Massimiliano Allegri has urged his Juventus side to shift their focus away from the top of the Serie A table as they prepare to travel to bottom club Salernitana on Sunday.
Inter Milan’s win over Verona on Saturday saw them stretch their lead back to five points, but Allegri is in no doubt where his priorities lie for the rest of the campaign.
Allegri told a press conference: “First of all it is fundamental to maintain the gap to fifth in the standings. Our first objective must be to qualify for the next Champions League.”
Juventus head into the game unbeaten in 13 Serie A games and will start as strong favourites against a side whom they swept aside 6-1 last Thursday in the Coppa Italia.
Allegri confirmed that Hans Nicolussi Caviglia will feature for the trip to Salerno, but Andrea Cambiaso is ruled out with a fever, and the game has come too early for Moise Kean who is yet to return to full training.
Despite Thursday’s cup mauling, the hosts will head into the game in good heart having snapped a run of six games without a win with a priceless 1-0 victory at Verona last week.
Allegri is adamant his side must rely on their team spirit to see them through a game with potentially more problems than the recent statistics suggest.
“Playing in Salerno is never easy and we will find it difficult because they want to cancel out the result of Thursday’s match,” said Allegri.
“We must continue to work as we are doing, without getting excited and without ever letting our guard down.
“The match the other evening shouldn’t make us get excited, but push us to continue working well because it’s important to think about one match at a time, without projecting ourselves too far ahead.
“Right now the thing that matters most is the group. We have to put the ego aside and put the group at the centre, because this group is doing something splendid.”
Premier League title race destiny is 'in our hands', says Man City boss Guardiola
Pep Guardiola knows the fate of the Premier League title race is in Manchester City's hands, as he urged his players to leave nothing to chance.
City head into the final day of the season in pole position, two points ahead of Arsenal and on the brink of an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title.
Guardiola's team will be champions again if they beat West Ham at home. They could still win the league with a draw, but only if Arsenal fail to beat Everton.
And Guardiola's message to his team was a clear one.
"At that moment, the destiny is in our hands," he said. "But if you are waiting for [Arsenal] to drop points again, you are wrong.
"If you were thinking Arsenal were going to lose at Old Trafford [against Manchester United] forget about it. If you are thinking Everton are going do something on Sunday, forget about it.
"This is not going to happen. We did what we had to do against Crystal Palace, against Wolves, Fulham, Spurs and now we have the last one. So they know it's win, otherwise Arsenal will be champions."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is wanting a favour from his old boss David Moyes, who insisted West Ham's focus was purely on themselves, and not on spoiling anyone's parade.
"Football is a strange game. You never know what moments are going to give you the opportunity to win and we have to try to take those opportunities when we can," Moyes said.
"We're not playing to make Manchester City lose the Premier League and we're not playing to make Arsenal win the Premier League.
"We're playing for West Ham and we're trying to win the game for West Ham. We can't finish lower than ninth, which is a really good league position for West Ham in lots of ways."
This will be Moyes' final game in charge of the Hammers, and Guardiola hopes to see the Scot back in management soon.
"He will be back, that is my feeling. He cannot be at home," Guardiola said.
"My first game [at City] was against Sunderland and David Moyes was there. Now, an important game, he will be there again.
"It's always an honour to see him. He is a lovely person and his experience speaks for itself. But he will do what he can to beat us."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester City - Kevin De Bruyne
De Bruyne has six assists in Premier League final games – it is the most of any current player, with only Nolberto Solano providing more in the competition's history (seven). De Bruyne’s assist for Haaland against Spurs on Tuesday took him to 112 in the Premier League, with only Ryan Giggs having more in the history of the competition (162).
West Ham - Jarrod Bowen
With 16 league goals this season, it has been another excellent campaign for Bowen, who will be hoping to finish on a high and force himself into England's Euro 2024 squad.
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN
This will be Moyes' 198th and final Premier League game in charge of West Ham – no permanent manager has a higher win rate for the Hammers in the competition than the Scotsman.
However, Opta's model does not fancy the Hammers' chances. West Ham have lost 5-2 at Crystal Palace and 5-0 at Chelsea in their last two Premier League away games; the last team to concede 5+ goals in three consecutive top-flight away games were Blackburn Rovers (April-August 1965), while West Ham last did so in April 1932.
City are the only side yet to lose a home Premier League match this season (W13 D5). City are looking to remain unbeaten at home in a top-flight season for a fourth time, along with 1904-05, 1920-21 and 2011-12, while manager Pep Guardiola has only gone a full top-flight season unbeaten once before, with Barcelona in 2009-10.
