Joe Willock was compared to Ronaldinho and Luka Modric after a sparkling performance in Newcastle United's rout of Tottenham that included one of the assists of the season.

Newcastle team-mate Bruno Guimaraes has dubbed the midfielder "Willockinho", and he more than lived up to that nickname on Sunday.

Willock, who coach Eddie Howe is backing for an England call-up, produced perhaps the moment of the match in a 6-1 win, his sensational outside-of-the-boot pass sending Alexander Isak away for the fourth of five goals in the first 21 minutes.

That was Willock's fifth assist in the Premier League this season to go with three goals as one of the key men in a Newcastle team closing on Champions League qualification.

Only Kieran Trippier (five) and Guimaraes (four) created more than Willock's three chances against Spurs, and the Brazil international was suitably impressed.

Guimaraes told reporters: "Willockinho, with his new hair today... he looked like Ronaldinho and played like him, too. 

"An amazing through ball for [Isak's] goal. What a pass. Only Modric can play a pass like that. It was amazing."

Newcastle climbed back up to third with the win, now six points ahead of their fifth-placed opponents and still with a game in hand.

Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion are perhaps better placed to challenge Newcastle than Tottenham, though, and Guimaraes knows the job is not yet done.

"Of course we are thinking about the Champions League, but let's take it step by step," he said.

"We can do it, of course, but there's still seven games to go. We started this way – now let's finish the season this way."

Luke Shaw believes Manchester United lacked "passion, desire, hunger and attitude" in an "unacceptable" performance in Sunday's 2-0 loss to Newcastle United.

A brilliant display from the Magpies saw Eddie Howe's men leapfrog the Red Devils into third in the Premier League as goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson condemned them to defeat in their first game since the international break.

Erik ten Hag's side have now failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since February 2020 as they mustered just one shot on target at St James' Park, a tame long-range shot from Antony that Nick Pope comfortably saved.

With this winless three-match run dragging them back into the dogfight for the Champions League places, Shaw felt Sunday's dismal display was a couple of games in the making, declaring Newcastle won the match with their superior mentality rather than their footballing ability.

"[We were] not good enough," Shaw told Sky Sports. "As a team, we have to be honest. I do think Newcastle are a very good side but I don't think they won the game on quality today.

"I think they won it on passion, desire, hunger, attitude. They clearly had that higher motivation, and that [cannot] be possible.

"It's not acceptable and we know that. It was a massive game today and they wanted it more. At Man United, that cannot be possible.

"You need that motivation, you need that passion, hunger, attitude, because it's an extremely tough place to come to, here. If we don't have that, we're going to suffer. It was obvious on the pitch. We didn't create too much, to be honest.

"I think maybe you could say it has been coming. Before the international break, we had dropped levels, and it was clear to see today they were not there."

Shaw's side will look to get back on track on Wednesday, when they host a Brentford side at Old Trafford who are themselves looking for European qualification.

The left-back acknowledged that will be a difficult fixture, saying: "We have three days to pick it back up because Brentford is going to be a tough game.

"We're a team. When we go out on that pitch, we all need to fight for each other. Sometimes, this season, maybe it's not shown like that. I'm sure we'll go through it all again and speak again. We need to realise the problems, and change them quick, because we can still have a very good season."

Joe Willock believes Newcastle United "owed" Manchester United a loss as they got revenge for their EFL Cup final defeat to the Red Devils with a 2-0 Premier League victory.

The Magpies were denied a first major trophy in 68 years as goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford condemned them to defeat at Wembley in late February.

But Eddie Howe's men put in a much-improved performance at St James' Park on Sunday, as Willock and Callum Wilson struck to haul them above Erik ten Hag's side and into third in the Premier League.

Speaking after his team moved into the Champions League spots, Willock felt Newcastle used the cup final disappointment to their advantage as they got vengeance for that heartbreak.

"Today we played really well," he told Sky Sports. "We deserved the victory. It was electric today in here. We fed off the crowd and got the big three points.

"I feel like we owed them one after the cup final. We took that very bitterly, we didn't take that lightly. Losing a cup final, it hurts a lot. We took that anger into this game today and from the start we dominated play."

Willock's goal set Newcastle on the way to their first league victory against the Red Devils since October 2019, and the Magpies now lead them in the table by virtue of their far superior goal difference. 

