have rocketed back into contention.
Yet this is long-serving Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield and his troops would love nothing more than finishing the German’s tenure with his second Premier League title.
One point behind Arsenal and Liverpool is City, who are out to win its sixth league title in seven seasons, a staggering run that underlines its stranglehold on the competition.
The titanic battle between Liverpool and Manchester City is set to go down to the wire again.Source: AFP
So, who takes it from here?
It’s hard to discern who has the easier run of fixtures to round out the season, although all three teams have the added bonus of playing at home in the final game.
However, the title-chasing trio must all face Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves, with the first two pushing for Champions League qualification (more on that later). But the key difference is that Arsenal play far more of their games against top-half opponents away from home – including Brighton, Wolves, Spurs and Utd.
The motivational factor of Liverpool’s players wanting to do it for Klopp is worth noting, but the Reds also are without several key players.
Alisson, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota, Ryan Gravenberch, Ibrahima Konate and Trent Alexander-Arnold all missed the 1-1 draw against Manchester City, with Klopp forced to play a number of youngsters. There’s no shortage of talent, but it could be a step too far for the talented teens to remain flawless in a nervy title race.
Yet City and Arsenal still have to face off – meaning at least one team will cop a setback to their title bid. City did the double over Arsenal last season, but lost 1-0 earlier this season. However, this time around the meeting will be on City’s turf – and their home-ground advantage is a huge boost to their chances of winning both the match and the title.
City have made winning a habit. They’re the best team in Europe if not the world, and they might just make history with a fourth crown in a row.
TITLE PREDICTION: Manchester City
Erling Haaland of Manchester City looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Manchester City at Anfield on March 10, 2024 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
4th: Aston Villa, 55 pts (P28, 17W, 4D, 7L, +18)
5th: Tottenham, 53 pts (P27, 16W, 5D, 6L, +20)
6th: Manchester United, 47 pts (P28, 15W, 2D, 11L, 0)
Spurs’ fate is in their hands. With a game in hand, they could move above Villa by a point – and their recent 4-0 battering of the Villans surely delivered a major psychological blow to their top-four rivals.
Villa bounced back with a 4-0 win over 10-man Ajax in the Conference league today.
Both teams face Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool before the season is out. But what could prove a major blow for Spurs is that they face the trio back-to-back: a make-or-break run for their Europe ambitions. A couple of losses could be a major setback – a momentum killer on the run home. Conversely, strong results in those matches could carry them home to the finish line.
Sizzling Spurs sink 4 past Villa | 01:05
Villa play Liverpool (h) and Crystal Palace (a) in their final two matches, while Spurs host Burnley then travel to Sheffield United for their final two fixtures. By that point, the latter pair might already be mathematically relegated. It’s clearly an easier finish for Spurs – and if things are tight, that might just make the difference.
Manchester United are still in the hunt – but only just. They’re eight points off Villa as it stands but could benefit if their rivals drop points against the top teams – especially since United have already played both matches against Villa, Spurs, and Man City. But they also have a tricky run home, with their final two matches against Arsenal and Brighton. And their goal difference – and lack of goals in general – could kill off their dream of a late run to Champions League qualification.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREDICTION: Tottenham
We’re backing Aussie Ange to finish fourth in his first Premier League campaign.Source: Getty Images
RACE FOR EUROPE
4th: Aston Villa, 55 pts (P28, 17W, 4D, 7L, +18)
5th: Tottenham, 53 pts (P27, 16W, 5D, 6L, +20)
6th: Manchester United, 47 pts (P28, 15W, 2D, 11L, 0)
7th: West Ham United, 43 pts (P28, 12W, 7D, 9L, -4)
8th: Brighton, 42 pts (P28, 11W, 9D, 8L, +6)
9th: Wolves, 41 pts (P28, 12W, 5D, 11L, -2)
10th: Newcastle, 40 pts (P28, 12W, 4D, 12L, +11)
11th: Chelsea, 39 pts (P27, 11W, 6D, 10L, +2)
EUROPA LEAGUE PREDICTION: Aston Villa, Manchester United
EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE PREDICTION: West Ham United
As it stands, the top four teams qualify for the Champions League, fifth earns a spot in the Europa League, and sixth qualifies for the Conference League playoff spot.
The winner of the FA Cup is given a Europa League spot – unless they finish in the top five, in which case sixth place in the league is then given a Europa League place (as happened last season).
It’s a similar situation with the EFL Cup – which Liverpool won, meaning they are guaranteed a berth in the Conference League play-offs.
That’s unless they qualify for the Champions League or Europa League thanks to their league finishing position.
In that case – and we’re assuming they do finish in the top four – their Conference League playoff spot goes to the next-highest placed finisher.
But there’s another big caveat this season: the Champions League is expanding and adopting a new format next campaign, meaning two of Europe’s big leagues will gain an extra automatic qualification berth. Which two nations get those spots depends on how well their clubs perform in European competition this season – meaning Premier League clubs will be willing their rivals to keep winning in Europe!
