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Another season of Premier League thrills and spills is coming to an end, and it is that time of year when our writers run the rule of who flew and who flopped in this campaign. Erling Haaland took his first season in England by storm as Manchester City held off an unexpected challenge by Arsenal to win the title, their fifth in six seasons. Newcastle outstripped all predictions to finish in the top four, Brighton and Aston Villa produced outstanding campaigns despite managerial changes, while Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all toiled. At the other end of the table, Leeds United sacked Marcelo Bielsa but couldn’t revive their season under Javi Gracia, Everton and Leicester struggled as Frank Lampard and Brendan Rodgers paid the price with their jobs too, while Southampton sank. Here are our writers’ end-of-season awards, and if you’d like a laugh you can take a look back at our pre-season predictions too. Player of the season Miguel Delaney: Erling Haaland. It can only be one, due to that number of goals. A month earlier and it might have been Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka but Haaland has personified City’s unprecedented force. Richard Jolly: Kevin De Bruyne. There were points this season, safe in the knowledge the extraordinary Erling Haaland would win the awards, when I considered voting for Bukayo Saka or Marcus Rashford. In the end, I went for the outstanding individual in the two games against Arsenal which decided the title and the player whose best is better than anyone else’s, in De Bruyne. Lawrence Ostlere: Erling Haaland. A look back at some pre-season predictions is a useful reminder that few thought Haaland would hit the ground running in his first season, let alone run away with the Golden Boot. He edges out Arsenal’s midfield, Newcastle’s defence and Harry Kane. Jack Rathborn: Erling Haaland. A goal every 75 minutes. Astonishing. Karl Matchett: Erling Haaland. Doesn’t feel as though there will be huge arguments to the contrary... Alex Pattle: Martin Odegaard. I’ll admit that this is partly for the sake of variety, but in any case... The Norway international is still just 24 but legitimately emerged as one of the best midfielders in the world this season. Even when a young Arsenal team were faltering, he nearly dragged them to the Premier League title when he had no right to, contributing 15 goals and seven assists. A real joy to watch when he’s pulling the thread to fray defences. Jamie Braidwood: Erling Haaland. Video game numbers – but shout out to Marcus Rashford, whose form after coming back from the World Cup was extraordinary, capping a tremendous comeback campaign after the lows of last season. Sonia Twigg: Erling Haaland. It feels a bit like jumping on the bandwagon here but I can’t overlook Erling Haaland. Some players struggle to adapt to the Premier League and he’s taken to it better than anyone expected and blown records away in the process. Luke Baker: Erling Haaland. I’ll be contrarian for the sake of variety in some of the other categories but I’ve got to establish credibility early on and any answer other than Erling Haaland (*cough* Alex *cough*) is just factually incorrect. Kieran Jackson: Erling Haaland. The most clinical No 9 the Premier League has ever seen? Perhaps. All it took was a below-par Community Shield performance for the doubters to surface. How silly they all look now. Michael Jones: Erling Haaland. It’s the boring choice but it couldn’t have been anyone else after such an incredible year. Can he replicate it next season? Manager of the season MD: Roberto De Zerbi. It feels like almost every coach who hasn’t been sacked has a claim to be manager of the season but De Zerbi stands out for three reasons: one was immense overachievement with a club who have grown organically, all the more so as it was without a pre-season. Two is the dazzling football played. Three is the reason for that football, which was genuine innovation. RJ: Gary O’Neil. If Manchester City win the treble, it is Pep Guardiola. For now, however, this vote goes to the Bournemouth boss: he took over a side that had just lost 9-0, whose previous manager was open in his belief the players were not good enough and when he had never been a manager before. And, in a division featuring some of the world’s best managers, O’Neil kept Bournemouth up with several games to go. LO: Mikel Arteta. They were widely predicted to finish fifth or sixth but Arsenal were the best team in the Premier League for a large chunk of the season, playing the kind of football that only comes from being extremely well-coached on the training pitch, and Arteta should get great credit for that. JR: Eddie Howe. The manner in which Pep Guardiola guides City to a treble might see him overtake Howe if all competitions are considered. But Newcastle’s top-four finish in the Premier League was a tougher feat than a fifth title in six years for City. KM: Eddie Howe. To lose fewer and concede fewer than everybody but the champions will be a formidable achievement, especially if they go on to seal third too. There has been money spent, but this year’s cohesion and consistency is a feat of coaching. AP: Eddie Howe. Newcastle’s squad is solid enough, but there’s no doubt that they’ve wildly overperformed. That’s largely down to Howe, who – one would suspect – will only have more success as the club increases its spending over the coming season or two. JB: Pep Guardiola. Perhaps a boring answer given the resources at his disposal, but has a team ever looked this unstoppable in the Premier League era? Man City’s ownership has created this - but Guardiola tactical invention allows it to reach such heights. This season has been his magnum opus. ST: Eddie Howe. It seems inconceivable that 18 months ago they were in the relegation zone. I know they have spent money, but a lot of the squad still remains from then and Howe has done exceptionally well getting the best out of them. LB: Roberto De Zerbi. Is this the most open year for manager of the season in Premier League history? Guardiola, Arteta, Howe, Emery, Silva and O’Neil all have legitimate shouts but De Zerbi has been monumental for Brighton, leading them to European football for the first time. Even not being there the whole season isn’t enough for him to miss out. KJ: Pep Guardiola. Special mention to Gary O’Neil, whose saving of Bournemouth was ultra-impressive for a rookie manager, but with Manchester City on the verge of a treble it’s hard to look beyond Guardiola. His ingenious move of shifting John Stones from defence into midfield – soon replicated by Jurgen Klopp with Trent Alexander-Arnold – just one indication of how he