Erling Haaland can be the "cutting edge" that helps Manchester City finally win the Champions League, so says Les Ferdinand.
Haaland has enjoyed a record-breaking first season at City, smashing past the Premier League single-season goals mark of 34, which had been shared by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer since the mid-1990s.
But it is in UEFA's flagship club competition where the striker has further underlined his superb form, with 12 goals so far en route to City's semi-final tie with Real Madrid.
Pep Guardiola's side have still not won the biggest prize in club football under his watch, but Ferdinand believes with Haaland spearheading their attack, now might finally be the time to end their wait.
"He comes alive in the Champions League," Ferdinand told Stats Perform. "I'm not saying he doesn't play well in the other games, but it's almost like he's desperate to win the Champions League.
"Manchester City are desperate to win that Champions League [title], and he looks like he could be the cutting edge they've needed for the last few years in that competition.
"All the best players in the world come calling when it's needed. They're able to produce. You talk about [Cristiano] Ronaldo or [Lionel] Messi, in the big games, they came to the fore.
"I think you've seen [that] with Haaland. There are a lot of centre-forwards out there who will score goals, [especially] when the team's up.
"But he scores that first, all-important goal as well. That's what is always majorly important for a team."
Despite his free-scoring form, Haaland faced accusations earlier in the season of weakening City, though Ferdinand scoffed at the suggestion.
"I know part of the reason for signing Haaland was to try and have a really good assault on the Champions League," he added.
"I think that's where they fell short in terms of a centre-forward.
"But for someone that is going to score over 50-odd goals or 60-odd goals in all competitions, it's hard to say that he's weakened Manchester City."
City face Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, before welcoming Los Blancos to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg on May 17.
It is a repeat of last season's semi-final, in which City missed multiple chances to put the tie to bed before paying the price in a thrilling second leg.
Moyes: Leaving is 'right decision' for me and West Ham
David Moyes says he and West Ham made the right decision for him to leave at the end of the season.
West Ham announced on Monday that Moyes would be stepping down as their manager, with Julen Lopetegui reportedly lined up as his replacement.
The Hammers have slipped away from the European places in recent weeks, with a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea last time out extending a four-game winless run.
Speaking for the first time since the announcement, Moyes said he was comfortable with how it played out: "Look, there's a lot of things in football that can be done a lot better.
"But I'm really comfortable with the situation. I'm comfortable with the board, so at the moment, everything's fine. It's football.
"I think it's the right decision for both parties, for myself and the club and we'll go our separate ways having had, I think, a really good four-and-a-half years. "
Luton Town sit three points from safety after a 1-1 draw with Everton last Friday and know that a defeat against West Ham could see them relegated if Nottingham Forest avoid defeat against Chelsea.
Rob Edwards was upbeat about his team’s chances despite only having two games left, saying: "I don't think it would be a miracle at all. We have been in worse situations as a football club and still got out of it!
"We know what we have to do. We have got to pick up points and that has got to start [against West Ham].
"Of course, it's not [mission impossible]. We will concentrate on ourselves. Obviously, we know that we are going to need some help [from other teams], but we all know how hard it is to win in the Premier League.
"We have got to try and do that - obviously Forest and Burnley have got difficult games as well."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
West Ham – Jarrod Bowen
Bowen has scored 16 Premier League goals this season – the last West Ham player to net more in a single top-flight campaign was Tony Cottee in 1986-87 (22).
Indeed, no player has scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Bowen (five).
Luton Town – Alfie Doughty
Doughty has created 67 chances for Luton Town this season in the Premier League – since 2003-04, the only Englishmen to create more chances in their debut season in the competition are James Maddison (100 in 2018-19) and Rickie Lambert (81 in 2012-13).
MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN
West Ham are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against promoted sides (W8 D2) since a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in August last season. At home, they have won six of their last seven such games since a 2-1 loss to Brentford in October 2021.
The Hammers are also looking to complete their first league double over Luton since 1983-84, following their 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road earlier this season.
However, West Ham have lost three of their last four Premier League games (D1), shipping five goals in each of the last two defeats (2-5 v Crystal Palace, 0-5 v Chelsea). Indeed, the Hammers have conceded 5+ goals in four different league games this season, last doing so more in 1965-66 (6).
Since beating Brighton 4-0 in January and moving outside the relegation zone, Luton have won just one of their last 15 Premier League games (D4 L10), with defeat in this match leaving them on the cusp of relegation back to the Championship.
Luton have both scored and conceded in 29 of their 36 Premier League games this season, a joint-competition record alongside Swindon in 1993-94 and Southampton in 1994-95. The last side to see both themselves and their opponents score in more top-flight matches in a single campaign were Newcastle in 1985-86 (31).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
West Ham – 56.5%
Draw – 23.9%
Luton Town – 19.6%
Mbappe confirms PSG departure at end of season
Kylian Mbappe has confirmed that he will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season.
