25/04/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | APR 25, 2026

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Carrick not chasing answer on United future MICHAEL CARRICK (inset) said he loves manag ing Manchester United but is not “chasing” an answer on his future as the club close in on a Champions League spot. decent shape. I think there’s a lot (of the season) to go, we still want to keep improving, there’s layers that we want to get to, really. I’ll see, you know.

King shrugs off reports of Lampard-Chelsea link

COVENTRY CITY CHAIRMAN Doug King is unconcerned about the prospect that Frank Lampard, the manager who led the club back to the Premier League after 25 years, may leave in the close season, with reports linking the coach with a return to Chelsea. Lampard spent 13 years at Chelsea as a player, and was twice appointed as the club’s coach, including a short stint as caretaker man ager in 2023. The former England midfielder, who won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and one Champions League title with Chelsea dur ing his playing career, led the club to the FA Cup final as manager in 2020. King said Lampard was in a “happy place” after winning his first trophy as a manager when Coventry secured the Championship title this week. “You can see how emotionally connected (Lampard) is with the city, you can see what it

meant to him to get promotion and then the title and I think he’s found a happy place at the moment,” King told the BBC in an interview published yesterday. “It doesn’t mean there’s not going to be some staggering bid for him in the summer and he’ll have to make his choices, because he’s shown his credentials as a high-quality head coach, but I’m not going to comment on that, I can’t control it. “I just think he’s happy, I’m happy, every body’s happy, we’ve just got smiles on our faces and we don’t worry about what may or may not happen for the head coach.” Lampard’s contract with Coventry runs until June 2027. Chelsea sacked manager Liam Rosenior on Wednesday. Manager Andoni Iraola, who will leave Bournemouth in the summer, has also been linked with Chelsea in British media reports. – Reuters

“I keep saying the same things every week. There’s only so much I can say in terms of that, but I’ve said it many times. “Again, I enjoy being here, I love being here. It’s a real privi lege to be in the position I am but thriving with the responsi bility that we’ve got.” The former England interna

United’s former midfielder was appointed as head coach until the end of the season following Ruben Amorim’s acrimonious exit in January. Carrick has masterminded

wins against Manchester City and Arsenal during an impres sive spell that has lifted United to third in the Premier League. But he still has no clarity on his future. “I’ve said it many times, I enjoy being here, I enjoy the role I’m in,” Carrick said yesterday, ahead of Tuesday’s home match against Brentford. “We’ve had some good results and we’re in

tional, 44, said he was unsure when he would get clarity over his future. “Genuinely it’s not something in terms of deadlines that I’m really chasing. I think it’ll become clear when it’s going to become clear.” – AFP

Relegation battle Do Spurs, West Ham, Forest or Leeds have the best run-in?

FROM LEFT: Leeds’ Ao Tanaka, Forest’s Neco Williams, West Ham’s Konstantinos Mavropanos and Spurs’ Xavi Simons. – REUTERSPIC

Ű BY LUKE BAKER

won’t be a pretty watch.

on the penultimate day of the season. • Hosting Bournemouth on the final day could offer a chance to snatch the points required if things aren’t wrapped up by then. • A home match against a floundering Newcastle as their antepenultimate fixture could also be worse. • Things could be complicated if they are still going in the Europa League by that point, how ever. West Ham United Position: 17th | Played: 33 | Points: 33 Remaining fixtures: April 24 - Everton (H) , May 2 - Brentford (A), May 9 - Arsenal (H) , May 17 - Newcastle (A) , May 24 - Leeds (H) . Where to pick up points? • Their impressive form since hugely damaging back-to-back defeats to Wolves and Forest have seen West Ham go from doomed to having a genuine chance of survival. • Welcoming Leeds to the London Stadium on the final day also looms incredibly large. Tricky contests? • The Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H) run from late April to early May does not look very friendly. Final straight? • If West Ham can get through that three game stretch with a realistic shot at survival then an away game against Newcastle and a home clash with Leeds to finish the season might just be the ticket to get them clear of the drop zone. • The final-day showdown against Daniel Farke’s side could be an all-time classic but

mark and they’ll be eyeing up the home fixture against Burnley to get over the line. Tricky contests? • A trip to Bournemouth in April and hosting European football-chasing Brighton in their penultimate fixture won’t be easy. • Will a FA Cup semifinal against Chelsea this weekend prove to be a welcome distraction or a hindrance? Final straight? • Leeds look safe, but they will be desperate to have that secured by the time they travel to West Ham on the final day but if not, that could be a high-octane shootout for survival. Nottingham Forest Position: 16th | Played: 33 | Points: 36 Remaining fixtures: April 24 - Sunderland (A) , May 2 - Chelsea (A), May 9 - Newcastle (H) , May 17 - Manchester United (A), May 24 - Bourne mouth (H) . Where to pick up points? • Forest had to make the most of a home fixture against doomed Burnley. • If not, a home game against a struggling Newcastle could be their best chance. Tricky contests? • Trips to Manchester United and Chelsea await Forest on the docket. • Forest also have to negotiate a Europa League semifinal with Aston Villa, which may prove a distraction. Final straight? • It’s not the best with a journey to Old Trafford

T OTTENHAM are staring down the bar rel of the unthinkable: relegation from the Premier League. Results last week end did not go their way, and it could be about to get worse, as well. Relegation for a Spurs side that won the Europa League last season, reached the Champions League knockout stage this term and has spent just one season outside the top flight since 1950 would go down as one of the biggest shocks in Premier League history. Roberto De Zerbi is now the man tasked with engineering an escape, but Brighton scor ing a last-minute equaliser at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday felt like a dagger into the heart of Spurs supporters. Leeds have pulled clear of the relegation zone after back-to-back victories against Manchester United and Wolves, while Nottingham Forest and West Ham have both done what Tottenham have failed to do in recent weeks and pick up three precious points. With Burnley and Wolves doomed, here’s how the crucial relegation run-in is shaping up. Leeds United Position: 15th | Played: 33 | Points: 39 Remaining fixtures: April 25 - Bournemouth (A) , May 2 - Burnley (H) , May 9 - Tottenham (A) , May 17 - Brighton (H) , May 24 - West Ham (A) . Where to pick up points? • Fixtures have fallen fairly kindly for Leeds after win over Man United and a 3-0 home vic tory over Wolves it now looks probable that they will secure PL football next season. • Need one more point to reach the 40-point

Tottenham Hotspur Position: 18th | Played: 33 | Points: 31 Remaining fixtures: April 25 - Wolves (A) , May 2 - Aston Villa (A) , May 9 - Leeds (H) , May 17 - Chelsea (A) , May 24 - Everton (H) . Where to pick up points? • Spurs can’t pick up points from anywhere. • On paper, a game away to Wolves next has to end up with three points, and a potentially piv otal clash with Leeds at home. • Three matches from the end of the campaign is also a golden opportunity. Tricky contests? • Given their recent form, away games at Champions League-chasing Aston Villa and Chelsea in May don’t look too fruitful. Final straight? • Leeds at home as the third-last game is abso lutely huge. • A trip to Stamford Bridge and clash with Everton to finish up appear unlikely to provide succour. Verdict? This could genuinely go in any direction and you’d have to be a brave person to predict the outcome with any confidence. It could still all come down to the final day when West Ham host Leeds , Spurs play Everton and Nottingham Forest host Bournemouth.

The Independent