sees the game like nobody else from the touchline. MJ: Pep Guardiola. Reorganised his team’s style of play to incorporate Erling Haaland, got the best out of Jack Grealish and others, led Man City on another insane run of wins to lift the trophy and could yet win a treble. Surely his best season since joining the club. Best bargain MD: Ben Mee. A player worth so much to Brentford, given he came for free. RJ: Nick Pope. An unglamorous but inspired signing. Only Manchester City have conceded fewer goals than Newcastle. Only David de Gea has more clean sheets than Pope. His 14 have included some stunning saves; the most recent, from Timothy Castagne, secured Champions League football. At £10m, he was astonishingly cheap. LO: Andreas Pereira. Signed for only £8m from Manchester United, the midfielder has been Fulham’s creative spark and chipped in with goals en route to a top-half finish. Honourable mentions to Ben Mee (free), Nick Pope (£10m) and Manuel Akanji (£15m). JR: Looking beyond Enzo... Pervis Estupinan for around £15m just beats out Nick Pope after ensuring Brighton barely skipped a beat without Marc Cucurella, sold to Chelsea for around £60m. The Ecuadorian is in the conversation for team of the year. KM: Neto, Ben Mee and Christian Eriksen on frees top the challengers list but from the paid-for crew, Joao Palhinha (£18m) was a steal. Huge impact for Fulham. AP: Joao Palhinha to Fulham. Just £18m for that kind of impact? Profit on that... JB: Wilfried Gnonto. He could be relegated, but how on earth did Leeds sign the 19-year-old for just £4m? It’s a ludicrous fee, also as mad as the club-record £35.5m Leeds would spend on striker Georginio Rutter in January (zero goals). ST: Joao Palhinha. He’s been unstoppable, it is almost hard to believe how some of the top clubs overlooked the midfielder, he gives everything, every game. LB: Pervis Estupinan. Nick Pope almost nicks this but, by shifting Marc Cucurella and bringing in Pervis Estupinan, Brighton got an upgrade at left-back, made a £45m profit and added to Chelsea’s descent into being the league’s banter club. Result! KJ: Nick Pope. Newcastle’s rock behind a super-solid defence, at a mere £10m, and some stunning saves in there too. Red card against Liverpool, and subsequently missing the Carabao Cup final, his only blemish. MJ: Casemiro. Hardly a bargain at £70m but the impact he’s had in Manchester United’s midfield has been priceless and Erik ten Hag’s team look lost when he doesn’t play. Transfer flop MD: Darwin Nunez. It might be different if he had been bought for £30m, but at that money... RJ: Todd Boehly, football genius. To take a high-quality team, spend £600m and make them dramatically worse is quite an achievement. So far, none of the 16 signings of the Boehly era can be deemed a success. Plenty are failures. LO: Darwin Nunez. So much preseason talk was about who would triumph between Haaland and Nunez, and how it would decide the title, but only Patrick Bamford and Gabriel Jesus have a greater gap between their expected goals and actual goals, according to Understat, meaning Darwin missed an awful lot of chances. He is getting them, at least, and if he converts more next season then he could still transform into a bonafide hit. JR: Richarlison. For almost £60m and the way he thrived for Brazil in Qatar, the return for Spurs on the pitch could barely have been less. One goal in 994 minutes. KM: Kalvin Phillips. Nearly £50m to sign him and he played 104 minutes in the Premier League before they won the title. Quite a few to choose from in this category though with Philippe Coutinho, Mykhailo Mudryk, Marc Cucurella, Wout Faes and Richarlison all costing their clubs (relatively speaking) a lot of cash and contributing somewhere between absolutely nothing and a net negative impact. For fee vs expectation vs outcome, Antony would be a different type of consideration. AP: Richarlison. One goal in 26 Premier League games for Spurs. What on earth happened? JB: Darwin Nunez. The “agent of chaos” discourse was a low point for all involved. With only nine Premier League goals, Liverpool simply did not get what they expected from a club-record £85m this season. Stylistically, Nunez looks an even stranger fit. ST: Richarlison. Although his fortunes have mirrored Tottenham’s this season... LB: Georgino Rutter. Leeds needed a goalscorer in January to keep them in the division, splurged a club-record fee of £36m on Rutter, he scored zero goals and they’re being relegated. Oh, and now he’ll likely leave in the summer for a greatly-reduced fee. Disaster. KJ: Richarlison. A season which couldn’t be summed up better than when he finally broke his Premier League duck against Liverpool. Shirt off, again, as this time the goal counted. But a point gained in stoppage-time? Nope. Liverpool scored a winner, two minutes later. The Brazilian’s face said it all. MJ: Antony. It was a toss-up between two Brazilians, Antony and Richarlison, and for variety I went with the Man Utd winger who’s six goal involvements in 24 games wasn’t a great return on an £86m investment. He does cool stepovers though so that’s something. Breakthrough act MD: Evan Ferguson. In a football world short of strikers, the Irish teenager has already claimed a large place in it. RJ: The Brighton award. It is hard to separate Evan Ferguson and Kaoru Mitoma, two revelations who have made Brighton more entertaining, attacking and potent. Different ages, different backgrounds, but it is tempting to wonder if either would had such an impact without the appointment of the bolder Roberto De Zerbi to replace Graham Potter. LO: Kaoru Mitoma. His dribbling and decision-making in the final third stood out as the attributes of an elite winger. The 26-year-old will be a big player for Brighton over the coming seasons – if they can keep him. JR: Eberechi Eze. Palace will likely lose Wilfried Zaha this summer, but Eze is ready now to step in as their talisman. With 10 goals and four assists, Eze has added substance to the magic he routinely sprinkles all over the pitch. KM: Morgan Gibbs-White. Has been on the verge of top-flight stardom for several seasons, between loans and a backup role at Wolves, but has made a spot his own at Forest and produced so many points-winning moments for them, especially across the second half of the campaign. Five goals, seven assists and some wonderful consistency, most importantly. AP: Kaoru Mitoma. I have to agree with Lawrence; the Brighton winger’s composure in the attacking third was so impressive, and his influence on the team may yet grow next season. He could even emerge as Brighton’s most important player next year, if he is not already, with Alexis Mac Allister among those expected to leave. JB: Evan Ferguson. Looks