Liverpool are set to benefit from Paris Saint-Germain being denied a domestic fixture postponement between the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final next month.
The French champions meet Arne Slot’s side on 8 April for the first leg of their last-eight tie.
Luis Enrique’s team previously enjoyed a five-day rest between their last-16 matches against Chelsea.
A scheduled Ligue 1 game against Nantes was moved, allowing the Parisians to comfortably dismantle the Blues 8-2 on aggregate.
Title rivals block fixture change
The European champions were hoping for a similar arrangement for their upcoming clash with title contenders Lens on 11 April.
However, reports from France suggest that Lens will not entertain any requests to reschedule the pivotal league match.
The current Ligue 1 leaders hold a one-point advantage and a game in hand over second-placed Lens, making the fixture crucial for both sides.
Reds seek revenge for last season
The Premier League outfit head into the tie with momentum after a resounding 4-1 aggregate victory over Galatasaray.
They must first navigate a challenging FA Cup quarter-final away against Manchester City just four days before travelling to the French capital.
Despite the gruelling schedule, Slot is relishing the opportunity to face the team that eliminated his squad on penalties last season.
“If you go to latter stages of Champions League then you know one thing for sure – you’re going to face Paris Saint-Germain because they are an incredible team.”
The Dutchman added that last year’s Anfield encounter against the French giants was the best game he has managed in his entire career.
Arsenal face a challenging task to sign Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia this summer despite holding a strong interest in the player.
The Gunners are currently chasing an unprecedented quadruple under manager Mikel Arteta.
They sit top of the Premier League and face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
However, the north London club are already planning to bolster their attacking options for next season.
Gunners seek attacking reinforcements
Arteta views the left flank as an area for improvement and has identified the Georgia international as an ideal recruit.
The 25-year-old moved to the French capital from Napoli last year and played a pivotal role in securing the Ligue 1 title.
Despite Arsenal’s admiration, prominent transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano suggests a summer switch is highly improbable.
PSG stance remains firm
The French giants have firmly stated that their prized attacker is not on the market.
The former Napoli star maintains an excellent relationship with Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Romano clarified the reigning European champions’ position.
“At the moment, the message from PSG is that Kvaratskhelia is not for sale.”
“The player is super serious, super professional, and the relationship with Luis Enrique is excellent, so I don’t think it’s going to be easy at all to find a solution.”
Premier League move possible in future
While an immediate transfer appears overwhelmingly complicated, a future move to England remains a distinct possibility.
The lightning-fast forward is reportedly content in France for the time being.
Arsenal are still expected to actively pursue a winger during the upcoming transfer window even if they must look at alternative targets.
Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness has urged Mohamed Salah to leave Anfield this summer, attributing the club’s difficult Premier League season to the forward’s dramatic decline in form.
Liverpool are currently fifth in the table during a challenging domestic campaign under manager Arne Slot.
Despite remaining in contention for both the FA Cup and Champions League, their title defence has faltered significantly.
The Egyptian has struggled in front of goal, managing just five league strikes so far this term.
‘Falling off a cliff’
Speaking to the Mail Online, Souness delivered a scathing assessment of the forward’s recent performances.
“When you get to that sort of 33-34 age area, it’s either falling off a cliff, or it’s a slow decline,” Souness said.
“I think Salah is the former.”
The Scottish pundit revealed his concerns began during the Community Shield curtain-raiser against Crystal Palace.
“I didn’t know what was wrong with him,” Souness added.
“I thought maybe he needs half a dozen games to get up to speed, but he’s never improved.”
Impact on Liverpool’s season
Souness believes the lack of goals from the 32-year-old is the primary reason behind Liverpool’s indifferent domestic form.
He suggested that the negativity surrounding the club is affecting other squad members who are failing to respond positively.
“When you’re in that position, you need big players to stand up and be counted,” the former midfielder stated.
When asked directly if the prolific attacker should depart Merseyside at the end of the season, Souness was unequivocal.
“Yes,” he replied. “His best is behind him now, there’s no doubt about that.”
Contractual situation and legacy
The three-time Golden Boot winner has been the undisputed talisman for the Reds over the past seven years.
However, Souness feels the winger has lost the sparkle that previously allowed him to single-handedly change matches.
“He’s a Liverpool great, but his best season is behind him,” Souness concluded.
