Boss Paul Hurst was unhappy with Shrewsbury’s performance at Bristol Rovers, even though the 0-0 draw means they have only lost one of their last six away games.

The visitors were indebted to several Marko Marosi saves for picking up a point from the Sky Bet League One contest at the Memorial Stadium, while Aiden O’Brien crashed a volley against the Rovers crossbar from 20 yards out.

Hurst says his side must play better if they are to get anything from their next fixture, at leaders Portsmouth.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the performance at all,” he said. “In the end neither team deserved to win. I thought it was two teams who could have done more for their club’s supporters.

“If I speak to Matt [Rovers boss, Taylor] I think we’ll both have a similar view: that the game was there to be won. But we didn’t do enough to grab that opportunity.

“That lack of quality today was quite frightening in all honesty. That’s a League One fixture but across most of the players, not all, that wasn’t League One, only by title, certainly not by quality.

“I don’t know if it’s a mindset or a mentality. It looks like we played yesterday, not Friday.

“We’ve looked after the players in terms of preparation but they’re either nowhere near fit enough or we go back to the mental side of the game. Digging deep and pushing yourself and getting through. I just want more from the group.”

In contrast, Taylor was happier with his side’s performance, with the Gas carving out several good opportunities to score, with the usually reliable Chris Martin suffering an off day.

Martin was unable to net when presented with two good opportunities in the first half, with just Marosi to beat, while substitute Jevani Brown hit the post in the final minutes of the match when he found time and space in the penalty area.

Taylor said: “We just lacked a goal. With some of the chances we created, we know we weren’t at our fluent best.

“I was pleased with the intent, obviously we wanted more in terms of executing certain moments in the game.

“It was a step in the right direction. There are so many things we can do a lot better but in terms of what we created and how we limited the opposition team to just one shot on goal of any note…I was so much more pleased than I have been previously.

“They’ve always got a threat about them but we just needed to make more of our attacking opportunities.

“Chrissy [Martin] won’t be anxious about scoring because he’s scored so many goals and he’s not one to be affected,” he added.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley insisted he was only interested in his own team’s results after seeing them slip into the League Two drop zone following a 1-1 draw at Tranmere.

Kieron Morris and Alistair Smith traded goals in the early stages and the point means that, with Sutton and Forest Green both picking up victories, Colchester drop into the bottom two, a point from safety, albeit with three games in hand.

Cowley said: “I think it was a good point and that means we take four from the weekend.

“Since Nigel Adkins took over, Tranmere have got one of the best home records in the division and we tried to win the game, anyone who was here could see that.

“It wasn’t an easy first half an hour and we lost the ball too often and it was all a bit untidy, so that didn’t make it easy, but in the second half I thought we were the better team.

“That goal from Alistair Smith was one hell of a strike, he looked like he was going to score on Friday and it just didn’t happen, so what a fantastic strike.

“We have three games in hand on Sutton and Forest Green but we can’t control any of that, so why would I put any energy looking at the other teams around us?

“It’s all about the focus on us and what we can do. We now have a run of home games that we will be looking forward to and I’m going to put every minute of every day into trying to help us get better.”

Rovers took the lead in the seventh minute when Morris headed home from close range after some nice work from Rob Apter down the right.

But with the home fans still celebrating, United were level when Smith’s strike from the edge of the area beat Luke McGee in the Tranmere goal and found the bottom corner.

Rovers came close to restoring the lead through Apter, Jennings and Regan Hendry, while Bradley Ihionvien was denied by McGee on the stroke of half time.

Cameron McGeehan and Arthur Read both came close for the visitors after the break, with Owen Goodman denying Morris a second at the other end before substitute Josh Hawkes almost won it for Tranmere at the death.

Tranmere manager Adkins said: “On another day we could have scored five or six, Kieron Morris alone could have scored five but he scored a good goal as it was and their goalkeeper was exceptional.

“We certainly gave it a good go today and at a time of the season when some people question the mentality of the players, we were up for it all the way through.

“We started brightly, got on the front foot and scored, but the biggest annoyance for me is conceding straight from kick-off.

