Dean Smith admitted he did not see Leicester’s poor first-half performance coming as they were beaten 5-3 by Fulham at Craven Cottage to plunge them deeper into relegation trouble.
The visitors were overrun before the break by Marco Silva’s side, with Leicester – porous and disorganised in defence – allowing Fulham to rip into them and build a three-goal lead by half-time.
Willian and Tom Cairney both hit braces either side of the interval whilst Carlos Vinicius also netted to affirm the home side’s dominance, with two second-half goals from Harvey Barnes and a James Maddison penalty lending a respectability to the score that did not reflect Leicester’s frailties.
It leaves Smith’s side in serious danger of being relegated from the Premier League with three games remaining, and he said: “The game was lost in the first half.
“The performance in the first half was nowhere near what it has been and what the players can produce.
“I’m disappointed because I didn’t see that coming. We’d had a good week in training, good attitude, good application, good quality.
“I expected a far better performance and a better start to the game than we got. At this level, if you give the kind of goals away that we gave away it’s going to be an uphill battle.
“I don’t like basketball games, I don’t think it suits us given the fact we haven’t kept a clean sheet for so long.
“The first goal was really disappointing, a soft free-kick and it goes straight in. From there you could see the buoyancy in their players.
“It was far too easy to get into our penalty box and create chances. We were quite happy to get in at half time to try and stem the flow.
“I wasn’t happy (at half-time), the players weren’t happy with their performance as well. We started the second half better, had a chance early on then got done on the counter-attack ourselves.”
It ended a three-game unbeaten run for Leicester which had seen them rise to 16th, but with only a point separating four threatened sides at the start of play the Foxes could ill afford to make the kind of start the travelling fans witnessed.
Their woeful first half means no amount of effort after the break was likely to rescue the game, though the team did at least make a fight of the final 10 minutes with two late goals.
By then they already trailed 5-1, and now face an uphill struggle in their final three games against Liverpool, Newcastle and West Ham if they are to avoid dropping into the Sky Bet Championship for the first time since 2014.
“We had a reaction (in the second half), said Smith. “We got some chances, had two penalties, we’ve scored three goals. I think we’ve had more shots than Fulham today, but the first half is what’s killed the game.
“I was certainly very worried in the first half today. It got better in the second half. That’s the first time I’ve seen (a lack of fight) with these players. I hope I don’t see that again and I’m sure I won’t.
“I can’t talk for the players but what I saw on the training ground this week, I thought we would be ready for this game. But the game was never going to be a given, any game in the Premier League is tough.
“I believe there is (enough quality to survive). There are signs I had seen prior to the first half today that they’re good enough. The first half certainly was a step backwards, the second half was a step forwards again. We have to make sure we put in a 90-minute performance next week.”
Fulham boss Silva felt the two-goal margin of victory for his side did not represent the gulf in class between the teams.
“We were the best team on the pitch, no doubt about it,” he said. “We should have won this game much more comfortably. Great moments of football, great goals. From the first minute we were the team that started to command.
“We started really intensely with desire, the will and quality to play. The dynamic we played in the first half and beginning of the second, I was really pleased to see it, the way the players expressed themselves on the pitch.”
Rob Edwards was happy to extend Luton’s unbeaten run to 14 games after a much-changed side were held to a goalless Sky Bet Championship draw by Hull.
The Hatters boss swapped eight of his players with an eye on Saturday’s play-off semi-final first-leg clash against Sunderland, but those selected kept a 20th clean sheet of the season.
Edwards said: “Today was about resting key players, let’s be honest.
“It was about making sure we didn’t risk anyone unnecessarily and it was about giving some players some game time as over the next couple of games, if they’re needed, we want people up to speed, so I think it was twofold and overall it was a successful day.
“I want to say well done to (Hull manager) Liam Rosenior and what they’ve done this season as well because he’s building a good style there and they’re difficult to go and press at times.
