For the record: Red-emption for Salah and Liverpool

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL 1 June 2019
Liverpool 2 Salah 2 (p), Origi 88
Tottenham Hotspur 0

Liverpool Alisson - Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Matip, Robertson - Wijnaldum (Milner 62), Fabinho, Henderson - Salah, Firmino (Origi 58), Mane (Gomez 90)
Tottenham Hotspur Lloris - Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose - Winks (Moura 66), Sissoko (Dier 74) - Eriksen, Alli (Llorente 82), Son - Kane
Referee Damir Skomina (Slovenia) ▪️ Attendance 63,272 at the Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid

LIVERPOOL lifted the European Cup for a sixth time by beating Tottenham Hotspur in a largely stodgy all-English final in Madrid.

The Reds struck at the start and the end of the contest to erase the disappointment of last season's Champions League final loss to Real Madrid.

Only two minutes had gone when Sadio Mané marauded down the left, only for Moussa Sissoko to be adjudged to have blocked his cross with his hand.

Mo Salah gleefully converted the spot-kick - although the penalty award looked harsh with the ball appearing to hit Sissoko at the top of the armpit, just below the shoulder.

Even the presence of so-called video assisted referees could not save Spurs - and so, while VAR will surely cut out the absolute howler, equally it will not end debates about referees' decisions.

Salah, of course, did not care a jot. For him, this was a golden opportunity to put last year behind him when he cut a disconsolate figure as he was withdrawn injured after only half an hour following a tangle with Sergio Ramos.

Instead, this time, it was Tottenham who had the injury worries. Talisman Harry Kane was making his first appearance since 9 April when he damaged the lateral ligaments in his left ankle in the first leg of the quarter final against Manchester City.

Unfortunately for him, it showed and he never looked like adding to his seasonal total of 24 goals, the most recent of which came in early March.

Spurs did at least enjoy plenty of the ball - and, in fact, finished with 61% of the possession - but it was not until late in the second half that they carried much of a threat.

Their push began with perhaps little more than 20 minutes left as the talented Son Heung-min began to find more space around the Liverpool box.

But, by then, the Reds' defence was set and eventual man of the match Virgil van Dijk eased the Korean off the ball just as he looked set to break through.

Son - to his great credit - was not in the mood for giving up and he brought Allison into the action with a hard piled river before Lucas Moura also followed up on target.

Allison, like van Dijk, did not come cheap but both have undoubtedly been money well spent.

Still, there was one last Spurs wave for the Reds to survive as the ball was pumped towards Danny Rose, and the left-back was fouled by James Milner on the edge of the area.

The free-kick was well within the range of Christian Eriksen and the Dane drew another decent save from Allison which resulted in a corner.

Kieran Trippier delivered an outswinger which was met by Moura but the Brazilian scuffed his shot into the ground and Son - who was offside - could only redirect the ball over the bar in any case.

Then, the inevitable happened and Liverpool doubled their lead with just three minutes left as substitute Divock Origi added to the two goals which he scored in the incredible second leg comeback against Barcelona in the semi finals.

Spurs' downfall would be a set-piece as they failed to deal with Milner's corner and Origi pounced on the loose ball to drive the ball low past Hugo Lloris into the corner.

At 2-0, the match was over and Liverpool played out the last few minutes with ease as Jurgen Klopp finally shrugged off the tag of having never brought a trophy to the Anfield club.

The German enthused: “I’m so happy for the boys, I’m so happy for all of these people, I’m so happy for my family. Did you ever see a team like this? Fighting with no fuel in the tank any more.

"And we had a goalkeeper who makes difficult things look easy. Tonight this is going to be great. This may be the best night of my life, professional wise.”

However, for Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, the frustrating wait endures. The Argentine has been at the London club for five years now and overseen the temporary residence at Wembley and the move to a new stadium.

Regular Champions League football has also been achieved against that unsettling background - but, disconcertingly, there has been a complete lack of silverware and Pochettino will need some backing from the board this summer if he is not to be lured elsewhere.

Meanwhile, by their own standards, a seven-year trophy-less spell had been long enough for Liverpool - and the pain had been ramped up even more by the events of the past 12 months.

The Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid was followed by a league campaign in which the Reds lost just once, won 97 points - and yet still could only finish runners-up to domestic treble winners Man City.

But, suddenly, that has all changed now. Klopp has joined the pantheon of managerial legends at Anfield - and the Liverpool are champions once again. Champions of Europe for a sixth time.

⚽️

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL 29 May 2019
Chelsea 4 Giroud 49, Pedro 60, Hazard 65 (p), 72
Arsenal 1 Iwobi 69

Chelsea Arrizabalaga - Azpilicueta, Christensen, Luiz, Emerson Palmieri, Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic (Barkley 76) Pedro (Willian 71), Giroud, Hazard (Zappacosta 89)
Arsenal Cech, Papastathopoulos, Koscielny, Monreal (Guendouzi 66), Maitland-Niles, Torreira (Iwobi 67) Xhaka, Kolasinac, Lacazette, Ozil (Willock 77), Aubameyang
Referee Gianluca Rocchi (Italy) ▪️ Attendance 51,370 at the Olympic Stadium, Baku

CHELSEA cruised to Europa League glory against London rivals Arsenal as Eden Hazard signed off for the Blues with two farewell goals in Baku.

The Belgian effectively confirmed he was leaving Stamford Bridge having scored twice in seven minutes either side of a spectacular strike by Arsenal substitute Alex Iwobi.

At 3-0 with 20 minutes left, Iwobi's powerful hit from outside of the box had served to give the briefest of hope to the Gunners.

But Hazard almost immediately snuffed out any chance of that, once again tearing apart the Arsenal defence by playing a one-two with Olivier Giroud and firing home Chelsea's fourth goal.

Giroud had earlier opened the scoring four minutes into the second period with a neat diving header - and, consequently, the match eventually opened up following a horribly sterile first half.

For, there can be no doubt that this showpiece contest was not helped by the flat atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium as, understandably, only the hardiest fans of both clubs made the difficult 2,500-mile journey.

Indeed, neither of the two clubs was able to sell even their measly allocations from UEFA - and those fans who did make it found their view restricted by a covered-up athletic track which formed the perimeter of the pitch.

The match had an official attendance of 51,370, making it the third-largest crowd for a Europa League final ever - but it was simply impossible to hide the large sections of empty seats from the television cameras.

