Liverpool and Tottenham face off on Sunday in a pivotal game for both teams' slim Champions League aspirations.

Jurgen Klopp's man have endured a hugely underwhelming campaign after narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last season, and sit seven points adrift of the top four having played a game more than fourth-placed Manchester United.

Tottenham, under the interim charge of Ryan Mason after Cristian Stellini was sacked following the 6-1 humiliation at Newcastle United, responded to that drubbing by recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Erik ten Hag's side.

But Spurs are six adrift of United having played two games more, and defeat at Anfield may well be the final nail in the coffin as far as their top-four hopes are concerned.

And the omens are firmly against Tottenham.

A kind fixture for Klopp

Indeed, Liverpool have dominated recent meetings between these two sides. The Reds have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against Spurs (W13 D6), and are unbeaten in 10 since a 4-1 loss at Wembley in October 2017.

Anfield has been far from a happy hunting ground for Spurs, who have won just two of their last 35 away league games against Liverpool (D10 L23), winning 2-1 in August 1993 and 2-0 in May 2011.

On top of that, Tottenham are winless in five Premier League away games, losing as many games in this run (3) as they had in their previous 16 on the road beforehand (W8 D5). It's their longest run without an away league win since a run of 12 between February and November 2019.

The 31 away league goals Tottenham have conceded this season are their most in a single campaign since 2008-09 (35), while the only two clean sheets they have kept outside London this term came in victories at Nottingham Forest (2-0) and Brighton and Hove Albion (1-0). Liverpool should be very confident of breaching the Tottenham goal.

Leaky Liverpool

Liverpool have concern in defence themselves. Klopp's side have conceded four goals in their last two Premier League home games (2-2 v Arsenal, 3-2 v Nottingham Forest), as many as they had in their previous nine at Anfield. The Reds have not conceded at least two goals in three consecutive home league games since September 2012.

Alisson has failed to keep a clean sheet in Liverpool's last three Premier League games, but they have won all of those games.

Liverpool have form for prevailing this season despite consistently shipping goals. They haven't won four games in a row since November and December and conceded in each of those games.

Goals appear to be a given in this one, and the primary threats are easy to identify.

A game to savour for Salah

Tottenham will not be relishing facing Mohamed Salah again. Since he joined Liverpool in 2017, no player has scored more Premier League goals against Tottenham than the Egyptian (7). The Liverpool talisman netted both goals in Liverpool's 2-1 win over Spurs in the reverse fixture this season.

Salah has been involved in 11 goals in his last eight home games in all competitions (8 goals, 3 assists), scoring at least once in each of his last six. Not since Luis Suarez scored in eight successive home games between April 2013 and January 2014 has a Liverpool player found the net in more consecutive games at Anfield.

At the other end, Liverpool will obviously be focused on stopping Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, though that is easier said than done.

Six of Tottenham's last seven Premier League goals against Liverpool have been scored by either Kane (3) or Son (3). Kane has scored eight times against Liverpool in the competition, with only Andrew Cole netting more against the Reds (11).

But Kane goals do not automatically mean victory for Tottenham on the road. He has scored in each of his last three Premier League away games, with Spurs failing to win all three (D2 L1). The last player to score in four consecutive away appearances in the division but not win any of them was Steven Fletcher between April and September 2012.

Just as Premier League managers toy with their options for crucial run-in games, fantasy bosses are weighing up who should slot into their teams this weekend.

Some will be looking to consolidate lofty positions, but many will be eyeing a gamble in a late attempt to shuffle up the standings.

It comes down to analysing form, whether recent or over a longer course of time.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform selects four players you might consider for the latest set of matches.
 

Jose Sa (Leicester City v Wolves)

In a midlands battle between hosts in the relegation mire and visitors who are creeping clear of trouble, Wolves may need goalkeeper Jose Sa to be at his sharpest.

Only three teams have recorded more Premier League shutouts than Wolves in 2023 (5), while Sa is the eighth different goalkeeper to have recorded at least 20 clean sheets since the start of last season.

He is targeting a third successive clean sheet this weekend, and since the start of last season, only Alisson (14.2) and Bernd Leno (9.9) have prevented more goals than Sa (6.4), based on Opta's xG model.

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace v Everton)

We've seen an April shower of goals from Crystal Palace this month, and now lowly Everton are the visitors to Selhurst Park.

Since the start of April, only Manchester City (11) have scored more goals in the Premier League than Palace (9), with Eberechi Eze netting three of those.

With seven goals and three assists this season, he has already equalled his best tally for goal involvements in the Premier League season (also 10 in 2020-21), and under Roy Hodgson's leadership he is clearly thriving again.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool v Nottingham Forest)

Setting penalties to one side, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has been showing some serious form of late, hitting a double last time out at Leeds United.

Only Ollie Watkins (14) and Erling Haaland (13) have been involved in more Premier League goals in 2023 than the Liverpool forward, with Salah totting up 11 involvements (8 goals, 3 assists), nine of which have come since the beginning of March.

In his last 10 Premier League games against teams that have come up from the Championship, as Forest did at the start of this campaign, Salah has been involved in nine goals (6 goals, 3 assists).

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth v West Ham)

When Dominic Solanke gets hot, the opposition soon know about it.

He has become just the fifth different player for Bournemouth to record at least five goals and five assists in a Premier League season, achieving that by scoring once and providing two assists last time out against Tottenham.

The 25-year-old former Liverpool player had a stunning 2021-22 campaign in the Championship with the Cherries, and while he has not consistently hit the same heights in the top flight, the Tottenham game was the third of the Premier League season in which he has both scored and assisted. Nobody in the league has done so on more occasions, heading into this weekend's round of games.

Premier League leaders Arsenal will aim to get back on track when they host lowly Southampton on Friday.

The Gunners' lead at the top has been cut to just four points after successive 2-2 draws against Liverpool and West Ham, throwing away two-goal leads in each of those matches.

But with Manchester City in FA Cup action, Arsenal have a great chance to move seven points clear of Pep Guardiola's side ahead of next week's huge clash between the title rivals at the Etihad Stadium.

Leicester City, Everton and Leeds United will all be hoping Arsenal do the business, with Southampton's relegation rivals all in action on Saturday.

Arsenal v Southampton

Southampton are one of three sides Arsenal have failed to beat in the Premier League this season, along with Newcastle United and City, following their 1-1 draw at St Mary's Stadium in October. The last time Saints avoided defeat in both Premier League meetings with the Gunners was in the 2015-16 season.

This is the first Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Southampton on a Friday, with the Gunners defeating Southampton on each of the other six days of the week in the competition. They have never won a Premier League match against an opponent on all seven days of the week.

James Ward-Prowse has scored nine goals in all competitions for Southampton this season and could reach double figures for the second time in his career following his 11 last term. Six of his nine goals this season have come away from home, with four of those strikes coming in London.

Best bet – Arsenal to win: Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 27 home league games against Southampton (W19 D8) – in their league history, only against Fulham (current run of 30) have they had a longer unbeaten home run. They have never lost in 23 Premier League home games against Southampton (W16 D7), the most one side has hosted another without ever losing in the competition.

Long shot – Southampton to keep a clean sheet: The side bottom of the table has won just four of their 38 Premier League meetings with the league leaders (D6 L28), losing 14 of their 15 such games away from home (D1). Southampton kept a clean sheet in three of their first four under Ruben Selles but have kept none in their last five, while conceding 12 goals.

