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Manchester United defender Eric Bailly should be available to face Arsenal on Sunday after being totally omitted from the squad to face their North London rivals Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend, according to the Manchester Evening News. 

He is United’s best centre-half and will hope to dislodge either Phil Jones or Chris Smalling, despite the England pair performing impressively in that Wembley victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

What’s the story, then?

The report states that the only reason that Bailly missed out at Wembley was through illness, with Jose Mourinho unwilling to risk the Ivorian, but he should be ready to return against the Gunners.

It goes on to say that the bug had been persisting since before the debacle against West Bromwich Albion and he was not 100 per cent well for the trip to Bournemouth, despite being named on the bench.

That news will be a relief to United fans who might have feared that he had suffered a recurrence of the injury problems that have blighted his Old Trafford career so far, having started just one of their last five games.

Why is it such a huge boost?

Bailly is so vital to United. He is their best centre-half and has the pace and athleticism that their other options lack.

Smalling and Jones will not be able to handle the pace of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jose Mourinho will be desperate to get him involved in the match that could all but secure second place for United, with Liverpool occupied with Champions League commitments.

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Also, getting Bailly back into contention before next month’s FA Cup final, United’s biggest game of the season, would be a boost for Mourinho, who has missed the Ivorian desperately this term.

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The two stand-out fixtures from this weekend’s Premier League games are Arsenal vs. Chelsea and Southampton vs. Tottenham. Arsenal bout with Chelsea is the main source of focus, but just because we want to cling to the belief that there’s still a title race to be had. In actual fact, Southampton hosting Spurs is definitely the bigger game.

Realistically, Chelsea won’t lose the title from here. They’ve been so far ahead for so long, and last weekend really needed to go against them if Arsenal were to have any chance. It was never just about the Gunners beating Chelsea, it was about Chelsea collapsing. And having to play Manchester United at home was a real chance for a slip up.

Sunday afternoon was a crunch time for Spurs and Southampton.

As Liverpool were sent crashing out of the FA Cup semi-final, Aston Villa booked their place in the Europa League for next season, leaving only two places available for those teams qualifying through their league position. Had Liverpool won that game to face Arsenal in the final, Liverpool, Spurs and Southampton could all have qualified as seventh place would’ve been given a spot. As it stands, only fifth and sixth will be given a Europa League berth for next term.

And so there are three teams vying for two spots, making Southampton Spurs a must-win for both these teams if they want European football for next season.

For all the talk last week of Liverpool chasing City for the final Champions League spot Liverpool are still level on points with Spurs, the team in sixth and only one point ahead of Southampton who are a further place back.

How short-term the Premier League is – last week it looked as if Liverpool were chasing a Champions League spot again after two defeats in a row. Because of City’s poor form, Liverpool looked to be closing in. But that was last week. Now they don’t look as close to City. The Reds are seven points behind them, albeit they have a game in hand.

It shows just how tight this part of the league is. Southampton and Spurs are so close to Liverpool, and a win for either of those two puts Liverpool on the back foot. They do have a game in hand though, so they still look the favourites for fifth, and if not fifth, then definitely sixth – barring something disastrous in their last six games, they should qualify alright.

And this is why Saturday becomes such a big day for the others. A draw would suit Liverpool, and Spurs would remain a point clear of Southampton. So it’s presumably a result that would please Spurs more than Saints. But it certainly wouldn’t give them any breathing space and any slip up could still see Saints make their move. Whether Spurs actually do want to play in the Europa League next season is perhaps up for debate, but finishing seventh would put them out of Europe altogether and that is surely still unacceptable.

Southampton on the other hand can go above Spurs, and at this stage of the season it could be huge psychologically as much as anything else. The pressure is on Spurs to qualify for Europe – at the start of the season fourth place was their objective. Southampton, on the other hand, have a different situation. Before the season started, we thought the depleted Saints would be sucked into a relegation battle. Now they’re on the verge of Europe, bettering even last season’s exploits. The pressure is off Southampton and is squarely on the shoulders of Spurs. So this game is just as big for the psychology of the race as it is for the race itself.

If Liverpool have fifth place sewn up then that race is for sixth place. Seventh is no good to anyone and so the pressure is on. But it’s on Spurs more that Southampton.

Saturday is a big game, make no mistake about that. If you watch only one game this weekend, maybe it should be this one, and not the one at the Emirates.

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It has been another week to forget off the field at Coventry. With Administration now officially confirmed and the inevitable ten point deduction being applied City are left with all but no hope of reaching the playoffs

City fans also remain in the dark over the future of the club with very little information coming out of the club and the administrator. An administrator’s job is to cut costs significantly and get the club into a position where a potential buyer can come in on a relatively level footing. This would suggest that player sales are on the cards with them being the only real assets left at the club.

