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.

Manchester City will target Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch if they miss out on the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, according to the Daily Mirror. The 20-year-old Dutch international has been linked with a move to Liverpool.

Brentford are looking to Liverpool as they look to strengthen next season, reports The Sun. The London club are keen on taking Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, 24, from Anfield with Manchester United reportedly targeting Bees keeper David Raya.

Victor Osimhen will not be leaving Napoli this summer according to the Daily Mail. The Nigerian striker, 24, has been linked to several leading European clubs but president Aurelio de Laurentiis says the newly crowned Italian champions are not selling.

Another Napoli star could be heading to the Premier League with Manchester United eyeing a move for defender Kim Min-jae. The Daily Mirror, via Corriere dello Sport, says United are winning to meet the £53million release cause for the South Korean, 26, to replace captain Harry Maguire.

James McAtee: Manchester City are keen to open contract talks with the midfielder, 20, who played a key role on loan in Sheffield United’s promotion to the Championship.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: The Gabon striker, 33, is keen on a return to Barcelona as he prepares to part company with Chelsea.

Sven-Goran Eriksson named 17-year-old Theo Walcott in his provisional England World Cup squad on this day in 2006, despite the forward not having played in the Premier League for Arsenal.

Walcott became England’s youngest international when he played in a pre-tournament friendly against Hungary.

But he did not make an appearance at the tournament as England reached the quarter-finals but lost to Portugal after Wayne Rooney’s red card.

Walcott was no stranger to making history at a tender age. He had become Southampton’s youngest ever player when he featured in a 0-0 Championship draw at home to Wolves aged 16 and 143 days, then became their youngest goalscorer with a strike in a 2-1 defeat to Leeds two months later.

His early promise persuaded Arsenal to sign him for an initial £5million, potentially rising to £12m, in January 2006, but he had been kept waiting for his first-team chance before Eriksson came calling in the summer.

Walcott got the news of his selection from his dad, and later said: “I thought he was having me on. I was shocked and surprised as everyone was; my eyes were just popping out of my head.”

Eriksson admitted at the time the selection was “a gamble” but he felt Walcott’s pace could offer England a wild card option.

But the Swede later admitted he did not help Walcott when saying the player had never quite reached the levels expected of him.

“Maybe the expectations on him were too high, and maybe I didn’t help him there,” Eriksson told OLBG last year.

Walcott went on to earn 47 England caps, but agreed his first call-up came too soon.

“I was thrown into the limelight straight away having not even played a Premier League game,” he said.

“Suddenly you are surrounded by these top-quality players and you are thinking ‘do I deserve to be here?’”

George Russell said he is not in Formula One for the show after taking aim at the pre-race razzmatazz put on by the sport’s bosses for the Miami Grand Prix.

In a break from convention, the grid’s 20 drivers were individually introduced to the crowd by American rapper LL Cool J as will.i.am conducted an orchestra.

It is understood the pre-race show seen in Miami will only take place at certain events, possibly eight this season.

But Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said: “It is distracting. I’m here to race, I’m not here for the show, I’m here to drive and I’m here to win.

“We’re on the grid for half an hour in all of our overalls in the sun. I don’t think there’s any other sport in the world that 30 minutes before you go out to do your do your business, that you’re out there in the sun, with all the cameras on you, making a show of it.

“I appreciate that we are in the entertainment world and we only want the best for the sport. We’re open to changes. I guess we have to roll with it.”

Russell drove well to finish fourth as Max Verstappen won from ninth on the grid to extend his lead in the championship to 14 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.

Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton started 13th, but a late comeback saw him take the chequered flag in sixth.

Mercedes are due to bring an upgrade to the next round in Imola on May 21 which the team hopes will propel them forward.

However, Hamilton said: “It is not like I have a second upgrade coming, which is what I need.

“But it’s something and it’s a step in the right direction for us to really be able to progress.”

Wyndham Clark overcame the swift loss of his overnight lead to claim his first PGA Tour title in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Clark’s two-shot advantage was wiped out in the first three holes and the 29-year-old American found himself a shot behind playing partner Xander Schauffele after seven holes of the final round at Quail Hollow.