Mbappe, who joined PSG on a permanent deal from Monaco in 2018 after spending a season on loan, has made 305 appearances for the club, scoring 255 goals, 42 of which came in European competition.
The 25-year-old helped them win Ligue 1 six times, including this season, three Coupe de France titles and two Coupe de la Ligue trophies.
Mbappe, who is out of contract this year, will not be staying at the Parc des Princes at the end of the season, with reports suggesting he could join Real Madrid.
In a message posted on his social media channels, Mbappe said: "I've always said that I would speak with you when the time comes, and so I wanted to announce to you all that it's my last year at Paris Saint-Germain.
"I will not extend, and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks.
"I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday."
"It's a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honour to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world, which allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player by being alongside some of the best in history, to meet a lot of people and to grow as a man with all the glory and the mistakes I've made.
"I want to thank the teammates, all of the teammates that I had. All the coaches, Unai Emery, Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Christophe Galtier and Luis Enrique.
"It's hard, it's hard and I never thought it would be this difficult, to announce that to leave my country, France, the Ligue 1, a championship I have always known, but I think I needed this, a new challenge after seven years.
"It's difficult and, of course, there are some people, I want to thank above all these are the fans. I know I am not the most demonstrative player. I haven't always lived up to the love you all gave me for the seven years, but I never wanted to cheat. I have always wanted to be effective.
"PSG is a club that never leaves anyone indifferent. We can love it or hate it. I made the choice of loving it and I did it for seven years, with ups and downs, of course, but I do not regret any moment, signing with this prestigious club.
"It's a club that I will keep in memory my entire life. I will tell everybody my whole life, that I had the chance to play here. I won't be a player anymore, but I will continue to watch every game, of course, because it's a club that I will always be interested in, and I will always closely follow up its news.
"It was me with my qualities and defects, but I tried to give the best version of myself during those seven years. But beforehand I want to say thank you because without you all I would not have experienced half of the emotions I felt. And just for that, I am grateful for life.
Chelsea sacking would not be the end of the world - Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino says it would not be "the end of the world" if he were to leave Chelsea at the end of the season.
The Blues have lost just one of their last 12 matches in the Premier League, and they thrashed West Ham 5-0 in their last game to make it four home wins on the bounce.
Chelsea now sit in seventh place with a place in Europe next season within their reach, but rumours continue to spread that Pochettino’s future at the club is not safe.
Pochettino stressed that he wants to be involved in the conversations about the club’s plans at the end of the season, which is when a decision will be made.
He said: "If we are happy, perfect. But it is not only if the owners are happy or the sporting directors happy... You need to ask us also, because maybe [we] say, ‘we are not happy’ and we accept the situation, and we need to split.
“It is not going to be the first time the coaching staff at the end of the season decide to not keep going. But at this end, it is always the opposite way. It is always the owners or the sporting directors.
"If we split it’s not a problem, it will not be the end of the world."
At the other end of the table, Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Sheffield United last Saturday to move three points clear of the drop.
With Forest still not safe with two games to go, Nuno Espirito Santo admitted this was his toughest season as a manager so far.
"It’s been hard but I’m repeating myself. Since day one we embraced the challenge," said Nuno.
"There were a lot of things we were not expecting, but we dealt with them in the proper moment and in the right way. With the right attitude and working together, we can overcome the obstacles, and we have had a lot."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nottingham Forest – Chris Wood
Wood has scored more goals than any other Nottingham Forest player in the Premier League this season (12). However, in 11 meetings with Chelsea in the competition, he has never found the back of the net, something he will want to change at the weekend.
Chelsea – Cole Palmer
Palmer has been involved in 30 Premier League goals this season, scoring 21 and assisting nine.
The last Chelsea player to be involved in more was Eden Hazard in 2018-19 (31 – 16G 15A), while 2009-10 was the last time a Blues player scored more in a league campaign (Didier Drogba 29, Frank Lampard 22).
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games (W6 D5), though they are winless in their last five away from home (D4 L1).
The Blues have won just two of their last 10 away league games against Forest (D4 L4), winning 1-0 in November 1994 and 3-1 in February 1999.
Following their 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, Forest are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since 1978-79, when they were reigning top-flight champions under Brian Clough.
Indeed, Forest have only lost their final home league match in one of their six previous Premier League campaigns (W4 D1), doing so against Sheffield United in 1992-93 with a 2-0 defeat that confirmed their relegation.
Chelsea’s Premier League games have seen 129 goals this season (F70 A59), the third most after Sheffield United (135) and Newcastle (134). Only in 2009-10 (135) have the Blues' games produced more goals (F103 A32).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Nottingham Forest – 25.5%
Draw – 27.6%
Chelsea – 46.9%
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