Jurgen Klopp hopes the return of fans to Anfield can help spur Liverpool on as they aim to come through an "intense" clash with Crystal Palace and clinch a Champions League spot.

A 3-0 triumph at Burnley on Wednesday lifted Liverpool up to fourth in the table, above Leicester City on goal difference and just a point behind third-placed Chelsea.

The Reds wrap up an eventful season by hosting Palace on Sunday, with 10,000 fans allowed to attend the fixture following changes in social distancing restrictions.

The game will see outgoing Eagles boss Roy Hodgson come up against one of his former clubs, too, with Klopp well aware of the challenge the visitors will pose to his team.

However, the German – who admitted he has become accustomed to coping with stress on the final day – wants those inside the ground to show a little patience if things do not go immediately to plan, acknowledging there is still work to do despite a recent upturn in fortunes.

"You have to fight to it, I respect Crystal Palace too much and what they want to do for Roy in possibly his last game as a manager," he said of a top-four finish being in Liverpool's hands.

"I'm pretty sure they will want to give absolutely everything, and rightly so, just like the last few opponents did.

"Obviously we will have supporters back and I'd like to take the opportunity to welcome them all – you cannot imagine how much I'm looking forward to seeing them again, at least 10,000 of you.

"But it's really important that with all the excitement we feel, we don't lose patience after a minute or something like that. We need the best support possible, very supportive, very encouraging, just like we left each other what feels like years ago.

"It will be a really intense game and, when you fight for the Champions League, it should be intense."

Klopp added during his pre-game media conference: "The door opened a little bit for us, but when that happens you must step through. That's what the boys have done so far, but there is still one game to go. That's what we have to focus on.

"It was a strange season; nothing will change that. It was an intense season; nothing will change that. But we have it now in our hands to make a top, top finish.

"It's not done yet. There is an opponent and this is football, that is why we are really, really not even close to any kind of celebration or whatever. We are only focused on the 95 minutes we will play."

Liverpool won the reverse fixture against Palace 7-0 back in December, a stunning result on the road that moved the defending champions five points clear at the top.

A run of just three victories in their next 14 league outings led to a slide down the table, yet a rejuvenated Reds have moved into a strong position to clinch Champions League qualification with a four-game winning streak down the stretch.

Klopp insists he will not be taking anything from that stunning result at Selhurst Park, making clear the final scoreline was not a fair reflection of how the game panned out.

"It's not really helpful, apart from a goal difference point of view," the former Borussia Dortmund boss said.

"It was not a 7-0 game that day, Palace had chances of their own, it was more a crazy one, really open with chances here and there.

"The difference was we took ours; I think we had seven shots on target and scored seven goals. It was one of these lucky days you do not have a lot of in your life.

"This game will not be like that. Palace will want to make sure those kind of things don't happen. Nobody has to worry that it will be like that, we just have to win the game.

"We know we will have to fight for this, the result from the first game is 0.0 relevant to us. There are moments when you use pictures from the first game [in team meetings], but none from that game will be shown to the boys."

Harry Kane says he would love to play with Kevin De Bruyne amid speculation linking the England captain to Manchester City.

Kane is reportedly keen to end a career-long association with Tottenham at the end of this season, with a desire to add silverware to his impressive individual numbers thought to be a prime motivation.

City are expected to be in the market for a centre-forward, with their all-time record goalscorer Sergio Aguero leaving at the end of his contract next month.

Pep Guardiola has previously expressed his admiration for Kane and, speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap, the 27-year-old said playing with Belgium star De Bruyne would be "a striker's dream"

Asked which player in the Premier League would help him score more goals, he replied: "De Bruyne, for sure.

"When I watch De Bruyne play, he's a special, special player and some of the balls I see him put in for City are just a striker's dream if I'm honest.

"He's outstanding, you've seen him, he's an outstanding player with the ball, off the ball, pressing, but his delivery is as good as I’ve ever seen to be honest."

Kane's former manager Mauricio Pochettino, now head coach at Paris Saint-Germain, has also been linked with an interest, but the striker told Neville he has eyes on Alan Shearer's all-time record Premier League goals mark of 260.

On 165, he is currently 95 behind and seventh overall.

"I guess, for me, I think injuries would be the biggest thing [to stop him getting the Premier League record]," Kane said.

"Of course, there's always the option of maybe moving abroad one day but I don't think that really interests me in the near future.

