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Both Newcastle and Brighton will be looking to finish their campaigns strongly as the two meet with the Premier League season nearing an end. The home side had looked in good position to make certain of a top four finish, but a defeat to Arsenal and draw against Leeds means Eddie Howe’s team cannot afford to stumble home with Liverpool closing fast. Newcastle have a game in hand on the fifth-placed side, but are now only one point ahead in third. Brighton, meanwhile, have European ambitions of their own - they still have four games to play and a win here would solidify their place in a Europa League qualification spot. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Newcastle vs Brighton? Newcastle vs Brighton is due to kick off at 7.30pm BST on Thursday 18 May at St James’ Park in Newcastle. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 7pm BST. Subscribers can also stream the action via Sky Go. Team news Newcastle are not thought to have any fresh injury concerns, with Matt Ritchie, Emil Krafth, Sean Longstaff and Jamaal Lascelles the current absentees from Eddie Howe’s squad. The manager paired Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson together against Leeds and could again deploy the pair in forward tandem. Roberto De Zerbi is dealing with a number of injuries, with the Brighton manager particularly short of options on the right side of his defence. There are no new complaints following the win over Arsenal, though, with Julio Enciso’s issue that forced his late removal in that fixture played down by De Zerbi at the conclusion of the match. Predicted line-ups Newcastle XI: Pope; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Joelinton, Guimaraes, Willock; Almiron, Wilson, Isak. Brighton XI: Steele; Caicedo, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Gross, Gilmour; Mitoma, Mac Allister, Enciso; Ferguson. Odds Newcastle win 21/20 Draw 3/1 Brighton win 5/2 Prediction A score draw. Newcastle 2-2 Brighton Read More Liverpool won’t let up in battle for top-four spot, says Jurgen Klopp Howard Webb keen to air more conversations between match officials and VARs Mikel Arteta apologises for Arsenal’s Brighton disaster - ‘You cannot do what we did’ From Netflix disaster to the Premier League? Sunderland seek to leave chaos behind Police charge Leeds fan with assault over Eddie Howe confrontation Fan confronts Howe in technical area during Newcastle’s draw at Leeds

Manchester City produced a sensational performance to defeat Real Madrid 4-0 at the Etihad and reach the Champions League final. Bernardo Silva scored twice as Pep Guardiola’s side blew the holders away in a breathtaking opening half. Eder Militao’s own goal late on ensured there would be no comeback this time from Real Madrid, before Julian Alvarez added a fourth in stoppage time. Here are how the players rated as City booked a final date with Inter Milan on June 10. Manchester City Ederson, 9 The goalkeeper had been a spectator until Toni Kroos hit a stunning drive from distance that Ederson managed to tip onto the bar. It was a crucial touch - and Bernardo doubled City’s lead moments later. Ederson’s save from David Alaba’s free kick in the second half was just as good. Kyle Walker, 9 The best defensive full-back in the world? On this evidence, absolutely. The right back was sensational against the wonderful Vinicius Junior, particularly with a key piece of tracking back in the first half. Ruben Dias, 9 Has Karim Benzema ever had a quieter game in the Champions League? Dias dominated the Real Madrid striker and clearly won their battle. Manuel Akanji, 9 Erling Haaland aside, he has a case to be the signing of the season. Just so solid defensively and comfortable on the ball. A superb individual defender and Rodrygo was anonymous. John Stones, 8 It’s just so audacious, really, for a centre back to step into a midfield of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos and not just hold your own but be a level above. Stones was magnificent. Rodri, 8 Just so good at making lots of very complicated passes and runs through midfield look so effortlessly simple. Seemed to have the most touches in the game, especially during City’s early dominance. Bernardo Silva, 9 Everywhere and excellent all at once. One of the performances of the season with and without the ball, terrorising the poor Edouardo Camavinga and never allowing Madrid a moment to settle. Two goals as well? An incredible player. Kevin De Bruyne, 9 Picked out a stunning pass for Bernardo’s opener and was as dangerous as you would expect from pretty much every position and angle on the pitch. His vision is out of this world and he produced a second assist of the night with his free-kick that went in off Militao. Ilkay Gundogan, 8 His awareness, particularly when close to his own goal, is wonderful. Cruised through a lot of the game. Booked for a lunge on Vinicius. Jack Grealish, 7 The winger gave Davi Carvajal a torrid time and his work rate was excellent once again. His delivery was perhaps not as dangerous as it could have been. Erling Haaland, 7 Should have had the opener but was denied by the brilliant Courtois - twice, and then for a third time in the second half! Haaland was ultimately denied even if he repeatedly troubled Eder Militao before then. Manchester City were still superior. Substitutes Riyad Mahrez: Added fresh legs with the tie beyond Madrid. 6 Phil Foden: Like Mahrez, brought on to cause similar discomfort and provided the assist for City’s fourth. 