The Premier League could end up with five Champions League spots, plus another for the Europa League (or two, if the FA Cup winner finishes in the CL or EL qualification places) plus another spot for the Conference League (or two, assuming Liverpool finish in the CL or EL qualification spots).
Clear as mud, right?
Kudus rips through SC Freiburg for epic | 00:58
Oh, and winning the CL or Europa League gives you direct entry into next season’s CL, while the winner of the Conference League gets a place in the Europa League (like West Ham this season, who got a EL spot despite finishing 14th in the league).
The ‘top four’ race is dead. Now it’s a race for the top … eight? Nine? 11 (yes, it’s technically possible for 11 Premier League teams to make it to Europe).
Either way, we’re tipping Spurs to finish in fourth, as we said above.
Villa have a significantly harder run home than Man United (their remaining opponents’ average league place is currently 8.3, Utd’s is 11.3) – but they’ve scored 59 goals, 20 more than United so far. Ollie Watkins’ 16 goals and 10 assists in 28 matches is a huge part of that – but was forced off with a cut on his knee during their 4-0 Conference League over Ajax this morning. Luckily coach Unai Emery said it doesn’t appear to be too serious, and if Watkins can keep fit and firing, Villa seem likely to finish above United’s misfiring offence.
Ollie Watkins’ best-ever season is igniting an impressive Villa charge.Source: Getty Images
Below them, West Ham and Brighton both have brutal fixtures ahead. The pair have made a habit out of scraping draws in tough matches, which could prove crucial in picking up points in the final few matches. But the Hammers’ defence is conceding far too frequently – their 49 goals against is more like a bottom-half team than one chasing Europe. It can partially be explained by big losses to Fulham (5-0 in December) and Arsenal (6-0 last month). And in their last three league games, they’ve scored nine goals – not to mention today’s 5-0 Europa League win over Freiburg to book their place in the quarterfinals. If they can tighten up their defence, they might just hold onto their position.
But below the Hammers, Wolves and Newcastle especially have significantly easier runs home. Newcastle are scoring plenty of goals – as many as Spurs or Villa, for example – and could make a late charge. With a goal difference of +11 – the best of any team outside the top five – they could sneak in to the European places. Recent games have made one thing clear: there’s going to plenty of goals at both ends of the field, and it’s never going to be boring.
West Ham’s five-goal thrashing handed them plenty of momentum for the run home.Source: Getty Images
20th: Sheffield United, 14 pts (P28, 3W, 5D, 20L, -50)
* = Everton were deducted six points for breaching PSR rules
Barring one of the greatest escapes in Premier League history, it seems a certainty Burnley and Sheffield United are set for an instant return to the Championship.
Sure, it’s possible – but both teams are 10 points off safety at this point, and they simply look out of their depth.
That leaves us with one spot up for grabs when it comes to relegation.
As it stands, Luton Town round out the bottom three – and the Hatters’ remaining 10 fixtures are the most difficult out of all the teams jostling for survival.
The average league position of Luton’s remaining opponents this season is 9.8, the highest figure of the group, with three of those fixtures including daunting trips to Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City.
A comparison between Luton’s relegation rivals in terms of average league position makes for worrying reading.
Nottingham Forest’s final 10 games spits out an average position of 12.7, while Brentford and Everton’s rivals have average positions of 12.6 – effectively the ‘easiest’ remaining fixtures of any team in the league.
Luton also suffered a horrific meltdown against Bournemouth yesterday. 3-0 up at halftime, they looked set to move out of the relegation zone – only to concede four goals without reply. It was the first time in 21 years that a team had lost from three goals up.
Cherries pull off insane 3-goal comeback | 02:11
However, the fight for survival could be determined off the field as Forest were charged with breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations (PSR).
Everton were initially docked 10 points before it was later reduced to six after an appeal for a similar breach, setting a precedent Forest will be desperate to avoid.
The hearing for Forest’s PSR breaches has begun, with a resolution expected in the coming weeks.
Brentford have just come out of a torrid run of games in which they played Tottenham, Manchester City twice, Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea, Wolves and Arsenal in consecutive games.
However, their final games are much kinder and they do not play a team higher than 12th on the table in their last six games, so expect Thomas Frank’s side to stay up.
Luton are hoping to avoid an immediate return to the Championship, but it won’t be easy. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Everton have a rather favourable run-in, with back-to-back games against relegation rivals Forest, Brentford, Luton and Sheffield United before a final day fixture away to Arsenal.
Toffees boss Sean Dyche is no stranger to a relegation battle and if it weren’t for a points deduction they’d be comfortably away from the drop, which has us believing they will preserve their Premier League status.
It essentially leaves a shootout between Luton and Forest for 17th place, with the two also set to play each other in a proverbial six-pointer on March 17.