Certainly, these were not fitting surroundings for a major European final.

At least, after a dreadful first half, the match itself did pick up, thanks in no small part to Giroud and Hazard with the former notching against the club at which he had previously been six years.

Pedro made it 2–0 on the hour mark when he steered a low shot past former Chelsea man Petr Cech from 12 yards out after Hazard had crossed from the left.

Then, five minutes later, it was 3-0 as Hazard converted a penalty following an extremely clumsy foul by Ainsley Maitland-Niles on Giroud.

It was beginning to look more than a little bit embarrassing for Unai Emery's men so it was probably just as well that Iwobi stemmed the tide.

However, Hazard was always going to make sure he had the final word - and, in fact, in his post-match interview, he said: "I think it is a goodbye, but in football you never know."

Chelsea thus picked up their 16th piece of major silverware under the ownership of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich - but have also picked up a few headaches on the way back from Azerbaijan.

After all, when Hazard presumably leaves, it will be impossible for the Blues to replace him due to their FIFA-imposed transfer ban.

Meanwhile, following a turbulent season debut season at Stamford Bridge, manager Maurizio Sarri also looks set to depart.

To his credit, the Italian has led the club to third place in the Premier League, a fifth European title, and the final of the League Cup.

But, of course, nothing is ever as straightforward as that at Chelsea.

Conversely, at Arsenal, things are somewhat calmer at the Emirates despite the comprehensive nature of this defeat.

It is widely accepted that manager Emery was always going to need more than one season to plug the gaps left in the squad - and he also enjoyed a decent unbeaten run in the first half of the campaign.

Away form was less clever, however, after the Christmas break - and, although the Gunners finished one place higher in the league and won seven more points than last season, they conceded more than 50 goals for a second year in a row.

Put simply, the Arsenal defence is still not good enough for a club with ambitions to play in the Champions League - while, by contrast, Chelsea will take their place in the elite UEFA competition.

The imminent departure of Hazard and the transfer ban, though, make it difficult to see the Blues being too competitive next season, regardless of whether Sarri remains in his post, or not.

⚽️

ROLL OF HONOUR 2018-19

ENGLAND

Premier League

Champions	Manchester City
Runners-up	Liverpool
Champions League	Chelsea (third place), Tottenham Hotspur (fourth place)
Europa League	Arsenal (fifth place), Manchester United (sixth place), Wolverhampton Wanderers (seventh place)
Relegation	Cardiff City, Fulham, Huddersfield Town

Championship

Champions	Norwich City
Runners-up	Sheffield United
Playoff winners	Aston Villa (won 2-1 v Derby County)
Relegation	Rotherham United, Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town

League One

Champions	Luton Town
Runners-up	Barnsley
Playoff winners	Charlton Athletic (won 2-1 v Sunderland)
Relegation	Plymouth Argyle, Walsall, Scunthorpe United, Bradford City

League Two

Champions	Lincoln City
Runners-up	Bury
Also promoted	Milton Keynes Dons
Playoff winners	Tranmere Rovers (won 2-1 v Newport County, after extra time)
Relegation	Notts County, Yeovil Town

National League Premier

Champions	Leyton Orient
Playoff winners	Salford City (won 3-0 v AFC Fylde)
Relegation	Gateshead, Braintree Town, Havant & Waterlooville, Maidstone United

National League North

Champions	Stockport County
Playoff winners	Chorley (won 4-3 on pens v Spennymoor Town, after 1-1 aet)
Relegation	Ashton United, FC United of Manchester, Nuneaton Borough

National League South

Champions	Torquay United
Playoff winners	Woking (won 1-0 v Welling United)
Relegation	Truro City, East Thurrock United, Weston-super-Mare

Domestic Cup Finals

FA Cup Final	Manchester City 6-0 Watford
League Cup Final	Manchester City 0-0 Chelsea, aet. Manchester City won 4-3 on penalties.
FA Community Shield	Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea
EFL Trophy	Portsmouth 2-2 Sunderland, aet. Portsmouth won 5-4 on penalties.
FA Trophy	AFC Fylde 1-0 Leyton Orient
FA Vase	Chertsey Town 3-1 Cray Valley Paper Mills, aet

SCOTLAND

Premiership

Champions	Celtic
Runners-up	Rangers
Europa League	Rangers (runners-up), Kilmarnock (third place), Aberdeen (fourth place)
Relegation	Dundee

Championship

Champions	Ross County
Runners-up	Dundee United (not promoted)
Relegation	Falkirk

League One

Champions	Arbroath
Runners-up	Forfar Athletic (not promoted)
Relegation	Stenhousemuir, Brechin City

League Two

Champions	Peterhead
Runners-up	Clyde
Playoff winners	Clyde (won 2-1 on agg v Annan Athletic (0-1a, 2-0h))
Relegation	Berwick Rangers (lost 0-7 on agg v Cove Rangers (0-4a, 0-3h))

Domestic Cup Finals

FA Cup Final	Celtic 2-1 Hearts
League Cup Final	Celtic 1-0 Aberdeen
Challenge Cup Final	Ross County 3-1 Connah's Quay Nomads

WALES

Welsh Premier League

Champions	The New Saints
Europa Lg	Connah's Quay Nomads (runners-up), Barry Town United (third place), Cardiff Metropolitan University (playoff winners)
Relegation	Llandudno, Llanelli Town

Welsh Cup Finals

FA Cup Final	The New Saints 3-0 Connah's Quay Nomads
League Cup Final	Cardiff Metropolitan University 2-0 Cambrian & Clydach Vale

NORTHERN IRELAND

Irish Premiership

Champions	Linfield
Europa Lg	Ballymena United (runners-up), Crusaders (cup winners), Cliftonville (playoff winners)
Relegation	Ards, Newry City

Irish Cup Finals

IFA Cup Final	Crusaders 3-0 Ballinamallard United
League Cup Final	Linfield 1-0 Ballymena United

EUROPE

UEFA Finals

Champions League	Liverpool (Eng) 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Eng)
Europa League	Chelsea (Eng) 4-1 Arsenal (Eng)
Super Cup	Atlético Madrid (Spa) 4-2 Real Madrid (Spa), after extra time

Major European league champions

Spain	Barcelona
Italy	Juventus
Germany	Bayern Munich
France	Paris Saint-Germain
Portugal	Benfica
Netherlands	Ajax Amsterdam
Belgium	Racing Genk
Greece	PAOK Thessaloniki
Turkey	Galatasaray

Man City inch closer to historic domestic treble

	Premier League	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Manchester City	36	30	2	4	90	22	+68	92
2	Liverpool	36	28	7	1	84	20	+64	91
3	Tottenham Hotspur	36	23	1	12	65	36	+29	70
4	Chelsea	36	20	8	8	60	39	+21	68
5	Arsenal	36	20	6	10	69	49	+20	66
6	Manchester United	36	19	8	9	64	51	+13	65
7	Wolverhampton Wanderers	36	15	9	12	46	44	+2	54
8	Leicester City	36	15	6	15	51	47	+4	51
9	Everton	36	14	8	14	50	44	+6	50
10	Watford	36	14	8	14	51	52	-1	50

All final day fixtures begin at 3pm on Sunday 12th May

MANCHESTER CITY moved closer to the first ever domestic treble in English football history after literally inching to a win against Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday.

