#relegation-zone

#relegation-zone

Leicester City's nine-year stay in the Premier League came to an end as they were relegated in agonising fashion despite beating West Ham on the final day of the season.The Foxes' fate was out of their hands heading into the last round of fixtures, and Everton's 1-0 victory over Bournemouth meant the 2015-16 winners slipped into the Championship by two points.

Bournemouth moved ever closer to securing their Premier League status with victory at the Vitality Stadium as Leeds' relegation fears deepened.Jefferson Lerma scored twice in four first-half minutes to put the Cherries in control - curling in a superb first-time shot before lashing the ball home after Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier flapped at a corner from the right.

Brighton reignited their push for a place in Europe next season by recording their biggest-ever top-flight victory at the expense of woeful Wolves.The Seagulls remain eighth in the Premier League but are now just a point behind Liverpool in seventh and two behind fifth-placed Tottenham, who have played two games more than Roberto de Zerbi's side.

Leeds climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone after holding off a late Wolves fightback to win an enthralling game at Molineux.The victory lifts Javi Gracia's side - who started the day in 19th - four places and two points above the bottom three.Jack Harrison, who scored in last weekend's 2-2 draw at home to Brighton, side-footed Wilfried Gnonto's cut-back past Jose Sa to give the visitors an early lead after a bright start.

Newcastle's Alexander Isak scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner at Nottingham Forest from the penalty spot to keep their hopes of a top-four finish firmly alive.Isak, who had earlier cancelled out Emmanuel Dennis' opener in the first half, coolly placed his spot-kick into the right corner after Moussa Niakhate was penalised for handball in the box.

Relegation-threatened Real Valladolid snatched a 3-1 win at home against champions Barcelona on Tuesday as the hosts secured a crucial victory in their battle to remain in LaLiga.The win moved Valladolid up one place to 17th and out of the relegation zone, before the club owned by former Real Madrid and Brazil forward Ronaldo face Almeria and Getafe, who are also battling to avoid the drop, in their remaining two games.

Manchester City moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League by surviving a late scare to beat a Leeds side playing under new manager Sam Allardyce for the first time.Two fine first-half goals by Ilkay Gundogan had done the damage for City, who appeared utterly dominant as they headed towards their 10th straight league win.

Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said he is targeting a domestic double after being knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United on Thursday.Barca lost 4-3 on aggregate to United over two legs, meaning the Catalan club will be left without European football in the month of March for the first time since 1999.

Liverpool completed a difficult week with a frustrating 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday that did little to enhance their prospects of finishing in the Premier League's top four.Thrashed 5-2 at home by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp's inconsistent side laboured against a Palace team who kept a first clean sheet against Liverpool for 18 years.

When it comes to Serie A's two teams involved in the Champions League semifinal, we've seen two very different kinds of results in their game that's in between the two-legged tie that won't have them traveling outside of Milan city limits.So what about the two Italian teams in the Europa League semifinals?

Here we go again.It's a big Europa League night in Turin.Just like the last three rounds of Juventus ' Europa League adventure as a result of getting dumped out of the Champions League group stage, things will start in front of the hometown crowd in Turin.In the first leg of the Europa League semifinals tonight, Juventus will face the specialists of the Europa League, Sevilla, who is in the midst of an impressive run under their new manager after spending a good amount of the 2022-23 season around the relegation zone in La Liga.

Leeds United midfielder Tyler Adams is set for an extended spell out of the team after undergoing a hamstring operation.Adams missed the Premier League match at Wolves on March 18 and didn't play for the United States in its games against Grenada and El Salvador over the past week.- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The 24-year-old has undergone what was described by as a "non-invasive" procedure after consulting a specialist.

Serge Gnarby claimed a double as Bayern Munich kept their grasp on the Bundesliga title race with a 6-0 rout against relegation-threatened Schalke at Allianz Arena.Thomas Tuchel's side claimed a comfortable win to go four points clear at the top on Saturday, although Borussia Dortmund could slice that gap when they host Borussia Monchengladbach later on.

