Triple captain Isak? Mateta a better option? Recap FPL Q&A

All kick-off times in BST
Premier League
Action-packed weekend and a Monday night game to top things off.
Saturday

Man City v Crystal Palace (12:30)
Southampton v Aston Villa (15:00)
Nottingham Forest v Everton (15:00)
Brighton v Leicester (15:00)
Arsenal v Brentford (17:30)

Sunday

Chelsea v Ipswich (14:00)
Wolves v Tottenham (14:00)
Liverpool v West Ham (14:00)
Newcastle v Man Utd (16:30)

Monday

Bournemouth v Fulham (20:00)

Need even more fantasy football chat in your life? Then look no further than the latest episode of Fantasy 606.
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Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave preview Double Gameweek 32.
And with that, we’ve told Heisenberg to go and do what one Heisenberg does on a sunny day like this.
We’ll round up the best of today’s tips and tricks and then let you do the same.
Thanks once again for all the interaction.
You make my job a lot easier, and a lot more fun! Although there were that many today that I didn’t have that much time to waffle. You lucky lot.
FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
This would be with Bench Boost DGW33 in mind as well as Free Hit in BGW34.
Triple Newcastle and Crystal Palace to attack DGW32.
Plenty of double gameweek players for DGW33 Bench Boost plus solid single gameweek options from Liverpool and West Ham as they face Leicester and Southampton respectively.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Hounddog: Should I keep Chris Wood on the bench? Or should I wait till potential team news tomorrow?
FPL Heisenberg: Schar is a good option – but I prefer Tino Livramento or Kieran Trippier myself.
Historically speaking, Schar does have an eye for a goal and he nearly scored a spectacular goal last week.
So I’m certainly not against him. Any Newcastle defender is a great option this week, so if Schar is your preferred option go for it.
Anon: Not the best this game week, but look ahead to future fixtures
FPL Heisenberg: Team looks strong on paper with plenty of good options including double Brighton attack vs a struggling Leicester side. BUT (and it’s a big but) you have no double Gameweek players. If the likes of Isak, Mateta, Eze, Murphy, Munoz etc do well you’ll struggle to get a green arrow this week. Perhaps look at Kluivert to Murphy and Wood to Mateta so you at least have two Double Gameweek players.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Hounddog: Should I keep Chris Wood on the bench? Or should I wait till potential team news tomorrow?
FPL Heisenberg: If you have two other good forwards and five good midfielders, then yes, I’d bench Chris Wood.
There is no guarantee he’ll be fit enough to start against Everton tomorrow.
Mo FPL: Rate my team, please! Have I got my bench, right? I don’t think Rogers will start, hence benching him
FPL Heisenberg: Hi Mo, I have a similar team and a similar dilemma. I’m not fully confident in my choice but as things stand I’m backing Rogers over Saka to get more minutes. Really tough call though, if you prefer Saka to Rogers this week then stick with that – I could easily get this one wrong.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Sienna: I’m going to transfer out a Crystal Palace midfielder so that I can have Oliver Glasner as my Assistant Manager (currently, I have too many palace players to do that). Who would you recommend as a replacement, at any price since I have plenty in the bank? (I already have Salah, Rogers, Murphy and Elanga.)
FPL Heisenberg: Hey Sienna, I’d go for Jarrod Bowen if you can bench him this week.
Next week he has Southampton at home which is obviously a perfect fixture.
If you need someone to play this week, then consider an Arsenal midfielder like Mikel Merino. Rotation with Arsenal is a fear but I think Merino will play. He is in great form and a double in GW33.
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From: Anon
FPL Heisenberg: Teams looking strong and full of differentials like Murillo and Strand Larsen. One thing I’d change is Gordon to Murphy. I think Murphy has a strong chance of out-scoring Gordon significantly so I don’t mind if it costs four points either.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
Reuben: Hi FPL Heisenberg, Last week I used my Wildcard, planning to Triple Captain Isak this week and then Bench Boost next week. However, I think my bench looks really good this week. Do you think I should Triple Captain Isak this week and then Bench Boost next week with a bench of Henderson, Isak, Murphy and Livramento, or should I Bench Boost this week with a bench of Raya, Rashford, Gvardiol and Salbia and then Triple Captain Saka/Marmoush next week? Thanks.
FPL Heisenberg: Hi Reuben, exactly the same for my team.
My bench also looks strong this week, but, it’ll look even stronger next week – so I’m sticking to my plan.
Also, with more players doubling next week, the likelihood of getting 15 players playing at least one game is higher making the Bench Boost stronger in double GW33. So yes, Triple Captain Isak this week and then Bench Boost in DGW33.
You can potentially use transfers next week to make your bench even stronger too.
I genuinely cannot believe the amount of questions we’ve got flooding in this week.
It’s even more than last week!
They might even give us a third series at this rate.
Unfortunately that doesn’t have the same ring to it but you better believe I’ll think of something.
FPL Heisenberg will fire as many as he can out before we have to say t’ra!
Andrew, Oxford: Thinking of bringing Sarr in for Mbuemo & triple captain on Isak. Also planning to bench boost wk 33.
FPL Heisenberg: Hi Andrew. I personally have Sarr but I think if I could choose now between him and Eze I’d take Eze – so consider that. If you’re confident in Sarr don’t let me change your mind though, he can be lethal. Triple Captain Isak this week and then Bench Boost next week is a great plan for this team and aligns with my own plan too.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Q: Should I go with Morgan Rogers or Bukayo Saka this gameweek?
FPL Heisenberg: Currently I’m starting Morgan Rogers and benching Bukayo Saka, but, it’s a really difficult call to get right.
Both have a really important Champions League second leg coming up. My thinking is Rogers is fully fit, whereas Saka is perhaps still managing his minutes after returning from a lengthy spell out.
Therefore, when trying to predict which player is more likely to start I believe Rogers has a slightly better chance in that regard.
Also, with Rogers playing Southampton there’s a chance for a big haul. Saka has a more difficult fixture vs Brentford.
Statman Dave
Fantasy 606’s football analyst and FPL expert
After a slow start to the season, Crystal Palace have really hit their stride in 2025, largely thanks to their excellent defensive record. In fact since the turn of the year, the Eagles have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League (8).
If you want a Palace defensive asset for the upcoming double gameweeks then Daniel Munoz is the standout option – with the most FPL points in 2025 amongst defenders (62).
With Marc Guehi suspended for the match with Manchester City, clean sheet potential might not be that high but fear not. Dean Henderson (6.5) has prevented more goals than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season and Munoz has already scored against Manchester City & Newcastle United this season.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Jon, Nottingham: My midfield is Salah, Murphy, Saka, Semenyo & Elanga. Do I transfer in Rogers for Semenyo, or wait a week?
FPL Heisenberg: Yeah, I’d do that move Jon.
A slight risk that Morgan Rogers is benched ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris St-Germain.
But it’s Southampton for Rogers and if he plays, he could be a good return and then a double gameweek the following week. Rogers’ form is a lot better than Antoine Semenyo’s too so that’s another reason to pull the trigger this week.
Statman Dave
Fantasy 606’s football analyst and FPL expert
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Newcastle United also play twice in this gameweek and with Anthony Gordon still a doubt, Jacob Murphy is potentially Newcastle’s best source of points – with more FPL points over the last 6 gameweeks than any other Magpie (32).
But with half of Murphy’s points coming against 19th placed Leicester City in gameweek 31, Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr might be a more reliable option. The Senegalese winger has more non-penalty expected goals (8.06) and more expected assists (7.19) than any Crystal Palace & Newcastle United FPL midfielder this season.
What’s more is his 15-point haul against Aston Villa in Gameweek 27 showed his ability to score points against strong opposition, something that can’t be said for Murphy who has only scored double digits against sides in the bottom three.
Speaking of double gameweeks…
I just heard my editor in the distance say the words, “I’m a sucker for a double gameweek.”
The FPL live is taking over.

