Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui believes Brighton are one of the best teams in the world.

The 56-year-old takes his side to the Amex on Saturday with the Seagulls still pushing for a surprise European spot.

Roberto De Zerbi replaced Graham Potter in September and has them eighth, five points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with three games in hand.

Brighton lost 3-1 at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday but, despite defeat, Lopetegui is an admirer.

“In my opinion, the best team now playing football in the world is Brighton,” he said.

“They play in a different way than the rest of the teams – they are very good.

“They are different, they attack in a different way, they are able to play with consistency with the ball, have different solutions in different parts of the pitch.

“They show they are enjoying to play in this way – all the players – so it’s about the fantastic work of De Zerbi and the fantastic players playing football.

“This is a big challenge for us but a chance. We have to go there with the aim and the spirit to be able to fight and compete with them.”

Sasa Kalajdzic (knee) remains out and Boubacar Traore (groin) is lacking match fitness with Lopetegui due to continue with the same squad from Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

It meant the former Spain boss has guided Wolves eight points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with five games left.

Lopetegui added: “We are going to need a lot of points, this is sure. We have a lot of hard work and we have to be ready to compete and ready to compete against a very good team.

“I don’t agree with mathematics of football (assuming a certain amount of points for survival), it’s the worse thing you can do. You have to work a lot to achieve a lot.

“To think in the future is not for us. We have to think about the next training session and put the focus on the pitch.

“It’s about the needs we have to achieve our aim. We have suffered a lot and we will continue to suffer until the end.”

Manchester City and Manchester United fans are facing serious travel disruption for the FA Cup final after train drivers announced fresh strikes in a long-running row over pay.

Aslef rejected a “risible” four per cent pay offer from the 16 train companies it remains in dispute with and announced union members will walk out on May 12 and 31 and then June 3 when Wembley hosts the all-Manchester final.

The Football Association only confirmed on Wednesday that the final will start at the traditional time of 3pm after Metropolitan Police deemed it a high-risk match, therefore insisting upon a kick-off time no later than 4.45pm.

The earlier kick-off allows for fans to travel back from London via public transport, but Aslef’s planned rail strike has thrown thousands of fans’ plans into chaos.

Both clubs are assessing the situation and will be liaising with the FA, authorities and fans groups, with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust expressing their frustration at the situation.

“A train strike on cup final day will be a huge inconvenience to the tens of thousands of supporters travelling down from Manchester to London on the day,” MUST said in a statement to the PA news agency.

“We need all modes of transport available to cope with the level of demand and the railways are a key part of that.

“We call on the Government and the trade union to get round the table and find a way to avert this industrial action.”

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said drivers have not had a pay rise at the companies they are in dispute with since 2019.

“Our executive committee met this morning and rejected a risible proposal we received from the Rail Delivery Group,” he said.

“The proposal – of just four per cent – was clearly not designed to be accepted as inflation is still running north of 10 per cent and our members at these companies have not had an increase for four years.

“The RDG, in turn, rejected our proposals to modernise Britain’s railways and help them run more efficiently, for passengers and for businesses, in the 21st century.

“Consequently, we have today announced three more days of strike action on Friday May 12, Wednesday May 31 and Saturday June 3 at the companies with which we are in dispute, and which are letting down passengers, and taxpayers, so badly.

“We are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday May 15 to Saturday 20 inclusive, as well as on Saturday May 13 and Thursday June 1.”

The train operating companies involved in the dispute are: Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, GTR Great Northern Thameslink, London North Eastern Railway, Northern Trains, Southeastern, Southern/Gatwick Express, South Western Railway, SWR depot drivers, SWR Island Line, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

The May 12 strike will be held the day before the Eurovision final in Liverpool.

A spokesperson for the RDG said: “This is disappointing news for our customers and staff, more strike action is totally unnecessary and will only heap more pressure on an industry already facing an acute financial crisis.

“Senselessly targeting both the final of Eurovision and the FA Cup final is disappointing for all those planning to attend.”

Paris Saint-Germain were accused by the mayor of the French capital on Thursday of making a "ridiculous" offer to buy the city-owned Parc des Princes stadium.

PSG are 10 years into a 30-year tenancy agreement but have targeted ownership of the stadium before going ahead with ambitious expansion plans.

