Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has said Cole Palmer is grateful to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola for their role in his development. Palmer came through the academy ranks at the Etihad before deciding to leave the club last summer, agreeing a deal to sign for Chelsea in search of regular first-team football.   The 21-year-old had found opportunities limited with the Premier League champions but has flourished amid a regular role at Chelsea, scoring 20 league goals to sit as the joint-leader in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot. Palmer’s impact means he will be the bigge ..read more

Pep Guardiola has said Manchester City could not stop Cole Palmer leaving the club amid the forward’s desire for an exit. Palmer signed for Chelsea in the summer after becoming frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities at the Etihad, with the 21-year-old featuring for just 359 minutes in the Premier League last season.   He has had an extraordinary impact since arriving in west London and is the joint-leading scorer in the Premier League this season, level with former teammate Erling Haaland, on 20 goals. Palmer has broken into the England squad as a result and is expected to fo ..read more

Manchester City have been dealt a blow with Erling Haaland a major doubt for the club’s FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea. Haaland was substituted ahead of extra time in the club’s Champions League clash with Real Madrid in midweek, with Guardiola later revealing that the forward had requested to be taken off. Guardiola has now confirmed that the Norwegian, who has scored 31 goals in all competitions this season, has a muscular issue and is doubtful to feature at Wembley this weekend.   The Spaniard also provided an update on Kevin De Bruyne, who also asked to be substituted against Real Ma ..read more

The EFL has released a statement revealing there was no consultation with the Football League before the decision to scrap FA Cup replays. An announcement was made this week to confirm the FA and Premier League had agreed to abolish FA Cup replays from next season, amid concerns over the congestion of the football calendar. The decision has been greeted with criticism in the lower leagues, who insist FA Cup replays provide teams down the pyramid with a chance to earn revenue through money-spinning ties.   The Premier League has agreed to greater funding for the lower tiers as a result, t ..read more

Marco Silva has said Fulham are ready for another ’emotional’ and ‘entertaining’ clash with Liverpool this weekend. Fulham host Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday with the two teams having been involved in some memorable recent clashes.   The reverse fixture saw Liverpool come from behind to win 4-3 in an epic at Anfield, while the teams also played out a hard-fought EFL Cup semi-final over two legs earlier in the season. Silva is expecting another tight game in west London as Fulham look to upset the title challengers and keep alive their faint hopes of European football. “They h ..read more

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal can benefit from the experience of a tough week for the club. Arsenal’s ambitions for the campaign have suffered successive setbacks after losses to Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, with the latter defeat eliminating the Gunners from the Champions League quarter-finals. The loss to Aston Villa at the Emirates also damaged the club’s hopes of winning the Premier League, as the north Londoners fell two points behind Manchester City in the title race. Liverpool also remain the title race and sit behind Arsenal on goal difference, as the top three prepare for a tense r ..read more

Jurgen Klopp has said his only focus is on beating Fulham this weekend with the Premier League title race not in Liverpool’s hands. Liverpool lost ground in the race for the title after a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend. It was a second successive fixture with dropped points for the Reds who now sit third, behind Arsenal on goal difference and two points adrift of leaders Manchester City. Klopp’s side have won just one of their last four in all competitions and exited the Europa League after a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Atalanta on Thursday night.   The German said he is not ..read more

Erik ten Hag has backed Casemiro to find his form at Manchester United after a difficult second season with the club. The Brazil international arrived from Real Madrid for a fee of £70m in 2022 and impressed last season as the Red Devils secured Champions League qualification and League Cup success. However, the 32-year-old has failed to replicate those performances during a tough campaign this time around, with criticism of his ability to cover the ground in defensive midfield.   United have been vulnerable defensively this season, conceding more shots per game (17.9) than any other tea ..read more

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag and Coventry counterpart Mark Robins have criticised the decision to scrap FA Cup replays, as the teams prepare to meet in the competition’s semi-finals this weekend. The FA and Premier League have reached an agreement to scrap FA Cup replays from next season, with England’s top flight instead agreeing to provide extra funding to the football pyramid. The decision comes amid concerns over the congested calendar, though Ten Hag said that while ‘inevitable’ the decision is ‘very sad for the British football culture’.   “It’s very sad for the British f ..read more

The weekend schedule brings a big double gameweek in the world of Fantasy Premier League. Seven teams are in action twice in Gameweek 34, including title-chasing Arsenal and Liverpool. This weekend will be a popular one for managers to use their remaining chips, so ensure your squad selection is on point. Ahead of a crucial round of Premier League football in the run-in, we’ve looked at four FPL assets you should be targeting ahead of the Gameweek 34 deadline. FPL GW34 Deadline: Saturday, April 20, 13:30 BST. Join our FPL league: xugc83 Fantasy Premier League: Four transfers to target ..read more