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FULL TIME: West Ham United 2-2 Liverpool. Jacob Steinberg was at the London Stadium this lunchtime, to witness what was surely the end of Liverpool’s title challenge. Here’s his report.

The final round of fixtures in League One are complete. Derby County are promoted as a result of their home victory over Carlisle, while Oxford and Barnsley confirm their spots in the play-offs. Barnsley only just made it through, despite conceding a 96th-minute equaliser, as Lincoln and Blackpool both failed to win. Cheltenham’s defeat at Stevenage condemns them to fourth-tier football next season.

Barnsley 1-1 Northampton Town

Derby County 2-0 Carlisle United

Exeter City 1-2 Oxford United

Fleetwood Town 3-0 Burton Albion

Lincoln City 0-2 Portsmouth

Peterborough United 3-3 Bolton Wanderers

Port Vale 0-0 Cambridge United

Reading 3-2 Blackpool

Shrewsbury Town 1-3 Leyton Orient

Stevenage 2-1 Cheltenham Town

Wigan Athletic 2-0 Bristol Rovers

Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 Charlton Athletic

Chelsea take a lead into the Champions League semi-final second leg, with the manager plotting a tactical masterclass

“It just feels like a longer half-time, that’s all it is,” said Emma Hayes matter-of-factly about the week-long wait between Chelsea’s 1-0 Champions League defeat of Barcelona and the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.

“We’re at the midway stage of a game that’s a minimum of 180 minutes long. There may be adjustments for half-time and we’re ready for the second half, that’s how I present it to the players.”

Is it over yet? Watching as his side contrived to drop more points with some weird and wasteful finishing at the London Stadium, Jürgen Klopp could at least tell himself that this might be the last time he will ever have to coach in a 12.30pm kick-off. Next season that responsibility will fall to Arne Slot, who will also need to work out how to make Liverpool more ruthless in front of goal.

This was a game that they could won 10 times over. Luis Díaz could have had a hat-trick but finished with merely an assist to his name. Behind to a header from Jarrod Bowen at half-time, Liverpool should have run away with the points after fighting back to lead 2-1. Conviction, though, is in short supply at both ends of the pitch. West Ham, who are preparing for their own managerial change, were given a route back. David Moyes could be pleased with a point after Michail Antonio’s late equaliser, leaving Liverpool two points off the top.

Derby are back. Not yet anywhere near their highest heights; the quest for Premier League football remains an ambition for some unspecified point in the future at the conclusion of what has been a wholesale rebuild of a club that came perilously close to disappearing altogether.

But, after the extent of their recent plight, the unbridled joy of this 2-0 final-day win over already relegated Carlisle to seal automatic promotion back to the Championship means a return to where a club like this belongs.

• Lopetegui was one of frontrunners to replace David Moyes
• Former Wolves manager more attracted by chance to join Milan

Milan are close to appointing Julen Lopetegui, which puts him out of the running to replace David Moyes as West Ham’s manager.

Lopetegui was one of the frontrunners for the West Ham job, which is expected to become vacant when Moyes’s deal expires at the end of the season. But Milan are also looking to make a managerial change and they are poised to name the Spaniard as Stefano Pioli’s replacement. Lopetegui is more attracted by the chance to join the Italian giants.

• Feyenoord set to receive £7.7m after verbal agreement made
• Klopp says position is ‘best in the world at the best club’

Arne Slot is set to become Liverpool’s next manager after the terms of his move from Feyenoord were agreed in principle between the two clubs on Friday.

Liverpool and Feyenoord have been negotiating a compensation package since the Anfield club made an official move for the 45-year-old earlier this week. The two parties have now reached a verbal agreement over the deal, which will see Feyenoord receive €9m (£7.7m) plus €2m in add-ons for a coach who has two years remaining on his contract.

Across 90 raucous minutes in west London Leeds lost control of this crucial game and with it their future.

They hoped this would be another step in a sprint to promotion but instead they stumbled, and QPR’s fully deserved victory not only secured their own place in the Championship it also promoted Leicester, who will travel to Preston on Monday in the knowledge that their return to the Premier League at the first attempt is certain.

• ‘It is getting to a tipping point,’ warns Richard Masters
• Manchester City’s 115 charges to be resolved ‘in near future’

Richard Masters has criticised Fifa for failing to consult domestic leagues over its plans for an expanded Club World Cup, whose inaugural edition in the United States is set to occupy a month of the 2025 summer break.

As the chief executive of the Premier League reiterated that Manchester City’s 115 charges will be resolved in “the near future”, with hearings set to take place in the autumn, league officials from across Europe came together to issue a warning over an ever-expanding club calendar, with Fifa’s new competition the main target.