According to the mayor, Anne Hidalgo, the Ligue 1 giants have proposed paying €38million to buy the site.

PSG are reportedly also interested in acquiring the Stade de France, with L'Equipe claiming the club would formally lodge an expression of interest on Thursday.

They are seeking a home big enough to match their ambitions, and the Parc des Princes, which seats close to 48,000 spectators, does not currently come up to the mark.

Speaking to French broadcaster RFI, Hidalgo said: "We had opened the door to the possibility of selling the stadium to our club.

"It is true that in the economic model of the big clubs, they are almost all owners and of course we have look at this argument.

"To sell, you had to respect the rules, because the stadium belongs to the Parisians, it does not belong to me.

"We are in a state of law, so there are procedures and we have to set prices that must correspond to the good. The club offered €38million. I think ridiculous is the right word. There is no longer any possible path."

French president Emmanuel Macron has reportedly held talks with football's world governing body, FIFA, about the possible sale of the Stade de France.

It would be a startling move for FIFA to buy the stadium that was built for the 1998 World Cup but may yet be feasible.

Hidalgo said she does not expect PSG to leave the Parc des Princes and move across the city, adding that it would be "very complicated to give up a stadium, even if the president of the Republic has opened this possibility".

PSG's Qatari owners have funded heavy spending on playing and coaching staff to turn the team into France's dominant side, packed with superstars including Neymar, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos.

The owners will not find it as straightforward to navigate local rules and regulations, though. Qatar built a host of spectacular stadiums for last year's World Cup, when it wanted to show itself off to the world, but this is a different story.

Hidalgo said there was "maybe a bit of bluffing or maybe misunderstanding what our democratic rules are" when it comes to PSG eyeing up the Stade de France.

She added: "Yes, it's true that with us, stadiums don't spring up like mushrooms, it's true that you don't arrive with a bundle of millions and become the buyer of any property for any conditions."

Jarrod Bowen is confident West Ham will bounce back from Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat at home to Liverpool.

The Hammers missed the chance to move further clear of the Premier League relegation fight, despite taking the lead against the Reds.

A trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace on Saturday is West Ham’s next assignment and Bowen insists the team will go there in good spirits.

Thanks for your support tonight, Hammers ⚒️

We go again on Saturday ? pic.twitter.com/Vd25r1ZLzZ

— West Ham United (@WestHam) April 26, 2023

“This game was a kick in the teeth, but we’ll bounce back from that,” he told West Ham TV. “We’ve got a real spirit in this group to bounce back from disappointment, so we’ll do that again.

“It’s also difficult when you go to Selhurst Park with the atmosphere they create.

“But we can go there full of confidence I think, especially with our recent performances and results we’ve picked.”

Cody Gakpo’s long-range effort cancelled out Lucas Paqueta’s opener at the London Stadium before Joel Matip headed home a second-half corner to complete Liverpool’s comeback.

Bowen felt the home side only had themselves to blame with the manner of the goals they conceded.

“The goals were just a disappointment on our behalf,” he added. “One was from a set-piece, which we usually pride ourselves on defensively and offensively, and the other one sees Gakpo shoot, and we probably could have got a bit closer to it.

“We knew they would have a lot of the ball and they are a good team, there is no denying that.

“With the way they play, there were times we had to suffer without the ball and there were times when we had to go and put the pressure on and I think we got the balance right.

“It was disappointing on our behalf, to give them those goals, but there were some positives from this that we can take into Saturday’s game.”

David Moyes’ men went into Wednesday night’s match having scored eight goals in their previous two games, a 4-1 Europa Conference League victory over Gent and a 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth, and they had chances to score more against Liverpool.

Bowen had the ball in the back of the net just after the break, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

“The last few weeks we’ve been at it to a better level, closer to what we expect of ourselves,” he added.

“Even (last night), there were times when we could have been better on the ball, but I also thought there were times when we looked dangerous.”

Every angle of Cody Gakpo's fantastic leveller last night in #WHULIV ?

Presented by @Sonos ? pic.twitter.com/ZiypTCNfQ3

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 27, 2023

Gakpo’s 18th-minute goal was his sixth in the Premier League since his January arrival at Anfield and the Holland forward feels Liverpool are heading in the right direction.