Player sales are far from certain though with any potential new owners possibly wanting the current squad to still be intact. There is no doubting it would be a real shame to break this squad up after showing so much promise throughout this season.

The players responded to adversity in the only way good players know how as they proved their worth again on Saturday where despite everything going on at the club and the 10 point deduction went out and gave it all they had against top of the table Doncaster. City matched them in every aspect of the game and Cyrus Christie’s goal won it for City. Every player in that team played a pivotal role in the game and all of them deserve massive praise but not just for that game but for the whole season.

This in spite of Monday’s game which came and ended in huge disappointment. This was the sort of game I have been waiting for if I’m being honest. There was always going to be a hangover from the goings on and a 4-0 loss at Walsall was definitely that. Although we came up against a team challenging for playoffs who before the game were 11 unbeaten and 11 unbeaten at home. Taking in all the circumstances and I find it hard to criticise the players too much and instead look forward and hope they don’t let this season go out with a whimper.

There is no doubt that we didn’t start the season well but I don’t blame the squad for that I blame Thorn, Shaw and Sisu who took far too long in their managerial appointment. When Robins finally took over and got the team organised and looking like a decent football side the players began to flourish.

For us to have been in a position where the playoffs were in reach after the start we made was an achievement to be proud of and these players deserve our praise. They have given everything for this club in the past couple of seasons and have had to put up with so much off the field. From the best players constantly leaving the club to youngsters who were not ready to be thrown in at the deep end.

People say off the field problems shouldn’t affect the players but when they are on the scale they are at Coventry then they have to. The perfect example is that of the Portsmouth game where it has been revealed that the players met with the owners before the match to be told about the off the field situation. This can’t be good for the players and defeat was almost inevitable despite a half decent performance from the Skyblues.

The squad as whole is pretty well balanced at the moment. There are players in every position who can do a job and do it well but I do fear it may be difficult to keep this squad together for next season. Not just because we might be forced to sell for financial reasons but there are players who are good enough to step up a level.

The first obvious one to go will be Richard Wood whose contract is up and is a truly outstanding centre half. His only down falls are that he is quite quiet for a centre half and sometimes struggles to take charge of the back four which he should be doing with his quality. His injury record is something that also stands out as being far from good and this may put off potential suitors but his quality does shine through and will be the overwhelming factor in any potential move for the player.

Another we may struggle to keep hold of is our captain Carl Baker who has been a bit of a revelation this season. The only saving grace with him is that he seems very loyal and the fact he is the captain of this side may be a significant factor in his decision to stay or go. I also think he is at his level, he struggled at times in the championship with defenders often finding it easy against him. In league one though we have seen him terrorise opposition defences with mazy runs and often clinical finishing.

The only others that I reckon will leave are the players on loan. The likes of Bailey and Martin I’m sure will go elsewhere if not back to their parent clubs. I do feel we can keep at least the majority of this squad together though and promotion next season could be a possibility.

In the end though it is once again going to all come down to what happens off the field. We as fans have no control over what is going to happen so for now at least we need to try and forget about it and concentrate on the squad of players that has done us so proud this season and deserve so much more from the club.

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The players are the individuals who represent the club that we love and anyone looking from the outside who knew nothing of what is going on at the club would say that’s a good squad of players. We should be proud of this as City fans and the players have responded to the brilliant support we have given them this year especially away from the Ricoh.

Undoubtedly this season will be remembered for all of the wrong reasons but I for one won’t forget what this squad so nearly achieved and whatever happens to this club in the coming weeks the majority of our players can hold their heads up and be proud of what they achieved this year.

PUSB!!

Follow @benleach2

David Moyes will never go down in history as an ally to Liverpool due to his managerial background.The Scotsman spent over a decade being in charge of the Reds’ Merseyside rivals Everton, and when he left in 2013, he embarked on a career at Manchester United.Moyes managed to earn a decent reputation while Everton manager, but his stint at Old Trafford diminished his image as he lasted less than a year.From a Liverpool fan’s perspective, the Scotsman was never going to be a much-loved figure on the red half of Merseyside.[ad_pod ]However, he has become somewhat of a joke for rival fans over the last few years due to failed stints at United, Real Sociedad and Sunderland.Now, Moyes is at the helm of West Ham United, and on Sunday his team did Liverpool a favour by restricting Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.The result gives the Reds a 10-point lead above fifth-placed Chelsea with five games left to play.Liverpool fans on Twitter and Reddit were quick to thank Moyes.

Comment from discussion Huge West Ham draw against Chelski- keeps 10 point gap between us and Chelski.Comment from discussion Huge West Ham draw against Chelski- keeps 10 point gap between us and Chelski.Comment from discussion Huge West Ham draw against Chelski- keeps 10 point gap between us and Chelski.

