1
Trophy No 17 in reach for Guardiola
A measure of Pep Guardiola’s greatness is to be found in Saturday’s FA Cup final being a 24th visit to Wembley leading Manchester City. As this born winner could depart in the close season, the meeting with Chelsea may be a third-last outing in charge, in which he seeks the opposite result to the 2021 Champions League final. Yet Chelsea are now in a state of flux – Calum McFarlane is in a second caretaker spell of the season, following Liam Rosenior’s sacking last month, having also filled in when Enzo Maresca walked out on 1 January. This points to a City triumph and the 17th major trophy of Guardiola’s reign. But this is football, so who knows? Jamie Jackson
2
Can fit-again Colwill handle Haaland?
It has been a long road back for Levi Colwill. The defender was buzzing after Chelsea’s win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final last July. It seemed a coming-of-age moment. His prediction of a serious title challenge back then did not seem outlandish. Who knows how different the past 10 months might have been for Chelsea had Colwill not suffered a serious knee injury on the first day of pre-season training? His absence bit hard. The 23-year-old returned earlier this month and did not look rusty when he started for Chelsea in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool last weekend. Colwill produced a smooth display and will hope to impress again when he faces Erling Haaland at Wembley. Keeping the City striker quiet would boost Colwill’s chances of making a late run into the England squad before Thomas Tuchel finalises his World Cup selection. Jacob Steinberg
3
Emery grapples with European routes
How many English clubs can you get in a Champions League? The answer seems to be “as many as possible”, Friday night’s contest at Villa Park crucial in deciding whether, next season, it’s five or six. Liverpool are almost there, but greater intrigue surrounds Villa who, if they finish fifth and win the Europa League, will secure an additional spot for one of Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford, two of whom harbour hopes of overtaking them – and imagine what any of three might do should their talent ID be fortified with Champions League money. This gives Unai Emery a dilemma: does he go for a win to take Villa over the top, hoping his team find a groove that sustains them through Wednesday’s final? Or does he keep his big hitters fresh for the opportunity of a generation – of several generations – knowing that, if Villa lose, they’ve another chance to resolve things next weekend … away to Manchester City? Daniel Harris
4
World Cup thoughts at Old Trafford
A point secures Manchester United third place and Nottingham Forest are safe so this Sunday afternoon meeting at Old Trafford has a sideshow feel. Yet as the World Cup looms, United’s Englishmen Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, and Forest’s Brazilians Igor Tudor and Murillo, lead those hoping to gain late call-ups. Any player sure of selection for the tournament will hope, if fielded, to avoid injury: Forest’s Elliot Anderson, an England starter, plus United’s Casemiro and Matheus Cunha (Brazil), and Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) will be chief among these. JJ
5
Mouthwatering prospects pile up for Bees
Brentford’s push for Europe continues, with complicated permutations likely to determine their destiny. The picture may not be clear until the final kicks of the season. Should Aston Villa win the Europa League on Wednesday and finish fifth in the Premier League, a Champions League spot opens up for sixth place. Brentford can close the gap on sixth by beating a Crystal Palace side with an eye on 27 May’s Conference League final. Bournemouth do not play until Tuesday. On the final day, should Villa be beating Manchester City and closing on finishing above Liverpool or Manchester United it could well be in Brentford’s or Brighton’s interest to lose to those teams; Brentford are at Liverpool a week on Sunday. Quite the equation for Keith Andrews. Should it fall his way, he would deserve the manager of the season award. There’s a strong case to say he already does. John Brewin
6
Moyes’ Blues must tighten up
Everton’s strikers have been largely responsible for limiting the team’s progress this season but it is their defence that has cost them in the final push for European qualification. That ambition appeared unrealistic at the start of the campaign, and there is still a slim chance it could be realised with several favourable results, but for a manager who prides himself on solid defensive foundations the past few weeks will have infuriated David Moyes. His team would be sitting level with sixth-placed Bournemouth but for squandering six points in their past four games, each one characterised by poor defending whether at set pieces – against Liverpool and West Ham – or from open play – Manchester City and Crystal Palace. The downturn can be pinpointed to the 87th minute of the Merseyside derby when Jarrad Branthwaite, the team’s best defender, was carried off with a season-ending injury. Everton coped well with his absence in the first half of the season but have failed to rediscover that resilience since his latest hamstring setback. Andy Hunter
7
King’s talent deserves a late-season recall
It’s more than a month since Josh King started a game for Fulham – he was hooked at half-time during the 2-0 defeat by Liverpool, since when he has featured solely off the bench and never for longer than 26 minutes. It makes sense for Marco Silva to protect and nurture such a precious talent – especially given King plays in the middle of midfield, no country for young men. But he is also preparing his team to go again – whether he is in charge or not – and a game against a relegated side is surely an opportunity to field a player who, after a period of acclimatisation this season, can be a mainstay next. There are many youngsters with vivid imagination and superb technical skill, but what marks King out is his ability to accept the ball under pressure and either pass forward or beat men, opening up the pitch in the process. He is raw, but the aim should be to be ready in August. DH
8
Rutter’s reaction pleases Hürzeler
Georginio Rutter returns to Elland Road on Sunday, doubtless hoping he will not have to spend another afternoon on the bench. The former Leeds forward joined Brighton for a record £40m in 2024 but, after a decent first season on the south coast, the Frenchman has struggled for game time this term, scoring only three goals and starting just one of the past seven games. Part of the problem is that Fabian Hürzeler has made the excellent Danny Welbeck his principal striker, while Jack Hinshelwood has shone in Rutter’s preferred No 10 role. “I know Georginio’s not happy with his game minutes,” said Brighton’s head coach. “That’s normal … but he’s 100% committed. I feel he’s there for his teammates and for the club. It’s team first and there are moments when you have to put your ego behind you. Of course he’s not happy, that’s normal but I’m pleased with his reaction.” Louise Taylor
9
Wilson can add to Howe’s woe
Callum Wilson spent five seasons at St James’ Park, scoring 49 goals in 130 appearances for Newcastle before joining West Ham last summer. The 34-year-old former England striker remains close to Eddie Howe, his manager at both Newcastle and, earlier, Bournemouth but Wilson is almost certainly someone Howe would rather not see on the pitch on Sunday. Newcastle’s manager must fear his former No 9 scoring the winning goal on a day when victory seems imperative for a West Ham team desperately hoping to avoid relegation. With his own team a modest 13th, Howe is more vulnerable than at any time during a near five-year Tyneside tenure. Although he currently seems near certain to still be in charge at St James’ in August, another home defeat would hardly assuage the growing anxieties of a fanbase starting to suspect that the man who led Newcastle to last season’s Carabao Cup triumph no longer remains capable of walking on the Tyne. LT
10
Another Rice rejig at Arsenal?
Arsenal’s miserly defence has been back to its best since their calamitous April, posting three successive clean sheets this month thanks largely to the heroics of David Raya and, of course, the intervention of the video assistant referee against West Ham last week. With the onus on the Premier League leaders to rack up the goals when they face Burnley, Mikel Arteta must decide whether to opt for Cristhian Mosquera to fill in for the injured duo Jurriën Timber and Ben White at right-back or go for a more attacking option by moving Declan Rice out of midfield again. That backfired at West Ham but Arteta hinted that he may be tempted to try the England midfielder there against a team that lost only 1-0 to Manchester City a few weeks ago despite already being relegated. “When he played as a full-back against Brighton, he was exceptional. But then the other night, it was something else,” said Arteta. “What is the cost of moving that player from one position to the other? That’s the balance that we need to try to find.” Ed Aarons