“For some of the lads who haven’t played that much, to do a lot of double runs and a lot of pressing was good and also when we had the ball, especially in the first half, we showed some good control, and were brave with it.
“We did create one or two decent chances and moments but the game fizzled out a little bit towards the end.”
A quiet first half saw Allahyar Sayyadmanesh’s shot deflect onto the post for Hull, before Joe Taylor’s header drew a great save from visiting keeper Matt Ingram.
Adama Traore was denied by Luton stopper James Shea and Hatters substitute Luke Berry saw his chip from just inside the visitors’ half drop narrowly over the bar.
Tigers boss Rosenior said: “The final game sums up where we are.
“We played some breathtaking football at times, I was pleased with the first two-thirds of our game in terms of our build-up, we caused problems, they had to change everything, which is what teams are having to do against us.
“But when we got into the final third into some unbelievable positions, it just fizzled out, and that’s no disrespect to our players, I’ve got no strikers.
“In those critical moments against very good teams you need that cutting edge and that’s something I’m going to work really, really hard in the summer to address.
“They had one chance where Matty’s made a really good save from the header from a cross, I can’t remember another real threatening moment in the game for us.
“There’s a lot of positives to build on, anyone who understands the game can see I’ve got a group of players who completely understand the way we want to play.
“We’re building, so there’s a lot to be excited about.”
Tony Mowbray praised his Sunderland side’s second-half display after they dramatically sealed a play-off place with a 3-0 win over Preston.
After a rocky opening 45 minutes, second-half goals from Amad Diallo, Alex Pritchard and Jack Clarke at Deepdale meant the Black Cats had done all they could in their quest to try and sneak into the play-off places.
That victory proved enough to finish in sixth and claim the final play-off spot after Millwall spectacularly blew a 3-1 lead to lose 4-3 to Blackburn at The Den.
Blackburn finished just behind Sunderland in the table, also on 69 points but with an inferior goal difference, while Millwall fell down to eighth after having had matters in their own hands before kick-off.
Sunderland will now face Luton over two legs for a place in the final at Wembley, and Mowbray was pleased that his side were able to take charge after a frantic first half.
He said: “I felt as though we could come here and control the game.
“I knew we could win at Preston, we’ve won away at West Brom and Norwich – we’ve been good away from home.
“We started sloppy, but then grew into the game. We were naive and let them have too many chances. It was like a basketball game in the first half.
“We didn’t have harsh words at half-time, but we discussed that we needed to control the game better. We became more confident and, off the back of the first goal, we controlled things. It was a solid performance.
“I always believe we’ve got attacking players at the top of the pitch who are really talented and, if we can get the ball to them around the edge of the box, then we can score.”
Travelling Black Cats fans brought incredible energy to Deepdale, but Mowbray admitted there were some injury concerns ahead of their semi-final.
“It’s an incredible scenario to see the people of Sunderland enjoying their football so much,” he added. “It’s going to be awesome being in the semi-finals, we’ve got to be ready for Luton.
“As I sit here now, the conundrum in front of us is really difficult because we’ve got injuries to central defenders, but we have to find another performance.”
Preston finished the season in 12th but only six points behind Sunderland and Blackburn, and boss Ryan Lowe admitted key moments across the season as a whole had cost them.
Lowe commented: “We’ve given it a good go but it’s not been today or Sheffield United that’s cost us the play-offs, it’s from games earlier on in the season.
“I said about mentality, I don’t mean they’re not giving everything, I mean being savvy and taking the opportunities. We went out all guns blazing and we wanted to have a right good go.
“We fell short by six points but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not bad. For us and clubs like us, we need to keep building and I think we’re going in the right direction, we just need that little bit extra.
“We’re pleased with what we’ve tried to do and where we are. The effort of the players and the staff, they’ve been excellent.
“I want to bring the good times back to this club. We are slowly but surely trying to get there, but our aim is to do what Sunderland have done today and get into those play-offs.”
Real Madrid’s Luka Modric has been passed fit to face Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday.