6 Julian Alvarez: A late run around quickly turned into a fine, low finish to make it 4-0. 6 Real Madrid Thibaut Courtois, 9 Produced a stunning save to deny Halaand’s header from close range - and then came up with an even better one to again stop Haaland’s header. One of the best saves you’ll see. Dani Carvajal, 4 The right back looked terrified of Grealish and dealt with him by backing off. Eder Militao, 4 Looked to match Antonio Rudiger’s intensity and aggression in his duel against Haaland, but struggled to get the balance right. Often left gaps in behind. David Alaba, 5 The versatile defender had to make a couple of last-ditch headers at the back post but the problems stemmed from in front of him. Forced an excellent save out of Ederson with a dipping free-kick. Eduardo Camavinga, 4 Involved in an intense battle with Bernardo that he would probably rather forget. City targeted his side. Federico Valverde, 3 Completely anonymous in the first half and barely had a touch. Toni Kroos, 4 The midfielder had Madrid’s first shot and he was unlucky with what was a brilliant effort from range. Struggled with the movement around him in midfield. Luka Modric, 4 A difficult night for the peerless Modric - who like Kross was overwhelmed by City’s pace and passing. The fact he was taken off after an hour was telling. Rodrygo, 3 Another Madrid no-show. The hero from last year’s semi-final was barely involved, but he was not the only one. Karim Benzema, 2 No chances, no threat, no comeback from Madrid’s talisman - the difference from last season is quite remarkable. Vinicius Junior, 4 The dangerous winger spent too long being forced back towards his box in the first half and then couldn’t break free from the excellent Walker when he was afforded space. Substitutes Antonio Rudiger: Surprisingly dropped to the bench, the damage had been done when he came on. 6 Marco Asensio: Did little of note. 5 Aurelien Tchouameni Fresh legs in midfield as Carlo Ancelotti looked to stymie City. 5 Lucas Vazquez: In for booked Carvajal against slippery Grealish. 5 Dani Ceballos: Part of triple change aimed at damage limitation. 5 Read More Man City reach perfection with Real Madrid humiliation that raises complicated questions Bernardo Silva’s unique talents lead Man City’s evisceration of Real Madrid Man City’s greatest Champions League night, Real Madrid need Jude Bellingham and five things we learned Real Madrid at critical juncture after impotent Champions League exit Man City reach perfection with Real Madrid humiliation that raises complex questions We had to swallow poison – Pep Guardiola delighted to get revenge on Real Madrid

Two games down, one point earned, two fixtures remaining. Sam Allardyce’s task at Leeds United was never going to be an easy one, and now looks harder still despite doing what he had hoped for prior to hosting Newcastle United on Saturday - namely getting some type of result. An eventual 2-2 draw only scratches the surface of a match of a madness, on the pitch and beside it. Three penalties, two scored; one fan, confronting Eddie Howe; deflected goals, missed chances, one comeback and then another. The build-up to the game had been faux-dominated by the touchline presence of Newcastle’s assistant, bizarrely; Jason Tindall might have made tongue-in-cheek headlines ahead of kick-off but this fixture was only ever likely to be about what Allardyce could get out of his players, instead. And, it’s fair to note, he got plenty out of them. Hard work, an energetic start, good organisation through the centre of the park, runners up in support of the forward: it’s likely Allardyce feels he saw enough of his own instructions carried out to have warranted a victory for his team. Except, there’s another side to Leeds. The reason they were fun to watch at first, and then a nightmare. The reason they are in the Premier League relegation zone with two left to play. They are a team of absolute madness, of chaos and ill-advised decisions, and it is this more than anything related to Newcastle’s own quality which meant the three points didn’t stay at Elland Road. Leeds have had three very different managers with very different approaches in the last couple of seasons, even before Allardyce’s appointment. His is a routine and obvious one: plug gaps in double-quick time. Make the team difficult to beat. Scrape points to survive; in other words, perform his firefighting routine but with even less room to manoeuvrethan usual. An easy job description, but a supremely difficult job. And that would be in the normal course of events. But this is Leeds. This is a team built on instinct and adventure, on emotion, on trying to learn new coaching and tactical instructions every few months this season. All of that combined has only added to the chaotic nature of the squad, which is already a mentally brittle one which lacks composure or control. How else to explain a match in which not losing is of paramount importance, yet a team still manages to give away two penalties, miss one of their own and receive a red card between them? That’s even without going into the minutae of the game. Weston McKennie could have conceded another spot-kick for an aerial barge. Junior Firpo could have been dismissed long before he actually was. Then there’s the off-pitch comments from the boss himself. It’s tough to know what the real gameplan here from Allardyce was, and whether or not it worked. Comparing himself to Pep Guardiola and the like was never likely to be more than a sideshow, and he says it worked as it relieved pressure from his players. So would they otherwise