Julen Lopetegui has reportedly agreed to succeed David Moyes as West Ham manager, with the Scot set to leave the London Stadium when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Despite overseeing three successive European campaigns and delivering the Europa Conference League trophy last season, Moyes has continued to face fierce pressure from sections of the West Ham fanbase.

He claimed to have been offered a new contract earlier this season but said he would hold off on making a final decision regarding his future until the end of the campaign.   

West Ham sit ninth in the Premier League table after being thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea on Sunday, with their hopes of European qualification all but over following a drop-off since the turn of the year.

Several coaches have been suggested as contenders to replace Moyes, with Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim apologising to his current club after holding talks with the Hammers hierarchy in London last month.

On Monday, however, widespread reports claimed West Ham had reached an agreement in principle with Lopetegui, who left his last job with Wolves on the eve of the Premier League season. 

Lopetegui saved Wolves from relegation last term but left the club just three days before the start of 2023-24, having grown frustrated with a lack of transfer activity at Molineux. 

He previously led Sevilla to three straight fourth-placed finishes in LaLiga between 2019 and 2022, also overseeing their 3-2 victory over Inter in the 2019-20 Europa League final.

Lopetegui – who has also managed Porto, Spain and Real Madrid – had also been linked with Bayern Munich and Milan, though fan protests derailed his chances of taking charge of the Rossoneri.  

Unai Emery accepts Aston Villa can have no complaints over their 1-0 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

The Villans fell to a narrow defeat at the Amex Stadium on Sunday as Joao Pedro converted late on after his initial penalty attempt was saved.

Villa looked sluggish throughout yet were just minutes away from claiming a point that would have further boosted their top-four prospects.

John McGinn also had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, but Emery admits his side were not deserving of a point on their travels.

"We competed but it was not enough," he told BBC Sport. "We weren't strong enough in 90 minutes to deserve anything more than we achieved.

"Now the most important thing is to rest, to rest today, rest tomorrow, after the match.

"We are having an amazing season, brilliant, but of course we are at the last chance and we have to try and give everything."

Villa remain seven points clear of fifth-place Tottenham, albeit having played a game more, after Spurs' 4-2 loss at Liverpool.

Before focus can turn to the Villans' home match with Liverpool in a week's time, they first travel to Olympiacos for their Europa Conference League semi-final second leg.

Emery's men have a major task on their hands if they are to reach the final as they trail 4-2 from last week's first leg at Villa Park.

"We want to put in a good effort on Thursday [against Olympiakos] and on Monday against Liverpool. Now is time to rest," Emery added.

"We had a lot of players injured and they are recovering. The most important thing is to get players back for balance and to be competitive."

Victory for Brighton was much needed after going six without a win in the Premier League, failing to score in four of those matches.

While Roberto De Zerbi was pleased to get back to winning ways, he accepts Brighton were given a helping hand by Villa's quick turnaround in games.

"To be honest, Villa were not themselves, maybe a little tired," he said. "They are playing in the Europa Conference League and they have a lot of injuries.

"I am proud because we played a great game against one of the best teams in the Premier League. Playing against Unai Emery's teams is very tough. 

"We played well, we deserved to win and we could have scored more goals. I think Robin Olsen was the best player for Villa."

Declan Rice's absence is to blame for a number of heavy West Ham defeats this season, according to manager David Moyes.

West Ham sold captain and influential midfielder Rice to Arsenal last July for a club-record fee rising to £105million with add-ons.

The Hammers have seen results nosedive since the turn of the year, most recently crashing to a 5-0 defeat away at Chelsea on Sunday.

That was the sixth time West Ham have conceded four or more goals away from home this season, and their fifth loss in six away games overall.

Asked at his post-match press conference exactly why his side are on the end of heavy losses so frequently of late, Moyes said: "Declan Rice."

The Scotsman, due to be out of contract next month, added: "You get the best midfield player in the country, protecting, making sure the moments and times you limit maybe 50 per cent of the attacks.

"It makes you a much better defensive team when you get that. We've lacked protection in front of the back four; we've lacked good enough defending; we've not been good enough on those things in many games.

"You've got to be careful. You're talking about a team sitting in a really, really strong position. We've had a couple of bad days away from home, which we have to try and eradicate and make better.

"I'm trying to put a bit of mental toughness when we need it. The teams I normally prepare would normally have it. You could always lose the way you lose."

West Ham have won just one of their past nine Premier League games, seeing them slip down to ninth place and now out of the top-six running.

