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Pep Guardiola admits he does not know if Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish will be fit for next weekend’s FA Cup final. Manchester City’s attacking duo, and defender Ruben Dias, missed the1-0 final-day defeat at Brentford through injury. The champions, who face Manchester United at Wembley on Saturday as they bid to complete the second leg of an historic Treble, were consigned to defeat by Ethan Pinnock’s late goal. With De Bruyne and Grealish missing completely and Erling Haaland left on the bench, it was a scratch City side and those established stars who did play, like Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, had little impact. But Guardiola said: “Congratulations to Brentford for the victory. It’s difficult to faze them, how quick they play, how aggressive they are in all departments. “I’m pretty sure we would have behaved a little bit different if we needed the points. “I don’t have any complaints of how we behaved, I said to the players just now ‘you won the title, enjoy two days with your families and then we will prepare for the first final’. “The guys who didn’t play who normally play were exhausted yesterday, mentally completely drained. They needed to rest to arrive with the right energy to face United.” When asked if the players who missed out would be fit for Wembley, Guardiola said: “I don’t know right now. Hopefully. “Ruben, Jack and Kevin couldn’t play. It is what it is. I think they will be ready but it’s hard to get ready in training. That’s why I had to see the players who played today.” Pinnock’s 85th-minute strike made Brentford the only team to do the double over City this season, and only the fifth since Guardiola took over in 2016. The Spaniard added: “They are the best team by far at set-pieces, they are exceptional. What Thomas Frank has done for years is amazing and the unity of his squad is there for all to see. “Hopefully we can do better and beat them like we did last season, so we have a target for next season already.” The Bees still needed a double save from goalkeeper David Raya to deny Cole Palmer at the death to end another impressive season on a high. They had a slim chance to qualify for the Europa Conference League, and although victories for Tottenham and Aston Villa ultimately scuppered that dream, they finished a creditable ninth. “Of course beating them twice means something, it means even more for the fans, they like that narrative and hopefully City win the Treble,” said Frank. “Ending ninth in the Premier League, getting 59 points – and maybe deserve to have even more – it’s incredible the journey we have been on. “What advice would I give United and Inter Milan? Well, I think we top performed in those two games. “They are the best offensive team in then world so you need to defend very well and we did, and we were very brave throughout the game. I loved that from my players.”

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Erik ten Hag told the raucous Old Trafford faithful that Manchester United have a “really good chance” of winning the FA Cup and ending Manchester City’s treble charge. Having wrapped up Champions League qualification by beating Chelsea on Thursday, the Red Devils sealed third spot in the Premier League on the final day of the campaign. United bounced back from Kenny Tete’s early header as David De Gea saved Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty before Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes sealed a 2-1 comeback win against Fulham. The players were given a fantastic reception at full-time and, after presenting De Gea with the Golden Glove trophy, boss Ten Hag made an impassioned speech to fans. “First of all, I want to say thank you to our players,” he told the stadium. “I think they played a brilliant season. “They are also supported by the staff. I want to say thank you to the staff. “Secondly, I want to thank you (the fans) all. We fought really strong during the season at Old Trafford and away. “I want to thank you for the season and your contribution backing us, for the support – it was great, so thank you. “But there is still one game to go and I am sure that these players will give everything to beat Manchester City next week. “If you have our back, I’m sure we have a really good chance to take the cup back to Old Trafford.” Those comments were met by a huge roar that will increase further still if Ten Hag’s men can beat City at Wembley next Saturday and add the FA Cup to February’s Carabao Cup success. “You have always a chance in football,” Ten Hag said in the post-match press conference. “The history shows we beat them in January but I think Man United in the last couple of years beat City many times. “So, these players know when they play at their levels that they can compete. “It’s obvious we play against probably – at this moment – the best team, but still there is a chance and we have to go for the chance and we have to give everything. “We can’t be after the game finding excuses for ourselves. I’m sure we will play a good game on Saturday.” Ten Hag knows United have to step up after making a sloppy start against Fulham, saying De Gea’s penalty save woke them up. The United boss again reiterated that he expected the long-serving Spain goalkeeper to extend his contract beyond the end of the season, before seemingly taking a dig at the owners’ backing. Fans called for the Glazers to leave throughout – as they always do – and Ten Hag said he did not get investment like their top-four rivals in January. The United boss, who was only able to make loan moves for Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer, said: “The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league, then you have to invest. “Otherwise you don’t have a chance because other clubs will do. “We have seen it in the winter that all the clubs around us made huge investments. We didn’t and still we made it, so I’m really happy and proud of my team.” As for Fulham, they displayed heart at Old Trafford at the end of an impressive season that saw them finish 10th after promotion from the Championship. Head coach Marco Silva said: “We had very good moments during the game. “Unfortunately for us, not really consistent during all the match but the way we started we were beginning to control the game. “We were leading the score and I think it was well deserved because we showed the composure and quality to play, to control most of the moments. “Of course we had the chance to make it 2-0 and give us even more confidence and create a much-more difficult score for them. “De Gea saved and of course it was a moment that boosted them. You could feel is straight away in the stadium. “These are the moments we have to show our maturity, to show more consistency.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Frank Lampard believes Chelsea standards have slipped as cheerless campaign ends Liverpool will be Premier League contenders again next season – Jurgen Klopp Roy Hodgson: For Crystal Palace to finish much higher would be hell of an ask

Everton boss Sean Dyche has called on the club’s fans to stick with him going forward.