“It was a good strike from the lad to be fair, but we were in there, made some good chances and played some good football, it’s just a shame we didn’t capitalise on that first goal.

“From my point of view, I know I’ve got a group of players who are trying and working and grafting for each other.”

Swansea manager Luke Williams lamented his side’s failure to turn pressure into goals after they were beaten 1-0 by QPR.

A 71st-minute volley from a corner by defender Steve Cook gave the Hoops a priceless victory in their fight against relegation from the Championship.

Rangers are now six points clear of the relegation zone, a point behind the Swans, yet neither club can count themselves safe from the drop just yet.

And Williams’ frustration was evident on an afternoon when his side dictated much of the game at the Swansea.com Stadium.

He said: “We should have got something, but football keeps you honest.

“If you don’t take your chances and you switch off from a set-piece you are always vulnerable.

“We became a cliche today. We started slowly and then became more dominant.

“But domination counts for little if you don’t convert your chances.

“We have a lot of openings that don’t amount to anything.

“We’re happy, we’re enthusiastic and moving in the right direction.

“But we have to be more clinical and better at finishing.”

Williams suggested his side’s shortcomings were mental rather than physical, even though they started the game sluggishly.

Williams added: “If we start slowly it’s not a physical thing, it’s a mental thing.

“We have to start games ferociously and bloody the other fighter’s nose at the earliest opportunity.”

Swansea’s woes were compounded by the loss of influential midfielder Joe Allen in the 34th minute with a toe injury.

“We need a bit more time for that to settle down and then we can try to gauge how long it will be,” said Williams.

“He bent the toe back too far. We don’t think it’s a break, from a brief conversation with him he is not showing the symptoms of that.”

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes told his players to stay humble and refused to entertain talk of safety.

Cifuentes said: “All I know is we need more points when I look at the table.

“We are in a good moment, but at this stage of the season we need to be humble.

“Until it’s 100 per cent certain we will not stop.

“I am proud and happy about the work the guys put in.

“Swansea have quality players and are difficult to play against.

“But our goal came at a great time.

“We started the game well, got into some good situations and created some good chances in the first 10 minutes.

“Then we started to sit deeper and deeper and we had to make some adjustments at half-time.

“After we went ahead it was about understanding what we needed to do to win.

“We did a very good job defending the lead.”

Darren Ferguson pulled no punches in voicing his disappointment with his forwards despite his Peterborough side beating Leyton Orient 2-1.

Former Orient man Hector Kyprianou and leading scorer Ephron Mason-Clark gave Posh a comfortable lead at half-time before the hosts reduced the deficit through Ethan Galbraith.

However, the visitors squandered a number of chances, keeping the home side interested before emerging with a valuable three points.

“The result was pleasing enough but the performance at the top end of the pitch was nowhere near good enough,” Ferguson said.

“I keep saying  that it is very frustrating and we need far better quality in that area of the pitch.

“How we were are left hanging on in a game like this is incredible. We are though and we know the reasons why.

“The game should have been done and dusted comfortably and we should be relaxing come the end of the game instead of hanging on.

“Missed chances, missed passes, final decision not good enough.

“Once we got control of the game, we looked good and when we were two-up, it became a bit more of a counter-attacking game even before half-time and I’m thinking ‘Just go and get the third goal and the game is over’.”

“But we just went on and made the wrong decisions. There is so much more to come but when are we going to get it?

“We had opportunities to kill the game off even when they got a goal back.

“We have to finish teams off far better than we are doing.”

Orient manager Richie Wellens lamented the nature of the goals his side conceded.

“They were really poor goals conceded by us today,” he said.

“We played against a decent outfit today but if you’re going to lose then you’d rather it was moments of quality or magic than the way we conceded which was really poor.

“We’ve squeezed every single ounce out of these players and I’m tired. I’ve done a good job but you can only squeeze so much and the injuries we’ve had is frightening.

“I’m frustrated because I thought we had a chance of a top six finish as I don’t think the league is great this year and I’m absolutely gutted we’ve fallen short.