The former Arsenal man is confident his team can get over the line and finish in the Champions League spots for the first time since the 2002-03 season under Bobby Robson, with Opta rating it a 58.2 per cent chance they end the campaign in the top four.

"I feel like we have to believe," Willock added. "We've been in and around there all season.

"We've got a brilliant team, brilliant manager and a brilliant environment for us players to work in, so I feel like there's nothing stopping us."

Howe felt his team's efforts warranted the three points, having accumulated 3.57 xG (expected goals) and restricted Ten Hag's side to just one shot on target, a tame long-range effort from Antony that Nick Pope easily saved.

"Today we fully deserved the win," Howe said. "It wasn't a lucky win.

"We knocked at the door the whole game, I think statistically we were very strong today. So I'm really pleased with the players."

Newcastle's bid to finish in the top four is now entering a crucial stage with three consecutive away matches next up, starting with a trip to the London Stadium to face relegation-threatened West Ham on Wednesday.

Howe urged his players to keep their focus, explaining: "That was my words after the game. We've got three games in six days, we have to be focused on West Ham.

"But we're in a good vein of form. Three wins in a row is difficult to do in the Premier League, so we'll look forward to those games."

Joe Willock's first goal since November and a late Callum Wilson header moved Newcastle United into the Champions League spots on Sunday as they beat top-four rivals Manchester United 2-0.

Knowing a win at St James' Park would leapfrog the Magpies above the Red Devils and into third, it appeared Newcastle's luck was out as they saw countless chances come and go.

But Willock's close-range header finally put Eddie Howe's side ahead, before Wilson nodded in Kieran Trippier's free-kick to secure a magnificent win that takes them into the Champions League places.

Erik ten Hag's men see their own top-four hopes dented as they drop to fourth, just a point above Tottenham, though they do have a game in hand over the Londoners.

A lively opening saw Wout Weghorst lash into the side netting before David de Gea made a brilliant stop to deny Alexander Isak's header and then Willock's effort from the rebound.

The visitors were on the ropes and forced to spend much of the first half defending, with Sean Longstaff sending a powerful drive whistling past the upright before Willock blazed over from close range.

Ten Hag's men survived until the interval, and Fabian Schar fired an effort from distance just wide after the break as Newcastle continued to press.

The Red Devils' resistance was finally broken in the 65th minute, Allan Saint-Maximin nodding Bruno Guimaraes' delivery back across to Willock, who headed in from close range to send the home fans into raptures.

Joelinton then saw a close-range effort tipped onto the crossbar by De Gea from a corner, but Wilson sealed the victory when he nodded home Trippier's free-kick in the 88th minute to secure three precious points in the Magpies' bid for European football.

Eddie Howe is concerned about the injury sustained by Joe Willock in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth, where Newcastle United also saw Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin forced off.

Almiron fired home at the end of the first half to cancel out Marcos Senesi's opener, but fourth-place Newcastle could not find a winner as Howe was held on his return to his former club.

Newcastle are now unbeaten in a club record-equalling 17 league games, although five of their past six matches have finished all square, while only Reims (12) have drawn more times across Europe's top five leagues.

While Newcastle have stuttered somewhat by their previous high standards, of more concern to Howe will be the fitness of three key players ahead of the EFL Cup final against Manchester United on February 26.

Almiron went off with 10 minutes left after appearing to suffer a wrist injury, while Saint-Maximin's game was ended after what looked to be an innocuous collision.

Howe does not believe either injury is too serious, but Willock's hamstring issue is more worrying ahead of that Wembley showdown in two weeks' time.

"Miggy [Almiron] and Max, I don't think they're too bad," Howe said at his post-match press conference. "Miggy, I think, got stamped on his hand, so we think he'll be okay. 

"Maxi was just a knock. The concern from today is Joe Willock, who has gone off with a hamstring problem."

Willock has featured in all 22 of Newcastle's league games this season, starting all but two of those, and has two goals and two assists to his name.

Senesi's close-range finish marked the first time Newcastle have conceded the opening goal in 15 top-flight games, with the previous occasion also coming against Bournemouth in September.

Almiron's 10th Premier League goal of the season in 22 games – one more than he managed in 110 appearances in his first four seasons in the competition – earned the visitors a point that keeps them ahead of the chasing pack in the race for Champions League football, though Newcastle had Kieran Trippier to thank for a goal-line clearance from Dominic Solanke's flick.