West Ham have conceded at least once in all 17 of their Premier League games at the Etihad Stadium – only Tottenham have played at a specific venue more in the competition without ever keeping a clean sheet (18 at Emirates Stadium).
City are unbeaten in their last 16 Premier League games against West Ham (W13 D3), since a 2-1 home loss in September 2015.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man City - 75%
West Ham - 8.3%
Draw - 16.7%
Fifth-place finish would be 'amazing' for Chelsea, claims Pochettino
Finishing fifth in the Premier League would be an "amazing" end to the season for Chelsea, so says Mauricio Pochettino.
Chelsea have reeled off five straight wins to put themselves in pole position to clinch a European spot.
The Blues sit sixth ahead of facing Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. If they win and Tottenham lose to Sheffield United, then they will finish fifth.
However, should Chelsea lose, then they will be overtaken by Newcastle United, should the Magpies beat Brentford.
"It's really important for us to finish in the way we are doing now, with the confidence and the way we are playing in the last few months," Pochettino said.
"It's really important for the team, players, club to achieve one of the objectives, to play in Europe next season.
"If we end up fifth, it'll be amazing for us. We need to do our job then see what's going on.
"It's going to be a really tough game because Bournemouth are doing so well. Andoni Iraola is doing a good job but most important is to finish well and see if we have the chance to get the place [in Europe]."
Bournemouth boss Iraola has been nominated for the Premier League's Manager of the Season award, and this week penned a contract extension.
"I think it was quite fast and quite easy," Iraola said when reflecting on the decision to extend his terms.
"We started talking and with managers I don't feel it's so important, a contract, as with players. In the end, managers have to perform well, you have to keep winning games.
"Otherwise you are going to be in trouble, it doesn't matter the contract you have.
"I think it is more a matter of renewing the confidence. It has been our first season together.
"I am happy that everyone is in a good place and we can continue working together."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea - Cole Palmer
Palmer has scored 14 goals in his last nine Premier League home games for Chelsea. Overall he has scored 16 times at Stamford Bridge this term, with no player ever netting more home goals for the Blues in a single campaign.
Bournemouth - Dominic Solanke
Solanke has scored the most goals (19), the most home goals (10) and the joint-most away goals (nine) of any Bournemouth player in a single Premier League campaign.
MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
Bournemouth’s 13 wins in the Premier League this term is their joint-most in a single season (level with 2018-19), while as it stands their 15 defeats is their fewest across a single top-flight campaign.
Since the turn of the year, only the Premier League’s top-three teams have picked up more points than Chelsea (38 – W11 D5 L3). They are looking to win five games in a row for the first time since doing so between January and March 2022 under Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea have won nine of their last 11 Premier League home games (D1 L1), having won just one of their previous 14 at Stamford Bridge beforehand. The Blues have won their last three by an aggregate score of 13-0, last winning more in a row at home without conceding between November and January in 2014-15 (five).
The Blues are unbeaten in four Premier League games against Bournemouth (W2 D2), having lost three of their four against them before this (W1).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chelsea - 59.5%
Bournemouth - 16.6%
Draw - 23.9%
Juventus sack head coach Allegri for behaviour at Coppa Italia final
Juventus have relieved head coach Massimiliano Allegri of his duties with immediate effect, citing his behaviour during Wednesday's Coppa Italia final win as a factor in their decision.
Allegri led Juve to a 1-0 win over Atalanta in Wednesday's domestic cup final at the Stadio Olimpico, the Bianconeri's first major trophy since they won the same competition in 2021.
They have now won the Coppa six times in the last decade, while Allegri's five titles make him the most successful coach in the competition's history outright.
However, cup glory was not enough to save Allegri's job after a staggering collapse in the second half of Juve's 2023-24 Serie A campaign.
Juve were neck-and-neck with Inter at the summit at the turn of the year, but they are not even assured of a top-four finish with two games remaining following a run of five straight draws.
They are guaranteed Champions League football for 2023-24 due to Italian clubs' performances in Europe this term, but Allegri will not lead them on their return to Europe's elite club competition.
In a statement, the 36-time Italian champions said Allegri's animated behaviour during and after Wednesday's final contributed to his dismissal.
The club said: "Juventus announces that it has relieved Massimiliano Allegri of his duties as coach of the men's first team.
"The dismissal follows certain behaviours during and after the Coppa Italia final that the club deemed incompatible with the values of Juventus and with the behaviour that must be held by those who represent it.
"A period of collaboration which began in 2014 and restarted in 2021 for three more seasons together comes to an end.
"The club wishes Massimiliano Allegri the best of luck in his future projects."
Thiago Motta – who has led Bologna to Champions League qualification – has been strongly linked with the role, with Allegri's position being questioned throughout the last few months.
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