So here's the situation.Bayern Munich have a measly one point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, and only three games left to play.With Borussia Dortmund showing no signs of slowing down, Thomas Tuchel effectively has three finals to close out the season.Lose a single one and it's all over.A decade of Bundesliga dominance goes poof.

Prediction: Bayern Munich to win 2-1
Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich will lock horns with each other in the Bundesliga this coming weekend.The match between Die Werderaner and Die Bayern will be held at Weserstadion and is scheduled to kick off at 5:30pm UK time on Saturday.Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen are doing extremely well for a club that were playing in the second division of German football last season.

How many people who watch the Bundesliga are concerned with the relegation zone?Not that many, especially if you're a Bayern Munich fan.But if you support a team directly in the relegation fight, then you might be excited, if not a bit disconcerted, to see that this season's relegation battle is shaping up to be one for the history books.

A Leeds United fan has been arrested and handed a lifetime ban by the club after confronting Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe at Elland Road on Saturday.The supporter managed to avoid security and ran onto the touchline to confront Howe near the end of the 2-2 draw between both clubs.After getting into the face of the Newcastle boss, the fan was escorted away by security and Leeds confirmed he has been arrested.

Just days after a massive and potentially decisive game at the top of the Premier League, there is now one at the bottom.It isn't quite winner takes all, but it is close, as Leicester host Everton on Monday night in a huge fight for top-flight survival.The Foxes are 18th, one place and one point above the Toffees.

Pep Guardiola denied his nominated penalty taker, Erling Haaland, was unprofessional in allowing Ilkay Gundogan to take a late spot-kick he then missed but the manager did criticise the German for his actions in Manchester City's 2-1 win over Leeds.Victory took the defending champions four points ahead of Arsenal with four matches left, but City endured a more difficult end to the game after Gundogan hit a post from the spot.

Queens Park Rangers manager Gareth Ainsworth says the financial trickle down from the Premier League to the EFL is being "killed" by foreign players.On Monday, Wigan became the fourth Championship club this season to be sanctioned for financial problems."It's just getting harder and harder with the influx of foreigners in the Premier League," said Ainsworth.

TEAM NEWS
Southampton will monitor Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who missed Sunday's draw at Manchester United with a minor injury.Juan Larios and Tino Livramento remain sidelined by injuries.Brentford will assess Mads Roerslev, who sat out Saturday's 1-0 defeat against Everton with a hamstring problem.Keane Lewis-Potter and Thomas Strakosha are still absent with respective knee and ankle issues.

Cheye Alexander scored the winner against his former club as Gillingham came from behind to win 2-1 at home to AFC Wimbledon.The highlight of a goalless first half came when Dons goalkeeper Nik Tzanev diverted Alex MacDonald's goal-bound effort on to the bar eight minutes into added time.But the second period was just seven minutes old when Iraqi forward Ali Al-Hamadi beat the offside trap and finished from an acute angle to put the visitors in front.

Nottingham Forest's Premier League survival hopes got a massive boost as Taiwo Awoniyi's brace helped them to a 4-3 home win over bottom club Southampton whose 10-year stay in the top flight looked to be coming to an end on Monday.A nerve-jangling City Ground clash exposed the defensive frailties of both sides with Nigerian striker Awoniyi striking twice within four minutes early to give his side control before Carlos Alcaraz hit back for the visitors.

Barcelona's Sergi Roberto and Robert Lewandowski struck just before half-time to give the league leaders a 2-0 home win over lowly Cadiz on Sunday in their pursuit of a 27th Spanish title.Unbeaten in their last 18 matches in all competitions, Barcelona extended their LaLiga winning streak to seven games, piling pressure on rivals Real Madrid, who won 2-0 at Osasuna on Saturday.

The Spanish side beat Fenerbahce to progress to the last eight but their domestic form has been far less impressive, with Sampaoli unable to improve the club's form after replacing Julen Lopetegui in October.Sevilla currently sit two points above the relegation zone in 14th place, with a 2-0 defeat at Getafe on Sunday Sampaoli's final game in charge.