"It's up to us to find solutions but the real positive is we are not losing games," Howe added.

"Despite not winning, we're keeping our points tally moving in the right direction and if you look around league, the league is so tight.

"There are a lot of results that mean the challenge for us is to be as consistent as we can. We're going through a phase where we're creating chances but not scoring and I think that will end, I don't think that can continue."

Graham Potter felt Chelsea lacked the quality to get themselves back in the game against Newcastle United.

Chelsea managed just two shots on target as Joe Willock's stunner earned Newcastle all three points in a 1-0 win at St James' Park on Saturday.

The closest Potter's side came was Conor Gallagher forcing a decent stop from Nick Pope, with their 17 goals in 14 Premier League this term their fewest at this stage of a season since 2015-16, when they went on to finish 10th.

Potter becomes the first Chelsea manager to lose three straight league matches since Jose Mourinho in 2015, and the former Brighton and Hove Albion boss was frustrated with his team's attacking display.

"There were too many errors," Potter told Sky Sports. "We had the quality to play through but lacked that last bit.

"Newcastle are very confident. We got back into it a bit second half with Conor's effort but then they scored. They put you under pressure with high intensity.

"We tried but in the end lacked the quality to get the goal we needed. We need to do more to come away to say we deserved anything."

Potter responded to Willock's goal by using his three remaining substitutions, bringing on Hakim Ziyech, Marc Cucurella and Kai Havertz.

Potter felt these changes were needed and that they did have a positive impact, even in defeat, adding: "We had to make the change in the second half as they were overrunning us.

"We needed an extra man in midfield. We responded quite well. As soon as we are 1-0 down it is about fresh legs.

"It was a tight game, [with] not many chances. This is a tough place to come. It is not nice for us. We are in a bad moment."

This string of losses has come in the final three league games before the Premier League pauses for the World Cup.

Potter will use the break to take stock of his opening months in the job, explaining: "There won't be many of us. A lot of the guys go away, but those that remain will work and go again.

"We have had a tough period and there have been a lot of positives but also some negatives. Sometimes you have to accept the struggles you have.

"It is about regrouping and starting again. It is the second half of the season and there is a long way to go."

Joe Willock's sensational strike was enough to earn Newcastle United a 1-0 victory over Chelsea, sending Eddie Howe's side back up to third in the Premier League.

Willock curled a wonderful first-time finish into the top-right corner to break the deadlock in the 67th minute of Saturday's encounter at St James' Park.

Newcastle had needed Nick Pope to be on top form prior to Willock's moment of magic – the goalkeeper denying England team-mate Conor Gallagher.

Tempers boiled over at the end, though while Chelsea will have to lick their wounds after a third straight league loss, Newcastle claimed another statement victory.

In-form Miguel Almiron skied an early volley over the bar in a first half devoid of clear-cut chances that Newcastle slightly shaded.

Armando Broja registered the only shot on target by either side in the opening 45 minutes by, but his tame effort was saved comfortably by Nick Pope.

Newcastle fans screamed for a penalty in injury time when the ball struck Trevoh Chalobah's arm, but referee Robert Jones dismissed those protests.

The hosts started the second half with renewed vigour – Edouard Mendy denying Sean Longstaff, who fired over from a second chance a few moments later.

Newcastle needed their goalkeeper in the 65th minute, though, with Pope brilliantly tipping Gallagher's shot wide.

Willock made Pope's excellence count, curling home past a despairing Mendy after great work from Almiron on the edge of Chelsea's box.

Kai Havertz went close to nudging in an equaliser, but Chelsea's attempts proved fruitless as their poor form under Graham Potter continued.

Is it time to ring the changes after a poor start or stick with the players who got you off to a flying start?

If you picked Bruno Fernandes for the opening round of Premier League fixtures, the Manchester United midfielder delivered with interest as he scored a stunning hat-trick against Leeds United.

Whether your team is sitting pretty or languishing in the lower reaches of the league, you have no doubt spent this week pondering potential selections.

Using Opta data, here are Stats Perform's Fantasy Picks that can rack up the points.

EDOUARD MENDY (Arsenal v Chelsea)

Edouard Mendy started the campaign with a clean sheet as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace.

