List of All Articles with Tag 'cma'

Aston Villa are leading the race to sign Harvey Barnes in the summer, as Leicester City face an exodus of their best players whether they go down or not. Financial drop-offs from the Covid pandemic have played into the 2016 Premier League champions' disastrous season, that has seen a number of rival clubs eye their best talent. Among the most rated are Barnes and James Maddison, with Tottenham Hotspur also having considered both. While Champions League qualifiers Newcastle United have long been seen as the most likely buyers for Maddison since the Saudi Arabian takeover, Barnes could have considerable competition. Villa are currently seen as the likeliest destination due to a strong package the club can put together, as they show continued promise under Unai Emery. It is understood that being able to maintain connections to the area could be attractive. Leicester's asking prices will be significantly affected if they stay up or go down, though, with rival clubs aware of their necessity to sell. It could bring up considerable value off the fees. Last summer, the Foxes were unable to spend without offloading players and centre-back Wout Faes was their only senior capture. They spent big in January to land defenders Harry Souttar and Victor Kristiansen, with Wesley Fofana and Kasper Schmeichel their only sales this year. Ayoze Perez left on loan in January. Leicester sacked Brendan Rodgers after an awful run of form, but Dean Smith has been unable to turn around the side’s fortunes and they head into the final day needing to win to stand a chance of survival. Read More Leicester only have themselves to blame for all-or-nothing gamble after years of bad choices Premier League relegation: What do Leeds, Everton and Leicester need to survive?

Southampton have confirmed that manager Ruben Selles will not have his contract renewed at the end of the season. A dismal 2022/23 campaign has seen Saints relegated to the Championship, bottom of the Premier League table with one match to play. Ralph Hasenhuttl was dismissed partway through and Nathan Jones appointed, but his tenure was disastrous and short-lived, with Selles taking over from him in February, initially as interim boss. After a positive response and a couple of improved results, Selles was handed the job until the end of the season and was initially bullish about his team’s chances of survival, but a run of just one draw and nine defeats in their last ten has seen them brutally cut adrift and consigned to the drop. Southampton have now confirmed that after talks with the Spaniard, the 39-year-old will not be retained as the south coast club undertake a sweeping overhaul in preparation for life in the second tier. A short statement read: “The club wants to place on record its thanks to Ruben for taking on the managerial position at a difficult time for the club and for giving his all as we attempted to stay in the Premier League. “Ruben will take charge of the team for the final game against Liverpool on Sunday at St Mary’s. We wish him all the best for his future career.” Earlier in the week, Saints also confirmed the departure of Martin Semmens as CEO, a position he had held since 2019. Ownership group Sport Republic announced they were “taking full operational control” with Dragan Solak appointed Chairman of Sport Republic with the mandate to have an active role in overseeing “the activities of the Group” and “supporting the leadership of the club”. Rasmus Ankersen remains in charge of football strategy and Henrik Kraft stays as Saints’ chairman, while also now taking on the role of interim CEO until a replacement for Semmens is confirmed. Jason Wilcox is also arriving at the club this summer as director of football. Read More When does the Premier League transfer window open and close this summer? Supercharged Newcastle’s four key transfer targets to strengthen for Champions League Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier

By Sinead Cruise LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Competition and Markets Authority said on Wednesday it had provisionally found five major global

Four people have been arrested over the hanging effigy of Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr in Madrid as the fallout from Spanish football’s racism storm continues. The effigy was hanged by the neck on the morning of the Madrid derby between Real and Atletico in January, beneath a banner bearing the words “Madrid hates Real”. The arrests come in the aftermath of a heated match on Sunday in which Vinicius was racially abused by some Valencia supporters, an ugly incident that has become a regular occurrence for the Brazilian winger to endure this season. Vincius has said Spanish football “belongs to racists” and Real Madrid have lodged a ‘hate crime’ complaint. In Brazil, president Lula came out in support of the player and the lights were switched off on the Christ the Redeemer statue last night in solidarity. Follow all the latest news and developments below. Read More ‘Racism is normal in LaLiga’: Vinicius Junior sent off after facing racist abuse at Valencia Lights switched off on Christ the Redeemer statue in support of Vinicius Jr Commentator sparks outrage for criticising Vinicius Jr reaction after facing racist abuse