Frank Lampard said he believes the standards at Chelsea have dropped after he signed off as interim manager with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle. The result means Lampard failed to register a single home victory during his second spell in charge, with his last win as manager at Stamford Bridge still a 3-1 triumph over West Ham in December 2020. It took a Kieran Trippier own goal, the defender deflecting the ball into the net midway through the first half, to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s early strike. This was at least an improved performance from Chelsea, particularly in the second half where they played with an attacking initiative rarely seen under Lampard. The young trio of Noni Madueke, Lewis Hall and substitute Carey Chukwuemeka especially played with the maturity to take charge of the game and drive their team on, after a first half in which Newcastle had made Chelsea look ordinary. That has happened too often this season, especially at home where there have been six Premier League defeats and only 20 goals scored, the same number as Bournemouth and three fewer than relegated Leicester. Lampard said he had recognised early in his tenure that leadership and cohesion were lacking among a bloated squad, and hoped that a new manager – expected to be Mauricio Pochettino – would be able to slim down and galvanise the first-team group. “The standards collectively have dropped,” said Lampard. “I can be honest about that now that it’s my last game, I might not see some of them that much anymore. “The standards of the collective for a club like Chelsea have to be at the maximum or you won’t be physically competitive enough, or you won’t be able to play at a high level… high speed in a way that the Premier League demands. “If you’re not together in the dressing room, and you’re not vocal in the dressing room, driving each other and competitive because I want your place and you want mine. Any top team has to have that. “When I came in very quickly I could see that wasn’t there enough. Of course a very good manager will help that, but everyone has to take responsibility, players and club alike.” Chelsea’s form has nosedived since Lampard was appointed on April 6, with problems that had been apparent under former manager Graham Potter having only been exacerbated. Todd Boehly’s whirlwind transfer activity during his first year of ownership has produced a squad of 34 first-team players that both managers have said proved hugely challenging to work with. It has contributed to Chelsea recording a first bottom-half finish since 1996 and a record low tally of points and goals scored in the Premier League era. “It’s clear there are things I would see that need to improve,” said Lampard. “A new manager will see with his own eyes and the beauty of it is he’ll have a pre-season to work with the team, they need that. “We’re not physically competitive enough. Newcastle are and we haven’t been. That’s a strong opinion that I have. “The squad has been too big, that’s the biggest challenge I’ve found day to day, coming in and working with big numbers, and with players who for whatever reason are disillusioned, whether for right or wrong that they’re not playing, (or) they might be leaving. Those situations can maybe be sorted out now and they have to be.” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, whose team had already secured qualification for next season’s Champions League ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge, said a first season in 20 years in Europe’s top competition would help loosen the transfer restrictions placed on his club by Financial Fair Play rules. “FFP will impact what we do this summer,” he said. “Without Champions League football it would have been difficult to do much in the market at all. The fact we have that has given us a bit of a lift. “The most important people are the players we already have. I’m the type of manager who tries to get the best out of everyone under our employment. We’re looking to add quality, we’re not huge payers of wages in the Premier League, it makes it hard to attract the very best players. “We need more depth. With three games in a week next year we’re going to be stretched.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Erik ten Hag backs Man Utd to win FA Cup and end neighbours City’s treble charge Liverpool will be Premier League contenders again next season – Jurgen Klopp Roy Hodgson: For Crystal Palace to finish much higher would be hell of an ask

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool will be Premier League contenders next season after ending an underwhelming campaign with a thrilling 4-4 draw at relegated Southampton. The fifth-placed Reds arrived at St Mary’s knowing they had already missed out on a top-four finish for the first time since 2015-16. Early goals from Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino appeared to have put the in-form visitors on course for a straightforward success on the south coast. But they were forced to come from 4-2 behind to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games following Kamaldeen Sulemana’s brace and strikes from James Ward-Prowse and Adam Armstrong. Liverpool boss Klopp, whose side avoided defeat thanks to a goal from substitute Cody Gakpo and Jota’s second, was happy to see the back of 2022-23 and confident next term would be far more memorable. “There were moments during the season when you thought ‘the season will be four years long’,” he said. “Thank God for the last 11 games, that helped massively, gave us a real boost, gave us a perspective, gave us a basis for what we have to do. “That it didn’t turn into the best ever season, we see that, we know that, we are very disappointed about the fact that we didn’t make it to the top four. “But there are moments when you have to admit there were four teams that were better than us – that’s the truth. “We played a bad season, we come fifth, that is a message as well. “Imagine we were our normal self, which we absolutely will be again next season and will be a contender again. That’s how is it. The last 11 games helped us to realise that again.” Gakpo and Jota struck in the 72nd and 73rd minutes respectively to prevent Liverpool slipping to a shock defeat, while Mohamed Salah hit a post late on. Klopp felt his players contributed to their own undoing during a “silly” period of a chaotic contest. “We are 2-0 up and you know these Southampton players want to pay back to these people (home fans) and we let them, just opened the door for a really talented offensive team, with the speed they have,” he said. Top start, outstanding finish, in between just silly Jurgen Klopp “I can make a list of things we weren’t and that led to the counter attacks they had. “Then it’s 2-2 and 4-2 and then we started doing the right things again. I think we could have scored a fifth and a sixth. “Top start, outstanding finish, in between just silly.”

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Erik ten Hag promised that Manchester United would do "everything they can" to win the FA Cup against Manchester City next weekend

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The best players available to sign from the three teams relegated from the Premier League in 2022/23. James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Romeo Lavia are among those who could be available.

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