United have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their past 16 in the competition - only the second time they have done so in a single Premier League season.

The poor run of form, which also includes elimination from the Europa League at the hands of a strong Bayer Leverkusen side, has raised doubts over Moyes' future at London Stadium.

Amid suggestions that former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui has already been lined up, Moyes reiterated he will wait until after the season to hold talks over his future.

"I'm going to talk to the board at the end of the season, so we’ll do that then," he said.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri admitted to having regrets after the Bianconeri missed the chance to close the gap to second-placed Milan in Sunday's Serie A draw with Roma. 

Romelu Lukaku put Roma ahead early on at the Stadio Olimpico but Bremer's header dragged Juventus level before the break, as two teams vying for a top-five finish cancelled each other out.

Juventus have now won just two of their last 14 league games, and Allegri reacted to the final whistle on Sunday by storming off the bench and throwing his jacket to the ground in frustration.

Speaking to DAZN after the game, Allegri said: "There are regrets, naturally we could've done better during this period, but football is vicious like that, sometimes it just doesn't go your way.

"We risked losing a game that we were in a position to win at the start of the second half."

Despite four consecutive Serie A draws, Juventus remain six points clear of fifth-placed Roma and nine ahead of Atalanta in sixth – though La Dea have two games in hand.

With Italy guaranteed five Champions League qualification places for next season, they remain in a strong position to return to Europe's premier club competition, while they are also due to face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia final on May 15.

"The important thing now is to concentrate on the next game, as that is the match point for the Champions League, then we have the Coppa Italia final," Allegri said.

"The club will evaluate at the end of the season, naturally there are some solid foundations for Juve, but we were missing players like [Paul] Pogba, [Nicolo] Fagioli and of course [Federico] Chiesa was on and off."

Despite Juventus enjoying a broadly positive campaign after finishing seventh in 2022-23, when they were hampered by a 10-point deduction after an investigation into their historical financial dealings, Allegri's position has been called into question lately.

Asked about his own future, he said: "I don't know, you'd have to ask the club. 

"The important thing is for us to focus on the Coppa Italia final and hopefully, we’ll come back here with the Champions League already achieved."

Stefano Pioli said he respects the opinions of Milan's supporters after thousands of fans carried out a silent protest during Sunday's 3-3 Serie A draw against Genoa at San Siro.

With Milan enduring a second straight trophyless season, trailing champions Inter by 18 points, Pioli has come under pressure amid suggestions the Rossoneri have held talks with former Spain and Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui.

Irritated fans unfurled banners demanding improvements to the team during Sunday's match, while the club's ultras stayed silent in protest throughout the game.

Fans then left behind a banner which read "the sound of silence" as they filed out en masse from the Curva Sud shortly after Olivier Giroud had put Milan 3-2 ahead in the 75th minute.

By the time Genoa pulled level late in the match, thanks to an own goal by Malick Thiaw, the stand was completely empty.

"The fans have chosen this type of protest and we just need to respect them," Pioli, whose side have already secured their spot in next season's Champions League, said.

"Our fans have been an added value in recent years. They will have their reasons if they chose this protest."

Sunday's draw also means Milan are winless in their last four league matches.

"The start was poor. We didn't have the proper concentration and unity in the opening 20 minutes and conceded an early opener," Pioli said.

"Then, we created many opportunities but also made many errors. It's a shame we didn't win because it would have been important for the table."

Xabi Alonso believes his Bayer Leverkusen side can still improve after they extended their unbeaten run to 48 matches across all competitions on Sunday, equalling Benfica's European record.

Champions Leverkusen thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in the Bundesliga to match Benfica's 48-game unbeaten run between 1963 and 1965 – a record across all competitions in Europe.

Alonso, however, still feels there is more to come.

"Our level, our consistency throughout the season is great. But we are always moving forward. We are always concentrating on the work and improving," he said.

Leverkusen, who are edging closer to an unbeaten season across all competitions, have two league matches remaining and are also set to face Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final on May 25.

They also hold a 2-0 lead over Roma at the halfway stage of their Europa League semi-final tie, with Thursday's second leg offering them the chance to surpass Benfica's record on home soil.

"It's a big challenge, we have two [Bundesliga] games left, it will be the perfect run. We will certainly try," Alonso said.

"We still have games to play to achieve our big goals in all competitions. The next game is important for us, the second leg of the Europa League semi-final: a chance to reach the final.

"In football it's sometimes difficult to stop. You have to prepare for the next game. The next game is a big game for us. Hopefully we have the chance to be in a European final again."

