Jamal Musiala's 89th-minute strike saw Bayern Munich win 2-1 at Koln and snatch the Bundesliga title from Borussia Dortmund in stunning fashion on Saturday.

A shock 3-1 loss at home to RB Leipzig last weekend meant Bayern needed a win against Koln – combined with Dortmund failing to beat mid-table Mainz – to retain the trophy.

Despite BVB drawing 2-2 with Mainz, the title looked to be on its way to Dortmund after Dejan Ljubicic's 81st-minute penalty cancelled out Kingsley Coman's brilliant opener for Bayern.

However, Musiala found the bottom corner with a terrific effort as stoppage time loomed, sealing Bayern's 11th straight Bundesliga crown in a dramatic ending to an enthralling title race.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson took aim at his Hearts counterpart Steven Naismith as tempers flared in the aftermath of a fiery Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.

The pair were at loggerheads throughout as the 10-man Jambos, who had Alex Cochrane sent off in the first half, held on for a point to secure fourth place in the cinch Premiership and prevent their city rivals leapfrogging them.

Johnson, whose side levelled through a Kevin Nisbet free-kick after Yutaro Oda’s early opener, even had a hot-water bottle thrown in his direction from the home dugout after he entered the Hearts technical area to retrieve the ball.

After the two managers frostily shook hands at full-time, Johnson appeared to dig Naismith in the ribs with his fist, before a skirmish erupted in the centre circle when Hearts sub goalkeeper Ross Stewart leaned his elbow into the Hibs boss as he walked past him.

Johnson, Stewart, Hearts goalkeeping coach Paul Gallacher and Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri were all shown red cards afterwards, while an investigation is likely after Hibs substitute Marijan Cabraja appeared to be struck by a Hearts supporter while attempting to grab the ball to take a throw-in.

Asked about what caused the tension, Johnson said: “I couldn’t even tell you. It was a classic ‘my dad’s bigger than your dad’ melee-type thing.

“It was a frustrating game in terms of the ebb and the flow because there was no flow. The time-wasting was quite embarrassing at times.

“It was a case of two managers who don’t like each other very much and that’s what started it.

“I’ll keep the hot water bottle that was thrown at me for winter!

“There was a bit of needle but it happens, technical areas are a passionate place. It’s not a problem, we move on.

“I’ve been a manager that long, you see it all in the technical area. It means nothing.”

Pressed on why there was needle between he and Naismith, who has been in charge of Hearts since Johnson’s former team-mate Robbie Neilson was sacked in April, the Hibs boss said: “He’s had seven games as a manager and I just think the way he speaks is disrespectful to the previous manager.

“We’ll see after 250 games if he’s lucky enough to still be in charge of any club and if he still has that attitude.”

Naismith dismissed Johnson’s claims of disrespect towards Neilson.

“He’s fishing I think, that’s what he’s doing,” he said.

The 36-year-old also defended himself in the face of Johnson’s dig about only having been a manager for seven games.

“I’ve got a 15-year career at the top level,” he said. “I’ve managed to pull things from some of the best managers around Britain.

“I’ve been in a role for the last two years under arguably Scotland’s best manager (Steve Clarke) for a long period of time.

“I’m not naive to think I know everything, but what I have done is my homework. I’ve had two solid years of good coaching.”

Asked about the post-match flare-up, Naismith – whose side are guaranteed a crack at the Europa Conference League next term – said: “I’m not sure to be honest, I was shaking hands and getting out of there, I wasn’t getting involved in anything.

“I know these situations can turn into things, especially in a derby with high emotions, but I was just buzzing to get the result and enjoy it with the fans.”

Michael Beale insists fans will see a new Rangers side next season – but insists this current version was not broken despite a trophyless campaign.

The Light Blues concluded their cinch Premiership season with a comfortable 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley, thanks to a double from Fashion Sakala and a third from substitute Antonio Colak.

Rangers were already consigned to second place behind treble-chasing Celtic and after 38 fixtures, ended with 92 points, seven behind the Hoops.

Since sporting director Ross Wilson left the Ibrox club in April, the former Gers assistant coach, who took over from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst in November, has been more involved in recruitment with Norwich midfielder Kieran Dowell’s pre-contract signing the first of several to come, while the departures of Allan McGregor, Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield and Filip Helander have been confirmed.