"I feel like I've got a good seven or eight years at the top. When you look at the [Lionel] Messis, your [Cristiano] Ronaldos, your [Zlatan] Ibrahimovics – they are all kind of getting better as they reach their early 30s. I'm still 27 so I've still got hopefully a long way to go. So, I mean, yeah [the record is] definitely there.

"I'm still way off but you know I like to think consistently I've scored 20-plus goals in my injury-free seasons in the Premier League. So if I can do that for the next four or five years then I'll be there."

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Harry Maguire is likely to miss the Europa League final against Villarreal.

Maguire suffered ankle ligament damage in an awkward collision with Anwar El Ghazi during the 3-1 win over Aston Villa on May 9 and subsequently had to be withdrawn.

Solskjaer said earlier this week that Maguire was feeling optimistic about his chances of being fit for the match on May 26.

But Solskjaer has now said he does not expect the defender to recover in time.

"He's walking, but it's a long way from walking to running, so to be honest I don't think we'll see him in Gdansk," said the United boss.

"I'm going to give him until Tuesday night, the last training session, to see if he can be out there.

"Ligaments take time to heal."

His absence is an unusual situation for United and Maguire to find themselves in.

The centre-back had played in every minute of 71 consecutive league games for the Red Devils – and in his final five for Leicester City before moving two years ago – until that injury.

In fact, Maguire has played for 9,615 minutes in all competitions since the start of 2019-20. At the time of his injury, that was almost 1,000 more than any other player across the top five leagues.

Solskjaer added: "He's a very important person in the dressing room and a leader.

"Before the fans came in you all heard him from the stands. He wants the team to do well, he's organising from the stands, which has been easy because it's been so quiet.

"He'll be in the dressing room and make sure everyone's ready for the final."

If Maguire is indeed out, United are likely to line up with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly in the centre of defence, with the latter facing his former club.

Leicester City captain Wes Morgan has announced his retirement from football.

Morgan, who skippered Leicester to their astonishing maiden Premier League title in 2015-16, will hang up his boots after the Foxes' closing game of the season at home to Tottenham on Sunday.

Christian Fuchs, another of the heroes of Leicester's title win, will also leave the King Power Stadium when his contract expires next month.

"In terms of what Wes has given me since I’ve been here, it’s been immeasurable really," said manager Brendan Rodgers, who sent on Morgan to close out Leicester's FA Cup triumph last weekend.

"I always knew it was going to be important for my senior players and, in particular, my captain to be on side in terms of the vision of how we wanted to go forward.

"He's provided me with fantastic support. On the pitch, his career was obviously coming to an end, but he still played a very important role for me, even though he wasn't playing every single week. He has a warrior sprit."

The 37-year-old defender has played more than 750 games in his professional career, with 324 appearances - and 14 goals - coming in Leicester colours, but will forever be associated with one incredible campaign.

"This group came together to create something that I'm not sure will ever happen again, a team like Leicester, at that time, winning the Premier League against all odds," Morgan told Leicester's official website.

"It's something that doesn’t really happen but we made it happen. It was a very, very special moment for everybody involved.

"To win the Premier League, it was amazing and something you can never talk enough about."

Fuchs was an invaluable part of that triumph, having joined on a free transfer after a spell with Schalke, and went on to play 152 games for the club.

"I came to a club where you'd probably assume, for the next couple of years, you'll be fighting relegation, maybe eventually playing in mid-table if the team improved," he told lcfc.com.

"But it went completely upside down and I'm very, very happy with that choice to join Leicester City.

"It was very unexpected, but we've played at a very high level, always with the desire of the owners to improve the club, trying to get better every year we were working together.

"I'm looking back without any regrets, looking back very proud, and I have a big smile on my face. It has definitely been the best six years of my career."

Morgan and Fuchs then helped Leicester to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Rodgers' side can return to Europe's elite competition next season if they manage to better either Chelsea or Liverpool's results on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel's team are third, a point better off than Leicester in fifth, and travel to Aston Villa. Liverpool, who are fourth on goal difference, host Crystal Palace.

Joe Willock has a bright future at Arsenal on the back of prolific loan spell at Newcastle United, says Gunners boss Mikel Arteta.

Willock headed the only goal as Newcastle beat Sheffield United 1-0 in midweek, becoming the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive appearances.

Those exploits mean he is the joint-top scorer in the division since the return from the March international break, alongside Chris Wood, Mason Greenwood, Matheus Pereira and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Newcastle are reportedly looking to make the move permanent, with a £20million fee mooted, while Willock said after Wednesday's win: "Hopefully there's more to continue in the future.

