Malky Mackay will put Ross County’s crucial trip to Dundee United on Saturday in the context of a four-game relegation finale to the cinch Premiership campaign.

The Staggies much-needed 2-0 home win over Livingston last week tightened things at the bottom of the table.

County are still in the basement but only one point behind Kilmarnock and Dundee United, who lost 1-0 to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in their last outing, while Killie went down 2-0 at Motherwell.

With games against Motherwell, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock to follow the trip to Tayside, boss Mackay looked at the bigger picture.

He said: “You look at the league table and everything is closed up, which is important.

“We managed to win and the two teams above us didn’t so it brings us that little bit closer to each other which is something that gives confidence to the group.

“We have to make sure we keep focused on the game which is right on front of our face and make sure we approach every game in the same manner we did at the weekend.

“Obviously, everyone knows what’s to play for in the four games coming.

“We have to be balanced as far as that is concerned and just make sure we go down there and give our best version of ourselves on the day.

“I don’t think you can (distinguish between games against closest rivals and other two), if you do that then fail in the games against the other two, then all of a sudden you could be in a worse position.

“So I think you just go straight into the game against the team you are playing and try to do your best and see where it falls at the end of the day, just like Saturday. No doubts it will be a tough game.”

Jim Goodwin wants his Dundee United players to be inspired by the magnitude of the occasion when relegation rivals Ross County visit a packed Tannadice on Saturday.

A crowd of more than 10,000 is expected for a critical showdown between two sides separated by just a point at the foot of the cinch Premiership.

Adding to the “emotion” of the match will be the fact it falls on the weekend of the 40th anniversary of their only top-flight title win under Jim McLean in 1983.

“We’re all looking forward to a terrific game on Saturday in front of what is expected to be one of the biggest home attendances of the season,” said manager Goodwin.

“I think not only does it illustrate the magnitude of the game but it also illustrates the size of this club and how well-supported it is. That was one of the biggest factors in me wanting to come here, to be a part of a big club with a great history.

“It’s a very important weekend in the calendar, the 40th anniversary of when the old boys won the league so that kind of adds to the emotion of the day from the supporters.

“The players are aware of the significance of that albeit we are fighting for our lives whereas those guys 40 years ago were competing up the top end to go and win championships which is something we could only dream of at this moment in time!

“But it does give you an understanding of what kind of football club you are at.

“For those players, I think it’s a really good message to them to realise they are at one of the biggest clubs in the country that have a great history and probably adds to the importance of the game in terms of why we need to keep this team in the Premiership.”

United looked to have hauled themselves towards safety after a run of three wins in a row took them four points clear of County but their defeat at St Johnstone last weekend allowed Malky Mackay’s Staggies to close the gap to just a point. Kilmarnock are also level on points with United.

“We have to be realistic about the situation,” said Goodwin.

“We know we’re in a relegation dogfight. We know we’re up against some good, competitive teams in Kilmarnock and Ross County.

“There’s nobody here who had assumed Ross County were out of it (before last weekend). We have always tried to keep our feet on the ground and stay level-headed.

“Winning three games on the spin can bring confidence and belief but it was never a case of us thinking we had turned a corner and that we were all of a sudden going to pull ourselves away from the bottom.

“There’s certainly no hangover from last weekend though, the lads are still very much where they need to be psychologically.”

Stephen Robinson is honoured to be nominated for the PFA Scotland manager of the year award but the St Mirren boss is determined the whole club get the main prize of the season by qualifying for Europe.

Robinson has led the Buddies to their first cinch Premiership top-six finish since the split was introduced towards the end of last century and his side are in the hunt for their first foray into Europe for 35 years.

The former Oldham, Motherwell and Morecambe manager said: “It’s an honour. It’s justified not for me but for the club, the board, the staff at the ground and the training ground and the players. They deserve the recognition.

“It’s recognition for everybody on what we have achieved this season. I’m at the head of it so you get the praise for it but ultimately the players have been exceptional.