• ‘Invincibles’ won club’s last title at Tottenham 20 years ago
• Arteta: ‘He always talked about that, about the fine margins’

Mikel Arteta has been getting advice from Arsène Wenger as Arsenal prepare for Sunday’s north London derby almost exactly 20 years after “the Invincibles” won the club’s last Premier League title at the home of their rivals Tottenham.

An Arsenal victory at Spurs would re-establish their four-point advantage over Manchester City before Pep Guardiola’s side face Nottingham Forest later in the day. City will start that match with two games in hand and Arteta insists Liverpool are not out of contention despite their defeat by Everton.

• Postecoglou’s first season disrupted by departure of striker
• ‘If we weren’t scoring I think his name would come up more’

Ange Postecoglou has admitted he had to hide signs of any panic from his players after Tottenham sold Harry Kane.

Kane left for Bayern Munich last summer as the club’s all-time highest scorer and has continued to be prolific. Postecoglou gave credit to his squad before Sunday’s game at home to Arsenal for bridging the gap left by Kane, also the record scorer in the north London derby.

Respect is mutual between Sakina Karchaoui and Eugénie Le Sommer, but only one of their teams will reach the final

“There is no friendship on the pitch,” says the Lyon forward Eugénie Le Sommer. Paris Saint-Germain’s full-back Sakina Karchaoui echoes those sentiments: “Before the match and after the match, yes, but during the match? No friends. We cut contact the days before the match, but once the match is over, we love to tease each other depending on the result.”

For PSG there has been scant opportunity to brag. They have barely dented Lyon’s Division 1 Feminine run of 16 titles, 2021 being the outlier when PSG finished top for the first time. In the Champions League PSG have twice been runners-up, to Frankfurt and Lyon, while Lyon have won the tournament a record eight times.

Enzo Maresca’s side kept their heads to secure promotion but financial worries loom large as club prepare for the top flight

A campaign that began with Enzo Maresca insisting his Leicester players sleep overnight at their sprawling, 185-acre Seagrave training base for the first week of pre-­season in the name of team building has ended with their primary mission accomplished: promotion boxed off, the Championship crown likely to follow.

Leicester’s most memorable and marvellous moment came when they confounded expectations; this time, it was a case of simply meeting them by getting back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

The England manager’s honesty and systems expertise are just what is needed at the haunted house Old Trafford has become

And so we entered the age of the noble, blameless bald men. This is a pretty good moment to be Ineos at Manchester United. Nothing really matters yet. Every problem is someone else’s problem. Every solution is your own.

For now you’re just hope, blue sky. You’re a silent reproach on a gantry. You’re a tieless Tony Blair jamming with Shed Seven in the Downing Street garden. And even the bad things are kind of good, because you’re not the bad things.

• United manager expresses sympathy for out-of-form forward
• Rashford responds to social media post supporting him

Erik ten Hag has backed Marcus Rashford but said the forward must take some responsibility for his fall-off in goals after the England international described months of criticism as “abuse” and said “enough is enough”.

Rashford is enduring a disappointing campaign in which he has scored only eight times in 41 appearances for Manchester United, having managed a career-high 30 goals last season. The manager was asked what lay behind the marked change.

• Premier League remain unconvinced by 777 Partners takeover
• Everton could confirm top-flight survival against Brentford

Sean Dyche has likened his job as Everton’s manager to “juggling sand” amid protracted uncertainty over the club’s ownership and financial future.

Dyche admits there will be no assurances over his summer transfer plans even in the event of securing the club’s Premier League status on Saturday. Everton can guarantee survival with victory against Brentford at Goodison Park providing Luton do not win at Wolves.

• Manchester City playmaker and partner expecting third child
• Guardiola: ‘It’s a question of time. He can improve a lot’

Pep Guardiola has said the the third child Phil Foden and his partner are expecting may help the Manchester City playmaker reach his full potential.

Foden was the champions’ standout performer in Thursday’s 4-0 victory at Brighton, scoring twice to reach 24 goals in all competitions, a career high. Yet Guardiola, asked about Foden’s form, said the 23-year-old still needed to be calmer during certain moments in games.

• Newcastle manager wants to build team around midfielder
• PSG and both Manchester clubs admire Brazil international

Eddie Howe has revealed that Bruno Guimarães’s £100m release clause expires in the final days of June and hopes that will save Newcastle from a summer of transfer speculation centred on their Brazil midfielder.