The former Roma player remains contracted to the club until 2027 after signing a lucrative extension in April last year.
Pep Guardiola will attempt to derail Arsenal’s pursuit of a historic quadruple when his Manchester City side face Mikel Arteta’s team in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
The Catalan manager famously dismissed the prospect of winning all four major trophies as almost impossible during his time working alongside his current rival.
However, the reigning Premier League champions now find themselves in the unusual position of playing spoiler against a side genuinely contending for a clean sweep of silverware.
Chasing a historic achievement
The North London club currently sit nine points clear of their Manchester rivals in the top flight, signalling a potential changing of the guard in English football.
City’s focus must now pivot heavily toward domestic knock-out competitions if they are to secure another major honour this campaign, starting with this weekend’s showpiece event under the Wembley arch.
The former Bayern Munich boss acknowledged the immense momentum currently building behind his former assistant’s squad.
“When the mood is good, and wins help win, the confidence is high, always it’s possible.”
“Everything is possible.”
Master meets former apprentice
The managerial duo previously combined to secure a domestic quadruple in the 2018-19 season, dominating English football together before eventually parting ways.
Since stepping out of the shadows to take the reins at the Emirates Stadium, the Basque coach has systematically transformed his squad into arguably Europe’s most formidable outfit.
While the Etihad club’s own legendary treble in 2023 set the modern benchmark, their recent league struggles suggest the mantle of dominance may be shifting south to the capital.
Offering a word of advice to his upcoming opponents, Guardiola urged the Gunners to navigate the remainder of their gruelling campaign on a strict game-by-game basis.
A victory on Sunday would not only secure the season’s first major trophy but also serve as a crucial psychological blow in the ongoing battle for English supremacy.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have abandoned their multi-club expansion plans, while former defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has been omitted from the latest England squad.
Arne Slot’s side recently reached the Champions League quarter-finals following a dominant four-goal victory over Galatasaray.
The Anfield outfit now face Brighton on Saturday in a crucial Premier League fixture for their top-four ambitions.
FSG shelve expansion strategy
Behind the scenes, the Merseyside club’s American stewards have performed a significant U-turn regarding their corporate structure.
Fenway Sports Group previously confirmed intentions to purchase a second European football team during 2024.
The return of Michael Edwards as chief executive of football was widely believed to be the catalyst for this network expansion.
Discussions were held regarding 25 potential acquisitions, with French outfit Bordeaux and Spanish sides Malaga and Getafe considered.
However, those ambitious proposals have now been shelved completely.
President Mike Gordon had previously informed staff that exploring new administrative avenues was essential to remain competitive.
Despite abandoning the strategy, the Boston Red Sox owners have overseen a highly successful trophy-laden era since their 2010 takeover.
World Cup blow for former Red
Away from Anfield, a prominent academy graduate has suffered a major setback on the international stage.
Thomas Tuchel has left Alexander-Arnold out of his expanded 35-man group for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
The Real Madrid right-back has enjoyed a recent upturn in form but has not represented the Three Lions since a narrow victory over Andorra in June.
Speaking after a European victory on Tuesday, the defender remained optimistic about featuring at the upcoming World Cup.
“I’ve not spoke to him, but I know the squad gets announced this week, so hopefully I get the call and I can play for my country, which is always the greatest.”
Tottenham Hotspur will narrowly avoid Premier League relegation this season if their remaining match results mirror the reverse fixtures.
The top-flight survival race is intensifying as Leeds United, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Spurs scrap to avoid the drop.
Igor Tudor was appointed in February to rescue a disastrous campaign that initially began under Thomas Frank.
The new manager has struggled to completely stabilise the club amid a highly turbulent season.
However, a recent 1-1 draw against Liverpool finally halted a damaging six-match losing streak for the north London club.
Crucial six-pointer awaits
Tudor’s side face a monumental clash against Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon.
The reverse fixture ended in a comfortable 3-0 victory for the East Midlands outfit.
A repeat of that heavy defeat would plunge the struggling side even deeper into the relegation mire.
Yet if every remaining game this season matched the previous result between the two teams, the final table makes for positive reading for Spurs fans.
Projected path to safety
Assuming bottom clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley are already condemned to the Championship, four teams remain in serious peril.