“It’s the first time in a long, long time that St Mirren have been in the top six, still battling for a place in Europe.

“It’s credit to everyone that we have come through really difficult times which has culminated in a top-six finish and hopefully more.

“We are 1-0 down in the race for Europe and we have to play like that.”

Robinson’s side lost 2-1 to Hibernian in their first post-split fixture after making a poor start at Easter Road and he is trying to ensure they display the fighting mentality they showed after the break when they host Hearts on Saturday.

“I usually play everything down, so it is a must-win,” he said.

“We were 2-0 down at half-time and then we played absolutely brilliant. We played with no fear, we didn’t over-think things, and that’s the way we have to play for 96-97 minutes on Saturday.

“We have to play as if we are 1-0 down. We have to play without fear, be the attacking team, as attacking as we can do with our injury situation with strikers.

“We have absolutely nothing to lose. There was no expectation for us to get this far and I have told the boys we have got our praise for top six now, so we have enjoyed that, let’s go and get more praise and get the recognition the players deserve for trying to get into Europe – 100 per cent it’s a must-win.”

Robinson’s nomination continues the positive press St Mirren have been getting and the Northern Irishman was disappointed to see negative headlines in recent days.

Former St Mirren director Alan Wardrop, who was a key member of fan ownership group SMISA, has been banned from the ground after raising concerns in the media over part-owner Kibble’s actions over a previous attempt to raise funds to build a wellbeing centre in Paisley.

St Mirren last week stated that there had been no plans to build the centre on land owned by the club and charity Kibble stated that confusion had arisen because of an error from the council in relation to a map of the land.

Robinson was disappointed to see Wardrop raise concerns publicly.

“I am right in amongst this football club and I know exactly what happens,” he said. “I work closely with Jim Gillespie who is part of the Kibble ownership and I work closely with SMISA and I have had nothing but support and direction. Everybody is puling in the same direction at this football club.

“It’s unnecessary in probably the biggest week in the club’s history for 30-40 years, really unnecessary negativity that we don’t need and players that we are trying to sign don’t need to read about.

“We are not having any of that. As a football staff we are not having any of that. We are a positive group of people.”

There was further positive news for Robinson after 21-year-old Lewis Jamieson signed a one-year contract.

Robinson said: “Lewis came back from Airdrie, he had lost his way a little bit in terms of fitness levels and application, and what a turnaround.

“He reminds me a little bit of Ethan (Erhahon). When I came in he looked a little bit lost but his work ethic and quality is there for everyone to see.”

Ryan Mason believes Harry Kane is right to highlight Tottenham’s lost values in recent seasons.

Spurs travel to eighth-placed Aston Villa on Saturday knowing victory will virtually secure them a place in the Europa Conference League next season with hopes of a top-four finish long gone.

It is a far cry from Tottenham’s best years under Mauricio Pochettino when they were regularly in the Champions League and one of the best clubs in the country.

Kane has taken part in various interviews during the past week where he has spoken about the club losing the values they had under Pochettino and how he is determined to restore a strong culture and environment despite uncertainty over his future with only one year left on his contract.

“Yep, absolutely I am fully with him on that 100 per cent,” Spurs’ acting head coach Mason responded when quizzed on Kane’s comments.

“We can talk a lot about players but I think the environment, culture, it’s everyone, everything, the small details. We have to have many people driving that, not just one or two people. It has to be driven from within.

“I agree with him because I was part of probably the change in setting new standards and a new culture within this place.

“You can spend years trying to build something but at the same time it doesn’t take long to lose it.

“Thankfully for us we still have many, many good people within these walls who know and feel what good looks like and probably more importantly want that as well. It is something we absolutely strive for.

“It is important, it’s vital and it’s crucial that everyone who comes in here is pulling in the same direction and want the same things. I think that goes for every single football club as well.

“We need that. Every club needs that, we need that. I agree with him.