“Having that was well planned and structured in the sense that there’s a finish point,” said Newcastle’s manager, who almost certainly has Dan Ashworth, the Manchester United-bound sporting director, to thank for inserting the cutoff when Guimarães’s contract was renegotiated last October. “We don’t want a summer of speculation. I don’t think that would be healthy for the player or for us.”

• Arsenal fixture is Tottenham’s first game since 4-0 defeat
• ‘We’ve had a massive week to prepare for this big game’

Son Heung-min has said that Tottenham have had plenty of time to stew on the “unacceptable” defeat at Newcastle and are ready to show a strong response against Arsenal in Sunday’s derby.

Spurs will not need any extra motivation for the showpiece fixture at home to their local rivals. But Son said the 4-0 loss at Newcastle on the Saturday before last– the club’s heaviest defeat of the season and possibly the worst performance – had been extensively discussed.

Ethan Wheatley became the latest homegrown talent to make their first-team debut in the win over Sheffield United

The quarter of a millennia has been 93 years in the making at Old Trafford and it was poignant that a local lad, Ethan Wheatley, became the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for Manchester United’s senior men’s team on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old had spent the previous evening scoring two goals to help defeat Manchester City to win the Premier League Cup. Wheatley, who like his teammate Kobbie Mainoo was born in Stockport, became the 101st player from Greater Manchester to make the leap from academy to elite when he replaced Rasmus Højlund late on against Sheffield United.

Star striker talks achieving another promotion, potentially making scoring history and finding acceptance in his son’s autism

‘The desire to win will be the same as every other game,” Paul Mullin says as he anticipates a Hollywood-style finale for Wrexham on Saturday afternoon while their fans at home and around the world celebrate a second straight promotion. Wrexham’s last game in League Two is against the new champions, Stockport County, and Mullin is determined to end another tumultuous and successful season with a personal milestone.

If Mullin scores against Stockport he will become the first player since Alan Shearer to have racked up at least 25 goals in four consecutive seasons across the top five flights of English football. Mullin has spent the past hour thoughtfully discussing his role in the delirium surrounding Wrexham’s rise under the celebrity ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and a range of subjects from finding acceptance and even joy in his son’s autism to how this season began with a fleeting acknowledgment of his seemingly imminent death.

Memories of 2004 still sting and in Sunday’s derby Tottenham have the chance to take a wrecking ball to Arsenal’s title hopes

It would not scan like the original Arsenal terrace chant. “We took a big step towards winning the league at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.” The prospect, though, is real. And before Sunday’s derby – the 195th edition of the fixture that determines the mood in north London – it is utterly sickening for Spurs supporters.

Spurs could not stop the Arsenal Invincibles in April 2004 and it is fair to say they have not heard the end of it since. Nor was that the first time their hated rivals had won the league at White Hart Lane. Arsenal did exactly that on the final day of the 1970-71 season when Ray Kennedy’s late header gave them a 1-0 victory.

Frontrunner to take charge at Liverpool did not make a big impression as a player but has resemblances to Jürgen Klopp

Liverpool’s move for the Feyenoord coach, Arne Slot, has been described by Ajax fans as “the best news of the year”. Troubled Ajax have been blown away this season, losing 4-0 at home and 6-0 away against their arch-rivals.

So superior were Feyenoord in every area – tactics, intensity, power, unity, intelligence – that it could have been worse for Ajax. Only in their finishing might Feyenoord have done better.

Jonathan Liew’s article about the unfairness in the Premier League strikes a chord with John Rigby, Geoff Love, Nick Harland and Hazel Leach

Jonathan Liew articulates much of what I have been saying for a while (For Sheffield United and co the Premier League brings a unique brew of misery, 23 April). The Premier League should no longer be viewed as the promised land for Championship clubs. The often morally dubious money of the large clubs has now distorted things so much that promotion is a hiding to nothing. And in the case of my beloved Sheffield United, it’s done so much damage to the club’s image that I feel we should probably sue the Premier League.

When you’re from Sheffield, you have a sense of the history of the game. From the rules being written down to the oldest football ground to the Little Mester’s workshop where the FA Cup used to be polished each year. But the game may now be tarnished beyond recovery. There’s a real sense that the Premier League bandwagon has now become an unethical and unwieldy beast for the few hugely monied clubs to play with.

Manager’s departure news is not to blame for his side losing their grasp on two, quite possibly three, trophies in quick time

In isolation, Jürgen Klopp did not have to apologise for losing for the first time in eight visits to Goodison Park. Bad nights happen. In the context of Liverpool’s sorry end to the season, however, an apology felt entirely appropriate.