the complete package at just 18 years old. Only made his first start in the Premier League in January after beginning the season in the Under-23s but already seems to be the perfect forward presence for Roberto De Zerbi. Brighton appear to have unearthed another absolute gem. ST: Evan Ferguson. Has impressed on his first few games in the top-flight as a teenager and slotted in well into a high-flying Brighton side. LB: William Saliba. You’d heard he’d done alright on loan in France and that irritating Arsenal mate of yours wouldn’t shut up about how he’s the second coming of Sol Campbell but he had zero Gunners appearances before this season and now he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Prem. The fact Arsenal’s defence fell apart as soon as he was injured tells you all you need to know. The Saliba song (to the tune of ‘Tequila’) can absolutely do one though. KJ: Stefan Bajcetic. Bit of variety on this one but many Liverpool fans had not heard of the Spanish midfielder before he scored as a substitute against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Took his chance, wowed with his composure and maturity, and signed a new long-term contract. Man-of-the-match display in the Merseyside Derby was soon followed by an unfortunate season-ending injury. MJ: Miguel Almiron. Does he qualify for this? He’s been at Newcastle since 2019 but absolutely no-one was expecting the goalscoring run he went on leading up to Christmas. He scored eight times in nine matches to set up Newcastle’s successful push for the top four. Memorable moment MD: In terms of moments of the campaign where jaws dropped, it’s hard to pick between Manchester United’s 4-0 by half-time at Brentford and the 7-0 at Liverpool. Maybe the latter for the scale of it, especially since United had really got on track for an encouraging season by that point. RJ: For surreal scorelines, it is hard to separate Roberto Firmino putting Liverpool 7-0 up on Manchester United and Newcastle scoring their fifth goal in the first 21 minutes against Tottenham. But, quickly and dramatically as each happened, there was a direction of travel. But when Spurs came back from 3-0 down at Anfield to 3-3, Diogo Jota’s winner seconds later felt still more stunning as an actual moment. LO: Ivan Toney’s 99th-minute winner at the Etihad Stadium on the final weekend before the World Cup break felt momentous at the time for both Brentford and the title race. JR: Reiss Nelson’s pure strike in a 97th-minute winner for Arsenal, completing a comeback from 2-0 down to win 3-2. It made you think it was their year, then the City juggernaut gathered pace. KM: Amid an otherwise tortuous season, Liverpool shattering history with a 7-0 humiliation of Manchester United was pretty memorable. AP: Nelson’s last-gasp winner for Arsenal against Bournemouth. A brutal strike of the ball, a brutal explosion of noise in the Emirates. If only they would have produced more moments like that later in the season, they would have been champions. JB: Remember when Cristiano Ronaldo decided to call up Piers Morgan and torch his relationship with Manchester United? Great stuff. ST: Liverpool’s 7-0 demolition of Manchester United - straight into the history books. LB: Despite it being one of their worst seasons for years, Liverpool beat a supposedly resurgent Manchester United 7-0. Simply remarkable. KJ: Brentford 4-0 Manchester United. Feels like a lifetime ago doesn’t it, as the Bees steamrolled United in a scintillating first-half performance last August. Cristiano Ronaldo shellshocked – he’d soon be out the door – and “Erik Ten Weeks” was trending online. Ten Hag’s turnaround from that low point was striking... until Anfield in March. MJ: Eddie Nketiah proved his worth to Arsenal during Gabriel Jesus’ absence in January, popping up in the 90th minute to complete a 3-2 win over Manchester United. At the time it felt like a realisation that Arsenal could actually compete for the title. VAR lowlight MD: The extent of the discussion about it. It clearly isn’t working as it should, but do we have to hear about it quite so often, at the expense of all other discussion? RJ: People banging on about VAR is the lowlight of every season. Jake Humphrey banging on about VAR is the lowest of the lowlights every season. LO: There have been an alarming number of clangers this season but the moment when Lee Mason forgot to draw the lines which would have ruled out Brentford’s goal at Arsenal was arguably the nadir, given it led to Mason losing his job. JR: Maxwel Cornet’s late equaliser for West Ham at Chelsea being disallowed after Jarrod Bowen brushed his boot over Edouard Mendy’s body. The Hammers were understandably livid. KM: Lee Mason in general. But also the weekend two wrong players were used as the last defender in separate matches, resulting in two goals wrongly disallowed for Estupinan and Harvey Barnes. AP: Mason forgetting how to do his job, to the detriment of Arsenal in a (once) dramatic title race, was unforgivable. But I’ll go with the disallowance of Cornet’s late equaliser at Chelsea. Imagine seeing that replay and making that decision. No, seriously. Imagine. JB: I would love to say Tomas Soucek’s handball against Chelsea - but then, I missed it too and submitted my first match report from high up in the stands at the London Stadium without realising how blatant it was. At least I corrected my error - VAR didn’t, but I’ll stay quiet about it. ST: There have been a lot to choose from this season. But it’s Stuart Attwell’s dismissed penalty claims for Brighton during their match against Tottenham - with both sides pushing for European places - and the referee did not go to the monitor. PGMOL even issued an apology for the decision. LB: Plenty of head-scratching decisions across the campaign but, frankly, I can’t bring myself to care enough about/remember each of them individually as the incompetence pretty much evens out in the end. When other sports use replay so well, it’s baffling that football still hasn’t sorted it out (the arrogance of being the biggest sport on the planet and thinking you know best, I guess). KJ: Brighton’s loss at Tottenham in April. Three debatable calls went against them, one an absolute clanger as the clearest of fouls on Mitoma in the box was somehow missed. A PGMOL apology soon followed. MJ: West Ham were seemingly on the worse end of VAR decisions from their games this season much to David Moyes’ fury. Maxwel Cornet’s disallowed equaliser at Chelsea being the most egregious error. Team of the season MD: Pope; Stones, Dunk, Saliba, Zinchenko; Guimaraes, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Odegaard; Saka, Haaland RJ: Pope; Stones, Saliba, Botman, Ake; Odegaard, Rodri, De