Page 2

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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Isaac in Oxford: Enjoying the FPL live posts! Having a real defensive FPL headache this week – I have Nick Pope, Tino Livramento and Matz Sels. Do I have double Newcastle and try to cash in for the double, and miss out on a likely Nottingham Forest clean sheet? Any advice much appreciated…
FPL Heisenberg: Yeah, I feel your pain, Isaac.
But with a home double gameweek for Pope, you have to play him over Sels. I agree with you that Sels has a strong chance of a clean sheet, but, whatever will be will be with that one. Pope, with two fixtures, is the correct choice regardless of what the outcome ends up being.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Kevin W in London: I haven’t played my assistant manager. Should I do so this week? It means I won’t be able to free hit. I have seven good players and can bring in three free transfers taking me to 10 players in total for game week 34. Or should I save the assistant manager and free hit in GW34?
FPL Heisenberg: Yes Kevin, you should absolutely play your Assistant Manager now – this is the only opportunity left to get back-to-back double gameweeks.
Oliver Glasner is an easy pick – two double gameweeks in a row and plenty of opportunities for table bonus in those games. Then in blank GW34, you can get to the 11th player for just one hit which is worth it considering the gains you’ll get from playing the Assistant Manager chip now.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Q: Who would you go for as your Assistant Manager this gameweek?
FPL Heisenberg: I’d go for Oliver Glasner for three reasons.
Firstly, table bonus – yes the fixtures are hard for Crystal Palace (facing Manchester City and Newcastle both away) but the rewards are potentially massive because of the table bonus points should Palace win or draw either of these games.
Secondly, Palace are second only to Liverpool in the Premier League in points over the last 10 games – the form is there.
Finally, Glasner is one of only two managers with a double gameweek this week. I’m a sucker for a double gameweek, especially after David Moyes and Unai Emery did the business in double gameweeks 24 and 25 respectively.
The Austrian is also the only manager with two double gameweeks so you can use the chip on him for back-to-back gameweeks and don’t need to use a transfer.
Absolutely loads of you getting in touch to ask about where to throw your Assistant Manager chip this week.
I can’t lie, you can tell I’m not filed under the ‘expert’ column because I still don’t really get it. I used it on Moyes earlier in the season but mainly just to get rid of the thing. Did alright mind!
Anyway, I digress…
FPL Heisenberg is here to give you not one but three reasons to use it on a certain Austrian manager.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Harry, York: One for Heisenberg: I currently have Anthony Gordon. Is it worth taking a -4 to bring in Jacob Murphy?
FPL Heisenberg: Yes, I think it is Harry. Usually I’m fairly against taking too many -4, however, in this instance it’s justified.
Gordon is very unlikely to start the first game of the double GW in my opinion, and, he might not even start the second.
Therefore, with Murphy’s appearance points alone you’ll be eating into that four-point hit nicely. More importantly, you’ll be getting a player who’s in super form – following his brace at Leicester – for two games at St James’ Park.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Anon: Is it worth taking out Mitoma, who could be injured, for a 4-point hit?
FPL Heisenberg: I wouldn’t be taking Mitoma out ahead of Leicester at home. On recent form you could argue that Leicester are the worse team in the league. So, I don’t like the idea of removing Mitoma this week – however – it might be justified if you’re moving him out for a solid double gameweek asset like Murphy or Eze.
Second shout in as many minutes for Kaoru Mitoma as our resident expert FPL Heisenberg has just been asked about the Brighton midfielder.
The Japan international is looking like a relatively popular pick this week…
Thomas Woods
BBC Sport FPL writer, best finish 9,100th
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Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton, £6.5m – Leicester (h)
Backing a forward player against Leicester pays off almost every week and Mitoma is easily Brighton’s most reliable midfielder.
The most shots, shots in the box, on target, key passes, xG, goals – I could go on.
Newcastle’s Murphy had a haul from the flanks against the Foxes, now it is Mitoma’s turn.
There is an injury doubt about the Japan forward though.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Q: Who can be an alternative to captaining Alexander Isak this gameweek?
FPL Heisenberg: Alexander Isak will no doubt be the most popular captain pick this gameweek.
If you’re looking for an alternative, then I’d stick with a double gameweek option. You might think I’m about to suggest Eberechi Eze or Jean-Philippe Mateta, but, if you’re looking for an Isak alternative go for Jacob Murphy.
Two home fixtures, great current form following his brace at the King Power and solid long term form highlighted by this stat: Since GW15, only Mohamed Salah (23) and Isak (17) can better Murphy (14) for attacking returns.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Sham: Should I bring in Morgan Rogers, Marco Asensio or Marcus Rashford for the Southampton game and next week’s double GW?
FPL Heisenberg: Rashford and Asensio have been really good January signings for Aston Villa and I like both as players.
In terms of FPL, I still feel like Rogers is the most nailed on, reliable asset you can pick from the Villa midfielders and forwards.
It may feel more exciting going for Rashford or Asensio, but I prefer the boring proven pick myself. Hard to predict exact minutes for all three this gameweek, but looking ahead to the double in GW33, then I’d feel more comfortable with Rogers in my team over the other two.
Thomas Woods
BBC Sport FPL writer, best finish 9,100th
Here’s my team of the week for GW32 and I’ve outlined the reasons for picking each player in my weekly article on the BBC Sport website.
Some of the picks are pretty obvious this week and it makes sense to at least captain Alexander Isak, if not throw the Triple Captain armband on him.
But I prefer a Bench Boost this week if you can with some great single gameweek match-ups such as Nottingham Forest v Everton and Brighton v Leicester.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Lewis, Liverpool: This gameweek only, if you had to start one, bench one and avoid one from Morgan Rogers (Southampton away) Neco Williams (Everton at home) and William Saliba (Brentford at home)?
FPL Heisenberg: I would start Rogers, bench Williams and avoid Saliba.
It’s actually a tough question to answer. I’ve gone for a Saliba avoid in case Arsenal rotate heavily and I think Brentford could nick a goal.
Williams has a decent chance of a clean sheet against Everton, but, I prefer the gamble on Rogers. If he starts and Aston Villa smash Southampton, he could get a massive haul.
Thomas Woods
BBC Sport FPL writer, best finish 9,100th
There’s a lot for FPL managers to ponder this week – and plenty of dilemmas for FPL Heisenberg left to tackle.

Which double gameweek players do you pick?
Will Arsenal and Villa rest star players?
Best chip? Bench Boost, Triple Captain or Assistant Manager
And how far ahead should you plan, with another double next week followed by four teams blanking in 34?

The next few weeks will be fun, potentially carnage and full of huge opportunities to make up points.
Stay tuned for some advice on how to tackle them.
Statman Dave
Fantasy 606’s football analyst and FPL expert
Alexander Isak, the top point-scoring FPL forward this season, might have blanked last time out against Leicester City but Isak’s xG since Gameweek 26 (3.21) is bettered only by Bournemouth’s Evanilson (3.86).
However, with Isak providing just one attacking return in nine Premier League matches against Manchester United and Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta might be a better option.
Not only has he been directly involved in five goals in his past five appearances against Newcastle United & Manchester City but only record breaking Mohamed Salah (109) has more FPL points in 2025 than Mateta (73).
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Are you bench boosting this week or playing your wildcard?
Send us a screenshot of your team for FPL Heisenberg to rate.
Get Involved: #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply)
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Ian, Reading: Is Alexander Isak a good bet for Triple Captain this gameweek?
FPL Heisenberg: Yes, you absolutely should Triple Captain Alexander Isak.
I am doing it for the following reasons – he’s got two home fixtures against teams in the bottom half of the table (Manchester United on 13 April and Crystal Palace on 16 April) and outside of Mohamed Salah, he’s been the most consistent FPL asset this season.
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FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Q: Should I keep or sell Justin Kluivert?
FPL Heisenberg: With Justin Kluivert still being a doubt for Bournemouth, I’d be looking to move him on if possible.
If you’ve not yet tripled up on Crystal Palace and Newcastle I’d be looking to their assets as they are the only teams playing twice this gameweek.
Jacob Murphy and Eberechi Eze are the standout picks. If you’ve already got them, then consider Ismaila Sarr or Harvey Barnes, although the latter might share minutes with the returning Anthony Gordon.
15 minutes since we kicked off this live and we’ve been inundated with questions already.
Well, FPL Heisenberg has. I’m just here to push buttons and try and be a bit funny.
Let’s get into some nice and early.
We’ve had double and blank gameweeks announced last week and we’re now approaching the first of those doubles.
Here’s a reminder of the upcoming schedule:
Gameweek 32 – double gameweek for Newcastle and Crystal Palace
Gameweek 33 – double gameweek for Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace
Gameweek 34 – blank gameweek for Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal and Crystal Palace
Gameweek 35 – normal gameweek
And we’re expecting the FA Cup final to create more doubles in 36 and blanks in 37, potentially.
Time to get planning!
FPL Heisenberg
Fantasy Premier League expert with seven top-30k finishes
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Triple Captain is on Isak.
Rolling a transfer will give me three free transfers in DGW33.
Rogers vs Saka is a difficult decision as I’m worried about both their minutes.

Page 3

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FPL Heisenberg (Wes Prickett) is a proven FPL manager with seven finishes inside the top 30k in the overall rankings – with a best finish of 836th in the world.
Wes has made multiple appearances on Sky Sports, the official Fantasy Show and the BBC Fantasy 606 Podcast to name just a few
Somebody cooked here.
Or so I’ve heard…
Time to meet this week’s expert.
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Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert remains a doubt after missing the past two two games.
Nottingham Forest duo Chris Wood and Anthony Elanga will be assessed before facing Everton tomorrow.
Another midfield option, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, is also a 50/50 to play against strugglers Leicester City.
But in some good news, Alisson Becker is set to return to keep the goal for Liverpool.
Image source, Getty Images
Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has 102 points this season, is suspended after seeing two yellow cards against Brighton last week, along with forward Eddie Nketiah.
He joins Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina and Arsenal’s Gabriel on the sidelines.
FPL managers won’t need any reminding that Manchester City’s Erling Haaland remains unavailable – so is Arsenal’s Kai Havertz.
The deadline for gameweek 32 is 11:00 BST on Saturday 12 April – tomorrow.
Would you believe it? They’ve given us a second series!
Well, they’ve given us a chance to do another one of these FPL live texts.
And that’s thanks to you lot getting involved last week, so more of the same this, please!
Let’s kick things off with the formalities, deadlines and team news going into gameweek 32.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
West Ham United
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West Ham boss Graham Potter on team news: “No major issues from the previous match, it will be a similar squad from the last match I think. [Niclas] Fullkrug isn’t fatigued but we want to make sure he’s okay after the weekend, he’s trained with the team today so he’s looking okay so hopefully he’ll be in the squad.”
Chelsea v Ipswich (Sun 14:00 BST)
Ipswich Town
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed that Ben Godfrey is back training with the rest of the players but is unsure which others will be available for the visit to Chelsea:
“Ben’s back training now. He’s fully with the group. Going into this one, we’ve had one or two knocks from the last game. Other than, one or two being assessed. None of the long-term ones are back yet. Omari is probably going to be a bit soon for this weekend.”
Just a quick reminder that we are going to finish today’s live page with a must for any Fantasy Premier League manager – a deep dive into the key takeaways from today’s news conferences.
Need help with those last-minute tweaks to your team?
Send in your questions to guest expert FPL Heisenberg.
Get involved using #bbcfootball, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).
Southampton v Aston Villa (Sat 15:00 BST)
Aston Villa
Let’s rattle through the rest of today’s team news, starting with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who is preparing his side to visit Southampton in the Premier League:
“We are going to train now. Only Leon Bailey is progressively getting better and today, maybe he is working with the group and in case he’s not for tomorrow hopefully for the next Tuesday he will be available.”
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Wolves
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Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is plotting a way his side can further darken Ange Postecoglou’s mood when they take on Tottenham at Molineux on Sunday.
He was asked if Matheus Cunha will go straight back into the starting XI on his return from suspension:
“No. He’s working and is committed to preparing himself to help the team but we won the last three games playing consistently tactically and mentally.
“What is fair? It’s fair to keep going with the same team. That is my opinion. This is football, this is commitment, leadership. Matheus will come to help us, he understands, I had a conversation with him, but I will play the same team.”
Pereira added that Pedro Lima has picked up an ankle injury and will not be available.
Media caption,
Putting phone in someone’s face is bullying tactic – Postecoglou