have been beaten by more goals in that match than they were? Allardyce didn’t match, or out-coach, Guardiola. His team didn’t earn a shock result as a consequence of being freed from scrutiny. And another game later, they’ve brought even more focus back on themselves as a result of further poor decision-making. Even so, it’s hard not to make a case that a step forward was still taken against Newcastle, not just because of the point earned, but because they started the match in positive fashion and ended it by earning a point they looked to have thrown away themselves. Getting more men ahead of the ball and into the area was a notable alteration. The use of McKennie further forward, the aggressive stepping out of defence when needed, the quick switches through midfield - these all benefited Leeds during the match. But the madness didn’t this time. The silly challenges, the unnecessary aggression in non-threatening positions, the wasted moments of panic in the final third - Leeds cannot afford them any longer. For Allardyce, a pragmatist with little rope right now, it might simply be a case of not having certain players in the team is the only way to fix it in the time he has. Some of this is already happening: Illan Meslier has been removed from the side. Firpo will now be forced to follow suit through suspension. Results have to come and while Allardyce looks to have put a few elements in place which can help secure them, Leeds’ own habit of shooting themselves in the foot is not one he has time to rectify. Individual sacrifices, rather than cultural turnarounds, will need be the order of the day if they are to survive. Read More Ex-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa gets new coaching job Police charge Leeds fan with assault over Eddie Howe confrontation Fan confronts Howe in technical area during Newcastle’s draw at Leeds Leeds keep chaotic season alive with late draw against Newcastle Leeds vs Newcastle LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Leeds win over Newcastle would leave Allardyce ‘50 per cent’ sure of survival

It’s 22 years and counting since Coventry City last graced the Premier League, over two decades of ups and downs, necessary ups as a result of downs, a whole chapter and more of club history written outside of the game’s elite. Once, the Sky Blues were synonymous with top-flight football, iconic Nineties names – if not always quite among the elite – throughout the team. They lined up for the first Premier League campaign, in 1992/93, and stayed a part of that fledgling top flight for the first nine years, finishing in the bottom half each term but always there, always a tough opponent, always carrying players with a backstory, a big future, or both. But an entire generation of football fans have never seen Coventry among the top clubs. A sea change has happened at England’s highest level since they were on the scene; they departed in 2001, two years before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and could now return one year after he sold it. While billions were moved around in the transfer market and in broadcast deals in Coventry’s absence, they embarked on an altogether more painful journey; should they complete the comeback on 27 May and win the EFL Championship play-off final they will become the first team to go from the Premier League all the way down to the fourth tier... and come all the way back up again. Before they can dream of all that, though, they must overcome Middlesbrough in the second leg of a two-legged semi final. The first leg, on home soil, was a goalless draw. A generation back, that would have been Highfield Road. For those who haven’t followed the fortunes and failings of Coventry’s ownership since then, that memorable old ground – where they played for over a century – was demolished in 2005. They moved to the Ricoh Arena, but less than 10 years later there were leasing issues and disagreements, resulting in the team spending a season at Sixfields in Northampton, 33 miles away. A return to within the city limits lasted only another few years, with the 2019/20 and 20/21 campaigns spent playing home games at Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s stadium – this time 23 miles away, and in the opposite direction to Sixfields. Two seasons back at the renamed Ricoh (now the Coventry Building Society Arena) have followed, with a 10-year deal to play there seemingly securing the club’s future at the ground – but the stadium owners have since been bought out and Coventry now only have an agreement to stay at the stadium until the end of this campaign. Investment group Sisu Capital bought the Sky Blues in 2007 to stop them going out of business, but under Ray Ranson’s chairmanship the club floundered on and off the pitch. Liquidation and relegation to League Two painted a bleak picture; the EFL Trophy in 2017 and promotion back to League One in 2018 offered a glimpse of hope. Doug King, a local businessman, finally completed a full takeover just a few months ago and immediately insisted on a future of “transparency and clarity”, noting there was no debt on the club and no interest would be payable on loans provided to it. However, he was unable to secure the purchase of the stadium, leaving work to do there for next season. Yet even that question mark only becomes cause for excitement if Coventry can pull off the most improbable of finishes to this campaign. When King took sole ownership on 27 January – just four months to the day before the play-off final – Coventry sat 15th in the Championship. They had