Sergio Aguero did enough to force the ball over the line by just 29mm as the defending champions earned a hard-fought though ultimately merited victory in Lancashire.

Pep Guardiola's men thus won their 14th Premier League match out of 15 in this calendar year with their only blip coming in defeat to Newcastle United at St James Park in January.

Liverpool visit Tyneside on Saturday night still a point behind despite their own phenomenal unbeaten run which goes back to 3 January when the Reds suffered their only league defeat this season, away at Man City.

Indeed, between each other, the two sides have won a total of 183 points - and, with neither having blinked under pressure yet, it feels almost inevitable at this stage that both sides will win their remaining two games.

Remarkably, that we would leave Liverpool as runners-up on 97 points - enough for Jurgen Klopp's men to have won the title in all but one of the 37 seasons since three points for a win were introduced in 1981.

However, if Man City slip up against Leicester City this coming weekend or at Cardiff City, Liverpool could yet win a stunning Premier League-Champions League double.

In Europe too, though, the Reds face a difficult proposition against Lionel Messi and Barcelona, although there are actually two representatives from England in the semi finals.

Finally settled into their new stadium, Tottenham Hotspur - sitting third in the league but well off the title race pace - have also made it into the last four of the European Cup for the first time since 1962.
 
Spurs have work to do, however, after they went down to a 1-0 defeat at home in the first leg to Ajax Amsterdam.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed Arsenal are in the Europa League semi finals against Eintracht Frankfurt and Valencia respectively.

Of course, the winners of the Europa League now qualify for the next season's Champions League which perhaps explains the fact that both these London teams appear to be stumbling towards the line in the Premier League.

Chelsea have not won since 8 April in the competition while Arsenal have lost four of their last five.

Normally, that sort of form would have let Manchester United move into a top four spot - but this has been no normal campaign at Old Trafford.

Jose Mourinho's spell in charge came to its inevitable and bitter end on in December following a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

In came Red Devils legend Ole Gunnar Solksjaer as caretaker - and, relieved from Mourinho's shackles, Man United immediately went on a eight-match winning run in league and cup.

Shortly afterwards, on 28 March, Solksjaer was appointed on a full-time basis - but the last 10 games in all competitions have brought just two wins and seven defeats.

Already, unsurprisingly, big questions are being raised as to whether the Norwegian should have been awarded a stonking three-year contract on the back of what was, essentially, just a classic new manager bounce.

Meanwhile, the red side of Manchester will also have to accept a second season without silverware.

In terms of the best of the rest, seventh place remains up for grabs between four teams - and possibly brings with it the reward of European football if Man City beat Watford in the FA Cup Final.

Wolverhampton Wanderers currently lead this race on 54 points, three clear of Leicester City on 51, with Everton and Watford themselves a further point back.

Notably, none of the four teams play each other in the remaining games so it will be a fair fight, most likely won by Nuno Sanchez Gomes's Wolves in their first season back in the top flight.

The other two promoted clubs have not fared so well. Fulham spent £100m last summer on just about a whole new starting XI.

But the campaign has gone horribly wrong for the Cottagers who were relegated on 2 April following a ninth successive defeat.

Cardiff City, in fairness, have made a decent fist for the most of a difficult season overshadowed by death of Emiliano Sala in a light plane crash just days after the Argentine had signed for a club-record fee of £15 million.

The Bluebirds have also been on the end of some rotten officiating in recent times, most notably in defeats to Chelsea and Burnley.

Nevertheless, a points total of 31 is simply not enough to retain a Premier League place and the South Wales outfit find themselves four points short of 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion on 35.

That is Cardiff's deficit despite having beaten the Seagulls on 16 April for their only points in the last six matches.

Brighton were similarly in awful form and eventually went half a dozen league games without scoring until Pascal Gross headed a invaluable equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Newcastle at the weekend.

At least, Cardiff can console themselves that they have not had a campaign on the pitch quite as torrid as that endured by Huddersfield Town.

The Terriers, in their second Premier League season, have frankly been terrible, winning just three games and 14 points while becoming only the second club in the post-1992 era to be relegated in March after the infamously awful Derby County side of 2007-08.

Huddersfield, indeed, still need one more goal from their final two matches to prevent themselves from matching the Rams' goalscoring record low of 20.

16	Southampton	36	9	11	16	44	61	-17	38
17	Brighton & Hove Albion	36	9	8	19	33	55	-22	35
18	Cardiff City	36	9	4	23	30	66	-36	31
R	Fulham	36	7	5	24	34	76	-42	26
R	Huddersfield Town	36	3	5	28	20	74	-54	14

⚽️

	Championship	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
P	Norwich City	45	26	13	6	91	56	+35	91
P	Sheffield United	45	26	10	9	76	39	+37	88
3	Leeds United	45	25	8	12	71	47	+24	83
4	West Bromwich Albion	45	23	11	11	86	59	+27	80
5	Aston Villa	45	20	16	9	81	59	+22	76
6	Derby County	44	19	13	12	65	52	+13	70
7	Middlesbrough	45	19	13	13	47	40	+7	70
8	Bristol City	45	19	12	14	58	52	+6	69

All final day fixtures begin at 12.30pm on Sunday 5th May

NORWICH CITY and Sheffield United will fight it out for the Championship title on the final day after both clubs won promotion to the Premier League on the penultimate weekend of the season.

Daniel Farke's Norwich - on 91 points - are in pole position after beating Blackburn Rovers 2-1 to seal their return to the top flight on Saturday night.