Fan abuse – Ange Postecogloucupped his ear in the direction of the travelling Spurs fans after substitute Pape Sarr, whose introduction was booed four minutes earlier, scored an equaliser which was later disallowed in a recent match against Chelsea. He later denied said he was not goading fans and instead wanted them to get really excited.
VAR: Postecoglou said VAR was “killing the game” after Spurs had an equaliser overturned after a five-minute check in the 1-0 loss to Chelsea, a game in which he also came under criticism for an ear-cupping gesture towards his own fans. “It’s not the same game it used to be. You just don’t know what you’re going to get. You’re standing around for 12 minutes. It’s killing the game. But no one cares about that,” he said.
Phones: Earlier this month, the Spurs boss said he “won’t accept” fans putting phones in his face because he believes it is a “bullying” tactic. “They want their five minutes of fame. For young people, [phones] are more dangerous than any other weapon in the world,” he said.
Johnson penalty complaints – Grumbles were aired by supporters about the fact Brennan Johnson was not handed the chance to claim his hat-trick when Tottenham were given a late penalty against Southampton. The ball was handed to nominated penalty taker Mathys Tel, who scored to make it 3-1, and the Spurs boss said “once again this club” had found a way of turning a positive into a negative.
Spurs leak – The Tottenham boss chose today’s news conference to air his view that there was a leak in the Spurs camp releasing team news, saying he had a fair idea where it was coming from and would “deal with it”.

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At a club that hasn’t kept a clean sheet in nearly 2 months, the leak is surely in the defence.
Just joining us? We’re across Premier League managers’ news conferences today and the biggest story to come out of them is from Ange Postecoglou saying there’s a leak within Tottenham.

‘No doubt there’s a leak’ – Postecoglou said that there is “no doubt” there is a leak within the club and that “someone continues to leak out information and they have all year”
‘We will deal with it’ – He went on to say that “we have narrowed it down. I’ve got a fair idea where it’s coming from” and that he will “deal with it”
Who is the Tottenham leak? It’s not clear who the leak is or what leaks Postecoglou is referring to. There were rumours on Thursday that winger Wilson Odobert had suffered a hamstring injury but he was later named on the bench as an unused substitute

Image source, Getty Images
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Re. the alleged leak inside Tottenham Hotspur – can we please start referring to this story as Angetha Christie?
Tottenham’s season now rests on Thursday’s second leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Eintracht Frankfurt, which is level at 1-1 after the first leg in London.
Ange Postecoglou has been fighting fires at the club all season, after a succession of injuries drastically affected their league form.
They have dropped to 14th in the Premier League table after falling to 16 defeats in 31 league matches.
Despite that, Spurs’ form in the Europa League has been decent. The competition now represents their only realistic route into Europe next season, with the winners guaranteed a Champions League place.
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur
Reflecting on Thursday’s draw to Eintracht Frankfurt, head coach Ange Postecoglou: “Every away game in Europe is a challenge. Next week will be tight.
“Even in the first half we were well controlled, conceded the goal but we fought back. Second half we dominated. I don’t see any reason why it will be different [next week].
“Take the positives out of last night into next week.
“European games are tight in their nature so hopefully a couple of things go our way that didn’t last night.”
Image source, Getty Images
In his news conference today, Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said that there was “no doubt” that there was a “leak” currently inside the club.
Prior to Thursday evening’s Europa League game against Eintracht Frankfurt, rumours surfaced online that winger Wilson Odobert had suffered a hamstring injury that would keep him out of the contest.
However, when the team sheet was revealed prior to kick-off, Odobert was involved in the matchday squad on the Spurs bench, albeit as an unused substitute.
Postecoglou was asked earlier about injury news being leaked prior to games to which he gave this full response, saying it “certainly doesn’t help us on game days”.
It must be noted that he never references whether it was directly related to Odobert, nor who the leak may have been.
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur
On the importance of Son Heung-min, following some recent criticism of his performances, Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou said: “He’s a huge influence for us on and off the pitch. He’s working hard for the team.
“Last night he played his part in creating a lot of opportunities. Our front three were really disciplined. He is hugely important to the club and what we are doing at the club.”
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou with the latest injury news: “Not [any new injured players] from last night. A couple of boys cramping up near the end, a couple of small knocks, a couple who will be tired, but heath wise fine.
“It was a big physical toll last night. It was always going to be a challenging game for us. It’s a big game [Sunday] and a big performance is needed so having some fresh legs will help that. Fair to make some changes.”

Page 4

We will have more information on that revelation from Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou about leaks within the club.
But before that, he also gave some team news before Sunday’s Premier League match at Wolves…
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou on team news being leaked by someone inside the club: “There is no doubt we’ve got a leak inside the club. Someone continues to leak out information and they have all year. I don’t know why as it just makes our job even more difficult. It doesn’t help us as you don’t want to give the opposition a helping hand.
“We’ve narrowed it down. I’ve got a fair idea where it’s coming from. We will deal with it.
“It certainly doesn’t help us on game days. It’s sometimes half-truths and sometimes more. You’d like to think that everyone within our camp is working with us rather than against us.”
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves v Tottenham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Tottenham Hotspur
We are moving on to Ange Postecoglou’s news conference now.
The Tottenham boss said that he was in “no doubt we’ve got a leak inside the club” following the release of team news before Thursday’s Europa League draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Full quotes to follow.
Man City v Crystal Palace (Sat, 12:30 BST)
Crystal Palace
Image source, Getty Images
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has confirmed that Maxence Lacroix is available to feature against Manchester City despite coming off as a concussion substitute last Saturday.
The French centre-back was withdrawn after a head injury following a clash with Brighton striker Joao Pedro in their 2-1 win.
Glasner also confirmed the return of Chris Richards after missing the past two games with a calf injury.
Romain Esse and Matt Turner will both miss the game against the reigning champions with sickness but should be available for the midweek fixture against Newcastle, according to the Palace boss.
The Eagles will also be without captain Marc Guehi and Eddie Nketiah, who are both suspended after receiving red cards against the Seagulls.
Man City v Crystal Palace (Sat 12:30 BST)
Manchester City
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was asked about the fitness of defenders Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Nathan Ake: “[They are] still injured, we’ll see.”
“[Injuries] happened all season, we adapt,” he added.
“You can see it as a problem or a challenge, the position is a disaster or it could be worse.
“I’m happy with the way we handled the situation and where we are.”
Man City v Crystal Palace (Sat 12:30 BST)
Manchester City
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was asked about Jack Grealish and Phil Foden, who were both involved in incidents with Manchester United fans in last week’s Manchester derby: “It’s happening everywhere – it is a crazy world. Everything is happening all around the world – it is not just a sport issue.
“It is not about United, a specific club or department of football. It is happening everywhere, take a look around and you will realise. I think we aren’t on the right path.
“He [Grealish] doesn’t feel good, but we move forward.”
Bournemouth v Fulham (Mon, 20:00 BST)
Bournemouth
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola on Ryan Christie update: “Ryan Christie is out for the season. He has needed surgery and he has been pushing through pain all season, but now is the moment where his body tells him ‘no, it’s enough, you can’t keep playing’. Our aim is to have him ready to start pre-season.”
On other team news: “We still have three days until Monday night, so we will try with Justin [Kluivert], Marcus Tavernier and Luis Sinisterra. From the three of them, Sinisterra is the one with less of a chance but we will try. That’s our situation right now.”
Image source, Getty Images
That’s it from Mikel Arteta.
We just have a few bits of team news from around Bournemouth and Manchester City before changing focus to Tottenham and manager Ange Postecoglou’s news conference.
He has made some interesting comments, which we will bring to you in a moment.
Arsenal v Brentford (Sat, 17:30 BST)
Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on whether he will rest players this weekend before next week’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid: “Just normality. This is our context – play every three days and playing in different competitions on the biggest stages. Playing in Europe then coming back and facing a different challenge in the Premier League.
“If you want to become a team that has the capacity to win in any of those then you have to do it every three days, regardless of the scenario.”
Arsenal v Brentford (Sat, 17:30 BST)
Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on Bukayo Saka: “He is very important. He gives us a level of threat and unpredictability that probably no other player can provide, especially with the connection that he has built in and around the team.
“He has the power to lift the stadium which is incredible because shifting the energy in a stadium is something that is really difficult to do and when a player is able to do that, that is a great quality to have.
“He is so humble, very committed to the club and has very deep roots connected to this football club. I am very glad to hear that he wants to stay with us and win with us.”
Image source, Getty Images
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Re VAR, to quote Bananarama, it ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it.
Chris from Tilbury just widening the quote field
Not sure that Bananarama count as a literary reference Chris, but one I am sure that Charlton boss Nathan Jones would appreciate.
Arsenal v Brentford (Sat, 17:30 BST)
Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on which of Declan Rice’s free-kicks he preferred: “It’s difficult. They are two different. The technique is different in both of them. Both of them were excellent and they helped us win the game which is the most important thing.”
On if he is now first in line for free-kicks: “That is something we discuss a lot. The different ways he can create moments in and around the box whether it is through crosses or scoring goals because he has all the qualities. He can run into the box, he can eliminate people by dribbling, he has a long-range shot. That’s where we are heading with him, to become someone that can decide a game with different tools.”
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal v Brentford (Sat, 17:30 BST)
Arsenal
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on reflection of the Real Madrid result: “There has been an unbelievable energy around the place. It was a very special night. That’s over and now our full focus is on Brentford because it is a game that will require the best of us.”
Image source, Getty Images
Like buses, you spend ages waiting for one Premier League manager and then they all arrive at once.
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola are both talking now, but we are going to concentrate on Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta…
Image source, Getty Images
There’s still plenty to be decided as Premier League returns on Saturday with Manchester City, still reigning champions, taking on Crystal Palace (12:30 BST).
But Liverpool, 11 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal, will hope to move another step closer to the title when they meet West Ham on Sunday.
There’s also the race for places in the European competitions with Brentford, sitting as low as 12th, still harbouring hopes with seven games to go.
Southampton became the first team to be relegated last week and saw the departure of their manager Ivan Juric.
But Leicester City and Ipswich Town are still in the midst of the battle to avoid the drop as they face Brighton and Chelsea respectively this week.
Man City v Crystal Palace (Sat, 12:30 BST)
Simon Stone
BBC Sport’s chief football news reporter
I don’t think many people have seriously considered the possibility of Manchester City failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Yet, even with the certainty that fifth will now be enough, as the Premier League table stands, Pep Guardiola’s side would miss out.
They do still have relegated Southampton, out of form Bournemouth and fourth-bottom Wolves to play, so I suspect they will be OK.
But Crystal Palace visit the Etihad tomorrow and they have only lost on one of their last three trips.
City won’t want to drop any more points, as that could allow Fulham and Brighton back into the mix.
Guardiola will speak to the media shortly.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, BBC Sport
With the Premier League top five now making the Champions League, the race for Europe is heating up in England as we enter the final stretch of the season.
Only six points separates five clubs battling for the three guaranteed spots behind leaders Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal, with seven games remaining of the season.
Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Newcastle, Manchester City and Aston Villa all will be fighting each other for a place in Europe’s top-tier club competition.
But do not rule out Fulham, who beat Liverpool to climb to eighth last week, Brighton or 10th-placed Bournemouth, who are eyeing their first-ever campaign in Europe.
The Cherries’ trip to Fulham on Monday with a place in Europe is one fixture to watch out for this week.
Arsenal v Brentford (17:30 BST)
Could Brentford be just the visitors Arsenal need, coming in between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid?
They have lost just one of their 10 home games against Brentford in all competitions (W5 D4), tasting their only defeat at Highbury in April 1938, when they lost 2-0.
The Gunners last faced the Bees on New Year’s Day, when they won the reverse fixture 3-1 after goals from Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Gabriel Martinelli cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s opener.
Image source, Getty Images
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I sympathise with Ange. It’s all of VAR, not just offsides, that needs to be resolved. To quote the great Sherlock Holmes: “It’s quite elementary, dear Watson — the ball struck his elbow, then deflected off three molecules of air and a passing thought. Clearly a red card… after a seven-minute VAR review.”
Paul came up with a Shakespeare reference in his message about VAR, now Jezza is citing Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You are all taking this too literary…
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Why do we have offside in today’s game anyway? It was brought in many years ago to stop centre-forwards goal hanging. The game is entirely different today and many goals are disallowed with a player nowhere near the goal. It now seems like a rule to cause controversy rather than improve the game.