Leverkusen will play Bochum and Augsburg in their final two Bundesliga games. 

Should they progress to the Europa League final, they will then face either Atalanta or Marseille in Dublin on May 22, three days before the DFB-Pokal showpiece game.

Ange Postecoglou says that Tottenham need to "overcome" their low confidence after suffering a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.

Spurs slipped to their fourth consecutive Premier League defeat, being left to bemoan their slow start as they found themselves 4-0 down by the hour mark thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott.

Richarlison came off the bench to salvage some pride for Spurs, scoring one before setting up Son Heung-min for a goal on his 300th Premier League appearance.

Spurs had the opportunity to cut the gap to the top four after Aston Villa’s defeat to Brighton, but they remain seven points off a Champions League spot.

Postecoglou’s side still have a game in hand over the Villans, though he was sure that Spurs would be able to put their recent poor run behind them.

Asked if Spurs had a confidence problem, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "Maybe in the front third there is.

"It probably is a bit of a lack of confidence, but again, that's something the guys have to work through.

"You have to find a way to overcome that because, ultimately, if you don't put pressure on the opposition in the front third after you've worked your way up there, they're going to get comfortable with their position."

Spurs have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games, failing to win any of the last five.

Despite that run extending at Anfield, Postecoglou highlighted what he thought was an improvement on their recent performances.

He continued: "Obviously a hugely disappointing outcome for us but at least we were more like ourselves today in terms of our football.

"Our last two away games at Newcastle and Chelsea, apart from the results which weren't great either, we just didn't try and play our football.

"I thought today, even in the first half, some of our football, our pressing was back to where it should be."

Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at Roma on Sunday, missing the chance to close in on Milan in second place in Serie A.

Roma took the lead after 15 minutes when Romelu Lukaku found himself in the perfect position to tap in the rebound from a Bryan Cristante shot.

Bremer levelled with a header for Juventus just after the half-hour mark when Federico Chiesa picked him out inside the box from a corner.

Both sides had chances to find a winner in the final minutes, with Roma keeper Mile Svilar making a fingertip save to push Manuel Locatelli's volley over the bar.

Third-placed Juventus have 66 points, five fewer than Milan, who drew 3-3 with Genoa earlier on Sunday. Roma are fifth with 60 points.

Data Debrief: Leading from the back

Since scoring his first Serie A goal in the 2019-20 season, Bremer is the defender with the most headed goals in the Big-5 European leagues, netting 13 in total. Each of his last seven goals have been headers.

His goal was enough to earn Juventus a point today, but it means that they have drawn each of their last four in the competition - a first since February-March 2012 under Antonio Conte.

Guro Reiten starred as Chelsea thrashed already-relegated Bristol City 8-0 to keep their title hopes alive in the Women's Super League on Sunday.

The Norwegian scored four goals, netting the opener from the penalty spot to get Emma Hayes' last home game in charge off to the best start.

She scored the other three in the second half in just over 20 minutes, while teeing up Agnes Beever-Jones for the seventh goal with just two minutes left.

Beever-Jones got two, with Sjoeke Nusken and Niamh Charles also adding to the scoreline to eradicate the goal-difference advantage that Manchester City, who lost to Arsenal earlier on Sunday, had over them.

Chelsea move to within three points of the Citizens, with a game in hand over them, remaining in the fight to lift their fifth-consecutive league title.

Data Debrief:

Chelsea have scored eight goals in a game for the first time since December 2022 against Leicester City, a match they also won 8-0.

The Blues have scored in their last six games in the WSL, though it does not come close to their longest run of games with a goal in the competition - a run of 20 from April 2023 to February 2024.

Jurgen Klopp says Anfield "was a special place" after Liverpool got back to winning ways at home against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Reds cruised into a 4-0 lead against Spurs by the 59th minute as Mohamed Salah and Harvey Elliott played starring roles, with Andrew Robertson and Cody Gakpo also getting on the scoresheet.

They were set up for a slightly nervous finish by Spurs, with substitute Richarlison coming on to score and assist late on to half the deficit to 4-2 by the final whistle.

Victory kept Liverpool’s very slim title hopes alive after a recent dip in form that saw them take just one win from five before this, and Klopp was pleased with the Reds’ reaction in his penultimate game at Anfield.

"We are outstanding until we are not," the German told Sky Sports. "It was a really good game. Tottenham can put pressure on Aston Villa again for the Champions League. In high-performance things, you need a spark.