won nine games all season, and lost 10. They had a negative goal difference. Their first game of the new era took place the next day and they won – and they have done so, again and again, in nine of their last 19, losing only twice. Mark Robins has managed a minor miracle in that most mad-cap of leagues, while it’s worth noting that the final day of the regular season saw them play away at the team they now face twice more in the play-offs. A 1-1 draw at Boro didn’t give much away for either side, while Coventry won the early-season meeting on home soil. Robins, of course, is the former striker who – as myth, legend or partial truth tells it – saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s career at Manchester United in those pre-trophy early seasons, scoring a goal in a must-win FA Cup clash which might otherwise have seen the Scot sacked. Robins went on to play for Norwich and Leicester, before a nomadic final decade or so in the game. This spell with Coventry, his second with the club, is his sixth coaching job. He is just three games away from giving the fans their best occasion in decades. And they have had plenty of those memorable occasions before. This is the club of Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan, Darren Huckerby, Robbie Keane. And before that, of Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, Roy Wegerle, Gary McAllister and Peter Ndlovu. They were genuinely exciting, talented, committed players who could certainly have played for the biggest sides – some indeed went on to do so – had that era been like this one, where top clubs swoop continuously on any of those below them who fare well. Now it is instead to Viktor Gyokeres, Gustavo Hamer and Callum Doyle the fans will look, in hope and in anguish, that a long and difficult road might be just weeks from the final corner. What lays around it is almost entirely unknown, yet it could also in many ways mark the most incredible full-circle journey the Premier League era has seen. Read More Michael Carrick on the brink of managerial success with Middlesbrough, unlike old England teammates Coventry’s Mark Robins feels pressure is on Middlesbrough in play-off second leg How to watch Championship play-offs Coventry and Middlesbrough fail to land early blow in Championship play-off semi-final Coventry and Middlesbrough fail to land blow in Championship play-off semi-final Kitman Chris Marsh overcomes illness to help support Coventry’s promotion push How to watch Championship play-offs

The Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has raised his bid for Manchester United by making a fourth and last-ditch offer for the club, which is understood to be closer to £5 billion. The businessman has made a late intervention after the lifelong United fan, and petrochemicals billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had submitted his third bid which valued United at a higher figure. As with all of Sheikh Jassim’s previous proposals, he is trying to buy 100 percent of the club, where the Glazer family are current majority shareholders. The Qatari has also pledged to clear United’s debt of £536 million and has promised a separate fund directed at the club and the community. Ratcliffe’s most recent bid allowed Joel and Avram Glazer, two of the six siblings whose father, Malcolm, bought the club in 2005, to retain a stake while aiming to complete a takeover in the next few years. The American merchant bank the Raine Group are overseeing the process for the Glazers. There have been three previous rounds of bids, without seeming to meet the Glazers’ valuation, though Ratcliffe had emerged as the favourite to complete a deal. Read More Eddie Howe: Football must learn from my confrontation with fan Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving You’re asking the wrong person – Emma Hayes not interested in title permutations

Long after the final whistle blew at San Siro, that welcome sound gave way to a more wondrous noise as the old ground shook and the celebrations showed no sign of abating. The curva nord was still full with ultras, belting out club anthems. That was all to serenade the extended squad, club hierarchy and their families, who were all still on the pitch. In classic celebration scenes, the children of the players were at the other end having a game among themselves. You could have been forgiven for thinking they’d won the final itself. A cynical view would be that was precisely what this was, since they eliminated their greatest rivals, and the expectation is that either Manchester City or Real Madrid will just cruise to victory in Istanbul. The defiant nature of Inter’s performance might indicate such complacency would be a mistake, but it’s still hard to deny that as much of this was just about getting there again: a victory in itself. Inter have had far longer waits to get back to the European Cup final, going 38 years between 1972 and the treble of 2010, but those periods never felt like they would be endless. Not when you could parade some of the best stars in the world, among them Ronaldo. They were always close. That hasn't been the case since 2010, especially as the elite end of the Champions League has got so much narrower. There have been times in the last few years - and never more than right now - where it has felt like the list of realistic potential champions gets smaller every season. In this campaign, it is as if that group consists of only the English clubs, as well as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and maybe Paris Saint-Germain due to Kylian