Page 5

Arsenal v Brentford (17:30 BST)
Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter at Arsenal’s training ground
There’s lots to go at today for Mikel Arteta in his pre-Brentford news conference.
Arsenal are fresh from their best performance of the season – the 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League – but are back to Premier League action this weekend.
The Gunners play Madrid on Wednesday and Arteta will have to decide whether to rest his key players for the league match or continue to play the players that performed so well to continue momentum.
We will be hearing from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola at around 13:30 BST, but Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta is first up in our lunchtime rush of Premier League news conferences…
Man City v Crystal Palace (Sat, 12:30 BST)
Simon Stone
BBC Sport’s chief football news reporter
Manchester City have already played plenty of games with Semi Automated offside given it is used in Uefa competition.
However, tomorrow the Premier League are using different technology, with City’s lunchtime game with Crystal Palace first in the queue.
All kick-off times in BST
Premier League
So here is a list of what will be the first Premier League fixtures that semi-automated offsides will be used in:
Saturday

Man City v Crystal Palace (12:30)
Southampton v Aston Villa (15:00)
Nottingham Forest v Everton (15:00)
Brighton v Leicester (15:00)
Arsenal v Brentford (17:30)

Sunday

Chelsea v Ipswich (14:00)
Wolves v Tottenham (14:00)
Liverpool v West Ham (14:00)
Newcastle v Man Utd (16:30)

Monday

Bournemouth v Fulham (20:00)

Image source, Getty Images
The new technology has been used in a series of ‘trial’ games, which included Bournemouth’s FA Cup fifth-round win over Wolves, when it made the headlines after a record eight-minute VAR stoppage.
The officials were unable to rely on the new technology during the check, and they needed to revert to manually drawn lines before disallowing Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez’s 35th-minute goal.
The Football Association said the issue was caused by a congested penalty area.
It was reviewed and it was recognised the speed of the process and switching between technologies – AI and data platform Genius Sports supply the semi-automated offside technology – could have been improved.
It was felt some time could have been saved before recognising the new technology was not going to be able to help in that situation.
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Not a fan of VAR but “if twere done twere best done quickly” as well known Scottish striker MacBeth once said.
The hope is that semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will increase the speed of the virtual offside line placements and it will help in crowded penalty areas.
The delay in disallowing Moises Caicedo’s goal in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Tottenham was about four minutes, and there is confidence SAOT would have cut that wait by about two minutes.
But it would not have reduced the time – more than three minutes – that it took to disallow Pape Sarr’s goal in the same game which led to Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou claiming that VAR was “killing the game”. That goal was ruled out for a foul that was spotted in midfield, rather than for an offside.
The Premier League says there has already been 100% accuracy with offsides this season, with the average VAR delay at 39 seconds per game, compared with 64 seconds last season.
Ultimately, SAOT will reduce, but not eliminate, VAR delays for complex situations.
With several high-profile lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) decisions in recent weeks, it is hoped the technology will start to reduce the delays and some debates.
Clubs voted in the technology last April, but its rollout has been pushed back from the autumn for more trials.
It is designed to make the judgement of tight offside calls easier for officials by making key parts of the review process automatic.
The Premier League says the artificial intelligence system “enhances the speed, efficiency and consistency of offside decision-making”.
It is not used for other VAR involvements such as penalties, goal reviews for handballs or other fouls, red cards or mistaken identity.
Media caption,
Six minutes to come to a clear & obvious decision – Ange on VAR ‘lottery’
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While we’re on the subject of semi-automated offsides, we’d like to hear your opinions on them.
Good for the game or just another unnecessary tool being added to complicate things further?
You can let us know using the methods below or, alternatively, give us a classic thumbs up or thumbs down.
Thumbs up if you think they are a good thing, thumbs down if not.
Image source, The FA
The system aims to remove some elements of human subjectivity by replacing decisions made by officials with automated ones taken by technology.
Bespoke cameras, which will monitor a variety of key elements involved in any tight offside decision, have been installed beneath the roof at all 20 Premier League stadiums.
The cameras will track the exact movement of the ball as well as 10,000 surface mesh data points on the bodies of all 22 players, meaning it can be automatically determined whether or not an attacking player’s body was beyond the last defender’s at the exact time the ball was played.
Artificial intelligence manages the process, monitoring ball and player movement, before coming up with a decision as to whether the player was onside or offside.
VAR officials check the system has correctly determined the three key points it measures before confirming the decision. The on-field officials then inform the players.
A 3D animation of the decision produced by the artificial intelligence will then be played on television for viewers at home and on big screens in the stadium.
As we’ve briefly mentioned and Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall kindly commented on in his news conference, the Premier League is to introduce semi-automated offside technology for this weekend’s round of fixtures.
The decision follows non-live testing in the Premier League and its launch in English football during the FA Cup fifth round at the end of February.
The first Premier League match to benefit from its introduction will be Manchester City’s home game against Crystal Palace (12:30 BST).
Image source, The FA
Here is yesterday’s team news from Brentford, Nottingham Forest, Leicester, and Southampton if you missed it.

Brentford: Thomas Frank said that there is no “new” injury news and “everyone who was available for Chelsea is available again” However Aaron Hickey, Igor Thiago and Gustavo Nunes are all are “getting closer” but not given a time frame of when they will feature.
Nottingham Forest: Nuno Espirito Santo providing an update on the fitness of Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Taiwo Awoniyi said: “We are still assessing all of them. They are struggling with problems, some small some not so small. We have one more day and then we will see if they are available for the game.” He added he is “hopeful” each will be fit: “It could be all of them, it could be none. It depends on how they recover and how they feel.”
Leicester City: Ruud van Nistelrooy said that Wout Faes is a doubt after “picking up a small injury” which left him unable to train on Thursday and will be reassessed before the trip to the Amex Stadium. However it is “definitely possible” for Ricardo Pereira to feature in his starting line-up this weekend.
Southampton: Simon Rusk reveals that Charlie Taylor’s “knocking about with one or two issues” and Paul Onuachu is being assessed, but the club are “hoping the signs are good” for the striker. Everyone else is fit.

