11/04/2026

SATURDAY | APR 11, 2026

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Sinner, Alcaraz wobble

- Story on page 2 page 27

FROM LEFT: Liverpool’s Arne Slot, Spurs’ Roberto De Zerbi and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta. – REUTERSPIC

Make or break time Arsenal wary of in-form City as De Zerbi begins Spurs salvage mission

Reason to believe

- Story on page 2 page 28

T HE Premier League returns from a three-week hiatus this weekend with huge clashes in the battle for the title, European places and survival. Arsenal can shrug off their domestic cup disappointment by moving ever closer to a first League title in 22 years when they host Bournemouth before Manchester City travel to Chelsea. Liverpool boss Arne Slot cannot afford another damaging defeat when Fulham visit Anfield with Champions League qualification on the line. Tottenham have turned to Roberto De Zerbi to save them from the drop for the first time in nearly 50 years and the Italian takes charge for the first time at Sunderland. Here’s a look at three talking points ahead of this weekend’s action: Still Arsenal’s title to lose Defeat in the League Cup final to City and at second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup have quickly turned Arsenal’s quest for a quadruple into dreams of a Premier League and Champions League double. Mikel Arteta’s men can go 12 points clear at the top with victory over Bournemouth today (7.30pm Malaysian time), with City not in action until tomorrow. A 1-0 Champions League victory at Sporting Lisbon got the Gunners back to winning ways, but they needed heroics from goalkeeper David Raya after another unconvincing performance. Arteta welcomed several players back into the fold for the triumph over Sporting and may now face selection headaches during the crucial run-in.

fanbase are also set to protest this weekend over planned ticket price rises in line with inflation for the next three seasons. The Dutchman is facing huge questions over his future but according to The Telegraph, Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) want Slot to remain as manager into next season. FSG believes factors such as the tragic death of Diogo Jota last summer and the significant loss of form of the likes of Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk has heavily contributed to the club’s struggles this season. De Zerbi’s debut Spurs could be in the bottom three by the time of De Zerbi’s debut should West Ham beat bottom-the-table Wolves. Tottenham begin the weekend one point above the drop zone but without a League win in 2026. De Zerbi has just seven games to try and save a club that has not experienced life outside the top flight since 1978. The Italian has been lured to north London despite Spurs’ perilous position thanks to a lucrative five-year deal. The fiery former Marseille boss established a positive reputation for himself in England during a two-year spell as Brighton manager between 2022 and 2024. But his methods often take time to bed in. Time Tottenham do not have in the battle for survival. Tottenham legend Teddy Sheringham expressed serious reservations about De Zerbi’s suitability for the club and fears a clash of character could hinder the North London side’s

Rio Ferdinand believes 16-year-old Max Dowman could prove pivotal for Arsenal in the title race despite his tender age. “He could be the key to Arteta getting Arsenal over the line,” the former England centreback said. City, by contrast, appear to be hitting top form after thrashing Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarterfinals and will smell blood should Arsenal stumble at the Emirates. Pep Guardiola’s men still have a game in hand on Arsenal and the two face off next weekend in a potentially decisive clash in the title race. Struggling Liverpool in ‘survival mode’ Slot conceded the English champions were outclassed in defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday and they face a battle just to make the competition next season. “We were in survival mode for large parts of the game but maybe also in the period of the season we are in, we are in survival mode,” said Slot after a run of one win in six games. The top five in the Premier League will qualify and Liverpool occupy fifth for now but only seven points separate them from Bournemouth in 12th. The wretched form of both Liverpool and Chelsea has offered hope for the chasing pack. Fulham are among them and can close to within two points of the Reds should Liverpool suffer a fourth consecutive defeat. Slot has already lost the confidence of large sections of the Liverpool support less than a year on from winning the title and a disgruntled

P R EMIE R LEAGUE

survival hopes. “I like him, first of all. “I like him as a manager, but if I’m perfectly honest, I don’t know whether he’s the right fit for Tottenham. “He’s very outspoken, very Latin temperament, quite narky at times. Says how he feels, says what he demands from people. “I don’t know whether that’s the right sort of person in charge in the long run, but I’m excited by what he gives you.”– AFP/Agencies Fixtures (all in Malaysian time) TODAY (10pm unless stated) Arsenal vs B ournamouth (7.30pm) B rentford vs Everton B urnley vs B righton TOMO RR OW (9pm unless stated) Liverpool vs Fulham (12.30am) Palace vs Newcastle S underland vs Tottenham Forest vs Aston Villa Chelsea vs Man City (11.30pm) TUE S DAY Man Utd vs Leeds (3am)

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