However, Clark responded superbly to birdie five of the next eight and with Schauffele stumbling around the turn, the win became something of a formality.

A closing 68 gave Clark a winning total of 19 under par and four-shot victory over Schauffele, with England’s Tyrrell Hatton and American Harris English three strokes further back in third.

Tommy Fleetwood and former world number one Adam Scott finished in a tie for fifth on 11 under.

“Gosh, sorry, I’m a little choked up,” Clark told CBS after joining the likes of Anthony Kim, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Max Homa in making the Wells Fargo Championship their maiden PGA Tour title.

“It’s been a long five years to get to this point on Tour and I thought I would have had one earlier, but it’s well worth the wait and I’m so grateful.

“There’s so much that goes into this and there’s so many times I wanted to cry and break clubs – and I did break the club sometimes – in this journey and to get to this point is so sweet.

“It’s just amazing to finally do this.

“I didn’t start out great, I was kind of shaky and I think in years past I might have folded. This time I just stayed patient and hung in there and got hot on the back side.”

Max Verstappen hailed his victory at the Miami Grand Prix as “simply f****** lovely” after he beat Sergio Perez and the boo brigade to extend his world championship lead.

Verstappen was jeered before and after the race, as he celebrated a triumph that moves him 14 points clear of team-mate Perez, who finished second.

Fernando Alonso was third for Aston Martin. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished fourth and sixth for Mercedes.

Verstappen divides opinion in the sport and he was targeted by the Hard Rock Stadium crowd as he was presented on the grid ahead of the 57-lap race by rapper LL Cool J.

But the boos did not faze the double world champion as he raced from ninth on the grid to top spot to claim his third win from five rounds.

“Simply f****** lovely,” said Verstappen on the radio before he was also jeered on the podium as he collected his winner’s trophy.

Verstappen added: “It was a good race. I stayed out of trouble in the beginning. I had a good battle with Checo and we kept it clean and that was the most important thing. A great win today.

“Yesterday was a setback in qualifying but today we kept it calm and clean and winning a race from ninth is always very satisfying.”

Verstappen, who started on a different strategy to team-mate and pole-sitter Perez, was up to second on lap 15. He stopped for tyres with a dozen laps to go and then cruised into the lead by out-braking Perez at the opening corner on lap 48.

Perez said: “I gave it my all. The first stint was poor and that compromised my race.

“Max was particularly good today so a well-deserved win for him. We need to analyse what happened today because I didn’t have the pace.”

Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper is in no doubt as to how big Monday night’s clash with Southampton is in his side’s bid to beat the drop.

Forest are currently in the bottom three and the visit of the Saints to the City Ground looks set to go a long way in deciding which division both clubs will be in next season.

Victory for Forest would move them out of the relegation zone and virtually condemn their visitors to the drop, while defeat would send them nearer to an instant Championship return.

Cooper says everyone at the club knows how important the game is.

“Of course we do,” he said. “What’s really important is about ignoring any situations that we’ve found ourselves in throughout the season, whether it was preparing for the return to the Premier League, the initial start and going through a difficult run early on to getting a few points and managing to come out of that, injuries, the run that we went on and the last few weeks.

“We’ve always talked about the present, and the present situation is we’re in the last month of the season with four games remaining and be open and have conversations with each other about what’s needed and what’s required so that we can be aware.

“We don’t want any surprises.

“We know that Monday is really important, we knew that last Saturday and the Wednesday before that was really important. We have to use that importance as real motivation and real desire, while at the same time really focusing on what it takes to achieve what we want.

“It’s about how we win, that’s what we’re focused on.”

If Forest do stay up it will be because of their home form, where they have taken 24 of their 30 points so far.

The City Ground atmosphere has played a part in that and Cooper says each matchday has been an event.

“It’s an event, a real togetherness,” he said. “I feel it and I mean it, that you feel part of something that’s bigger than a football team, and a player and a coach or whatever.