The win at West Ham made it three victories in a row.

“I’ve not been here so long, so I don’t know how it felt before, but I think we’re getting on the right track,” Gakpo told Liverpoolfc.com.

“I think you have to stay sharp for 90 minutes (against West Ham) because it’s only one moment they can counter and then they get a goal.

“But we did really well defensively – at the end they scored one and we scored two. We did great.”

Stuart Broad hopes Australia try to fight fire with fire by trying to adopt England's aggressive approach in the Ashes.

England have enjoyed a significant upturn in fortunes since Brendon McCullum was appointed Test head coach and Ben Stokes replaced Joe Root as captain.

An attacking philosophy enabled them to secure an unprecedented 3-0 away series whitewash of Pakistan after they beat New Zealand and South Africa on home soil, as well as India in a rearranged Test.

They also drew 1-1 in New Zealand, losing a thrilling second Test by one run after making the Black Caps follow-on.

Seamer Broad believes Australia could come unstuck if they try to score at a rapid rate in the battle for the urn.

He told the Daily Mail: "'It's going to be a slight clash of styles and I'm fascinated to see how their bowling attack will defend against us.

"And it will be interesting to see how their batters stay calm because we play so aggressively now. Will they be able stick to their game plans and bubbles when we're playing this style? That will be a test for them.

"I think it would be great for us if Australia try to take us on at our own game. If we can get them playing in a slightly different style they could make mistakes and that would be brilliant for us.

"Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja are all guys who like to bat time and accumulate so if we can nibble away at them and just get them thinking 'why are we not scoring quicker? Why are we not moving the game forward?'

"We leave Jack Leach's mid-on and mid-off in all the time and Stokesey basically says 'you're not having them back. Let them keep hitting you'.

"And he's probably got more caught mid-offs now than lbs, so it's playing on minds. I'd love Smith to dance down the track and sky one to mid-off early doors. That would be classic."

England were hammered 4-0 in the last Ashes series in Australia, but Broad has written that off as "void".

"Nothing was harsher than the last Ashes series," he said. "But in my mind I don't class that as a real Ashes. The definition of Ashes cricket is elite sport with lots of passion and players at the top of their game.

"Nothing about that series was high level performance because of the Covid restrictions. The training facilities, the travel, not being able to socialise. I've written it off as a void series."

Max Verstappen believes the approach of the leading drivers in Formula One will not change with the new sprint format, which debuts this weekend in Azerbaijan.

The new approach will see qualifying for Sunday's race take place on Friday, with Saturday seeing qualifying for the sprint followed by the short-form race itself.

Previously, qualifying would set the order for the sprint, which in turn would decide the line-up for the grid in Sunday's main race.

The idea is to encourage drivers to take more risks in the sprint, though Verstappen is not sure that will be the outcome.

"Maybe some people who are outside the points try to get a point. But once you are upfront, it's not making a massive difference," he told Sky Sports.

"I don't see it being a lot different for us than in the previous sprint weekends. There will be a little bit more chaos around because of the extra qualifying. This track is always quite chaotic, so this will make it a little bit more chaotic.

"From my side, I don't think it will change a lot. If you're first, second, third, you're quite happy in that position to just get the points, get it over with and focus on the race."

Verstappen has regularly been a vocal critic against changing the format of Formula One but admits he will have to cope with the new changes.

"You have to be ok with it. I love racing in general but I do feel like you don't have to touch anything that is great and I always thought that Sunday was great," he added.

"Of course, I understand selling more tickets on the Friday and Saturday, make every day worth fighting for, but when you're doing 24 or 25 race weekends, I think a good option would be to shorten it a bit anyway.

"Some people love racing, they will do it forever, but it also needs to be a healthy option as well. At one point, you start questioning that. Then when you add in these sprint weekends, it's even more busy."

While Verstappen made his concerns clear, McLaren's Lando Norris welcomed the new changes and believes the format is much better than before.

"There's still the budget cap, you don't want to damage the car, you don't want to do anything silly. Especially us, where we're wanting to improve the car as much as possible, the least amount of damage we cause, the better," he said.

"But I'm excited. I think it's a better format, I prefer it compared to what we had before. There's more room and more opportunities for everyone.