We’ll have a look further into the use of semi-automated offsides shortly but first, there were also some news conferences taking place yesterday.
Team news you may have missed from them coming up… now!
Manchester United v Newcastle (Sun, 16:30 BST)
Newcastle United
Newcastle United assistant manager Jason Tindall on semi-automated offsides being used in the Premier League for the first time this weekend: “Everyone welcomes any change that will make the league better and make these decisions a lot quicker. If it improves the speed of decisions then of course we welcome it for sure.”
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Eddie Howe’s Cup Final hangover finally caught up with him, eh? Get well soon, Eddie. We’ve all been there!
Manchester United v Newcastle (Sun, 16:30 BST)
Newcastle United
Image source, Getty Images
Newcastle United assistant manager Jason Tindall provides an update on Anthony Gordon’s fitness: “He’s had a decent week with the physios. He was back out on the grass for a pitch session yesterday. We will assess him today and we will have to make a late call to see if he’s available for the bench on Sunday.”
He also revealed that Alexander Isak has trained this week and “feels fine” and is expected to be fit for Sunday, while Joe Willock will not be available as the club follows concussion protocols.
Fuming I saw this message 30 seconds too late, Alan. You’d set me up for a lovely half-volley with that to segue into the Newcastle news conference.
Couple more updates coming your way from Jason Tindall, though, including his thoughts on the introduction of semi-automated offsides this weekend.
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Any chance of you covering the NUFC press conference in between the Salah love fest?
Manchester United v Newcastle (Sun, 16:30 BST)
Newcastle United
Newcastle United assistant manager Jason Tindall, has been speaking to the media because Eddie Howe has been “really poorly over the past couple of days”
“He’s been bed-ridden”, Tindall said. “We’ve been in contact every day so it’s not affected any of the preparations. I’m sure he’ll be fine for the weekend.”
You can listen to Jason Tindall’s interview on the Total Sport Newcastle United podcast below.
Media caption,
Jason Tindall has spoken to Matthew Raisbeck ahead of Newcastle v Man U.
Brighton v Leicester City (Sat, 15:00 BST)
Brighton & Hove Albion
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says that there are “no big changes” regarding squad availability, but Kaoru Mitoma is a doubt.
He also said “different options” to replace the suspended Jan Paul van Hecke in defence: “[Eiran] Cashin will be one for sure, Mats Wieffer has played there already and Carlos Baleba is an option. Let’s see how they do in training and make a decision.”

Page 6

Nottingham Forest v Everton (Sat, 15:00 BST)
Everton
Everton boss David Moyes confirmed winger Jesper Lindstrom has had a hernia operation “that will rule him out now for most of this season.”
Moyes added: “That’s disappointing because he’d started to show some decent form.”
Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, is “out on the grass and training well” but it will be at least another three weeks before they can look at a return to full training or matchday involvement.
You read my mind, Stuart. It’s about time we moved on, don’t you think?
In case you’ve forgotten among the madness, it is Premier League news conference Friday after all.
We’ll kick things off by bringing you the latest from Everton and David Moyes with more to come as we head into lunchtime.
And, even better for you, Stuart. If you were with us last week, you’ll know we did a cheeky FPL live at the end of the day and we’ll be bringing that your way once again.
Stick with us because there’s loads to come.
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Where has the live text of PL manager press conferences gone?? Need this valuable information for FPL!!
Image source, Getty Images
I’m not sure you’re aware but Mohamed Salah has signed a new deal with Liverpool until summer 2027.
We have covered a lot on the topic so it’s understandable if you may have missed something.
Here are the top lines from this morning:
2017 – Returns to the Premier League in a £34m deal from Roma
Image source, Getty Images
2018 – Wins the Premier League Golden Boot in debut season for the club
Image source, Getty Images
2019 – Scores against Spurs as Liverpool win the Champions League
Image source, Getty Images
2020 – Wins the Premier League after 19-goal season
Image source, Getty Images
2022 – Secures FA Cup and EFL Cup double
Image source, Getty Images
2025 – Signs two-year contract extension
Image source, Getty Images
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Huge news on Mo, much welcome news and maybe now he will finish the season with some renewed energy. The big issue is FSG not investing as much in the rebuild this summer. It’s clear we will be getting 4 or 5 new players. Chiesa seems like a complete panic buy but we do need an understudy for Mo – he can’t play every single game like he has this year and Slot must rotate him more to keep him fresh. Who does he rotate him with is the big question.
Image source, Getty Images
Over the years, Mohamed Salah has enjoyed playing against some opponents more than others.
Which opponent has he had the most joy against though, you ask?
None other than Manchester United.
In 17 appearances in all competitions against the Reds’ fiercest rivals, Salah has found the net 16 times and also provided six assists giving him a total of 22 goal involvements.
His second favourite opponent? Manchester City.
He’s notched up 13 goals and eight assists in 22 appearances against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Not bad going.
In case you have been out enjoying the sunshine this morning and been out of contact with social media, you have missed the news that Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year contract to remain at Liverpool until 2027.
The news broke at 08:00 BST, bringing an end to months of speculation that the Egypt forward could be on his way out of Anfield.
Here is a timeline of the key events in a season of contract negotiations:

1 Sep, 2024: Salah suggests after the 3-0 victory at Manchester United that this might be his final season at Anfield because nobody at the club had talked to him about a new contract
24 Nov, 2024: After scoring twice in a 3-2 win at Southampton, Salah claimed he was “more out than in” at Liverpool and had yet to receive a formal contract offer
At that time, Liverpool claimed positive talks had been taking place with the player’s representative
3 Jan: Salah again spoke publicly about his contract situation when he said the two parties were “far away from any progress”
The forward has consistently been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, with Liverpool rejecting a £150m offer from Al-Ittihad for Salah in 2023
31 Jan: Liverpool manager Arne Slot said in January he wanted the player to stay and Salah is “wise enough to make the right decision” over his future
11 April: Liverpool announceSalah has signed a two-year deal

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In terms of numbers and longevity, Salah is ahead. But when it comes to raw talent and footballing ability, Luis Suarez is far away the best Liverpool player of the Premier League era. He did incredible things almost every game. He also shared the pitch with some bang average players while Salah has played in a world class team.
Image source, Getty Images
When Mohamed Salah reached a total of 250 goal involvements with Liverpool’s third goal in the 3-1 win against Leicester City on Boxing Day in his 250th Premier League start for Liverpool, he was only the fourth player to hit this landmark with one club.
Salah has since moved on to 267 goal involvements – Wayne Rooney had 276 for Manchester United and his Old Trafford team-mate Ryan Giggs had 271, while Harry Kane totalled 259 at Tottenham.
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I’d just like to apologise to my employer as I will not be getting much done today. We’ve had duvet days at work. I’m sure a Salah day can also be a thing. YNWA.
Christian, smiling like a kid with an Easter egg in Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
When Mohamed Salah scored in the 5-0 win at West Ham United on 29 December, it meant he had scored 20 goals in all competitions in each of his eight seasons at Liverpool.
But a measure of quality is always how a player performs away from the comfort zone of home territory. Salah delivers on every level, having scored 79 times in league games away from Anfield.
Salah is the man for all occasions and all locations, as proved when he became the first Liverpool player to score 50 goals in Europe in the 2-1 Champions League win against Lille at Anfield, nine more than former captain Steven Gerrard.
BBC Radio 5 Live
Liverpool fan Dave Clubbe, from Redmen TV, spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live this morning after the news broke that Mohamed Salah had signed a new contract: “He’s the best player in the Premier League but Liverpool and Mo Salah haven’t been at it for the last few games, and he is obviously very central to what we do, so maybe they go hand in hand.
“But the determination, the drive, the commitment to keep himself in the best possible physical condition, I have never witnessed a footballer like it.
“He trains every day with the football club and then goes home and trains some more. He is absolutely determined to remain at the peak of his powers.”
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Barry, Bournemouth: Salah signing his contract extension is great news for Liverpool’s main title rivals. The last two months aren’t a blip. Salah can no longer play a full season at the very top, and next year Liverpool can expect to be facing a resurgent Manchester City, as well as a stronger Arsenal and Chelsea. If Virgil van Dijk also decides to stay, the spine of Liverpool’s team is suddenly looking very vulnerable.
Image source, Getty Images
Like the top scorers’ list, Mohamed Salah also sits fifth in the rankings for all-time Premier League goal involvements (goals and assists).
Topping this list now looks as though it could be a formality over the next two years for the Egyptian.

Alan Shearer (324)
Wayne Rooney (311)
Frank Lampard (279)
Ryan Giggs (271)
Mohamed Salah (270)
Andy Cole (260)
Harry Kane (259)
Thierry Henry (249)
Sergio Aguero (231)
Teddy Sheringham (221)

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Luis Suarez is probably the best out and out player Liverpool have had in the Premier League. Gerrard though will always be the best because of his own brilliant skill, tenacity and dragging the rest of the team with him.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Let’s bring this back to the modern day and take a look at where Mohamed Salah ranks in the Premier League’s best attacking players.
The Egypt forward currently sits fifth in the rankings of the Premier League’s all-time top scorers, level with former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.
With the remainder of this season plus another two years to go, Salah will have his eyes on the top three – at the very least:

Harry Kane (213)
Wayne Rooney (208)
Andy Cole (187)
Sergio Aguero (184)
Mohamed Salah (184)
Frank Lampard (177)
Thierry Henry (175)
Robbie Fowler (163)
Jermaine Defoe (162)

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Image source, Getty Images
Kenny Dalglish has to be Liverpool’s greatest player both on and off the field. He has always been the perfect role model.
We were talking Premier League era Dan, but we’ll let you have this one. Can one club have two kings?
Eleanor Doyle
BBC Newsbeat
Image source, Getty Images
Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett says there was never any question in his mind about Mohamed Salah sticking with Liverpool.
The UFC fighter – and proud Scouser – is a lifelong Reds fan who says he’s been with the club through the “wins and losses, every step of the way”.
Paddy, who’s currently 12th in the UFC’s world lightweight rankings, told BBC Newsbeat that he “knew full well” Salah would stick with his home side.
“I’ve said since the start of the season Salah and Van Dijk are gonna stay,” he says.
“Salah’s got so many more records to break and he wants to break them.”
Paddy’s confidence extends to the end of the Premier League season, too.
With Liverpool pulling away from second-place Arsenal at the top of the table, he’s predicting “everyone going wild” in Liverpool City Centre.
He’s keeping his calendar clear at the end of the May in case a victory parade rolls through town.
“I’m gonna be celebrating,” he says. “I’ll be at that parade and hopefully at the party with the team.”
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Just referencing one of your photos there: Salah’s shirt hanging next to Coutinho’s. Klopp told Coutinho “stay here and they will build a statue in your honour. Go somewhere else and you will be just another player”. Look how prophetic that turned out to be. Coutinho is a distant memory and Salah will have his statue. I hope Trent is watching.
Christian, very happy Liverpool fan.