"I'm not going to promise anything, but the conversation is going to be held."

But Arteta, asked whether the attacking midfielder had a future to look forward to at Emirates Stadium, told a news conference: "Yes, and I'm really happy that things have gone so well for him because of the potential that he has.

"It was great for him to go away and have a different experience. He has grabbed that opportunity in a really positive and remarkable way.

"He will be back with us, we will have those conversations with him and plan the next step then."

Arsenal conclude a fairly forgettable campaign at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, while the curtain on the Premier League career of one of the competition's all-time greats will come down elsewhere.

Arteta worked on the Manchester City coaching staff under Pep Guardiola for three-and-a-half seasons and paid a glowing tribute to Sergio Aguero, who is set to play his final league match as the division's all-time leading goalscorer from oversees when Everton visit the Etihad Stadium.

"I know from working with him – his character, his personality, he is a lovely man," he said.

"One of the best talents that I've seen, what he has done in this league for so long, scoring the amount of goals he has done.

"He changed the perception of English football in different countries.

"For Manchester City, I think again he was a big contributor to the change in history and mentality in the winning years that they had."

Gianluigi Donnarumma's future is dominating headlines.

Milan want to re-sign the Italy international but time is running out.

A blockbuster move to LaLiga could be on the horizon…

 

TOP STORY – DONNARUMMA TO SPAIN?

Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has been offered to Barcelona by his agent Mino Raiola, according to Diario AS.

Donnarumma is out of contract at the end of the season and the Italy international is yet to re-sign with Milan.

He has been linked with Serie A rivals Juventus, Barca, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Donnarumma's arrival could force Barca to sell star number one Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

 

ROUND-UP

- Diario AS claims Kylian Mbappe's proposed transfer to Real Madrid does not hinge on head coach Zinedine Zidane, who could leave at the end of the season. Former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri and Madrid great Raul have emerged as the frontrunners should Zidane leave, but it will not impact Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe's future. Madrid have also been linked with Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland and Tottenham's Harry Kane.

Sergio Aguero is set to accept a contract offer from Barca until June 2023, reports Fabrizio Romano. Aguero is poised to become a free agent once his deal with Manchester City expires. Lyon captain Memphis Depay is also on the verge of moving to Camp Nou on a free transfer.

- Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul, Atalanta's Josip Ilicic and Roma attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan are potential replacements for Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu, according to Tuttosport. Calhanoglu's contract is expiring at San Siro amid links with Juve, United and clubs in Qatar.

Monza are eyeing Juventus great Gianluigi Buffon, says Gazzetta dello Sport. Monza – owned by former Milan president Silvio Berlusconi – are currently in Serie B and missed out on promotion via the playoffs. Monza also boast Mario Balotelli and Kevin-Prince Boateng. Buffon has already revealed he will leave Juve at the end of the season.

It all comes down to this.

Whether you're flying high at the top of your local leagues, battling for the top 100 nationally or just desperate not to lose face with friends, matchday 38 of the Premier League is a decisive moment for fantasy football players the world over.

Amid last-minute transfers, wildcards and triple-captaincies, it can be difficult to find true value in selections that could give you the edge over your rivals.

That's where we come in.

Using Opta data, we have compiled a final selection of seven recommended players to draft in for this most dramatic of weekends...

 

MARTIN DUBRAVKA

If you were considering a Newcastle United goalkeeper but just didn't have the guts previously, now is the time to be bold.

Martin Dubravka kept his first clean sheet of the season last time out as the Magpies beat Sheffield United 1-0.

Next up, they face another relegated side in Fulham, who have scored a league-low nine goals at home in the whole of 2020-21 – and only one since February.

 

AARON CRESSWELL

West Ham's unlikely quest for Europe looks set to end in success, and Aaron Cresswell has played no small part.

The full-back has recorded eight assists this season, the most of any defender in the division. The last time a West Ham player assisted more was when Dimitri Payet set up 12 goals in 2015-16.

The Hammers conclude their campaign at home to Southampton, who haven't beaten David Moyes' side in their most recent six attempts.

STUART DALLAS

Only Patrick Bamford (16) has scored more league goals for Leeds United this season than Stuart Dallas (eight).

On Sunday, Marcelo Bielsa's men host West Brom, who have the leakiest defence in the whole of the division, conceding 73 times in 37 matches.

Leeds are also unbeaten in four against the Baggies, winning three of those games by 10-0 on aggregate, while they have not lost a league game at home to this weekend's visitors since January 2007.

