History-chasing Man City Eye Premier League Title 'Destiny'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
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History-chasing Man City Eye Premier League Title 'Destiny'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP

Pep Guardiola urged Manchester City to seize their chance to make English football history on Sunday as the battle for Premier League supremacy reaches a thrilling climax, with Arsenal hoping for a final-day miracle.

Guardiola's all-conquering team go into the final day of the season with a two-point lead over the second-placed Gunners thanks to an eight-game winning streak.

City host West Ham knowing a win will seal an unprecedented fourth successive English title.

Arsenal have been near flawless themselves in 2024, with 15 wins and one draw, away to City, in 17 league matches.

However, the Gunners' costly 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa last month looks set to be decisive in a thrilling title race that also involved Liverpool until their recent stumbles.

Arsenal, who finished second last year, must beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium and hope City fail to win if they are to end their 20-year wait for the title, AFP reported.

Guardiola does not expect a favour from Everton, who have nothing to play for, and will instead focus on ensuring his players finish the job themselves.

"The destiny is in our hands, but if you are thinking that Everton are going to do something, forget about it. I have seen Arsenal all season," he said.

"We just focus on what we have to do against West Ham. There is not any contamination in my brain about anything other than what we have to do to beat West Ham."

Not for the first time, City have been at their relentless best in the intense heat of the run-in.

Guardiola's men have dropped just six points since mid-December, in draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

As City close in on a sixth title in seven seasons under Guardiola, the competitiveness of the world's most-watched league has been questioned.

But the Catalan coach has hit back at suggestions the Premier League has become boring and that City's dominance is thanks purely to the financial muscle of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.

"It's not boring. It's difficult," Guardiola said.

Arsenal have set a club record by winning 27 Premier League games this season, but that still might not be enough to dethrone City.

"We have to give ourselves the opportunity to live a beautiful day on Sunday, where the dream is still alive and is possible," said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, whose team have a marginally better goal difference.

"It's football and once we are there we just have to live the moment."

There will be an emotional farewell for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the end of his memorable nine-year reign, but the Reds will finish third regardless of their result against Wolves at Anfield.

"I spoke before about how hard it will be to say goodbye," Klopp said.

"I love absolutely everything about this place. I do. I take memories with me, fantastic memories, I take relationships with me forever."

Manchester United are at risk of missing out on European football altogether after a miserable season.

Erik ten Hag's men sit eighth and must better Newcastle's result at Brentford when they visit Brighton to avoid finishing outside the top seven for the first time since 1990.

Roberto De Zerbi is taking charge of his final game as Brighton boss after the Italian and the club "mutually agreed" they would part ways.

Tottenham visit relegated Sheffield United knowing a point is enough to guarantee fifth spot, while in-form Chelsea would secure a top-six finish with a draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

The top six teams will all definitely qualify for Europe, while seventh could be enough as long as Manchester United do not shock City in next week's FA Cup final.

At the bottom, Luton are almost certain to join Burnley and Sheffield United in next year's Championship, needing a mathematical miracle to survive.



Everton Hope to Pile Merseyside Derby Blues on Liverpool at New Stadium

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
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Everton Hope to Pile Merseyside Derby Blues on Liverpool at New Stadium

Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Brentford v Everton - GTech Community Stadium, London, Britain - April 11, 2026 Everton manager David Moyes reacts. (Action Images via Reuters)

Everton manager David Moyes wants ‌to make the Hill Dickinson Stadium a happy home and a famous win over old foes Liverpool in the first Merseyside Derby at the new venue on Sunday would go a long way to achieving that.

It has been several seasons since Everton were involved in the European reckoning, but with six games to go in the Premier League campaign they are five points off fifth-placed Liverpool in the table, a gap they could cut to two this weekend.

It was a typically feverish final Goodison Park derby last season when James Tarkowski’s volley in the dying seconds earned Everton a 2-2 ‌draw as ‌they said farewell to the Grand Old Lady.

The Hill ‌Dickinson ⁠Stadium has not ⁠quite felt like home yet for many Evertonians, but a derby win on a raucous Sunday afternoon may start to change that.

“When you move to a new stadium it's always difficult,” Moyes told reporters on Friday. “If you look through the records of all teams who have built new stadiums, it has never been easy.

“We have had our ups and downs in it, ⁠we had a great start, the bits in the ‌middle were not so good, but we ‌are finding a bit better form now.”

Moyes has repeatedly said Everton hope to finish ‌in the European places this season but added that in such ‌a tight league table they need to be wary of the teams below them too.