Newcastle United secured Champions League football for next season after collecting a point in a goalless draw with Leicester City. The hosts dominated possession but couldn’t break through Leicester’s low block. Callum Wilson had the best chance of the game when Dan Burn nodded a cross down to him and he turned it onto the post. The rebound came back but Wilson’s next effort was then cleared off the line but Wilfred Ndidi. Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak also wasted decent chances on a night that saw Leicester offer no threat at all in front of goal. Still, the Foxes could have won it at the death but Timothy Castagne’s effort was palmed clear by Nick Pope. This point which could prove vital for Leicester’s chances of avoiding relegation this season. Here are how the players rated as Newcastle secured Champions League football: Newcastle United Nick Pope, 7 Probably won’t get an easier clean sheet in his career but turned up in stoppage time to deny Timothy Castagne a snatch-and-grab winner. Kieran Trippier, 5 Arguably Newcastle’s best creator by whipping crosses in from the right wing. Some were better than others with his set piece deliveries providing more threat than from open play. Fabian Schar, 5 Got the crowd excited with a volley from range but smoked it high and wide. Was a quiet night for him defensively. Sven Botman, 6 Played most of the match on the halfway line usually to restart Newcastle’s attacks on goal but was solid in shutting down any counter-attacking runs. Dan Burn, 6 Helped Isak attack down the wing with some overlapping runs and set up Newcastle’s best chance only for Wilson to hit the woodwork. Bruno Guimaraes, 5 Pulled out chips, tricks and threaded passes to try and break Leicester down. Collected a yellow card for a high tackle on Soumaré and lucky not to see red. Sean Longstaff, 7 Impressed on his return from injury to show why he’s an important part of Newcastle’s midfield. Provided an alternate option to the forward line by making runs into the box to help spread Leicester’s defence and got back to cut out a counter-attacking run from Jamie Vardy. Elliot Anderson, 6 A late replacement for the injured Joelinton, performed admirably in the midfield, linking up with Isak to good effect on the left side. Miguel Almiron, 6 Characteristically hard-working and willing to run, caused Thomas trouble all night and pummelled the post from close range. Alexander Isak, 7 Is fully bedded in as Newcastle’s go-to on the left-wing. His footwork is wonderful to watch and a nightmare for defenders, lacked a clinical touch in front of goal. Callum Wilson, 6 Should have scored after Dan Burn nodded down a cross to him, hit the post and had an effort cleared off the line. Substitutes Allan Saint-Maximin, 6 Jacob Murphy, n/a Anthony Gordon, n/a Leicester City Daniel Iverson, 7 A mistake in the first half almost undid his team’s hard work but was twice helped by the post as well as a goal-line clearance from Wilfred Ndidi. Made some fantastic saves in the second half to palm Isak’s shot over the top and deny Longstaff from close range. Timothy Castagne, 6 Was made to work hard against the pace and trickery of Isak and ably managed to keep him at bay with help from a defence-minded Ndidi. Could have won it at the death but fizzed his effort straight at Nick Pope. Harry Souttar, 7 Looked nervous early on but grew into the match and was a strong presence in the box especially against crosses from the wide areas. Jonny Evans, 6 His experience was crucial in the heart of Leicester’s back five, brought confidence and control to a defence that has been lacking recently. Was missed when he went off. Wout Faes, 6 Eager to throw himself into tackles but composed enough to time his challenges well and recover the ball for the Foxes. Worked nicely alongside Evans and Thomas. Luke Thomas, 5 Lost his battle with Miguel Almiron and was fortunate that the Newcastle winger left his shooting boots at home. Improved as the match went on but offered no threat in attack. Boubakary Soumaré, 5 Asked to do a job defensively but was useful in transition on the rare occasions when Leicester earned the chance to counter. Youri Tielemans, 5 Wasn’t afforded the opportunity to show off his attacking talents but provided Leicester with a target to get the ball too when they needed to clear their lines. Wilfred Ndidi, 7 Cleared Callum Wilson’s headed effort off the line to keep Leicester in the contest late in the first half. Did a decent job of handling Guimaraes and Longstaff. Kelechi Iheanacho, 3 Hooked off at half-time for James Maddison with Leicester having an xG of 0. No threat in a system built to counter-attack. Jamie Vardy, 4 Asked to do a thankless job up top as the rest of the team dropped deep to defend. Didn’t get a chance at goal but made some interventions from defensive set pieces. Substitutes James Maddison, 6 Patson Daka, 6 Harvey Barnes, 6 Nampalys Mendy, n/a Read More Premier League clubs ‘furious’ over delays to Man City and Everton financial cases Dean Smith knows time is not on Leicester’s side as they fight for survival Eddie Howe won’t ‘relax on a beach’ if Newcastle qualify for Champions League Newcastle clinch Champions League qualification with Leicester draw Premier League clubs ‘furious’ over delays to financial cases including Man City Newcastle vs Leicester LIVE: Premier League result and reaction