“Probably the last five or six weeks have been the busiest I’ve ever been,” said Beale. “I’m not shocked by anything in the job or demands.

“I was used to it here before but the added responsibility and added time off the pitch, managing other areas and doing recruitment, it’s been busy.

“I’m glad the end of season is here if I am honest. But we’re really in a good place. We’re waiting for one or two things to be signed off then we’ll start seeing a new Rangers team come together.

“Albeit, we’ve got over 90 points this season which, someone will tell me, but I don’t think we have done that too often in the last 15 or 20 years. When we have, we generally have won the league.”

There appeared to be more than a hint of sarcasm in Beale’s voice when he added: “Again, everything is broken at Rangers so I’m looking forward to mending it. That’s the perception, I’m not sure if that’s quite true.

“Celtic deserved to win the league this year, they were the outstanding team but our record was a strong one and I believe we’ll be adding to a very good team.”

Buddies boss Stephen Robinson, who claimed a “clinical” Rangers side punished St Mirren for “three mistakes”, admitted that it was unlikely that out-of-contract striker Curtis Main would be staying at the Paisley club.

The Northern Irishman said: “Curtis is very unlikely to stay.

“When you are getting double and triple your money offers in England’s League One and Two then you need to just admit that you are not going to get there.

“Curtis has been absolutely excellent for me, he’s been terrific every time he has played and he’s earned the right for possibly one big move.

“Even today he was playing with an injection in his foot and he’s given absolutely everything so that’s the kind of quality people we have inside this building and I wish him nothing but the best if he moves on.”

Cayon Football Club made a clean sweep of youth football competitions, winning the Atiba Harris U15 and Keith Gumbs Youth U17 Cup competitions last week Sunday evening at the SKNFA Technical Center.

Saddlers United won the SKNFA Premier Youth Cup (U13) the day before, also at the Technical Center, defeating St. Paul’s United 1-0.

Village Superstars were the finalists in both U15 and U17  but succumbed to Cayon in both competitions.

Cayon won the U15 final 1-0 while their U17 counterparts secured a 3-0 win.

This is the first major competition being played at the SKNFA Technical Center, which is now lighted and able to host nighttime competitions and training exercises.

This was something SKNFA Technical Director Lenny Taylor pointed out during halftime of the U17 match.

“It’s a wonderful occasion today. We’ve seen two young teams, very enthusiastic. In an environment where it's wonderful; it’s the first game with the lights on and we are quite happy that we are able to expand the program a little bit further and play matches under the lights. For the last eight months, we have been dying to get this opportunity and it’s a wonderful opportunity for the young people,” Taylor said.

Mr. Taylor, prior to the start of the competition, pointed out the importance of the youth competitions to developing young footballers in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“The purpose behind them is to try to get the players as early as we possibly can, to start to culture them with the modern football which is necessary for them to play on a high level,” he said.

“We also can see the total population of players within the different age categories so that we can discover players that we do not know about; identify them and bring them into the system of the national team development program,” he added.

These competitions are a precursor to the various SKNFA Youth leagues, that will commence soon.

 

 

Mauricio Pochettino has "everything to succeed" in his first season if appointed as Chelsea's new head coach, according to former Blues winger Willian.

Pochettino has been out of management since being sacked as Paris Saint-Germain boss at the end of last season, but he is reportedly close to taking over at Stamford Bridge ahead of next campaign.

His rumoured arrival comes at the end of a tumultuous season for Chelsea, who have sacked Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter on the way to their lowest-ever points tally in the Premier League era.

But Willian, who won two Premier League titles as well as the Europa League during his seven-year spell with the Blues, believes Pochettino is the man to bring success back to the club.

"He is a great manager," Willian told Stats Perform. "He did a great job while he was at Tottenham and he has everything to succeed.

"Chelsea is a giant club, it's a club that is always used to winning titles. Chelsea might not win anything one year, but the next year they'll be fighting for a title.

"Chelsea has been winning titles this way for a few years now, and sometimes they don't do well in a league, but they win a European trophy or a cup.

"Chelsea is a club that will always fight for titles, and I think they have everything to fight for a title again next year."