“I am happy that he has said it because he is one of the people I want to drive it because he is important to us, in terms of his stature at this football but also his understanding that there’s many people that can contribute as well.”

With speculation rife over Kane’s future, fans have taken comfort in his recent comments seemingly suggesting he would be at Tottenham next season.

Last month, chairman Daniel Levy revealed his hope for Kane to have a statue outside the stadium one day, but Mason admitted it was premature for now.

“I think that is probably a question to answer when he is not playing here because then you can recognise and appreciate the work he has done,” Mason admitted.

“Right now it is probably a bit premature because the reality is, Harry is still a Tottenham player and we are still focused on him achieving more great things for this football club. Hopefully he can do that.

“Our focus is on Harry until the end of the season – like it is for every player – and then we realise at the end of the season there are some decisions to make for different people and players.”

Meanwhile, Mason called for punishment to be handed out to the spectator at last weekend’s home match against Crystal Palace who allegedly racially abused Son Heung-min.

He added: “If there is anyone stepping out of line, they need to be punished.”

Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson aims to emulate his mother and play for Scotland.

The 18-year-old this week signed a new contract at Rugby Park after breaking into the first team in recent months.

Watson’s mother, Claire Houston, played for Scotland before he was born and was present when he made his league debut at Ibrox in March.

“It was quite scary to be fair because there were 50,000 people there watching,” he said. “You don’t really know what’s going on.

“You don’t play in front of crowds at reserve-level football so it’s a wee bit daunting to walk out in front of fans.

“Once you get settled and get a few touches of the ball you realise it’s not as bad and it’s good after that.

“My mum, my dad and wee brother were there. It was good to look up and see them in the stand.

“My mum played with Scotland so it’s something that runs in the family and I hope to play for Scotland as well one day and be like her.

“I think my mum was crying when I went on. It was a proud moment. It’s good to make my family proud and hopefully I can keep on making them proud.”

Watson’s new deal runs to 2025 but he is planning on staying at Rugby Park a lot longer.

“I have been here since I was seven and it’s been brilliant so I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else,” the Prestwick teenager said.

“I am happy where I am. I am getting first-team football which I have always wanted here.

“The gaffer has put trust in me to play and I want to stay here as long as I can.

“I look at other players like Rory McKenzie, he is similar to me and he has made 300 appearances so I would look up to someone like him.”

Watson made two appearances in the League Cup at the start of the season and has now played nine first-team games.

“It’s been a good step up, I have been enjoying it, I think I have taken the challenge on quite well,” he said.

“Obviously the gaffer believing in me and putting the trust in me to put me in takes a lot. That has given me a lot of confidence and belief.”

Watson has kept his feet on the ground during his recent rapid rise.

“I don’t really pay attention to social media,” he said. “I have had feedback just from walking by fans so that’s good.

“It’s a really weird feeling (getting recognised) but it’s something that comes with football so you need to get used to it.”

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will meet Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil for the first time at Selhurst Park on Saturday – but revealed the two nearly crossed paths years ago at Craven Cottage.

O’Neil, 39, played for nine different clubs during his senior career and hung up his boots in 2019 before joining Liverpool as under-23 assistant manager the following year.

Hodgson, 75, recalled being so impressed by O’Neil that at one point the midfielder was seen as a potential Fulham target.

“I have a lot of respect for him, I don’t know him,” said Hodgson, who managed the Cottagers from 2007-2010.

“I remember him well as a player, and he was even on our radar several times at Fulham as a potential signing, so I should be pleased to meet him for the first time on Saturday.”

Hodgson’s 12th-placed side are now mathematically safe and will be playing Premier League football again next season, while O’Neil’s Cherries are a point away from doing the same.

In a season marked by the most manager sackings in top-flight history alongside one of the most unpredictable relegation battles in recent memory, O’Neil’s campaign feels like an anomaly.