“I really feel for the people, I am really sorry for that,” said the Liverpool manager after Wednesday’s derby defeat by Everton. “We never lost here before and that feels really different. I really apologise for that.” Klopp’s voice and choice of words captured Liverpool’s mood as the prospects of giving their manager a fitting send-off evaporated. Deflation. Yes, a new-look team was not expected to mount a title challenge this season. That is not a default excuse for recent underperformance. Yes, a quadruple is a fanciful ambition. That does not explain how Liverpool have allowed two, quite possibly three, trophies to slip from their grasp in less than six weeks.

Pep Guardiola’s complaints about his team’s tiredness were hard to believe as they strolled to victory against Brighton

It had been tempting to wonder if some kind of elaborate gag was taking place when the Brighton fan and noted stamina enthusiast “The Hardest Geezer” was paraded on the pitch before kick-off at the Amex Stadium. What was that, Pep? Your team’s a bit tired? Why not tell it to the guy who’s just become the first person in history to run the length of Africa? He must be dying to hear about Bernardo Silva’s hamstrings.

Nobody is really buying it. The thing about City is that they are built to go the distance. Not only do they have the best technicians in the league, they also have a team packed with physical power.

The Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has defended Marcus Rashford after the England forward criticised the abuse he has received this season and said on social media 'enough is enough'. Rashford is enduring a disappointing campaign in which he has scored only eight times in 41 appearances for Manchester United, having managed a career-high 30 goals last season. At 12.36am on Friday Rashford retweeted a post on X, formerly Twitter, that said: 'The way Marcus Rashford is being treated is absolutely disgusting. It’s cruel. It’s abuse.' Above this he wrote: 'I appreciate your support! It is abuse and has been for months. Enough is enough.'

• ‘Enough is enough’: Marcus Rashford hits out after receiving months of abuse

• Premier League: 10 things to look out for in this weekend’s football

The Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, has praised his potential replacement, Arne Slot, as the Dutchman closes on a move to the Premier League. Slot has emerged as the frontrunner for the job with his track record of improving young talent, success on a relatively modest budget, European experience and a style of play that is not a dramatic departure from Klopp’s, all appealing to Anfield’s recruitment team. Speaking before his side's trip to West Ham on Saturday, Klopp described Arne as a 'good coach' and a 'good guy', while also praising his style of football.

• Jürgen Klopp hails potential Liverpool successor Arne Slot: football news – live

• Arne Slot: the overachiever and ‘good guy’ who can spark a revolution

• Arne Slot admits he wants to succeed Jürgen Klopp as Liverpool manager

The Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernández has reversed his decision to leave the club at the end of the season as 'circumstances have changed'. Xavi originally decided to leave Barça, citing 'a lack of respect' with the belief that the club needed 'a change of direction'. However now he has said 'the main motive wasn’t because of the internal pressure' adding that he is keen to 'continue here with the utmost happiness ... [I am] willing to keep working and building a winning project'.

• Xavi Hernández to stay on as Barcelona head coach in dramatic U-turn

• Xavi’s Barça U-turn shows breaking up is hard to do despite tough times

Mauricio Pochettino refused to blame his players for Chelsea's record defeat to Arsenal but lamented the inconsistency of his team. The Blues manager said: 'Our standard doesn’t sustain the bad days. When we have bad days, you know, we are so bad. And then when we are good, we are capable of everything.' Pochettino's comments come after Arsenal defeated his side 5-0.

Erik ten Hag has called media coverage of Manchester United's win over Coventry in the FA Cup semi-final a 'disgrace'. Having a 3-0 lead at Wembley with 20 minutes to go and then won on penalties, United were criticised by pundits and fans. Asked if he understood the response, Ten Hag said: 'No, absolutely not ... is it [the result] embarrassing? No, the reaction from you [the media] was embarrassing ... For me as a manager, four cup finals in four years. The comments are a disgrace.'

• Ten Hag calls reaction to Manchester United’s win over Coventry a ‘disgrace’

A 2-1 win against Milan clinched the Serie A title for Inter. The two Milan clubs began this season tied on 19 league titles each but now Inter will be the first to add a second gold star to their club badge for a 20th Scudetto. Not even the rain could dampen the spirits of the Nerazzurri and their fans: flares and fireworks were set off in the city centre as fans sang and danced through the night.