JESSE LINGARD

Part of the reason Jesse Lingard found getting regular football tricky at Manchester United was the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, so it's fitting he should be chasing a record held by the Portugal star.

Last season, Fernandes set a Premier League best by registering 15 goal involvements (eight scored, seven assisted) despite not appearing in the competition until as late as February.

Lingard, who made his Hammers debut on February 3, has recorded nine goals and four assists for Moyes' men, a tally bettered only by Kelechi Iheanacho (12 goals, two assists) over the same time frame. Two more direct goal involvements against Southampton would see Lingard match Fernandes' exploits in 2020.

 

JOE WILLOCK

With his midweek winner for Newcastle against Sheffield United, Joe Willock became the youngest player to score in six consecutive Premier League appearances.

Remarkably, the Arsenal loanee – who is being tipped for a permanent move to the Magpies – has the best minutes-per-goal rate (127) of any Newcastle player in the league this season with at least three goals.

Should he net against Fulham, Willock will become only the second player for the club to score in seven Premier League games in a row, after Alan Shearer in 1996.

HARRY KANE

Whether he stays at Tottenham or not, Harry Kane will be eager to get on the scoresheet at Leicester and boost his chances of claiming the Golden Boot.

His record against the Foxes is promising. Kane has managed 14 goals in 11 Premier League meetings with the team now bossed by Brendan Rodgers, more than he has scored against any other opposition. Those goals have come at an average of one every 65 minutes.

He has hit seven of those at the King Power Stadium, including four in one game in May 2017.

 

CHRISTIAN BENTEKE

Could Liverpool's top-four hopes be dashed by a former Reds player?

Christian Benteke has scored 10 league goals this term, his first double-figure return since he got 15 in 2016-17.

That season's haul included a double away to Liverpool in April and, throughout his career, Benteke has enjoyed facing his old employers: only Andy Cole (eight) has scored more Premier League goals as a visiting player at Anfield than Benteke (five in four games).

Manchester City great Francis Lee said a move for Harry Kane would be "very difficult" as he questioned whether the England captain would be a long-term option.

Kane has given his strongest indication yet that he wants to leave Tottenham at the end of the season, stating his desire to play for a trophy-winning side.

Premier League champions City would fit that bill, while Kane has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea and neighbours Manchester United.

Kane, who will turn 28 in July, is level with Mohamed Salah at the top of the Premier League scoring charts heading into the final weekend of the season.

That suggests he remains in the very top bracket of Europe's top strikers, but Lee needs convincing that Kane would be capable of being a force for City for longer than a handful of seasons.

"There's three or four players who would suit us down to the ground and another three or four others who could slot into the team and probably be a sensation as well," Lee told Stats Perform.

He pointed to reports linking 20-year-old Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland and Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish with City, before adding Kane's name to the list of possible candidates for a close-season move.

"It'd be very difficult for Harry Kane to move to Manchester City because it would be big money for ... not a short period but maybe two or three years, something like that," Lee said.

Lee, who starred as a City forward from 1967 to 1974 and had a spell as the club's chairman from 1994 to 1998, knows there are plenty of prolific strikers who could potentially step into the City squad and replace Sergio Aguero, the record scorer who will leave on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.

Whether they are the right age and have the right qualities is a question for City manager Pep Guardiola, with Lee suggesting Romelu Lukaku, the 28-year-old former Manchester United and Everton forward, now at Inter, may have what it takes.

"There's a lot of players, there's quite a few players who would fit the bill," Lee said.

"Lukaku would fit the bill. But he didn't fit the bill when he played in the Premier League before. With Pep, a lot of it is attitude. If your attitude is right, and your training is right, and your fitness is right, everything is going on within the Pep plan, you get there."

Since Kane became a Tottenham regular in the 2014-15 season, he has scored 162 goals in 230 Premier League games, with Aguero managing 130 in 187 appearances over the same period.

Kane has managed a marginally better conversion rate when presented with what Opta defines as 'big chances', scoring from 54.77 per cent of such openings, compared to 51.48 per cent by Argentine frontman Aguero.

Aguero's minutes-per-goal record is better though, with one every 105.78 minutes to Kane's one every 120.83 minutes.

But ostensibly, they are well matched, in both being highly prolific. Their total shot conversion rate over the last seven league seasons is almost identical, with Kane netting 18.39 per cent of his efforts on goal and Aguero sticking away 18.34 per cent of his attempts.

That suggests it would be a near like-for-like replacement operation if Kane – five years younger than Aguero – came in from Spurs.