Initially hired on an interim basis following the departure of Scott Parker – who previously expressed a lack of faith in Bournemouth’s Premier League calibre – O’Neil was handed the permanent position after a impressive 11 game-run that saw his side go unbeaten in his first six.

Like Palace, Bournemouth found themselves embedded in the relegation conversation earlier this year, but unlike ex-Eagles boss Patrick Vieira – and multiple other managers now looking for work – O’Neil was able to sustain his employers’ confidence.

The first-time Premier League boss, who was born in the same neighbourhood where Palace train, rewarded that faith by steering the Cherries out of the drop zone and into 14th, nine points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining.

That leaves them just one point behind Hodgson’s Eagles heading into Saturday’s contest, sparking calls from some corners for manager of the season consideration.

Hodgson said: “It’s a fantastic achievement. There’s no question about it. I think everyone in football recognises the difficulty of the task that Gary’s had and really appreciates and respects the enormous job he’s done in confronting that task.

“I’m certain that the people of Bournemouth Football Club must be absolutely delighted with him. He seems to have got a good relationship with the players on the field, they’re definitely doing what he is asking of them.”

Harry Paton hopes to extend his stay with Motherwell after expressing his gratitude to manager Stuart Kettlewell for ending his football exile.

Paton left Ross County at the end of last season after being charged over allegations of domestic abuse which he labelled “false” and which were dropped earlier this year.

While the charges were hanging over him, Paton returned to his home in Canada, initially training with his brothers, including former Staggies team-mate Ben, but then began a period of isolation where he had to keep his fitness up on his own.

That ended when he joined Motherwell on April 1 after former County manager Kettlewell got in touch. The former Canada youth international made his debut on the same day and has now played five times.

“I just wanted to get home, get my head down and have a relax after I left Ross County,” the 24-year-old said.

“Being with my brothers back home in Canada they helped me train for a while, then it was probably every day training on my own.

“I look after myself off the field as you need to do, I am trying to keep my career going as long as I can.

“I just looked after myself, fitness in the gym and training as much as I could until the opportunity came to get back playing.

“It wasn’t a tough time at all. I wanted to get back to my family and settle down and when the time was right and my head was right I wanted to get back playing and the manager contacted me and wanted me in straight away and I was really grateful for that.

“It was great to hear him call me and we had a good chat on the phone and I came in the next couple of days, it was really quick. I was in Canada at that point.”

The former Fulham and Hearts youth player added: “It is great working with him. He was the one who brought me into Ross County and I worked with him for a couple of years.

“He puts a lot of demands on you, he knows what I can bring to the table. He knows there is more to come from me. I will keep pushing and hopefully I will get a good run in the team.

“I know how he has worked before and I think that has helped me be comfortable in coming here.

“I am just enjoying it. It’s my job and I love what I do. I just want to keep doing it. I needed that time to reset and I am back here now and enjoying it.”

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s cinch Premiership meeting with St Johnstone, Paton added: “It’s been great, everyone has been really welcoming, staff and players have been great.

“I have hit the ground running, got some good minutes and I just want to put my head down and keep working hard.

“I would love to hopefully extend my stay here. I think the time will come when we can hopefully have those conversations at a later day and I will see what happens.”

Toby Sibbick is looking forward to Hearts’ cinch Premiership trip to St Mirren on Saturday with more positivity than he felt the last time they faced the Buddies.

The 2-0 defeat at Tynecastle by Stephen Robinson’s side in April saw the Jambos leapfrogged by Aberdeen having sat third in the table since the start of 2023 and the loss signalled the end for head coach Robbie Neilson, who was replaced by Steven Naismith on an interim basis.

After a derby defeat by Hibernian, the Tynecastle side beat Ross County 6-1 before losing 2-0 to Celtic last week after going down to 10 men just before the break when Alex Cochrane saw red.

With four fixtures remaining, Hearts are in fourth place in the table – five points behind Aberdeen, one ahead of Hibernian and two ahead of St Mirren – but Gorgie defender Sibbick revealed the negativity of last month had gone.