• Inter could not have imagined a more satisfying way to win 20th Scudetto

• Inter seal historic 20th Serie A title with derby victory over Milan

Announcement was no shock but reflects environment shift at club and an appetite to find stability after a dismal week

Being the Barcelona manager is “cruel and unpleasant” Xavi Hernández said, but in the end it is all he ever wanted, all he has got. He is all they have got too. And so on Wednesday night, three days after any lingering hopes of winning the league were extinguished, eight days after being knocked out of Europe again, 88 after announcing he was leaving and calling it a “liberation”, he decided that he would continue after all. Ultimately, he just could not let go and nor could they.

“I have no problem changing my mind,” Xavi said on Thursday. When he had said he was leaving on 27 January, Barcelona had just conceded five at home for the first time in 60 years, a defeat he described as a portrait of their season: self-inflicted and absurd, a complete collapse. He had previously linked his continuity to trophies, the first law of coaching; beaten 5-3 by Villarreal, they were 10 points off the top. They had also lost to Real Madrid in the Super Cup final and to Athletic in the Copa del Rey quarters, conceding four in each. Besides, it went deeper than defeats.

Simone Inzaghi’s thrilling tactics have seen Nerazzurri pull clear of their city rivals – and the rest of the Italian top flight

How else could it end but like this: tempers boiling over and the red card being shown to one player after another as Inter sealed their 20th league title with a win over neighbours Milan? Denzel Dumfries and Théo Hernández were first to be sent off after squaring up in midfield at the start of injury time. Milan’s Davide Calabria followed moments later for throwing a forearm into the face of Davide Frattesi at a corner.

And then the final whistle went, transforming a ruck into revelry as the rest of Inter’s players and staff rushed from the dugout to join their colleagues on San Siro’s pitch. They carried giant Scudetto shields displaying the No 20 against the colours of the Italian flag. The two Milan clubs began this season tied on 19 league titles apiece. Now Inter will be the first to affix a second gold star to their club badge.

The latest MLS franchise is owned by the Right to Dream academy. They plan to use a model inspired by LeBron James to carve out a new path in US soccer

Major League Soccer will integrate its 30th club at the beginning of the 2025 season when expansion side San Diego FC joins the Western Conference.

But the league’s latest addition will arrive with a model for on-field success, development and business unlike the other 29 teams.

Having reached their first playoff semi-final, the eastern Indian club are looking to make the most of their untapped potential

It was an unforgettable weekend for Raj Athwal. On Friday night, the only British chief executive of an Indian Super League (ISL) club, Odisha FC, watched them beat Kerala Blasters 2-1 to reach the last four of the Championship playoffs in the most dramatic fashion. On Sunday, he then saw his beloved Coventry City, where he worked for over a decade, lose to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals in the narrowest fashion.

Wembley outdid Kalinga Stadium in the drama and excitement stakes, but not by much. With three minutes remaining, Odisha were a goal down and a fine season was coming to an end.

• Lamine Yamal’s strike in 3-2 loss on Sunday not given by VAR
• Barça believe ball crossed the line and could demand replay

Barcelona’s president, Joan Laporta, has threatened legal action and could demand a replay after his side were denied a goal against Real Madrid at the weekend.

Lamine Yamal thought he had scored in the 28th minute of Sunday’s 3-2 clásico loss at the Bernabéu but the on-pitch officials did not rule the ball had crossed the line, and after a lengthy VAR check, their decision stood. La Liga does not use goalline technology.

Memories of an underwhelming start to his managerial career are fading as the Australian targets a continental final with Yokohama

Harry Kewell’s coaching journey has been unconventional, to say the least. His previous job ended at the bottom of England’s fifth tier, but he is now just three games away from a continental title and a place in the Club World Cup. Fifa’s expanded 2025 tournament in the United States would be worth an estimated $80m to Yokohama F Marinos but for the Australian’s coaching credentials it would be priceless.

On Wednesday, the five-time Japanese champions, coached by Kewell since the turn of this year, host Ulsan HD in the second leg of their Asian Champions League semi-final. The South Korean side have a 1-0 advantage from last week, but there is all to play for at Yokohama International Stadium.

Return of Mikautadze, last year’s Ligue 2 player of the season, from Ajax has been mutually beneficial for player and club

By Eric Devin for Get French Football News

In Ligue 1’s maiden season with 18 teams, one had the feeling that some had little chance of staying up. Fewer teams theoretically projects to a higher average standard, but it also means sides lacking in quality are likely to be found out.

That axiom has generally held true – through the course of the season, most sides, even in the bottom half, have been able to call on a player who is superlative in their position, or at least capable of conjuring something out of nothing. Le Havre may be an exception owing to the hard-driving ethos put in place by Luka Elsner but Nantes (Moses Simon), Montpellier (Téji Savanier) and Toulouse (Thijs Dallinga) all have players with a bit of magic.