Following the hypothetical Forest defeat, Tottenham would secure consecutive draws against Sunderland, Brighton and Wolves.
A 2-1 loss to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa would follow to paint a grim picture for their immediate survival hopes.
Fortunes would then drastically change with a vital 2-1 triumph over relegation rivals Leeds.
Reaching the survival threshold
Despite a subsequent projected loss to Chelsea, top-flight status would be officially sealed on the final day of the campaign.
A replication of October’s 3-0 thrashing of Everton would see them finish the season on 39 points.
This exact points tally would be just enough to keep the team up at the expense of their closest challengers.
In this speculative model, Leeds would ultimately drop into the second tier despite claiming late victories over West Ham and Wolves.
Former striker Andy Cole and fellow pundit Jamie Redknapp have clashed over controversial VAR penalty decisions following Manchester United’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth.
The Red Devils secured a point at the Vitality Stadium after an own goal from James Hill levelled the Friday night encounter.
Caretaker manager Michael Carrick saw his side take an early lead through a Bruno Fernandes penalty before the game descended into refereeing controversy.
Debate over penalty inconsistencies
Tensions flared in the Sky Sports studio surrounding two similar penalty box incidents that yielded entirely different outcomes from Stockley Park.
The first flashpoint occurred when winger Amad Diallo appeared to be bundled over by Adrien Truffert in the Bournemouth penalty area.
Refereeing officials dismissed appeals for a foul, allowing the Cherries to immediately counter-attack and score through Ryan Christie.
Later in the match, centre-back Harry Maguire was shown a red card and conceded a penalty for an incident that appeared to mirror the earlier challenge.
Pundits fundamentally disagree
Former Liverpool midfielder Redknapp defended the contrasting decisions by highlighting the specific nature of the defensive actions.
“What’s the difference? I think the difference is that he’s going towards goal, he’s denying a goalscoring opportunity, which means it’s obviously going to be a red card, and because of Harry’s momentum, he sticks out his arm.”
“It’s extremely harsh, but I can see why he’s given that.”
Redknapp had earlier dismissed the challenge on the Ivorian attacker at the opposite end of the pitch.
“You can see Truffert is being aggressive with him. He does man-handle him a bit, but I just don’t think it’s enough to be a penalty.”
Cole demands consistency
Cole, who scored 121 goals for the Manchester club, was left entirely unconvinced by his colleague’s explanation.
The retired forward insisted that modern refereeing standards dictate both physical challenges should result in a spot-kick.
When pressed to spot the difference between the two critical moments, Cole offered a blunt assessment.
“They’re the same!”
The draw means the Old Trafford outfit have suffered just one defeat in 10 matches under their current interim leadership.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has admitted that the controversial departure of manager Enzo Maresca left the squad hurting and confused by the club’s hierarchy.
The Italian head coach left Stamford Bridge at the beginning of the year.
He was subsequently replaced in the dugout by Liam Rosenior.
Maresca departed amid strong rumours linking him with the vacant Manchester City job as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola.
Loss of identity at Stamford Bridge
Fernandez spoke out following a devastating 8-2 Champions League defeat to Paris St-Germain.
The Argentine World Cup winner revealed his frustration in a candid interview with former international Juan Pablo Sorin.
“I don’t understand it [what happened],” he said.
“Sometimes as a player, there’s things we don’t understand and the way they try to manage things.”
“I don’t have an answer for you because I don’t know.”
Mid-season disruption
The 24-year-old playmaker emphasised the structural damage caused by the sudden managerial switch.
“Obviously, it was a departure that hurt a lot because we had a lot of identity, he gave us order but it’s the way that football is, sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad.”
“But we always had a clear identity when it came to training, playing and obviously his departure hurt us especially in the middle of the season – it cuts everything short.”
Maresca’s final game in charge was a 2-2 Premier League draw against Bournemouth.
Future remains uncertain
The former Benfica star’s comments have sparked intense debate among the club’s fanbase regarding squad morale under Rosenior.
Furthermore, the midfield anchor cast significant doubt over his own long-term commitment to the London side.
Speaking to ESPN Argentina, the vice-captain hinted at a potential exit following this summer’s tournaments.
“I don’t know, there are eight games left and the FA Cup.”
“There’s the World Cup and then we’ll see.”