Mbappe and Qatari wealth. Internazionale just wouldn’t have been included, not least because their financial scope has got smaller. It isn’t exactly a fairytale, mind. The ownership has changed twice since 2010, with ongoing questions over the current situation under Suning. That period has also seen the club overspend in a manner that now requires significant sales in the summer, not to mention European qualification itself, and has echoes of the club’s recent past. It's all been to keep up with a financial arms race constantly getting further away. As if to sum up so much, the Inter shirt doesn’t currently have a sponsor because the club say the cryptocurrency brand that previously adorned the black and white stripes did not pay them. And yet that situation, a little like this whole campaign, offered a throwback that almost came about by accident and adaptation rather than design. It’s an old-fashioned look for an old-fashioned sort of victory. The sense of history to all of that was also unmistakable. You can feel it right around the stadium and in all those celebrations. By winning this tie, Inter have reached their sixth European Cup final. That puts them just above Manchester United again. It leaves them well ahead of Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Paris Saint-Germain, all of whom would see themselves as prospective challengers for this historic competition going forward. The trophy tends to follow the money, after all. That is also why, for all these complications, there is something compellingly thrilling about this. It is not to say that the truest value in sporting triumph comes when the grand old institutions win. It is more that something has gone wrong if a club like Inter - let alone 99% of the continent - can be locked out of the top level. Their previous glory does restore a prestige, though, that could be felt around the city in the hours after the game and well into the early morning. When the ultras and families finally left San Siro, it just ensured the sound of deafening firecrackers nearby. Raucous singing could now be heard all around the stadium and the city. Only a half of Milan was celebrating, but it oddly made European football feel that bit bigger again. Read More Inter Milan have already made it clear how they’ll aim to win Champions League final Budget building and back to the future tactics have Inter Milan among the elite once more Inter vs AC Milan player ratings: Lautaro Martinez and Francesco Acerbi star for Nerazzurri Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving Back to the future tactics have Inter Milan among the elite once more Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League

Before every home game, Luton Town’s club shop is teeming. The little building perched outside Kenilworth Road is like a temporary prefab classroom and inside it’s cosy: once you’ve bought a shirt or a mug or a woolly hat then you best be on your way to make room for someone else. It is a different world to the extravagance of the Premier League. Tottenham, for example, boast the largest club shop in Europe: half an acre of sheer Spursy-ness, selling everything from Spurs-encrusted party bowls to the Spurs Monopoly board game, complete with a 100-seat auditorium to consume even more Spurs from the comfort of a soft chair. These two clubs seem to exist on different planets, and yet they could well be rivals in the same league next season. Luton have climbed here by consistently punching above their weight. The club’s entire wage budget, around £6m, would buy one Manchester City sub. They are always swimming against the tide and the small but mighty Kenilworth Road is a monument to that – intimate and intense, like a particularly atmospheric cow shed, with 10,000 seats that sound like 50,000 when the linesman fails to spot a foul throw. Luton’s long-awaited move to a new venue at Power Court is still a couple of years away. So should they win promotion – having advanced to the play-off final after victory over Sunderland, this is a distinct possibility – what on earth will the Premier League giants make of a ground where away fans file through an alleyway and up a metal staircase that hangs over neighbouring gardens? “They will think it’s a tip,” smiles Alex, a Luton season-ticket holder in the club shop. He has been coming here since 2005, sitting in the same seat since he was three years old. “But it’s our tip.” *** Despite his reputation as one of the brightest managers in the Football League, Rob Edwards was expecting some hate from Luton fans when he took charge in November. He had only recently left Watford, their bitter rivals, and so when he sat down for his first press conference as the new man in charge of Luton Town, all he could do was try to defuse a potentially volatile situation. “It’s not as if I left Watford a club legend,” he joked. Edwards was referring to the way he was spat back out by Watford after only 11 games, a familiar story for managers who dare work for the trigger-happy Pozzo family. But far from holding a grudge, Luton fans seemed to get a kick out of sticking one to their rivals. “Welcome Rob,” read a banner at his first game away at Middlesbrough, which soothed some anxiety. His first home game at Kenilworth Road, a Boxing Day win over Norwich City, finished with the entire ground singing his name. It would prove to be the first win of many, with only two league defeats for the rest of the campaign meaning Luton finished third in the Championship and got themselves into the play-offs for the second successive