Although Luton have shown more fight and desire than most across the Premier League this season, we’re predicting Forest’s superior quality will steer them to safety.
RELEGATION PREDICTION: Luton Town, Burnley, Sheffield United
When Unai Emery was unveiled as Aston Villa’s manager, he declared two dreams: one was to win a trophy and the other was to bring European back to Villa Park.
After all, he inherited a team sitting 16th devoid of confidence and direction.
A toxic atmosphere had engulfed the club as supporters turned on then-manager Steven Gerrard, who sank deeper and deeper into his seat in the dugout with each passing defeat.
Co-owner Nassef Sawiris soon had enough of Gerrard’s ineptitude and brutally wielded the axe on the Liverpool legend before the team had even left Craven Cottage after a 3-0 defeat to Fulham on October 20.
It was also Sawiris who led the charm offensive for Emery and eventually convinced the Spaniard to make the jump to Birmingham.
Emery’s impact was immediate.
A 3-1 win over Manchester United at home in his first game in charge set the tone for what was to come, as Emery went on to guide Villa all the way from 16th to 7th and subsequently secure a spot in the Europa Conference League last season.
This season, Emery has Villa in 4th and just two points off top spot yet it somehow feels as if the club is flying under the radar.
But Emery’s transformation can no longer go ignored and is slowly but surely receiving the recognition it deserves.
This is how the meticulous 52-year-old dragged a giant on its knees all the way to dreaming about Champions League nights, something Villa have not experienced since winning the European Cup in 1982.
Aston Villa are flying under Unai Emery. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
HOW BRUTAL AXING LIT FIRE TO PROVE PL DOUBTERS WRONG
In the wake of Gerrard’s sacking, Villa were immediately linked with ambitious managerial targets.
A report from The Telegraph named Mauricio Pochettino as the club’s top target, with Thomas Tuchel and Emery also on the reported shortlist.
Pochettino, who had been let go by Paris Saint-Germain before the 22/23 season began, turned down the approach while Tuchel was never more than a tenuous link.
Sporting boss Ruben Amorim soon emerged in the media as the favourite, but it all proved to be a smokescreen as Emery was confirmed as Villa’s new boss on October 24.
Villa had to pay a reported $AUD9.9 million in compensation to free Emery from his contract at La Liga side Villarreal, a club where he earned hero status having guided the club to the Europa League title in 2021.
Further, Emery and Villarreal were one game away from the Champions League final in 2022, only to lose to Liverpool in the semi finals.
At the time, Emery and Villa did not appear a perfect match for one another.
Emery is a four-time Europa League winner and boasts a coaching CV that includes stops at Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia, Sevilla and Arsenal.
Villa, meanwhile, were in its fourth season back in the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship and hadn’t finished higher than 11th since returning.
Gerrard’s tenure at Villa was an unmitigated disaster. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Put simply, it seemed a total mismatch given Villa’s struggles ever since Martin O’Neill’s acrimonious departure on the eve of the 2010/11 season.
However, the Birmingham-based club have two highly ambitious billionaire owners in Sawiris and Wes Edens — who also owns the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA — that are hellbent on restoring it to its former glories.
And for Emery, he knew he had unfinished business in England and was desperate to prove to the doubters he could cut it in the Premier League after his tumultuous 18-month spell at Arsenal.
The Spaniard was given the impossible task of succeeding Arsene Wenger, a man who had become synonymous with Arsenal.
Although he guided the Gunners to a Europa League final as well as a spot in the Champions League in his first season, his battles with the English language made him a figure for ridicule and instability at the boardroom level did not help Emery’s case.
Since joining Villa, Emery has been given the support network he needed to thrive.
Emery has the support of two close allies at Villa. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Damian Vidagany, a close confidant of Emery’s, joined the Spaniard as his personal aide and has been a constant presence of his in press conferences to help with translations and clarifying questions from the press.
Vidagany has since been promoted to the role of Director of Football Operations while Monchi, another close friend of Emery’s, joined prior to the 2023/24 season from Sevilla and took up the role of President of Football Operations.
Per The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, the trio have formed a triangle of power and eat breakfast together, with their offices at Bodymoor Heath also in “close proximity.”
In terms of their specific roles, Monchi and Vidagany focus on dealing with a player’s contract, transfer negotiations as well as telling players they’ve been let go, allowing Emery to purely focus on sporting matters.
Although it took time for Emery to create his desired support network, it proved to the Spaniard the owners would give him everything he wanted in order to succeed as Villa manager for as long as he is at the club.
Liverpool thrash Lask to secure top spot | 00:42
THE $33M EVIDENCE EXPOSING PL’S BIG BOYS
When Emery arrived, he took over a squad that looked a shell of itself.
Granted, it was not exactly one that screamed Champions League or even Europa League quality, but it was not one that reeked of relegation fodder.