“You feel really proud of what can be achieved on a matchday. It’s a belonging of something big in the city and I think it drip-feeds out of the stadium as well. That’s a good feeling and gives me a lot of joy.

“That’s why we’re so desperate to get the performances and more importantly the results because we know the effect it has on everybody connected to the football club and further than that.”

Pep Guardiola hopes Manchester City can replicate the dominance they showed against Leeds when they face Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Aside from a frantic final five minutes, the Premier League leaders were in a different class to the relegation-threatened Yorkshire side at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

They eased ahead with two Ilkay Gundogan goals in the opening half-hour and could have scored several more – with Gundogan missing a penalty and Erling Haaland twice hitting the woodwork among their better chances – before an 85th-minute Rodrigo strike left them hanging on for a 2-1 win.

Their next challenge is a lot tougher, as they face holders Real in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at the Bernabeu, but Guardiola feels his side are in good shape.

The City manager said: “I would love to play on Tuesday the way we played Saturday. We played really good.

“They played a back six, so you have to read the spaces and pick the right moments to attack.

“Erling had two, three or four chances to score. He played an exceptional game, all of them did.

“Before 2-1 and that situation, it was really good.”

Guardiola made seven changes for the game with Jack Grealish, Rodri, Ruben Dias, John Stones and Bernardo Silva along those to get a rest.

That should ensure he can again freshen the team up in Madrid but Guardiola insists it is not a case of prioritising the Champions League now they look to be in command of the domestic title race.

He said: “I didn’t rotate the team because I was thinking in Madrid. I rotated because some players told me they are so tired.

“I take the Premier League so seriously. In October, November, December you can drop points but now if you drop points the damage is huge.

“I would be naive to prioritise.”

Treble-chasing City are unbeaten in 20 matches – 17 of which they have won – and are approaching what could be a glorious end of the season in fine form.

Guardiola said: “We have to still be focused but the moment we beat Arsenal, destiny was in our hands.

“We have done it against Fulham, West Ham and Leeds. After Madrid we have five days to recover well and go to Goodison Park and win the game.

“Every time we win we are closer to doing something exceptional.”

Guardiola was clearly annoyed when Gundogan missed from the spot on Saturday. Regular penalty-taker Haaland deferred to the German to allow him to complete a hat-trick but, by hitting the post, he failed to put the result beyond doubt before Leeds scored.

The City boss felt Haaland should have taken it and did not acknowledge Gundogan after substituting him, but he calmed down after the final whistle.

Guardiola retains high regard for the 32-year-old and would like to see him recommit after his contract expires at the end of the season.

He said: “It is not necessary for him to score two goals to know how I like this player and how I would like to work with him in the future.

“He is so intelligent, so clever, so competitive. He is one of the best players I have trained in my career. Top class.”

Leicester boss Dean Smith says his players know it is important to avoid relegation in order to protect their legacy at the club.

The majority of the Foxes squad have been involved in one of the club’s most successful periods over the last few years, with an FA Cup success and back-to-back fifth-placed finishes under Brendan Rodgers.

Things have been different this season, with the club firmly embroiled in a relegation fight where they are currently out of the bottom three on goal difference alone ahead of Monday’s visit to Fulham.

Smith, who was parachuted in last month on an SOS mission to keep the Foxes up after Rodgers was sacked, has seen that his players care.

“It is, that’s the important thing I’ve felt from the players,” he said when asked how crucial it was to protect the players’ recent achievements by staying up.

“The care for the club and the need to ensure it remains a Premier League team, not just from us as coaching staff but also from the players, has been really noticeable.

“You can see that in the performances as well.”

Leicester have been hamstrung by poor defensive displays, having not kept a clean sheet in 19 games, going back to the 2-0 win at West Ham in the final game before the World Cup break.

Smith reckons if they can get that right between now and the end of the season, they will stay up.

“If we keep four clean sheets until the end of the season, we’re safe. I fully believe we’ve got players that can score goals, so we would win some of those games,” he said.

Smith brought John Terry with him to the King Power Stadium and says the former England and Chelsea centre-back can play a part in shoring up the defence.

