Preview of Football Action: Tottenham and Manchester United gear up for Europa League encounter; Yamal hailed superior to Messi, Maddison fully supports Postecoglou's leadership.
I'm here to give you the lowdown on tonight's action as an exciting night of Europa League semi-final action kicks off.
Tottenham's season hinges on success in the competition and they host Bodo-Glimt in north London. The pressure is on Ange Postecoglou, who knows that anything less than a win could have huge ramifications for his future at the club.
Meanwhile, Manchester United travel to face Athletic Club in the knowledge that securing the Europa League crown is their only hope of qualifying for Europe next term.
Elsewhere, Chelsea travel to face Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League semi-final.
In the Premier League, Nottingham Forest host Brentford knowing that a victory will send them up to third in the table.
Visit our sports betting site for all the latest betting odds.
By Phil Spencer
Haaland update
Erling Haaland is unlikely to return to action for Manchester City this week despite resuming full training. The prolific Norwegian striker has been out since suffering an ankle injury in City's FA Cup quarter-final win at Bournemouth in March.
By Phil Spencer
Saudi Pro League target three Premier League stars
Emiliano Martínez, Leon Bailey and Darwin Núñez (who plays for Liverpool, not Aston Villa) are the targets of another Saudi Pro League swoop as they prepare for a statement summer. The two Villa players could aid the club's Financial Fair Play worries, while Núñez, who has become surplus to requirements at Liverpool, could fund a new forward's incoming.
Saudi Arabia will reportedly make another big push in the transfer market, much like in summer 2023. They'll come in waves because there are foreign quotas.
'I hope to stay'
Harvey Elliott has revealed that he wants to stay at Liverpool this summer, but may have the decision taken out of his hands. The midfielder is yet to start a game in the Premier League this season and has been limited to just 15 sub appearances.
Hojlund 'playing for his Man United future'
Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana are playing for their Manchester United futures against Athletic Club tonight. Hojlund, in particular, must be consistent, while Onana needs a quiet game without any mistakes.
Winning the Europa League could be pivotal for Man United
Gabby Agbonlahor believes that Tottenham are under more pressure to win the Europa League than Man United, with Ruben Amorin's side potentially on the way back to the top if they win the tournament. He told talkSPORT Breakfast: "I think it's different for Man United than it is for Spurs. If Man United do win it then it turns out to be a really good season. I know it's hard to say that because their Premier League positions are similar but Man United could win the Europa League, be in the Champions League and they're a massive club so they'd attract big names anyway. Before you know it, if you have a good summer of transfers out and transfers in then Man United are on their way back to being in the elite."
Closing in on a return
Erling Haaland has returned to training with Manchester City following an ankle injury. The Norway striker has been absent for City since sustaining the ankle issue in his team's FA Cup quarter-final victory against Bournemouth in March. He said on X: "Getting better, feeling better."
Mbeumo could leave Brentford - Thomas Frank
Thomas Frank has admitted that Brentford could lose Bryan Mbeumo this summer to a big-money offer. He said: "If the right price - and that's going to be expensive - is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open to it. I've said many times: we are a selling club. "Ollie Watkins has been linked with a move away but Martinez and Bailey could be the ones to follow in the footsteps of former teammates Moussa Diaby and Jhon Duran."
Lamine Yamal 'better than Lionel Messi'
Lamine Yamal is already better than Lionel Messi was at this age, according to Ronald De Boer. The 17-year-old lit up the Champions League clash with Inter and is showing that he's on track to rival Messi's achievements in the game. De Boer told talkSPORT: "I got a message from Henk ten Cate who was the assistant coach at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard when Messi made his debut against Espanyol and he said that Yamal is further than Messi at this age. "Messi started really when he was 21 or something so at this age, he's better than Messi when he was 16, 17 or 18 so that says something. For me, the only difference is the consistency. Messi stayed on for 10, 12, 13 years at an unbelievable level - can Yamal do that? Can he keep the hunger? Can he stay fit? Can he keep both feet on the ground?"
Rodri returns
Rodri is back in training for Manchester City following a serious ACL injury that ruled him out of the majority of the season. The Ballon d'Or winner has been absent since September and hopes are high that he may be fit to feature again this season.