It was also an expensive one: Villa owners Sawiris and Edens had invested around $AUD953 million on it since promotion.
Despite the significant investment, Gerrard struggled to get a tune out of his players during his time at the club as the likes of John McGinn, Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins regressed.
Gerrard’s 4-3-2-1 formation, which congested central areas and relied too heavily on wing-backs to provide width, almost always left Villa one-dimensional in attack.
But under Emery, the shackles have come off.
A simplified and fluid 4-4-2, which often morphs into 4-2-2-2, has proved to be the blueprint for success.
So too has Emery’s remarkable ability to extract the maximum from the tools already at his disposal.
Mings, who was stripped of the captaincy and individually singled out by Gerrard as one player who needed to improve, became a colossus at the back once more.
Watkins jostled for starting striker duties with Danny Ings but once the latter was sold to West Ham in January, he felt the full trust of Emery and repaid it in dividends.
The England international enjoyed a staggering run of form from January to April, scoring 11 goals in 12 Premier League games.
Not only that, but Watkins has been involved in 30 goals — whether that’s scoring them himself or providing an assist — in the 37 league games Emery has been in charge of.
The only players with more goal involvements in that time are Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, emphasising Emery’s transformation of Watkins.
But the most remarkable part of Emery’s improvement of the squad was how he rejigged a midfield cobbled together for just $33 million into one of the Premier League’s best.
Ollie Watkins has become one of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP
McGinn, the captain, arrived from Hibernian in the summer of 2018 for a measly $4.8 million while Douglas Luiz joined in a $28.7 million deal from Manchester City in the following summer.
Boubacar Kamara, Villa’s marquee signing of the 2022 summer window, arrived on a free deal from Marseille while Jacob Ramsey is an academy product.
Despite all four being central midfielders, Emery found a way to incorporate all of them into the middle bank of four with Luiz and Kamara used in the central areas while Ramsey and McGinn are deployed out wide.
Luiz, who is often on set piece duties, has become what The Telegraph’s John Percy described as “indispensable” and the “heartbeat of Villa’s midfield” with his all-action displays.
To put Luiz’s improvement into perspective, he had six goals from 118 Premier League appearances for Villa prior to Emery’s first game in charge.
With Emery at the helm, it took the 25-year-old just 27 games to match that goal figure.
Luiz also enjoyed a remarkable streak of goals at Villa Park, scoring in six consecutive home games across the tail-end of the 22/23 season and the start of the 23/24 season to break Dwight Yorke’s record from the 1995/96 season.
Belgian international Youri Tielemans joined the club prior to the 23/24 campaign on a free deal after his contract with Leicester City expired, adding further quality to an already-stacked midfield department.
Although Tielemans struggled early, he has shown promise in recent performances as he continues to get acclimated with Emery’s tactical demands.
Douglas Luiz is Villa’s key midfielder. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
Compare Villa’s outlay on its entire midfield to the likes of Chelsea, who spent an eye-watering $420 million on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo yet continue to flounder in mid-table mediocrity, with Fernandez yet to even score a Premier League goal.
Emery hasn’t even needed to perform significant surgery in the transfer market, either.
Alex Moreno arrived from Real Betis in January and immediately slotted in at left back, while Colombian striker Jhon Duran was snapped up from Chicago Fire but did not feature prominently.
However, Emery was granted more room to bring in new signings ahead of the 23/24 season and wasted little time in improving the squad.
Spanish international Pau Torres arrived from Villarreal for $60 million while electric winger Moussa Diaby joined from Bayer Leverkusen for $99 million.
Nicolo Zaniolo and Clement Lenglet also moved on loan deals from Galatasaray and Barcelona respectively, adding some much-needed European experience to the squad.
Torres’ remarkable passing ability for a centre back has been crucial to Emery’s game plans while Diaby has developed a telepathic partnership alongside Watkins up top.
The fact Emery was able to do so much last season with essentially the exact same squad Gerrard had at his disposal, aside from Moreno and Duran, emphasises once again the difference in levels at managerial level.
Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby have formed a formidable pairing up top for Villa. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)Source: AFP
16-HOUR DAYS, A HOME FORTRESS AND THE UNMATHCED TACTICAL TWEAK
A major tactical tweak from Emery that helped spark Villa’s surge is the high defensive line that plays the offside trap better than any team in Europe.
Prior to Villa’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham, they had caught opposition players offside a staggering 163 times.
The next closest team is Liverpool with 93.
What makes Villa’s feat even more impressive is that they hold the highest average number of offsides per game across Europe’s top five leagues at 4.8, per The Athletic.
And no, they aren’t finding themselves offside too often at the other end of the field.
In fact, they have been caught offside only 12 times this season which is the second-lowest figure in the Premier League behind only Manchester City, who have been flagged just seven times.
Another key element of Emery’s Villa revival is the team’s absurd run of form at home.