“We don’t have a centre forward and need a man in the box which is the biggest deficiency in our team.

“We’ve got close to the play-offs and I knew today was coming but we’ve only scored two goals in five games and that’s why we’ve fallen short.

“It frustrates the life out of me.”

Brighton are optimistic Scotland midfielder Billy Gilmour will return to action before the end of the Premier League season, the PA news agency understands.

Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi said in a media briefing on Saturday afternoon ahead of his team’s trip to Liverpool the 22-year-old had returned from international duty with a knee injury and indicated he would be out for several weeks.

“Unfortunately Billy Gilmour can’t play for a lot of time,” said the Italian.

With the opening game of Euro 2024 a little over two months away, Gilmour sparked concern among Scotland supporters when he subsequently posted a picture of himself in front of his television wearing a knee brace as he prepared to watch his club-mates play at Anfield on Sunday.

Brighton still have nine league games to play, the last of them at home to Manchester United on May 19, and club medics are hopeful Gilmour will be fit enough to return to action before the end of the campaign and ensure he is available to go to the Euros with his country.

Gilmour played 67 minutes of Scotland’s 4-0 defeat away to the Netherlands before going off in the 69th minute of last Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at home to Northern Ireland.

The midfielder has won 25 caps since making his debut weeks before the last Euros in 2021 and has started seven of Scotland’s last nine matches.

Steve Clarke’s side have two friendlies against Gibraltar and Finland on June 3 and 7 respectively before kicking off the tournament against hosts Germany in Munich on June 14.

In addition to Gilmour, Norwich defender Grant Hanley and Brentford wing-back Aaron Hickey are two other key players battling to prove their fitness in time for the tournament, while Celtic captain Callum McGregor hopes to return to action against Rangers this weekend after his recent lay-off.

Ange Postecoglou has talked up Brennan Johnson’s growing influence and is impressed with how he has handled his debut season at Tottenham.

Johnson joined Spurs on transfer deadline day in September for a £47.5million fee from Nottingham Forest and initially struggled to make his mark, with only one goal during the first half of the campaign.

The Wales attacker has flourished since December though, scoring in comeback wins over Brentford and Brighton and also making key contributions off the bench against Crystal Palace and Luton in recent weeks.

Ahead of Tuesday’s trip to West Ham, Postecoglou said: “Brennan was super on the weekend.

“He’s still young, he’s developing. He’s moved to a big club where there’s big expectations when you have a big transfer fee, but for the most part I think he’s handled it really well.

“He started the two games before he came off the bench, he did really well against Villa. He wasn’t great against Fulham but most of the team wasn’t great against Fulham. (Against Luton) he came again off the bench and made an impact.

“He’s another one understanding more and more how we want to play and he’s adjusting to it. Like I said, for the most part he’s handled himself really well this year.

“It was always going to be a tough introduction for a young player, moving to a big club for a transfer fee, and it’s always harder for attacking players because they are usually measured on goals and assists but I think he’s contributing in more than just that.”

Johnson could start Tuesday’s London derby and may line up alongside Timo Werner, who played a part in both goals during the 2-1 win over Luton.

Spurs have the option to turn the six-month loan of the RB Leipzig attacker into a permanent deal, but Postecoglou was eager to focus on the development of the ex-Chelsea forward.

“In terms of his future, I think like most players all these decisions will be made at the appropriate time,” Postecoglou said.

“He’s been great for us. He was an important signing. I said at the time, people forget that when we signed him Sonny (Son Heung-min) wasn’t here, he was away at the Asian Cup, and then Richy (Richarlison) got injured so we would have had a massive hole in our line-up without Timo there.

“And it’s fair to say he’s made an impact in every game. Yeah, he’d probably like a couple more goals but at the same time he’s an important part of our structure.

“I thought he was really good on the weekend. He has been in the last few games but I do think there’s more improvement in him as he understands our game more.”

Spurs remain without Fraser Forster (foot), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring) and Manor Solomon (knee), but Micky van de Ven could start in defence after he was an unused substitute against Luton upon his return from a muscle injury.