"I like the fact you have two qualifying. I love the format of practice, then qualifying on the Friday. The pressure is definitely higher, but it's enjoyable."

Frank Lampard hinted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could have a role to play in Chelsea’s run-in after the striker made just his second appearance since February in the loss to Brentford.

The team’s goalscoring woes plumbed new depths at Stamford Bridge as a toothless 2-0 defeat on Wednesday extended their poor run to a single goal scored in the last seven games.

Aubameyang, who was frozen out under former manager Graham Potter, emerged from the bench at half-time and had a noticeable impact on the way Chelsea tried to play, lending their attack a badly-needed focal point.

But it was not enough to prevent Lampard from suffering a fifth consecutive defeat since he was appointed as interim boss.

Chelsea’s starting XI against Brentford have scored only 10 Premier League goals between them this season, and a tally of 30 in 32 games means only four teams in the division have fewer.

By contrast, relegation-threatened Leeds and Leicester have scored 12 and 14 more goals respectively than the Blues.

Brentford take the points tonight. #CheBre pic.twitter.com/yCHybh2VqH

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 26, 2023

Lampard, who was unable to select Aubameyang for the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid after Potter left him out of his European squad, suggested there may be chances for him in the run-in.

“Auba has been a tough one for me because I’ve got complete respect for him as a player,” said Lampard. “He’s scored 300 and whatever goals in his career.

“He couldn’t play the two Madrid games for me because he was not in the squad, he came on against Wolves (a 1-0 defeat) and for a number nine particularly, to be sharp and to be playing regularly is key.

“To see him train, when we haven’t had big minutes for training, in the last few days I’ve seen him be able to train, so he was in my thinking for (Brentford) anyway.

“He certainly has the profile of a number nine. We don’t have that elsewhere in the squad. So I did see a difference.”

Chelsea have won seven times in the league since Champions League-winning coach Thomas Tuchel was sacked on September 7.

That run has seen three different managers try and coax results out of the squad assembled by owner Todd Boehly at a cost of almost £600million.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be appointed as Potter’s permanent successor in the next week to try and lead a restoration of the club’s fortunes.

Lampard was asked whether he worried about the impact being associated with the club’s current demise might have on his reputation.

“I took (the job) on knowing the jeopardy of what it might be, but I’m very proud to manage here,” he said. “I came here (in 2019) when we had a difficult moment before, and we had big success in my first year. I went to Everton and had a challenge to stay in the league, I stayed in the league.

“People will perceive you in a different way anyway. In the short-term, I’m not worried. I want to win games, that’s clear. But I understand the problems as to why we’re probably not winning games.

“I got asked before about belief and how we’re going to change that. I can’t just say ‘lads, believe’ and they’re going to run out and believe all of a sudden. Those things take time and they take a bit of work, then maybe something goes in your favour. (Against Brentford), nothing went in our favour.”

Phil Mickelson expects the four majors to find a way to include the cream of LIV Golf talent even if ranking system chiefs refuse to award points to the breakaway series.

LIV bosses are pushing for the official world golf rankings (OWGR) to award points for its events, but that has yet to come about.

There is no guarantee the situation will change, but Mickelson cannot see how it is in anyone's interest for the majors, golf's pinnacle events, to exclude some of the sport's biggest stars.

His LIV Golf colleague Bryson DeChambeau labelled the rankings "almost obsolete" when he spoke this week in Singapore. He has slipped from inside the top 30 to 178th since committing to LIV, where lucrative sign-up fees and prize money have drawn a host of golf's elite players.

Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, who both defected from the PGA Tour to LIV, finished tied for second at the recent Masters.

Sharp dips in ranking status could mean LIV stars are frozen out from the majors, but there seems likely to be an arrangement reached.

Reflecting on the sport's showpiece occasions and future prospects for LIV players, Mickelson said: "It's going to all iron itself out because if you're one of the majors, if you're the Masters, you're not looking at we should keep these guys out.

"You're saying to yourself, we want to have the best field, we want to have the best players, and these guys added a lot to the tournament this year at the Masters. How do we get them included?

"We have to come up with a qualifying mechanism that is inclusive, and if the world golf ranking isn't going to be inclusive, then they have to find another way.

"Maybe they take the top five or top 10 or winners of LIV, but they're going to have to find a way to get the best LIV players in their field if they want to have the best field in golf and be really what major championship is about. So they're already looking at that.