Lee is certain that City must replace Aguero. Although they have had success without him in their starting XI lately, and when deploying a 'false nine' system, Lee, 77, has no doubt Guardiola has to bring in a recognised goal-getter.

Lee said: "I think with the retirement of Sergio, that we definitely need one big striker. I'm not talking in size, I'm talking in reputation and ability. But who could it be? Because if you can't play in this team, you can't play in any team."

Fernando Santos is confident Diogo Jota will be fully fit for Portugal's Euro 2020 campaign, despite the Liverpool forward's troublesome foot problem.

Jota sustained the injury in last week's 4-2 win over Manchester United  at Old Trafford – a game in which he scored – and has missed the Reds' subsequent two games.

However, Klopp revealed on Tuesday that the 24-year-old has a small chance of returning for Liverpool's final match of the season at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

After naming him in Portugal's 26-man squad on Thursday for next month's rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament, Santos confirmed Jota is on course for a swift return to action.

"The information I have is that he is clinically fit and that on the 27th he will start training with his colleagues," Santos said at a news conference on Thursday.

"Those in charge of the clinical department got in touch with me after seeing his tests. I wanted to make sure every player was analysed. That's something I had to weigh up.

"I fully believe in the reports the health and performance department have showed me."

Jota made an excellent start to his Liverpool career following a reported £45million move from Wolves, but he has struggled with injuries in the second half of the campaign.

A knee problem sustained in December kept him sidelined for nearly three months, though his value to the Reds when available is clear.

He has nine goals for the Merseyside outfit in 18 Premier League appearances, 12 of which have been starts, outperforming an xG of 6.4 from 46 shots.

That cutting edge could come in handy for Portugal if they are to match their achievement of five years ago and retain their European Championship crown.

The big surprise in the Selecao's squad is the inclusion of Pedro Goncalves, who has yet to be capped at senior international level.

The 22-year-old scored 23 goals in 32 Primeira Liga appearances for Sporting CP this term to finish top of the scoring charts en route to ending his side's 19-year wait for top-flight glory.

"I may not have seen him in the national team, but I have all the necessary information on him," Santos said when asked to explain his decision.

"I have taken into account everything he has done this season. He is here because of the obvious quality he has.

"He's someone we considered when he was at Famalicao and we continued to watch him at Sporting. I went to the stadium to observe and he was close to being called up before.

"One of the criteria to consider was, beyond quality and tactical knowhow, picking players who can provide different characteristics.

"It took me hours to make the final call with regards to the squad. Yesterday I still had 30 players. It's about finding the right qualities and assembling the puzzle."

Portugal are among the favourites to go all the way in this year's rescheduled tournament, which has been delayed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A number of familiar faces are included in the squad, including the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix.

Ronaldo will be 37 by the time next year's World Cup comes around, but Santos is adamant Euro 2020 will not be the last tournament to feature the Juventus forward.

"It is always very difficult to think like that with him," Santos said. "He is a machine. He takes great care of himself.

"Cristiano, the way he takes care of himself and treats himself, we can never say no. There are many factors and it will depend a lot on his motivation.

"I believe he will be at the next World Cup. As for the next Euros, I think it depends a lot on how he will be prepared psychologically and physically."

Portugal begin their title defence against Hungary in Budapest on June 15, before facing Germany in Munich four days later.

Santos' side round off their Group F campaign against fellow heavyweights France on June 23.

Portugal Euro 2020 squad:

Rui Patricio (Wolves), Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Rui Silva (Granada); Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Nelson Semedo (Wolves), Jose Fonte (Lille), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Pepe (Porto), Nuno Mendes (Sporting CP), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund); Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain), Joao Palhinha (Sporting CP), Ruben Neves (Wolves), Joao Moutinho (Wolves), Renato Sanches (Lille), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Sergio Oliveira (Porto), William Carvalho (Real Betis), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City); Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Diogo Jota (Liverpool), Rafa Silva (Benfica), Andre Silva (Eintracht Frankfurt), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), Pedro Goncalves (Sporting CP).

Liverpool have announced plans to create a new supporters board to give fan representation at executive levels of the club and put them "at the heart of its decision-making processes".

The plans, which will be formalised before next season, come in the wake of fan-led protests over Liverpool's involvement in the failed European Super League.

Reds owner John Henry signed the club up for the breakaway project last month before they backed out, with the American later issuing an apology where he acknowledged fans had been "let down".

Subsequent talks between Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan, the Spirit of Shankly (SOS) group and official supporters' trust members has seen the creation of a "new engagement model".