D avid Moyes joked he would have no trouble emulating Erik ten Hag and engaging in some dad dancing were he to lead West Ham to FA Cup glory this season, as the Hammers set their sights on continuing their run by beating Manchester United tomorrow night.Having knocked out Brentford and Derby on the road so far in the competition, the Irons are looking to book a quarter-final place as they travel to Old Trafford to take on Ten Hag's in-form side.

A win is a win is a win.Who cares if it's against a team that's barely above the relegation zone and it's happening in the middle of the goddamn workday on a Wednesday?It had to happen.As the Serie A season heads into crunch time, every single point is vital, and Juventus found themselves on a four-game winless skid entering Wednesday.

No matter how long Juventus remains in the Europa League, there will be one very unique twist that will be ever-present.It's that Thursday and Sunday grind, something that Juventus hasn't had to experience in a decade because of the fact that the club has been a constant in the Champions League knockout rounds.

Away fixtures have not been simple for Juventus this season.Not by a long shot.They've been tricky, they've been frustrating, and they've been something that has seen Juve nearly lose as many as they've won and leave a lot to be desired in the process.So, as you can imagine, some sort of repeat of the shortcomings that have been attached to Juventus' away form is not to be desired going into this latest game that is being played somewhere other than the Allianz Stadium.

Changing managers late in the season is "strange" as new coaches do not have "magic dust" for struggling teams, says Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson.He and Hodgson are two of six Premier League managers who will finish the season on an interim basis."I don't quite know what the new manager is really expected to do," said Hodgson, who was appointed in March.

Wolverhampton Wanderers do not want to sell Pedro Neto in the summer transfer window amid interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal, according to Football Insider .The report has claimed that Arsenal are planning a move for the Portugal international winger, but Wolves will resist any offers for the 23-year-old.

West Ham United are interested in signing James Ward-Prowse from Premier League rivals Southampton in the summer transfer window, according to Football Insider .The report has claimed that the Hammers could find it tough to get a deal done as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are also keen on the England international.

Arsenal are interested in signing Lucas Paqueta from London and Premier League rivals West Ham United in the summer transfer window, according to .Paqueta could leave the Hammers if they get relegated to the Championship at the end of the season, and Arsenal could make a move for him, according to the report.

If Everton thought that their season couldn't get any worse they were sorely mistaken, after the Premier League referred the club to a commission for an alleged breach of the league's Profitability and Sustainability Rules, something the Toffees strongly contests.'At present, the Merseyside outfit find themselves in 15th place but just two points off of the relegation zone.

Leeds United are set to sack manager Javi Gracia and are in talks to appoint former England boss Sam Allardyce as his replacement.Director of football Victor Orta is also set to leave the club.Leeds are 17th in the Premier League, above the relegation zone only on goal difference, with four games left this season.

Monday's chaotic Premier League contest at King Power Stadium allowed Leicester to move out of the relegation zone but left Everton fans singing at full-time."England's number one, England's England's number one," was the chant the travelling supporters serenaded goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with after the 2-2 draw.

Leeds United players apologised to their fans on Monday after a video of the squad ignoring a young fan while leaving their hotel ahead of their 4-1 loss at Bournemouth went viral.The defeat left Leeds a point above the relegation zone as the club stretched their winless run to five matches.They have conceded 18 goals in that run.

Barcelona wasted a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga as they were shocked 1-0 at Almeria on Sunday thanks to a first-half strike by El Bilal Toure.Barca are top of the league standings on 59 points, seven ahead second-placed Real Madrid who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Arsenal will finally play their game in hand on Wednesday when they host Everton at the Emirates.The Gunners have been playing catch-up with title rivals Manchester City ever since this fixture was initially postponed back in September following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but there is finally time to get this game played and Arsenal will hope to restore their five-point lead at the top of the table.

Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams will miss the rest of the season with a broken jaw.The Wales international was stretchered off in the 65th minute of Forest's 3-1 win over Brighton on Wednesday.Williams, 22, collided with team-mate Brennan Johnson as the pair tried to reach a chipped cross from Morgan Gibbs-White at the far post.

Everton manager Sean Dyche says he will not be distracted by the investigation into the club over alleged financial irregularities.Everton have denied wrongdoing and will "robustly defend" their position."I'm more focused on what's going on on the pitch, quite obviously," said Dyche, who replaced Frank Lampard.