Opta prediction: The supercomputer has Arsenal winning this one, with their chances of victory rated at 67.3 per cent. The draw is at 20.7 per cent, while Southampton's hopes of a win are slim at 12 per cent.

Fulham v Leeds United

Given they have conceded 11 goals across their last two home games, Leeds will surely be thrilled to be back on the road. That being said, they have lost all five of their Premier League games in London this season, conceding 16 goals in the process. 

Fulham have already beaten Leeds twice this season, winning 3-2 in the league and 2-0 in the FA Cup. As a top-flight side, the Cottagers have beaten a team three times in one season on three previous occasions.

Leeds striker Patrick Bamford has been directly involved in six goals in his past four league starts against Fulham, scoring four and assisting two. He has both scored and assisted a goal in both of his Premier League starts against the Cottagers.

Best bet – Both teams to score: Leeds have conceded 16 goals in four Premier League games this month, letting in at least four goals in three of those matches. Fulham, meanwhile, have not kept a clean sheet since beating Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup on February 28.

Long shot – Harry Wilson to score: In Fulham's 3-1 win against Everton last time out, Wilson scored his first league goal since March 2022, and first Premier League goal since January 2020 while at Bournemouth. He last scored in consecutive league games in September 2021, and last did so in the Premier League in August 2019.

Opta prediction: Only three teams have conceded more away goals than Leeds (30) in the Premier League this season, with no side keeping fewer clean sheets on the road than the Whites (one). Combined with their dismal record in London, it is no surprise to see Leeds have just a 28.5 per cent chance of success. Fulham are the favourites (42.8 per cent).

Crystal Palace v Everton

Palace have won just one of their past 16 Premier League games against Everton (D7 L8), though it did come in this fixture last season (3-1). The Toffees, though, won the reverse match 3-0 in October.

Dwight McNeil has scored two goals in his past five Premier League games, as many as he had in his previous 71 appearances. He is one of just two players to score more than once for Everton under Sean Dyche, along with Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Palace have won all three of their Premier League games since Roy Hodgson's return to the club, as many as they had in their previous 18 (D5 L10). They last won four in a row in June 2020, in Hodgson's previous stint at the club.

Best bet – Palace to have 10+ shots: Everton have allowed 50 shots across their last two matches, while Palace are averaging 19 shots, 2.2 xG and 6.3 shots on target per game under Hodgson, compared to 9.9 shots, 0.9 xG and 3.2 shots on target per game before his return.

Long shot – Everton to win and score over one goal: Having won two of their first three Premier League games under Dyche (L1), Everton have won just one of their subsequent eight (D3 L4). All three of their league wins under Dyche have been at home, by a 1-0 scoreline, with the Toffees currently winless in 11 Premier League away games (D4 L7).

Opta prediction: Everton are looking to complete their first league double over Palace since 2004-05, though the Eagles have won their last two home games against Everton in all competitions, as many as they had in their previous 15 (D6 L7). Hodgson's team are ranked as 40.6 per cent favourites, with the draw at 29.9 per cent, while the Toffees' likelihood of a win is 29.5 per cent.

Leicester City v Wolves

Dean Smith could hardly have had a tougher game to start his interim spell in charge of Leicester, who are 19th after losing 3-1 to Manchester City last week. The new Foxes boss will be hoping to rekindle the magic Brendan Rodgers managed at Molineux in October, when Leicester beat Wolves 4-0.

Wolves have never scored in five Premier League away games against Leicester – only Birmingham City have visited a side more without ever finding the net in the competition.

Leicester are the only side without a clean sheet since the resumption of the Premier League following the World Cup, having kept a shutout in five of their six matches before the break. It is their longest run of conceding a goal in consecutive league games since a run of 21 between April and December 1994, which included their first 18 Premier League matches.

Best bet – Leicester to avoid defeat: Wolves have won just one of their past 25 away league games against Leicester (D9 L15), failing to score in five of their past six visits (including the last four) since a 4-1 Championship win in May 2007.

Long shot – Jamie Vardy to score and Leicester to win: Vardy has scored three goals in his last four Premier League games against Wolves, with Leicester winning all three matches. His only league goal so far this season was in the Foxes' 4-0 win in the reverse fixture.

Opta prediction: Despite their place in the bottom three, Leicester are the favourites, at 47.3 per cent. Wolves have won their last two games to drag themselves out of trouble, but Opta give them just a 24.3 per cent chance of victory. The draw is rated at 28.4 per cent.

Is there any stopping Erling Haaland?

The Norwegian has hit 47 goals already for Manchester City this season, including one against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final first leg last week.

City ran out 3-0 winners to take a healthy lead to the Allianz Arena, where Bayern must show the right kind of fight this time as they look to claw that deficit back, while also somehow halting Haaland.

Inter's domestic form has dropped off a cliff, having not won in five and lost four of those, including a shock 1-0 home defeat to Monza on Saturday.

However, they hold a 2-0 advantage over Benfica, who also travel to San Siro with perhaps more hope than belief they can turn it around and reach the semi-finals.

With the assistance of Opta numbers, Stats Perform takes a look at Wednesday's two Champions League contests.

Bayern Munich v Manchester City: Can Bayern pack the punch to come back against City?

The Bavarians came to blows over their loss at the Etihad Stadium last week, but will be hoping to use that fire more positively in the second leg on home soil.

Bayern have lost their last two meetings with City in the Champions League – the first time they have lost consecutive games against them, and as many defeats as they had suffered in their first five clashes in the competition (W3 L2).

Thomas Tuchel's men are also looking to become just the fifth team to progress from a two-legged Champions League knockout tie after losing by three or more goals in the first leg, after Deportivo de La Coruna in 2003-04 (5-4 v Milan), Barcelona in 2016-17 (6-5 v PSG), Roma in 2017-18 (4-4 v Barcelona, won on away goals) and Liverpool in 2018-19 (4-3 v Barcelona).

Since losing three consecutive games against Tuchel's Chelsea in 2020-21 – the last of which being the 2021 Champions League final – City boss Pep Guardiola has won each of his last three games against the German, without seeing his side concede a single goal. 

Guardiola is just one win away from 100 Champions League match victories, which will make him the third manager/head coach to reach a century of wins in the competition, along with Carlo Ancelotti and Alex Ferguson. He would also be the quickest to reach that figure, with it being his 158th game, with Ancelotti taking 180 games and Ferguson 184.

Haaland has scored 11 Champions League goals for City this season, his best return in a single campaign, and just one behind the season record for a Premier League player in the competition (Ruud van Nistelrooy, 12 in 2002-03 for Manchester United).

He may have ended the first leg with a cut lip for his troubles, but since the start of last season, former City man Leroy Sane has more combined goals (10) and assists (7) in the Champions League goals than any other Bayern player (17). Despite his side failing to score at the Etihad Stadium, Sane was directly involved in eight of Bayern's 12 shots in the first leg (five shots and three chances created).

Inter v Benfica: Eagles must make history to get past Nerazzurri

Inter cannot buy a win in Serie A, and may even have to win the competition to qualify for it next season, but their performance in the first leg showed they can still perform. 

The Nerazzurri remain unbeaten in all four of their previous meetings with Benfica (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in three of those matches, though the Lisbon side have already won away to Italian opposition in the Champions League this season, beating Juventus 2-1 in the group stage.