"If the world golf rankings doesn't find a way to be inclusive, then the majors will just find another way to include LIV because it's no longer a credible way.

"So it will all iron itself out for the simple reason that it's in the best interest of everybody, especially the tournaments, the majors, to have the best players."

The US PGA Championship is coming up in May, followed by the U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July.

Meanwhile, the Singapore leg of the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV series begins on Friday.

DeChambeau, a former winner of the U.S. Open, has little time for the ranking system as it stands.

"You should realise that the OWGR is not accurate, one," he said. "Two, I think that they need to come to a resolution, or it will become obsolete. It's pretty much almost obsolete as of right now.

"But again, if the majors and everything continue to have that as their ranking system, then they are biting it quite heavily."

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi does not know whether his side have the squad depth required to cope with a hectic run of games.

The Seagulls’ European dream suffered a big blow on Wednesday night as they were beaten 3-1 at Nottingham Forest, where De Zerbi said his players lacked energy just three days after they lost the FA Cup semi-final to Manchester United on penalties.

They now have eight games to play in a month as they aim to qualify for European football for the first time in their history.

Asked whether his squad is light, the Italian replied: “I don’t know. For sure I am honest and I don’t want to speak in this way when we lose the game.

“I am proud of my players even though we lost. We will speak with (chairman) Tony (Bloom) at the end of the season. We are suffering too many injuries in this moment.

“I said this game was the most important game of the season. I knew the game was very, very, very tough. It was very tough for the energy but for the head too. The big teams are used to playing today, tomorrow, at four o’clock in the night, at nine o’clock in the morning, in the afternoon with the rain or sun. We are working on this.

“I think we can reach this level. I am speaking with Tony (Bloom). If we want to reach this level I think it is better to say I know the way. I will work hard to reach this level. I am not speaking about the table, I am speaking about the mentality.”

For Forest, victory gave their survival chances a much-needed shot in the arm as they climbed out of the bottom three.

Boss Steve Cooper was delighted that his side stuck to a plan to deliver a first three points in 12 games.

“We were never going to have a competition of possession or passes with them, because that wouldn’t have been the right plan,” Cooper said. “I asked the players at half-time to continue, not to get too frustrated – because some parts of the game they wouldn’t have enjoyed greatly – but I said they would get their rewards.

“We scored the second goal completely from the plan. The little box they play in midfield, with the centre-backs and the midfield players, is good, but if you do get it, it’s a really open pitch. We managed to take advantage of that.

“The players stuck to the plan brilliantly. It’s not as if we’ve been winning every week, so for the players to show that mentality and confidence in the game…We should take a lot of heart from that.”

Nicola Wilson’s medal-laden eventing career ended and her life changed forever following a catastrophic cross-country fall at the prestigious Badminton Horse Trials last year.

But the 46-year-old Olympian’s inspirational determination to seize what she describes as her “second chance” knows no limits.

She readily accepts that life will never be the same again, but her ongoing recovery from a neck injury that severely affected her spinal cord and all four limbs – she spent more than three weeks in intensive care and five months in hospitals 260 miles apart – has proved heroically defiant.

Nicola Wilson, who had a fall at Badminton today, is stable but has been transferred to Southmead Hospital for trauma scans and further investigation. JL Dublin has returned to his stable, and is comfortable.

We're thinking of Nicola and her connections, and wish them well. pic.twitter.com/1vuzfB6OPT

— British Equestrian (@BritEquestrian) May 7, 2022

“I am living with it every day,” Wilson told the PA news agency, in an exclusive interview.

“What I can and can’t do has changed enormously, which is a constant reminder from the moment I wake up each day to the moment I go to sleep. That will not leave me, I don’t think.

“But equally, it is what it is. I can’t undo it, so we have just got to make the most of what we have.”

As a rider, North Yorkshire-based Wilson was among the world’s best, helping Great Britain to team silver at London 2012 alongside Zara Tindall, Tina Cook, Mary King and William Fox-Pitt.

GOLD medal Wilson! ?