The Premier League has been repeatedly advised to establish an independent unit in order to speed up complex financial cases such as those involving Manchester City and Everton, as the planet’s most popular competition could be mired in legal uncertainty for years to come. The Independent has been told a core of clubs have been pressing the argument, but that has so far gone unheeded. The sight of chief executive Richard Masters on Sunday presenting the trophy to City - as the club also became the first champions in that situation to also be facing charges that, if proven, could yet see them expelled from the competition - has again raised questions about the Premier League serving as organiser, regulator, investigator and prosecutor. A number of clubs are understood to be increasingly “furious”, particularly with reports of recent delays to the process. It also leaves open the possibility that all of the Premier League’s key battles - the title, Champions League and relegation - could be settled for this season amid regulatory uncertainty about the future. While City face 115 charges related to Financial Fair Play rules and Everton have been referred to an independent commission for an alleged breach of Profit and Sustainability rules, Masters has previously refused to confirm whether it is investigating Newcastle’s ownership after US court documents from majority owners Public Investment Fund appeared to contradict the Premier League’s “legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control” the club. Both City and Everton have strenuously denied any wrongdoing. The key for many others, however, is that it leaves a cloud over everything that happens. A strident view within legal circles is that the nature of cases like those involving City and Everton is so financially complex that it goes beyond general sporting disciplinary issues, and requires specific financial experts involved from the outset rather than just heavyweight legal figures. This is why Uefa and the EFL have two independent bodies, with the continental federation setting up the Investigatory and Adjudicatory Chamber and the English body mirroring that with Club Financial Review Panel and Club Financial Review Unit. Such units both speed up processes but also take discretion away from the boards, ensuring - in the words of the EFL’s own announcement - “consistency and independence”. A number of Premier League club employees have been pointing to this, as the perception grows that City’s strategy is again one of obstruction, just as Uefa figures have spoken about. Several sources describe it as a “mess”, with the competition facing pressure from both sides, but one that was “foreseeable and avoidable”. Some of Everton’s Premier League rivals have meanwhile requested their case be fast-tracked, so that everything can be settled before the end of the season. Should the Goodison Park club go down, the EFL would not be able to pursue the case, although it is understood the commission would continue. An illustration of how this could cause other complications, however, is that if the case did then conclude with Everton being issued with a points deduction, that would not apply in the EFL. It would have to wait until a period when the club returned to the Premier League. As it stands, commissions are appointed to deal with all disciplinary issues in the elite competition. Whereas the panel to form these commissions used to be recommended by the league and approved by the clubs, with the Premier League itself then selecting the individual from that panel for the relevant issue, this was changed in early 2020. A fully independent chair appoints legal and financial experts onto the Judicial Panel, and it will be then up to him to decide who should go on the Commission. It is Murray Rosen KC’s appointment as chair that City are reported to have objected to, due to the fact he is an Arsenal fan. The argument is this process has evolved to become more independent, and a stance within the Premier League has been that the clubs prefer the board to handle various issues. There is increasing debate about that, though, as figures at clubs have become frustrated with proceedings. One counter-argument is that the commissions have always been independent, but what is so important about independent units is that they do investigations and prosecutions. Some Premier League executives have also pointed to how the case of Reading in the EFL was dealt with in a few weeks, whereby the club was issued a second six-point penalty after failing to satisfy a business plan agreed after a historical breach of Profit and Sustainability limits. “You can’t have the same people charging clubs and helping them through processes,” one source said. “It’s obvious.” Beyond that, several sources have spoken of how the Premier League’s legal workload has significantly increased with the case. Some figures in that area have spoken of how it reflects the transformed role of the competition. Whereas it used to almost be a partners’ group whose main business was actually selling media rights, with many historically having boasted of their streamlined team, it has grown into one that has to deal with the most complex legal and financial cases. “It needs specialists and hard-nosed litigators who will scare the hell out of clubs to keep them in line,” was one view. Read More Financial charges cast cloud over Man City's dominance in English soccer Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win Five titles in six years: Are Manchester City destroying the Premier League? Newcastle vs Leicester LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Brighton’s top talents may move on before European challenge – Roberto De Zerbi Bad decisions and poor signings – where has it gone wrong for Leeds?

