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Brentford inflicted a damaging 4-0 defeat on struggling Leicester at the King Power Stadium.
The  Bees scored three times in 15 first-half minutes and went on to net four against the Foxes for a second time this season, following the 4-1 home victory in November.
It meant a 10th Premier League defeat for Ruud Van Nistelrooy in his short spell in charge of Leicester.

The hosts started the better of the two teams but imploded in the space of 15 first-half minutes. Goals from Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and captain Christian Norgaard had fans streaming for the exit doors before the half-time whistle.

Brentford had further opportunities to increase their lead most notably through Mikkel Damsgaard but Thomas Frank’s side finally had a fourth when Fabio Carvalho slotted in his second of the season to seal a fourth successive win on the road, which moves them into the top half of the table.

It was the fourth time this season that Leicester have shipped three goals before half-time. They have failed to find the net in front of their own fans for 75 days.

The Foxes were quick out of the traps and were twice denied by Mark Flekken in the opening four minutes. He kept out new signing Woyo Coulibaly from point-blank range, before denying Jamie Vardy a couple of minutes later.

Brentford did not threaten much before they exposed the soft underbelly of their hosts in the 17th minute.

Boubakary Soumare sloppily lost the ball in midfield, helping the Bees onto the front foot. Kevin Schade combined with Damsgaard and the latter chipped through to Wissa, who was able to touch the ball home off the woodwork.
It was 2-0 10 minutes later when Damsgaard burst through the middle of the park and teed up Mbeumo, who whipped the ball beyond Mads Hermansen from range.

Brentford had a third in the 32nd minute, with Leicester exposed from another set-piece. Mbeumo’s chipped free-kick found the onrushing Norgaard, who flicked the ball into the net.
Large numbers of home fans headed for the exits as chants of “we are going down” emerged from those left in the stands.

Schade’s header rattled a post and Leicester were saved further embarrassment before the break when Hermansen prevented a Wout Faes own goal. The ball broke for Keane Lewis-Potter to tap home but referee Tony Harrington ruled it out for handball.
Jordan Ayew was sarcastically cheered from the pitch when he was replaced by Facundo Buonanotte before the hour mark.

The Bees sought to add to Leicester’s misery and Damsgaard got on the end of Mbeumo’s ball but was denied by a magnificent save by Hermansen.
However, a grim night for the hosts was capped a minute from time when the ball fell for Carvalho inside the box and the 73rd-minute substitute coolly converted.

England will commence their UEFA Women’s Nations League campaign this week with group stage matches against Portugal and Spain.
The Lionesses fell short in the 2024 Nations League, failing to advance from their League A group and missing out on Olympic qualification. This time, England will take on Spain, Portugal and Belgium for a place in the Nations League finals later this year.

An away trip to the Algarve is first on the cards as England face Portugal before returning home to Wembley Stadium to take on Spain for the first time since the 2023 World Cup final.
Sarina Wiegman’s side will be without key personnel for their opening Nations League games, with Georgia Stanway, Lauren Hemp, Beth Mead and Alex Greenwood all missing from the squad. The Lionesses will need to be at their very best in order to start their Nations League fight with a bang.

England will face a major challenge in the absence of Georgia Stanway, who is sidelined after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. The Bayern Munich midfielder has been one of the mainstays in the England side under Wiegman and it will be interesting to see how the squad adapts to her absence.

Wiegman has an abundance of attacking midfielders to choose from, but there isn’t really anyone who fits the No 8 profile. The England head coach has experimented with playing Grace Clinton in that position and many have suggested that pushing Leah Williamson into the midfield could also be a feasible option.
The Lionesses have hardly had to play without Stanway since Wiegman took the post in 2021, so now will be the time to see whether or not they will sink or swim.

Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood is missing from the Lionesses squad after undergoing surgery on her knee in the closing stages of 2024. The injury cloud has put a doubt over whether Greenwood will be fit and ready for Euro 2025.

Wiegman’s decision to persist with a defensive tandem of Millie Bright and Leah Williamson means that Greenwood’s absence won’t be harshly felt, but not having her in the squad will certainly hurt the Lionesses. All of England’s current defenders are right-footers, meaning the squad don’t have a left-sided outlet from the backline.
The negative effects of this were exposed when England hosted Germany at Wembley Stadium back in October. The one-dimensional outfit conceded three goals in the opening half, and struggled to break down the visitors’ aggressive press. As soon as Greenwood was brought into the game, the left-footer provided England with a way out of the backline purely because of her natural distribution skills.