Bruyne; Saka, Haaland, Rashford LO: Alisson; Trippier, Schar, Akanji, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Palhinha, De Bruyne; Saka, Haaland, Martinelli JR: Alisson; Trippier, Schar, Saliba, Estupinan; Odegaard, Rice, Gundogan; De Bruyne; Haaland, Kane KM: Alisson; Stones, Schar, Botman, Estupinan; Odegaard, Guimaraes, De Bruyne; Saka, Haaland, Joelinton AP: Alisson; Trippier, Schar, Saliba, Estupinan; Gundogan, Odegaard, De Bruyne, Saka; Haaland, Kane JB: Alisson; Trippier, Stones, Saliba, Akanji; De Bruyne, Rodri, Odegaard; Saka, Haaland, Rashford ST: Alisson; Trippier, Schar, Saliba, Akanji; Gundogan, Odegaard, De Bruyne, Guimaraes, Saka; Haaland LB: Pope, Trippier, Dias, Saliba, Estupinan; Odegaard, Casemiro, De Bruyne; Saka; Haaland, Kane KJ: Pope; Trippier, Saliba, Dias, Estupinan; Rodri, De Bruyne, Odegaard; Saka, Haaland, Kane MJ: Alisson; Trippier, Botman, Saliba, Akanji; Odegaard, Casemiro, De Bruyne; Saka, Haaland, Rashford Read More How Arsenal can win the Premier League next season: Five things Mikel Arteta must do to challenge Man City Supercharged Newcastle’s four key transfer targets to strengthen for Champions League Leicester only have themselves to blame for all-or-nothing gamble after years of bad choices Man City players ‘drank all the alcohol in Manchester’ celebrating title Gareth Southgate adamant Raheem Sterling has the mental toughness to bounce back Roberto De Zerbi takes Brighton to new heights with thrilling draw against Man City

Gareth Southgate warned Harry Maguire he may have to leave Manchester United to keep his England place, as he said the centre-half’s continued sidelining under Erik ten Hag is “not a situation that can continue forever”. The England manager also said that it would be difficult for Jordan Pickford to remain his first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Euro 2024 if Everton were relegated from the Premier League, due to the different level of football in the Championship. Maguire has posed Southgate with his first real difficulty in this regard, however, as he has been a key centre-half in an area short of top-level talent. His reduced minutes at United this season have given his international boss more to ponder, as he also pointed to how Kalvin Phillips has not played as much at Manchester City. “Inevitably it’s not a situation that can continue for ever,” Southgate said as he announced his squad for next month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. “It’s like Kalvin Phillips, they are important players for us and with Kalvin we haven’t got many players who can play as that single pivot. “Of course the longer that situation goes on the more concerning it is and we’ve got in Marc Guehi, Lewis Dunk, Tyrone Mings, players who are playing well without the same experiences of club European football or international football. But we’ve got to keep searching for competition in that area of the pitch.” As regards Pickford, Southgate was a bit more open – but pointed to the differences in speed at the lower level of football if Everton were to go down and the goalkeeper remained at Goodison Park. “That would depend on how well he was playing,” Southgate said. “It wouldn’t be ideal because clearly the level of attacks, finishing, speed of the game would be completely different so I think it would be difficult but let’s see what Sunday brings.” Southgate meanwhile spoke in detail about Raheem Sterling‘s omission from the squad, after the England manager had a conversation with the winger about this summer’s matches. Sterling has endured a difficult first year since joining Chelsea from Manchester City and will instead focus on recuperating his body in preparation for next season. “I found him positive, strong, understanding what’s gone on,” Southgate said. “Difficult for everybody with all the changes this year at the club. Three different managers, three different ways of training, three different ways of playing, so a lot of upheaval. Clubs have these moments. “If I was looking at him I would always back him to respond strongly and to have the resilience and tenacity to prove himself. He said himself earlier in the week he has not been happy with how it has been. That would be a temporary thing for sure.” Southgate also acknowledged that Trent Alexander-Arnold could again play in midfield for England, after Jurgen Klopp similarly experimented with the role this season. “All things are possible,” Southgate said. “I don’t think we should rule anything out. I think his ability with the ball we are all aware of, so the opportunity to get him into those areas. “There’s a still a lot to learn in terms of receiving it more under pressure. A lot of the teams they have played so far, there has been time to receive, a couple of the more recent games he has been pressed a lot more and that has been different. Defending in midfield would be slightly different so there is a new aspect of the game to learn and that’s not going to be perfect to start. “But I think it is really interesting and he obviously has some attributes that are quite unique... there are different ranges of passing, I would say. He is one that will look forward early and will play passes in behind defences where others maybe don’t have that view first. You have [James] Maddison and players like that who are also talented passers of the ball. It’s interesting because he’s a different profile to what we might have.” Read More Eberechi Eze and Callum Wilson called up as England name squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers Gareth Southgate hopes racist abuse suffered by Vinicius Jr forces change Gareth Southgate critical of Ivan Toney ban: ‘We’ve got to look after people’ Gareth Southgate adamant Raheem Sterling has the mental toughness to bounce back England hit by striker shortage with No 9s set to dominate transfer market Gareth Southgate urges football to be ‘careful’ after Ivan Toney punishment