Chelsea have spent over £600million in the transfer market since Todd Boehly's consortium took control of the club, including £323m on acquiring eight players in the January window alone.

Willian feels the new signings will come good, adding: "I think the team has quality players.

"They have signed a lot of players, but you can see they have a lot of quality players and I think they have everything to succeed, yes."

Willian now plies his trade with Chelsea's west London rivals Fulham, who have secured a top-half finish in a successful first Premier League campaign following their promotion last term, sitting nine points above the Blues with one game remaining.

Willian remembers his time at Stamford Bridge fondly, though, claiming they were the best years of a career that has also included spells at Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk.

"Chelsea was the best moment of my career," Willian said. "It was almost eight years, I won titles, I was very happy.

"Even before I was there, I already dreamed of playing for Chelsea. I watched Chelsea games on TV and I had this dream of playing there, and I was able to make that dream come true.

"For me, those were the best years of my career. Those were incredible years."

Dylan Levitt claims he has seen “madder things happen in football” than the unlikely scenario that would see Dundee United avoid automatic relegation from the cinch Premiership.

Levitt and his United team-mates need to win at Motherwell on Sunday and hope Kilmarnock beat Ross County, while wiping out the Staggies’ eight-goal advantage.

The Wales midfielder said: “We need to go there and win, that’s the main thing first and foremost for the fans coming, for personal pride, to get a win before the end of the season.

“And then obviously football, you never know what can happen. You never know. But we are just going to go there and hopefully finish on a high.

“I have seen madder things happen in football, I think everyone has.

“Very slim chance but we need to go there and win the game more important than anything, just for yourself, the family and the fans.

“Going out and losing the last game of the season, no-one wants that.”

A win of any kind could help manager Jim Goodwin convince United chairman Mark Ogren that he is the man to lead the club’s recovery.

Levitt added his voice to the calls for the Irishman to be handed an extended contract.

“He’s been brilliant from day one,” the former Manchester United player said.

“Even when I have been injured, walking to the gym, seeing the sessions he has put on, meetings, everything has been spot-on from day one.

“A lot of the lads have really taken to him since he came in and as a group we haven’t been good enough.”

Ten-man Hearts held on for a 1-1 draw in a tense final-day Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle to stop Hibernian leapfrogging them into fourth place in the cinch Premiership.

The Jambos knew a point would be enough to keep their fifth-place city rivals beneath them and secure automatic European qualification next term, and they got off to the perfect start when Yutaro Oda fired them into a ninth-minute lead.

But a red card for Alex Cochrane – his third of the season – on the half hour and an equaliser from Kevin Nisbet immediately afterwards meant Hearts had to dig deep for more than an hour – including stoppage-time – to get the point they needed.

Despite Hibs failing to get the win they craved, they will join their old foes in getting a crack at the Europa Conference League as long as Celtic defeat Championship side Inverness in next weekend’s Scottish Cup final, albeit starting in an earlier qualifying round.

Hearts made two changes to the team that started Wednesday’s 2-2 draw away to Rangers as Cochrane and Barrie McKay replaced Toby Sibbick and Alan Forrest.

There was one enforced change to the Hibs team that started Wednesday’s win over Celtic as Chris Cadden replaced the injured CJ Egan-Riley.

Hearts got off to the perfect start when they took the lead in the ninth minute as Japanese forward Oda drilled home his first goal for the club from just inside the box after a long throw-in from James Hill was only partially cleared by the Hibs defence.

The hosts suffered a blow in the 17th minute when midfielder Peter Haring – who only recently returned following a lengthy concussion lay-off – was forced off after clashing heads with Cadden while trying to deal with a cross from Elie Youan. The Austrian was replaced by Orestis Kiomourtzoglou.

The game swung in Hibs’ favour just before the half hour, however, when they were awarded a penalty after Cochrane brought Cadden down as he burst into the box.

Following a VAR review, referee Don Robertson showed a red card to Cochrane – whom he had initially booked – for denying a goal-scoring opportunity but he changed the spot-kick award to a free-kick as the foul had been committed just outside the box.

This mattered little to the Hibees, however, as Nisbet, who had been preparing to take the penalty, instead drove the free-kick through the defensive wall and into Zander Clark’s bottom right corner.