Benfica lost the first leg of a two-legged European Cup/Champions League tie by two or more goals for the ninth time, and only once previously have they progressed from such a position, and not since 1961-62 when they beat Nurnberg, losing the first leg 3-1 before winning the second 6-0.

In addition to that, it was also the ninth time Inter have won the first leg of a two-legged European Cup/Champions League tie by two or more goals, and they have never been eliminated from such a position.

Roger Schmidt's side are unbeaten in seven away matches in the Champions League (W4 D3), their longest ever unbeaten run away from home in the competition. They have won their last two away matches, and could win three in a row for the first time since March 1990.

Striker Goncalo Ramos will need to have a big game, having been directly involved in four goals in his last four Champions League appearances for Benfica (three goals, one assist). On top of his attacking contribution, the Portugal international is also important for his team's pressing out of possession, having applied more pressures (674) and pressures in the final third (299) than any other striker in the competition this season.

Romelu Lukaku has scored nine goals in 14 appearances for Inter in the Champions League, with only four players now scoring more goals for the club in the competition – Adriano (14), Julio Cruz (13), Hernan Crespo (11) and Samuel Eto'o (10).

The last time Chelsea binned off Frank Lampard, they won the Champions League four months later.

They brought him back, have immediately lost four games on the trot and won't be kings of Europe this year. Nor will they be contesting this competition next year.

Sometimes good things come to an end, but Chelsea and Lampard have past glories they can rely on and seem happy enough together again, so don't cry for them.

All those signings in January, and then this? All the brilliant leadership from Todd Boehly, and then this?

Real Madrid have more past glories than any club in the history of this competition, landing their 14th title last May, and they cleared the Chelsea hurdle after Carlo Ancelotti somehow outwitted Lampard.

Honestly, who saw that coming?

This was football as some sort of abstract performance art from the men in blue and their boss.

Stealth tactics, confuse the hell out of them. Play N'Golo Kante as a roving forward, why not? Have Conor Gallagher as the man nodding down crosses for the little Frenchman, why not? Madrid won't know what's hit 'em!

On seeing Chelsea's starting line-up, featuring world-beating holding midfielder Kante as the frontline attack dog, snooker star and Blues fan Neil Robertson tweeted: "I'm a little confused with this lineup. Hopefully a master plan!"

Sure Neil, let's call this a master plan. Just like playing a frame of snooker with the butt end of a cue would be considered a sound tactic, this was a master plan all right.

Eleven minutes in, this supreme strategy should have brought Chelsea a goal when Reece James' cross broke to an unmarked Kante.

From 12 yards the French World Cup winner surely would hit the opening goal and give Chelsea the dream start they were after.

Reader, he did not. A wild swing of the left boot sent the ball wide, but my word, did Madrid already look confused.

After playing 30 games in the Champions League without ever scoring, it was surely a matter of time before Kante broke that duck in this game. He was born to be the match winner.

James took a hapless touch on another Chelsea attack and Madrid's Vinicius Junior shepherded the ball out of play for a goal kick, being told to 'f*** off' by at least one Chelsea supporter for his efforts.

Madrid were surely on the ropes now with such vitriol adding to their woes.

Sure, Rodrygo whacked a shot against the outside of the Chelsea right post. But the home side were flying.

Kante had four touches in the first 20 minutes, the fewest of any player on the pitch. Madrid were being lulled into a false sense of security, their 2-0 first-leg lead suddenly so vulnerable.

Sure, Luka Modric’s sharp shot from a tight angle was then bundled behind by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea full-back James got in on the right and looked to play a quick ball to the striker attacking the near post, except that player unfortunately did not exist.

In the 38th minute, Kante was the man dashing down the right, and the makeshift winger’s cross would have been ideal if Chelsea had a striker in their ranks. As it was, it ran through the penalty area and out again before Madrid cleared their lines.

Kante then won a corner, and Kai Havertz flicked it on, Conor Gallagher headed it up, and nobody nodded it in.

In first-half stoppage time, Chelsea had the best chance of the half, when James' delicious low cross from the right inevitably missed the players in the middle and ran through to left-back Marc Cucurella.

The £55million defender was not necessarily acquired for his finishing, having only netted once for Brighton and Hove Albion, and he duly kept up his record of never having netted for Chelsea as Thibaut Courtois kept out his strike.

By half-time, Kante had pulled level with the goalkeepers on 17 touches each. Progress.

The chances kept coming after the break and Kante had another glorious opportunity when Gallagher nodded the ball down. Kante got to the ball and smacked his shot straight at defender Eder Militao.

Havertz trickled a low shot straight at Courtois, and Madrid were surely by now boggled by this master class in mind games. You could knock them down with a feather by this point.

Yet after almost an hour of banter-ball, Madrid scored when a short pass from Vinicius teed up Rodrygo to smash in from close range.

But wait! In the 67th minute, Lampard introduced three players with goals in their veins: Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix.

Hold them back until the game's lost, Frank, then unleash them, baby!

The Spanish giants withdrew Benzema after 70 minutes, sparing him from such advanced confusion tactics.

All Chelsea needed now was four goals.

Madrid scored next, Federico Valverde dancing past Thiago Silva and squaring for Rodrygo to net again. Two-nil on the night, four-nil on aggregate.

Just five goals needed now.

Frank, I don't think this is going quite to plan.

Kylian Mbappe took sole ownership of another piece of Paris Saint-Germain history on Saturday when he scored against Lens.

Mbappe's goal was his 139th for the club in Ligue 1, moving beyond former team-mate Edinson Cavani for a PSG record.

As with the all-competitions record, which was Cavani's until Mbappe passed him at the start of last month, it is an honour that has changed hands with some regularity in recent seasons.

Before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, nobody had scored 100 top-flight goals for PSG, with Mustapha Dahleb's tally of 85 the benchmark prior to the QSI era.

But Ibrahimovic overtook Dahleb and was then himself overtaken by Cavani. Now, Mbappe is the history man, and it appears highly unlikely that will change any time soon.

Neymar – seven years Mbappe's senior and regularly plagued by injuries – is his nearest rival in the current squad, having scored 82 goals in 112 games.

Mbappe needed 169 Ligue 1 matches to pass Cavani's goals total of 138, which he amassed over exactly 200 league games for PSG. As a result, the France World Cup winner has averaged a goal every 98 minutes versus every 109 minutes for Cavani.

The game against Lens saw Mbappe net in a 98th different Ligue 1 match for PSG, and the 24-year-old will surely continue to score for as long as he remains in Paris.

While Cavani's 138 goals almost exactly matched his 137.8 expected goals, Mbappe has outperformed his xG in all seasons but his first at the club.

A player of such talent still at such a young age, there are no Ligue 1 high marks that look beyond Mbappe.

Marco Verratti has won a record eight titles, but his PSG colleague is not far behind on five. Delio Onnis' overall Ligue 1 goals record stands at 299, unbroken since the 1980s yet well within Mbappe's reach.

However, would either of those two impressive feats change a great deal for Mbappe? His remarkable rate of scoring since joining PSG has already proven there is nothing he cannot do in Ligue 1.

Mbappe's legacy will instead be forged outside of France, as it has been so far. He won Russia 2018 as a 19-year-old, by that stage a back-to-back Ligue 1 champion with two different clubs.

Subsequent frustrations have centred on PSG's failed Champions League exploits. In France, even when PSG have ceded the title, there have been no doubts about Mbappe's status at the top of the game.