He added: “He is someone they listen to because he based his game on being a good defender first and a good footballer second.

“He gives little tips he had and talks about the ‘what if’ quite a lot.

“As a defender you have to think, ‘What if he does make a mistake’ so you are there to cover him.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva admits Aleksandar Mitrovic’s eight-game suspension has affected not just his striker but the whole west London club.

The Serbian will miss Monday’s meeting with Leicester as he serves the final game of his lengthy ban, incurred after he grabbed referee Chris Kavanagh during the Cottagers’ FA Cup defeat at Manchester United in March.

Silva said his staff were doing everything they could to ensure Mitrovic was ready to face Southampton on Saturday, but revealed it has not been a straightforward process.

“Of course it’s been a tough period for him, like you expect,” said Silva. “He’s been working hard, it has to be like that with no chance (to play) and the mood in some days is a little bit better than the others.

“He knew one month ago that he is going to be out eight games, it’s really tough for any player.

“If you have an injury, muscular injury or something that we know, ok, it’s part of life.

“But in all this situation, the way it has come for us, the way everything happened as well, the treatment behind all that scenario, it was really tough, not just for Mitro, I have to say for our football club. We felt something that is not good.”

The 28-year-old had scored 11 times in 21 appearances for Silva’s side before his suspension.

He initially received a standard three-match ban, which was later increased by three games for violent conduct towards a match official, with another two added for using language which was “improper, abusive, insulting and threatening”.

A later appeal by the Football Association to increase the suspensions for Mitrovic and Silva, who was banned for two matches for his own involvement in that clash, was later dismissed by an independent appeal board.

Fulham hope Monday’s meeting with relegation-battling Leicester will help them bounce back from consecutive losses to Manchester City and Liverpool before Mitrovic’s return against Saints gives them another boost.

Whether he will be ready start that match is still to be determined.

Silva said: “We are here to support Mitro. It is up to him to keep working hard to where he can be as best as he can be from a physical point of view. It will be good to have him again for the next match.

“He is working hard and we are doing everything we can to keep him in a very good shape. He is doing his maximum as well to be, and of course when he is going to be available it’s up to me to decide if he’s ready to start the game or not.

“But this is another situation for the next match. He’s working hard and we are trying to keep it as best as it can be.”

Max Verstappen overcame the boo brigade and Sergio Perez to win the Miami Grand Prix and extend his world championship lead.

Verstappen was subjected to a chorus of jeers by the 90,000-strong crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium as the sport’s drivers were introduced by rapper LL Cool J for Sunday’s 57-lap race.

But the double world champion put his poor reception to one side by racing from ninth on the grid to pass Perez with nine laps remaining and take his third win from five rounds.

Verstappen increased his championship lead from six points to 14.

Fernando Alonso completed the podium places with George Russell fourth. Lewis Hamilton finished sixth after starting 13th.

Sunday’s race marked the first of three to be staged in the United States this season, with Austin’s grand prix at the Circuit of the Americas and a debut event on the Las Vegas strip to follow later in the year.

And the event here in the Sunshine State was sprinkled with stardust for a show-stopping pre-race grid.

Actor Vin Diesel, singer Shakira, influencer-boxer Jake Paul, Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Roger Federer – with 50 tennis Grand Slam titles between them – watched on as will.i.am conducted an orchestra and LL Cool J assumed his role as Master of Ceremonies. Only in America.

On came the 20 drivers and the biggest cheers were reserved for Hamilton, Alonso and Perez, backed by a large contingent of Mexican fans. But Verstappen, last on to the stage, was booed.

Verstappen, by now in the sanctuary of his flying Red Bull machine, had moved up to eighth at the end of lap one, as pole-sitter Perez held off Alonso on the charge to the opening corner.

Verstappen then blasted his way past Charles Leclerc and Kevin Magnussen in his DRS-assisted Red Bull to take sixth at the start of lap four.

Further behind, Hamilton appeared in trouble after making light contact with Nico Hulkenberg at the first corner.

“I don’t know if we are going to last in this race,” he said, fearing his front wing was broken.