The visitors’ tails were up and in the 35th minute Paul Hanlon saw a shot pushed over by Clark from the edge of the box, before Jake Doyle-Hayes’ effort from the resulting corner was deflected behind. Joe Newell then saw a 15-yard strike brilliantly tipped over by Clark from a Doyle-Hayes corner just before the break.

Hibs boss Lee Johnson, knowing his team needed a win to leapfrog their opponents, made two attacking changes for the start of the second half as Ewan Henderson and Harry McKirdy replaced Lewis Miller and James Jeggo.

The visitors went close to taking the lead in the 49th minute when Nisbet glanced a header just wide from a Cadden cross.

The Hibees’ cause was not helped by the fact they lost both Doyle-Hayes and Cadden to injury in the early stages of the second half.

Will Fish had a header from a Newell corner brilliantly saved by Clark in the 75th minute and the centre-back saw another header deflected on to the post, but for all their possession Hibs were unable to find a way through a resilient Hearts back-line, sparking jubilant full-time scenes from the home side.

Fashion Sakala grabbed a double as Rangers signed off on their cinch Premiership season with 3-0 win over St Mirren in Paisley.

Both teams had little to play for but the Gers attacker was determined to leave a lasting impression on the campaign, scoring following a solo run after 26 minutes before adding a second just after the break with a similar run and finish.

Fit-again Croatia striker Antonio Colak climbed off the Rangers bench to score a third in the 77th minute as the Ibrox side – consigned to finish runners-up to champions Celtic – enjoyed a comfortable finale to their trophyless season.

Boss Michael Beale, who took over from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst last November, has already begun the revamp of the squad he hopes can overcome treble-chasing Celtic and Gers supporters will welcome a very different team into the new season – but expectations will remain as high as ever.

Saints had reached the top six for the first time under the present league format but were without a win in their previous six games.

However, manager Stephen Robinson had stressed the season had been a success and for the last fling, there as a league debut for goalkeeper Peter Urminsky and first starts of the season for midfielder Coalan Boyd-Munce and attacker Lewis Jamieson.

For the visitors, goalkeeper Robby McCrorie replaced the departing Allan McGregor, with midfielders Ryan Jack and Ianis Hagi and attacker Rabbi Matondo starting.

Buddies defender Ryan Strain went off with an injury after just six minutes and – before he was replaced by Marcus Fraser – Matondo curled a shot from the edge of the penalty area which just escaped Urminsky’s left-hand post.

Sakala’s goal came when he took a pass from left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, slalomed across the Saints penalty area past a couple of black and white shirts before his shot struck Paisley defender Scott Tanser and limped over the line. The visiting fans at the other end of the ground seeming to take time before realising the ball was in the net.

Moments later, McCrorie made a decent save from captain Mark O’Hara’s header before the Rangers goalkeeper was caught by Curtis Main as he went for a Jamieson cross, the Paisley forward picking up a booking from referee Matthew MacDermid for his troubles.

Less than three minutes after the restart, Sakala added a second, again coming in from the left evading tackles and this time his low drive was clean and powerful as the ball sped past Urminsky.

St Mirren slowly began to work their way into the game, pushing Rangers backwards and giving them some defending to do.

Beale made a quadruple substitution in the 67th minute, bringing on Adam Devine, Borna Barasic, Scott Arfield and Colak with skipper James Tavernier, Yilmaz, Hagi and Sakala making way.

The changes did little to repel the Buddies who were working hard to get a lifeline in the game.

However, after firing a drive wide of the target from outside the box, Colak knocked the ball in from close range, after Todd Cantwell’s corner from the right had been flicked on by Nicolas Raskin, before taking the acclaim of the Rangers supporters behind the goal.

Celtic turned on the style in their final league game but the title party was tinged with concern for the fitness of Kyogo Furuhashi and Alistair Johnston after the pair went off injured in a 5-0 win over Aberdeen.

Furuhashi went off after scoring twice in five first-half minutes to consolidate his place at the top of the cinch Premiership goalscoring charts.

The Japan international came off worse in a 50-50 with Aberdeen goalkeeper Kelle Roos and limped off five minutes into the second half despite initially trying to play on.