He said: “I think over the last few weeks, we are a completely different team compared to last month.

“Around the place everyone is more uplifted and positive. Obviously when things are tough, everyone can be a bit negative and stuff like that but since Naisy has come in, he only wants positivity.

“He has been encouraging us, having individual meetings with players, trying to get to know us a bit more. I think that has helped us a lot.

“We had a chat and he told me he could be a moaner from his time as a player but he doesn’t do it to get on to people, he does it because he wants the best for them.

“Sometimes you can’t hear him but sometimes you can’t miss it.

“It is good. He is always demanding more from us. Even when we were beating Ross County 6-0, he demanded more.

“Training has been getting better every day and you can really see it as well in our performances.

“We do have the quality so now it is just about us bringing it out and showing everyone that we do have it.”

The 23-year-old former Wimbledon and Barnsley defender admits Neilson’s last game in charge was a low point.

He said: “After that game, the boys were talking in the dressing room about how in football, nothing is ever perfect.

“You do go through those spells when you lose games and nothing is really going your way.

“We had a chat and we knew that ultimately it is down to us.

“The manager can set you up but the players have to go out there and deliver and we hadn’t been delivering and unfortunately it cost him his job.

“But now we have Naisy in and it is time for us to put things right.

“He wants us to be on the front foot. I think that’s when we play our best football, on the front foot and playing in the oppositions’ half.

“You’ve seen over the last couple of games, that is what we have been trying to do.

“Although we had 10 men for the majority of the game against Celtic, that’s what we were trying to do and we can take confidence from that and push forward for the last four games.”

Roberto De Zerbi insists injury-hit Brighton have nothing to lose as their quest to reach Europe draws to a climax.

Seventh-placed Albion travel to title challengers Arsenal on Sunday – the first of five Premier League fixtures in just 15 days.

Seagulls head coach De Zerbi, who is juggling a series of fitness issues after Solly March and Adam Webster were ruled out, described the hectic fixture list as “impossible”.

Yet the Italian says the prospect of the south-coast club securing continental qualification was regarded in similar terms not so long ago and believes the only genuine failure would be to not set challenging objectives.

“We don’t feel the pressure because we fixed our target higher than normal situations,” he said.

“Before I started to work here, the target was 10th place and after two months I fixed the target in Champions League, Europa League and I am not afraid if we don’t achieve our target.

“You lose when you don’t fight, when you don’t compete, when you don’t try and you don’t fix the target higher.

“If we don’t achieve our target, we will lose nothing in my head.

“If I don’t achieve my target, you will say: ‘Roberto, you lose your target’. But I have a different vision, I have different opinion about this.

“To play five games in 15 days will be impossible, I think. But impossible was to achieve Europa League three or four months ago.”

March and Webster have joined Tariq Lamptey, Adam Lallana, Jakub Moder and Jeremy Sarmiento on the sidelines ahead of the visit to Emirates Stadium, while Joel Veltman is a doubt.

Winger March sustained a hamstring issue in Monday’s 5-1 Amex Stadium thrashing by Everton and may miss the remainder of the season, while defender Webster has an unspecified problem.

De Zerbi, whose side begin the weekend on 55 points, will not “cry” about the enforced selection problems.

“We are not in such a good condition but tomorrow we organise the squad,” he said.

“We have Solly March, Webster not available to play. I hope he (March) can play the last two games (of the campaign) but it’s difficult.

“For the last five games, we will have not so many players and we have to organise step by step, game by game to be ready in every game.

“I don’t cry when there are some players not available to play. We will be 14, 15 and we will be with enough.”

Brighton are likely to be reunited with former star Leandro Trossard in north London.

De Zerbi, who criticised the Belgium international’s attitude before his January transfer, says his focus is on players still at his disposal.

“Trossard is a fantastic player,” he said. “He was a fantastic player when he played for us and he’s still a fantastic player.