The 2018 Ballon d’Or winner has been sidelined with an unspecified knock in recent weeks which initial reports suggested could rule him out for the rest of the season.
However, the Croatia midfielder has recovered sooner than expected and appeared as a late substitute in the European champions’ Copa del Rey final victory over Osasuna on Saturday.
“He can play without problem,” said manager Carlo Ancelotti at his pre-match press conference in the Spanish capital. “He is going to play.”
Modric’s return for the clash at the Bernabeu is a further boost to the holders’ confidence on the back of their weekend triumph.
Real had lost two of their previous three games in LaLiga but, with the domestic title seemingly destined for Barcelona, it seems Ancelotti has been prioritising the knockout competitions.
The Italian said: “We want to play a complete game, to give the best we have. The decisive leg will be over there. We want to go with an advantage.
“We want to play well. It is not only about the result, but how we play and if we avoid problems. It will be very demanding.”
The tie is a rematch of last year’s semi-final when Real prevailed in dramatic circumstances in the second leg at the Bernabeu.
City had been leading 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate when they capitulated in added time and conceded twice before losing in extra time.
Since then the treble-chasing Premier League leaders have regrouped and, in new signing Erling Haaland, boast one of the most feared strikers in the game.
Haaland has scored a remarkable 51 goals this term and Ancelotti recognises the Norwegian has made an already formidable side even stronger.
Ancelotti said: “The team is more complete than last year.
“Gabriel Jesus was very dangerous but different to Haaland. The style is the same but they can now take advantage more of long balls and second options.
“Haaland is very dangerous. We have to watch him, and it is not just him. They play very good football and we have to work to stop a team that seems unstoppable.
“But we have options. We arrive here well, at the same level as last season. What matters is our motivation and winning the cup was a bonus.”
Leicester slipped further into relegation trouble as they endured a woeful 5-3 defeat away to Fulham to end their three-game unbeaten run and inflict damage on their survival hopes.
Starting the game outside of the bottom three on goal difference, Dean Smith’s side were ripped apart in the first half at Craven Cottage as Willian, Carlos Vinicius and Tom Cairney all took advantage of shambolic defending to bury Leicester before the break.
Cairney got his second and his team’s fourth early in the second half before Willian completed a brace of his own, rifling in a fine solo effort.
Harvey Barnes scored two and James Maddison tapped in a penalty to give visiting supporters momentary cheer, but the result was never in doubt. The prospects of their team remaining a Premier League club look slim on the evidence of a defensive display every bit as bad as the scoreline suggested.
Fulham scored with their first chance of the game, though it was more by luck than design. Dennis Praet fouled Antonee Robinson out near the left touchline, and from the resulting free-kick Willian’s cross evaded everybody inside the box before bouncing up into the top corner past Daniel Iversen.
Leicester, sensing the severity of their predicament, rallied. Maddison crossed low for Barnes arriving inside the box but he failed to make sufficient contact to turn it home under pressure. At the other end, Cairney released Harrison Reed who went toe-to-toe with Caglar Soyuncu before the Leicester defender deflected his effort narrowly wide.
Fulham’s second arrived before the 20-minute mark and started with a Leicester mistake. Boubakary Soumare lost his footing and gave away possession in his own half, allowing Harry Wilson to race away upfield. From his pass nobody in blue went with Vinicius, who had the simple task of striding into the box and rolling it low past the exposed goalkeeper.
Bernd Leno saved well from Jamie Vardy as Leicester threatened immediately to half the arrears, but it was Fulham who were well in control, going close to a third after half an hour when Reed fired straight at Iversen from Willian’s cut-back.
Leicester were hanging on and Fulham came again when Robinson fizzed a cross straight across goal that failed to find a touch, before Vinicius headed inches wide as the ball came back in.
It was a momentary reprieve and by half-time Fulham had three and Leicester looked buried. Reed showed good footwork to control the ball and feed Vinicius, who turned well and found Cairney. The Fulham captain took a touch to come inside Soyuncu before bending his shot smoothly into the bottom corner.