Villa have won 13 consecutive Premier League games at home, a feat not achieved since 1983, with the first of the streak coming in a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace back in March.
Emery’s troops have been even more relentless at home this season, scoring 23 goals in six games for an average of 3.8 goals a match.
The fortress that is Villa Park will welcome the team’s toughest test in some time, with Manchester City the next opponents to make the trip to the famous ground.
But with Villa growing stronger with each passing game, a win over City might not be out of the question.
Villa have won 13 consecutive games at home. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP)Source: AFP
The collective improvement of Villa’s players should also not come as a surprise given how meticulous Emery is in his preparation.
The Guardian’s Ben Fisher claimed Emery, a “workaholic” and an “obsessive coach”, will regularly clock 16-hour days at Bodymoor Heath.
Fisher also reported “Emery often cuts his own clips of games to review with players individually and sometimes watches back Villa’s matches up to five times to prepare feedback for his staff and squad.”
The Athletic’s Tanswell also reported Emery holds team meetings for over an hour as he goes over tactics and game plans in “excruciating detail” for Villa’s next opponent.
Emery also wastes little time in analysing games straight away.
On two separate occasions the Villa boss has uploaded photos to his Instagram of him fixated on his laptop while on the team bus after a match, with the message in one caption: “But no time to relax, really focused on Tuesday’s match. We don’t want to stop. We want more.”
Coincidentally both pictures took place after victories away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but Emery is no doubt never far from his laptop after a game no matter who the opponent.
Emery wastes no time when it comes to analysis matches. Picture: @unaiemery_ on InstagramSource: Instagram
It is this meticulous approach to preparation and analysis that separates Emery from so many of his peers and has Villa level on points with Arsenal in 2023.
What makes Emery’s feats this season even more impressive is the fact he has been without four of his key players for the majority of the campaign.
Mings tore his ACL in the first half of the season opener against Newcastle and will miss the season, while midfielder Emi Buendia suffered a significant knee injury and could also be sidelined for the entire season.
Moreno came off with a hamstring injury in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool late last season and has not played a Premier League minute since, leaving Lucas Digne the only recognised left back in the squad.
Thankfully Moreno made his return to action when he scored the winner in a 2-1 victory over Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League
Academy star Ramsey suffered a foot injury while on international duty for England’s U21 side in the off-season and was ruled out for 10 weeks.
Although he scored on his return in Villa’s 6-1 rout of Brighton, Ramsey suffered a reoccurrence of the foot injury and only made his return in the dying minutes of the 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Ramsey has struggled with injuries this season but is finally back in the team. (Photo by James Gill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“I cannot believe what Unai Emery is doing at Aston Villa,” Richards, a former Villa player himself, said.
“It’s sensational. They have some good players but to sustain this for as long as he has with the football they have played.
“They have a really good system and have players who have been around the club for a long time.
“They just manage to keep going and going.”
Jamie Carragher used Villa to showcase the stark difference between a well-coached team and an English giant that often appears quite the opposite.
“If you look back over the last 12 months since Unai Emery came in, if you are talking about Manchester United, Aston Villa are a better coached team than United,” Carragher said.
“There is absolutely no doubt about that.”
Emery has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best coaches. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The victory over Tottenham allowed Villa to leapfrog the club into fourth place, a position in the table it had not enjoyed since December 2009.
Of course, fourth place this season guarantees a direct passage to the group stages of the Champions League next season.
Yet Emery continues to play down Villa’s hopes of a top four finish, stating the club is “not a contender” just yet and that “there are seven teams more contenders than us” to finish ahead.
But with a spot in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League locked in and a league position that was unfathomable this time last year, it’s only a matter of time before Emery must concede his team are no longer pretenders and truly are contenders.
“Blow after blow after blow”, sighed the Ajax supporters’ association on its website, after Sunday’s “painful” 5-2 defeat to rivals PSV Eindhoven condemned the four-time European Champions to a historic bottom place in the Dutch top flight.
So, how has the Dutch giant that produced the likes of Johan Cruyff, Marco Van Basten and Dennis Bergkamp, stooped so low and can they salvage anything from their worst-ever season so far?
Historically bad. Ajax have just five points from eight Eredivisie games, losing their last five straight matches. A 4-0 home “Klassieker” defeat to Feyenoord, interrupted after crowd violence from Ajax fans, was a particular low point.
Ajax are also struggling in Europe, without a win in the group stage of the Europa League. A toothless 2-0 loss against European debutants Brighton midweek did little to dispel the gloom — Ajax had one shot on target and one third of possession.
The Dutch media are not mincing their words.
The Algemeen Dagblad said: “This is news in Niger and Botswana. Ajax’s league position. Eighteenth. And last. Not after a couple of games in August. But at the end of October.”
“As a snapshot in time, it’s so unique we’ll still be talking about it in 30 years. If Andere Tijden Sport (a historical sports show) still exists in 2053, they’ll devote an episode to it.”