The European champions face another London derby at Arsenal on Sunday and Mendy can ensure the Gunners fire a blank.

Since Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard in January, Mendy has kept more clean sheets than any other top-flight goalkeeper with 10. His clean sheet record of 53 per cent from 32 matches is the best in Premier League history for those who have played at least 10 games.

KIERAN TIERNEY (Arsenal v Chelsea)

Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Brentford in the first game of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta could have no complaints over Kieran Tierney's performance, with the marauding full-back creating six chances.

That was more than any other player in the opening round of fixtures and he can pose questions of the Chelsea defence in the London derby.

AARON CRESSWELL (West Ham v Leicester City)

West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell made a great start to the campaign and scored in a 4-2 victory at Newcastle United.

Cresswell has played a big part in the Hammers' success under David Moyes and is definitely one to consider picking for their home clash with Leicester City.

Since the start of last season, Cresswell has provided more assists (eight) than any other defender in the competition. No player has been involved in more goals than his tally of nine.

JOE WILLOCK (Aston Villa v Newcastle United)

Newcastle fans were delighted when Joe Willock returned to the club from Arsenal on a permanent deal following a successful loan spell last season.

Willock was not involved in a home loss to the Hammers, but can hit the ground running at Aston Villa.

The midfielder could become only the fourth player to score in eight consecutive Premier League games after ending last season in sensational form.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Manchester City v Norwich City)

Midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne was restricted to a late substitute appearance as champions Manchester City were beaten at Tottenham last weekend.

Norwich City will be hoping the Belgium playmaker plays a limited role again, as he can cause all sorts of trouble if Pep Guardiola unleashes him from the start.

De Bruyne has been involved in five goals in four games against the Canaries, scoring three and setting up two. He has scored four and assisted seven in his past eight appearances versus newly promoted teams.

KELECHI IHEANACHO (West Ham v Leicester City)

Striker Kelechi Iheanacho was another player who started the Premier League as a substitute but he can make a big impact at West Ham.

He has been involved in four goals in his past four appearances against the Hammers, netting three times and providing an assist.

Iheanacho has enjoyed capital gains, scoring in his last three appearances in London.

ROBERTO FIRMINO (Liverpool v Burnley)

Brazil striker Roberto Firmino was on target in Liverpool's comfortable opening-day win at Norwich.

He has fond memories of coming up against Burnley, scoring five times and setting up a goal in his past six appearances versus the Clarets.

Firmino opened the scoring in a 3-0 victory at Turf Moor when the two sides last met in May and can strike again at Anfield.

Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock has revealed he considered quitting social media due to the racist abuse he has been subjected to online.

Willock, who completed a permanent move from Arsenal to Newcastle last week, says more must be done to prevent individuals from sending such vile messages.

"Every day I get messages," Willock told BBC Radio Newcastle. "Messages saying about my colour or different things that are disgusting, really.

"There's not much you can do - you just have to try and ignore it. I don't think Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have put up enough of a fight for us to do anything else.

"I feel like the only thing you can do in this day and age is just ignore it and try to put it at the back of your head.

"It comes up on your phone and they have a way of direct messaging you on to your phone these disgusting things and it sort of hurts. It hurts a lot - even speaking about it."

He added: "If you come off social media, you lose that connection with all the wonderful fans that are supporting you every day, want to see your everyday life and see what you do and have that connection with you over the platform that they wouldn't have in real life."

Willock spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at St James' Park and scored eight goals in 14 Premier League appearances for Steve Bruce's side.

The 21-year-old had netted only once in 40 Premier League games for the Gunners before his move to Newcastle, for whom he scored 16 minutes into his debut at home to Southampton.

Willock had an outstanding end to the campaign with goals in successive appearances against Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Leicester City, Manchester City and Sheffield United to become the youngest player to net in six consecutive Premier League games.

Arsenal have sold midfielder Joe Willock to Newcastle United for a fee reported to be in the region of £25million.

Willock spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at St James' Park and scored eight goals in 14 Premier League appearances for Steve Bruce's side.

The 21-year-old had netted only once in 40 Premier League games for the Gunners before his move to Newcastle, for whom he scored 16 minutes into his debut at home to Southampton.