Erik ten Hag has insisted that spending money without a strategy is a recipe for failure as he considered Chelsea’s season and the possibility of a takeover at Manchester United. Chelsea have committed around £600 million for 16 new signings since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club a year ago but the 2021 Champions League winners visit Old Trafford on Thursday certain to finish in the bottom half of the table. Ten Hag has spent around £200m in his reign but United, who came sixth last season, will be guaranteed a top-four finish if they avoid defeat in either of their last two games of the season. But their future is shrouded in uncertainty with the owners, the Glazer family, putting the club up for sale. The Ineos businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Qatari billionaire Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al Thani have both submitted three bids so far. Asked about comparisons with Chelsea, Ten Hag argued ambition and funds are not enough without a proper plan. “When there is no strategy behind, or (not) the right strategy, money doesn’t work,” he said. “In this moment there is a centralisation of good players, of the best managers, also of the money, it is all here in the UK. And that makes a great competition, but also a tough and a hard competition. “And you have to do the right things and you can have money but you have to do it and spend it in a smart way and also you need a strategy behind it, because, otherwise, the money doesn’t work.” Read More Football rumours: Manchester United ‘launching £55million swoop’ for Mason Mount Gareth Southgate adamant Raheem Sterling has the mental toughness to bounce back Frank Lampard not surprised contract talks with Mason Mount are taking time

Gareth Southgate has warned the game’s authorities that “we have to be really careful” as regards banning players from all football activity, as he again appeared to differ with the Football Association on the punishment for Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker will be prevented from training for four months as part of a wider eight-month ban from playing for breaching the FA’s rules on betting, and the England manager had earlier said he doesn’t think “that’s how the best rehabilitation programmes would work”. “I personally stick by what I said,” Southgate replied when pressed at a later briefing. “Not being allowed to play is one thing, but not being allowed to be within the football community, I think we have to be really careful how we do that.” While Southgate reiterated that he wasn’t criticising the ban itself, he said he had been in constant contact with Thomas Frank how to bring Toney through the situation. “I’m not questioning the decision on the ban,” the England manager said. “I don’t know all the ins and outs like what the previous cases they’re comparing it with so my only point is, as a coach, I’m thinking about the player and how do I help a player through this period. “Fortunately I get on very well with Thomas and we speak a lot. I think he’s at a club who will get that right. I wanted him to know that it is something I’m thinking about. How we helped him like we helped Kieran Trippier when he was out of the game.” Trippier had previously been banned for 10 weeks in December 2020 for breaching betting rules. Toney was handed his first England debut by Southgate in March despite the charges hanging over his head, and the England manager said he did not believe such a punishment was the best form of rehabilitation. “I have spoken with him,” Southgate said earlier as he announced his squad for the upcoming qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. “I don’t know if that’s allowed, by the way. If it isn’t then they can ban me and not add to his. “Look, the ban is the ban. It is what it is. I think he recognised and accepted the punishment. What bothers me is we’ve got to look after people. He’s injured at the moment, what does he do about getting fit? “How do we give him some structure over the next few months, so that he can develop himself or be a better person at the end of it or have experiences that he might not experience? I don’t like the idea that we just leave somebody so they are not allowed to be a part of the football community. “I don’t think that’s how we should work, I don’t think that’s how the best rehabilitation programmes would work. But he knows that we picked him because we felt until there was a charge, he should be allowed to play. “When he comes back, if he plays well then we’ll pick him. It won’t have any bearing but I think he’ll have additional motivation through what he is experiencing. I think he is a resilient guy with great character and we are here to support.” Toney has scored 20 goals for Brentford in the Premier League this season and was charged with breaking FA rule E8, which refers to players being barred from betting on games or sharing information for betting purposes. Toney admitted to the charges back in February, after they were issued in December 2022, but despite the knowledge of the ongoing hearings, Southgate elected to hand the forward a maiden England cap on March 26 against Ukraine at Wembley. Toney will be unable to play until January next year, with Euros in Germany taking place that summer. Asked whether the striker could still make his squad for the tournament, Southgate replied: “Yeah, without a doubt. “It is not ideal because he is going to miss a large chunk of the season and you don’t know after that sort of period out how he is going to adapt physically and how he is going to play. But it is possible for him. “There would still be time. He has really impressed us with the way he has played and I like his personality. I like his belief and the way he goes about his job. So everything is still possible with him I think.” Read More Eberechi Eze and Callum Wilson called up as England name squad for Euro 2024 qualifiers Gareth Southgate sends Harry Maguire warning over Manchester United ‘situation’ Gareth Southgate hopes racist abuse suffered by Vinicius Jr forces change Gareth Southgate adamant Raheem Sterling has the mental toughness to bounce back England hit by striker shortage with No 9s set to dominate transfer market Gareth Southgate insists England door is always open for Raheem Sterling

Champions Manchester City’s 12-match winning streak in the Premier League came to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton , who secured Europa League football for next season. Treble-chasing City, who wrapped up a fifth title in six seasons at the weekend, lacked their usual intensity but took the lead when Phil Foden slotted home in the 25th minute. Brighton have sealed sixth-place and the club’s first venture into Europe, and showed why with some vibrant football and Julio Enciso equalised for the hosts with a stunning long-range effort in the 38th minute. Danny Welbeck had a goal ruled out before halftime for Brighton and Erling Haaland thought he had put City ahead late on but was penalised for shirt-pulling after a VAR check. It was the first time since February that City had dropped points and with one league game left at Brentford on Sunday they have 89 points, eight more than Arsenal. Follow all the action as Brighton host Man City in the Premier League: Read More Roberto De Zerbi takes Brighton to new heights with thrilling draw against Man City Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win What next for treble-chasing Man City after sealing Premier League title?