Lyon will bid to reach their first Coupe de France final for 12 years when they host Ligue 2 strugglers Valenciennes on Tuesday.

A likely clash against Paris St Germain is the prize if they can overcome a team 28 places below them in the French league pyramid.

Lyon lost to Nantes at the same stage of the competition last season, and club captain Alexandre Lacazette admits it is a painful memory.

“We still have a lot of regrets from last season, and we don’t want to repeat the same mistakes,” Lacazette said during a pre-match press conference.

“We need to play. Last year we had that fear. This time we have to play to avoid regrets like last year.

“They (Valenciennes) are the smallest of the four teams (left in the competition), but it is still a semi-final and we have to respect them.

“We understand that with the atmosphere and environment, if we are serious, things will go well, but we have to be careful.

“It is pleasing to be here today, but we want to reach the final for everything we have experienced since the start of the season.

“We need to stay focused on the objective. I think in these kinds of matches there is no need for grand speeches. All players will be motivated to give their best.”

Lyon could be boosted by the return of Clinton Mata, who is available after serving a ban, and manager Pierre Sage must decide whether to field Lucas Perri or Anthony Lopes in goal.

Lopes is Lyon’s number one goalkeeper, but Perri has been Sage’s choice for the cup games and he excelled in the quarter-final victory over Strasbourg, which went to a penalty shoot-out.

Valenciennes go into the semi-final clash – their first last-four appearance since 1970 – at Groupama Stadium as rank outsiders.

They are currently 11 points adrift at the bottom of Ligue 2, and have failed to score a goal in four league games since knocking out quarter-final opponents Rouen.

Despite their miserable league form, though, Valenciennes have thrived in cup action, defeating Paris FC and Saint-Priest before facing Rouen.

But Ahmed Kantari’s team face a huge step up against Lyon, with the cup-tie unfolding against a backdrop of Valenciennes effectively being resigned to a place in French football’s third tier next season.

Kantari will hope he can select his strongest available team, given the magnitude of Valenciennes’ task, but Allan Linguet could be doubtful because of a foot problem.

Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji is puzzled as to how Arsenal got away with some “clear yellow cards” during Sunday’s foul-filled scoreless draw.

After seeing Liverpool move top with a comeback win against Brighton, the other title contenders played out a forgettable 0-0 draw featuring just three shots on target at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal seemed happier with the point than City, whose frustration was palpable as the visitors avoided booking for the 20 fouls against them by referee Anthony Taylor.

The only yellow cards they did receive were for time wasting against Gabriel Jesus and David Raya, leaving defender Akanji irritated.

“I don’t understand,” the City man said. “One in the first half (from Kai Havertz) was a very late tackle on Stefan (Ortega). For me it is clearly a yellow card.

“I don’t want to say just against us. There were also some decisions against them that I didn’t understand that he gave a foul for.

“There are some rules and I think there are clear yellow cards where it should be.

“I remember the action with Jorginho when he’d already done a tackle foul and did the second one and he didn’t even give a yellow card for one foul.

“I didn’t understand some decisions but, in the end, we still should be able to score a goal.”

Put to Akanji the approach worked for Arsenal, he said: “Definitely. When we got through sometimes they stopped us with the fouls and if there’s no actions to it it’s hard.”

City, who sit third in the table, have to shake off that frustration as attention quickly turns to Wednesday’s home match against fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Pep Guardiola’s men have not lost in all competitions since December’s 1-0 reverse at Villa Park and Akanji believes everything is to play for in the title race.

“Yeah, I mean how many games do we have left? Nine, so yeah 27 points to get,” he said. “That’s our goal to get all of them and then we’ll see how it ends.”

Arsenal also return to action on Wednesday, kicking off 45 minutes earlier against relegation-threatened Luton.

The Gunners will go back top of the Premier League should they win as Liverpool do not return to action until Thursday and Jesus is just focusing on what they can do in the title fight.

“It’s the Premier League, it’s a tough league and anything can happen,” the former City forward said.

“It is only two points the difference [with Liverpool] and then we have a very good goal difference.