Manchester United are set to join Liverpool in the chase for Arsenal contract rebel Theo Walcott, according to reports from the Mirror.

Despite his contract expiring in the summer of 2016, Walcott has yet to start negotiations with the Gunners hierarchy over a new deal.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Liverpool transfer news

The England winger has struggled for a first-team role since returning from a long-term knee injury he picked up at the beginning of 2014, and is reluctant to sign a new deal unless he is guaranteed a pay-rise and regular playing time.

The 26-year-old ‘s situation has alerted Liverpool and Man United, with champions Manchester City supposedly also keen on his services.

But despite his lack of first-team football, Walcott was still called up for the England squad to face Lithuania in a Euro 2016 Qualifier on Friday and a friendly with Italy next week.

And Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson claims that unless Walcott can play on a regular basis, then his national team place could be in real jeopardy.

He said: “That’s the thing about football, isn’t it? If you’re not careful, there’s always someone behind you waiting to take your place. It’s a dog eat dog world, a bit.

“It is an important few months for him. He’s been concentrating on training. We’ve enjoyed having him back. You can see he likes to be with England and enjoys that aspect of his professional football career.

“But he’s got to satisfy a few of his critics and, if you like, make certain a) he stays fit and b) gets his place back as one of the first names on the Arsenal team sheet. When he does that, he might be pushing for a first name on the England team sheet.

“Every time, sometimes through no fault of your own… you can be injured. But then suddenly your position, which had looked very secure, suddenly six months down the line is not so secure. That’s something all footballers learn to live with.

“With England, he’s always been a very good servant. He’s been with me in my three years without necessarily playing the main figure. He’s always been there in the background.

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“Whenever we thought we could use him, he’s got injured again.”

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How big of a distraction will Wigan’s FA Cup run be to their bid for Premier League survival? The Latics reached the semi final with a stunning victory at Everton last week but fell back into the bottom three as a consequence of the positive results gained by the teams around them. With a month until their Wembley date with Millwall there is a big chance for Roberto Martinez to guide is side to safety with time to spare and bypass a final day usually fraught with nerves. To do that they must improve on the Premier League’s worst home record. 10 points from 14 games is poor by anyones standards and with the DW Stadium hosting Newcastle this week and Norwich in a fortnight the opportunity is there to start putting it right. After all its at this point in the season that Wigan come alive!

Alan Pardew’s side head to the North West with a major score to settle after they were trounced 4-0 by Martinez’s men last term. The Magpies were in the midst of a Champions League chase when they last visited the DW and ultimately ended up with a spot in the Europa League. A late, late victory over Anzhi Makhachkala on Thursday took them into the last eight of the competition and epitomised their recent upturn in form. Four wins from the last six in the league has given Newcastle reason to look up rather than down and Papiss Cisse’s injury time winner at home to Stoke last week put them nine points above the relegation zone. With the top-half now within their sights Pardew will be pushing his troops to right the wrongs of last season’s defeat at Wigan.

Team News

Callum McManaman (ankle) is a doubt for Wigan, while Ryo Miyaichi looks set to miss the rest of the season after damaging his ankle ligaments against Everton in the FA Cup last week.

Newcastle could travel without stand-in captain Yohan Cabaye after he tweaked his groin in the Europa League win against Anzhi on Thursday. Hatem Ben Arfa won’t play again this season as he awaits hamstring surgery but Shola Ameobi is fit.

What the managers said…

“Year after year that fight becomes harder because teams are more prepared and stronger to cope with the demands in that final push. I do see it as the strongest fight out of the last four I’ve been involved in. There is a very tight group in the middle of the table and until you get the points you need it is a difficult position to be in. Clearly 40 points will give you safety but from that point down you are relying on very small margins like goal difference. It is impossible to tell now because the games left are between teams involved in the bottom eight and they will have a massive bearing on the final points tally needed.” Roberto Martinez hinted Wigan may have to rely on goal difference if they want to stay up (The Sun)

“The question was asked to me yesterday, and of course I think we can win it. But we can’t get carried away. I do honestly believe that we have put one of the best teams out of this competition. If you ask me from the side of the pitch technically where do I pitch them, I would pitch them as a top-five team in the Premier League. They caused us a lot of problems. They have outstanding individual players in every area, really. We have beaten them, albeit with a slight bit of good fortune in this tie, so we can go on and win it. The one thing we do know is that the home tie here, whoever gets us is going to be in for another electric night. The fans played their part tonight, they really did.” Alan Pardew is adamant Newcastle can go all the way in the Europa League (Evening Chronicle)

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Pre-Match Statistic: Wigan have never suffered a home defeat at the hands of Newcastle in the Premier League, winning five of their six meetings

Prediction: Wigan Athletic 1-2 Newcastle United

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Liverpool convincingly beat Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield yesterday.

Goals from Mo Salah, Saido Mane and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlin have put Liverpool in a convincing position before the second leg.