Leicester came out for the second half with some attacking urgency, going close when Barnes struck low towards Leno’s bottom corner which drew a fine fingertip save from the Fulham goalkeeper.
Defensively, they remained as disorganised as before the break. Cairney scored his second and Fulham’s fourth after a powerful run by Kenny Tete down the right. It was a cool finish from a deft first touch after he had been picked out by the full-back.
Barnes thumped in a consolation off the underside of the crossbar just before the hour, and the visitors were offered further encouragement when Leno brought down Vardy inside the box and the referee awarded a penalty. The Leicester striker took the kick himself but the goalkeeper redeemed himself with a two-handed save low to his left.
It extinguished whatever faint hope might briefly had been rekindled for the visitors, and minutes later their woeful defensive organisation was exposed yet again. Willian was barely challenged as he picked up the ball, drifted inside a blasted in Fulham’s fifth.
There was time still for Maddison to succeed where Vardy had failed, knocking his penalty past Leno but drawing barely a cheer from the visiting fans. The same was true when Barnes tapped home from Patson Daka’s pass.
It was a brave stab at recovery but Leicester had lacked courage when it mattered. A two-goal margin did not reflect the extent of Fulham’s dominance.
Jamaican Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Randy “Rude boy” Brown will open a new five-fight deal with the promotion with a bout against Brazilian Wellington Turman.
This fight will be the first of a new five-fight deal Brown signed with the UFC after his last fight, a submission loss to Australian Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 284 in February.
“Just one of those things where I had one fight left on my contract and the company decided that they need to re-sign me,” Brown told SportsMax.TV.
“The price that they wanted to re-sign me at wasn’t right initially so we did some negotiating back and forth and settled on a deal in the middle that everybody was happy about,” he added.
The 32-year-old will take on Brazil’s Turman at UFC on ABC 5 on June 24th at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
Turman, 26, currently has an MMA record of 18-6 and a UFC record of 3-4.
Brown, whose record now stands at 16-5, says he has already started preparation for the bout.
“I started camp probably about three weeks ago. So far, it has been great,” he said.
Newcastle defender Dan Burn had no complaints over Arsenal’s streetwise tactics after a tooth-and-nail Premier League battle at St James’ Park.
The Gunners emerged from Sunday’s fiercely-contested encounter on Tyneside with a 2-0 victory on an afternoon when anything less would have all but handed the title to leaders Manchester City.
In doing so, they dealt a blow to the Magpies’ Champions League qualification hopes in a game punctuated by frequent delays in play and ill-tempered confrontations which prevented the home side from establishing a rhythm, something they themselves had been accused of doing in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium in January.
But, asked about Arsenal’s approach, Burn said: “Of course it’s frustrating, but that’s what they said we did at their place. We get a lot of stick for slowing the game down, which I don’t know if we intentionally do all the time.
“They did that, but it’s part and parcel of football. We can’t do it and then complain when it happens to us.
“A lot of teams tend to do that now when they feel the energy of the crowd, they try and stifle it a little bit.
“When a team like Arsenal is coming here and doing that, it’s a compliment.”
Newcastle set off with high hopes of repeating their 2-0 home win over the Gunners last season and might have been on their way in front of an expectant home crowd had Jacob Murphy’s early shot not come back off a post or had referee Chris Kavanagh not been advised to review his decision to award a penalty for handball against Jakub Kiwior.
In the event, they were undone by Martin Odegaard’s first-half strike and Fabian Schar’s unfortunate own goal.
Burn said: “We knew it wasn’t going to be the same as last season, where we played them off the park. They’re a lot better this year and they’ve shown that all season.
“They’ve been unlucky that City have overtaken them, but they’re a very good team who caused us problems, especially at home. We’re just unfortunate we couldn’t get the win.”