Wonderful Nicola Wilson's dreams came true. With a textbook round on the divine JL Dublin, @BritEquestrian's star of the show had us in awe in Avenches! ? pic.twitter.com/RKDR5txqaz

— The FEI (@FEI_Global) September 26, 2021

She was also crowned European individual champion in 2021, while seven other major championship medals included world team gold and three European team titles.

Her partnership with Badminton ride JL Dublin had made such an impact in recent seasons that many astute judges had them firmly in the selection mix for next year’s Paris Olympics.

“Dubs”, as he is affectionately known, is now in the equally expert hands of double Olympic medallist Tom McEwen, and while Wilson’s Paris hopes have been cruelly snatched away, her strong connection with the sport she adores remains.

She runs popular coaching clinics and eventing master-classes, while media work will mean an emotional return to Badminton next week for the 2023 event.

Wilson’s fighting spirit, family support unit led by husband Alastair and network of friends and colleagues inside and outside the sport, including the British Eventing Support Trust, would top any medal podium going.

“I was on the ground and thought I was winded because I couldn’t breathe,” she added. “There was somebody kneeling near to me, and I was trying to say I couldn’t breathe, but of course no words came out, and then it was lights out for me.

“The reason I couldn’t breathe was not because I was winded but because I was paralysed. Nothing was working, my diaphragm, nothing. I was surviving on the air I had in my body – then I disappeared.

“There was an army consultant anaesthetist, who I think was the first to me. He saw how I landed, knew it wasn’t good and held my neck and head. The Badminton medical team were amazing. If the fall had happened somewhere else, there is no way I would be here now.

“From then on, I knew it was serious, I knew there and then I would be retiring, but I just hoped and prayed that I would recover enough to have a quality of life.

“I don’t feel bitter. We do a dangerous sport and something like this could always happen. Life is for living, and I feel incredibly fortunate that I have been given a second chance.

“Yes, life is incredibly different to what it was before, but there are also qualities that have come out of that.”

More than three weeks at Southmead Hospital in Bristol were followed by four months in the spinal unit of James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough.

But through it all, Wilson’s fierce drive never waned. Feeling sorry for herself has not once entered the thought process.

“I was back in the land of the living and stable with my breathing when I left Badminton, and then the paralysis bit was the next issue we needed to deal with,” she said.

“Bit by bit I could start to wiggle my toes, I got a little bit of movement into my legs, so I could bend and move them. They obviously had no strength, stability or co-ordination in them, but I could feel them.

“You have to be resilient. I felt if this was my next hurdle in life, it was something I needed to overcome. I am inclined to be more of a positive person than a negative one – where there is a will, there is a way.

Eventer Nicola Wilson has been named leading rider for 2017 by the British Equestrian Writers' Association.

Wilson helped Great Britain win team gold at the European Championships in Poland and climbed to world number two behind Germany's Michael Jung. pic.twitter.com/JOAAGO2GUX

— PA Sport (@pasport) December 14, 2017

“The will was there, and the way were the hospitals, their support, their care. I have a fighting inner me that wants to drive on and stay positive.

“When I came out of hospital, I came out with a wheelchair and was on crutches. My injury was an incomplete injury to the spinal cord, so I was going to be able to carry on improving. A complete injury means exactly that.

“I was adamant that the wheelchair went back. If I couldn’t walk to wherever I wanted to be, then I couldn’t go there until I was strong enough to do it. It was my challenge, my competition to compete against myself to try and make sure I carried on improving and getting stronger.

“I think about what I can do, not what I can’t do. Yes, it is frustrating, because by the time I have got myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, got myself dressed and downstairs, I feel like I have done a marathon.

“I can do a lot of things – it just takes me a very long time. I can now put a coat on, just, but it takes a long time and I am aware it takes a long time. People are so kind in helping me. I just need to keep doing it and keep practising it.

“My body feels very strange, but it is fighting for me and digging deep. The improvement will be up to two years. I am halfway through my improvement span, so we will see how I am this time next year.”

Tottenham acting head coach Ryan Mason has acknowledged part of his role over the next month is to restore a connection with the supporters.

Spurs saw their season hit a new low on Sunday when they were thrashed 6-1 at Newcastle after they trailed by five goals inside 21 minutes.

It saw many away fans leave St James’ Park before half-time and while the squad have since promised to reimburse the travelling support, a toxic atmosphere could occur when Manchester United visit on Thursday night with chairman Daniel Levy set to again bear the brunt of criticism.