season. A club with a tight-knit staff and limited funds have improved their league position every year for eight in a row, climbing from the Conference in 2014 to the upper echelons of the Championship, and now they are within touching distance of the top tier for the first time in 30 years. At the heart of their rise is continuity – midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu has been with the club from non-league – and careful planning. Losing manager Nathan Jones to Southampton was a sudden bruise, but Edwards was already on the radar. Luton had analysed his League Two-winning year in charge of Forest Green Rovers and found it was no fluke – the underlying numbers showed a manager deploying the kind of fast, aggressive football that Luton themselves used to dominate Leagues One and Two. They analysed his 11 games at Watford too, and discovered some good things in the team Edwards was building, despite the quick sacking. Preparation has been key in the transfer market too. Led by club legend Mick Harford, chief scout Phil Chapple and analyst Jay Socik, Luton have made a habit of identifying smart signings from across the Football League and some inspired loans from the Premier League too. Right-back James Bree left the club in January but Luton seamlessly replaced him with Cody Drameh on loan from Leeds, and the addition of Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba has brought solidity in midfield. Buying Carlton Morris from Barnsley last summer was crucial, and he has racked up a career-best 20 league goals. They recruit a specific Luton type: as well as being technically sound and a good character, they have to be athletic, able to withstand a high tempo for 90 minutes and out-run their opposition. After all, this is what Luton are: a club who extract every last drop from whatever they have. No Championship side have won more tackles in the final third than Luton this season, and the result is a team that are often hard and horrible to play against. Edwards has found a balance between a pragmatic approach and a team who can play football too. A direct route to goal is always an option with the power and strength of Morris and the imposing Elijah Adebayo up front, and Luton have found they don’t need to dominate possession to win games. That might be a useful trait in the Premier League. But what really stands out is how Luton are run off the pitch. There is no billionaire benefactor here: the club were saved by their own fans and now they are supporter-owned, and the people in charge – chief executive Gary Sweet, chairman David Wilkinson and majority stakeholder Paul Ballantyne – are deeply invested in its future. As one member of staff told The Independent: “Our owners give a s**t, and that isn’t always the case in football.” *** One staff member, Bill Cole, has worked for Luton for five years and has been visiting Kenilworth Road for 76. He will miss it, but he won’t shed a tear when it’s gone. He reels off more than half a century’s worth of new stadium plans that ended in disappointment, and says Power Court is exactly what the club has been crying out for, for far too long. “I hope they build a metal pillar in front of the press box to remind us of The Kenny,” he smiles. At full-time of a late-April clash against fellow high-flyers Middlesbrough, buoyant Luton fans poured out into the narrow streets that run down the hill to town following a 2-1 victory. It was a crucial moment in ensuring Luton finished third, and Boro fourth to face Coventry. If these two sides are to contest the play-off final – the so-called richest game in football – then perhaps this win has set the tone. Cole has seen it all before, though, and has a warning. “In 1959 we played Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup final,” he remembers. “Two weeks earlier we’d played them here at Kenilworth Road and we stuffed them 4-0. But at Wembley, we never showed up.” But win or lose the play-offs, Luton are unlikely to change too much. They are going in the right direction and their progress is a result not of vast investment but of sound stewardship. Amid the game’s financial bonanza benefitting a few elite clubs, Luton are showing that there is still a place for a little meritocracy in football. Read More Luton Town one game from Premier League after comeback win over Sunderland How to watch Championship play-offs Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving Dimitar Berbatov warns Harry Kane not to ‘tarnish’ Tottenham legacy by leaving I don’t blame English fans for cynicism over US investment – Burnley’s JJ Watt Arsenal and Leverkusen in ‘advanced talks’ over Granit Xhaka deal

Inter Milan are the first club set for the 2023 Champions League final, after knocking out city rivals AC Milan with a 1-0 victory in the second leg. The goalkeepers were the stars of the show in the first half, both making fine stops, but the breakthrough finally came with just 15 minutes to play as Lautaro Martinez hammered in at the near post to seal a 3-0 aggregate win. Here are the player ratings from the second leg in the San Siro: Inter Milan Andre Onana - 7. Big save early on from Diaz. Not too troubled thereafter and always a safe pair of hands. Matteo Darmian - 7. Dealt comfortably with any threats down his side of the defensive trio. Francesco Acerbi - 8. Rugged, aggressive and dominant. Beat Giroud in the air every time. A little fortunate not to get caught purposely stepping on an opponent’s foot, though. Alessandro Bastoni - 7. Solid enough at the back. Wasn’t really called upon to do a huge amount of one-v-one work but his positional play, strength and passing from deep all meant Milan just couldn’t get through easily. Denzel Dumfries - 7. Again an impressive outing as he covered ground, dragged play upfield and shut down Leao when he needed to. Nicolo Barella - 7. The usual mix of aggression, bursts into the channel and good work to support the attack. A bit hot-headed, picked up a booking and caused a few ructions. Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 6. Carried the ball well a few times and got into a couple of dangerous positions but went off injured before half time. Hakan Calhanoglu - 6. Neat in possession, sensible with his forward runs. Mostly played a protective game in the centre and let Barella break beyond him. Federico Dimarco - 6. Not his best game on the ball but had plenty of times where he was a good outlet for the team and drove upfield at pace. Lautaro Martinez - 8. Full of running and clever touches in deep areas. Went close in the first half and then found the breakthrough with a drilled, low shot which beat Maignan at the near post. Edin Dzeko - 6. Hard-working and had a couple of sighters, but more about his hold-up play than penalty box prowess this time. Subs: M Brozovic 6, R Lukaku 8, R Gosens 6, J Correa n/a, R Gagliardini n/a AC Milan Mike Maignan - 7. Two excellent first-half saves highlighted his shot-stopping ability and good positional work. Beaten near post for the goal but it was a rocket from close range. Davide Calabria - 5. Started the game well but never really had much impact going forward. Malick Thiaw - 6. Fared better than Simon Kjaer did in the first leg with better power and speed in the channel, but after a booking had to be replaced. Fikayo Tomori - 7. Again, better than he played in the first fixture but the damage was already done there. He had a pretty decent outing but still couldn’t help keep a clean sheet. Theo Hernandez - 6. One of Milan’s biggest underperformers across the two legs, given what he’s capable of. Had an early shot and tracked back well plenty of times but ultimately got nowhere going forward. Sandro Tonali - 7. One brilliant driving run down the left created Milan’s best early opening. Was the one really trying to drive the team forward for most of the match but too few matched his endeavour. Rade Krunic - 6. Harder-working than last week but no better with playing forward. Left massive gaps which Barella just rampaged through. Junior Messias - 5. Like the rest of the attack, the Brazilian had a couple of decent individual moments but nowhere near enough positive team play or combinations. Brahim Diaz - 5. Massive chance in the opening minutes, on target but saved. Other than the first 15 minutes he was largely anonymous. Rafael Leao - 5. In and out of the game first half but fired one great strike across the face of goal. Totally marginalised second half and faded away. Olivier Giroud - 5. No service, no real hold-up play, no chance of beating Acerbi and no threat on goal. Subs: P Kalulu 5, A Saelemaekers 5, D Origi 5 Read More Inter Milan have already made it clear how they can win the Champions League Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid unfazed by airport delay before Man City clash Inter Milan vs AC Milan LIVE: Result and reaction Being confronted by fans and returning star driving AC Milan bid to reverse history Bundesliga title battle continues as Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund ease to wins On this day in 2006: Liverpool win thrilling FA Cup final against West Ham

Inter Milan are on course to reach the Champions League final after taking a two-goal lead in their semi-final tie against local rivals AC Milan. A strong first-half performance saw Simone Inzaghi’s side secured their advantage thanks to goals from Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. As both teams play their home matches at the San Siro tonight’s encounter is an almost carbon-copy of the first leg. The difference being that most of the crowd inside the San Siro will be Inter fans as they are the designated hosts this evening. Based on their performance in the first leg AC Milan have serious work to do. Though they improved in the second half Milan were short of threat in front of goal all evening and with them needing to cut a two-goal deficit they cannot afford to be as wasteful tonight. Stefano Pioli will be overjoyed by the return of Rafael Leao. The forward has been passed fit to play after recovering from injury and will be required to play a key role if his side are to reach the European showcase. Follow all the action as Inter and Milan clash in the Champions League semi-final: Read More Being confronted by fans and returning star driving AC Milan bid to reverse history Glorious Milan derby proves football does not need Super League Aymeric Laporte says treble-chasing Manchester City ‘deserve many things’