Johnston was making his comeback from the heavy leg knock he suffered during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers and he went down holding his leg before making way in the 64th minute.

After collecting one point from the three games since clinching the title, Ange Postecoglou had picked 11 players that have a good chance of starting next Saturday’s final against Inverness, barring injury and the possible return of the suspended Daizen Maeda.

Celtic returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as Carl Starfelt notched his first goal at Parkhead and substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu grabbed a double before the team collected the Premiership trophy.

The champions emerged to a guard of honour from Aberdeen, who clinched third place and a European spot in midweek and will be guaranteed group-stage football if Celtic win the cup.

Postecoglou, who was named Scottish Football Writers’ manager of the year earlier in the day, will join Jock Stein, Martin O’Neill, Brendan Rodgers and Neil Lennon in becoming a treble-winning Celtic manager if that happens and a full-stadium fan display referenced the club’s history before the game.

Huge images of Stein and Willie Maley filled both ends of Celtic Park with a banner declaring ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’.

Liel Abada made a lively start, before making way for James Forrest at half-time, and Celtic looked to have rediscovered the intensity missing since they won the title at Tynecastle.

Furuhashi missed two chances and Starfelt saw a header well saved by Roos before Greg Taylor’s pass set the forward up to finish into the top corner in the 27th minute.

The PFA Scotland player of the year soon scored his 27th Premiership goal of the season – three ahead of Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland and Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen, who still has one game left.

Roos spilled Callum McGregor’s curling effort and Furuhashi reacted quickest to knock the rebound home.

Furuhashi was not far over from a tight angle before his chances of a hat-trick were ended by injury.

Celtic continued to dominate. Matt O’Riley hit the post, Jota was just wide with an acrobatic flick and Reo Hatate came close before Starfelt headed home O’Riley’s corner in the 78th minute.

Oh headed home four minutes later from Jota’s cross before doubling his tally in the last minute after the Portuguese winger had struck the bar with a free-kick.

Roy Hodgson has asked his Crystal Palace players to ensure he goes out on a high if Sunday’s Premier League finale against Nottingham Forest proves to be his last game in charge.

The 75-year-old has said he is assuming Sunday’s match will be his last, having signed a contract to the end of the season when he returned to his boyhood club following the sacking of Patrick Vieira in March.

His impressive record – 17 points from nine games – has led to speculation that Steve Parish may ask Hodgson to stay on and the former England boss said he would keep his options open – but for now he is treating this weekend as his last in charge.

“We have got satisfaction as a coaching staff from the way the team has played,” Hodgson said.

“We have got satisfaction from the way the team has worked both on and off the training field and in matches, and as a result it leaves a very warm glow going into the last game.

“When I think back to the time we had, it also makes me a little bit nervous. It is the final game of the season in front of the home crowd, playing against a team below us in the table.

“I would like the boys to do well on Sunday and finish off in the best way possible and not finish on a bit of a damp squib.”

Hodgson has steered Palace comfortably clear of the relegation battle as they go into the final round of fixtures in 11th place.

And Hodgson said that was down to the commitment of the players and his backroom staff during the last two months.

“I will look back on this time working here with this group of players with a lot of satisfaction in the end, and what it has done is it has given us a lot of good moments in games when we have played well and got reward for playing well,” he said.

“That’s the thing you are always concerned about as a coach. Can you get the team playing well and doing the right things, defending as you want to defend and attacking as you want the team to attack, but then to get any rewards from it you have to win?

“The good attacking movement has to finish with a goal, not a shot which hits the crossbar or is saved by the goalkeeper or goes behind, because they get forgotten.

“The move will only be discussed or analysed or dissected by the pundits at the end of the game if the ball has gone in the back of the net.”

Manager Derek McInnes has urged Kilmarnock to meet “fire with fire” when Ross County visit Rugby Park looking for the win they need to avoid a cinch Premiership relegation play-off.

A point will be enough for Killie to finish 10th and escape a play-off final against in-form Partick Thistle but McInnes has told his players “loud and clear” that they must go for the victory.

Killie remained in pole position in the survival battle following a 3-0 win over Dundee United on Wednesday but County came from two goals down against St Johnstone to stay in the race for 10th.