At this stage, goals at World Cups – he already has 12 – and in Champions League finals will mean far more to this superstar striker than adding another to his record PSG tallies.

It is the reason why doubts remain around Mbappe's future after this season's latest limp European exit against Bayern Munich.

Surely already PSG's greatest ever player, Real Madrid and the rest will justifiably believe they can give a generational talent the platform he requires to tick off the rest of the items on his bucket list away from the French capital.

No doubt that means another close-season of speculation then – and even Mbappe might struggle to chase down Onnis before May.

The 2023 NBA playoffs are here and promise to be as thrilling as ever.

There are narratives all over the place ready to be written, with the Golden State Warriors trying to retain their championship, the Los Angeles Lakers coming from 2-10 to potentially win it all, and the Boston Celtics looking to make up for last season's Finals heartbreak.

Between now and the start of the Finals in June, who knows how many shock results, big performances and memorable moments basketball fans will be treated to.

The final two places will be decided on Friday with the last two play-in games determining who will face top seeds the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets, while the first round gets underway straight away on Saturday.

Stats Perform takes a look at the six confirmed series so far, starting with arguably the most intriguing of them all.

Western Conference:

Phoenix Suns (4) v Los Angeles Clippers (5)

After an outstanding 2021-22 campaign in which they finished as the top seed in the West with a record of 64-18, the Suns began this season with a 6-1 run.

However, by the end of their first game of 2023, Phoenix had already lost as many as they did in the entirety of the previous regular season and only managed a record of 45-37 in the end to finish as a fourth seed.

Adding Kevin Durant in February gave them a much-needed boost, though, and his link-up with Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul feels like it could lead to something special in the postseason. Durant is 8-0 as a Net.

They will be up against a Clippers team who have had stumbles during the season but went 11-5 heading into the playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard's return from injury in November was huge for Ty Lue's team, with he and Paul George both averaging 23.8 points per game for the season.

The teams split their four meetings during the regular season, albeit including a Clippers victory in their final game when the Suns rested their starters.

Sacramento Kings (3) v Golden State Warriors (6)

It feels like the Kings quietly went about their business this season, amassing 48 wins, more than half of which (25) came on the road.

That could not really be further removed from the Warriors' experience, which saw only 11 of their 44 victories come as the away team.

However, after starting 7-29 on the road this season, Golden State won four of their final five. That included a 56-point victory at the Portland Trail Blazers on April 9, tied for the second-largest road win by any team in NBA history (Pacers at Thunder in May 2021 – 57).

De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will lead the way for Sacramento, but a certain Stephen Curry will be expected to shine again in the postseason as he has done so often in the past.

Since 2013-14, Curry has gone 27-2 against the Kings, the second-best record by any player against a single opponent (min. 20 games) during that span (Norman Powell, 19-1 vs Nets). Curry has averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds over those games.

Golden State were 3-1 against the Kings this season, with Curry (25 points) and Klay Thompson (29) doing much of the damage in their victory in the penultimate game of the campaign against shorthanded opponents.

Memphis Grizzlies (2) v Los Angeles Lakers (7)

As LeBron James recently said, the Lakers were given just a 0.3 per cent chance of making the playoffs by analysts when they started the year 2-10.

As it turned out, they nearly reached the postseason without even needing the play-in tournament, but a fairly routine win against the Minnesota Timberwolves got them to the dance.

James has been outstanding again this season, averaging 28.9 points, and will be eager to produce fireworks now that he and the Lakers are back in the postseason.

On the other side, Ja Morant seems to have put recent problems behind him and looks ready to lead the Grizzlies.

His 26.2 points have been ably supported by Desmond Bane (21.5) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (18.6), though they will miss the presence of the injured Steven Adams, who averaged 11.5 rebounds this season.

The Lakers went 2-1 against the Grizzlies this season, although the home team won on each occasion.

Eastern Conference:

Cleveland Cavaliers (4) v New York Knicks (5)

It was a strong year for Cleveland, winning 51 games in the regular season, although they had a losing record on the road (20-21).

Donovan Mitchell (28.3 points) has been sensational for the Cavaliers, who could hold a significant advantage throughout the playoffs as they boasted a perfect 7-0 record for games that went into overtime during the season.

The Knicks are looking for their first playoff series win in 10 years in what is only their second postseason appearance in that time.

Coach Tom Thibodeau has Julius Randle (25.1) and Jalen Brunson (24.0) to thank for guiding his team to a comfortable playoff place, with Randle also averaging 10.0 rebounds.

New York's starters are averaging 86.5 points this season, the most by any starting unit (Cleveland rank fifth at 83.5). That accounts for 74.6 per cent of the team's scoring, which is the highest rate by a Knicks squad since 2010-11 (74.7).

The Knicks were 3-1 against the Cavs this season, including their last one at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse just two weeks ago.

Philadelphia 76ers (3) v Brooklyn Nets (6)

Ever since he went to Philadelphia, it has felt like James Harden has been the story heading into any clashes between these two.

It feels like there is so much more to it now, though, especially since the Nets also lost Durant and Kyrie Irving.

No longer a team of stars, the Nets are reinventing themselves as just a team, and it will be interesting to see how they manage the postseason. The Nets finished the season 10-4 in games decided by three or fewer points, tied with the Knicks for the best record in the league (min. 10 one-possession games).

Harden and Tyrese Maxey have provided capable support to Joel Embiid, who has been his usual impressive self, with an average of 33.1 points, the most in the entire league.

The Sixers certainly have the momentum going into this series, winning all four of their meetings this season, including in the final game. It was the first time one of the teams swept the season series since Philadelphia won all four matchups against the New Jersey Nets in 2010-11.

Boston Celtics (2) v Atlanta Hawks (7)

Few expected the Celtics to make the Finals last year, and even fewer thought they would take a 2-1 lead against the Warriors.

It all went south from there, though, ultimately losing 4-2, but their response this season has been impressive again.

Boston started 21-5, and although that levelled out towards the middle of the regular season, they put together some more impressive runs to finish 57-25.

Jayson Tatum's average of 30.1 made him briefly a contender for MVP, while Jaylen Brown (26.6) and Marcus Smart are expected to be fit again during the first round.

Trae Young led the Hawks through their play-in clash with the Miami Heat, and he and they will now need to step up again.

Young has scored 30 or more points in four straight road games against the Celtics. Since the NBA-ABA merger, just four players have scored 30-plus points in five straight games in Boston (including playoffs): Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Curry and James.

The Celtics won all three regular season meetings, including in their final games before the postseason, although both fielded weakened teams.

There is no margin for error when it comes to selecting your fantasy team with just six weeks of the Premier League season to go.

Whether you are battling to win the league, striving to climb off the bottom or desperate to catch or family member above you, it is vital to pick up precious points before it’s too late.

While you may have been picking up points galore in recent weeks and reluctant to make changes, be wary of missing out by keeping the faith.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform have picked out four players to get in your team for the latest set of matches.

David de Gea (Nottingham Forest v Manchester United)

Manchester United goalkeeper De Gea has the joint-highest number of top-flight clean sheets this season, racking up 13 along with Newcastle United's Nick Pope.

