Tottenham have no intention of interviewing Julian Nagelsmann over the vacant managerial role, the PA news agency understands.

Nagelsmann has been heavily linked with the post since his shock departure from Bayern Munich at the end of March.

The 35-year-old was in the running for the Spurs job in 2021 before Bayern swooped in at the time to secure the services of one of the most highly sought-after young coaches in world football.

When Antonio Conte left Tottenham soon after Nagelsmann’s dramatic exit from the Bundesliga champions, it was anticipated the German coach would again be in the mix for the vacancy at the Premier League club.

Speculation has rumbled on since but while Tottenham have great respect for Nagelsmann, they will not be meeting or interviewing him for the role and he is not a contender, PA understands.

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.”

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.”

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.”

Southampton boss Ruben Selles admits it is getting more difficult to motivate players as relegation looms, but stressed everyone will continue to fight until the end of the season.

A 4-3 defeat at Nottingham Forest on Monday left the Saints on the brink of relegation, eight points adrift of safety at the bottom with just three games left.

A return to the Sky Bet Championship for the first time in since 2012 will be confirmed if Southampton fail to beat Fulham on Saturday or results elsewhere over the weekend go against them.

Despite the bleak outlook on the back of a 10-game winless run, Selles insists there is a determination to get the best possible results.

“It is our job and our privilege to fight until the very last minute and that is what we are going to do,” the Southampton boss said.

“We know it (relegation) is very close, but we still have our chances, it is not mathematically there.

“It is getting harder, of course, because the situation is not helping and it has been a tough week for us.

“We put all we have in against Nottingham Forest and we didn’t get the result that we wanted.

“Always when you get hit like that it is difficult to go to work the day after and to be super motivated, but I think we are in a good place that we can go tomorrow to compete and try to win the game.”

Selles accepts Saints could struggle to keep hold of key men like captain James Ward-Prowse in the Championship, but feels things are in place to be strong contenders for a swift promotion.

“I think the club has everything to bounce back very quick and be in the Premier League (again) the year after,” he said.

“We have our stadium with our fans that will support us, we have the organisation inside, the technical staff, the players and the future players, if it happens, that can help.

“We have a good structure with values, with philosophy and then it is just to put the things in place to go to the next chapter.”

Selles added at a press conference: “If we go to the Championship, of course we have players that the other teams in the Premier League will come and look for.

“It is not always easy to keep them for different reasons, in terms of budget or motivation for the player, so it is going to be (done on) a very individual case.”

Spanish coach Selles, who took over from Nathan Jones in mid-February on a deal until the end of the season, would like to stay and help the club rebuild.

“It is not for me to decide, but I would like to carry on in the Championship and bounce back to the Premier League in the year after,” he said.

“But right now we are just focusing on our daily job and trying to get the team being competitive tomorrow, and then we will talk about it if we need to talk about it at the end of the season.”

Bournemouth will still be without Marcus Tavernier for the visit to Crystal Palace.

Tavernier picked up a hamstring injury in the win over Southampton and is not yet fit, but Kieffer Moore returns to the squad after he was unavailable for last week’s defeat to Chelsea due to concussion protocols.

Boss Gary O’Neil said on the club’s official website: “Marcus Tavernier is still out for this one, as is Hamed Traore.

“We are very hopeful that we will see Traore before the end of the season. Elsewhere the rest of the squad are in a good place and they’re available.

“Kieffer Moore is back as well after his concussion protocol, he’s come off the bench recently and he gives us another outlet so I’m pleased to have Kieffer back.”

Bournemouth travel to Selhurst Park knowing they are safe from relegation following an impressive run.

Their opponents are also no longer in danger following the return of Roy Hodgson, who, according to O’Neil, has “got a real good tune out of them”.

“Fantastic players, real individual talent in there,” he said.

“You look at the attacking threat they have, not only on the top line, but from the midfielders as well as (Jeffrey) Schlupp, (Wilfried) Zaha, (Michael) Olise.

“(Cheick) Doucoure has been excellent as a sort of holding midfielder since he’s come in there.

“They have some really good players like the centre-back pairing as well of (Joachim) Andersen and (Marc) Guehi. They’re a good side.

“Roy’s obviously gone in there, managed to freshen things up a little bit.

“Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes, he knows the group well, as well, from when he was there before and has managed to get a real good tune out of them.

“We’ll be in for a tough afternoon. Selhurst Park is never an easy place to go.

“Always an intense atmosphere, but, yeah, a good opportunity for us to win another game of football, hopefully and push onwards up the league.”

Marcus Rashford is a major doubt for Manchester United’s match against Wolves on Saturday, handing Erik ten Hag a new injury headache just as Raphael Varane returns after a month out.