"Anfield was a special place today. We were 4-0 up, I made the changes, and we lost organisation. Tottenham showed how good they could be. I was happy with the performance.

"We were good in pretty much all areas offensively. The passes were good. So many things were good. We stayed calm. As long as they don't break the lines, then it's fine. Let them pass. I liked our game a lot. The goals were outstanding.

"You do it when you do it and if you miss it, then you miss it. If we win all three, then we can achieve the fifth-highest points tally of Liverpool.

"I would be lying if I said I was at my highest emotion, but I have another game. In two weeks’ time is another day. I have said it before, I love absolutely everything about this club."

Salah was restored to the starting line-up against Spurs after making headlines last weekend for a spat with Klopp on the sideline before he was brought on as a substitute.

He scored the opening goal for Liverpool and became the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in three consecutive seasons. He is also only the second player to tally 10+ in both in five separate seasons in the competition overall, after Wayne Rooney.

After assuring that the rift between him and Salah was resolved in the build-up to this game, Klopp was quick to praise his star man.

He added: "Mo was outstanding, he played a really good game. His side with Harvey [Elliott] was good. I was pleased for him.

"None of the boys want to play not great, why would they? Mo showed what he is capable of."

Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to "make new improvements" in the upcoming transfer window, though he believes the basis of the current squad is "very good".

Ten Hag's second season at Old Trafford has failed to live up to the standards set in his maiden campaign, which saw United end their trophy drought by winning the EFL Cup while finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

United head into their game away at Crystal Palace on Monday in eighth, 13 points off Aston Villa in fourth, and European qualification of any sort now looks a real battle.

With the transfer window opening soon, Ten Hag hopes the club makes additions, though he also feels the current squad has promise.

"I'm now going into my fifth [transfer] window," Ten Hag told reporters. "We have to make new improvements to the squad. But there is a base of this squad that is very good.

"The injuries had a big impact, but we are still below the levels of the expectations Manchester United have, so we have to catch up."

Harry Maguire, whose future is reportedly uncertain, was on Sunday ruled out for the rest of the season due to a muscle injury.

Palace, meanwhile, have breezed to Premier League safety since the arrival of Oliver Glasner in February, currently 14th in the table and 14 points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town.

The Eagles are unbeaten in four, and Glasner is hopeful his side can keep that run going as they look to finish the season strongly.

"We hope that we can keep this momentum," Glasner said.

"It is up to us how we work during the week. They look ready, I could see how focused they are in training.

"We're four games unbeaten and the goal is staying unbeaten until the end of the season."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crystal Palace – Jean-Phillipe Mateta

Mateta has scored in each of his five home Premier League appearances under Glasner (seven goals), having only netted in five out of his first 37 home matches for Palace beforehand (five goals). The last player to score in his first six home appearances under one manager in the competition was Alan Shearer for Kevin Keegan in 1996-97 (first nine). The former Lyon striker will likely provide Palace's main goal threat on Monday.

Manchester United – Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes is an injury doubt for Monday's game at Selhurst Park, and his absence would be a huge blow. Fernandes created 31 chances in his six appearances in all competitions for United in April, seven more than any other Premier League player. He created nine chances in each of his last two Premier League appearances (vs Sheffield United and Burnley), becoming the only player on record to create nine or more chances in consecutive matches (2003-04 onwards). If he is ready to go on Monday, he will prove key to United's chances of victory.

MATCH PREDICTION – MAN UTD WIN

Palace won 1-0 against United at Old Trafford earlier this campaign – the Eagles have never completed a league double over the Red Devils.

United have shipped 77 goals in 47 games in all competitions this season, their most in a season since 1977-78 (80). Their current ratio of conceding (1.64 goals-per-game) is their worst since the 1962-63 campaign (1.75 per game).

Meanwhile, United won eight of their first 11 away Premier League games against Palace (three draws) but are winless in their last three (two draws, one defeat).

Palace have won both of their last two Premier League games at Selhurst Park, last winning three in a row at home in the competition in October 2022.

United have both scored and conceded in each of their last eight Premier League away games – only once have they had a longer such run in the competition, doing so in nine consecutive games between May and November 2001. They are favourites to win Monday's game, but they may have to score several to get the three points with how leaky they currently are at the back.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Palace: 29.4%

Man Utd: 41.8%

Draw: 28.8%

Milan were pegged back to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Genoa in Serie A on Sunday.

Second-half goals from Matteo Gabbia and Olivier Giroud put Milan on course for victory, but a late own goal from Malick Thiaw rescued a point for the visitors.