Ajax are floundering in all competitions. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE TRANSFER DEALING THAT PLUNGED GIANTS INTO CHAOS
Many pundits lay the blame on several seasons of bad transfer dealings. Ajax has traditionally sold off homegrown talent for big profits but the recent turnover has been especially high and the replacements have misfired.
This summer, Ajax sold Dutch international defender Jurrien Timber to Premier League giants Arsenal for 42 million euros ($44m), plus Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez and Ghana’s Mohammed Kudus to West Ham for 38 million euros and 43 million euros respectively.
The year before, the Amsterdam club sold Argentine star Lisandro Martinez and Brazilian winger Antony to Manchester United.
None of the starting XI from Ajax’s recent highlight — a 2019 Champions League semi-final — are still at the club.
“Yet more players left. European clubs ravaged the carcass. The new arrivals were poorly scouted and randomly assembled,” said Dutch football pundit Michael Statham.
Edson Alvarez was one of several players who left Ajax in the summer. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
FORMER A-LEAGUE DUO BROUGHT IN TO SAVE CLUB
The revolving door on the pitch has been reflected in the management and backroom staff as well, resulting in a damaging lack of stability.
Maurice Steijn was sacked earlier this month, paying the price for the team’s shocking run of form.
Former Ajax player John van’t Schip was named interim boss on Monday to steady the ship, with former Adelaide United defender and one-time Socceroo Michael Valkanis joining as his assistant.
Van’t Schip also has an A-League background himself.
The 59-year-old was Melbourne Heart’s (now Melbourne City) inaugural coach beginning in the 2010/11 season before leaving at the end of the following campaign.
He later returned in December 2013 and remained until January 2017 as he departed to care for his terminally-ill father in the Netherlands.
Powerful technical director Sven Mislintat, who was behind much of Ajax’s recent transfer activity, was also sacked in September. He is under investigation over a potential conflict of interest And fans’ frustration has been boiling over, with Ajax hooligans trashing their own stadium and causing the postponement of the Dutch “Klassieker” with Feyenoord by hurling objects onto the pitch.
John van’t Schip enjoyed two stints as a manager in the A-League. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
FINANCIAL BLOWS KEEP COMING
Already suffering from loss of income due to a lack of Champions League football, the club is set to take another financial hit in the future as the prospect of any European football next season seems remote.
Local station RTL Nieuws reported this month that the club could face a deficit running into the “tens of millions” and was in talks to open a credit line for the first time in its history.
CAN AJAX RECOVER IN TIME TO AVOID UNTHINKABLE?
Hedwiges Maduro, who was in charge for Sunday’s defeat, said he “wasn’t looking at the league table”, leading the Ajax supporters’ association match report to quip “but the rest of the Netherlands is”.
The Ajax faithful are pinning their hopes on former boss Louis van Gaal, who has rejoined the club in an advisory role.
And optimists point to the fact that Ajax have two games in hand over second-bottom club Utrecht and have already played most of the big guns, notably Feyenoord and PSV.
Most pundits think Ajax will finish the season in the top half of the table. Relegation is unthinkable.
But even talking in these terms is extraordinary for one of the world’s best-known clubs with a record 36 Dutch titles.
“What a fall from grace. Embarrassing. And anyone who’s not an Ajax fan in the Netherlands loves it,” said Statham.
Across the space of three days, over 200,000 football fans are set to pack out Wembley filled with hope.
A bit of belief, too.
Watch Luton Town v Coventry City in the Championship Playoff Final LIVE on Sunday May 28 on beIN Sports and Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
But there will also be a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs of what could happen if, at the end of 90 minutes or longer, the cards doesn’t fall their way.
It is of course the English Football League’s weekend of playoff finals as six teams compete for the ultimate goal of promotion from their respective league.
Carlisle United and Stockport County will look to rise from the EFL’s bottom rung to the third tier.
Barnsley hope to bring Sheffield Wednesday’s thundering momentum to a shuddering halt after the Owls recorded one of, if not the most remarkable comeback in playoff history against Peterborough United.
But all eyes will be trained on Sunday morning’s (AEST) action between Luton Town and Coventry City in the Championship playoff final, dubbed the richest game in football.
The prize, of course, is a spot in the Premier League and the estimated $322 million windfall that comes with it simply by being promoted, per The Athletic.
Given this fixture has been decided by one goal in nine of the last 11 playoff finals, nervy times await.
For Luton and Coventry, it has been over two decades since either was last in the English top flight.
Both clubs have had their share of financial and emotional turmoil over the years with Luton dropping out of the EFL entirely while Coventry was essentially homeless for three of the last 10 seasons.
And that’s just the very, very narrow tip of the iceberg for the pair.
But both have risen from the doldrums of the EFL to sit agonisingly close to a seat at the richest table in football.