“Now we have other players. I’m proud for my players, I’m proud for my squad and I don’t want to speak about other players in other teams.”

Thomas Frank has labelled David Raya a “£40million-plus” goalkeeper and admitted he could leave at the end of the season as Brentford face summer struggle to keep key players.

Raya has turned down opportunities to extend his stay at the Gtech Community Stadium, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season.

And Frank talked up the Brentford number one alongside their top scorer Ivan Toney amidst heavy speculation surrounding both players’ futures.

“There is no doubt that David (Raya) is a case where there is one year left and we will see what will happen. We’re very happy with David here,” Frank said.

“Everyone knows he is a £40m-plus goalkeeper if anyone is interested and we are prepared just like in any position.

“There is a possibility he’ll leave this summer maybe, for the right price, and if that happens then of course we need to be prepared.”

Toney’s 20 goals in the Premier League so far is an improvement on the 12 he got in the previous campaign as Frank lauded the striker’s career path and ability which landed him a 2020 move from Peterborough.

“I love Ivan and I think it’s fantastic what he has achieved here and there’s more to achieve here for him. I’m really really happy he’s a Brentford player,” the Bees boss added.

“He did well in League One, then he did well in the Championship and got promoted, he got 12 Premier League goals last year, now he’s on 20, hopefully getting even more, what is the limit? I think he has good potential.

“I know he’s not 22 (Toney) but look at some of the best strikers in the world, (Robert) Lewandowski, (Karim) Benzema, they seem like fine wines getting better, they know how to be in good positions. I think Ivan will only get better and better.”

Sunday’s opponents West Ham have one foot in the Europa Conference League final after Thursday’s 2-1 semi-final first leg win over AZ Alkmaar but have had a turbulent season in the Premier League.

The Irons, in 15th, have avoided being pulled into any late relegation drama as they sit seven points clear of 18th-placed Leicester.

Frank defended David Moyes despite the Irons manager facing heavy criticism for his side’s sub-par performances throughout the campaign.

“I think they are solid defensively, I think they are very good on the counter, they have some very good offensive players in (Jarrod) Bowen, (Said) Benrahma, (Michail) Antonio or (Danny) Ings if he plays,” he mentioned.

“I’m really impressed with David Moyes’ career and what he’s achieved.”

Frank Lampard said pride will motivate his side in the season’s final weeks rather than the impact Chelsea could have on the fates of other teams.

The Blues are adrift in 11th but could yet have a say in the race for the title, the Champions League and the struggle to avoid relegation with games to come against three of the Premier League’s top four after they face 16th-place Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Victory over Steve Cooper’s Forest at Stamford Bridge would open the door for Lampard’s former club Everton to make headway in their bid to avoid the drop, with three points the difference in a tense four-way fight to stay up.

With Southampton adrift at the bottom, Leeds and Leicester occupy the last two relegation places with Everton and Forest two and three points ahead respectively.

“We play for pride in every game no matter what the consequence for everybody else,” said Lampard, who  was sacked by Everton in January after a year in charge with the team second-bottom of the table. “It’s our consequence that we’re concerned about.

“Everton’s fate is in their own hands at this point, it’s not in my concern. I lived that life last year, I have a lot of connection to the club, the year I had there was a really enjoyable time for me.

“I support them from afar. It’s not my concern as Chelsea manager. I hope they get the job done because I know what that feeling is.”

After Forest, Chelsea will round off what has been a miserable campaign with games against title-chasing Manchester City at the Etihad and a trip to Old Trafford to face Champions League hopefuls Manchester United, with both opponents in desperate need of wins.

They face Newcastle at home on the final day but Eddie Howe’s team will hope to have already secured their place in the top four by then.

They will be looking to end the season on a relative high after ending a run of six straight defeats under Lampard with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth last Saturday.

The manager was asked whether the mood around Cobham had been transformed by the team’s first win since 11 March when Graham Potter was still in charge.