The Adelaide United sensation has started taking German lessons but is happy to let his football do most of the talking for now

His head is mostly bowed. In front of the TV cameras he sways with nerves, sometimes even giggles. The shy demeanour of Australian prodigy Nestory Irankunda off the field stands in juxtaposition to his powerful, decisive presence on it.

Three months away from his eagerly anticipated move to German giants Bayern Munich from Adelaide, the 18-year-old was, on Tuesday, one of the first players named for the A-League All Stars’ clash against Newcastle United in Melbourne on 24 May.

Football Australia imposes interim suspension after Torres arrested over alleged incident in March

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The Central Coast Mariners’ star striker Angel Torres has been stood down from playing in the A-League Men after he was charged with sexual assault.

Torres, 24, was arrested at a property in Terrigal on Monday in relation to an alleged sexual assault of a woman on 24 March.

Erling Haaland has been voted the best player in the world for 2023 by our 218-strong panel, with Jude Bellingham finishing second

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Aitana Bonmatí, Sam Kerr and Salma Paralluelo top the list of female footballers in the world in 2023 according to our judges

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The Norwegian is only 23 but his devastating goal record has seen him voted as the No 1 player in the world by the Guardian’s expert panel

When Pep Guardiola tearfully claimed Manchester City could not replace the departing Sergio Agüero in May 2021, he didn’t just create a meme. Guardiola was soft-launching a global audition for his team’s new attacking talisman. An unsuccessful pursuit of Harry Kane in the summer of 2021 came between two title-winning seasons where Ilkay Gündogan (13) and Kevin De Bruyne (15) were the club’s top league goalscorers. Guardiola’s slick creative machine needed a new front man, and they found him in Erling Haaland.

Like Agüero before him – and in contrast to many of City’s most successful Pep-era signings – Haaland arrived as a bona fide superstar, a plug-and-play addition to an already stellar lineup. Whether he was a bargain is another question. The release clause paid was €60m (£51.2m), but some reports suggest Haaland’s five-year deal could cost the club in the region of £300m. And while there was an ominous logic to the move for City’s rivals, questions remained.

Aitana Bonmatí the clear winner of the Guardian’s best 100 female footballers in the world with 15 Spaniards on the list

• The 100 best female footballers in the world 2023

After Alexia Putellas reigned in 2021 and 2022, her Barcelona and Spain teammate Aitana Bonmatí has been crowned the top female footballer of 2023 by the Guardian’s panel of 112 experts. The World Cup winner triumphed by a clear margin, finishing more than 500 points ahead of second-placed Sam Kerr.

Injuries and a World Cup meant there was a definite changing of the guard feel to this year’s list, sadly emphasised by the fact last year’s top two – Putellas and Beth Mead – missed a large chunk of our 12-month voting period with ACL injuries.

As the Premier League continues to hike ticket prices and shut out local fans, Bayer’s Bundesliga title shows the value of a club rooted in its home town

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A corner from the left, seven minutes into injury-time. The Croatian defender Josip Stanišić rises at the near post. His header is too firm to be described as glancing, but it is well directed and flashes across goal and in for an equaliser. The black and red corner of the Signal Iduna Park erupts. Several minutes after the game they were still celebrating with their players. The Bundesliga title is already won but there should be no doubt that Bayer Leverkusen care about their unbeaten record.

Until that moment, there had been a sense of anticlimax about Borussia Dortmund against Leverkusen. What had, a month or so ago, looked like potentially being the game at which Xabi Alonso’s side would wrap up the title instead became, thanks to Bayern Munich squandering a two-goal lead against Heidenheim two weeks ago, the first game on their five-game victory lap. Dortmund, similarly, were on a comedown after Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final win over Atlético. Fifth place is all but secure and, with Germany looking very likely to have five Champions League slots next season, it doesn’t much matter whether they catch RB Leipzig, who are two points clear in fourth.

I’ve seen plenty of setbacks down the years – enough to become desensitised, I thought. But then came an entirely new kind of trauma

“Respect Coventry, please,” said Pep Guardiola on Saturday evening when a presumptuous TV reporter asked Manchester City’s manager about the prospect of another all-Manchester FA Cup final. Guardiola knew Coventry City would be no pushovers for Manchester United in Sunday’s semi-final, yet even he couldn’t have envisaged how close they would drag Erik ten Hag’s side towards ruin in the most scintillating and sickening football experience of my life.