Manchester City are Premier League champions once again after Arsenal’s title challenge fell short under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners were top of the table for 248 days this season - the longest time a team has led the Premier League without winning it - but won just two out of their last seven matches over the run-in. Pep Guardiola’s side have been on unstoppable form since mid-February and defeated Arsenal twice to surge to their third title in a row and fifth in six seasons. It extended City’s era of dominance under Guardiola, but Arsenal will wonder what might have been. Here are five ways Arsenal can improve over the summer to challenge City for the title again next season. Reach 90 points Really, it is an absurd situation that 80-plus points is not enough to win a league. It warrants grander debates than just unthinking declarations about how competitive the Premier League is. It has come from a growing financial gap since the early 2000s that has now been taken to extremes by the Abu Dhabi project at Manchester City. You need at least 85 points to properly challenge Pep Guardiola’s and probably over 90 – if not even higher – to beat them. “That team has the capacity to get 105 or 110 points,” Arteta warned. This is immensely demanding. Arsenal were the first club to reach 43 points after 16 games and not win the title. The default position at the start of any season is that City under Guardiola will win the title. In the end, they went on the unstoppable run everyone expected. Arsenal literally couldn’t compete against that, despite their own version early on. At least this season. Improve squad depth The true value of this campaign may be in highlighting to Arteta exactly where his team is short – and to use that knowledge to go one step further in the future. He has seen they lack depth overall, but also in key areas. While the variety of forwards means they can weather the loss of Gabriel Jesus, it doesn’t look like they can do similar with William Saliba and Martin Odegaard. They also need another strong midfielder - with the club set to battle West Ham’s Declan Rice this summer. The season has at least served to show what Arteta requires. Arsenal are also one of few clubs that at least have the resources and size to sustain something like a challenge over a medium-term spell. This is central to sizable summer ambitions, that involve a higher class of player. Arteta wants at least four. Arteta needs that: “What we have ahead of us next summer is extremely important and we have to absolutely nail it,” he said. Lock down key stars Two of Arsenal’s best players this season – Bukayo Saka and William Saliba – see their contracts run out next season. Saka is currently in negotiations and is expected to sign a new deal making him among the very highest earners at the club, but supporters will only relax when pen is put to paper for one of the best young wingers in Europe. The club have an option to extend Saliba’s contract for a further year, but will look to agree a new deal to tie down the 22-year-old centre-back for the long term. Gabriel Martinelli’s new contract has already been agreed but there remain deals to be done with Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Aaron Ramsdale and Takehiro Tomiyasu over the coming months too in order to keep the core of this squad together for years to come. Rewarding key players for their contribution to this title push while retaining a well-balanced wage structure will be a new challenge for Edu and the Arsenal hierarchy. Make tough decisions Granit Xhaka has been one of Arsenal’s players of the season, unquestionably one of the reasons for the club’s improvement this year. The midfielder’s journey from being booed off at the Emirates and to becoming a fan favourite is symbolic of what Arsenal have achieved this year - a clear reference point of where they came from to where they are now. And yet, it hasn’t been enough to get Arsenal to where they want to get to, and Xhaka is now symbolic of another phase of the journey. The midfielder is 30, he has one year left on his contract, and there is reportedly a £13m offer from Bayer Leverkusen on the table this summer. Arsenal need to twist, and selling Xhaka to recoup a fee is a necessary step as they plot moves for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo. It is therefore a crossroads both for Arsenal and Xhaka - a reminder of how brutal football can be, that the best times can end so suddenly, but the club needs to make tough decisions to take this team to another level. Learn from the experience Rewind 12 months and Arsenal’s collapse at Newcastle cost the Gunners fourth place and Champions League football. Few predicted Arteta’s side to challenge again and many assumed that the door had closed, only for Arsenal to make a spectacular start to the next season and exceed expectations by competing for the title. The fact that Arsenal are back in the Champions League is barely mentioned now, as was the rate of their progress under Arteta. If Arsenal were a year ahead of their development by competing for the title this year, next season may see the Gunners present a truer reflection of where they are at. Given that, the past few months will be invaluable for the squad and those costly draws at Liverpool and West Ham in April should strengthen their resolve when they face difficult moments next campaign. Arteta will set the standards. “The demands, the expectations, the challenges next season will be even higher,” he said. Read More Five titles in six years: Are Manchester City destroying the Premier League? Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win Pep Guardiola says Arsenal ‘took us to our limits’ and targets Champions League

As their soon-to-be former teammates formed a guard of honour on Saturday, there were four presentations in all, two for men in tracksuits, two for those who have distinguished themselves in Liverpool shirts over the last eight years and who wore them at Anfield for a final time. The scorer Roberto Firmino and James Milner, the thirty-somethings who are veterans of over 300 Liverpool appearances apiece, had bowed out as influential substitutes. For the younger duo of Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a watching brief felt sadly fitting. It is how they have spent much of their Liverpool careers: sometimes watching on from the bench, often from the stands. Neither has reached 150 appearances in all competitions, even including outings as a substitute. Keita has started 49 league games since his £52m move, or 26 per cent of those in his five years at Anfield, Oxlade-Chamberlain 46 in six, which is just 21 per cent. This season, the Englishman has played 335 Premier League minutes – just 10 per cent of Liverpool’s – and the Guinean 294, or 8.9 per cent. They have had spells as ever-presents on injury bulletins. They were both omitted from Liverpool’s Champions League squad in the autumn, even if the medical team’s pessimism about Oxlade-Chamberlain proved excessive, eventually rendering him fit but ineligible. “Four legends,” Jurgen Klopp had said, but it felt a generous description. Firmino qualifies; so, too, Milner, an unglamorous and often uncelebrated figure, belatedly got his own banner in the Kop. “Ribena for my men – we ride at dawn,” it read, a fine salute to a teetotaller defined by his physical power, willing spirit and leadership qualities. Liverpool, Klopp feels, will miss his mentality. “He sets a high, high bar,” said his manager. But there were heartfelt tributes and a sense of what might have been. The departing quartet fall into two categories: a pair who realised their potential and a duo who did not. It is not entirely their fault. Oxlade-Chamberlain’s Anfield career can be divided into two, though certainly not at the half-way point. He was electric for three months before suffering a cruciate ligament injury against Roma in the 2018 Champions League semi-finals, the dynamic, explosive attacking central midfielder he had always wanted to be. Though he had a fine 2019-20 season, he never recaptured that zest. Keita’s terrific debut against West Ham in 2018 proved a false dawn. He was sporadically excellent thereafter – by and large, he had an impressive 2021-22 season – but Klopp’s assessment last year that of his first 100 games, 80 of them were “really good” was not shared by many supporters. For some, Keita’s time on Merseyside was summed up by his shot in last season’s Champions League final: skied, it was a missed opportunity. For others, it may be epitomised by the Twitter thread of the five strangest reasons for his frequent absences, from getting hurt walking, to being injured on a plane, to a military coup. There was a farcical element but Liverpool could count the cost of two moves that went wrong. They have never had the margin for error that the Manchester clubs possess in the transfer market. For years, they got nearly all of their major signings correct, sometimes spectacularly. But Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain cost a combined £87m and will leave on free transfers. Each is in his twenties and, while it was not stated explicitly, was not offered a new deal. Klopp is a master of eloquent compliments, but Liverpool gave up on both. For years, camouflaged by the excellence of their elders, it mattered less than it might have done until, suddenly, it proved crucial. Six years after Liverpool agreed to sign both – they wanted Keita so much they waited a year for him to actually arrive – they were supposed to be the future of Liverpool’s midfield and the future arrived. Liverpool’s many midfielders this season fell into three categories: the thirty-somethings, the youngsters and the trio at their supposed peak, in their late twenties. But Fabinho has had an awful campaign and Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain were bit-part players, making