It may have been a long time coming - but for James Maddison, his full England debut was worth the wait.Three and a half years since his first international appearance as a substitute against Montenegro, Leicester midfielder Maddison started as the Three Lions comfortably beat Ukraine to remain unbeaten in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

It started with a hero's welcome.When he arrived as Valencia's new owner in October 2014, Peter Lim was greeted with glee by fans who hoped the Singaporean businessman would rescue their club from a perilous financial position caused by years of over-ambitious spending.Fans were optimistic Lim's takeover, through his Hong Kong-based Meriton Holdings company, would propel Valencia back to the summit of European football - the lofty heights they occupied at the turn of the century with consecutive Champions League final appearances in 2000 and 2001 and two La Liga titles in 2002 and 2004.

Mohamed Salah's glaring penalty miss ensured Bournemouth climbed out of the relegation zone after an excellent win which damaged Liverpool's chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.The Reds were brought back down to earth after last week's 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United as the Cherries, who started the weekend bottom, did their survival chances a power of good.

Oxford United have appointed former Milton Keynes Dons boss Liam Manning as their new head coach.The 37-year-old takes over from Karl Robinson, who was sacked last month following an eight-game winless run.The U's have picked up one point since beating Ipswich on 21 January leaving them three points above the League One relegation zone in 18th place.

Manchester United scored twice in the final 10 minutes at Elland Road to leave managerless Leeds deep in relegation trouble.Substitute Alejandro Garnacho then outpaced the home defence before beating Illan Meslier at his near post to the obvious joy of manager Erik ten Hag on the touchline.The result was harsh on Leeds, who created a number of decent opportunities but could not beat visiting goalkeeper David de Gea.

Everton deservedly collected a monumental victory over fellow Premier League strugglers Leeds to climb out of the relegation zone and send their opponents into trouble.Victory was Everton's second in three games under new manager Sean Dyche, lifting them up to 16th place, while Leeds drop to 19th and remain without a win under interim boss Michael Skubala.

Patrick Vieira has said he is concerned about Crystal Palace's recent form and position in the Premier League before Saturday's visit of Manchester City.After the City match their tough run of fixtures continues next week with trips to eighth-placed Brighton and leaders Arsenal."If I sit in front of you and tell you that I'm not concerned it would be a lie," said Vieira.

Manchester City put a frustrating week behind them to brush Bournemouth aside and keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.Erling Haaland maintained his goal-a-game ratio since his summer arrival by tucking home a close-range second for his 27th top-flight goal of the season to end a relatively lean spell of one in six games.

Prediction: Fulham to win 2-1
Fulham and Leeds United will face each other at Craven Cottage in London in the fifth round of the FA Cup this week.The match between the Cottagers and the West Yorkshire club will be held on Tuesday evening and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Tuesday.Fulham
Fulham won promotion from the Championship to the Premier League at the end of last season.

Declan Rice will be the captain of England one day, says his West Ham manager David Moyes.Moyes made the prediction in response to Roy Keane's criticism of the 24-year-old after West Ham's 3-1 FA Cup loss to Manchester United.Keane said Hammers midfielder Rice "needs to do more" and is sometimes "running through the motions".

Wasteful Tottenham ended a miserable week with a narrow defeat by Wolves after a late goal from Adama Traore stunned the Champions League contenders.Wolves, who are now 13th, had been on the back foot for most of the game but made their late momentum count.Spurs' inconsistent form continued as they dropped important points in the race for a top four spot.

Cardiff City eased their Championship relegation worries with a 2-0 win in the Severnside derby to end Bristol City's nine-game unbeaten league run.The Bluebirds took the lead when Sory Kaba rose to head home on 51 minutes.Bristol City might have led in the first half but for a superb save from Ryan Allsop and they fell 2-0 behind when Jaden Philogene fired home.

Barcelona are nine points clear at the top of La Liga after beating struggling Valencia.Raphinha put Xavi's side into the lead with a header from Sergio Busquets' dinked ball over the top.They looked set to take control of the game when they won a penalty in the second half but Ferran Torres hit the post against his old team.