The introduction of the Women’s Nations League tournament leaves England with no more opportunities to experiment. The side will play competitive fixtures up until the opening fixture of this summer’s Euros.
The final two international camps of 2024 gave the head coach some valuable time to tinker, allowing her to bring in players that hadn’t been in the squad before. Ruby Mace and Laura Blindkilde Brown earned their first senior call ups, whilst youngsters Grace Clinton and Jess Park starred in midfield.
Wiegman certainly made the most of squad rotation, but whether it was enough is the question. From now on, it’s all systems go. The Lionesses will be hungry to enter every single fixture between now and the Euros with a full competitive edge, so Wiegman better have her tactical philosophy ready to go.

Despite Wiegman’s decision to leave Chloe Kelly out of the England squad due to insufficient playing minutes, the forward has earned herself a late call-up due to the withdrawals of Beth Mead and Lotte Wubben-Moy.
With one forward out and another one in to replace her, England are certainly appearing thin on the ground in the attacking department. As Lauren Hemp remains sidelined, the Lionesses are down to six forward options, including Lauren James, who often plays in midfield, as well as the young duo of Aggie Beever-Jones and Jess Naz, who lack extensive experience.
Alessia Russo is in firing form, but the striker is not a robot and will require support from her teammates up front.

Wiegman has a hard task in front of her and little tools to work with ahead of a daunting matchup.

The last time England and Spain met, a first-half finish from Olga Carmona was enough to crown the Spanish victorious at the 2023 World Cup. This time around, the battle will be played out under the arch of Wembley Stadium, as the European champions host their global counterparts in a Nations League thriller.
Spain boast a fully fit squad and an in-form attack, while England are navigating injuries amid a period of significant transition. Acting as a perfect curtain raiser for what is to come this summer, the Lionesses should use this match as an opportunity to find their level.

If England can put up a strong fight, the return of key players could give them the confidence to defend their European title at this summer’s Euros in Switzerland. Although that is a big ‘if’ these days.

Atlético Madrid now know its opponent in the Champions League’s round of 16 following Friday morning’s draw in Switzerland.

For the fifth time under Diego Simeone — but the first time in eight years — Atlético will face Real Madrid, the reigning European champions, in its quest to win this competition for the first time in club history.

Atleti had the possibility of being drawn against Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, and for the 10th time in Champions League history, a Madrid derby will take place in the knockout phase of the competition. The last time the two Spanish capital sides met in Europe’s premium club competition was in the 2016/17 semifinals, where Real Madrid progressed over two legs. The return fixture was the last Champions League match ever played at the old Vicente Calderón stadium.
The first leg will be played across town at the Bernabéu on March 4, with the return leg just over a week later on March 12 at the Estadio Metropolitano. Having the second leg at home is at least a slight advantage that Los Colchoneros hold over Los Blancos due to finishing the league phase in the top eight; Jude Bellingham’s first-leg suspension due to yellow card accumulation might be another.

When asked Friday about the draw, Simeone said simply that Atlético are prepared for another European battle with its eternal rival, a “partidazo” that follows two 1-1 draws in LaLiga and will arrive amidst a brutal run of 10 games in 44 days. In addition to two more meetings with Madrid, Atlético will face FC Barcelona three times between Feb. 25 and April 2, while Champions League aspirant Athletic Club pay a visit to the Metropolitano in a week’s time.

The complete draw

The draw for the next round of the Europa League takes place on Friday, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur waiting to learn who they will face in the last 16.
Both clubs have had a torrid time of late in the Premier League, but while positions of 12th and 15th are further evidence that both sides are among the poorest in the Premier League (in relative terms at least), they are the bookies’ favourites to win the Europa League.

Having finished third and fourth respectively in the league phase, Spurs and United have since been placed in opposite sides of the draw, meaning they cannot meet until the final – though one of them will play Real Sociedad in the last-16.
With clubs including a high-flying Athletic Bilbao, league-phase ‘winners’ Lazio and 2022 winners Eintracht Frankfurt still in the competition, any run to the final would certainly be difficult for the English contingent.

And while it will rightly raise eyebrows to call Spurs and United the favourites for a cup tournament at the moment, are there many clubs who could mount a challenge for the tournament, and if so, who are they?

Real Sociedad 

Europa League position: 13th
Star player: Martin Zubimendi
Domestic form: 11th, 20 points behind first
One of the biggest challenges to Spurs and United could well come straight away, with both sides able to face Real Sociedad in the round of 16.