Page 7

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
When Liverpool hit the top of the Premier League table with victory over Brighton on 2 November, Mohamed Salah reacted on X with: “Top of the table is where this club belongs. Nothing less.”
And that is where Liverpool have stayed, with Salah the main inspiration.
Liverpool’s form under the calm, methodical Dutchman Arne Slot, plus the fact they show every sign of hunting down those major honours Salah craves now and in the future, will all have played into the Egyptian’s thinking.
He will surely secure a second Premier League title, but Salah will also believe he should have more than one Champions League after mixed fortunes in the competition.
Financial considerations, of course, will have played their part, but the prospect of leading a rebuilt, rejuvenated Liverpool into a new era under Slot will also have appealed.
Salah on a mission is a dangerous prospect. He now has the opportunity to add to his trophy haul of one Champions League, one Premier League, one FA Cup, two League Cups, the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup at Anfield.
It means that for Salah and Liverpool, the perfect sporting marriage goes on.
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United fan here and, club rivalries aside, news of Salah’s contract extension this morning came as surprisingly welcome. He as an individual has made the right call and we as fans of the PL get to continue enjoying his mercurial talent. Means FPL captaincy headaches are sorted for another two seasons too!
Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool from Roma in a £34m deal on 22 June, 2017.
The Egypt forward was a long-time target for then manager Jurgen Klopp before finally signing a five-year deal.
Salah almost joined Liverpool from Basel in 2014 before moving to Chelsea.
But after only six Premier League starts for the Blues, he had loan spells at Fiorentina and Roma before joining the latter in a permanent move.
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Fantastic news about Salah signing his contract. It’s very simple, there is no-one else we can sign at the moment that can get you 25 plus goals and assists a season. The way he looks after himself and trains is an example for any youngsters at the club, his winning mentality spreads among the rest of the team. Steven Gerrard is still the best Liverpool player but Mo Salah is definitely up there close! YNWA
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah’s debut season at Liverpool saw him win the Premier League Golden Boot with 32 goals, but he had to wait a little longer for a trophy as the Reds finished fourth in the league and were beaten in the Champions League final.
Jurgen Klopp’s side came back stronger the following season, beating Tottenham 2-0 to become the champions of Europe, with Salah scoring the opener from the penalty spot in Madrid.
They also lifted the Club World Cup and the Uefa Super Cup on the back of that triumph before also securing the Premier League title in 2019-20 as the Reds collected 99 points, with Salah scoring 19 times.
The Egypt international also has also won the FA Cup once and the EFL Cup twice during his Anfield stay.
Salah’s Liverpool honours:

Premier League: 2019-20
Champions League: 2018-19
FA Cup: 2021-22
EFL Cup: 2021-22, 2023-24
Uefa Super Cup: 2019
Fifa Club World Cup: 2019
FA Community Shield: 2022

Image source, Getty Images
We’re running a poll at the top of the page at the minute about whether or not you believe Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s greatest player of the Premier League era.
If we’re talking purely on statistics – he certainly is.
His goal involvements in the competition are far superior to anyone else, with the closest to him former captain Steven Gerrard:

Mohamed Salah (270)
Steven Gerrard (210)
Robbie Fowler (158)
Michael Owen (148)
Roberto Firmino (132)
Sadio Mane (120)
Steve McManaman (99)
Luis Suarez (91)
Trent Alexander-Arnold (81)
Dirk Kuyt (78)

Right, we have a bit of time now to assess the impact of Mohamed Salah’s new contract at Liverpool, what it means to the player, the club and their Premier League rivals.
We will be featuring your views on the subject throughout the morning, so keep your messages coming.
And we will have a look back at the impact Salah has had on the English top-flight, along with the key moments of his eight years at Liverpool.
Shall we start with some stats? Salah’s are pretty impressive…
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Getting this Salah deal done had to be a no-brainer. I’m not a Liverpool fan but I believe he’s one of the greatest players we’ve seen in the Premier League. And no club will sign a better player this summer. It’s excellent business, given his capabilities and consistent fitness/condition.
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Thanks Zac for introducing that topic – we will have to sign you up!
Can I draw your attention to the poll at the top of this page, asking whether Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s greatest player of the Premier League era.

As an Arsenal fan, Zac believes Steven Gerrard is the greatest Liverpool player of the Premier League era. What do you think Reds fans?
Also, how important do you believe Salah’s new contract is for the club?
What impact do you think it will have on Liverpool’s chances of future success?
Finally, is the Egypt forward worth his £350,000-a-week salary?

Send in your messages via X, WhatsApp or text using the contact details above.
Please remember to include your name and tell us what club you support.
Thanks.
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
A final word from Arne Slot on whether he will start fit-again Conor Bradley against West Ham on Sunday: “It’s a boost. It’s always a boost when quality players come back, especially when quality players in their position.
“Curtis Jones is a quality player but he was not playing in his preferred position. To have a player in his favourite position might be better for the team.
“Conor has done so well for us this season, just like Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. But when Trent isn’t there, you always look behind you and see that Conor is available. And if he is not there, we have to solve that problem.
“We are not the only team in the league that have had these problems. I think Curtis played well [as right-back] against Fulham. He did it very well for two games, but when you have Conor back, I think we all will make the same decision and that is playing Conor in that position.”
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Is Salah the greatest Liverpool player of the Premier League era? Cue endless debates by Lineker et al about what makes a player great: Skill? Goals? Trophies? In my humble opinion, Steven Gerrard was the greatest. He had everything (apart from a Premier League medal!) – skills, goals, drive… he embodied the club. One of the last of a dying breed of players loyal to their boyhood club until the end.
Zac, the only Gooner in Leeds (yes, an Arsenal fan)
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the role Mohamed Salah plays: “If I look at all the wingers all around the world, I don’t see them outplaying their opponents every single time for the whole 90 minutes. If you are a winger, you have to be creative and that’s the most difficult part in football, especially against low blocks that many good wingers face these days.
“It’s normal that once in a while you lose the ball or one of your actions fails.
“But, in general, Mo has a lot of impact on our game with his goals and assists, but not only that. He is a big threat, but he is not the only one.
“Wingers are becoming more and more important in the modern game of football because teams are going lower and lower with their blocks than ever before.
“If you look at Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue, Bukayo Saka or Gabriel Martinelli, they were all able to open up the last line and create chances. That’s what Mo is doing for us.”
Image source, Getty Images
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I’d like to thank Mo Salah for taking the narrative away from Andre Onana this morning…
It is fair to say, Martin, that we shelved a number of planned posts on the Europa League fall-out to switch to the news about Mohamed Salah’s contract, but scroll down to find that the main points were covered…
Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport
When Mohamed Salah signed his previous deal at Liverpool it is understood it made him the club’s highest paid player ever with a salary worth more than £350,000-a-week.
Negotiations over his new contract were led by Reds sporting director Richard Hughes, who arrived at the club last summer, and it is believed a pay cut was never on the agenda as talks took place with Salah’s representative.
Nevertheless, any deal will also fit into Liverpool’s framework as the club has a strategy to try to bring in and keep the best talent on contracts that also are in their best interests from a sporting and financial perspective.
However, during the discussions, which have been taking place over several months, there was a willingness from both parties to come to an agreement and so it has proved.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Here’s Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the wider impact of Mohamed Salah signing a new contract: “If I put myself in the shoes of a player we might want to sign, it’s always nice to tell them that Mo has extended his contract. That helps but what helps the most is that we kept a quality player who has scored for seven or eight years in a row so many goals for us.
“As I said, football is a game where we are mostly judged on the goals we score and the ones we do not concede. So it’s helpful to have a player who scores goals. That’s for sure.”
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Waking up to the Salah news is just what I needed. Hope my future children are happy being called Mo.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
We have more from Arne Slot to come, but his news conference has now finished.
He closed it by confirming that Alisson is back fit and available for the weekend after undergoing concussion protocols following the head injury he sustained on international duty with Brazil.
Full-back Conor Bradley is also in contention to start.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot on where Mohamed Salah can improve: “We are always trying to achieve a bit more as a team and as individuals. But if you are playing for Liverpool, you are close to getting to the maximum of your ability.
“There is not a lot of room for improvement for Mo or the other players anymore. We are just trying to reach perfection.
“We are trying to get the best and maximum out of the players to find that 1% or 2% extra. But it’s clear that Mo is coming close to the end – not to the end of his career but his ability.
“We have brought almost the maximum out of his qualities this season.
“Then it’s about consistency, which is one of the most difficult things in football. That’s why he is seen as such a star player.
“To play once or twice like Mo, many players can, but to do it at such a consistent level, that’s what makes it so difficult.”
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Arne Slot said that he has a lot of trust in the quality of his players and the leadership of the club, which is why he always portrays a “calm” persona.
He added that if players don’t extend deals there is no panic because he has confidence the club’s leadership team would find solutions, but said “it would be useful” if the other contract situations were sorted before the end of the season.
He concluded that the talk should now be surrounding Salah’s new deal and urged people to focus on that rather than other contracts.