“Everything counts at the end, but there are still a lot of games. We also have the Champions League. This is the most beautiful part of the season, you try everything to win titles.”

Jesus has widespread experience of this stage of the season having won four Premier League titles with City, where he came into the line-up on Sunday and had Arsenal’s best chances in the first half.

“Well, to play big games, you have to sometimes change your body language,” he said. “To come here and play against them is not easy.

“We tried to win, I think we could win it. Maybe we played a different game to what we normally do, but sometimes football is like this. Each game is different.

“We had some chances, we could score and maybe win the game, but that’s football. We take the point. To come here, to play against them, is difficult, it’s hard.

“We came last season and we suffer a lot, we concede goals and then we made some mistakes. So, to play against this team, normally it is hard and if you make some mistakes, it is even more (hard).

“Today was a bit different, we knew from the start at some point we had to suffer a little bit (playing) deep. They are a team who love the ball, we do as well, but sometimes it is difficult.”

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has said the standard of refereeing in the Premier League “hasn’t been good enough” this season.

Kompany was sent off during Saturday’s 2-2 draw away to Chelsea for his protests against a penalty decision which also led to defender Lorenz Assignon seeing red, the latest in a string of incidents Kompany believes have gone against the relegation-battling Clarets.

Kompany said he spoke to referee Darren England after Saturday’s match to apologise for his choice of words at the time, and he has also had a number of discussions with referees’ chief Howard Webb, but on Monday he was clear he felt standards have dropped this term.

“I’ll keep saying what I think,” Kompany said. “I’m not shying away from it and I’ve said it to the referees themselves, the officials, refereeing hasn’t been good enough this season.

“And I have said that in, I think, a constructive way, understanding as well the fact it’s not easy for them. The scrutiny is massive, the pressure is bigger than it’s ever been on the officials.

“I think the addition of VAR and more opinions and more officials doesn’t make it easy for them to do their jobs.”

Kompany, who had 11 seasons as a player for Manchester City, said he had always regarded English refereeing as the best in the world, but this season’s experience has raised questions.

“I felt common sense was always trying to be applied,” he added. “You make a mistake and we all have a laugh about it and usually the traditional view is that it all evens itself out over the course of a season.

“This year, I haven’t felt like this. Where we are in the league doesn’t really matter for me, it’s not in that conversation.

“I’m not afraid to say it. I saw the interview of my colleague, (Sheffield United manager) Chris Wilder, that I’m fond of and that I really respect, and he said he’s a hard-working Yorkshireman, he doesn’t want to be fined anymore.

“I haven’t got any issues with being fined. I just want it to be right. It’s not something I say in a vindictive way, you can see I’m not even as angry anymore. We’ve just got to get it right and at this moment in time, it’s fallen short.”

Despite playing more than half of Saturday’s match a man down at Stamford Bridge, Burnley twice came from behind to earn a point, and might even have won it late on.

Having taken five points from their last three games, Burnley go into Tuesday’s match against Wolves with renewed hope they could yet pull off a great escape, sitting four points from safety with eight games to go.

“All we’re asking is to have an opportunity,” Kompany said. “If between now and the end of the season, we have just one opportunity, that’s enough for us. It’s trying to bring ourselves into a position where we give ourselves a chance…

“It’s difficult to go through the season we’ve gone through and at the end to still be a team, to still be a team as players, as a staff. But I think that’s who we are.

“Whatever happens in the next eight games, whether we win all eight of them or lose all eight of them, that is not going to change and that’s going to be the foundation of next season as well.”

Ange Postecoglou has brushed off concerns over Tottenham's lack of first-half goals.

Spurs produced another late show to down Luton on Saturday, with captain Son Heung-min scoring an 86th-minute winner in a crucial 2-1 victory.

It has been a familiar tale for Tottenham, who have now fired a blank in six consecutive first halves but produced another rally after the break to claim a vital win like in recent results against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Postecoglou’s side have not scored in the first half at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024 – a run of seven matches since Pape Matar Sarr’s ninth-minute goal against Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve – but the 58-year-old is unfazed by the statistic.