Seven of the Spaniard's shutouts have come in 2023 and that can rise to eight when the Red Devils face struggling Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Forest have failed to score in all three games against United so far this season, with De Gea playing in two of those matches.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Leeds United v Liverpool)

Liverpool full-back Alexander-Arnold produced a third assist this year for Roberto Firmino to equalise late in a pulsating 2-2 draw with leaders Arsenal last Sunday.

Only Kieran Trippier (420) and Kevin De Bruyne (298) have played more passes into the opposition box than the England international's 287 this season.

Alexander-Arnold has provided assists in each of his previous two trips to Leeds United in the top flight and, with the Whites suffering a 5-1 hammering at home to Crystal Palace last time out, he can capitalise on their defensive frailties on Monday.

Michael Olise (Southampton v Crystal Palace)

Olise caused Leeds all sorts of problems in that rout at Elland Road on Sunday, becoming only the second Palace player to provide three assists in a Premier League match.

Leeds were unable to contain winger Olise, who has produced 13 assists since the start of last season. Only De Bruyne has more assists than Olise per 90 minutes of the players who have featured in at least 3,000 minutes during that time.

Olise can torment bottom-of-the-table Southampton at St Mary's on Saturday.

Ivan Toney (Wolves v Brentford)

Brentford striker Toney has scored 18 Premier League goals and provided four assists this season.

Only Erling Haaland (35) and Harry Kane (25) have more goal involvements in the division in the 2022-23 campaign.

Toney has scored twice and laid one goal on in his Premier League encounters with Wolves, a tally he can add to at Molineux on Saturday.

Safe to say Frank Lampard was the only Champions League coach required to give an earnest answer on the eve of this week's matches about the role a late-night US TV host might have had in his appointment.

But then Lampard was also the only Champions League coach expecting to watch along from home with James Corden and the rest as recently as a week ago.

If Thomas Tuchel's appointment at Bayern Munich between the last 16 and the quarter-finals came out of left field, he at least had history in this competition, replacing Lampard as Chelsea boss in 2020-21 and leading them to European glory.

Lampard won the Champions League as a player, of course, in another example of a successful mid-season Chelsea coaching change.

The parallels with that other season of struggle in 2011-12 have not been lost on Lampard. "He mentioned he was in his worst moment at Chelsea," said Enzo Fernandez. "It is a great example for us."

But that likely makes Lampard the only coach to look at Roberto Di Matteo's improbable title run 11 years ago as a blueprint for success moving forward.

In fact, Di Matteo led Chelsea to a top-six Premier League finish and an FA Cup triumph before winning the Champions League. Lampard's side are 11th and out of the domestic cups.

Hopes of a repeat of that greatest win of all are all but gone, too, after Real Madrid's 2-0 victory in the first leg of their last-eight tie.

Lampard's will surely be the only shock Chelsea comeback this season.

The Blues, still under Tuchel, did very nearly overturn a two-goal deficit against Madrid at this stage last season, leading 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu before late goals from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema took the eventual champions through.

That was the theme of Madrid's campaign, rarely playing well but having enough in the big moments. The concern for Chelsea is their hosts were again a little below par on Wednesday and this time did not need any of those big moments, deservedly defeating their toothless side.

Madrid scraped past Liverpool and Chelsea last season and are on course to knock out both again this year – with the minimum of fuss. Again getting the better of Manchester City in the next stage may well prove tougher.

Lampard appeared to look back to those famous nights under Di Matteo as he turned to experience for this first leg, making only two changes from the last-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund but increasing the average age of the XI by two years in introducing Thiago Silva and N'Golo Kante.

"We always want to develop players, we want young players, all these things," he explained to BT Sport. "But at a game of this high level, players like Thiago, N'Golo in the team are a huge lift for us."

That know-how still paled next to Madrid's, however. There were 821 Champions League appearances in the home XI – the second-most in competition history behind another Madrid line-up in the 2018 final.

It was fitting then that Benzema should net the opener in his 149th Champions League game, fifth on the all-time list and in the right place at the right time when Kepa Arrizabalaga could only parry an awkward effort from Vinicius Junior.

Lampard might well have taken a 1-0 defeat at that point. He certainly would have when half-time was reached with Madrid having aimed eight shots on target and then again when Ben Chilwell was sent off with over half an hour remaining.

The game briefly became reminiscent of the 2012 semi-final in Barcelona, where John Terry saw red but Chelsea somehow recovered a 2-2 draw through a combination of brave defending and clinical counter-attacking.

Yet Marco Asensio's second with 74 minutes played, steered through Wesley Fofana's legs, broke their resolve and might well have taken the tie away from Lampard.

This Chelsea team are anything but clinical. They have 41 goals in 41 games this season, going four without scoring – including in two matches under Lampard – for the first time since 1993. The Blues have only netted more than once, as they now must, in 14 of those games.

Failure to buck that trend against Champions League specialists Madrid will mean the end of Chelsea's season.

At that point, as Madrid move on and Lampard attempts to rescue a top-10 position in the Premier League, focus turns to where Todd Boehly goes next, perhaps to who Jimmy Kimmel fancies for the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

It has been another season to remember at Chelsea – for all the wrong reasons.

If you didn't see this coming, you can't have been paying attention.

Bayern Munich were bulldozed by a spectacular Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, a 3-0 dismissal of the 10-in-a-row Bundesliga winners a sign of the times.

It was a bad night for the men in red, a desperate one for Dayot Upamecano; a match to remember for City, and perhaps the moment the doom-mongers had seen coming.

How can this City team be stopped? They were terrific and dominant, save from a 20-minute spell at the start of the second half when Bayern gamely gave just about as good as they got.

A team into which mind-blowing sums have been invested were destined to scale heady heights such as these, though. The wealth of talent at Pep Guardiola's disposal is unsurpassed, the Abu Dhabi ownership having backed the manager to bring together an elite pool of players.

This is why some with a Bayern allegiance would like German football's tight ownership rules to be relaxed. For now, a tight rein on spending means Bayern cannot possibly compete in the transfer market with City.

Twenty-five years ago, City were hurtling towards relegation to England's third tier. Now they surely are everyone's Champions League favourites, ripe to be crowned kings of Europe for the first time with one foot in the semi-finals.

Erling Haaland's 45th goal of the season put the seal on this rout, leaving Bayern facing near-certain elimination in front of their own fans in next Wednesday's second leg.

Rodri's wonder strike had broken the deadlock, and Bernardo Silva hit the second to quell Bayern's brief resurgence.

Norwegian Haaland has managed the most competitive goals by a player for a Premier League club in a single season. And if you didn't see that coming, you can't have been paying attention. Deadly for Borussia Dortmund, Haaland was bound to score bucketloads in this City team.

Bayern, traditionally the club that scoop up the best talent from within the Bundesliga, had been powerless when the chequebooks came out for Haaland.

Haaland fancied this occasion early on and took aim from an outlandish angle, from an opportunity given a miniscule xG rating of 0.028. The wild slash with his left boot soared over the bar.

Jamal Musiala was denied by an outstanding block from Ruben Dias as Bayern carved out the best chance of the opening 25 minutes, but then £62.6million man Rodri rocked the Germans with his sensational finish.

The wickedly swerving strike with his left foot came from 25 yards, as Bayern waited for a pass from the player who had not scored in 43 previous Champions League appearances.

Former City winger Leroy Sane fired 18 inches wide from 30 yards to serve a reminder of Bayern's threat, but shooting from that range hinted at desperation.