But, although the Blades - who had earlier won 2-0 against bottom side Ipswich Town - are three points behind the Canaries, they hold a slightly superior goal difference.

Chris Wilder's Sheff United had their return to the Premier League confirmed on Sunday after third-placed Leeds United dropped points in a controversial 1-1 draw against fifth-placed Aston Villa.

The draw at Elland Road brought to an end Villa's incredible run of 10 consecutive wins which has seen Dean Smith's men surge from drifting in a mid-table position to a playoff place.

It means, of course, the Villans could yet meet Leeds again in the playoffs in the coming weeks.

First, though, Villa are most likely to meet West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion in the semi finals.

The Baggies are looking for an immediate return to the Premier League - but, while Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have flourished in attack, a leaky defence has continued to be their downfall.

Leeds, West Brom and Villa then are assured of a playoff spot but sixth place remains up for grabs.

Undoubtedly, the strong favourites are Frank Lampard's Derby County as they enjoy a superior goal difference to seventh-placed Middlesbrough and also have a game in hand tomorrow at Swansea City.

But, if there is a slip-up or two from the Rams, Boro will fancy their chances against Rotherham United on the final day. 

Meanwhile, Bristol City, on 69 points after victory in their game in hand at Millwall tonight, could yet steal sixth with last-day victory at Hull City.

For all of the bottom three of the Championship, however, there is now not even slim hope anymore as defeat at West Brom on Saturday meant Rotherham joined Bolton Wanderers and Ipswich in being relegated

Matters are particularly worrying at Bolton where the players - having reportedly not been paid in months - understandably lost their patience with the board and refused to fulfil their fixture at the weekend against Brentford.

Finally, at the bottom, Ipswich must come to terms with the the prospect of third-tier football for the first time in 62 years following a desperate campaign which has featured only four wins.

Relegation also brought to an end an unbroken spell of 17 years that the Tractor Boys have been in the Championship.

20	Reading	45	10	16	19	49	66	-17	46
21	Millwall	45	10	14	21	48	63	-15	44
R	Rotherham United	45	8	16	21	51	81	-30	40
R	Bolton Wanderers	44	8	8	28	29	76	-47	32
R	Ipswich Town	45	4	16	25	33	75	-42	28

⚽️

	League One	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
P	Luton Town	45	26	13	6	87	41	+46	91
P	Barnsley	45	26	13	6	79	37	+42	91
3	Portsmouth	45	25	12	8	82	50	+32	87
4	Sunderland	45	22	19	4	79	45	+34	85
5	Charlton Athletic	45	25	10	10	69	40	+29	85
6	Doncaster Rovers	45	19	13	13	74	58	+16	70
7	Peterborough United	45	19	12	14	68	61	+6	69
8	Coventry City	45	18	11	16	54	52	+2	65

All final day fixtures begin at 5.30pm on Saturday 4 May

LUTON TOWN and Barnsley celebrated promotion to the Championship without kicking a ball tonight after their nearest rivals Portsmouth and Sunderland both lost their midweek games in hand.

Third-placed Porsmouth lost 3-2 at home to Peterborough United who kept alive their own playoff hopes while Sunderland were humbled 2-1 at Fleetwood Town.

Those results leave Pompey four points adrift and the Black Cats six points adrift of the top two who will fight it out for the title on the final day.

Luton - who were only just promoted from League Two last season - have a goal difference advantage and face Oxford United.

By contrast, Barnsley are making an immediate return to the second tier - and the Tykes travel to Bristol Rovers.

Portsmouth, Sunderland and Charlton Athletic are all now confirmed as in the playoffs with the last place to be taken by either Doncaster Rovers or Peterborough.

Between them, the equation is fairly simple - Donny boast the superior goal difference so Posh must beat Burton Albion and hope Rovers fail to win against Coventry City.

But, at the bottom, it is tighter still. At one stage, the relegation battle involved no less than half of the division - and, even now, there are still few worried teams.

Four of them - Southend United, Plymouth, Walsall, and Scunthorpe United - are separated by just one point, with three of them likely to be going down alongside Bradford City.

Certainly, any loser in the Plymouth-Scunthorpe match at Home Park will be relegated - and a draw could leave both teams in trouble depending on how Southend and Walsall get on against Sunderland and Shrewsbury Town.

A decent goal difference means Wycombe Wanderers appear to have done enough regardless - while AFC Wimbledon will be able to say the same with any sort of result at rock-bottom Bradford.

That represents quite a recovery by the Dons who were bottom themselves just a few weeks ago having won just three games between the end of September and February.

But, in the end, the weakest side in League One this term were clearly Bradford.

The Bantams sank to the bottom in the spring amid a sequence of seven successive losses which culminated in relegation in mid-April following defeat at Coventry.

18	Wycombe Wanderers	45	13	11	21	54	67	-13	50
19	AFC Wimbledon	45	13	10	22	42	63	-21	49
20	Southend United	45	13	8	24	53	67	-14	47
21	Plymouth Argyle	45	12	11	22	53	78	-25	47
22	Walsall	45	12	11	23	49	71	-22	46
23	Scunthorpe United	45	12	10	23	51	80	-29	46
R	Bradford City	45	11	7	27	49	77	-28	40

⚽️

	League Two	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
C	Lincoln City	45	23	16	6	73	40	+33	85
P	Bury	45	22	12	11	81	55	+26	78
3	Mansfield Town	45	20	16	9	69	40	+29	76
4	Milton Keynes Dons	45	22	10	13	70	49	+21	76
5	Forest Green Rovers	45	20	13	12	68	47	+21	73
6	Tranmere Rovers	45	20	13	12	62	47	+15	73
7	Newport County	45	20	10	15	58	58	0	70
8	Exeter City	45	19	12	14	60	49	+11	69
9	Colchester United	45	19	10	16	62	53	+9	67
10	Carlisle United	45	20	7	18	67	62	+5	67
11	Stevenage	45	19	10	16	57	55	+2	67

All final day fixtures begin at 3pm on Saturday 4 May

LINCOLN CITY's remarkable recent journey enjoyed another landmark moment at the weekend as the Imps became League Two champions in only their second season back in the Football League.

Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, Lincoln have won the National League, reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup, won the Football League Trophy, and have now won League Two.

So, it would be fair to say then that the manager responsible for all of the success - Danny Cowley - will be a club legend at Sincil Bank, whatever happens from now on.