“The disappointing thing about the first half is the goal we conceded,” Postecoglou insisted.

“Our football was good. We created good chances, one-vs-ones, we hit the post, they blocked quite a few shots and they defended desperately.

“I think overall there was nothing wrong with our football. The goal we conceded, that was poor and that’s something we need to address.

“With a lot of our football, it becomes a war of attrition. We need to put pressure on the opposition because we know we’re going to run our games really strongly.

“I thought we made Luton work really hard in the first half and I thought you saw in the last 10 to 15 minutes that they paid the price for that.

“Obviously if we got an early goal it would have opened them up and made the game easier for us, but winning the way we did isn’t a bad thing either.”

Luton claimed a shock third-minute lead when Tahith Chong fired home from a Ross Barkley cross after a slick break.

Tottenham should have levelled before half-time but Timo Werner scuffed wide, while Son hit both posts after he rounded Thomas Kaminski.

Postecoglou still introduced Brennan Johnson at the break, which had the desired impact with the Wales international able to create the equaliser with a superb cross that Issa Kabore put through his own net.

Johnson then laid off for Son’s winner to help keep Spurs within touching distance of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

“I thought the lads handled it really well in the second half,” Postecoglou said.

“There was a bit of anxiety around the place. Every game now for every club there will be because there’s extra significance, but I thought the lads stayed really calm during that process, kept playing our football and probing and eventually got their rewards.”

Luton boss Rob Edwards cut a downbeat figure at full-time but tried to draw on the positives for his injury-hit team.

Edwards added: “I have to give all of us some credit because we’ve pushed them all the way. It’s hard because I know we haven’t won much this year but we’re winners and we want to win.

“It hurts. I am normally better once I’ve watched the game back and we have to focus on Arsenal (now). Seven weeks, it’s all done and I’ll try get some sleep then when hopefully we can be in the league still.”

Andre Onana hopes Manchester United can still finish in the top four despite dropping more points in their dramatic 1-1 draw at Brentford.

Substitute Mason Mount fired the visitors ahead against the run of play with his first United goal six minutes into stoppage time.

But three minutes later Kristoffer Ajer converted Ivan Toney’s cross to secure a fully-deserved point for the Bees.

United are now 11 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, albeit with a game in hand, and eight behind Tottenham in fifth as their Champions League hopes faded again.

“I feel sad because we are Manchester United, so it doesn’t matter who you play. Everywhere we go, we have to win,” goalkeeper Onana told MUTV.

“We gave away this game in the end. We did a fantastic job defending, it was not our best game but the most important thing was to win. So, yeah, it’s difficult.”

Onana made five saves as Brentford had 31 attempts on goal and hit the woodwork four times.

“The most important thing is the victory of the team,” added Onana.

“It’s good when you contribute and you have a victory. Of course, we didn’t lose this game but the way we conceded that goal is bad for all of us because we are in this together. We blocked shots and made saves together.

“As a leader and experienced player, we have to take responsibility and always stay positive because it’s the biggest club in the country.

“We have to continue working hard and be humble. I know we will stick together because we did it in the last month. I hope we end in the top four.”

Brentford have endured a difficult season – they are riddled with injuries and were missing their entire first-choice back four against United.

But Thomas Frank’s side are five points above the relegation zone and, if they continue to play like this, will have nothing to worry about.

“I know we’ve lost too many games but the performances have been better than the points we have got, there’s no doubt about that,” said Frank.

“There are reasons, there are mistakes and there are margins. That’s football, unfortunately, sometimes.

“But it’s been coming and there’s been a lot of good performances and with all these setbacks and the struggles this team has been through, we just need to keep going.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has vowed not to give up on the race for European football in the face of a seemingly unending injury crisis.

The Magpies boosted their hopes of securing a top six finish with Saturday’s remarkable 4-3 victory over West Ham, a game in which they trailed 3-1 with just 13 minutes remaining.

It came at a cost, though, with skipper Jamaal Lascelles rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury which could sideline him for up to nine months.