Manchester United’s defeat at West Ham means Newcastle remain two points clear in third place with four games remaining, although with Liverpool and Brighton making concerted bids to reel them in.
Burn said: “We’re disappointed, but we’ve got four games to go and it’s still in our hands.”
Hearts interim manager Steven Naismith will take positives from defeat against Celtic ahead of their “two biggest games of the season”.
Hearts were the better side until Alex Cochrane was sent off near the end of a goalless first half and Celtic went on to win 2-0.
Naismith disagreed with the red card and felt his team deserved more from the game, which leaves them in fourth place in the cinch Premiership, five points behind Aberdeen and one ahead of Hibernian.
Hearts now travel to Paisley to face sixth-placed St Mirren on Saturday before hosting the Dons the following weekend.
Naismith said: “When we look back, there will probably be a lot of positives for us.
“The next two games are the biggest games of the season and they will define where we finish.
“This game was always going to be our most difficult challenge. We acquitted ourselves well.
“Before the game I said we would be aggressive, we would have our moments in attack. We did that.
“We were brave defensively against the best forwards in the league and they never created too many chances until the red card.
“They made their moments count in the second half but there’s lots we can take positives from.
“We have said consistently there’s a good group of players here who want to do better, who want to improve and who want to be successful. The last two performances, you can see that’s definitely the case.”
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou hinted his team could play with more freedom now they have wrapped up the title.
The Hoops retained their cinch Premiership crown with four games remaining thanks to a 2-0 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday.
There is no room for dropping off given Celtic face Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday and have a treble to play for with a Scottish Cup final against Inverness to come on June 3.
They also have the chance to set a new Scottish top-flight points record of 107 – beating Brendan Rodgers’ Invincibles team of 2017 by a point – if they win their final four matches.
Postecoglou said: “We have got an opportunity to (have a special season). We are champions, which is fantastic. There are still four games in the league and we have a cup final to look forward to.
“Why let this opportunity slip to continue to maintain standards?
“I think the last three or four weeks we have been playing pretty tight in terms of emotionally.
“The boys knew they were close to achieving something special and the closer you get to something like that, it’s human nature that you tighten up a bit. I think that’s been reflected in our football the last three or four weeks.
“But through that time they still work so hard for each other, they are still disciplined, they never lose focus. They just have this real determination.
“They are winners, mate. They are winners.”
Captain Callum McGregor believes the competition within the squad will help ensure they retain their edge for the cup final.
McGregor, who is going for his fifth treble, said: “It’s a cup final, we have to prepare well and that includes the last four games. We have to be bang at it, we can’t come off it.
“Listen, the manager won’t let us anyway but we just continue to play the way we are playing, stay hungry, and once we get to the cup final we will try to deal with that as best we can, and that will be a consequence of that happening.
“Everybody wants to play, that’s why it’s highly competitive to get in the team and stay in the team.
“If you look at the subs who came on on Sunday, Aaron (Mooy) has a huge impact on the game and he is somebody who has been really strong for us this season.
“There’s strength in depth there and I think the guys, when they are in the team, they are desperate to stay in the team. To have that competitive environment for the next four weeks will hopefully stand us in good stead.”
Celtic have the chance to go a full season unbeaten against Rangers, who they have beaten in both cup competitions.
“You don’t need any extra motivation for these games,” McGregor said. “They are always big games, there’s always something to play for. and I’m sure it will be a highly competitive game again.
“We want to go there and be aggressive in the game and get maximum points.”
Lionel Messi has returned to training with Paris St Germain following his suspension over an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Ligue 1 club confirmed on their official Twitter account on Monday morning that the 35-year-old Argentina international was back among the fold after he was fined and suspended for undertaking a promotional visit to the Middle East country without permission.
The post, which was accompanied by a photograph of the World Cup winner in training kit, said simply: “Leo Messi back in training this Monday morning.”
Messi, who is an ambassador for the Saudi Tourism Authority, was pictured in Riyadh the day after his side had suffered a surprise defeat to Lorient.