Brighton and Hove Albion will be looking to finish the season strongly after qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history. Roberto De Zerbi has overseen a fine campaign since taking over from Graham Potter, with Brighton still with an outside shot at a fifth-placed finish. To do that, they’ll have to win their final two games and hope Liverpool slip up on the final day. They take on Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola likely to again rotate his side with the league title secure. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Brighton vs Manchester City? Brighton vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 24 May at the Amex Stadium near Brighton. 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 from 7pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the Sky Go app. Team news Brighton were boosted by the return to fitness of Joel Veltman against Southampton, with the Dutchman returning to the starting side at a right-back position that has proved troublesome in recent weeks. Robert Sanchez, displaced in goal byy Jason Steele earlier this season, is not expected to feature again after allegedly refusing to accept a place on the bench. A host of first-choice Manchester City starters began on the bench against Chelsea, with Pep Guardiola opting to rotate with the title already secured. Guardiola could again give Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and co. a rest ahead of twin trophy tilts still to come this season. Predicted line-ups Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Gross, Caicedo; Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson. Manchester City XI: Ortega; Walker, Laporte, Akanji; Lewis, Phillips; Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Gomez; Alvarez. Odds Brighton win 16/5 Draw 7/2 Manchester City win 9/11 Prediction Brighton secure a score draw. Brighton 2-2 Manchester City Read More Brighton vs Man City: Latest updates and team news as Seagulls host Premier League champions What next for treble-chasing Man City after sealing Premier League title? Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win Brighton’s top talents may move on before European challenge – Roberto De Zerbi Bruno’s magic hat and F1’s charity football match – Wednesday’s sporting social Brighton vs Man City: Latest Premier League updates and team news Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier

With another title secured, Manchester City take on Brighton in their penultimate Premier League fixture of the season. Pep Guardiola’s side were crowned as champions after Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest and celebrated by beating Chelsea on Sunday. Brighton, meanwhile, have also achieved their end-of-season league objective, making certain of European qualification for next season with a weekend win against Southampton. With Manchester City likely to again rest some of their regulars ahead of the FA Cup and Champions League finals, the home crowd will be hopeful that Roberto De Zerbi’s side can take advantage. Here’s everything you need to know. When is Brighton vs Manchester City? Brighton vs Manchester City is due to kick off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 24 May at the Amex Stadium near Brighton. 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 from 7pm BST. Subscribers can stream the action via the Sky Go app. Team news Brighton were boosted by the return to fitness of Joel Veltman against Southampton, with the Dutchman returning to the starting side at a right-back position that has proved troublesome in recent weeks. Robert Sanchez, displaced in goal byy Jason Steele earlier this season, is not expected to feature again after allegedly refusing to accept a place on the bench. A host of first-choice Manchester City starters began on the bench against Chelsea, with Pep Guardiola opting to rotate with the title already secured. Guardiola could again give Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and co. a rest ahead of twin trophy tilts still to come this season. Predicted line-ups Brighton XI: Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Gross, Caicedo; Enciso, Mac Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson. Manchester City XI: Ortega; Walker, Laporte, Akanji; Lewis, Phillips; Mahrez, Foden, Palmer, Gomez; Alvarez. Odds Brighton win 16/5 Draw 7/2 Manchester City win 9/11 Prediction Brighton secure a score draw. Brighton 2-2 Manchester City Read More Brighton vs Man City: Latest updates and team news as Seagulls host Premier League champions Brighton’s top talents may move on before European challenge – Roberto De Zerbi What next for treble-chasing Man City after sealing Premier League title? Man City’s quest for legitimacy is a battle they may never win Bruno’s magic hat and F1’s charity football match – Wednesday’s sporting social Brighton vs Man City: Latest Premier League updates and team news Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze has been called up to England’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia. The 24-year-old has enjoyed a fine Premier League season, and could make an international debut after earning his first official call-up to the senior national side. Eze was first named in a provisional England squad ahead of Euro 2020, but was forced to immediately withdraw due to injury. Gareth Southgate has named a 25-player squad for the two fixtures, with Brighton defender Lewis Dunk and Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings earning recalls. Raheem Sterling, who has endured a difficult first season at Chelsea, is a high-profile absentee, though Newcastle striker Callum Wilson is included with Brentford counterpart Ivan Toney serving a suspension after breaking gambling rules. There is also no place for Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope due to injury, with Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone - who won his three England caps in 2021 - the beneficiary and returning to Southgate’s group. Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of three specialist right-backs in the 25-man party, the majority of which will assemble at England’s St. George’s Park training base on Monday 12 June. The five Manchester City players named will join the squad at a later date due to their involvement in the Champions League final, while Declan Rice will also be delayed as he captains West Ham in the Europa Conference League final. England travel to face Malta on 16 June before hosting North Macedonia at Old Trafford three days later. They currently top Group C after beating Italy and Ukraine in March. England squad to face Matla and North Macedonia in Euro 2024 qualifying Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone, Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale. Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Lewis Dunk, Marc Guehi, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker. Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze, Conor Gallagher, Jordan Henderson, James Maddison, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice. Forwards: Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Callum Wilson. Read More Lionesses star Fran Kirby extends Chelsea stay despite injury forcing her to miss World Cup Gareth Southgate celebrates a ‘different’ England and says he has learned a lot Supercharged Newcastle’s four key transfer targets to strengthen for Champions League