In stark contrast to their money-laden neighbours, Sunderland are within touching distance of the Premier League’s riches with one of the youngest squads in the Championship. Holding a 2-1 advantage over Luton after the first leg of their semi-final, the Hatters stand in their way of reaching the richest game in football – the play-off final – and the means to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds available to those who play in England’s top flight. The Black Cats spent a decade in the Premier League, before they were relegated with four games remaining at the end of the 2016-17 season. Sunderland’s plight is better known than most, in large part due to Netflix’s Sunderland ‘Til I Die fly-on-the-wall documentary which started with optimism of an immediate return to the top tier, but instead catalogued the disastrous, often embarrassing relegation to League One. That documentary helped inspire Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to buy Wrexham but now the Black Cats are hunting a Hollywood fairytale of their own. The third level of the English footballing pyramid is arguably one of the most difficult divisions to escape, as Leeds too found in recent years, and Sunderland finished in the play-offs three times before moving back into the Championship in the 2021-22 season. However, Tony Mowbray is on the brink of something extraordinary. After Alex Neil’s departure on 21 August to take charge of Stoke – despite having led the Black Cats back into the second tier – Sunderland have flourished. Despite having one of the youngest squads in the Championship, with an average age of just 23.4 years, they are unbeaten in their last 10 matches. The Hatters’ meteoric rise eclipses even that of Sunderland, having been outside the Football League as recently as the 2013-14 season, though they are more established in the Championship, playing in their third season. But Sunderland will be encouraged by their 1-1 draw with Premier League side Fulham in the FA Cup – although the Cottagers made a number of changes from their usual starting XI – and Mowbray has argued against those who believe promotion would come too soon for his youthful side. They have the potential. And a 46,000 seater stadium with passionate fans who would relish the opportunity to take on their old rivals Newcastle in the first northeast derby since March 2016. However, Sunderland – if they return – will be returning to a wholly different local footballing landscape. While they have travelled to Grimsby and Port Vale, their local rivals are on the cusp of a return to the heights of Europe and have become one of the richest football clubs in the world. In contrast, Sunderland have had a chaotic near-constant change of ownership which has been a source of contention for the fans. Their path to the play-offs was also far from straightforward, having started the final round of matches outside the top six, but Millwall’s capitulation from a two-goal lead to suffering a 4-3 defeat against Blackburn, who went into the game without a win in eight, allowed Sunderland to sneak into sixth. Securing promotion could also be a fitting final tribute for Manchester United’s Amad Diallo, who scored at the Stadium of Light last week, and Paris Saint Germain’s Edouard Michut. Diallo has netted 14 times this season in 41 appearances and is likely to be welcomed back to Old Trafford after impressing during his spell on loan. Sunderland have the experience and they won a play-off final as recently as last year, but the knockout matches are notoriously difficult and Luton will prove tough opposition tonight at Kenilworth Road. Read More Coventry City aiming to come full circle after journey to hell and back When are the play-offs? A tiny ground and a squad costing less than a Man City sub. So how are Luton within reach of the Premier League? Manchester City remember a legend and Real Madrid prepare for Euro showdown Curtis Jones relishing Liverpool run after keeping the faith during ‘tough time’ How Luton Town climbed to within touching distance of the Premier League

Former Manchester United executive vice-chair Ed Woodward has accepted a first job since departing Old Trafford last year. Woodward has joined the board of educational esports company EStars as a non-executive director. EStars is “at the heart of the fastest-growing sport in the world”, using esports to bring classmates together, both during and after school hours, to foster great academic goals, inclusion, diversity and positive outcomes. Ex-Newcastle, Netherlands and current Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul has been a shareholder in the company since its inception in 2017 and Woodward explained his decision to accept the new role. He said: “When you put together esports, education and a dynamic region such as the Middle East, where curriculum decisions can be made faster than Europe, it is a recipe for success. “Joining the team is an easy decision when you add the exceptional leadership and entrepreneurial energy of Mags [founder Mags Byrne]. I’m excited about EStars delivering a path of learning for the next generation in the (relatively) new industry of esports.” Having qualified as a chartered accountant and then worked at JPMorgan as an investment banker, Woodward joined Man United in 2005 to oversee their commercial operations, having advised the Glazer family on their purchase of the club. He was appointed to the board of directors in 2008 and became executive vice-chair in 2013 when David Gill retired. He became an incredibly unpopular figure at Old Trafford due to his association with a Glazer regime that fans turned against and despite the £1bn he sanctioned in transfer fees, his tenure is regarded as a failure, with the club struggling on the pitch – in relative terms at least – in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. It has been mooted that he could help the Glazer family negotiate any potential sale of Manchester United as the takeover saga drags on. Read More What would a Sir Jim Ratcliffe takeover mean for Manchester United Erik ten Hag unsure what funds will be available to strengthen Man Utd’s squad Louis Van Gaal suggests Ed Woodward’s departure from Man Utd could spell success