I’ve watched plenty of Coventry defeats down the years – enough to become desensitised to it, I thought. I cried at Villa Park when we were relegated from the Premier League in 2001; I watched from the press box with weary resignation as Doncaster consigned us to League One in 2012; and I experienced mixed emotions when Luton denied us a Premier League berth last May. But watching us lose to United at Wembley after a preposterous three-goal comeback was an entirely new kind of trauma.

The 82-year-old’s impact on football goes far beyond his own success with the advice he gives to up-and-coming managers

At around this time in 2006, soon after Chelsea beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge to secure a second successive league title, Sir Alex Ferguson’s phone rang. It was some bloke called Aidy Boothroyd, at the time just some gobby, upstart young coach who had somehow landed his Watford team in the Championship playoffs. “I phoned him up, asked for some advice and he gave me some pearls,” Boothroyd said later. “He lent me a couple of books and he’s always been at the end of the phone if I ever need any help. I think he does that for everybody.”

I remember being surprised by this at the time. Ferguson was 64, had already retired once, had won eight English league titles, was at the time the subject of savage and, it soon transpired, wildly misplaced criticism due to his side’s poor performance (they still finished second), and was just gearing up to win the league again in each of the next three years and five of the next seven. He had, in short, plenty on his plate already without being pestered for tips by fanboys. And yet there he was, lending books to Aidy Boothroyd. “He will always pick up the phone or phone you back if he can’t get to you the first time,” Boothroyd said the following year. “I’ve never known him not to call back.”

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This. Means. More. Anyone can beat anyone. Every game is a contest. The most passionate crowds. Local heroes. Cult heroes. Excitement to the last minute of the season. Commentators treating every kick with a growling portentousness. Clubs spending too much. Points deductions. Dodgy owners. Officious suits. Relegation thrillers. No VAR. And – what’s this? – playoffs and promotion.

Surely man-of-the-people Sean Dyche won’t be including Adidas Sambas among his Glasto-wear (yesterday’s Football Daily) now that they’ve had their cool-factor so devastatingly removed by being revealed as the top Tory’s trainer of choice. If he’s looking for a modish alternative, Esquire suggests one from Fenty x Puma, whose ‘Phatty Creeper goes completely monochromatic for ‘24 as Riri colour matches the upper to the brown gum sole’. Just right for a wet Saturday evening in Pilton, I reckon” – Steve Allen.

Your missive (yesterday’s Football Daily) reminded us of Arsenal confirming their league title at Tottenham in 2004. On behalf of older readers that have not abandoned you, can I remind you that in 1971 the Arsenal double winners confirmed the league title with a 1-0 win (obviously) at a full White Hart Lane, with allegedly 50,000 people locked out. That’s right, I am also old enough to remember when you didn’t have to buy a ticket but could turn up on the day. Happy days (unless you were locked out)” – Steve Beaton (and others).

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Liew and Robyn Cowen as Liverpool lose the Merseyside derby … and maybe more

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today: Everton sink Liverpool in a Merseyside derby that could be the end of the Reds’ title hopes, and which may well be enough to secure the Toffees’ Premier League status.

Plus: players injured warming up on touchline, points-per-game differentials of long-serving players and more

• Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Leverkusen’s Bundesliga title win has broken Kingsley Coman’s remarkable run of winning the league in each of the last 11 seasons (with PSG, Juventus and Bayern). Can any player in world football ever boast of a longer run of consecutive league titles?” asks Richard Forsythe.

“It’s worth bearing in mind that Coman technically won 12 league titles in 11 seasons,” writes Sean DeLoughry, who gets the ball rolling as we spin off from this 2022 question and answer. “He played once for Juventus in Serie A at the start of the 2015-16 season before joining Bayern.

Our cartoonist on the scrapping of replays, fixture congestion, drama at Wembley and that Nottingham Forest statement

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Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack for an interview with Fifpro representatives, Sarah Gregorius and Alex Culvin, plus Dutch international, Merel van Dongen, to discuss how footballers are being affected by the packed schedule. Also, Sophie Downey rounds up the weekend action in the Champion’s League and WSL

Today’s pod features an exclusive interview with representatives from the global players’ union, Fifpro, who, alongside the Netherlands defender Merel van Dongen, share their views on how footballers are being affected by the packed schedule.

The panel also discuss Chelsea's inspired Champions League win against Barcelona, Manchester City retaking the WSL lead, Arsenal securing European football, Palace's Championship title charge and relegation for Lewes …

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Ben Fisher, Sanny Rudravajhala and George Elek as Arsenal beat Chelsea 5-0 and to run through the EFL as those divisions reach a conclusion in the coming weeks

Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.