Willock had an outstanding end to the campaign with goals in successive appearances against Tottenham, West Ham, Liverpool, Leicester City, Manchester City and Sheffield United to become the youngest player to net in six consecutive Premier League games.

In scoring on the final day of the season against Fulham, he matched Alan Shearer (in 1996) as the only Newcastle players to score in seven matches in a row in the competition – a record streak Willock could own outright with a strike on his second Magpies bow.

Bruce made no secret of his desire to keep Willock on a permanent basis but has had to bide his time as the former England youth international has featured sparingly for Arsenal in pre-season.

Willock becomes Newcastle's first signing of the transfer window, penning a "long-term" contract, which Bruce revealed to span six years. He did not join in time to face West Ham on Sunday.

WHY ARE ARSENAL SELLING WILLOCK?

Mikel Arteta's decision to cash in on Willock is a curious one given Arsenal lack the same sort of goal threat from midfield.

A scoring rate of one every 122.5 minutes for Newcastle ranked Willock third in the Premier League last season among players with multiple goals, behind Gareth Bale (83.9 mins) and Kelechi Iheanacho (121.3).

Meanwhile, no Arsenal midfielder netted more than Bukayo Saka's five goals in 32 matches. The Gunners last had a midfielder score eight in a season when Mesut Ozil matched that number in 33 2016-17 outings – before that, it was Aaron Ramsey (10 in 23) in 2013-14.

Even if Willock was not a guaranteed starter at Emirates Stadium, behind Emile Smith Rowe in the pecking order, his record as a substitute for Newcastle was hugely impressive.

The midfielder scored three goals in three appearances from the bench, averaging a goal every 15.7 minutes as a sub. Only 10 different Arsenal players have netted three or more times as a substitute across a single Premier League season.

However, Willock's exit appears to boost Arteta's hopes of bringing in a new signing in a similar position.

Leicester City's James Maddison and Martin Odegaard of Real Madrid – on loan at Arsenal last season – have both been linked and are far more effective creators than Willock.

Maddison last season created 2.2 chances per 90 minutes, including 0.3 'big chances', for an expected assists (xA) total of 0.15 per 90. His passing accuracy into the final third was 76.5 per cent.

Similarly, Odegaard, at Arsenal, created 2.1 chances, including 0.1 'big chances', for 0.20 xA per 90, completing 87.0 per cent of his passes into the final third.

For Newcastle, Willock created only 0.7 chances per 90 and no 'big chances', with an xA of 0.06 per 90, while his accuracy with passes into the final third was 68.8 per cent.

Lionel Messi has officially left Barcelona following Sunday's press conference and farewell.

Paris Saint-Germain have been widely linked with a move for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner.

The Argentina international admitted that a move to PSG was a possibility but said nothing was confirmed.

TOP STORY - MONDAY PSG MEDICAL FOR MESSI

Messi is scheduled to have a medical with PSG on Monday before he completes his free transfer move from Barcelona, according to L'Equipe.

The Argentina international bid farewell to Barcelona on Sunday and the Parisians appear the frontrunners to sign him.

The report says PSG and Messi have almost agreed to all the final details of the contract, with ESPN claiming he will be unveiled at a special ceremony at the Eiffel Tower this week.

ROUND-UP

- Inter are targeting Anthony Martial as they look to replace Romelu Lukaku, who is expected to join Chelsea, reports The Sun. Manchester United are believed to be ready to sell him for £50million. Inter want Martial initially on a season-long loan.

- Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Jose Mourinho's Roma are plotting a move to sign French striker Alexandre Lacazette from Arsenal. The stumbling block may be that Lacazette wants to play Champions League football, which Roma cannot offer this season.

- Arsenal are lining up a move for Fiorentina forward Dusan Vlahovic if they cannot land Tammy Abraham from Chelsea, reports Gianluca Di Marzio. The Serbian scored 21 league goals for Fiorentina last term.

- Arsenal and Newcastle have agreed to a fee of £25m for English midfielder Joe Willock, claims Sky Sports. Willock spent the second half of last season on loan with the Magpies.

- The Sun claims that Southampton are trying to lure Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back to the club on loan from Liverpool.

Jack Grealish has been linked with a move away from Aston Villa in the past, and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is a known long-term admirer.

Grealish is currently on holidays after Euro 2020, but talks of a huge transfer to City have not gone away.

Could the Premier League champions be about to make their move?