Up front, Verstappen was still on the move.

On lap eight he passed Russell under braking at Turn 17 for fifth place, which became fourth the next time round following a carbon-copy move on Pierre Gasly.

Verstappen sped past Carlos Sainz on lap 14 at Turn 11 and then Alonso on lap 15 to take second place with team-mate Perez 3.7 sec up the road.

In came Perez on lap 20 for fresh rubber with a 1.2 sec lead over Verstappen. The Dutchman, who started on the harder, more durable rubber stayed out.

Despite his earlier worries, Hamilton was able to continue but he was failing to make headway and on lap 32 he was ushered aside for team-mate Russell.

Hamilton, on a different strategy after starting seven places behind his team-mate, resisted at first before allowing his team-mate through.

“Thank you very much,” said Russell over the radio. “Very much appreciated.” Hamilton made his sole tyre stop on lap 37, dropping back to 13th.

Russell did not appear fazed in a machine team principal Toto Wolff described as “a nasty piece of work”, and on lap 39 he was up to fourth after fighting his way past Sainz.

“That is how we roll,” said the celebrating Briton.

Verstappen finally stopped for new tyres on lap 45 and he emerged from the pits just 1.2 sec behind Perez.

Verstappen was soon all over Perez’s Red Bull gearbox and he made his first move at Turn 17 only for his team-mate to defend the left hander.

But Perez’s defence made him vulnerable on the main straight with Verstappen jinking to his team-mate’s left and making the move stick at the first corner on lap 48.

Verstappen crossed the line 5.3 sec clear of Perez.

Hamilton, like Verstappen, started on the more durable hard rubber and the strategy also worked for the seven-time world champion as he made up a number of positions in the closing stages – including the scalp of Leclerc with two laps to run – to salvage sixth.

Erik ten Hag threw his backing behind David De Gea despite the slip which loosened Manchester United’s grip on the final Champions League place.

Goalkeeper De Gea is in talks over a new contract at Old Trafford, but he did not exactly enhance his negotiating position after letting let Said Benrahma’s hopeful shot from 20 yards bounce over his glove to condemn United to a 1-0 defeat at West Ham.

They now lie just one point ahead of a rapidly advancing Liverpool, albeit with a game in hand, after an eighth defeat on the road this season and a second in four days following the last-gasp loss at Brighton.

“Frustrating? Yes, I’ve seen it in the same way. I think we started well, dictated the game, created chances, didn’t take them and then one mistake,” said United boss Ten Hag.

“Twice individual mistakes and you lose games. But it is what it is. Now we have a full week, we have to reset, reload and keep going.

“(De Gea) has the most clean sheets in the Premier League, we would not be in this position without him. No concerns. It happens but as a team you have to deal with it, show character and resilience.

“We want him to stay and to extend his contract.”

Lukasz Fabianski made late saves from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial but Ten Hag’s side offered little in their 57th match of a gruelling season which, as well as Liverpool, might just be catching up with them.

But Ten Hag insisted: “Nothing changed. We could have made it easier with a win. We need three wins from four games, everything is in our hands.

“Tiredness is in your head. If you have the willingness you can take it. It’s up to the players and staff to be together, to get the willingness in that we can take it.

United’s defeat could prove as costly for the visitors as it was priceless for West Ham, who climbed seven points above the relegation zone and are surely now safe.

It was a first victory over his former club for Hammers manager David Moyes since he was in charge at Everton, in August 2012, and a huge boost ahead of this weeks Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar.

“It’s a huge step, getting three points is huge against whoever but against Manchester United was massive for us,” said Moyes.

“It’s a great result going into a European semi-final and we’ll take a lot of confidence from it. We have another big challenge and we are looking forward to it.”

Hammers skipper Declan Rice put in another terrific display, showing just why the likes of United, Arsenal and Chelsea are constantly being linked with him this summer.

“He was outstanding tonight. He’s great across the ground, very quick. I’m pleased, but not surprised,” added Moyes.

“That’s why he’s probably the best England midfield player around – and he’s going to be extremely expensive if anyone comes in for him.”