“In football it can be that simple but you can’t get carried away over a win,” said Lampard. “I could look at defeat and see positives, I could look at a win and see a lot we need to improve. It’s nice for that general feeling of confidence in the building, but in terms of where we want to be it’s a small step.

“Celebrating all week is not going to be the answer. Another game comes in the Premier League with a team fighting for their Premier League lives, we have to match that intensity and desire because those are the rules in the Premier League.”

The Blues will be without Reece James and Mason Mount who are both out for the season, whilst Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly are unlikely to play before the final game. Wesley Fofana is back in training and is available for Forest.

The Bournemouth win ended a wretched run that had seen the team score only four times in nine games on their winless run.

“It’s hard to directly compare performances,” said Lampard. “When you take chances, you can win games and a lot of other stuff can be glossed over for good or for bad. We’ve scored from a set piece, we’ve not done that enough this season. We were clinical in the third goal which kills the game. We’ve had opportunities this season to be clinical.

“We’ve had opportunities to be clinical at that end of the pitch, and if you can’t do that it’s hard to get into the top half. You can’t conjure that in a short period, it had to be developed, worked on, recruited.

“But we were more clinical, I thought the performance was good. It’s not a question of taking us to where we want to be in this period, because the time isn’t there.”

Pep Guardiola admits the Eurovision Song Contest has given him a headache as he looks to keep Manchester City’s treble bid on track.

The Premier League leaders face a crucial trip to relegation-threatened Everton on Sunday, three days before they host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final.

City boss Guardiola would have preferred the Goodison Park clash to be played on Saturday but, with Eurovision taking place in Liverpool city centre that day, that could not be sanctioned for security reasons.

That means Real, who are out of contention for the LaLiga title and are in action on Saturday against Getafe, will have a day’s rest more than City heading into Wednesday’s encounter.

Guardiola said at a press conference: “My thought is just Everton, no more than that.

“Eleven months working for the Premier League, I don’t want to be distracted for Madrid because I won’t have time.

“Well, not much, because we play Sunday – thank you so much. I don’t understand it, but I don’t want to fight for that any more.

“We have to adapt to it. It doesn’t matter, I don’t fight any more the schedules.

“In the end we can’t play Saturday because of Eurovision or something like that in Liverpool and we don’t have enough bodies to handle two important events sometimes.

“OK, you have to adapt. What can I do? We’d prefer to play Saturday to be able to prepare but it is what it is.

“I’m pretty sure the Premier League want to help the teams. I don’t think they make it uncomfortable.”

Unlike Real, City will not want to ease up over the weekend as they look to keep Arsenal at bay in the title race.

City go into the weekend fixtures with a clear advantage, leading the Gunners by a point with a game in hand.

They could face a tough challenge against an Everton side fighting for survival and who claimed a significant victory by thrashing European hopefuls Brighton 5-1 in their last outing.

Real defender Dani Carvajal has suggested the intensity of City’s fixtures could benefit the Spanish side – who drew 1-1 with City in Tuesday’s first leg – but Guardiola is confident his players can stand up to the challenge.

He said: “Every player is ready to play and give his own absolute contribution.

“I thought a lot about a substitution in the Bernabeu. I decided on players on the bench that are so dynamic – Phil (Foden), Julian (Alvarez), Riyad (Mahrez).

“But in the moment we didn’t need that, we didn’t need a player to increase our rhythm.

“But everybody will be so important, we have a lot of games and everyone is ready.”

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to put talks of their future on the back-burner and focus on their Premier League title charge.

The Gunners head into the weekend a point behind leaders Manchester City having played a game more and with Europe-chasing Brighton travelling to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

While Arteta’s side have been in fine form this season, there are a number of issues outstanding heading into the summer.

England pair Aaron Ramsdale and Bukayo Saka are believed to be close to signing new deals while Reiss Nelson is out of contract and Granit Xhaka has this week been linked with a move back to Germany.

But Arteta batted away questions on the future of some of his key players on Friday and is keen for focus to remain solely on the challenge for a first league title in 19 years.