MAN CITY SET TO TABLE GREALISH BID

Manchester City are set to officially commence their move for Aston Villa's Jack Grealish with a £75m bid, claims the Daily Mail.

According to the report, Villa will hold out for £100m for their star England international.

Villa have no desire to sell Grealish for anything less and will know Guardiola is keen to secure his services.

ROUND-UP

- Chelsea have opened talks with Sevilla about potentially signing French centre-back Jules Kounde, according to The Guardian. The 22-year-old has a release clause worth €80m (£68.4m).

- Arsenal have enquired with Inter about star forward Lautaro Martinez, reports the Telegraph. It is believed Inter may be willing to sell the Argentina striker for €90m (£77m).

- Eurosport reports that West Ham are interested in a move for Manchester United defender Phil Jones who has struggled with injury in recent times.

- Newcastle are closing in on a deal for Arsenal's Joe Willock, and it could be finalised  within the next 48 hours after his loan stint last season, claims Mail Online.

- Liverpool may sign Wolves' Spanish winger Adama Traore in a cut-price £30m deal, according to the Star.

All indications are Raphael Varane is set to move on from Real Madrid. 

The France international appears locked in on one destination. 

Manchester United are said to be close to a deal for the defender. 

TOP STORY – UNITED CLOSE TO VARANE MOVE

Manchester United have been linked to Raphael Varane in transfer rumours for months. 

Now it appears the move could come to fruition, as Marca reports United and Real Madrid are close to a €50million (£42m) agreement. 

Though the Mirror reports some at the Premier League club are worried the 28-year-old is merely using them to get a better deal out of Madrid, Fabrizio Romano says United are "confident" a deal is close and that no other clubs are involved. 

ROUND-UP

– With his Arsenal contract set to expire next year, Alexandre Lacazette is in demand, and Calciomercato says Atletico Madrid are pondering a potential €15m offer. 

– Erik Lamela is set to join Sevilla in a swap deal, with Tottenham getting Bryan Gil, Marca says, while Romano says Spurs will also get €25m in the deal and Gil will sign through 2026.  

– Newcastle are eyeing Ross Barkley as a potential addition if they cannot pry Joe Willock away from Arsenal, says The Athletic, with a loan move for Leicester's Hamza Choudhury also a possibility.

– West Ham could make a move for Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, says the Express. 

– Ben White's £50m move from Brighton to Arsenal will be official next week, reports Romano. 

– Paris Saint-Germain have had talks with Kalidou Koulibaly's agent about a move from Napoli, reports Corriere dello Sport. 

– Roma have offered €15m for Barcelona's Clement Lenglet, says Sport. 

Manchester City's pursuit of a new striker is well known.

Sergio Aguero's exit has left a void for the Premier League champions.

City have been linked with a host of big names including Erling Haaland and Harry Kane.

TOP STORY - MAN CITY MONITORING LEWANDOWSKI

Manchester City are monitoring the status of Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski, according to the Daily Mail.

Lewandowski has two years remaining on his Bayern Munich deal but has previously indicated he may be open to a move elsewhere.

The report claims City are worried they may not succeed in their pursuit of Kane and see 32-year-old Lewandowski as an option given his quality and potentially lower asking price.

ROUND-UP

- Liverpool is readying a £60million (€70m) bid for Inter and Italy midfielder Nicolo Barella according to La Repubblica. However, Fabrizio Romano claims Inter will not sell him.

- Everton have submitted a £30m (€35m) bid for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, but the Italian club have told the Toffees to double the offer, claims Calciomercato.

- The Telegraph reports that England full-back Kieran Trippier is desperate to return to the Premier League as he waits on a move from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United.

- The Telegraph also claims that Joe Willock will spend time on loan again at Newcastle from Arsenal. He will join the Magpies on a season-long deal.

- SPORT claims that Chelsea are tracking Sevilla's Jules Kounde after he recently rejected interest from Tottenham.

- Chelsea are looking to utilise Tammy Abraham as a sweetener in any deal to land Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, reports The Mirror.

- West Bromwich have turned down West Ham's offer for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, claims The Athletic.

The Premier League race is run. A season that has seemingly been a never-ending story finally concluded on Sunday with the focus centred on the top four.