Lascelles is Howe’s latest long-term casualty, but as he prepared for Tuesday night’s home clash with Everton, the head coach was refusing to throw in the towel.

He said: “There was always that feeling that the season was alive but, of course, you have to win games and the more you don’t win, the more the season slips away very quickly.

“We know the quality of the league and we know how difficult it is to win consistently, but that’s what we’re chasing now.”

Lascelles’ misfortune represents a huge blow, coming less than a fortnight after fellow central defender Sven Botman was ruled out for a similar period with a similar injury.

It is the latest long-term injury blow for a club which has suffered more than its fair share this season.

Keeper Nick Pope – who is still sidelined – and frontman Jacob Murphy have dislocated shoulders, defender Dan Burn broke a bone in his back, Joelinton damaged a thigh tendon, Joe Willock sat out extended periods with hamstring and Achilles injuries and striker Callum Wilson is currently recovering from pectoral muscle surgery.

Harvey Barnes, whose two goals as a substitute on Saturday ultimately saw off the Hammers, spent four and a half months in the treatment room with a toe injury before his return to action last month, while Emil Krafth, Matt Targett and Elliot Anderson, as well as the suspended Sandro Tonali, have all missed significant periods.

However, what has not changed is the spirit within a squad which is battling to stay in the mix for European football against all the odds, a quality which was very much to the fore at the weekend.

Howe said: “I always say the team is made up of the character of the players, and you could see the character shining through because I think without that, we were dead and buried and we wouldn’t have come back in the manner that we did.

“The spirit is still there and that’s the most important thing beyond anything. If you have spirit, you have a chance.”

Newcastle head into the Everton came sitting in eighth place in the table, five points behind Manchester United in sixth with doubts over Tino Livramento and Miguel Almiron, who limped off at the weekend with ankle and knee injuries respectively, but hopeful that Kieran Trippier could return from a calf problem.

Burn, Krafth or Paul Dummett could plug the gap left by Lascelles in central defence with summer signing Lewis Hall, who has impressed in his most recent appearances as a substitute, a candidate to take over at left-back should Burn get the nod in the middle.

John Kennedy believes the return of creative spark Reo Hatate has given Celtic a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s showdown with title rivals Rangers.

The influential Japanese midfielder made his first appearance for the Hoops in three months when he started Sunday’s 3-0 win away to Livingston after being sidelined with a calf problem.

Hatate shone in West Lothian and was heavily involved in the opener – an own goal by Livi’s Jamie Brandon – as Celtic moved a point clear of Gers, who have a game in hand, ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash at Ibrox.

“He was on it right from the first minute and he has been in training, which is why the gaffer thought to get him in the team quickly,” said assistant manager Kennedy.

“He’s been terrific the last few weeks. He came back in in good condition and worked really hard.

“We had the game last week (a bounce game against St Mirren) to give him some minutes and he was really good, so it was time to unleash him.”

Kennedy feels Hatate can help make the difference for Celtic as they bid to retain the title over the closing seven games of the campaign.

“I think that’s always the case with your best players,” he said. “He’s shown that, in terms of big games and big performances.

“He’s obviously not fully up to speed but I think we could see (against Livingston) that he’s in pretty good condition, and it’s just the confidence he brings to the team as well.

“He plays with that composure. Even on a difficult pitch, you could see how he brings a calmness to the game. He sees the passes which the front players thrive on and he gives us a slightly different dynamic.

“It’s important to have him back. It’s just about getting him through the week now, getting him that extra bit fitter going into next week.”

Celtic have been hindered this season by injuries to a string of key players including Hatate, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston and captain Callum McGregor. However, with McGregor aiming to return at Ibrox, the Hoops hope to be at full strength for the run-in.

“The squad is taking shape,” said Kennedy. “Cam has another 90 minutes under his belt and with Reo back in we’ve pretty much got a full bill of health.

“We’re in good shape going into the run-in, but for us it’s just about focusing on performance and maintaining that level.

“It’s been a challenge (with the injuries) but that’s part of football. It happens sometimes, and it’s affected our rhythm and our performances sometimes.