Ten Hag said that Rashford, United’s top scorer this season with 29 goals, is struggling with a leg injury and is “more than doubtful” to play in a fixture United need to win to keep Liverpool at bay in the fight for a top-four place.

The injury comes at a time when United have been struggling for goals anyway, with only six in their last nine games.

“He’s a big question mark for tomorrow but we are happy Rafa is back,” the manager said.

Varane has been out since being forced off at half-time in the first leg of United’s Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla at Old Trafford on April 13, and United have won only two of their seven games without the Frenchman.

“He has experience, he knows how to win and will lead us in how to win, he will guide us,” Ten Hag said.

After an often indifferent season Liverpool have won six league matches in a row to close to within a point of United, albeit having played one game more.

United have offered Jurgen Klopp’s men hope by losing back-to-back games 1-0 to Brighton and West Ham, but Ten Hag insisted he had no interest in Liverpool’s form.

“Of course we can ignore it,” he said. “Why not? Because it’s not important. We have everything in our hands and as long as we have things in our hands, so we are in control, as long as that, we are not dependent on them. We are dependent on ourselves.”

Liverpool do not play until Monday when they head to struggling Leicester, by which point United will hope to have a four-point cushion. The pressure is on, but Ten Hag said he had no sense of nervousness creeping into his squad.

“We are convinced with what we are doing, we have a lot of success, we have won a lot of games,” he said.

“The way we work, the way we’re playing, the structures are really clear but we have to execute them and show 100 per cent discipline in rules and principles. When we do that, we are successful.”

Wolves were bottom of the Premier League at Christmas but have defied the recent convention which suggests that spells doom, and are now assured of their Premier League status having moved on to 40 points with three games left to play.

“We have to take them seriously,” Ten Hag said of Julen Lopetegui’s side. “They have done a great job, but they also have deficits and we have to take advantage of that.”

United have enjoyed a rare full week of preparation for this match in a packed season that has seen them already play 57 matches. After affording his players some time off, Ten Hag said he could see a difference this week.

“We had a week and we needed it to reset, to reload, to recharge and to get energy back because we had a lack of it in the last two games,” he said. “I see a lot of energy, joy on the pitch, we could also work in detail on some facts, so was good.”

Ten Hag insisted that good mood extended to goalkeeper David De Gea, who is out of contract this summer and who has seen his position questioned after his mistake proved decisive in the defeat at West Ham.

“We can’t ignore it but individual mistakes are part of football and there was in the Brighton game also a big individual mistake,” Ten Hag said.

“But sometimes it’s happening, it shouldn’t happen, when you are in the right focus it will not happen. That is part of the reset of this week.”

David Moyes has admitted for the first time that there is a “good chance” Declan Rice will leave West Ham this summer.

Hammers captain Rice has ambitions to play for a Champions League club but has a price tag of around £100million.

Nevertheless, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all understood to be interested in the England midfielder.

“We honestly hope he stays,” said Moyes. “We’d love for him to be a West Ham player but we are aware that might not be the case at the end of the season.

“So that’s one of the scenarios around planning. There are plans that we have Dec here but we’re also fully aware there is a good chance we won’t have him.”

Moyes has been unable to formulate plans for next season while West Ham’s Premier League status remains unclear, although last week’s win over Manchester United has left them all but safe.

“The planning has been put on the back burner. It’s always been about making sure you’re a Premier League club,” added the Scot. “Your planning will go completely if you weren’t.

“A lot of it will only start to go into place once we’ve realised we have kept our Premier League place. We’re watching a lot of players, a lot of games, doing a lot of scouting, but the truth is the focus has been on staying in the Premier League.”

West Ham head to Brentford on Sunday on the back of Thursday night’s 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final.

Moyes is set to make changes with the second leg in the Netherlands in mind, with Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio – who was limping after the AZ match –  expected to be rested.

“We are still assessing a lot of players, we are less than 24 hours from the game,” he said. “There are obviously knocks and bruises but I am hoping Michail is not too bad.

“We will assess him but he should be good for Sunday.”

Pep Guardiola insists all thoughts of Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid have been put to one side ahead of Sunday’s trip to Everton.

City will hope to claim a place in the final when they host the Spanish giants next Wednesday after drawing 1-1 in the first leg of their last-four tie on Tuesday.

Yet the Premier League leaders have little opportunity to ease up beforehand as they face the relegation-threatened Toffees in a clash crucial at both ends of the table.

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

“It’s 11 months working for the Premier League. We don’t have much time to Madrid because we play Sunday – thank you so much – but it’s a real, real priority, Goodison Park.”

Real have an extra day’s rest before the second leg as they are in action on Saturday this weekend.

Guardiola would have preferred to play on Saturday too but says he is beyond complaining about the schedule.

He said: “I can’t understand it but I’m not going to fight it anymore.

“I don’t understand it but we have to adapt. The schedule, it is what it is.”