By half-time, Rodri had passing accuracy of 90.3 per cent and had won six of his eight duels. He had also won possession on 10 occasions, more than anyone else on the pitch, while losing the ball just four times. Even setting aside the goal, he had been magnificent, and City's defending was terrific, with Ederson yet to make a save.

Sane drew a first save from Ederson in the first minute of the second half, and the Brazilian did not make a clean catch, rather juggling the ball. He made a better stop two minutes later, and again it was Sane with the strike after being played through by Musiala.

City could not take advantage of haphazard Bayern defending as Joshua Kimmich blocked Haaland's thumping shot, but that was a sign of trouble to come for Bayern.

Bayern brought on former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane in the 69th minute, but it was 2-0 seconds later, before Mane got to touch the ball.

Upamecano looked to step out of defence but hopelessly lost the ball to Jack Grealish, whose clever backheel played in Haaland. As Bayern braced for him to shoot, the Norwegian crossed instead and Bernardo Silva planted a powerful header through Yann Sommer's grasp.

Sommer saved from substitute Julian Alvarez as Bayern's defence was ripped open again, and the third goal arrived when World Cup winner Alvarez crossed from the right flank, £50million centre-back John Stones headed across goal from the far post, and Haaland, the most coveted player in Europe last summer, volleyed in calmly from a chance he was never going to miss.

Joao Cancelo, on loan to Bayern from City, was booed onto the pitch when he appeared as a substitute. Bayern don't think they have the funds to buy the City cast-off, which sums up the difference between these outfits.

City have won their last 11 home games against German sides in this competition by a 42-10 aggregate, and Haaland has 11 goals in seven Champions League games for City now.

It was entirely predictable he would get on the scoresheet at the Etihad Stadium, but here's a thing that changed for Haaland in this game: as well as taking his goals tally to six in eight appearances against Bayern, he finished on the winning side.

He had lost all seven games he played for Dortmund against Bayern.

Things change once you join City. This is a winning machine, a team on a nine-game streak now, and nights like this make you fear for Arsenal, sat increasingly precariously at the top of the Premier League. They make you fear the rest of Europe will be powerless to prevent a rhapsody in blue come the Champions League final in Istanbul, too.

Champions League holders Real Madrid resume their European campaign on Wednesday as they once again go up against English opposition in Chelsea.

Now with Frank Lampard in charge again, Chelsea realistically need to win the Champions League just to qualify for it next season, with the Blues languishing 11th in the Premier League.

But after brushing Liverpool aside in ruthless fashion in the last round, Madrid will be massive favourites in the eyes of most people.

Wednesday's other Champions League duel is almost as intriguing. Serie A rivals Milan and Napoli will tussle in San Siro, with any of the four teams in that side of the draw likely fancying their chances of reaching the final.

Ahead of two potentially engrossing matches, Stats Perform picks out the best Opta pre-game facts.

Real Madrid v Chelsea: Benzema out to continue dominance of Premier League opposition

This season has been perceived as an underwhelming one for Karim Benzema in some respects, with injuries disrupting him – particularly ahead of the World Cup.

But since Qatar 2022, the only player across the top five leagues to register more goal involvements in all competitions than Benzema (24) is Manchester United's Marcus Rashford (25), and the Frenchman has been especially lethal in recent weeks.

He scored hat-tricks in each of his first two games this month and was sensational in Madrid's 6-2 aggregate defeat of Liverpool in the previous round, scoring three times over the two legs.

That haul means each of his last 10 goals in the Champions League have been against English clubs (in order: x4 Chelsea, x3 Manchester City, x3 Liverpool), which is already the longest such streak against clubs from a single nation by one player.

Benzema's form and Chelsea's rather unimpressive current state would have most considering Los Blancos firm favourites on Wednesday, and the Blues would do well to stop their hosts from scoring given they have netted in each of their previous 30 Champions League knockout games at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Chelsea and interim manager Lampard will be grasping to every hint of optimism they can find.

Their record against Madrid might be one such example, as they have the lowest percentage of losses (14 per cent) of any team to have played them at least five times in European competition.

The Blues are also unbeaten against the Champions League reigning champions since 2004-05 (six games), which is a record.

Milan v Napoli: Uncharted territory for the Partenopei

This promises to be a memorable season for Napoli, who are within touching distance of a first Scudetto since 1990.

But their Champions League journey could yet elevate this campaign to hitherto unseen levels for Luciano Spalletti's side.

After all, this will be their first Champions League quarter-final. Considering they were drawn into the side of the bracket that looks wide open, the outlook is promising.

Admittedly, Napoli were remarkably beaten 4-0 at home to Milan at the start of this month, though the Serie A leaders should be a different beast with Victor Osimhen back in the team.

The Nigeria international's brilliance in attack has contributed to Napoli being the top scorers in this season's Champions League with 25 goals, while only Bayern Munich have won more matches (eight to seven).

Furthermore, Napoli's average of 3.1 goals per game is the fifth-best in a single campaign after Bayern in 2019-20 (3.9), PSG in 2017-18 (3.4), Real Madrid in 2013-14 (3.2) and Liverpool in 2017-18 (3.2).

Milan will hope they have the defensive nous to counteract that. And, to be fair, they are one clean sheet away from five successive Champions League shutouts for the first time since 2004-05.

Some might also point to Milan's greater experience in such ties, though this will actually be just their first quarter-final since 2011-12, and they last reached the semis in 2006-07 en route to winning the competition.

For the Rossoneri, even when you take into consideration that freak 4-0 away win on April 2, a positive result on Wednesday is surely a must – Napoli will be aiming to make it four successive wins over Milan at San Siro.

Just eight teams remain in the Champions League, and there is every chance one of Tuesday's quarter-finals could yield the eventual winners.

Manchester City and Bayern Munich tussle in arguably the tie of the round, a contest that has seen the intrigue multiply following the latter's dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann and hiring of Thomas Tuchel.

Of course, Tuchel has won this competition before and boasts plenty of quality in his squad, but City probably go into the tie as favourites because of their greater stability and the 'Erling Haaland factor'.

Tuesday's other game, which takes place on the other side of the draw, pits Benfica and Inter against each other, with both sides surely fancying their chances of a shock run to the final given they will come up against either Milan or Napoli in the semi-finals.

But without any further ado, Stats Perform looks at the pick of the pre-match Opta facts for Tuesday's first legs.

Manchester City v Bayern Munich: Haaland out to finally beat Die Roten

There will certainly be a degree of familiarity surrounding this duel between two giants of the European game.

It will be the seventh meeting between City and Bayern in the Champions League, with both sides alternating victories across the previous six (three each) fixtures.

On top of that, City boss Pep Guardiola is of course a former Bayern head coach, with the Premier League side's only loss in their past three home games against Die Roten coming when he was in charge at Allianz Arena (October 2013).

Guardiola will also be going up against Tuchel once again. He may not publicly admit it, but revenge is surely a target.

Tuchel was in charge of Chelsea when City lost their only Champions League final, and the German has won two of the three matches the two coaches have contested in cup competitions. Guardiola's only victory came via a penalty shoot-out in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final.

Still, Guardiola boasts a tremendous record at this stage of the competition.

He has won 54 per cent of his 72 Champions League knockout games, the best win rate of all managers with at least 30 matches under their belt in such ties. Additionally, Guardiola is the only one of these coaches to have won more than half of these games.

Erling Haaland will also be tussling with some familiar foes.