McInnes said: “I said prior to the United game, I thought four points would be enough and that’s the way it has turned out, a point would do us.

“But we have got to be sure of ourselves, that going in with the mindset of trying to get a point is the wrong thing.

“Clearly, we can’t just sit in and hope to win the game or hope to get a point and hope Ross County don’t beat us. That can’t be the case.

“We nave got to try and meet fire with fire. Ross County will come down and see it as a real opportunity, as we do.

“It’s just really, go try to win the game, bring a performance that is similar to the other night. If we can do that, we give ourselves a chance.”

McInnes added: “I’m going to be honest with you, I think the only advantage we have of just needing a point is maybe later in the game or if we get in front and then it can maybe play into our hand a wee bit.

“But I genuinely think it’s folly for me and the players or anybody at Kilmarnock to think we just need a point. We must expect Ross County to come to win the game, as they would do, but we have also got to expect that from ourselves.

“We have to play with that intention to go and win a game of football rather than just sit back and be coy and just hope to win.

“Any time you just hope to win, you don’t. You have got to go and set about the task and that will be the message loud and clear to the players that there is a performance needed here, it’s not just hoping that Ross County don’t win and Ross County don’t turn up.

“We have got to expect a strong Ross County performance and we have got to expect that ourselves.”

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell expects the unexpected as Dundee United travel to Fir Park needing goals galore to avoid the drop.

United must win at Fir Park and hope Kilmarnock beat Ross County while achieving an eight-goal swing against the Staggies to get off the bottom of the cinch Premiership.

Tannadice manager Jim Goodwin admits they would need a “minor miracle” which is all the more unlikely given United have lost four games in a row while Motherwell have only lost twice in 13 games under Kettlewell.

Nonetheless, the Well boss recognises the unusual circumstances make it harder to second-guess his opponent’s game plan.

“I have had a fair amount of thought about it since we all played on Wednesday, and it probably becomes a little bit unpredictable in terms of what Jim does with his team,” said Kettlewell, whose team are aiming to seal seventh spot.

“We just have to prepare as best we possibly can but we can probably all in this room have a stab at how they are going to set up, what they are going to do, and I don’t know if any of us would get it right.

“I don’t mean any disrespect in that, it’s just the situation they find themselves in.

“I think the one constant I would imagine, having played against Jim’s teams on more than one occasion, as long as there’s a chance they are going to be fighting and they are going to come here and try and win by a margin. We have to brace ourselves for that.

“I believe Dundee United players and staff will feel that they owe that to their supporters so that’s what we have to expect.

“It’s just important that we try to finish off the season with as best a performance as we can.

“Every single week we go out to win the game but it does become a slightly different situation to what we have faced in recent weeks.

“As much as teams have been fighting for their life, it almost gets to that point where you need an exact number of goals.

“So it can change the mentality a little bit but it’s my job to make sure it doesn’t change too much in our players’ approach and mindset.”

All eyes will be on the battle for survival and the scrap for the final European place on the final day of Premier League season on Sunday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points.

Everton in the box-seat

Everton are one of three clubs in danger, with two making the drop alongside already-relegated Southampton this weekend.

But the Toffees at least have control of their own destiny heading into a Goodison Park clash against Bournemouth, knowing that a 70th-successive season in the top-flight awaits if they match the results of Leicester and Leeds.

It promises to be a nervous afternoon, though, with Everton’s cause not helped by injury absentees Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nathan Patterson and Ben Godfrey.

Foxes’ future looks bleak

Seven years after the charismatic Claudio Ranieri masterminded Leicester’s stunning Premier League title triumph, the Foxes look Championship-bound.

They host West Ham knowing that victory over the Hammers might not be enough to keep them in the top division.

Dean Smith’s team must win and hope Everton do not collect maximum points against Bournemouth, otherwise their fate will be sealed. It is all a far cry from May 7, 2016, when Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan held aloft the Premier League trophy.

Leeds need a minor miracle

Sam Allardyce faced mission improbable when he was parachuted in as Leeds manager with just four games of the season left after Javi Gracia was sacked.

And so it has proved, with Allardyce overseeing one draw and two defeats so far.