Foxsports.com.au takes a look at the journey of both clubs this season and where the contest could be won and lost in a match Coventry manager Mark Robins described as “one for the romantics.”
HOW $7 PURCHASE LED LUTON TO VERGE OF $322 MILLION DREAM
Luton got its first taste of the Championship playoffs last season but fell short against Huddersfield Town in the semi-finals.
However, the arrival of star striker Clayton Morris from Barnsley and the fact the Hatters have improved its league position every season since Nathan Jones’ arrival in 2016 raised expectations for the 2022/23 campaign.
Although Luton took five games to secure their first win of the season and were in the relegation zone, Jones quickly turned the form around and led the Hatters all the way up to 4th in mid-October.
But there would soon be a major hitch in Luton’s operation.
Jones was plucked from his post at Kenilworth Road to fill the vacancy at Premier League outfit Southampton, who had just parted ways with Ralph Hassenhuttl.
The last time Jones left Luton for a different job, it left the club in free fall and took the Welshman returning to the club to save them from being relegated to League One in the 2019/20 season.
Time would tell if lightning would strike again as Rob Edwards, who was sacked by Watford after 10 league games this season, was announced as Jones’ replacement.
Edwards was announced during the mid-season break for the World Cup, gifting him weeks to learn and understand the squad he had at his disposal.
It turned out to be the mini pre-season which kickstarted Luton’s promotion push.
From December 10 onwards, Luton won 14 of their final 25 fixtures under Edwards and tallied just three losses.
What made Edwards’ style of play so successful with this Luton team was his ability to see out narrow victories.
Rob Edwards has made Luton Town even better since arriving in November. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Of the 14 wins, nine of them were by a one-goal margin.
But, more importantly, Luton under Edwards found a steely resilience and conceded just 17 goals in the 25-game span, with 12 clean sheets.
A key element to the success at keeping the opposition at bay was the January loan signing of defensive midfielder Marvelous Nakamba.
The Zimbabwean international plays the perfect role as a screen for the backline, forcing the opposition to funnel their attacks to the wings.
But the main figure behind Luton’s on-field success has undoubtedly been Morris, who scored a staggering 20 league goals.
However, neither man comes close to the heartwarming story behind Hatters midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu.
The 29-year-old first joined Luton in 2013 on loan from West Ham United when the Hatters were knocking about in the Conference Premiership, the highest level of non-league football.
But as Luton climbed up the English football pyramid, so too did Mpanzu.
He now stands 90 minutes away from being the first footballer to rise all the way from non-league football to the Premier League.
Talk about a Hollywood story for player and club.
To get to this point has by no means been a straightforward journey for Luton.
This is the same club that was slapped with a 30-point deduction to start the 2008/09 League Two season — a figure which remains the English record to this day — for illegal agent payments and an inability to complete an insolvency agreement to the required standard of HMRC.
It is also the same club who boasted an owner by the name of John Gurney who bought it for $7 in 2003 and revealed plans of building a 70,000-seat stadium over a motorway in an eventful 55-day stint in charge.
Gurney also sacked popular manager Joe Kinnear at the time and allowed fans to have their say for who the next manager should be via a phone vote, which Kinnear won with 82 per cent of the vote.
Thankfully for the Luton faithful, the phone votes, financial disasters and all-round gross mismanagement are a thing of the past as a return to the top flight after 31 years away beckons.
Luton Town have been a resilient outfit at the back. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
THE HOMELESS CLUB WHO REGAINED ITS HEARTBEAT
With one half of Wembley set to be coloured in orange, the other will be decked out in the elegant sky blue of Coventry City.
A team who was in the Premier League 22 years ago and winners of the 1986/87 FA Cup, Coventry has lurched from one disaster to the next since the turn of the century.
The club’s plight was exarcebated by the decision to sell Highfield Road and move into the Ricoh Arena in 2005.
As debts continued to mount, a London-based hedge fund Sisu Capital saved Coventry from being wound up in 2007 with just 20 minutes to spare.
However, the group would quickly turn from saints to sinners as Coventry dropped all the way down to League Two in 2017 for the first time since 1959.
Sisu was also locked in a bitter battle over the rent figures at the Ricoh Arena, which forced the Sky Blues to play their home games at Northampton’s turf in the 2013/14 season as well as Birmingham City’s ground, St Andrews from 2019 to 2021.
Eventually Sisu’s hellish rule of the Midlands club came to an end in January this year when local businessman Doug King purchased 85 per cent of the club, which subsequently turned into full ownership later that month.
Coventry’s on-field fortunes this season have lurched from one extreme to the next, but sometimes the destination matters more than the journey.
Mark Robins’ side were bottom of the league on October 15 and only escaped the relegation zone on November 1.
It seemed as if Robins, who was in his second stint as Coventry manager, had run out of his managerial magic having guided the Sky Blues up from League Two in 2018 all the way to the Championship.