“Obviously where we are with each individual is probably different in terms of timing but the clarity is there,” he said of deals for players that may be in the offing.

“We have communicated to each of them what the intentions are and we are trying to get that done as quickly as possible but respecting and not losing any focus on what is the real deal right now.

“The moment there is anything to announce with any individual, we will do that as a club like we always do. It’s not the moment to talk about that.”

While the deals for Saka and Ramsdale are all-but finalised, Nelson could yet leave for free in the summer.

Xhaka has been linked with a move away – with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly chasing his signature – but Arteta would not be drawn on the future of the Switzerland captain.

“As you can understand I’m not going to be replying to certain stories,” he added.

“I’m extremely happy with Granit, I think he is having an incredible season, probably the best season he has had at the club and we are really happy to have him.”

Everton manager Sean Dyche accepts retaining their Premier League status will put a “different viewpoint” on his plans for the squad.

Monday’s surprise 5-1 win at Brighton has raised hopes they can extend their top-flight stay into a 70th successive season as it moved them out of the relegation zone.

A number of players are out of contract in the summer – including long-serving captain Seamus Coleman whose season was ended by a knee injury a fortnight ago – but no decisions can realistically be made until they know which division they are playing in.

“There are some outlines that I’ve been speaking with Kev Thelwell (director of football) about, a way forward, but at the end of the day it still comes down to what is happening now,” said Dyche ahead of Sunday’s daunting visit of Premier League leaders Manchester City.

“When I got here the noise was about Everton being done. We’ve obviously shown we are not done and there is more life in what we are doing.

“That does change things. Being in the Premier League is a different viewpoint, that’s the first concern.

“But there are some background chats about what is needed because you have to continue.

“It’s a fluid business, one that I’m used to. You are always fluid thinking anyway, it’s not about an exact thought.

“It’s about different scenarios with players, player contracts, ways the club is operating, ways they are looking to operate.

“Ultimately this season it is about getting past this situation and growing for the future.”

Coleman has undergone successful surgery on his knee injury but Dyche was non-committal on the 34-year-old defender’s future at the club.

“Seamus did have an operation and it has gone well. All being well he should be fit for next season,” added Dyche.

“I will be speaking to him ongoing. He is well in the loop where he sits at this football club.”

Dean Smith insists Leicester cannot be written off in their fight for survival.

The Foxes host Liverpool on Monday in danger of the drop after a damaging 5-3 defeat at Fulham.

They are third-from-bottom, two points from Premier League safety, in the middle of a run of four Monday games – leaving them to play after the majority of their relegation rivals.

Smith has already criticised the scheduling but believes the Foxes still have a fighting chance.

The Leicester boss said: “We were written off six games ago and all of a sudden Leeds and Everton were written off and now Everton aren’t. The game can change very quickly.

“Monday was our Boomtown Rats (I Don’t Like Mondays) day, next time it will be someone else.

“My job is to rationalise what happened. We came in the following day so we could put the game to bed and rationalise it. The players understand what happened and the others coaches’ thoughts and we’ve moved on.

“It was a blow, only after this game on Monday will we know how big a blow it was. You can’t change it but what you can do is correct it and move forward.”

Smith expects to have the same squad for the visit of Jurgen Klopp’s side, meaning Kelechi Iheanacho remains out with a groin problem.

The squad’s commitment has been questioned with several, including Youri Tielemans and Caglar Soyuncu, out of contract but Smith expects them to thrown themselves into the survival scrap.

“Not one of the players wants to be in the position we’re in. They are searching for answers themselves. All the lads care, they just show it in different ways,” he said.

“I’m expecting fight, but I’m expecting better quality than we showed in decision-making opportunities. We need points and it’s a home game for us, hopefully Jurgen is not disappointed in the fight he sees.

“They have won six games on the spin, you look at that and it’s a real tough time to face them but they haven’t won as many games on the road as they normally do.”