Mason, who threw his name into the hat for the managerial job on Wednesday, said: “I think the fans know what I feel for this club.

“They’ve always been great with me. I played for this football club and was fortunate enough to be captain, as well. They know my opinion and how much I want this club to succeed. The players know that as well.

“Ideally when you have a football club doing well on the pitch, the fans are with you. And I want the fans to be with us. But I understand that we need to give them a reason to be with us.

“And, yeah, that’s part of my job absolutely. It’s part of any manager’s job to create a connection and an alignment between players, academies, fans – the whole football club.

“It’s probably the biggest job of any manager and one I’m keen to do. The fans know that I care and want what’s best for this football club.

“Hopefully we can get performances and results which warrant them coming along with us.”

Mason unexpectedly put himself forward as a candidate to be Antonio Conte’s long-term replacement having also performed a caretaker role in 2021.

During his previous stint, which lasted seven matches, the former Tottenham midfielder played with a 4-2-3-1 system which was synonymous with his old manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Conte preferred to use wing-backs during his tenure and last weekend saw Spurs, under then-acting head coach Cristian Stellini, go with a back four for the first time in 15 months.

It ultimately ended in disaster at Newcastle and while Mason hinted it is likely he will revert back to Conte’s trusted 3-4-3 formation for the visit of Manchester United, he insisted doing the basics right is more important than any system.

“The most important thing is a reaction,” Mason added.

“We have to realistic and understand we’ve got injuries in key areas, which probably hasn’t been spoken about enough at times. We’ve got some key players missing in key areas of the pitch.

“The formation is the formation. The most important thing for me is how you approach the game: the aggression, the passion, the desire to run and compete as a team, because we see many different formations and systems be successful over the years.

“Arguably Tottenham’s most successful season (2016-17) came with three at the back. That’s just football.

“The fans buy into and connect with the feeling they get from players. Not so much the system or formation.”

Aaron Ramsdale claims Arsenal will not give up on their title dream despite Wednesday’s shattering loss at Manchester City.

The Premier League leaders crashed to a 4-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium to lose control of a title race they have dominated for most of the season.

City’s emphatic victory took the champions within two points of the Gunners at the top and, with two games in hand, Pep Guardiola’s treble-chasing side now look firm favourites.

April has been a frustrating month for Arsenal, with three successive draws preceding the trip to Manchester, but Ramsdale is not ready to throw in the towel.

The England goalkeeper said: “We’re going to be disappointed now but we haven’t played nine months of Premier League football, and played the way we wanted to play, to give up with five games to go.

“If anything is going to happen in football, it is this league it is going to happen in. It might not do – but stranger things have happened in the Premier League.

“You see how tight it is at the bottom, you see how tight it is at the top, so we are going to be pushing every game – with five games left we need to win five games – and we will see how that ends at the end of the season.

“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ll get over it and the manager will do what the manager does and dissect it and tell us and we will do everything we can.”

? "We’re definitely disappointed that we can’t send them home with a smile on their faces, but if there’s one thing about this set of fans which I’ve seen over the last 18 months, they don’t give up."

We heard you all night, Gooners ❤️

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 26, 2023

The game failed to live up to its billing as a heavyweight contest as City completely overran their visitors.

Kevin De Bruyne struck twice either side of a John Stones header as City effectively wrapped up victory inside 54 minutes.

It might have been even worse but for the fact Erling Haaland spurned a host of chances – most of them saved by a defiant Ramsdale – but the prolific Norwegian wrapped up the scoring late on after Rob Holding grabbed a consolation.

“Disappointment is the key word,” said Ramsdale. “When you give arguably one of the best teams in the world at the minute a bit of a leg-up in the game and are 2-0 down at half-time, it is a tough task to overcome.

“We know we are better than that but also this is where we want to be and the team we want to be like and be competing with.”

For Ramsdale there was some personal satisfaction in thwarting Haaland for most of the game, making four fine saves from the striker, but he was frustrated to concede to him in injury time.

The 24-year-old said: “I’m devastated I got to 94 minutes and 50 seconds – it was probably the goal I am most annoyed about, which I should save.

“But it was a good battle and hopefully I can have these battles with other players as well.”