The Norwegian striker has a solid record against Bayern on an individual level, scoring five times in seven games against them for Dortmund, but he was on the losing side each time.

He will be keen to break that duck.

Benfica v Inter: Eagles close to 33-year high

For some, Benfica might stand out as being almost out of place at this stage of the competition, but it is the second season in a row they have reached the quarter-finals.

Similarly, while one may associate Inter more closely with deep runs into the Champions League, their six quarter-finals this century is only one more than Benfica.

The Portuguese side will not come into this tie intimidated by their opponents either.

Benfica have already beaten Juventus home and away in the competition this term, overcoming something of a psychological barrier that had seen them win only two of their previous 11 games against Serie A sides in Europe's top-tier competition.

Granted, Inter have dealt with Portuguese opposition this season as well, knocking Porto out in the previous round with a slender 1-0 aggregate win. But there was more than a hint of fortune about that success, with the Primeira Liga side's expected goals (xG) significantly higher than Inter's (3-5 to 2.1).

Nevertheless, Benfica need only to look at their own form to inspire confidence. Victory on Tuesday will see them record five successive European Cup/Champions League wins for the first time since a run of six en route to the 1990 final.

There are also reasons for optimism in how the two teams play.

The average starting distance of Inter's sequences of play in the Champions League this term is 38.2 metres from their own goal, with Simone Inzaghi's side recovering possession the furthest away from the opposition goal – on average – of any side involved in this season's quarter-finals.

That could play into Benfica's hands given they have attempted more shots following high turnovers (within 40m of the opposition goal) than any other side in the competition this season (18), and their five goals from such situations is a joint-high with Napoli.

Inter have ridden their luck already this season – Benfica will hope to get the rub of the green at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday to improve their chances of reaching the semi-finals for the first time in 33 years.

The NBA regular season has come to a close, which means the postseason is on the horizon to excite fans with its unpredictability and drama.

First, though, the play-in format returns for its third season and promises to once again add all sorts of further intrigue to the playoff picture.

The mini tournament takes place over April 11-14, with the teams that finished seventh and eighth playing one another to determine the seventh playoff seed from their respective conference, while the loser of that game gets a chance to secure the eighth seed when they host the winner of a game between the ninth and 10th seeds.

Therefore, the teams that finish seventh or eighth only need to win one game to advance to the playoffs, while those in ninth and 10th must win two.

Whoever clinches the seventh seed in the East will face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, while the eighth seed will take on the Milwaukee Bucks. In the West, the seventh seed will go up against the Memphis Grizzlies, and the eighth seed will be paired with the Denver Nuggets.

Stats Perform previews the eight teams looking to secure their place in the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Eastern Conference

Tuesday, April 11 – Miami Heat (7th) vs Atlanta Hawks (8th) 

One of these teams has made the Eastern Conference Finals in each of the last three seasons, although that trend appears unlikely to continue this year.

After starting the season 2-5, the Heat soon recovered some sort of form without threatening to repeat the performances that saw them clinch the top seed in the East the previous year. They at least strung together a solid run over December and January, going 19-11, to boost their playoff hopes.

The Heat will be favourites in this matchup, having gone 4-1 in April and 3-1 against the Hawks this season, including winning back-to-back games in Miami in early March.

The trio of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro will be key, with all three scoring over 20 points per game in the regular season.

Opponents Atlanta went 7-3 to start the season, but their form dipped towards the end of 2022, before picking up again in January.

Trae Young, the star of their 2021 run, will be hoping to lead his team back to the playoffs, having averaged 26.2 points and 10.2 assists in the regular season, and the Heat's ability to stop him could be the key in this one.

The loser will host the winner of...

Wednesday, April 12 – Toronto Raptors (9th) vs Chicago Bulls (10th)

The Raptors have done well to reach this stage after a poor first half to the campaign, starting 16-23, but an improvement in 2023 saw them end level with the Hawks with an even .500 record.

Pascal Siakam averaged 24.2 points from his 71 games in the regular season, while Fred VanVleet (19.3) will also be required to lend a hand.

Chicago, who ended with a 40-42 record, will look to the pairing of Zach LaVine (24.8) and DeMar DeRozan (24.5) for inspiration after a promising end to the regular season on an 11-6 run.

The Raptors were 2-1 against the Bulls this season, including winning their most recent meeting in Toronto in late February on the back of a fourth-quarter fightback.

This promises to be another intriguing encounter.

Western Conference:

Tuesday, April 11 – Los Angeles Lakers (7th) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (8th)

This has been a fascinating season for the Lakers, who looked down and out but recovered to such an extent they ended up disappointed they had to settle for a play-in spot.

LeBron James and co. started 0-5 and then 2-10 as the word "crisis" was tossed about by all and sundry.

However, a subsequent run of 8-2 propelled them into a season few could have imagined in early November, while they also finished the year strongly on a 9-2 run.

James (28.9 points) and Anthony Davis (25.9) have each had injury issues, playing just 55 and 56 games respectively, but they have crucially found form and fitness at this crucial stage in the season.

The Timberwolves also have talent but come into this with a bit of a cloud over them after the fracas between big-trade flop Rudy Gobert and Kyle Anderson in their final game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Minnesota started 2-0 against the Lakers this season, but Davis had 38 points and 17 rebounds in a big win when the teams met less than two weeks ago.

The loser will host the winner of...

Wednesday, April 12 – New Orleans Pelicans (9th) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (10th)

The biggest story around this one centres on who will not be there, as Zion Williamson continues to sit on the sideline with a hamstring injury.

The Pelicans' star man averaged 26.0 points this season but played only 29 games and none since January 2.

Updates from New Orleans have remained vague, although Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has spoken of a "best possible outcome" that would "maybe" see Williamson in practice around the first round. Again, "if everything lined up perfectly".

That means Brandon Ingram will be required to carry the scoring burden for now, a task he warmed up for in fine style with a 42-point return against the Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Thunder will look to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lead them into the postseason, with the 24-year-old averaging 31.4 points this year, the fourth-most in the league.

New Orleans were 3-1 against OKC this season, but the Thunder won their last game in March with Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 35 – albeit the Pelicans were without Ingram as well as Williamson.

Liverpool know better than most just how fine the margins are when it comes to Premier League success.

In missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City by one point last season, Jurgen Klopp's men were given a fairly brutal lesson in that regard.

A year on, it's Arsenal hoping to do what the Reds couldn't and beat City to the title, and whichever way their season ends, there is a huge possibility they will look back on Sunday's 2-2 draw at Liverpool as decisive.

You would have been forgiven for predicting an impressively comfortable away win, such were the two teams' respective performances in the first half.

Arsenal resembled the Liverpool of 12 months ago. They were furious in their pressing, electric and incisive on the ball.

Even if you'd seen Arsenal on a regular basis this season, the swagger with which they were playing at such a famously vociferous arena was outstanding, particularly when you also consider their dreadful record at Anfield.

Arsenal had lost each of their previous six away games against the Reds in the Premier League, while they had not won at Anfield since September 2012.

Liverpool, on the other hand, looked lost, confused, almost as if they were suffering from an identity crisis.

Of course, this certainly wasn't an isolated example of such a display, but this was the kind of occasion one expects to bring the best out of Anfield and the Reds.

Diogo Jota looked every inch a player without a goal in over a year as he failed to influence proceedings. Curtis Jones was similarly unconvincing, while Trent Alexander-Arnold was all over the place, struggling in his usual role and then taking up central positions that left gaping holes at the back.