He later revealed in a video posted on his official Instagram account that he had to make the trip for contractual reasons, having previously cancelled it, and had assumed he had a day off.
Messi said: “I wanted to make this video due to everything that is happening.
“First of all, I want to say sorry to my team-mates and to the club. I honestly thought that we were going to be free after the game, as had been the case in previous weeks.
“I had organised this trip to Saudi Arabia, which had been cancelled previously and this time I couldn’t. I apologise again and I’m here for whatever the club decide. All the best.”
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner joined PSG from Barcelona in August 2021 after the Catalan club ran into severe financial difficulties and, although a return has been mooted, those difficulties make that unlikely.
In recent days, he has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia’s Pro League amid reports he could earn up to £320million a year.
A successful team of young gymnasts returns to Jamaica on Tuesday after its encouraging exploits at the recent Caribbean Classic in Trinidad and Tobago.
The 19-member group was assembled from schools in Kingston, Westmoreland, Montego Bay, Mandeville and St. Catherine after being selected from the Jamaica School of Gymnastics Regional Schools Championship recently held in March 2023.
These young athletes, considered by Jamaica Gymnastics Association President Nicole Grant to be the foundation of the Future Stars Program, won an array of medals on the bars, floor, beam and vault exercises.
Among them were Akayla Ireland, who was second on the beam and floor routines and third on the vault and bars, respectively and finished second overall.
Akeela Bonas was third overall after claiming second on the vault and bar and third in the beam and floor exercises. Jazharia Johnson won the beam, was second in the vault and third on the floor for second place overall.
Abigail Carpenter finished third on the beam while Kelli-Jo Reid was second on the beam and floor.
Bria Eubanks was third on the floor.
Erik Ten Hag shrugged off the threat of Liverpool and insisted Manchester United’s top-four bid is still in their own hands.
Fourth-placed United have slipped to back-to-back 1-0 defeats against Brighton and West Ham to allow Liverpool, who have won six straight matches, to close to within a point of the final Champions League spot.
Ten Hag’s side do have a game in hand, however, and three wins from their remaining games at home to Wolves, Chelsea and Fulham and a trip to Bournemouth will guarantee finishing above Jurgen Klopp’s team.
“It’s not about Liverpool, it’s about us and because of the table we have everything in our hands,” said Ten Hag.
“If we bring our performance and our standards we’ll win games. We don’t have to look to others, we have to look at ourselves and find a way to win and get back to our levels.”
Said Benrahma’s first-half goal, aided by an awful gaffe from United goalkeeper David De Gea, lifted West Ham seven points above the relegation zone.
The Hammers spent £160million on eight new signings last summer, and another £12million on Danny Ings in January, but have endured a tough season in the Premier League.
However, full-back Aaron Cresswell believes the new faces are finally beginning to click.
“It’s always a tough transition when you bring in eight or nine players and, certainly for the boys who have come from abroad, it takes time for them to settle in,” Cresswell told West Ham TV.
“It’s a new language, a new team, a new everything.
“We knew it would be tough but I think in this game, some of the performances from the new lads – Thilo Kehrer was excellent, as were Lucas Paqueta and Nayef Aguerd. All the new boys who have come in were excellent.
“Everyone played their part. That atmosphere was special too, especially in the last 10 minutes when you’re digging deep and everyone is cramping up.
“But what a night, and it’s a massive three points. We’re not completely safe but we’re getting close to being mathematically safe.”
Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has praised his team-mates for mixing it with Newcastle to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.
The Gunners blended a streetwise tenacity with moments of quality to secure a 2-0 victory which avenged a damaging defeat by the same score at St James’ Park last season.
In the process they dragged themselves back to within a point of leaders Manchester City and while Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand, the Gunners came through unscathed from what appeared to be their toughest remaining fixture.
Jorginho told the club’s official website: “It’s a massive win. We knew it was a tough game, to come here and win the way we did.