The Basque side have struggled in La Liga this season having lost Mikel Merino and Robin Le Normand, but on their day they remain one of the best sides in Spain.
And there is quality throughout the starting eleven, from Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi to Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo and local favourite Mikel Oyarzabal, scorer of the goal that won Euro 2024.

While the latter two will provide plenty of threat to the already stretched English clubs in defence, the midfield trio of Zubimendi, Pablo Marin and Brais Mendez can also hurt the English sides in central areas.
A win over Barcelona and a draw with Atletico Madrid earlier this season show that the Basque outfit can go toe-to-toe with the continent’s best sides, and with Spurs and United’s other opponent potentially being AZ Alkmaar, both sides will likely want to avoid the trip to San Sebastian.

Athletic Bilbao

Europa League position: 2nd
Star player: Nico Williams
Domestic form: 4th, six points behind 1st
Athletic Club are probably the biggest threat to the English sides, for a number of reasons – not least because they will be desperate to make the final at their home stadium.

The combination of pace and creativity across the front line could expose the English clubs, while their defence – which is the second best in the league, having conceded just 21 league goals so far this season – will be hard to break down.
The Basque side are just six points behind Barcelona and are arguably in the La Liga title race, with star players including the Williams brothers – long-time favourite Inaki and Spain star Nico – as well as emerging young talent Oihan Sancet.

With the club having built on last season’s brilliant Copa del Rey win to mount an unlikely charge for the top four (or title), their season-long form suggests that Bilbao will have enough to threaten both United and Spurs.

Lazio

Europa League position: 1st
Star player: Valentin Castellanos
Domestic form: 5th, 10 points behind 1st
The Serie A side finished top of the league-phase table with six wins, one draw and one loss, having beaten sides including Ajax, Porto and Real Sociedad. They will face Viktoria Plzen or Roma in the round of 16.

On paper, the squad is perhaps less talented than those of Bilbao or even Frankfurt, and it is certainly a far cry from the multi-million pounds teams assembled by Spurs and United, with ex-Chelsea man Pedro and 26-year-old striker Valentin Castellanos among the Rome-based side’s key players.
Lazio have lost seven matches so far in Serie A this season, and though they sit in fifth, they have done little to suggest that they can beat the very best sides over two legs.
Nevertheless, we aren’t talking about the ‘very best’ when referencing Spurs and Man Utd, and Lazio’s form against clubs like Ajax and Porto proves that they can cause problems.
Both English clubs could meet the Biancocelesti in the quarter-finals in theory, so it may be a match-up we see soon. If so, a lot could depend on whether the Premier League sides have welcomed back key players from injury – if they have, they should both have enough to beat the Italians, despite what’s been on show domestically.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Europa League position: 5th
Star player: Hugo Ekitike
Domestic form: 3rd, 13 points behind 1st
Frankfurt won this competition in 2021/22 and have kicked on from there, finishing progressively higher in the Bundesliga and now occupying third place this season.

The squad was weakened by the loss of their best player when Manchester City completed the signing of Omar Marmoush in January, but in the Egyptian’s absence, former PSG striker Hugo Ekitike has taken on the mantle of star player, with the Frenchman having scored 17 goals so far this season.
While their domestic form suggests that they have the ability to cause problems for any side in the competition, a loss to Lyon and a draw to Viktoria Plzen show that the German side can leak goals against better sides.
In addition, three successive league draws since the loss of Marmoush show that the team is still trying to gel after the loss of their talisman, and while both Spurs and United could be troubled by the Bundesliga side, either should have enough to go through given the nature of two-legged ties.

Lyon

Europa League position: 6th
Star player: Rayan Cherki
Domestic form: 6th, 20 points behind first
The French side’s domestic form has improved drastically over the last year or so, and they now sit sixth in Ligue 1, albeit nowhere near challenging for the title.

Their European campaign was stained by a loss to Besiktas and draws with Hoffenheim, Fenerbahce and Ludogorets, but the seven-time Ligue 1 champions have plenty of quality throughout the side, and certainly enough to win two matches.
Rayan Cherki remains the side’s most notable player, as he is capable of the spectacular in terms of both goals and assists. And in Georges Mikautadze they have Euro 2024’s joint-top scorer, while the midfield trio of Jordan Veretout, Nemanja Matic and Corentin Tolisso are more than capable of giving their side the edge over two legs, especially against the weakened midfields of Spurs and United.