The England right-back was left for dead by Gabriel Martinelli early on and then failed to track Gabriel Jesus at the back post as the striker failed to convert a Bukayo Saka cross.

Of course, by that point Arsenal were already ahead thanks to the lively Martinelli, who made the most of a kind ricochet to dart into the box and prod beyond Alisson in the eighth minute.

It was then 2-0 just before the half-hour mark. Jesus did apply the finish this time, heading in from Martinelli's cross as the Liverpool defence were out of sync once again.

But the contest seemed to flip in the 41st minute, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's fears of what he described as the Anfield "jungle" becoming reality.

Granit Xhaka was rather innocuously bundled over by Ibrahima Konate, but no free-kick followed, and he reacted with a forceful barge into the back of Alexander-Arnold, appearing to whack him with his forearm.

Alexander-Arnold retaliated with a shove of his own and the two went head-to-head. Referee Paul Tierney issued both a yellow card, but more significantly the incident appeared to get the home crowd engaged finally.

Suddenly there was also fire in the Liverpool ranks, and a minute later Salah nudged home from close range to breathe life into the contest, with Arsenal presumably delighted by the half-time whistle soon after.

That was followed by a downright bizarre incident that could have even helped Liverpool's siege mentality. Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis appeared to elbow Andy Robertson in the face after being approached aggressively by the left-back, with the Reds left furious.

That fury was channelled well by Liverpool after the break, spending much of the second half in the ascendancy as they sought an equaliser.

Mohamed Salah failed to score it from the spot after a clumsy foul by Rob Holding on Jota, but there was unquestionably a hint of predictability above the leveller three minutes from time as Roberto Firmino headed in from Alexander-Arnold's excellent cross.

An incredible finale was ushered in.

Liverpool piled on the pressure. Aaron Ramsdale denied Darwin Nunez when one-on-one, and then the goalkeeper somehow saved Arsenal as Konate inexplicably failed to chest the ball over the line.

Had it not been for Ramsdale's heroics, Arsenal would have been on the end of a potentially crippling defeat. Not necessarily crippling in terms of a huge deficit, but rather in relation to their mentality and the pressure being applied by City.

Of course, it's easy to look at the result as two points dropped. Considering Arsenal were 2-0 up, many fans – and players – will believe that to be the most apt appraisal of the situation.

But in the end, with an optimist's spin on it, Arsenal should feel happy to get away from Anfield with a point. After all, that's more than they managed in any of their previous six Premier League visits.

To understand the potential value of that point, all they need to do is look at Liverpool.

Manchester City put pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal ahead of their trip to Liverpool on Sunday with an emphatic 4-1 victory at Southampton.

Erling Haaland's double took him to 30 Premier League goals in 27 games, just 70 shy of Son Heung-min's career total in his eighth season in England after the South Korea international made history on Saturday.

The race for the other top-four places behind Arsenal and City saw Manchester United and Newcastle United both win, while Tottenham remain three points back after riding their luck against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Stats Perform looks at some of the more notable Opta numbers to come out of the pick of Saturday's Premier League action.

Manchester United 2-0 Everton: Wasteful Red Devils still win comfortably

After goals from Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial either side of half-time, United have won 39 Premier League games against Everton, the joint-most one side have against another in the competition's history (also 39 wins for United against Spurs).

Erik ten Hag's men have won 23 of their 28 home games in all competitions this season (D3 L2), their highest total of wins in a single campaign at Old Trafford since 2010-11 (26).

As they continue to fight relegation, Everton have won just one of their last 17 away Premier League games (D7 L9) and remain winless on the road since a 2-1 victory at Southampton in October (11 games since).

McTominay's strike was his fifth in five games for club and country, as many as in his previous 106 appearances for United and Scotland combined.

Ten Hag bemoaned his side's wastefulness as United failed to convert seven big chances – six of which came in the first half – their joint-highest total on record (since 2010-11) in a league match (also seven vs Sunderland in December 2012).

Brentford 1-2 Newcastle United: Bees stung by Magpies

Brentford started well in this one but ultimately failed to win a Premier League game in which they had opened the scoring for the first time (P26 W19 D6 L1), while Newcastle have lost just one of their last five away league games in which they have conceded first (W2 D2), winning the last two.

Eddie Howe has won exactly 100 Premier League points as Newcastle boss (P56 W28 D16 L12), with only fan favourite Kevin Keegan needing fewer games (51) to reach that milestone.

Ivan Toney became just the fourth player to score home and away against Newcastle in a Premier League campaign having previously played for them in the competition, following Louis Saha (2001-02), Craig Bellamy (2008-09) and Abdoulaye Faye (2008-09).

Before netting from the spot, though, Toney failed to score a penalty for the first time since October 2018 for Peterborough United against Barnsley when he saw his first effort saved by Nick Pope, having scored 24 successive penalties before Saturday (excluding shoot-outs).

A David Raya own goal drew Newcastle level, then Alexander Isak scored his eighth Premier League goal to take the points. Seven of those have either drawn Newcastle level (two) or given them the lead (five).

Tottenham 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion: Son reaches landmark while Seagulls are left to fume

Brighton suffered their first defeat in eight Premier League games on the road (W4 D3) since a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in October, although they will be tempted to lay a lot of the blame at the door of the officials.

Seagulls boss Roberto Di Zerbi was furious with two goals being ruled out for alleged handballs, while Kaoru Mitoma was also denied what looked like a very good shout for a penalty. The Italian then became the first manager to be sent off twice in the Premier League this season. Cristian Stellini was also dismissed.

For Son, though, it was a landmark day as his terrific opener made him the first Asian player to score 100 Premier League goals, while he is just the 10th player in the league's history to score 100 goals and register 50 assists for one team – and the first to do so for Spurs.

Lewis Dunk equalised in his 200th Premier League appearance, with each of the last four players to mark that milestone in such a way now having been centre-backs  (also Kurt Zouma, Virgil van Dijk and Ben Mee).

But after the controversy at the other end, Harry Kane won it for Tottenham with his 10th goal in 12 appearances for the club against Brighton in all competitions. The Seagulls are the ninth team he has reached double-figures against in his career, along with Leicester City, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, West Ham, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Stoke City.

Southampton 1-4 Manchester City

Kevin De Bruyne was back to his sensational best at St Mary's, registering his 100th Premier League assist, making him the fifth player to reach that mark and doing so in fewer appearances (237) than any of the previous four.

Haaland's brace, including an outrageous bicycle kick, meant he has scored 44 goals in all competitions for City this season – the joint-most ever by a Premier League player in a single campaign, level with Ruud van Nistelrooy (2002-03) and Mohamed Salah (2017-18).

De Bruyne laid on the opener and has assisted seven Premier League goals for Haaland this season, the most one City player has ever assisted for another in a single campaign.

Jack Grealish teed up the other Haaland goal and also got on the scoresheet. He has now been involved in 10 goals in 15 league games since the World Cup (four goals, six assists). Only Haaland (14) has been involved in more for Pep Guardiola's team in that time, while it is three more than Grealish managed in his first 34 appearances for City (four goals, three assists).

Julian Alvarez replaced Haaland and dispatched a second-half penalty, becoming the fifth different City player to score as a substitute in the Premier League this season, with only United and Wolves (six) having more.