“There are some times you know you have to fight a lot to get the three points, and I’m just so proud of the team the way we did, the way we fought until the end, the way we pushed. It’s just so nice.
“We knew it was going to be tough and it was just realising that sometimes you can’t play just beautiful football.
“Sometimes you need to adapt and that’s why I am saying that I’m really proud of the team, because when you realise that and you adapt and you do what maybe everyone doesn’t expect you to do, it’s just really, really good for our team.”
Having been frustrated by Newcastle’s game-management in the reverse fixture, a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium in January, Arsenal arrived in the north-east determined to serve up a dose of their own medicine to Eddie Howe’s men.
They were fortunate to emerge unscathed from a testing start during which Jacob Murphy hit a post and the Magpies saw a penalty for handball awarded and then rescinded by referee Chris Kavanagh after Bruno Guimaraes’ goal-bound shot had been blocked by Jakub Kiwior.
However, the Gunners took a 14th-minute lead through the excellent Martin Odegaard before they withstood an onslaught during which goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the woodwork kept the home side at bay.
And they cemented the win 19 minutes from time when Gabriel Martinelli’s driven cross flew off Fabian Schar into his own net.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said: “When you have question marks, you have to resolve those question marks, it’s the only way.
“And when you had the emotions that we had last year in that dressing room, you have to make sure you feel them again to realise how difficult, how nasty and how unpleasant they are.
“Then you have to find a way to approach the game in a different way because demands were going to be different from last year. The boys did that extremely well so I’m really proud of them.”
For Newcastle boss Howe, who had seen his Champions League-chasing side win eight of their previous nine games to sit third in the table, the task is to re-group for a testing trip to struggling Leeds on Saturday with Liverpool closing fast.
Howe said: “It can be a really memorable season for us. It’s in our hands. If anyone had said at the start of the season we could be in this position, you would definitely have wanted to be in our position.
“But getting over the line will probably be the hardest thing we have to do. That’s the challenge in front of us.”
Manchester City travel to the Bernabeu Stadium to face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some talking points ahead of the game.
Revenge for City
The tie is a rematch of last year’s semi-finals when City left the Bernabeu heartbroken after letting a place in the final slip through their grasp.
City had been leading 1-0 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate heading into stoppage time when they suddenly capitulated and conceded twice. Real went on to win in extra time.
Pep Guardiola’s men will certainly hope revenge is in the air and they will want to use the fact the home leg comes second this time to their advantage.
Momentum with City in treble chase
City certainly approach the match in form having hit their stride over the last three months.
They are unbeaten in 20 matches – 17 of which they have won – and have a strong chance of winning the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Arguably, the Spanish giants are the toughest obstacle left to clear as they look to win the treble.
Copa del Rey joy for Madrid
Real’s form is more difficult to assess. With the LaLiga title seemingly out of reach, Carlo Ancelotti’s side have lost two of their last three league matches, suggesting the wily Italian has been prioritising other fixtures.
Those would be Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against Osasuna, which they won 2-1, and the two City encounters over the coming week.
Their triumph at the weekend, secured after two goals from Rodrygo, should certainly have raised confidence levels.
Haaland the missing piece
Erling Haaland has been a sensation for City this season, scoring 51 goals in all competitions and with the high likelihood of more to come.
After years of near misses in the Champions League, City are hoping the prolific Norwegian is the last piece of the jigsaw as they look to finally land the big prize.
He has revelled in Europe, not least when he fired five past RB Leipzig in the last 16 and then struck in both quarter-final legs against Bayern Munich. All eyes will be on him to see if he can deliver at the Bernabeu.
Bellingham reports
Cynics would suggest there is little coincidence over the timing of recent reports from Spain that the much-coveted Jude Bellingham is set to join Real in the summer.
The England midfielder is widely expected to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer and Manchester City were reportedly among the interested parties.
Whether the development would actually unsettle an outfit as composed as Guardiola’s City is debatable, but it certainly adds to the pre-match hype.
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