'Concentrate on the now'
Ange Postecoglou has been speaking about the two ends of the scale when it comes to the Premier League and Europa League. His Spurs side are having a nightmare domestic season, but in Europe, they've managed to reach the semi-finals. Ahead of their huge tie against Bodo/Glimt, Postecoglou discussed the different feelings on each campaign. He also referenced concerns over his future at the club, putting that to the back of his mind in the build-up to tomorrow's game. The Spurs boss said: "I get we are trying to run two parallel things of a really disappointing season in terms of the league. "But I just don't think we can concentrate on anything other than an unbelievable opportunity we have before us. "Irrespective of what kind of season you have, how often will you be in this position? History tells you not that often. Even the strongest clubs. "So any thought of what is going to happen next year or what has happened this year, I just don't think is really of any importance. "If you ask any Tottenham supporter what is at the forefront of your mind, what is going to happen next year or us trying to get to a final of Europe and the opportunity to win some silverware, I think the answer would be to concentrate on the now and that is what I am doing."
Backing the boss
Tottenham's James Maddison has backed manager Ange Postecoglou whose future seems to lie on Europa League success. Maddison also labelled the narrative of pressure being on Postecoglou as 'not healthy' and revealed that he and the squad remain hopeful of a 'special season'. "We are behind the manager 100%," he said. "I think he's a great man. "We have had a poor season, especially in the league. We've been very good in Europe, but the league season has been unacceptable. "He's my manager, he's my gaffer and I respect him an awful amount. "And listen, the narrative [of Postecoglou's position being under threat] is something we players are trying to keep away from because it's not healthy. "I just know that I come into work everyday and see the lads listening and taking on the messages on how he wants us to play and doing the best for this club and we are in a real good position in Europe, where we can still have a special season under his management. "I will continue to do that until the day he isn't here. He's my manager and I respect him an awful amount and that will continue."
New sponsor
Chelsea have announced that they have partnered with DAMAC Properties who will become their sponsor for the rest of the season. The first game with the new sponsor will be tomorrow night as Chelsea face Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League. The club have also revealed that there will be a branded residency being built in Dubai as part of the partnership.
Spurs blow
Tottenham Hotspur won't have their captain back for their crucial Europa League semi-final tomorrow night. Heung-min Son was missing from training today as Spurs get ready for the biggest fixture of their season. As the squad prepared to face Bodo/Glimt in North London, Son didn't join them on the pitch. He was absent for the quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt and hasn't played since April 10. Ange Postecoglou has kept up hope that his skipper would be fit for this tie, however, it seems he's not. The South Korean's foot injury looks to be keeping him out for even longer and his involvement in either leg is in major doubt. Postecoglou will likely give an update on Son in his pre-match press conference later this afternoon.
'He always gets cooked'
Micah Richards had another rough night on CBS Sports' coverage of the Champions League. The former Manchester City and Aston Villa defender always seems to get the short straw when being introduced. And last night was no different, with host Kate Scott giving Thierry Henry and Jamie Carragher nice intros. She said: "Micah Richards, he rides with too many clubs to know what he really feels. "After having a down on Saturday when Villa lost in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, he bounced back on Sunday when Man City won their semi. Money might buy you an ambassador, but it can't buy you love." Richards burst out into laughter after the comments while fans on social media had his back. One fan wrote: "Poor Micah, he always gets cooked." Another said: "Micah is a good sport , I would've fired back naturally as banter." "Kate is wicked," a third wrote with a laughing emoji.
Stepping back
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has paused his involvement in the club. His decision comes with Forest preparing for Champions League football next season, as they eye a top-five finish. Marinakis has suspended his interest in the club to comply with UEFA regulations on multi-club ownership. If Forest and Marinakis' other club, Olympiakos, both qualify for the Champions League with him in charge, one of them would have to pull out. So Marinakis has stepped back from Forest for now, meaning he will have no control or influence on the club's business next season.
Telegraph Sport report that despite Marinakis' decision to pause his involvement, he remains fully committed to Forest.
A welcome sight
Now, here's some good news for Man United fans. Amad Diallo is back in full training for the first time since the start of February after recovering from his injury. The winger, who was in fine form before picking up a knock, has been sidelined with ankle ligament damage. But he's been filmed in training ahead of United's huge clash against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League semi-finals. It's still unclear whether he will travel with the Red Devils squad to Spain for the game tomorrow night. If he is involved though, it would be a major boost for Ruben Amorin as he would get one of his most dangerous attackers back available to feature at a pivotal time. Centre-back Matthijs De Ligt has also been in training again following a few weeks in the treatment room.