Joining Lincoln in League One are Bury after the Shakers took the point they needed from their game in hand tonight at Tranmere Rovers.  

Oddly, it looks as if the Shakers can still be caught as they are just two points ahead of both Mansfield Town and Milton Keynes Dons.

However, the Stags and Milton Keynes face each other at Stadium MK on Saturday afternoon in what is effectively a one-off playoff for the remaining automatic promotion place.

To their immense credit, Forest Green Rovers will compete in the playoffs in just their second Football League season, and they will be joined there by Tranmere who they beat in the 2017 National League playoff final.

Meanwhile, the last playoff place remains very much up for grabs. Newport County currently occupy seventh place on 70 points after winning their game in hand tonight against Oldham Athletic to jump all the way up from 11th.

Exeter City are just a point behind in eighth and there is a trio of teams - Colchester United, Carlisle United and Stevenage - who still have a chance on 67 points due to Newport's relatively poor goal difference.

Interestingly, none of the five teams faces another so it really is total guesswork who will finish in that coveted seventh spot at 5pm on Saturday.

By contrast, the fate of Yeovil Town has already been sealed after the Glovers were relegated from the Football League following an eventful 16-year stay which saw the Somerset club venture as high as the Championship for a single season in 2013-14.

The other place remains undecided but is between two clubs only. 

Macclesfield Town are aiming to avoid an immediate return to the National League - and, conversely, Notts County are attempting to defend their status as the oldest club in the Football League.

The Silkmen - who face Cambridge United at home on the last day - hold a two-point advantage and also have a much better goal difference than Notts who therefore know nothing but three points at Swindon Town will do. 

Even then, though, it is might not be enough for the Magpies.

21	Cambridge United	45	12	10	23	39	65	-26	46
22	Macclesfield Town	45	10	13	22	47	73	-26	43
23	Notts County	45	9	14	22	47	81	-34	41
R	Yeovil Town	45	9	12	24	41	66	-25	39

⚽️

	National League	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
C	Leyton Orient	46	25	14	7	73	35	+38	89
2	Solihull Moors	46	25	11	10	73	43	+30	86
3	Salford City	46	25	10	11	77	45	+32	85
4	Wrexham	46	25	9	12	58	39	+19	84
5	AFC Fylde	46	22	15	9	72	41	+31	81
6	Harrogate Town	46	21	11	14	78	57	+21	74
7	Eastleigh	46	22	8	16	62	63	-1	74
8	Ebbsfleet United	46	18	13	15	64	50	+14	67

National League playoff fixtures

LEYTON ORIENT returned to the Football League after Justin Edinburgh's impressive rebuilding job at the previously ailing east London club. 

The Os had to settle for a 0-0 draw against relegated Braintree Town at Brisbane Road on Saturday.

But both of Orient's rivals, Solihull Moors and Salford City, also failed to win their final match of the regular season which meant Edinburgh's men were in no danger of losing their place at the summit.

Surprise package Solihull and big-spending Salford now move onto the playoff semi finals, with their opponents determined in matches between the four teams immediately below them.

Thus, Solihull will play for a place in the final against the winner of AFC Fylde v Harrogate Town while Salford will host the winner of Wrexham v Eastleigh.

Additionally, those initial one-off eliminators are also held at the ground of the team which finished highest - that is, Wrexham and Fylde respectively.

While the season continues for some teams, though, it has long been over for the relegated bottom four of the National League.

Braintree were first to go down on 30 March - although they have improved their form since then.

Meanwhile, Maidstone United, Havant & Waterlooville, and Aldershot swiftly followed, with none of the four teams coming close to matching the points total of fifth-bottom Boreham Wood.

Bizarrely, Braintree may yet be forced to play in the National League North next season due to the propensity of southern-based sides in the sixth tier following the relegation of four southern teams this year.

For, as usual, the foursome will be replaced by two teams from the North and two from South, with the identity of two of those clubs already now known.

Former Football League clubs Stockport County and Torquay United took their first big steps to regaining their place in the 92 by winning their respective North and South divisions.

Otherwise, the remaining two places will be decided within the next couple of weeks using the same playoff format as that employed by the top tier in the non-league pyramid.

20	Boreham Wood	46	12	16	18	53	65	-12	52
R	Aldershot Town	46	11	11	24	38	67	-29	44
R	Braintree Town	46	11	8	27	48	78	-30	41
R	Havant & Waterlooville	46	9	13	24	62	84	-22	40
R	Maidstone United	46	9	7	30	37	82	-45	34

Premier League preview 2018/19: Man City seek rare retention

ARSENAL
Last season 6th FA Cup Third round League Cup Runners-up Europa League Semi finals 
Last major trophy FA Cup 2017 Premier League seasons 27
Manager Unai Emery (since May 2018)
Players in Stephan Lichtsteiner, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi 
Players out Per Mertesacker, Jack Wilshere, Joao Virginia, Lucas Perez, Calum Chambers*
Finally, a new broom has swept into the Emirates in the form of Unai Emery as Arsenal - like a deer learning to walk - begin life after the 22-year reign of the legendary Arsene Wenger. No doubt then there will be a few stumbles under the Spaniard - but, at least for the first time in perhaps as much as a decade, the Gunners can attack the new season feeling as fresh as their rivals. Of course, history has suggested taking over from a long-term manager - but, whereas Sir Alex Ferguson won the title in his final season at Old Trafford, Wenger finished 36 points short of the winners and even 12 points short of fourth place. Surely, those gaps will not be as big as that next May.
Prediction 4th

AFC BOURNEMOUTH
Last season 12th FA Cup Third round League Cup Quarter finals
Last major trophy None Premier League seasons 4
Manager Eddie Howe (since October 2012) 
Players in David Brooks, Diego Rico, Jefferson Lerma 
Players out Benik Afobe, Max Gradel, Adam Federici, Lewis Grabban, Harry Arter*
Attack-minded Bournemouth only know one way to play, although - as this is the Cherries' fourth successive top flight season - it is difficult to be too critical of their expansive style. Ideally, though, manager Eddie Howe will be looking to improve on a record of 67, 67, and 61 goals conceded in their three previous campaigns. Unfortunately for him, there were only three new arrivals at Dean Court in the summer - a left back, a defensive midfielder, and another bright young attacker in David Brooks - but, notably, no centre-backs arrived. Indeed, much of the squad remains exactly the same as that which helped Bournemouth win the Championship back in 2014-15 and, while that continuity is often a good thing, the likes of Simon Francis and Steve Cook could have done with facing more competition for their first team places. 
Prediction 16th

