24/05/2026

SUNDAY | MAY 24, 2026

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Final countdown Spurs sweat over Premier League survival as Salah, Guardiola say goodbye FROM LEFT: Liverpool’s Mo Salah, Tottenham’s Mathys Tel and Man City manager Pep Guardiola. – AFPPIC/REUTERSPIC

TOTTENHAM must avoid defeat against Everton today to guarantee their place in the Premier League next season as Pep Guardiola and Mohamed Salah prepare for emotional farewells. This time last year Tottenham fans were basking in the glow of a first trophy for 17 years after beating Manchester United to lift the Europa League. Head coach Roberto De Zerbi believes the visit of Everton dwarfs the importance of that victory, with Premier League sur vival at stake. “There is something more important than the trophy and the bonus,” he said. “There is the future of the club, there is the history of the club. “There is the pride of the players, there is the pride of the families of the players. There is the dignity of every one of us.” Everton manager David Moyes finds himself in a unique position, with his cur rent club’s match against Spurs potentially deciding the fate of his former team, West Ham United. While Everton are practically out of con tention for European football, Moyes has expressed a personal desire to help West Ham avoid relegation. The stakes are high for West Ham, who are currently 18th and sit two points behind Spurs. To survive, the Hammers must defeat Leeds United today and hope Tottenham lose to Everton.

front of the Kop. With increasing speculation over his future, Slot can ill afford to let any personal issues with Salah get in the way of finishing the season on a high. Liverpool have failed to win any of the nine League games that Salah has not started in 2026. The Reds, who host Brentford, have a three-point lead and a six-goal cushion on goal difference over sixth-placed Bournemouth. Sixth could be enough to qualify for the Champions League if Liverpool win and leapfrog Aston Villa, who travel to Manchester City, into fifth spot. As it stands, the sixth and seventh placed teams would go into the Europa League and the eighth would qualify for the Conference League. Brighton would be guaranteed at least Europa League football with victory over Manchester United. Sunderland host Chelsea with a chance of qualifying for continental competition for the first time in more than half a cen tury. At the Etihad, Guardiola is set for a rous ing send-off after amassing 20 trophies in his decade in charge, including six Premier League titles and City’s only Champions League. “It’s been the experience of my life,” said the Catalan after announcing his departure on Friday. – AFP/The Independent

while European football is also on the line for Brighton, Brentford, Chelsea and Sunderland. The Reds should ensure a terrible sea son does not end on a fresh low note by securing a top-five finish in Salah’s fare well to Anfield. Finishing in the top five would ensure Champions League football next season – a consolation prize after a shocking title defence. Egypt international Salah criticised Liverpool’s performances under Arne Slot this season after last week’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa. “I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that oppo nents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies,” he said in a social media post, pointedly referring to the football played under Slot’s predecessor Jurgen Klopp. “Qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen,” he added. Salah’s outburst gives Slot a tough deci sion to make on whether to start the 33 year-old, who has only recently returned from a hamstring injury. The already unpopular coach risks infu riating the Liverpool fans even further if he does not give the man they christened “The Egyptian King” one last run out in

A draw would likely be sufficient for Spurs to secure their top-flight status due to their superior goal difference. Moyes, who managed West Ham for five-and-a-half years across two spells between 2017 and 2024, and led them to the UEFA Conference League title in 2023, openly stated his sentiment. “I’d love to keep West Ham in the League if I can,” he told reporters. However, the 63-year-old was quick to clar ify his primary allegiance. “It’s more important I get Everton that top finish and we get a few more million pounds because of our League position,” he added, highlighting Everton’s pursuit of a potential top-10 finish. Tottenham, revitalised under De Zerbi, have lost just one of their last five fixtures, contrasting sharply with Everton’s current six-match winless streak. However, they were beaten 2-1 by London rivals Chelsea on Tuesday, which meant that the relegation battle has gone to the final day. West Ham also missed the opportunity to leapfrog Spurs in the table last weekend when they lost 3-1 at Newcastle. The odds are now stacked against the Hammers to stay in the Premier League, but their former boss Moyes could do them a massive favour. Liverpool and Bournemouth could both secure places in the Champions League,

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