Chelsea lost but still ended up securing Champions League qualification, Liverpool won to astonishingly end an eventful campaign in third and poor Leicester City missed out after a crazy game at home to Tottenham as Harry Kane clinched the Golden Boot.

West Ham finish above Spurs in sixth to make the Europa League, while Manchester United ruined Nuno Espirito Santo's last game in charge of Wolves. There was yet another goal for Joe Willock, while David McGoldrick made sure he will no doubt be the subject of a pub quiz question in years to come.

Manchester City had clinched the title long ago, but a home game with Everton offered a chance for their returning fans to say farewell to a club legend.

Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea: Tuchel slips up on the road as Blues lose

Thomas Tuchel's side held on to their top-four spot thanks to the result at the King Power Stadium, with the German coach able to celebrate despite suffering his first away defeat in the league since taking charge at Stamford Bridge.

Bertrand Traore scored the opener for Villa, in the process becoming the 25th different player to manage a Premier League goal against Chelsea having previously been at the Blues. Anwar El Ghazi doubled the lead with the 100th penalty scored in the competition this season, the first time a campaign has reached triple figures.

On the subject of penalties, Jorginho finished with the most goals for Chelsea in the league with seven – all from the spot. It is the lowest number for the club’s leading scorer in a top-flight season since 1974-75, when Ian Hutchinson also managed seven.

Liverpool 2-0 Crystal Palace: Mane helps Reds prosper at Anfield

Jurgen Klopp has now finished in the top four at the end of the five full seasons he has had in charge of the Reds, who handed their former boss Roy Hodgson a 2-0 defeat in his Palace swansong.

Sadio Mane got both goals, the second with the aid of a huge deflection. He has scored 10 or more in all seven of his Premier League campaigns, including his two with Southampton before moving to Anfield in June 2016.

Liverpool won their meetings with Palace by a combined 9-0 score; only against Ipswich in 2001-02 (11-0) have they enjoyed a bigger aggregate margin across two Premier League games in the same season. While he had no need to conjure up another last-gasp goal this time, Alisson Becker did manage to keep a clean sheet on his 100th league outing for Klopp's side.

Leicester City 2-4 Tottenham: Foxes run into trouble against Bale and Kane

Leicester spent 242 days in the Premier League's top four this term, only to end the final one sitting in fifth place. For a second successive year, a late loss of form has cost them a Champions League place.

A sixth defeat in 13 matches did not appear on the cards when they twice led against Spurs thanks to Jamie Vardy, who scored two penalties in a match for a third time this season. However, a Kasper Schmeichel own goal – his second in the top tier – levelled matters, with the visitors then moving clear in a frantic finish.

Gareth Bale scored twice late on in potentially his final game for Tottenham, but will Kane still be there when the transfer window shuts? The striker's 41st-minute effort lifted him to 23 for this term as he became only the third player to win the Golden Boot award as many as three times, following in the footsteps of Thierry Henry (four) and Alan Shearer (also three).

Aguero at the double, Willock matches Shearer (yes, really)

In scoring twice after coming on as a substitute, Aguero ended his City career as he had started it – with a brace off the bench (he had done just the same on debut against Swansea City, way back in August 2011). His double takes his final tally to 184 Premier League goals, in the process surpassing Wayne Rooney (183) for the most by a player for a single club.

As for Manchester United, a 2-1 triumph at Wolves sees them become just the fourth side to remain unbeaten away across an entire top-tier season, a feat most recently achieved by Arsenal in 2003-04. The current-day Gunners beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0, though still finished eighth for a second year in a row.

At Fulham, Willock was on target once more in a 2-0 win for Newcastle United. It means the on-loan Arsenal midfielder becomes only the second Newcastle player to score in seven consecutive Premier League appearances, after hall-of-famer Shearer in 1996.

West Ham secured a top-six finish for only the second time in the Premier League era thanks to a 3-0 win over a Southampton team who do not prosper on their travels – they ended up losing 10 of their 11 away fixtures in 2021, during which they leaked 33 goals and scored just seven times.

There was a win for Leeds United at home to West Brom, taking them up to 59 points – the most by a promoted club since Ipswich Town (66) in 2000-01. Sheffield United finished bottom, but at least signed off on a winning note. Striker McGoldrick grabbed the only goal against Burnley to earn his own place in history: it was the 1,000th scored in the Premier League during the 2020-21 season.