“All we can do is try and catch whoever is above us,” he said. “It is Brentford at the moment. But probably more important is to make sure ‌nobody catches us.

"If we stay in a strong position, we give ourselves every chance of getting something in ⁠terms of ⁠Europe.

“The biggest thing for me is that with six games to go we have something to play for. Over recent years it has been the wrong thing we have been playing for (survival). I hope we can keep the dream alive.”

Moyes confirmed there had been no talks over a new contract, with his current deal running out at the end of next season.

“There is no need to start any talks now because I have so much on my mind. These six games will be crucial as to how things go. I want Everton to be in this position every year, having a chance of the top places."

He said there were no injury concerns with midfielder Carlos Alcaraz back in contention after a lengthy injury lay-off.


Romero Out for the Season but De Zerbi Backs Spurs to Survive

Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - April 12, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero looks dejected as he is substituted off after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - April 12, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero looks dejected as he is substituted off after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
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Romero Out for the Season but De Zerbi Backs Spurs to Survive

Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - April 12, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero looks dejected as he is substituted off after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)
Football - Premier League - Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - April 12, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero looks dejected as he is substituted off after sustaining an injury. (Reuters)

Roberto De Zerbi confirmed on Friday Cristian Romero will miss the rest of Tottenham's battle for Premier League survival, but remains optimistic that just one win can transform his side's fortunes.

Romero suffered a knee injury, that could also endanger his place in Argentina's World Cup squad, during last weekend's 1-0 defeat by Sunderland in De Zerbi's first match in charge.

"I am really sorry for him and his injury," said De Zerbi.

"Romero first of all loves Tottenham and the people have to know he is suffering for this injury and because he cannot play any more for us this season."

Without a win in 14 league games, Spurs are two points adrift of safety with six matches of the campaign to go.

But victory against De Zerbi's former club Brighton on Saturday would propel Tottenham out of the bottom three for at least 48 hours.

"I think it is crucial to win a game not just for the table. Of course one part of the table for sure, but we have to feel again what is nice to win a game and what it can do," he added.

"I have no doubts about the quality of the players."

In a bid to build team chemistry, De Zerbi took his players out to dinner this week in London's Mayfair.

The Italian is happy to pick up the bill for more dinners in the coming weeks if he is rewarded with results on the field.

"The food was amazing and if we win, I am ready to pay every week for one dinner," said the former Marseille coach.

"I am positive, I am ready to fight and I believe to keep Premier League (status). I believe in my words that I said last week. The focus is to win one game."

Rodrigo Bentancur could make his return from a three-month injury layoff against the Seagulls.

However, first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains out after surgery on a hernia.


Verstappen Gave Lambiase His Blessing for ‘Great’ McLaren Move

Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen answers questions during a show "An evening with Max Verstappen" in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 April 2026. (EPA)
Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen answers questions during a show "An evening with Max Verstappen" in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 April 2026. (EPA)
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Verstappen Gave Lambiase His Blessing for ‘Great’ McLaren Move

Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen answers questions during a show "An evening with Max Verstappen" in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 April 2026. (EPA)
Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen answers questions during a show "An evening with Max Verstappen" in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 16 April 2026. (EPA)

Max Verstappen encouraged ‌his Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to move to McLaren after the Briton received an offer that was hard to refuse.

Lambiase will switch teams when his contract expires at the end of 2027 and join McLaren as their chief racing officer in a move announced last week.

"He told me what kind of offer he received," four-times ‌world champion ‌Verstappen said at a recent ‌Viaplay ⁠event in Amsterdam ⁠in his first public comments on the announcement. "I said: 'You would be stupid not to do that'.

"We have already achieved everything together. And then he gets such a great offer, also with his family in mind ⁠and the security it would give ‌him.

"He asked me ‌for a sort of permission and I said ‌that he absolutely had to do it. ‌He really wanted to hear that from me."

Lambiase will be the latest in a string of senior employees to have left once-dominant Red ‌Bull, with former principal Christian Horner sacked last year.

Verstappen's own future at ⁠the ⁠team remains uncertain, with the Dutch driver contracted to 2028 but unhappy with rule changes in a new engine era.

Red Bull announced on Thursday changes to their technical leadership team, with Ben Waterhouse taking on an expanded role as chief performance and design engineer with immediate effect.

From July 1, Andrea Landi will join from sister team Racing Bulls, where he was deputy technical director, as head of performance.