Barcelona remain desperate to bring in as much funds as possible to help their financial woes, and one way to generate cash is through shirt sales. The club is well-known for having a global fanbase, and this helps with ensuring that as such merchandise as possible is sold.

Barcelona regularly collect data on who the biggest shirt seller is in the first team. As per Diario AS, it is no surprise that number one at the moment is Lamine Yamal, who revealed earlier this week that he will soon sign a new contract, which is expected to keep him at the club until at least 2030.
Just behind Lamine Yamal is Robert Lewandowski, while number three is a rather interesting player: Lionel Messi. Despite the fact that the club icon departed for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, fans regularly buy the current season’s kit with his name and the number 10 on the back.

In terms of current players, it is a battle between Raphinha and Pedri for the number three spot. The Brazilian winger is currently narrowly ahead, and rightly so given the form that he has shown over the course of the season so far, but the Spanish midfielder, who has also excelled in recent months, is hot on his heels.
Gavi, whose shirt is said to be the most popular among teenagers, is ranked number five, while Pau Cubarsi is close behind in sixth. The next on the list is Frenkie de Jong, who had been much higher before his drop in prominence earlier in the season. However, he could soon be on the rise again if he does follow through with signing a new contract.

The report also states that alongside Messi, other historical players whose names are often requested for shirts are Neymar Junior and Andres Iniesta.

Liverpool’s Premier League title charge was slowed by Aston Villa after a pulsating 2-2 draw on Wednesday left neither side satisfied.

Arne Slot’s men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds. Liverpool led through Mohamed Salah but were also forced to come from behind after Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins swung momentum in Villa’s favour. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected shot secured a point for the visitors, but it should have been more as substitute Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch victory.

“You can understand there is one person in the dressing room who feels quite down,” said Slot on Nunez’s late miss.
If you watch the game back we created far more chances than them, we did everything we needed to do. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was conceding from a set-piece.”
Villa, though, could also have won it in stoppage time as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen went close.
A point does little for Villa’s hope of returning to the Champions League next season as they remain in ninth.
“A draw I think is fair for both teams because they had also chances to score,” said Villa boss Unai Emery.

Liverpool are now 22 Premier League games unbeaten, but after conceding at the death against local rivals Everton, a second 2-2 draw in eight days offers Arsenal hope in the title race.

Slot’s men also face a tough trip to Manchester City on Sunday.
We’re happy where we are,” added Slot. “A bit too much now we played games where we deserve more than we got.
“We want to achieve something together this season and we have all the ingredients for it but still 12 games to go.”

Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts by Emery as he reacted to a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Ipswich on Saturday.
Rashford nearly had a hand in the opening goal but had strayed offside before his cross was turned into his own net by Virgil van Dijk.
Villa were masters of their own downfall when the opener did arrive on 29 minutes.
Andres Garcia’s backpass went straight to Diogo Jota, who unselfishly squared for Salah to fire in his 29th goal of the season.

Villa were level within nine minutes as Liverpool failed to properly clear a free-kick into the box and the ball fell kindly to Tielemans, who produced a classy finish on the volley.

Jota should have restored the visitors’ advantage immediately when be blazed high and wide with just Emi Martinez to beat.
Instead it was Villa who led at half-time as poor Liverpool defending allowed Watkins a free run to meet Lucas Digne’s cross with a header into the far corner.

The Liverpool onslaught followed in the second half to extend Slot’s run of never having lost an away Premier League game.
Jota curled a fine effort from the edge of the box off the bar.

Alexander-Arnold was a growing influence on the game when he levelled on the hour mark with the aid of a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
Slot threw on Luis Diaz and Nunez off the bench in search of a winner and one of his substitutes should have delivered a vital three points.
Nunez had an open goal to aim at after being picked out by Dominik Szoboszlai but fired over to the disbelief of his manager.

Martinez then had to rush off his line to deny Nunez another clear run on goal.
Villa, though, had the majority of the chances in a frantic finale.
Jacob Ramsey’s strike was ruled out for offside before Rogers and Malen’s powerful drives flew just off target.

Real Madrid dispatched Manchester City 3-1 with a Kylian Mbappe hat-trick on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) in their Champions League playoff second leg at a raucous Santiago Bernabeu stadium, earning them a 6-3 aggregate victory and a place in the last 16.

Last year’s champions will face either Bayer Leverkusen or city rivals Atletico Madrid, depending on Friday’s draw, as they seek a record-extending 16th title.

It was the first time in City coach Pep Guardiola’s illustrious career that one of his teams in the Champions League had failed to reach the round of 16.