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Last season 15th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round
Last major trophy None Premier League seasons 2
Manager Chris Hughton (since December 2014) 
Players in Leon Balogun, Joseph Tomlinson, Florin Andone, Jason Steele, Bernando Fernandes, Hugo Keto, David Button, Yves Bissouma, Percy Tau, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Anders Dryer, Billy Arce, Leo Skiri Ostigard, Peter Gwargis, Martin Montoya  
Players out Uwe Huenemeier, Jamie Murphy, Bailey Vose, Connor Goldson, Henrik Bjordal, Sam Baldock, Jiri Skalak
There were few problems in Sussex-by-the-Sea for Brighton - but, when the Seagulls were required to play further afield, their form regularly deserted them. In fact, Chris Hughton's men finished the 2017-18 season with the lowest number of away points (11) and the lowest number of away goals (10). If that points towards an overly cautious approach from Hughton then he will no doubt contend that the ends justified the means, as his squad saved their efforts for the winnable games at home. Of course, more will be expected of Hughton and Brighton in this second season - after all, in a refreshing contrast to some of his previous jobs, the 59-year-old has actually been backed in the transfer market by his board this summer.  
Prediction 15th

BURNLEY
Last season 7th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy First Division 1959-60 Premier League seasons 5
Manager Sean Dyche (since October 2012) 
Players in Vinnie Steels, Ben Gibson, Joe Hart, Matej Vydra, George McMahon
Players out Scott Arfield, Tom Anderson
For Burnley, the season started just over two weeks ago with a Battle of Britain clash against Aberdeen (won 4-2 on aggregate after a 3-1 home win). Since then, the Clarets also played on transfer deadline itself (a 0-0 draw against Istanbul Basaksehir) - and, hopefully, their first continental foray in exactly 50 years will be long and fruitful. Nevertheless, minimal incomings have left manager Sean Dyche voicing his concerns that the squad is not strong enough to compete on four separate fronts. It is indeed unusual to hear Dyche complain about his lot - but the 47-year-old is only trying to do his best to elevate the ambition of the board even just a bit. Otherwise, he knows it could be a long and difficult campaign ahead, spinning several plates.
Prediction 14th
 
CARDIFF CITY
Last season 2nd in Championship FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1927 Premier League seasons 2
Manager Neil Warnock (since October 2016)  
Players in Josh Murphy, Greg Cunningham, Alex Smithies, Bobby Reid, Victor Camarasa*, Harry Arter*  
Players out Lee Camp
Cardiff City perhaps surprised even themselves when they held their nerve to secure the Championship runners-up spot with a 0-0 draw on the final day against Reading to complete a phenomenal season in south Wales. Equally, perhaps the Bluebirds' return to the top flight should not have been too much of a shock, considering the prior promotion pedigree of manager Neil Warnock. This was, in fact, the eighth promotion which Warnock has achieved - but the Yorkshireman's direct tactics have been found wanting at the top level in the past, and a lack of all-round quality in the squad means he is already up against it here. There have plenty of against-the-odds stories in the Premier League in recent years - from Bournemouth to Burnley to Huddersfield - but, even at best, the Welsh club will do well to emulate Blackpool by taking their battle against the drop to the final day.
Prediction 19th
 
CHELSEA
Last season 5th FA Cup Winners League Cup Semi finals Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy FA Cup 2018 Premier League seasons 27
Manager Maurizio Sarri (since July 2018) 
Players in Jorginho, Robert Green, Mateo Kovacic, Kepa Arrizabalaga 
Players out Kenedy*, Thibaut Courtois, Kurt Zouma*
While some successful English clubs change their manager once in a generation, Chelsea have switched coaches habitually during the trophy-laden Roman Abramovich era. It was therefore no surprise when 2016-17 title winner Antonio Conte eventually became the latest in a long line to be relieved of his duties at Stamford Bridge after a campaign in which the Blues fell out of the Champions League places into fifth. Usually, in west London, the change at the top seems to have a motivational effect on the squad - but, while the likes of Eden Hazard and Willian are frightfully talented players, they are also - as a team - some way short of matching the almost unbreachable Petr Cech-John Terry-Frank Lampard-Didier Drogba spine of a few years ago.
Prediction 3rd

CRYSTAL PALACE
Last season 11th FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round
Last major trophy None Premier League seasons 10
Manager Roy Hodgson (since September 2017) 
Players in Vicente Guaita, Cheikhou Kouyate, Max Meyer, Jordan Ayew* 
Players out Yohan Cabaye
Somehow, Crystal Palace lived to see another season in the Premier League despite a record-breaking start in which they lost each of their opening seven matches without scoring a single goal. Much credit for the resurgence must go to former England boss Roy Hodgson who also somewhat restored his own reputation following his travails with the national team. Then again, the Eagles - with the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend on the flanks - should never have been in so much trouble in the first place. Now, though, Croydon-born Hodgson has had a full pre-season to ensure his team does not give any of its rivals such a big headstart again - and so a far more solid campaign surely awaits the Selhurst Park faithful this time around.
Prediction 9th

EVERTON
Last season 8th FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round Europa League Group stage
Last major trophy FA Cup 1995 Premier League seasons 27
Manager Marco Silva (since May 2018) 
Players in Richarlison, Lucas Digne, Joao Virginia, Bernard, Yerry Mina, Andre Gomes*, Kurt Zouma* 
Players out Joel Robles, Ramiro Funes Mori, Wayne Rooney, Davy Klaasen
Everton seem to be a club still looking to regain their identity following a tumultuous 12 months of mismanagement - and, in particular, mismanagement of the management. Ronald Koeman bequeathed a horribly unbalanced squad to his successor - one with a Romelu Lukaku-shaped hole in it - and, having failed to prise Marco Silva from Watford, the Toffees ended up being stuck with the unpopular Sam Allardyce. As usual, Allardyce achieved the bare minimum and was also dumped at the end of the season as the Merseysiders finally landed their man in Silva. But, despite the audacious Richarlison signing, it feels like it is going to take far more than one transfer window for Silva to build his own team at Goodison - and so, for now, Everton will likely continue to bimble on in the upper reaches of mid table.
Prediction 8th
 