City disappointed for most the game, with no shots on goal. The game was marred due in the pre-match lead up when Liverpool fans attacked the Manchester City team bus.

When driving up to the ground, City were greeted with a hostile reception, with fans loudly chanting and releasing flares.

Small groups of fans took things too far, throwing projectiles at the team bus. The damage was so bad that the bus was undriveable and a replacement needed to be sent.

Fans reacted on Twitter, a section of this reaction can be seen below…

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Tottenham Hotspurs certainly know how to develop future stars, with young Harry Kane looking to be the latest “real-deal.”

The 21-year-old has been plastered all over the newspapers and on TV in the last few months, with many clubs across Europe keeping an eye on his progress. Everyone is familiar with the story of Gareth Bale. Played amazing at Tottenham, helped them shoot up the table, got sold for a record fee and Spurs haven’t been as good since. The bosses at White Hart Lane need to make sure they do not cash in on the situation and sell Kane too early. So have they learnt their lesson?

Kane has been the undoubted star and surprise package of this season’s Premier League and it seems like nothing can stop “Hurricane.” The nice thing is though it is clear he just wants to play football and at any level he can. Despite having made his debut for England on Friday night (and scoring) he still wants to join the England U21 team during the summer.

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Last time Tottenham had a superstar in their midst they sold him to the tune of £86million. At the moment the future is bright for Tottenham Hotspur. Mauricio Pochettino is proving to be a great manager, the players are building as individuals and a squad and they are in the middle of planning a new 56,000 seater stadium but should Tottenham fans get used to seeing their main stars leave for bigger and better things?

The big problem seems to be money. It always comes down to money. There is currently a big debate over what Harry Kane will spend his summer doing. Tottenham have a big summer tour planned away in Australia but the young striker wants to play for England U21s. Spurs are keen for him to play in Australia because it will mean more money for him but it could be the worst decision they make.

If Spurs tell Kane to join them in Australia rather than join England than they may live to regret it. It would certainly not show any learning from the Bale sale. While I think it is clear they will want to keep Kane’s talents for as long as possible they need to think about how best to deal with the situation. It is great to see a young star so desperate to play for his country, but it could have been so easy for him to say no to playing for the U21s now he has started to be noticed by Roy Hodgson for the Seniors but he didn’t and Tottenham should really respect that.

If they don’t respect it, they may just lose Kane whether they want to or not because they might have learnt that selling your best player and not replacing him will not work, but they haven’t learnt that sometimes money is not the best answer.

Kane wants to play football, and Tottenham need to appreciate that.

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Gabriel Obertan looks set to be leaving Newcastle when the transfer window opens in the summer, according to reports from TalkSport.

The French winger has spent the majority of 2013 on the bench, after Alan Pardew’s January signings left Obertan out of favour at St James’ Park.

Both Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran have impressed Newcastle’s faithful, scoring 4 goals between them since their winter moves across the English Channel. The instant impact of the two Frenchmen have helped their side win their last three Premier League matches at home, pushing them further away from the relegation zone.

Obertan will be desperate for game time, as the winger hasn’t played a league game since January, coming on in the 80th minute in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat at home to Reading. Since then, Obertan’s appearances have been limited to Europa League matches only.

With star man Hatem Ben Arfa returning from injury, Obertan seems to have fallen further down in Pardew’s pecking order, with the Englishman reportedly ready to sell the 24-year-old in the summer. And with clubs in Ligue 1 rumoured to be interested in the winger, Pardew may not struggle to find a new club for the Frenchman.

Obertan has scored just once in his 35 appearances for the Magpies since his move from Manchester United in 2011, where he also struggled to impress in his short spell there.  With just nine games left in the season, Obertan will be looking to string a run of form together to ensure he’s a Newcastle player next season.

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Sam Allardyce arrived at Everton in November to stop their ship from sinking following a disastrous few months under former manager Ronald Koeman.

The experienced coach managed to drag the Toffees away from the relegation zone and life appeared a little bit brighter for the Merseyside outfit.

However, after recording just two Premier League wins across January and February, the tide turned, and fans began blasting Allardyce on social media.

Attention has now shifted to potential coaches that could take over at Goodison Park when the season comes to an end.

There does not seem to be a clear frontrunner as yet, but some fans have brought back an old candidate – Nice boss Lucien Favre.

A report in The Mirror from May 2016 revealed that Favre was being considered by Everton following the sacking of Roberto Martinez, but due to their lack of urgency in securing a replacement, the former Borussia Monchengladbach boss chose Nice.

With Favre’s future at the French outfit uncertain, Everton supporters are wondering whether their club should make a move at the end of the season.

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A thread on Reddit has given an insight into what the supporters are thinking.

Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.Comment from discussion Lucien Favre?.

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