“It was a perfect night,” Mbappe said.
“It’s only logical that Real Madrid advance to the last 16 of the Champions League. We are very strong at home and it’s great to give joy to our fans.”
Real did not have to work too hard to subdue their sorry rivals who failed to manage a shot on target on the first half, looking a shadow of Guardiola’s dominant force from past years.

Already 3-2 down after a first leg defeat at home, City’s task became even harder an hour before kickoff when they announced a starting 11 without leading striker Erling Haaland, who suffered a knee injury at the weekend.
With City looking clueless and out of ideas, Real took full control of proceedings and never looked under threat.

Mbappe opened the scoring with Real’s first attack in the fourth minute, taking advantage of another massive blunder by City’s defence when captain Ruben Dias missed his header and left the French forward free to lob over the onrushing Ederson.

Mbappe scored again in the 33rd minute with a close-range strike after a humiliating cutback that left defender Josko Gvardiol on the floor.
Real kept piling on the pressure and wasting chances against Pep Guardiola’s struggling team. Mbappe scored his third in the 61st minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the box just inside Ederson’s right post.
Manchester City scored a compensation goal at the death, Nico Gonzalez converting a rebound after Omar Marmoush’s free kick bounced off the crossbar, but it did little to tarnish a fantastic night for the Spaniards.

Jude Bellingham has been handed a two-match ban in La Liga following his red card at Osasuna on Saturday.

The Real Madrid midfielder was sent off for foul and abusive language by referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero during a 1-1 draw in LaLiga.

Bellingham claims he was wrongly dismissed but has been hit with a two-game suspension by the Spanish football federation.

The governing body announced on Wednesday that it had dished out the ban for what it called “disrespectful or inconsiderate attitudes towards referees, managers or sports authorities”.

Speaking about the sending off, Bellingham was quoted in the Spanish media as saying: “I do not want to go into the details of what was said, but I didn’t insult the referee.

“I hope they review the footage because it was a misunderstanding, but I am here to apologise to the team as I put them in a difficult situation.”

Real boss Carlo Ancelotti backed Bellingham at his post-match press conference on Saturday, saying: “I think the referee did not understand Jude Bellingham’s English. He said f*** off, not f*** you… that’s way different.

“I won’t talk more about the referee as I want to be on the bench next week.”

Celtic may have fallen agonisingly short of a place in the Champions League last 16, but their European campaign has still resulted in a record-breaking financial windfall.

The Hoops have secured £26.23m in UEFA prize money from their journey through the revamped competition, with earnings coming from qualification, match results, and their final league table placement.

Brendan Rodgers’ side earned £15.7m simply for reaching the knockout phase play-offs, having navigated the new league-stage format with some impressive performances. Victories over Slovan Bratislava, RB Leipzig, and Young Boys contributed a further £5.31m, while draws against Atalanta, Club Brugge, and Dinamo Zagreb added another £1.77m.

Celtic 5-1 Slovan Bratislava – £1.77m

Borussia Dortmund 7-1 Celtic – £0

Atalanta 0-0 Celtic – £590k

Celtic 3-1 RB Leipzig – £1.77m

Celtic 1-1 Club Brugge – £590k

Dinamo Zagreb 0-0 Celtic – £590k

Celtic 1-0 Young Boys – £1.77m

Aston Villa 4-2 Celtic – £0

In addition to match results, Celtic secured a 21st-place finish in the overall league standings, bringing in a further £3.4m from UEFA’s ranking-based payments.

Had Celtic held on for extra time in Munich and gone on to eliminate Bayern, they would have earned an additional £9m for reaching the last 16. However, despite the last-gasp heartbreak, this season’s financial return far exceeds recent European campaigns.

These figures do not include the substantial revenue from ticket sales, with Celtic Park packed out for every home fixture. Given the demand for Champions League nights in Glasgow, the total earnings from this campaign are expected to surpass £30m once all revenue streams are accounted for.

With a healthy financial boost, the expectation from supporters will now be investment in the squad to ensure Celtic continue competing at this level. The Hoops will now focus on securing the league title to guarantee their place in next season’s Champions League, where they will aim to build on this memorable European run.

Gian Piero Gasperini blasted Atalanta striker Ademola Lookman for his penalty miss in the club’s 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the Champions League, branding him “one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen.” His miss foiled the Serie A side’s comeback in Bergamo, and Brugge won 5-2 on aggregate and will meet either Inter Milan or Arsenal in the last 16.