According to a club statement, this promises "deeper consultation with supporters on fan-facing strategic decisions".

The Reds said the consultation process will be enshrined in the club's Articles of Association and a legally binding memorandum of understanding between the club and the Official Liverpool Supporters Trust will be entered into.

"The supporters board will hold regular meetings with the club and the chair will be invited to attend LFC's main board meetings when fan-facing strategic matters arise," the statement posted on the club's website said. 

"The existing fan forums structure will remain in place but will be reshaped into three main working groups to cover ticketing, matchday experience and equality, diversity and inclusion.

"This will ensure operational issues and projects continue to be discussed by club officials and supporters. When appropriate, these matters will also be represented at the supporters board level."

Liverpool made the announcement on the same day they revealed their new kit for the 2021-22 season.

Hogan said: "The focus over the last few weeks of dialogue has been to find a long-term solution that is in the best interests of Liverpool and its supporters – one that we firmly believe is not only meaningful but also wholly in keeping with the values and aspirations of the club.

"While these changes are significant, it is important to stress that the current fan forums have also worked incredibly well since they were introduced four years ago and it is crucial that they continue in addition to the supporters board in order to give us a range of engagement options.

"There is still a lot to discuss with representatives of the Liverpool Supporters Trust in the weeks ahead but having these principles in place is a great step forward and we look forward to formalising the details of the structure."

Joe Blott, chair of SOS, added: "After discussions of the past weeks, we believe this is a unique deal and recommend its acceptance. 

"We see this as a chance to help shape the future of our club and put us at the forefront of changing football in general."

Chelsea and Leicester City have been charged by the Football Association (FA) following a scuffle between both sets of players during the closing stages of Tuesday's Premier League match.

Tempers flared in added time at Stamford Bridge after Ricardo Pereira caught former team-mate Ben Chilwell with a bad challenge near the touchline, sparking a melee that also involved some members of the coaching staff.

Three Leicester players – Ricardo, Nampalys Mendy and substitute Daniel Amartey – were booked by referee Mike Dean for their part in the incident, which came three days on from Leicester's 1-0 win against Chelsea in the FA Cup final.

Amartey was at the centre of controversy following that triumph at Wembley after footage emerged of the midfielder – again an unused substitute – throwing a Chelsea pennant to the ground.

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger admitted his side used that perceived act of disrespect as motivation in the midweek league encounter, the Blues coming out on top 2-1 to keep their top-four hopes in their own hands.

The fallout from that latest meeting now continues, with the FA charging both clubs with failing to control their players.

"Chelsea FC and Leicester City FC have both been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 following their Premier League fixture on Tuesday 18 May 2021," a statement from the FA read on Thursday.

"It is alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or club officials conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour during the 93rd minute. 

"Chelsea FC and Leicester City FC both have until Tuesday 25 May 2021 to provide their respective responses."

Chelsea are third in the Premier League heading into their final game of the season away at Aston Villa, one point better off than Liverpool in the final Champions League qualification spot.

Leicester are level on points with Liverpool but require a five-goal swing on the final day if they are to finish above the Reds.

Dennis Bergkamp has warned Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and a group of legendary former players "are here to stay" in their bid to buy the club.

Swedish billionaire Ek declared an interest in buying Arsenal, whom he has supported since he was eight, in the wake of the European Super League collapse last month.

The 38-year-old has the full backing of Gunners icons Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, but he revealed last week that his initial offer to purchase the club was rejected.

Ek is not giving up hope of persuading Kroenke to sell, however, and Bergkamp – echoing previous comments made by Henry – accepts it will be a long process.

"We can't force anyone to sell. I understand that," Bergkamp told Voetbal International. "In addition to that offer, Daniel has now reached out twice to Josh Kroenke and his bankers. 

"Whatever Kroenke's intentions are, it would be good if we at least have a conversation with each other, in the interest of the club. 

"Regardless, Daniel is not a quitter and neither are we football boys. We are here to stay. The crazy thing is that we cannot imagine how the current players feel. 

"We have always played for the championship ourselves. We know how the fans feel. We have already had a meeting with a supporter delegation. 

"We sense more and more enthusiasm on their side. That is very stimulating."

Since the Kroenkes secured majority ownership of Arsenal in April 2011, the club's only major trophy successes have been four FA Cup triumphs.

Their best league finish was second in 2015-16, but they have not placed in the top four since and could be without European football next season for the first time in 26 years.