Genoa's Mateo Retegui converted a penalty five minutes in, but Milan equalised just before half-time through an Alessandro Florenzi header.

The visitors regained the lead three minutes into the second half, however, when Caleb Ekuban sent a towering header home.

Milan turned the game around in three minutes, as Gabbia headed home in the 72nd and Giroud scored the hosts' third of the match with a volley from an acute angle.

Yet Genoa continued to push and a cross into the Milan box was inadvertently turned into his own net by defender Thiaw.

Second-placed Milan have 71 points, six ahead of Juventus who play later on Sunday. Genoa are 12th with 43 points.

Data Debrief: Like a fine wine

Age really is just a number for Milan's veteran campaigner Giroud, who has scored 14 goals in Serie A this season.

It is his highest tally in a single league campaign since netting 16 for Arsenal in the Premier League in 2015-16.

Reggae Girl and Florida State University soccer star Jody Brown celebrated a significant milestone this past weekend as she graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Humanities. At just 22 years old, Brown has achieved remarkable success both on the soccer field and in her academic pursuits.

Brown was among 101 student-athletes who graduated from FSU between last Friday and Saturday.

During her time at Florida State, Brown played a pivotal role in securing two National Division 1 Soccer titles in 2021 and 2023, adding to her impressive list of accolades. She was also part of four ACC Division One championship-winning teams in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, highlighting her exceptional talent and contribution to collegiate soccer.

Brown's impact extended beyond the field, as she excelled academically, culminating in her graduation this year. Reflecting on her university experience, Brown took to Instagram to express her gratitude and nostalgia: "Four years of unforgettable memories, lessons, and lifelong friendships. Thank you Florida State University."

Her Instagram post garnered warm congratulations from fellow Reggae Girlz teammates, including Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, Kiki van Zanten, and Tiffany Cameron. Jamaican track and field icon Veronica Campbell Brown, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 200m, also joined in celebrating Brown's achievement.

Brown's journey from representing Jamaica at the age of 16 to competing in the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019 and 2023 underscores her dedication and talent both on and off the field. As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Brown's achievements serve as an inspiration to aspiring athletes and scholars alike, demonstrating the power of determination, resilience, and academic excellence in pursuit of one's goals.

Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten streak as they secured a 5-1 away victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

The result leaves champions Leverkusen at the summit with 84 points, while Frankfurt sit sixth with 45.

Leverkusen's record unbeaten run, meanwhile, has now extended to 48 matches across all competitions.

Xabi Alonso's team opened the scoring through Granit Xhaka's bending strike from outside the box after 12 minutes.

Hugo Ekitike's perfectly timed header restored parity just after the half-hour mark, however.

Leverkusen retook the lead just before half-time through Patrik Schick's towering header.

It was 3-1 in the 58th minute, Exequiel Palacios converting a penalty after Niels Nkounkou pulled Nathan Tella by the shirt.

Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth for the visitors with 13 minutes remaining, tapping in from short distance, before the wing-back played a key role in Leverkusen's fifth, winning a penalty which was put away by Victor Boniface.

Data Debrief: Club history for free-scoring Leverkusen

Leverkusen have now scored 82 goals in this Bundesliga season, a new season record for the Werkself in the top flight.

They also lead the Bundesliga for the most goals from long-distance (11), most goals from set-pieces (23) and most goals in the final 15 minutes of matches (19).

Mohamed Salah made more Premier League history as he scored and provided an assist in Liverpool's 4-2 win over Tottenham.

Salah, who had a public disagreement with outgoing Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during last week's 2-2 draw with West Ham, was back at his best as the Reds returned to winning ways on Sunday.

He opened the scoring in the 16th minute at Anfield, where Liverpool cruised into a 4-0 lead before Spurs fought back to make matters interesting late on.

Harvey Elliott curled in Liverpool's fourth goal, having received a pass from Salah, who in the process went into the Premier League's record books.

Salah is the first player in Premier League history to score 10+ goals and provide 10+ assists in three consecutive seasons.

Meanwhile, he is also only the second player to tally 10+ in both in five separate seasons in the competition overall, after Wayne Rooney.

"Mo was absolutely outstanding," Klopp told Sky Sports.

Salah's earlier goal had also seen him draw level with Harry Kane as the highest goalscorer in Premier League matches between Liverpool and Spurs, with nine. He is also squandered a great chance to make it 5-2, before seeing a goal disallowed for offside in stoppage time.

Indeed, the fixture itself is now the highest-scoring one in Premier League history, having overtaken Arsenal v Liverpool.