Long-awaited reunion
David De Gea is set to return to Old Trafford this summer. No, sadly for Man United fans, he's not re-joining the club. But the goalkeeper will be playing in a friendly against his former side for Fiorentina in August. United announced this morning that they will take on the Italian side in their final pre-season fixture before the new season. It means De Gea will make a comeback to Manchester for the first time since his departure in July 2023. The Spaniard has been superb for Fiorentina this campaign, re-finding his best form after a year without a club.
Honest assessment
Arsenal fan Piers Morgan has given his thoughts on the Gunners' defeat to PSG, identifying their tactical issues. He also took aim at captain Martin Odegaard for his lack of creativity on the ball when his side are attacking. "One of the issues Arsenal have is that we don't have enough players that drive forward," Morgan told talkSPORT. "One of the problems last night tactically was that because Partey wasn't playing, Rice had to fall back and I much prefer Rice in a more forward position, much more aggressive and fueling Martinelli, Saka and the others and he couldn't do that much last night." He continued: "And Odegaard just isn't playing at the same level as he was last season or the season before. "He seems to be hesitant when he gets the ball to do something creative, instead he wants to release it quickly, normally sideways. "I kept shouting: 'Can we please move forward!' because what was interesting about PSG was they got the ball, they moved at pace and they wanted the ball." On PSG, Morgan added: "I thought the young kid Doue was sensational and the best player on the pitch by a mile was Kvaratskhelia. "That's one of the best performances I've seen at the Emirates since the stadium was created. "They played as a team in a way that we never saw when they had all the Galacticos [Messi, Neymar, Mbappe] playing there. They've got a much better team." "Arsenal have to wake up," he summarised. "It's going to be a cauldron in Paris, but I've got every confidence we can win. "But we're going to have to look at the level of intensity and ask how much do you want this?"
Not good enough
Jamie O'Hara and Jason Cundy have slammed Arsenal for their performance against Paris Saint-Germain last night. The Gunners were beaten 1-0 at the Emirates in their huge Champions League semi-final first leg. They now have to go to France next week with the tough task of coming from behind to turn the tie around. O'Hara and Cundy assessed Mikel Arteta's side's performance on talkSPORT's Sports Bar after the game. "Arsenal weren't good enough, they didn't take enough risks with the ball, it was very sideways, sideways, sideways, no one penetrating through the middle," O'Hara said. Cundy then added: "They looked nervous, Arsenal. The opening 15-20 minutes of the game, I don't think they dealt with PSG very well at all. PSG were popping it about from back to front." Cundy continued: "Goals change games and change the way you feel about it and those first few minutes of the game, Arsenal were not in that semi-final. They weren't in it and they had to grow into the game. "But at the end of the game, how Barcola hasn't scored...how it's not 3-0 at the end."
[1] https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/aston-villa-emiliano-martinez-leon-bailey-transfer-psr-22135884/g4lfx3ctvgg01zq5zahz17as5[2] https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/01/aston-villa-emiliano-martinez-leon-bailey-to-saudi-clubs-offered-to-sell-for-money[3] https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-emiliano-martinez-leon-bailey-saudi-pro-league-b2223001.html[4] https://www.liverpool.com/news/liverpool-transfer-rumour-darwin-nunez-linked-away-from-anfield
- In tonight's Europa League semi-final action, Tottenham host Bodo-Glimt with Ange Postecoglou under pressure to secure a win.
- Manchester United, out of contention for the Premier League and Champions League, travel to face Athletic Club in their only hope of qualifying for Europe next term.
- Chelsea face Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League semi-final, while Nottingham Forest host Brentford, knowing a victory will send them up to third in the Premier League.
- Visit our sports betting site for all the latest betting odds on tonight's action and upcoming football matches.
- Erling Haaland, out since March with an ankle injury, is unlikely to return to action for Manchester City this week.
- Saudi Pro League are targeting Emiliano Martínez, Leon Bailey, and Darwin Núñez as they prepare for a statement summer transfer window.
- In the Premier League, Harvey Elliott wants to stay at Liverpool this summer, but his future may be out of his hands.
- Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana are playing for their Manchester United futures against Athletic Club tonight, with the Europa League potentially being pivotal for the Red Devils.