With Arsenal fans expected to protest against the current regime ahead of Sunday's home match with Brighton and Hove Albion, Bergkamp can understand their frustration.

"I played an important part of my career at Arsenal and had a testimonial there," said the Dutchman, who won three Premier League titles with the Gunners, including the famous 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04.

"The club is in my heart. I have become a fan of players, just like Patrick and Thierry. I recognise the Arsenal from our own time less and less.

"The ambition to win top prizes is in Arsenal's DNA. Never accepting loss. That mentality has slowly disappeared. 

"I sense resignation about the current situation. That is serious. As if, given the financial situation, it is normal for Arsenal to end in the middle bracket. 

"That does not belong to this club. Arsenal's DNA must be restored."

Ek's personal fortunate is believed to be worth around £3.4billion, making a takeover viable should Kroenke be talked into walking away.

"Daniel has been an Arsenal fan all his life and has been worried about the downturn at the club for some time," Bergkamp said. "When the Super League dominated the news for days, Daniel just about exploded. 

"That was when he wanted to continue and contact us. During a Zoom meeting with Thierry, Patrick and I, he shared his concerns and plans with us. That made an impression from the first moment. 

"It immediately became clear to me how deep Daniel supports the club. I think that's important: Daniel doesn't see a takeover as buying a nice toy. On the contrary.

"He understands the passion of a football fan because he is one himself. He also wants to significantly increase the influence of the fans. Among other things by giving them a place in the club management. We think that is very important. 

"We want to get close to the supporters. Daniel likes transparency anyway. Just look at how he communicates about this, via Twitter, clear to everyone. 

"Another important point is that Daniel understands that Arsenal's problems cannot be solved just like that. Pumping in some extra money and firing the manager, for example, will not get you there. 

"Structural changes must take place. This is the backbone of Arsenal. This is a far-reaching, long-term project. 

"No matter how much money is involved in English football, Arsenal is and will remain a football club, which must also be managed as such, at all levels."

Tottenham star Harry Kane wants talks with chairman Daniel Levy after admitting he is considering his future with the club.

Reports emerged in England this week that Kane was considering a move away from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the club's deeply disappointing season.

Spurs are seventh in the Premier League after Wednesday's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa and could find themselves without European football next season should they lose to Leicester City on the final day.

Tottenham were Champions League finalists two years ago under Mauricio Pochettino but will spend another season out of the competition in 2021-22, while they again failed to win a trophy this term, losing the EFL Cup final to Manchester City in April.

Their poor performances have been in spite of Kane's best efforts. The England striker is joint-top of the league's golden boot standings with 22, level with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, and has provided a league-high 13 assists.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been credited with an interest in Kane and the 27-year-old has now confirmed he is questioning whether Spurs can match his ambitions.

After agreeing he had reached a "crossroads" in his career, Kane told former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville on The Overlap: "I think there's definitely a conversation to be had with the club. I want to be playing in the biggest games, biggest moments.

"This season, I'm watching the Champions League, the English teams in there doing amazing and they're the games I want to be involved in.

"It's a moment in my career where I have to reflect and see where I'm at and have a good, honest conversation with the chairman. I hope we can have that conversation.

"I'm sure he'll want to set out the plan of where he sees it but, ultimately, it's going to be down to me, how I feel and what's going to be the best for me in my career.

"He's always rewarded me with contracts. He's been fair with me, never just held me to a contract, so we've always had a good relationship.

"I don't know how that conversation is going to go, to be honest. He might want to sell me! He might be thinking, 'If I get 100million for you, why not?'. I'm not going to be worth that for the next two, three years.

"I've been there 16 years of my life, so I hope we can have a good, honest conversation."

Kane has lost three finals with Spurs, who were Premier League runners-up in 2016-17, but he has yet to win a trophy with the club he joined back in 2004.

While he admits "it's hard to hear" suggestions Spurs too often lose their nerve in big games, Kane does not wish to look back on a career of near misses.

"We've been so close and things could've been a lot different, but I understand we haven't got over the line as a club," he said. "We haven't won things, we haven't been dominant when you could say we've had the best team we've had for a very long time.

"For sure, you hear those comments and they eat at you a little bit inside. They almost get you going a little bit, trying to prove people wrong, and that's been my whole career in all aspects, really, getting called a one-season wonder and all stuff like that.

"When you hear stuff about your club, it's never easy. I know what it's like working day in, day out with the players, working hard in training, in the gym to try and win trophies. It hasn't happened but it doesn't mean we're not working as hard as everyone else.