Page 8

Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the role he played in extending Mohamed Salah’s stay: “I am part of that process but I don’t think I deserve the compliment.
“First of all, it’s Mo’s choice and his agent’s choice what he wants. And second of all, the club, FSG, Richard [Hughes] and [chief executive] Michael Edwards all put in a lot of effort for him to extend.
“Effort mostly means money! But also effort, not only money.
“But what it might tell you is that we not only want a good season this season but we also want to make a good season next season as well. And Mo is convinced that there is fair chance we are able to do so. That’s a positive for us.”
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Now the contract uncertainty for Mo has been settled, this will no doubt help the Reds turn the screw, put the recent setbacks behind us and fire ahead to that title!
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Arne Slot referenced Mohamed Salah’s recent scoring record, saying no winger in football is outplaying their opponent for 90 minutes of a game.
He added that it was normal that they fail sometimes and in general Salah had a lot of impact on games.
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah’s stunning form had dipped slightly in recent weeks, as the spotlight was turned on his protracted contract talks with Liverpool.
After scoring in eight consecutive matches in January and February, during which time he found the net nine times, Salah then managed just three goals in his next nine appearances for club and country.
That run included a brace against bottom club Southampton and one for Egypt against Ethiopia in a World Cup qualifier.
He failed to score in both legs of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 defeat to Paris St-Germain and drew a blank in the Carabao Cup final, in which the Reds lost 2-1 against Newcastle.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
More from Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah: “First of all, he has always been judged as a player, which is of course what you guys should do. But I also see him as a human being. He is a humble person. He always wants to work hard and always puts a lot of effort into becoming the player he has become. And he wants to stay at that level, so he just keeps on bringing that effort every single day.
“What makes him special on the pitch, in my opinion, is that he can score goals. There are more players who can score goals, but Mo can score goals even if he is not in the best half hour or best 15 minutes and that’s why he is mentally so strong as well.
“You need to be that if you want to be at the highest level every three or four days for seven or eight years. Apart from quality and physique, you need to be mentally really strong as well.
“Apart from all the other things, how mentally strong he is is probably what stands out for me.”
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Arne Slot believes it is important that Mohamed Salah has signed a new deal because it brings a more positive light on the club following months of uncertainty. He adds that it shows the ambition of the club and the owners.
The Reds head coach says if he puts himself in the position of a player that the club want to sign in the summer, it helps that the club have been able to keep a player with the quality of Salah.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
More from Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Virgil van Dijk’s contract situation: “I think you know the answers – the boring answer as always. We talk about contracts if they are signed. In case with Mo [Salah], we are talking about it. As long as it’s not signed, we are not talking about it.
“I can tell you that I am very happy with Virgil this season. He’s been incredible for us – even in the last few games, where maybe there were moments were he could’ve done better. But if you look at the other 89 minutes, he is such an important player for us.
“Let’s hope he can do the same – I just hope with Mo and he can do the same on Sunday again, being our leader again as he has always been this season, against West Ham.”
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
Despite having such a big lead at the top of the Premier League, Arne Slot says they are still always trying to achieve more – both as a team and individuals.
He adds that there is not a lot of room for improvement for Mohamed Salah and “it is clear” that he is nearing the end of his maximum ability. The Reds boss reiterates that Salah is not nearing the end of his career, but is at the max of his ability.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Arne Slot described this season’s Premier League campaign as “one of the most difficult in the past 10 years” and is says he proud to see his Liverpool team 11 points clear. He backs this up by stating the number of English teams that are still in Europe.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool boss Arne Slot said that he was part of the process to get Mohamed Salah to sign his new contract, but he isn’t the one that deserves the credit.
He jokes that it has taken a lot of effort, which usually means “a lot of money”.
Image source, Getty Images
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I think of the ‘the big 3’ out of contract for Liverpool, Salah was the most important to tie down. Trent is replaceable and I think Van Dijk is definitely on the decline and has shown signs of that this season. There’s no one Liverpool can go and get in Europe, immediately, to replace Salah’s goals and assists.
Danny, Manchester (a very jealous Man United fan)
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
More from Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah’s contract extension: “For the fans, it’s a relief. I don’t think it’s a surprise for you that I knew a bit better how his contract situation went over the course of the whole season.
“Maybe for the fans, it was a pleasant surprise. But I knew for a bit longer that things were heading in the right direction.
“It’s also a big compliment to [sporting director] Richard [Hughes] that he has achieved to extend Salah, who is such a great player and as a free agent, can go to any club in the world he wants to. But he has stayed at our club and that’s also a compliment to Richard.”
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
Arne Slot says what makes Mohamed Salah special is that he is able to score goals even when he is not performing at his best. Adds that his mental strength is key to his success.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah’s contract extension: “Happy, of course. He has shown at this club for so many years in a row how much of a value he is for the club and the team. As like all our fans and his team-mates, we are very happy that he has extended or two more years.
“And hopefully, he can show on Sunday again [against West Ham in the Premier League] how important he has been for us all season.”
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Image source, Getty Images
Slot says he will only talk about contracts when they are signed so will not go into anything on Virgil van Dijk. He adds that he is very happy with Van Dijk who is “such an important player” for the club.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he has known for a while that Mohamed Salah would be extending his deal but understands it is a “relief” for fans.
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot says he is happy that Mohamed Salah has signed a new deal. He adds that he and all of Salah’s team-mates are delighted that he is staying.
More to follow.
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is in position, talking with the gathered journalists about the Masters golf.
We are sure he will move on to Mohamed Salah imminently.
More to follow.
Sami Mokbel
BBC Sport Senior football correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
There is a growing expectation at Liverpool that captain Virgil van Dijk will join forward Mohamed Salah in signing a new contract.
Following months of discussions, it is understood Van Dijk is extremely close to signing what would be a new two-year contract.
There is an importance to both contracts being two years in length.
The first, and most obvious, benefit to Liverpool is they get to keep two of their most important players.
But it also means they can avoid a repeat of the unsettling narrative that has clouded Arne Slot’s first season as manager for at least another year.
Liverpool, barring what would be a remarkable capitulation, are set to win their 20th league title – yet the achievement has come against the backdrop of Van Dijk, Salah and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold approaching the end of their contracts.
The club’s hopes of retaining Alexander-Arnold have waned in recent weeks, with the right-back in talks with Real Madrid over a free transfer in the summer.
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah is also Liverpool’s leading Premier League goalscorer with 182 goals in 281 games.
His remarkable hit rate can be placed into context by the record of another Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler, who is in second place. Fowler played 266 matches in the Premier League for the club, scoring 128 goals.
Salah’s Anfield record is also remarkable – he has 103 goals in 142 Premier League home games.

Page 9

Liverpool v West Ham (Sun, 14:00 BST)
Liverpool
As if all these things have been planned, Liverpool’s Arne Slot will be the first manager of the day to hold a news conference.
He is expected at 09:00 BST and we will have all the top lines from him in this page.
So stay with us for reaction from the Dutchman on Mohamed Salah’s new two-year contract.
Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah’s decision to move his Liverpool career towards the decade mark is a sign of continuing hunger for the game’s biggest prizes, as well as an act of faith in the management of Arne Slot to help him achieve his goals.
When Salah used the stage at Southampton to expose his contract deadlock, it was only the third time in seven and a half years he had stopped to speak to reporters.
It was looked upon as a public exercise in getting talks moving, further evidence that Liverpool was always the place where Salah wanted to be. If that was the ploy it did not work immediately – but the desired outcome has now been achieved.
The Kop had already delivered its verdict with the banner based on his trademark goal celebration containing the message: “He Fires A Bow. Now give Mo His Dough.”
Now that wish, as well as Salah’s, has been fulfilled.
Saudi Arabia would have been fertile ground for Salah financially, but it could not offer the enticement of the biggest honours in the game, something he can still pursue at Liverpool.
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah’s statistics this season are impressive as a standalone but they almost defy belief when you consider they have been a regular occurrence since his arrival in 2017.
Only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt have scored more for the Reds.
As well as his 243 goals, the Egypt forward has also provided 111 assists, meaning he has 354 goal involvements in 394 appearances for Liverpool.
BBC Radio 5 Live
More from Liverpool fan Dave Clubbe, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, on the timing of the announcement: “It’s massive. We [Liverpool FC] have been stumbling and stuttering in recent weeks. Obviously, there was the Carabao Cup final disappointment, the PSG disappointment and the Trent news coming out…so I think it’s come out at the right time.”
Image source, Getty Images
Former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is among a number of big names reacting to the news that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract with Liverpool until 2027.
Henderson replied under Salah’s new post on Instagram, writing “never in doubt” followed by a winky face and a heart emoji.
Left-back Andy Robertson has also replied under the post with a heart emoji, while former Reds goalkeeper coach John Achterberg has simply said: “Congratulations Legend.”
Just a reminder that the narrative at Liverpool this season has been the ongoing contract negotiations between the club and three of its key players – leading scorer Mohamed Salah, captain and talismanic defender Virgil van Dijk and attacking full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Contracts for all three players were due to run out this summer.
BBC Sport reported earlier this month that England right-back Alexander-Arnold was in advanced talks with Real Madrid, but Van Dijk was set to follow Salah in signing a new deal to stay at Anfield.
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Radio 5 Live
Liverpool fan Dave Clubbe, of Redmen TV, has been on 5 Live Breakfast reacting to the news that Mohamed Salah has signed a new two-year contract: “I must admit, I started to lose hope a couple of months back but there has been a lot of positive noise around Salah. He has always been quite forthright in the fact that he wants to stay, he loves it here and has made a life here.
“He’s absolutely adored by the football club and I’m just absolutely delighted that the day has finally come.
“It’s a huge boost and hopefully, we can follow it up with more good news with Virgil.”
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Just the news Liverpool fans wanted on Salah…and what the rest of the league didn’t. Just need to build for the future in the next two years now and finish the job this season.
In a season in which he already has 27 Premier League goals – making him the leading scorer this term – Mohamed Salah is closing in on some of the competition’s legendary figures.
The Liverpool attacker has 184 Premier League goals, level fifth on the all-time list with Sergio Aguero after moving ahead of Thierry Henry on 175 and Frank Lampard’s 177.
Only Andrew Cole (187), Wayne Rooney (208), Harry Kane (213) and leading scoring Alan Shearer (260) are ahead of him.
Premier League’s all-time leading scorers