Eddie Howe was not expecting much of a reception when he got back home after becoming the first manager since Sir Bobby Robson to steer Newcastle United into the Champions League. “The dog probably won’t even get up and give me a wag,” he said. “He will probably be asleep on the sofa.” But Howe has a smiling tendency to downplay and deflect. He had claimed he would celebrate the 6-1 demolition of Tottenham with a tea and a biscuit. Securing a top-four finish, he said, might prompt something slightly stronger. “I hope it is not with a tea and biscuit,” he said. It has been Howe’s way not to mention the Champions League; he claimed it had just “crept up on us” and that he had only started to think about it seriously in the last few weeks. Which, if true, would make Howe the exception at St James’ Park. He nevertheless sounded like a man who had started his planning, albeit with a typical willingness to moderate expectations. Champions League revenue could provide a £100 million boost to Newcastle’s income; not money their owners need, given the wealth of the Saudi Public Investment Fund, but essential for the club, considering the way Financial Fair Play regulations limit their room for manoeuvre. “We don’t have the ability to spend the money people think we have,” Howe insisted. A voice of caution made a couple of pertinent points. Firstly, Newcastle do not want to lose the unity and spirit that has propelled them beyond more talented teams. To put it another way, they don’t want to do a Chelsea. And secondly, the better the side has got, the fewer the number of players who can actually improve it. Of those who can, Newcastle are likely to ignore established superstars. So far, they have not raided any of their new rivals: they have not bought from the Premier League’s big six – a term they may have rendered outdated – while instead purchasing from Burnley, Aston Villa, Brighton and Everton and, with the arguable exception of Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid, they have recruited from Europe’s second tier: Real Sociedad, Lyon and Lille. The sense is the plan might not change; it can just be accelerated. “We have been really good in the three transfer windows,” said Howe. There was no need for false modesty; they have. Perhaps they have more ambitious targets now: then again, ambition was always apparent, whether taking Trippier to a club in the relegation zone, a few months after winning La Liga. Even without Champions League football, their persuasive powers were apparent: Bruno Guimaraes was an Arsenal target, Sven Botman wanted by AC Milan. More such targeted recruitment seems on the cards. “We will be adding to the squad but it won’t be huge numbers,” said Howe. Two targets look particularly attainable. Kieran Tierney would be their first recruit from the big six, but even then a player who has lost his place in Arsenal’s strongest side. Dan Burn has been an endearing emblem of Newcastle’s progress but a great overachiever is not actually a great left-back. James Maddison was wanted on Tyneside last summer; with Leicester’s possible relegation and the England international’s contract expiring in 2024, they are dual reasons why he could be available. He would offer something different, an injection of creativity into a hard-running team and a player whose goals and assist numbers are excellent. This summer may bring a search for a right-footed Botman, a right-sided centre-back of similar capability; well as Fabian Schar has done, it could be a position where Howe looks to upgrade. There is also scope for midfield reinforcements. The question of whether Guimaraes plays exclusively as the deepest of the trio or as one of the No 8s may dictate if Newcastle go for a more defensive presence. Certainly, there are a host of different types of midfielders who look like Howe-type players and are likely to be on the market: Moises Caicedo, James Ward-Prowse, Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount look cases in point. It will be instructive if Newcastle were to enter the race for Mount, given the high calibre of his suitors. Part of Howe’s task is to balance loyalty with ruthlessness, to assess how many of those who had the season of their life this season are capable of repeating the feat or will regress to a lower level: Burn, Schar, Miguel Almiron, Jacob Murphy, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock all belong in that category. Some will surely spend more time on the bench. Another issue is whether Newcastle can play such an exhausting style of play with a far more crowded fixture list: to use Dean Smith’s word, they have “steamrollered” opponents this season but with the aid of freshness, cohesion and continuity. But Howe has scarcely rotated and only 14 players have made more than five league starts this season. It is an illustration of why he feels he has a small squad, especially after the January sales of Chris Wood and Jonjo Shelvey. The summer may see an exodus of some of the unused, of some of Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie, Jamal Lewis, Jamaal Lascelles, Isaac Hayden and Javi Manquillo, all part of his inheritance. Maybe Allan Saint-Maximin, too, the crowd-pleaser who does not fit Howe’s high-pressing ethos. Each represents the old Newcastle. The newer Newcastle is taking shape in Howe’s image and at a speed he did not forecast. The worrying element for their newer peers is their status as a Champions League club gives them more pulling power and a bigger budget. Read More Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton’s Lewis Dunk has been playing through pain barrier Let’s do it – Pep Guardiola wants PL charges dealt with as soon as possible Newcastle celebrate Champions League qualification – Tuesday’s sporting social Roberto De Zerbi: Brighton could lose Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister Pep Guardiola expecting City’s intensity to drop but warns of challenges to come Leeds, Leicester and Everton facing final-day scrap for Premier League survival

Leigh Wood will try to regain his world title from Mauricio Lara this weekend, just three months after losing the WBA featherweight belt to the Mexican. Wood, fighting in his hometown of Nottingham, was stopped by Lara late in Round 7 in February, in what proved to be a controversial finish. The Briton was ahead on the scorecards before being dropped by Lara, 25, and Wood’s coach Ben Davison threw in the towel after his fighter had beaten the referee’s count. Most observers believed that Wood, 34, would have made it to the end of the round, and some believed that he should have been given time to recover. Others, however, defended Davison over his decision to protect his fighter. Here’s all you need to know about the rematch. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is it? The fight will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 27 May. The main card is set to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET), with ring walks for the main event expected at approximately 10pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will be streamed live on Dazn, a subscription to which is available at three different price points: Monthly Saver (£9.99 per month, with a 12-month commitment), Flexible (£19.99 per month, and can be cancelled at any time), and Annual Super Saver (£99.99 as a one-off payment). Odds Lara – 4/11 Wood – 11/5 Draw – 14/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Mauricio Lara (C) vs Leigh Wood 2 (WBA featherweight title) Jack Catterall vs Darragh Foley (super-lightweight) Terri Harper (C) vs Ivana Habazin (WBA women’s super-welterweight title) Danny Ball vs Jamie Robinson for (vacant English welterweight title) Aqib Fiaz vs Costin Ion (super-featherweight) Campbell Hatton vs Michal Bulak (super-lightweight) William Crolla vs TBA Aaron Bowen vs TBA Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More ‘Daylight robbery’: Vasiliy Lomachenko’s team plan to appeal Devin Haney defeat Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones How to watch Wood vs Lara online and on TV this weekend Devin Haney edges past Vasiliy Lomachenko to remain unbeaten and undisputed ‘Daylight robbery’: Vasiliy Lomachenko’s team plan to appeal Devin Haney defeat