On the podcast today; Arsenal keep pace at the top of the Premier League – were they brilliant or are Chelsea inexcusably bad? It’s probably a touch of both.

Liverpool await a dead-ball salvo, Luton have to keep their chins up and things could get spicy at City Ground

David Moyes will surely have taken note of Liverpool’s struggle to defend set pieces against Everton. Jürgen Klopp, who must be delighted with a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, should prepare his team for another bruising test when they visit West Ham. For Moyes, this is a chance to repair the sizeable damage to his reputation caused by last weekend’s collapse at Selhurst Park. West Ham were 4-0 down to Palace after 31 minutes and are preparing to part company with Moyes at the end of the season, but they should take heart from how Everton unsettled Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Everton scored twice from set pieces and West Ham pose a similar threat from dead balls. James Ward-Prowse’s deliveries towards Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will have Klopp’s defenders sweating. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Fulham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Saturday 3pm

Manchester United v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Hashtag United’s Emma Samways was stunned to receive a £9,200 bill after suffering an ACL injury in a cup match

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For any player, the prospect of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is incredibly daunting. The Arsenal winger Beth Mead described her experience as “mentally and physically gruelling,” while the England captain, Leah Williamson, doubted she would return from her own setback.

Suffering an ACL injury means a prolonged period on the sidelines, usually between nine and 12 months. Professional players receive the best treatment to ensure they can return as soon as possible and without financial strain. But that isn’t the case for every player in England, especially female footballers playing outside the Women’s Super League and Championship. The Hashtag United winger Emma Samways, who plays in the third tier of English football, ruptured her ACL during a National League Cup semi-final against Halifax. It was an incident that put her life on pause.

Despite relegation to England’s fourth tier, Cod Army have cast net to be like ‘City Football Group but on a much smaller scale’

Fleetwood United’s celebrations on becoming second division champions in the United Arab Emirates could not be dampened even by a freak thunderstorm in Dubai. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the captain, Ben Pringle, told the Guardian. “It was the most rain they have had for 75 years. Cars were underwater on the motorway.”

This is not supposed to happen in the glittering city of skyscrapers and excitement but then Fleetwood Town, a club that have just dropped into England’s fourth tier, are not really supposed to be at the head of a stable of international clubs that also includes Waterford FC in Ireland and Western Cape Fleetwood in South Africa.

Chelsea’s mega-splurge bought a lot of deeply room-temperature footballers – against Arsenal they were dismal

Wait. Is this a twist? Is this a sting, a surge, a volte-face? Or is it just how it feels to play Chelsea, opponents so poor they seemed at times to be indulging in a kind of protest activity, non-sport, football as an act of extended standing around waiting for it to be over.

It is a measure of Manchester City’s dominance that the last week has brought a peculiar feeling that Arsenal’s season is already over, despite still being top of the table. Here Arsenal went three points clear of Liverpool and four clear of City (who have two games in hand) with a performance that felt, if nothing else, like a kind of liberation.

For the teams at the bottom of the food chain, England’s top flight has come to resemble an abusive relationship

And you may ask yourself: how do I work this?

And you may ask yourself: what happened to that three-man midfield?

From Warren Zaïre-Emery to Endrick, we select some of the best players born in 2006. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018

• Next Generation 2023: 20 of the best Premier League talents

We pick the best youngsters at each club born between 1 September 2006 and 31 August 2007, an age band known as first-year scholars. Check the progress of our classes of 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 … and look at the editions from further back

• Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best talents around the world

Five years ago we picked 80 of the most talented players in the world to follow their progress in a cut-throat business

It is the time of year when we check in on the Next Generation players we picked in 2018 to follow for five years, to assess their progress amid success, setbacks, injuries, trophies won and transfers made.

Next Generation started in 2014 with the aim of showing the difficulties that even the best prospects in the Premier League (we pick one from each club at first-year scholar age) and the rest of the world (we choose 60 born in a specific calendar year) face on their way towards the top.

A defensively minded midfielder who is incredibly strong (he used to be a wrestler) but with an excellent touch to go with his physicality. Made his debut in the Swedish top flight as a 16-year-old last year and captained Sweden as they reached the quarter-finals of the Euro Under-17 tournament in England this summer. Has taken an unusual path to the top. He left the top-flight side IFK Göteborg for sixth division Angered MBIK as a 14-year-old as he felt that he was not getting the right support for his football education. Another Gothenburg club, Häcken, snapped him up in 2017 and he made his senior debut that season. Has signed a new contract with the club from Hisingen until 2021 despite interest from Real Madrid and Benfica and trials at both Manchester clubs.