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini described striker Ademola Lookman as “one of the worst penalty takers I have ever seen” after his miss from the spot in their 3-1 loss to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League.

Lookman fired the Serie A club back into the game with a goal at the outset of the second half, but then saw a penalty saved by Simon Mignolet and Atalanta subsequently lost all momentum.

Gasperini was not shy in his judgement of the Nigeria international, saying that either Charles De Ketelaere or Mateo Retegui should have taken the penalty.

“Lookman was not supposed to take that penalty, he is one of the worst penalty takers I’ve ever seen,” the Italian manager said following the match.

“He has a frankly terrible record even in training, he converts very few of them. Retegui and De Ketelaere were there, but Lookman in a moment of enthusiasm after scoring decided to take the ball and that was a gesture I did not appreciate at all.”

Atalanta captain Rafael Toloi piled further embarrassment on his side when he was shown a red card for an unnecessary shove on Maxim De Cuyper.

De Cuyper interfered with Toloi taking a throw-in and the 34-year-old tried to throw the ball at the Belgian but slipped, causing him to charge at the 24-year-old in a fit of rage.

“That was an ugly incident and we must never lose our heads,” Gasperini added.

“Atalanta must leave the Champions League with dignity, having played great games against the likes of Real Madrid, Arsenal and Barcelona.”

They were the second Serie A side to exit the competition on the night after Feyenoord upset AC Milan at San Siro in a result that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Brugge, meanwhile, continued a dream run under Nicky Hayen as they advanced to the last 16, and will meet either Inter Milan or Arsenal.

Rio Ferdinand has revealed Manchester United’s “problem” amid fears over relegation.

A depleted Man United squad – missing 12 senior players – including Amad, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte – slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday.
That was an eighth loss in 12 Premier League games for the Red Devils and Ruben Amorim’s side have slipped to 15th as a result after starting the weekend in 13th.
Though, Man Utd remain 12 points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games remaining. Four of which are against sides below them in the table.
Whilst the idea of a club the size of Man United battling for survival is seemingly unthinkable and, in truth, highly unlikely, Ferdinand says he is beginning to fear the worst after going through his former club’s remaining fixtures.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand is concerned that he can’t predict more than one victory: “Manchester United are absolutely struggling at the moment. Only Wolves and West Ham separate my club from the relegation places. Do you realise we’re that close?

“Someone said we need 11 points just to stay up and I’m starting to think like that. I’ve got the fixture list here and I’m looking at the game and I’m being serious here. Go through it.
“Everton away, Ipswich at home, Arsenal, Forest away, Man City, Newcastle away, Wolves, Brentford, West Ham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester.
“The only place I potentially see us getting anything – and I’m not even saying a win – is Leicester. We’ve slapped up Leicester a couple of times already this season so we’ve got their number.
“Normally you look at the fixture list and you can see where the points are coming from.
“We just looked at the fixture list and I’m not seeing outright wins, I’m not looking at it thinking there’s three points here and there’s three points there. That’s the problem.”

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has noted that he is content that they are top of the table again after their 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on Monday night, but that at this stage of the season, it means little.

Their victory lifted them level on points with Real Madrid, but the Blaugrana are now top on goal difference, having been at a seven-point deficit just a month ago.

I’m happy for the fans, for the club, for the players, it’s a reward, but as I have always said, this is long. The most important thing is that we fight until the end. Being top doesn’t change anything if we do not fight;” Flick told the press

Lewandowski’s penalty was the difference in the match, but he looked frustrated when he was withdrawn in the late stages, as has become customary. Ferran Torres has become a real alternative to the Polish forward in recent months.
“I will always make the decision for the team. I understand it because he always wants to score goals, I will support Lewy, and I always give him the chance to start. But I make the decisions for the team, and they have to accept it.”

Pedri completed another 90 minutes, bringing up his total for the season to 2,793 minutes, more than the entirety of last season. His form he credited to Julio Tous and the fitness coaches. Another player that is amongst Barcelona’s most used is Jules Kounde, but the was dropped for Hector Fort as something of a surprise.
“It’s part of football. It’s something that happens and we leave it there,” he had initially told the post-match broadcast, as quoted by Diario AS. However he did confirm reports that Kounde had been dropped due to being late for a team meeting.

“Before a game I want everyone to know what they have to do on the field. Before the games we have two or three meetings. It’s not too difficult to get there early. I want to talk to him. He arrived late and it is a clear rule here, and that is what happened today. It is out of respect for teammates, for the club, for the fans.”