“But in the last period we’ve been very good. We’ve given away one or two cheap goals which has kept other teams in games, but our attacking play has been really good.”

Runaway Serie A leaders Inter will be looking to steer attention back to their title tilt when they take on relegation strugglers Empoli.

Inter welcome Davide Nicola’s side to San Siro on Monday evening with an 11-point lead over city rivals AC Milan, who made it four wins in four with victory at Fiorentina on Saturday.

The international break saw Inter in the news for other reasons, with defender Francesco Acerbi investigated and ultimately cleared of racially abusing Napoli’s Juan Jesus in their previous match on March 17.

Acerbi withdrew from the Italy squad after assuring manager Luciano Spalletti of his innocence and the claims were judged to be unproven due to a lack of supporting evidence. Inter’s financial arrangements have also been a source of speculation with a debt repayment deadline to American investment firm Oaktree Capital reportedly due in May.

How majority owners Suning intend to manage the matter is causing plenty of debate off the field, with a number of routes still possible as the clock ticks down behind the scenes.

Against that backdrop Inter coach Simone Inzaghi has, not for the first time this season, opted to stay away from media interrogation with no pre-match press conference taking place.

Reports from Italy suggest Inzaghi has closed ranks ahead of Empoli’s visit, allowing his squad to celebrate Easter with their families on Sunday morning before reporting for training and an overnight stay at the training centre ahead of their first game together in a fortnight.

Empoli have struggled to make any headway when visiting the leading sides this term, losing eight of their nine matches against the top six.

Inter, meanwhile, will be looking to begin another winning streak in Serie A after seeing a 10-game run end last time out with their 1-1 draw against Napoli.

Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer picked up an ankle knock on international duty with Switzerland but has since taken part in training, leaving Inzaghi to make a call between the experienced shot-stopper and understudy Emil Audero.

Juan Cuadrado and Marko Arnautovic are also working back to fitness but may be risked this time.

Visiting boss Nicola is mulling over whether to deploy a three or four-man defence and could favour Jacopo Fazzini over Viktor Kovalenko in midfield.

Empoli have lost each of their last three matches 1-0 and will be looking to January arrival M’Baye Niang to end his own three-game scoreless streak.

Mauricio Pochettino admitted his Chelsea players are relying on Cole Palmer to get them out of trouble during games this season.

The summer signing from Manchester City is top scorer at Stamford Bridge after his two goals against Burnley on Saturday took him to 16 for the campaign.

His impact has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise tumultuous season for Pochettino and his team, who languish in the bottom half of the Premier League table after failing to overcome the league’s second-bottom side at home despite playing against 10 men for the entirety of the second half.

Palmer scored a first-half penalty to break the deadlock then, after Burnley had levelled via Josh Cullen’s volley, looked to have won it with a finely taken finish into the corner with 12 minutes to play.

But Chelsea were immediately undone by a header from a corner from defender Dara O’Shea as Vincent Kompany’s side rescued an unlikely point and doomed home fans to another frustrating result.

Few players have lived up to Palmer’s example this season, with Saturday’s meek surrender after twice taking the lead a prime case study in a campaign that has gone badly awry.

“He’s a good example for the rest,” said Pochettino.

“From day one he has taken responsibility. When the team struggle to find solutions, they give the ball to him.

“It’s a dream (to have him). He brings very positive things for the team. And for him to have the possibility to play games he didn’t play in the last year for Manchester City.

“Now he has the continuity and consistency, he’s showing the capacity that we thought he could add to the team.”

Chelsea looked to have the game firmly under control when Clarets defender Lorenz Assignon was red carded for fouling Mykhailo Mudryk just before half-time, conceding the penalty from which Palmer scored with an impudent Panenka chip.

But despite peppering the visitors’ goal with 33 shots they failed to stymie Burnley’s threat and never really looking comfortable when out of possession.

That they extended their unbeaten league run to five games, their longest in almost 18 months, was of little consolation to supporters at the final whilst – nor, thinks Pochettino, to Palmer.

“It’s a collective,” he said. “He cannot be happy (after a result like this). He is disappointed.”