a combined total of seven league starts, none before Boxing Day, none after February, none where they played 90 minutes, only two of which Liverpool won. Without them, it has been a season of makeshift midfields, of problems at the heart of the side. With Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson ageing, perhaps the plan was for this to be the season of Naby Keita: instead it ends with him being released. Liverpool lost the generation game; the next group, whether Stefan Bajcetic, Harvey Elliott or Curtis Jones, all had periods that showed their promise but those who were supposed to represent the present either regressed or simply were not available. A consequence is that much of Liverpool’s summer budget will be devoted to midfielders; with a need to split it to get more than one – which may not have been necessary had Keita flourished and earned a new deal – they won’t get Jude Bellingham. Their outlay could stretch into nine figures; in a sense, they will be looking to regenerate, to shape Klopp’s second side. In another respect, they are seeking to replace Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain, to find players of the quality they were supposed to show more often. But whether their eventual arrivals are Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister or Ryan Gravenberch and Conor Gallagher, the first ability they need to demonstrate is one Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain have lacked too often: availability. And preferably for at least 50 games a season. Read More Liverpool will still attract top talent across ‘exciting’ and ‘intense’ summer, Virgil van Dijk believes Roberto Firmino ends glorious Liverpool career with imperfect goodbye Jurgen Klopp admits Liverpool have not been good enough for top-four finish

Follow The Independent's live coverage of all the action in the FA Women’s Super League today. The WSL is the top tier of English women’s football with international players from all over the world plying their trade in one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues around. Chelsea have won three of the past four titles and Emma Hayes’ side will be right in the hunt again, with the likes of Arsenal - champions in 2018-19 – and Manchester City, who have been runners-up for each of the past four seasons, among their competitors. With the top three sides qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Champions League, all 12 WSL teams have plenty to play for, although some clubs’ main ambition will simply be to avoid the drop. The side who finish bottom will be relegated to the FA Women’s Championship – a fate that befell Bristol City in 2020-21 – and newly-promoted Leicester City, competing in the top flight of the women’s game for the first time, will be eager to avoid an immediate return. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Manchester City are looking to close out their home league fixtures in style when they clash with Chelsea for their final home game of the season at the Etihad Stadium. The pressure is off Pep Guardiola’s men as they secured a third successive Premier League title yesterday when Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest. The champions will use today’s match as a celebration with their supporters before getting back to work chasing the treble with the FA Cup and Champions League finals still to come. City, who have won the Premier League five times in the last six years, will lift the trophy at the Etihad after an impressive run in saw them overturn the Gunners’ eight point lead. Chelsea will hope to put a stop to the party atmosphere by earning a surprise victory against the newly crowned champions. Their form has been terrible under interim boss Frank Lampard the Blues have a talented squad that could yet spring a surprise on Guardiola’s league winners. Follow all the action as Man City host Chelsea in the Premier League: Read More Five titles in six years: Are Manchester City destroying the Premier League? Ilkay Gundogan praises Manchester City’s ‘special’ squad after title triumph Pep Guardiola’s five decisions that won Man City the Premier League

Follow live coverage as West Ham United face Leeds United in the Premier League today. Manchester City are reigning champions after beating Liverpool to the finish line in a neck-and-neck 2021/22 title race where a comeback win on the final day of the season against Aston Villa secured a fourth title in five years for Pep Guardiola's side. Jurgen Klopp's Reds were on course for a quadruple last season but were forced to settle for just an FA Cup and Carabao Cup win and will return trying to win the title again just as they did in 2020. It was a dramatic season for Chelsea a year ago with Roman Abramovich now replaced by Todd Boehly as owner in west London. He will want an instant return on his hefty investment at Stamford Bridge while Tottenham, back in the Champions League, will want to kick on once more too. It's not all about the action at the top though with Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest promoted to the top tier for 2021/22 and hoping to hold their own against the best English football has to offer and avoid the drop. We will bring you all the action and updates from today's game in the live blog below:

Nobody thought Arsenal would be here at this stage of the season, but that doesn’t make missing out on a first Premier League crown in 19 years, having exceeded all manner of expectations, any easier to take. Brighton had played their part in finishing Arsenal’s title aspirations off last weekend, but it is Manchester City who ultimately ensured the Gunners finally raised the white flag at the City Ground on Saturday, by doing what they do best – crushing the dreams of teams who dare to even attempt to go toe-to-toe with a force never seen before on our shores. Knowing even victory at Nottingham Forest would surely only delay the inevitable, Arsenal slumped to another defeat with a whimper, gifting City a third title in a row, a fifth in six years, without needing to kick a ball. The fact Arsenal got so close should be a real badge of honour. It just won’t feel like that right now. There were contrasting emotions among home supporters, however, as the win secured Forest’s Premier League survival with one game to spare, proving that holding your nerve and sticking with a manager you believe in, even when results are not going your way, can pay dividends in the end. The walk to the City Ground pre-match was more akin to a red-themed royal regatta than a football match, with supporters lining the River Trent as if waiting for their favourite crew to come rowing past. But a city expected. One more win would do. Home form has been crucial to giving Forest any hope of survival this season and supporters were going to make sure they did all they could to inspire an eighth home league victory – two more than Chelsea – on the waterfront. There were tifos that would have made the Yellow Wall blush and a rendition of Mull of Kintyre from deep within their souls to rouse the troops – the fans were ready. And, crucially, so were the players. It helped that Arsenal were a shadow of the high-octane force that threatened to end City’s stranglehold of the English top flight. Other than a Keylor Navas save at the feet of Gabriel Jesus and efforts from distance, the visitors did not really threaten to drag the title race out for another day in the first half, with motivation ostensibly in short supply. Win, the Labrador, had not worked his magic yet it seemed. The goal that eventually settled the contest, one that nearly lifted the roof of the rickety old stadium, was created by a familiar source, as the ever-excellent Morgan Gibbs-White slid the ball into the path of Taiwo Awoniyi, who benefitted from a poor slide-tackle attempt from Gabriel to divert the ball past Aaron Ramsdale and into the net. The Forest hitman has now scored five goals in his last three Premier League appearances, one more than he had in his first 23 games in the competition combined. There was still hope for the travelling Gunners faithful going into the second half, given their side had previously won three league matches this season when trailing at the break – a division high – but they remained shorn of ideas and belief. A smart save from Navas to deny Bukayo Saka after the interval threatened to raise hopes of another rousing recovery, but although the home nerves were jangling, Forest could see out the win that secured another top-flight campaign in relative comfort. Any other era and Liverpool would have three titles in the last five seasons, and Arsenal’s 19-year wait for another Premier League crown could well have been sealed at the City Ground in the Saturday sun. Instead, despite holding an eight-point lead over City as recently as the morning of April 8, with the Gunners having been top of the Premier League table for 248 days this season – the most days at the summit of the English top flight without having won it – Arsenal have nothing to show for a season of incredible progress. The fact of the matter is, City in beast mode with their inhumane hunger for glory simply cannot be tamed. The foundations have been well set by Mikel Arteta. But even given all they have done this term, Arsenal now have a summer to somehow take their game to another level, and some. The master, Pep Guardiola, will be waiting for his apprentice. Read More Nottingham Forest upset Arsenal to clinch safety and hand Manchester City title Manchester City win fifth Premier League in six seasons after Arsenal falter No celebrations planned if Man City win title without playing, Guardiola says Nottingham Forest upset Arsenal to clinch safety and hand Manchester City title Manchester City win Premier League after Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest Roy Hodgson humbled by response of Fulham and Crystal Palace supporters