Alan Shearer – 260 goals
Harry Kane – 213 goals
Wayne Rooney – 208 goals
Andy Cole – 187 goals
Sergio Aguero – 184 goals
Mohamed Salah – 184 goals
Frank Lampard – 177 goals
Thierry Henry – 175 goals
Robbie Folwer – 163 goals
Jermain Defoe – 162 goals

Image source, Getty Images
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Some people will say Salah is on the decline. That may be so, but I guarantee he’ll still get 20+ goals next season. And not many other players will get near that.
Image source, BBC Sport
Mohamed Salah’s numbers this season explain why Liverpool fans are greeting his signing a new contract with a mixture of joy and relief.
The Egypt forward has scored 27 goals and created 17 assists in just 31 appearances for Liverpool in the Premier League this season.
It’s his most prolific campaign since 2017-18, when he scored 32 goals in his debut season for Liverpool.
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Get to watch prime Salah for two more years in the Prem, we should all be happy!! He’ll be a great mentor for any younger attacking prospects, a la Thiago Silva at Chelsea.
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So that’s why it took so long, they were waiting for that chair to be delivered.
Image source, Getty Images
We think the correct term may be throne, rather than chair Steve!
Liverpool
Mohamed Salah signed for Liverpool from AS Roma in a £34m deal in the summer of 2017.
The 32-year-old Egypt forward has gone on to score 243 goals in 394 appearances, making him third in the Reds’ all-time top scorers list.
During his time at Anfield, Salah has lifted seven major honours, picking up medals in the Premier League and Champions League, as well as the FIFA Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup, FA Cup and two League Cups.
He has also won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions, been named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year twice and taken home two Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year awards.
Image source, Getty Images
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Great news about the Salah contract. Hope news of VVD signing follows soon.
Image source, Getty Images
Mohamed Salah said he is hopeful that he would extend his stay at Liverpool to 10 years after signing a new contract with the club.
“Of course I’m very excited. We have a great team now,” Salah said in a statement on the Liverpool website.
“Before also we had a great team. But I signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football.
“It’s great, I had my best years here. I played eight years, hopefully it’s going to be 10. Enjoying my life here, enjoying my football. I had the best years in my career.
“I would like to say to [the fans], I am very, very happy to be here. I signed here because I believe we can win a lot of big trophies together. Keep supporting us and we’ll give it our best, and hopefully in the future we’re going to win more trophies.”
Liverpool
BBC Sport can confirm that Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year deal that will keep him at Liverpool until 2027.
More to follow.
Image source, Getty Images
Liverpool
Liverpool have now issued a statement confirming that Mohamed Salah has signed a new contract.
More to follow.
Some breaking news to bring you from Liverpool, who have just posted this picture of Mohamed Salah on their official X page suggesting that the Egyptian ‘King’ has agreed to sign a new contract.
More to follow.
Image source, Liverpool
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
Aaron Lennon
Former Tottenham midfielder on Football Daily
He [Andre Onana] is more than in the spotlight. He has had two disasters as he was at fault for both goals.
In the first goal he sees it all the way but he goes down too late. He has to do better. He tries to push it round the post and he gets it all wrong. The second is a massive mistake.
There have always been question marks over Onana and they are now really big question marks.
He strikes me as a confident guy so I think he can recover from this. I don’t think Amorim will drop him because that would be huge and he would then probably have to leave him out for the rest of the season.
There were a couple of times where Harry Maguire kicked it out of play because he was unsure whether his goalkeeper was going to come out. That creates uncertainty in the back line and that is the problem.

Page 10

Former England winger Aaron Lennon was clear in his analysis in the latest edition of the Football Daily podcast that Ruben Amorim should not consider dropping Andre Onana.
His quotes are coming up.
Click here to listen to the Europa League Debrief on BBC Sounds.
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim gave no impression that he was considering Andre Onana’s position as the club’s number one goalkeeper in his post-match comments.
In fact, he was quick to defend the Cameroon international following his mistakes in the 2-2 draw at Lyon.
“If you look at the season I’ve made more mistakes than them during these last games and during these last months,” said Amorim, who was appointed manager of United in November.
“There’s nothing I can say to Andre in this moment that will help him, so the most important thing is to be natural and then when the time comes I will choose the best XI to play. But I’m really confident in Andre.”
When asked if he still had faith in his keeper, Amorim told TNT Sports: “We continue to do the same thing. Training, seeing the games, trying to choose the best eleven to win every match.”
The question in today’s poll, which is at the top of this page, is should Andre Onana be dropped for Manchester United’s next Premier League game at Newcastle on Sunday.
It’s a yes or no answer, please have your say…
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
And the tabloid newspapers – the Star and Mirror – also made it clear that Andre Onana was to blame for Manchester United’s failure to leave Lyon with a lead following his mistakes in the first leg of their Europa quarter-final tie.
Image source, Daily Star
Image source, Daily Mirror
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
The Telegraph reports that Andre Onana proved Nemanja Matic “right” as his “twin howlers” in Lyon “cost” Manchester United…
Image source, Daily Telegraph
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
All eyes were on Andre Onana before Manchester United’s first leg of their Europa League quarter-final in Lyon.
He had said in the lead up to the game that United were the “better team”, which former Red Devils midfielder Nemanja Matic – now playing for Lyon – was unhappy about.
The Serb international responded with his jibe about Onana being “one of the worst Manchester United goalkeepers” in his pre-match news conference, which put the spotlight on the Cameroonian’s less-than-flattering statistics since his move from Inter Milan last season.
During the past two seasons, Onana has made eight errors leading to goals in the Premier League, more than any other keeper in the English top-flight.
He also has the worst minutes per goal conceded ratio of all Manchester United keepers with 10 or more Premier League appearances.
The 29-year-old will have hoped to avoid yet more headlines in Lyon, but his latest mistakes in a United shirt will only add pressure on his position at Old Trafford.
Image source, Reuters
Lyon 2-2 Man Utd
Joe Rindl
BBC Sport
Image source, Getty Images
Goalkeeper Andre Onana was at fault for two goals as a last-gasp Lyon equaliser put Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final tie in the balance at the halfway stage.
United went behind after 25 minutes when under-pressure Onana failed to get a strong enough hand to Thiago Almada’s wide free-kick.
In the final seconds of the first half Leny Yoro equalised with his first goal for United by reacting quickly to Manuel Ugarte’s volley and diverting the ball into the bottom corner.
The visitors thought they had won late on when substitute Joshua Zirkzee headed home Bruno Fernandes’ looping cross in the 88th minute.
But, with the last play before the final whistle, Onana spilled Georges Mikautadze’s shot and Rayan Cherki tapped in on the rebound.
Tottenham 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Emily Salley
BBC Sport
Image source, Getty Images
Ange Postecoglou said the “football gods” have deserted his Tottenham side after they were foiled by a goalkeeping masterclass from Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kaua Santos.
The Brazilian produced a string of inspired saves in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to the frustration of Postecoglou and his players.
Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike showed why he has caught the attention of several Premier League clubs when he put the visitors ahead inside six minutes with a superb low strike.
However, Spurs responded well and took control before Pedro Porro equalised with a bold backheel flick.
Tottenham poured forward with intensity after the interval and would have scored had it not been for the woodwork and three big saves from Santos.
Rangers 0-0 Athletic Bilbao
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland at Ibrox
Image source, Getty Images
Ten-man Rangers produced a heroic performance to retain a fighting chance of Europa League progression, with Liam Kelly’s late penalty save decisive in earning an unlikely draw with Athletic Bilbao.
The Spanish side arrived in Glasgow as favourites with Rangers under pressure off the back of a record five consecutive defeats at home.
Their cause seemed doomed when Robin Propper was adjudged to have brought down Inaki Williams. After a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, as last man, his yellow card turned red after just 13 minutes.
Rangers, though, held firm – and survived a number of scares – before substitute Alex Berenguer stepped up to take the most controversial of late penalties, but Kelly diverted the ball over with his leg to the delight of the home crowd.
There is no doubt about the main talking point from the Europa League after Andre Onana’s mistakes in Manchester United’s draw in Lyon.
That followed a public spat with Lyon midfielder Nemanja Matic, who described Onana as “one of Manchester United’s worst goalkeepers”.
Before we wade into that topic, let’s just get the main details from each of the Europa League quarter-finals.
Image source, Getty Images
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Stick with us for reaction to those Europa League draws, as well as news of Chelsea’s 3-0 win at Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their Conference League quarter-final.
Then, from around 09:00 BST, we will switch focus to the Premier League, with a busy day of manager news conferences in store.
We will bring you all the latest team news, plus the top news lines from the English top flight, finishing off with a round-up of how the day’s developments could affect your Fantasy Premier League selections.
Image source, Getty Images
It’s a case of as you were for the three British teams in Europa League action on Thursday night as Manchester United, Tottenham and Rangers all drew the first leg of their quarter-final ties.
United and Tottenham were left with a few regrets.
Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana made mistakes that led to both Lyon goals in a 2-2 draw in France.
And Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said the “football gods have their eyes elsewhere” as they missed a host of second-half chances after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
But 10-man Rangers ended a run of five straight defeats at home as a late penalty save from goalkeeper Liam Kelly helped them claim a goalless draw against Spanish favourites Athletic Bilbao at Ibrox.
Image source, Reuters

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