Nothing less than a win will do for Leeds against Tottenham at Elland Road and even then they need the results from both the Everton and Leicester matches to go their way.

Battle for Europe

Tottenham have their own targets to worry about during their trip to West Yorkshire. After spending much of the season battling for a Champions League spot, they could miss out on Europe altogether as they fight Aston Villa and Brentford for seventh and a place in the Europa Conference League.

Villa are in pole position and know a win at home to Europa League-bound Brighton will be enough to secure European qualification for the first time since 2010. Anything less would open the door for Spurs, who last did not feature in continental competition in the 2009-10 campaign.

Should both slip up, then Brentford can secure European football for the first time in their history if they manage to win at home to champions Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s balancing act

What kind of City side awaits Brentford remains to be seen. With the Premier League title already won, City’s hopes of a trophy treble rest with the FA Cup final against Manchester United on June 3 then the Champions League final versus Inter Milan seven days later.

It will be about finding a balance between resting players and avoiding rustiness ahead of those games, so rotation can be expected for Sunday’s trip.

Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland could be among those rested, but if Haaland plays, it will be a last chance to extend his remarkable Premier League goalscoring record of 36 this term.

Boss Unai Emery admits Aston Villa’s final step to return to Europe will be their hardest.

Villa host Brighton on Sunday knowing victory would seal a European comeback for the first time since 2010-11.

It would book seventh in the Premier League and a Europa Conference League play-off spot but Emery knows it is a tough test.

“We have to be very ambitious and I am. I’m here trying to push everybody, to demand from everybody to get better playing and to take European places,” he said.

“We have to take each step being strong and being passionate about how to do it. We are in this way. We are progressing very well.

“I’m very, very happy with the players and their commitment, their character and they are responding very well. We are also connecting with our supporters.

“We are in the first step. If we achieve our objective on Sunday, we will be very, very happy.

“It’s the next step because we started by escaping from the bottom (of the table), we got into the top 10 and then we have the objective to be in the European places.

“The most difficult step is to get it, but we have our objective. And then if we don’t, it’s not changing our idea or our mind about how we want to improve.”

Brighton have already qualified for the Europa League, sealing sixth place with Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester City.

Boss Roberto De Zerbi has impressed since replacing Graham Potter in September and Emery is an admirer.

He said: “Football is changing so quickly. I’m 51 years old, I started coaching at 32, so I’ve had 19 years as a coach and manager.

“Always I am very focussed on how I can improve each day to be today, better than yesterday, to be tomorrow, better than today.

“It’s not only about my work or my experiences or my analysis, it’s about trying to watch other coaches. One of them is Roberto De Zerbi.

“I like coaches who can show us something different tactically, offensively and defensively. In football, you have to be in the fast train because it moves so quickly.”

David Martindale insists Livingston’s poor recent form should not detract from their accomplishments over the course of the campaign.

There is a sense of deflation around the Lions at present as they have won only four of their last 17 games in all competitions and missed out on the top six in the cinch Premiership despite having been as high as fourth in January.

But Martindale was keen to point out that if they win their final match away to St Johnstone on Sunday – which could take them up to seventh place – they will equal the points tally of 49 they accrued last term, in what was widely deemed a positive campaign.

“If we win, we finish on the same points tally as last season and we’ve already won as many games (13) as we did last season, but last year was a fantastic season, so it’s about trying to put it all in perspective,” he said.

“We can’t finish any lower than eighth, there’s an opportunity to finish seventh. I’m at peace with all of that. It’s just about trying to pick up three points on Sunday.”

As disappointed as he remains not to have made the top six, Martindale insists Livingston – operating on the lowest budget in the league – deserve credit for not becoming embroiled in a relegation battle.

“We had a decent start, I was really happy with the start,” said the manager, reflecting on the campaign. “We’ve not been at our best probably since January onwards but we’ve still picked up points.

“The main objective is staying in the Premiership and we’ve done it quite comfortably. With the position we got ourselves into around the turn of the year, we’re disappointed we didn’t make the top six.

“But we went into the last game before the split, the same as last year, knowing that if we won we’d have gone into the top six so if we put it into perspective and take the emotion out of it, I’ve got to take my hat off to the players and staff for keeping Livingston in the Premiership.”

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