FULHAM
Last season 3rd in Championship FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None Premier League seasons 14
Manager Slaviša Jokanović (since December 2015) 
Players in Jean Michael Seri, Maxime Le Marchand, Fabricio Agosto Ramirez, Andre Schurrle*, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Alfie Mawson, Calum Chambers*, Sergio Rico*, Joe Bryan, Luciano Vietto*, Timothy Fosu-Mensah*, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa 
Players out Ryan Fredericks, David Button, Tayo Edun
Fulham have effectively put together a whole new first-XI during the summer as they fight to secure their survival in the top flight following a four-year absence. Indeed, the Cottagers have invested heavily in their squad following their promotion via the playoffs which, itself, followed a superb 23-match unbeaten run in the league. Of course, the presence of the new arrivals might be a bit harsh on the likes of Tom Cairney and silky teenager Ryan Sessegnon. But both of them nonetheless can still expect to be involved alongside £20m man Aleksandar Mitrovic. The Serbian World Cup striker has frustrated in the top flight in the past and consequently lost his discipline but his goal glut was invaluable to Slavisa Jokanovic's men during his loan spell from Newcastle United, and it is a move which he has unsurprisingly now made permanent. 
Prediction 11th

HUDDERSFIELD TOWN
Last season 16th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy First Division 1925-26 Premier League seasons 2
Manager David Wagner (since November 2015) 
Players in Ben Hamer, Terence Kongolo, Ramadan Sobhi, Juninho Bacuna, Jonas Lossl, Erik Durm, Adama Diakhaby, Isaac Mbenza* 
Players out Dean Whitehead, Robert Green, Sean Scannell, Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, Tom Ince, Jordy Hiwula, Jordan Williams, Scott Malone, Michael Hefele
Huddersfield Town enjoyed the element of surprise last season and it helped them effectively secure their top flight status with a game to spare - even though scored just 28 goals and failed to find the net in 21 of their 38 league matches. It was fairly obvious then where the Terriers' flaws lay - but head coach David Warner does not really seem to have much rectified the situation in the summer transfer window. Only young French striker Adama Diakhaby has added competition to places in attack - and, while last season's top scorer Steve Mounie is certainly a bright spark on his day, he might struggle with the continued weight of the goalscoring burden which he will be expected to carry.
Prediction 20th

LEICESTER CITY
Last season 9th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Quarter finals
Last major trophy Premier League 2015-16 Premier League seasons 13
Manager Claude Puel (since October 2017) 
Players in Ricardo Pereira, Jonny Evans, James Maddison, Danny Ward, Rachid Ghezzal, Filip Benkovic, Caglar Soyuncu 
Players out Ben Hamer, Connor Wood, Riyad Mahrez, Ahmed Musa, Josh Gordon, Islam Slimani, Leonardo Ulloa
Twenty-eight months have now passed since Leicester City won a still frankly unbelievable Premier League title in May 2016. In the grand scheme of things, it really is not that long - but plenty of water has flowed under the bridge in this part of the east Midlands since then with Craig Shakespeare swiftly following title-winning Claudio Ranieri out of the exit door despite him having taken charge of a Champions League quarter final in the previous March. New man Claude Puel also started well but some fans have already turned against the Frenchman - and, despite a huge amount of largely misdirected investment since their title win, the Foxes appear to have accepted the return to mid-table with the sale of their most creative spark Riyad Mahrez to Manchester City.
Prediction 12th

LIVERPOOL
Last season 4th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round Champions League Runners-up
Last major trophy League Cup 2012 Premier League seasons 27
Manager Jürgen Klopp (since October 2015) 
Players in Fabinho, Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri, Alisson Becker 
Players out Yan Dhanda, Emre Can, Paulo Alves, Danny Ward, Andy Firth, Danny Ings*
Liverpool may have finished last season in fourth place - but, having beaten champions Manchester City on three separate occasions during 2017-18, the Reds could easily argue they were actually the best of the rest. Meanwhile, the Anfield club also look best-placed to challenge Man City in the new campaign following the signings of Fabinho, and Naby Keita, Xherdan Shaqiri who provides another option up front if Mo Salah happens to be unable quite to match his extraordinary feats from last term. Perhaps the most important arrival, though, is that of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, signed for £56m from Roma in the wake of Loris Karius's personal nightmare in the Champions League final. Of course, winning a first English league title since 1990 would turn Jurgen Klopp into an Anfield legend - but, with the German having gone without any silverware in his first two full seasons, any of the trophies on offer would be a start.
Prediction 2nd

MANCHESTER CITY
Last season Champions FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Winners Champions League Quarter finals
Last major trophy Premier League 2017-18 Premier League seasons 22
Manager Pep Guardiola (since July 2016) 
Players in Riyad Mahrez, Claudio Gomes, Philippe Sandler, Daniel Arzani  
Players out Pablo Maffeo, Angelino, Ashley Smith-Brown, Angus Gunn, Bersant Celina, Joe Hart
No team has retained the Premier League title since 2009 - remarkably, the longest run in the whole of Europe - but Manchester City look well-placed to end that sequence. Nevertheless, with an almost parsimonious net outlay standing at under £30m, this has been the quietest summer for quite some time at Eastlands. For sure then, that is the sign of a manager who is happy with his squad - but, certainly, Pep Guardiola will be satisfied by a domestic campaign which does not break as many records as last season if his team still takes title and also goes further in the Champions League. After all, the Spaniard may not want to admit it but that 3-0 first leg defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in the quarter finals in April will have been the one which really hurt.
Prediction Champions

MANCHESTER UNITED
Last season Runners-up FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Quarter finals Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy Europa League 2017 Premier League seasons 27
Manager José Mourinho (since May 2016)  
Players in Diogo Dalot, Fred, Lee Grant  
Players out Michael Carrick, Joe Riley, Sam Johnstone, Daley Blind, Timothy Fosu-Mensah*
Dreary manager Jose Mourinho moaned his way through most of last season and, irritatingly, the summer break has not exactly quelled his discontent. In fairness to the 55-year-old Portuguese, he is correct in his appeal for another top quality centre-back, if only to knock the unreliable Phil Jones and Chris Smalling down the pecking order. But it is also an unavoidable fact that Mourinho has spent hundreds of millions increasing the potency of his team and yet his attack is still far less impressive than the cross-city rivals. Maybe it is time for Mourinho to look himself in the mirror and stop criticising his players so publicly while also employing more positive tactics. More likely, Mourinho will fail to make it beyond three years at the club, in keeping with the rest of his managerial career.
Prediction 6th