Mark Robins is one of the longest-serving managers in England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
However, Coventry’s fortunes changed and went into the World Cup break with four wins on the trot and breathing significantly easier all the way up in 11th place.
The form did not carry over once the action resumed, as Robins’ side lost four of the first eight games and recorded just one win in that time.
But from January 28 onwards, Coventry picked up steam and surged up the ladder.
The Sky Blues won nine and lost just two games from their last 19 to snatch a spot in the playoffs right at the death as their rivals continued to trip over their own feet in the race for a top six spot.
Such was the last-gasp nature of Coventry’s run of form, they were only in the top six for the final three matchweeks.
Robins’ remarkable ability to extract every ounce of talent and energy from his troops is an undeniable factor behind Coventry’s success.
But most important is how he has helped Swedish marksman Viktor Gyokeres find his best form.
Gyokeres finished the season with 21 league goals and 10 assists, an improvement on his 17-goal haul in the 2021/22 campaign.
The Swede can score but, more importantly, he has a tremendous ability to either bring the ball up the field or hold it up and get his teammates into the game.
His all-round game is central to Coventry’s lightning-quick counter attacks, none more evident than when they scored the only goal of their playoff semi-final clash against Middlesbrough.
The Sky Blues won the ball on the halfway line before Gyokeres was placed into space.
He brought down the ball and eventually laid it off for midfield dynamo Gustavo Hamer who made no mistake with the finish and secured Coventry’s spot in the playoff final.
Viktor Gyokeres (left) will play a key role in the playoff final for Coventry City. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
It is rather remarkable to consider Luton and Coventry both got promoted from League Two in 2018.
But equally heartening is they have reached this stage after years of financial mismanagement that plunged them to depths never seen before.
They’ve also not had any parachute payments from the Premier League to aid their coffers, either.
In fact, Coventry and Luton have the second-lowest and fifth-lowest wage bills respectively in the Championship, proving further why this fixture is such a special occasion not just for fans of either team, but the neutral.
When it comes to the head-to-head record of Luton and Coventry this season, they have drawn both games: 2-2 on Luton’s home turf and 1-1 on Coventry’s.
It makes this game ridiculously difficult to predict.
However, in positive news for Luton fans, renowned stats website FiveThirtyEighthas the Hatters with a 56 per cent chance of being promoted to Coventry’s 44 per cent.
Time will tell as to whether that prediction rings true.
But one thing’s for sure: it will be a stomach-churning 90 minutes, possibly more, and one team’s lengthy Premier League exile will finally be over.
Real Madrid cruised into the Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 win against Chelsea on Tuesday that wrapped up an emphatic 4-0 aggregate trumph, effectively ending the struggling London club’s season.
The home team, with Frank Lampard back in the dugout for a second spell, came into the match at Stamford Bridge with form and history against them.
They started brightly, playing enterprising football, but rued two huge missed chances in the first half that would have heaped pressure on the defending champions.
It means a fourth-straight lost for Lampard since he returned as an interim manager following the dismissal of Graham Potter.
According to The Athletic, it is the first time in Chelsea’s 118-year history that a manager has lost his first four games in charge.
Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Chilwell’s needless red exposes Blues | 00:32
The Spanish giants made Chelsea pay for their profligacy when Rodrygo scored in the 58th minute and he doubled his tally with 10 minutes to go.
Real Madrid will likely play Manchester City in the semi-finals, with Pep Guardiola’s team 3-0 up against Bayern Munich after the first leg of their last-eight tie.
But Chelsea are contemplating the final weeks of a disastrous campaign despite a staggering spend of more than £500 million in the first year of the club’s new ownership.
Already out of both domestic cups, they are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League and look unlikely to qualify for European football next season.
Giroud seals Milan’s passage past Napoli into Champions League semis
AC Milan reached the semi-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday after Olivier Giroud struck the crucial goal in a 1-1 draw at Napoli which completed a 2-1 aggregate victory over their fellow Italians.
Giroud tapped in what turned out to be the decisive goal two minutes before the break after a blistering run from Rafael Leao, who was once again key as Milan beat Napoli for the third time this month.
The France striker’s 13th goal of the season saved his blushes after he missed a penalty midway through the first half.
Stefano Pioli’s side now have the prospect of a local derby in the last four as Inter Milan hold a two-goal lead ahead of their second leg with Benfica on Wednesday night.
Milan have not contested a Champions League semi-final since they were crowned kings of Europe for the seventh and most recent time in 2007.
Victor Osimhen scored in stoppage time but it was not enough for Napoli who are creaking as they come towards the end of what has been a phenomenal season.
Luciano Spalletti’s once freewheeling team are now struggling for goals and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also had his own penalty saved with 10 minutes remaining, a miss which condemned his team to defeat.
Napoli are on the verge of their first league title since 1990, but after being placed on the easier side of the draw Tuesday’s exit was an underwhelming end to their European adventure.