"There have been some amazing moments, some amazing years for the club, so there are some positives there, but my profession is about winning. I want to win.

"I don't want to come to the end of my career and have regrets. I want to be the best I can be. I'd never say I'd stay at Spurs for the rest of my career; I'd never say I'd leave Spurs.

"People might look at it and say, 'He's desperate for trophies'. I still feel I've got almost another career to play. I'm not rushing anything; I'm not desperate to do anything.

"I feel like I can be even better, produce better numbers than I'm producing at the moment. I'm not afraid to say I want to be the best, to try to get on the level [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi got to. That's my aim: winning trophies, scoring 50, 60, 70 goals season in, season out. That's the standard I want to set myself."

Manchester City centre-back Ruben Dias has been named as the Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association (FWA).

Dias, signed from Benfica last year, pipped team-mate Kevin De Bruyne and Tottenham talisman Harry Kane to the award. He was one of nine players from Pep Guardiola's title-winning team to be included in the shortlist, with the City contingent accounting for over half of the votes cast.

The 24-year-old, who has marshalled a defence which has conceded just 32 goals in the Premier League this season, is the first defender to win the prize since Steve Nicol in 1989. 

He has also become only the third player to win the award in his first season in England, after Jurgen Klinsmann and Gianfranco Zola did so in 1995 and 1997 respectively.

In addition to being integral to a fifth Premier League title charge, Dias has helped City to an EFL Cup win – their fourth in a row – and reach their first Champions League final, which will be played against Chelsea in Porto on May 29.

FWA chair Carrie Brown said: "Ruben Dias turned heads soon after his arrival in Manchester, a 23-year-old belying his age with fortitude, steel, a relentless drive for perfection and an almost superhuman ability to read and anticipate phases of play.

"This, while commendable, would not alone qualify a player to win the FWA Footballer of the Year award. One of our founding members, Charles Buchan, prescribed the award to recognise and celebrate a player who 'by precept and example' is considered to be the footballer of the year.

"Pep Guardiola improves players, shapes them but at no point, has a new signing arrived into one of Pep's already trophy-laden teams and exerted such influence.

"Dias has demanded the highest standards which have resulted in the swiftest of upturns in fortune not solely for Dias himself, but team-mates to his left, right, front and centre.

"Perhaps, in this of all seasons, Dias is the leader we all need."

Dias has made 31 league appearances for City this season, helping Guardiola's men keep 14 clean sheets, ranking him behind only Aston Villa's Matt Targett (15) among Premier League defenders.

His tally of 88 clearances puts him top in terms of City defenders, while no team-mate at the back has made more headed clearances (47) than the Portugal international.

He ranks fourth among City defenders for tackles attempted (23), boasting an impressive success rate of 56.5 per cent, with a duel success rate of 59.3.

No City defender has contested more aerial duels (98), with Dias winning 61 of them. He has scored one league goal so far.

Dias will be able to play in front of his own club's fans for the first time on Sunday, when City welcome Everton to the Etihad Stadium.

Harry Kane looks set to be the centre of rumours and speculation this off-season after reportedly informing Tottenham he wants to leave the club.

The England international forward, who has scored 22 league goals this season, is contracted for another three years at Tottenham.

However Kane has not hidden his desire to win silverware, which has gone unfulfilled at Spurs.

 

TOP STORY – SKY BLUE PREFERENCE FOR KANE

Harry Kane has nominated Manchester City as his preferred destination and believes he has a verbal agreement with Tottenham to allow him to leave, claims The Times.

It is understood that Kane was convinced to remain with Spurs last year but as part of that he struck an agreement with chairman Daniel Levy to allow him to depart upon interest from City.

Kane will make renewed efforts to convince Levy and the Tottenham hierarchy to sell him this off-season. Spurs lost 2-1 to Aston Villa on Wednesday, and they may well miss out on Europe altogether.

ROUND-UP

- Manchester United are willing to offer up Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard as part of a move for Kane , claims Football Insider.

- The Red Devils are also ready to make a move for Southampton forward Danny Ings as they look to strength their front line reports The Telegraph.

- Another United target, Jadon Sancho , is being pursued by Chelsea , who have launched an £80m bid for the Borussia Dortmund talent according to The Sun.

- The list of suitors for United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is long according to Sky Sports, with Tottenham, Chelsea, Dortmund and Milan among those interested.

- Gazzetta dello Sport reports that veteran Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud could be set to link up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Milan .

- Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu has attracted interest from Qatari club Al Duhail according to Sky Sport Italia.

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