Real Madrid have filed an official complaint to the Spanish attorney general’s office after Vinicius Jr suffered racial abuse. The Brazilian was abused during Sunday night’s defeat to Valencia, halting the game temporarily to draw the officials’ attention to a section of supporters. The 22-year-old was later sent off after a clash with Hugo Duro, and afterwards accused La Liga of not doing enough to fight racism, describing Spain as a “country of racists”. His club has now released an official statement confirming that they have referred what they consider a “hate crime” to the authorities. “Real Madrid is strongly repulsed and condemns the events that took place yesterday against our player Vinícius Jr,” the Spanish capital club said in a statement. “These acts constitute a direct attack on the coexistence model of our social and democratic state of law. “Real Madrid considers that such attacks also constitute a hate crime, for which reason it has filed the corresponding complaint with the State Attorney General’s Office, specifically with the Prosecutor’s Office against hate crimes and discrimination, so that the facts can be investigated. “Given the seriousness of the events that occurred, Real Madrid has turned to the State Attorney General’s Office, without prejudice to its appearance as a private prosecution in the proceedings that are being initiated.” La Liga has confirmed that it will investigate the incident and take “appropriate legal action” if required. Vinicius has been subjected to racist chanting and gestures on multiple occasions during this campaign. “What we saw today is unacceptable - an entire stadium chanting racist slurs,” manager Carlo Ancelotti said of the treatment of his player during the 1-0 defeat. “I don’t want to talk about football today. There is no meaning in talking about football today. I told the referee he should have stopped the match. “La Liga has a problem. For me, Vinicius is the most important player in the world. These episodes of racism have to stop the match. “It’s the entire stadium that is insulting a player with racist chants and the match has to stop. I would say the same if we were winning 3-0. There is no other way.” Read More Commentator sparks outrage for criticising Vinicius Jr reaction after facing racist abuse Brazilian president Lula and players support Vinicius Junior after racist attack in La Liga match Rio Ferdinand sends angry message demanding protection for Vinicius Jr after racism storm

A great was considering the question of greatness. A manager who, even by his own definition, has done the exceptional, accepted he is deemed unfulfilled. Pep Guardiola has reached the stage where his Premier League titles feel routine. In a way, they are: he has five in six seasons. The abnormal has started to appear normal, the extraordinary ordinary. Perhaps the Manchester City manager wanted a greater recognition of the achievement. Or maybe he was reflecting the wider commentary about his reign. “To be considered one of the greatest in Europe we have to win the Champions League, otherwise people will say our time here is not complete,” he said. “There is a part that sometimes can be unfair for the fact you have to win the Champions League to give credit or value to what we have done. It would not be fair to say it’s not extraordinary that what we have done with five Premier Leagues in six. In world football, all managers in the Premier League, the players, sporting directors and clubs, they know how exceptional it is.” It is sufficiently unusual that only two teams have ever previously won five English leagues in six seasons: Liverpool between 1978 and 1984, Manchester United from 1995 to 2001. City have reached points totals neither mustered, but they conquered Europe. The final frontier is also the quest for credit. There is an ongoing battle for a different kind of legitimacy, given the 115 Premier League charges that will be heard, perhaps far into the future. There may be a definitive ruling if some of their funding involved rule-breaking. It may not end the arguments or answer the question if there is an asterisk – or several – attached to this era. City’s place in history is both assured and up for debate. “We don’t need decades to think about how good this was,” Guardiola said. The evidence is apparent on the pitch; City have sustained brilliance for most of the last six seasons. They might yet reach a century of league goals for the third time; they got 99 in a fourth campaign. They already have done one treble, a domestic hat-trick of the Premier League and both cups in 2018-19. They hold the record for points, with 100; the only team to deny them the title in that time, Liverpool in 2019-20, had to start with 26 wins in 27 games. Guardiola has had his travails in Champions League knockout ties but has industrialised the winning of leagues like few others. His 11 in 14 seasons, spread across Spain, Germany and England, speak to the huge talents he has coached, the vast resources he has enjoyed, his considerable prowess on the training ground and his vivid imagination. Most seasons involve tinkering until he finds a formula so potent it leads to an extended winning run: in past seasons, it has involved an array of false nines, or the transformation of Ilkay Gundogan into a box-crashing, goalscoring midfielder, or using Joao Cancelo as a playmaker full-back, or making midfielders like Oleksandr Zinchenko or Fabian Delph into left-backs. The 2023 surge – and City’s record stands at 12 straight league wins, 16 home victories in a row in all competitions and 24 games unbeaten – owed much to making John Stones a hybrid of midfielder, full-back and centre-back. Cancelo, the great revolutionary, was exiled when Guardiola complained about the “happy flowers” in his team. “How nice and intelligent I was,” he reflected. The Premier League charges for breaching financial regulations may have been a reason why the division’s chief executive Richard Masters ended up presenting medals to City: they helped generate a siege mentality. There were other factors. “To get to where Manchester City are, a lot of things have to align,” noted Frank Lampard, the beaten Chelsea manager on Sunday. “They’ve built this over years [with an] incredible vision of the club. I worked here for a year, I understand the people at the top and how well organised it is and they’ve brought in a great coach and so many great players so they are the benchmark.” Perhaps few arrived as great footballers, though. But Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne, class acts and big-game players, were especially influential in the run-in. The exponential improvement of footballers under Guardiola’s coaching – Stones, Rodri, Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish are all prominent examples this season – can add a dimension. City are not alone in spending heavily but, in Julian Alvarez and Manuel Akanji, they secured twin bargains in 2022. Then there is the Haaland factor: Erling Haaland’s return of over a goal a game has lent the sense of superhuman prowess. His goal tally and his youth have an ominous element, suggesting City’s superiority could extend for years to come. Haaland could entrench dominance, though it is worth noting the year City cruised to the title was actually 2017-18, when they won by 19 points. “A few weeks ago, Arsenal looked like they might win the league,” noted Lampard. Arsenal were top for 248 days; for the last few weeks of them, it seemed they were intimidated by the idea of City, dropping points even before they were demolished 4-1 at the Etihad. But when the Gunners’ lead stretched to eight points, there were times when City felt a poor result away from losing touch. But the elastic never snapped. “So they bring us to our limits,” Guardiola said. “If we don’t make this run of 12 games in a row winning after making 50 points in the first leg, it would have been impossible.” Arsenal took 50 points in the first half of the season; finish off with two more wins and City will have 52 from the second half. Theirs has been an irresistible response which has lent the feeling of inevitability. It has become City’s extra asset, rendering it harder for anyone to depose them. They will start as overwhelming favourites next season, aiming to become the first team to claim four consecutive English league titles. But there is still the Champions League, still more to prove, still more to win. Read More Five titles in six years: Are Manchester City destroying the Premier League? Man City’s Premier League coronation shows how far their rivals have fallen Pep Guardiola says Arsenal ‘took us to our limits’ and targets Champions League ‘Unstoppable’ Manchester City players have the hunger to win more trophies Frank Lampard reveals Chelsea future ahead of Mauricio Pochettino confirmation Pep Guardiola’s five decisions that won Man City the Premier League