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Last season 10th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969 Premier League seasons 24
Manager Rafael Benítez (since March 2016) 
Players in Martin Dubravka, Ki Sung-yueng, Kenedy*, Fabian Schar, Yoshinori Muto, Salomon Rondon*, Federico Fernandez 
Players out Massadio Haidara, Stuart Findlay, Mikel Merino, Chancel Mbemba, Matz Sels, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Adam Armstrong, Ivan Toney
Another rather unsavoury summer at St James Park has exacerbated the huge gulf between the competing visions of owner Mike Ashley and manager Rafa Benitez. For Ashley, Newcastle United appear to be little more than an advertising front for his tatty sports emporium. By contrast, Benitez believes his adoring supporters deserve more from the club than idly hoping to stay on the Premier League gravy train. There has been some business - Chelsea's pacey Brazilian winger Kenedy is back on a season-long loan while, up front, Venezuelan Salomon Rondon effectively replaces Dwight Gayle following a prolonged pursuit. Still, though, a squad which serially over-performed to finish 10th last season will have to do much the same this time around.
Prediction 13th

SOUTHAMPTON
Last season 17th FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Second round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1976 Premier League seasons 20
Manager Mark Hughes (since March 2018) 
Players in Stuart Armstrong, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Angus Gunn, Jannik Verstergaard, Danny Ings*  
Players out Olufela Olomola, Dusan Tadic
In hindsight, it is not as if the Southampton struggle of 2017-18 came from absolutely nowhere. True, the sharp fall to 17th did not exactly fit in with a sequence of four successive top-eight finishes in the seasons immediately prior to it - but it could easily be argued that the danger signs were already there in 2016-17 when the Saints scored a meagre 17 goals in their 19 home league games. Claude Puel paid the price for his conservative approach but his replacement Mauricio Pellegrino likewise never convinced. Eventually, Mark Hughes came in to oversee a modest improvement in form and safety - but the fundamental problems up front remain, and so it is difficult to envisage anything other than another struggle in the coming campaign as well.
Prediction 18th

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Last season 3rd FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Fourth round Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy League Cup 2008 Premier League seasons 27
Manager Mauricio Pochettino (since May 2014) 
Players in None  
Players out Keanan Bennetts, Anton Walkes
Other than the new stadium of course, a second child for World Cup Golden Boot winner Harry Kane has been literally the only new arrival in this part of north London this summer. And so, Kane - who, like his team, notoriously starts the season slowly - may be even slower out of the blocks if a few sleepless night at home are added to historical exertions in Russia. Spurs, indeed, had no fewer than nine players in the four national squads each of whom played at least some part of a World Cup semi final just four weeks ago. Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino is adamant that he is happy with his squad - but, having seen all of his rivals strengthen, one suspects he was putting on something of a brave face, especially considering he is already under pressure having failed to deliver any silverware so far in his four-year tenure.
Prediction 5th

WATFORD
Last season 14th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None Premier League seasons 6
Manager Javi Gracia (since January 2018)
Players in Ben Wilmot, Gerard Deulofeu, Marc Navarro, Adam Masina, Ken Sema, Ben Foster, Domingos Quina
Players out Costel Pantilimon, Mauro Zarate, Richarlison, Nordin Amrabat, Harvey Bradbury
Just how long can Watford keep getting away with it? In Javi Gracia, the Hornets begin their fourth consecutive top flight season with a fourth different head coach at the helm. In fairness, Italian owner Gino Pozzo had little option to take action in January when Marco Silva had his head turned by Everton and form suffered - but Gracia himself took just five points out of the last 24. A similarly slow start to the new season will surely see the Spaniard become the latest victim of the Vicarage Road axe - and the muddled thinking from the top might eventually prove costly.
Prediction 17th

WEST HAM UNITED
Last season 13th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Quarter finals
Last major trophy FA Cup 1980 Premier League seasons 23
Manager Manuel Pellegrini (since May 2018) 
Players in Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop, Lukasz Fabianski, Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko, Fabian Balbuena, Felipe Anderson, Xande Silva, Lucas Perez, Carlos Sanchez  
Players out Ben Wells, Reece Burke, Cheikhou Kouyate, Domingos Quina
Owners David Gold and David Sullivan have spent good money after bad - though, let's face it, mainly bad - in a bid to elevate West Ham United above the mid-table tussle and towards the European places. But, despite pretty significant investment from the porn barons, the Hammers have had to settle for mediocre finishes of 11th and 13th in their two seasons since their controversial taxpayer-funded move to the London Olympic Stadium. Surprisingly, Gold and Sullivan have not been discouraged from digging their hands into their pockets once again this summer, and they have indeed shelled out another £100m on 10 new players. However, their best bit of business, though, appears to be the recruitment of Manuel Pellegrini as manager - the Chilean is a safer pair of hands than any of Sam Allardyce, Slaven Bilic, or David Moyes, and he fully knows the demands of the league having memorably won it with Manchester City in 2014.
Prediction 10th

WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Last season 1st in Championship FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round
Last major trophy League Cup 1980 Premier League seasons 5
Manager Nuno Espírito Sancho (since May 2017)
Players in Benik Afobe, Willy Boly, Raul Jiminez*, Rui Patricio, Leo Bonatini, Ruben Vinagre, Paulo Alves, Joao Moutinho, Jonny Castro Otto*, Adama Traore, John Kitolano, Leander Dendoncker*, Max Kilman, Alexander Molberg*, James Pardington* 
Players out Duckens Nazon, Ben Marshall, Prince Oniangue, Carl Ikeme, Barry Douglas
Wolverhampton Wanderers were convincing Championship winners last time and show no signs of just settling for consolidation in their first season back in the top flight. Big money has been spent bringing in a raft of top Portuguese players - including Joao Moutinho and Ruben Vinagre from Monaco, and Diogo Jota from Atletico Madrid. With the impressive Ruben Neves already at Molineux, the Nuno Espirito Santos revolution appears to have found another gear this summer. As such, it would be no great surprise to see the Old Gold bloody the noses of a few of the more established Premier League outfits.
Prediction 7th

Transfer notes
*refers to loan deal
Note released players and loan players not included on Players out list (unless player loaned to another Premier League team)