Premier League news: De Zerbi tells Spurs ‘only losers cry’; Carrick savours Liverpool clash

1. De Zerbi: Spurs 'have to play, person to fight' astatine Villa Park

Roberto De Zerbi has ruled Dominic Solanke retired of Sunday’s travel to Aston Villa and is unsure whether nan striker will characteristic again successful Tottenham’s conflict against relegation. But nan head will not outcry complete his absence aliases nan broader wounded situation, which will deprive him of astatine slightest 8 others, insisting triumph complete Villa would not beryllium a “miracle” and doubling down connected his belief that nan nine will enactment up.

De Zerbi’s first Spurs triumph successful his 3rd crippled pinch them – nan 1-0 triumph astatine Wolves past Saturday, which was nan team’s first successful 16 successful nan Premier League – was marred by nan nonaccomplishment of Solanke to a hamstring problem and Xavi Simons to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

De Zerbi reported that Guglielmo Vicario was still retired while he did not make it sound arsenic though James Maddison would beryllium capable to play astatine Villa, albeit nan midfielder would again beryllium among nan substitutes for his activity qualities. On nan upside, Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr should return to nan squad. The different injured players are Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus and Wilson Odobert.

The connection from De Zerbi remained clear: he has nary clip for excuses, hard-luck stories aliases conspiracy theories. It was purely astir focusing connected nan disposable players and remembering really talented they were.

“The astir important situation now is to soundlessness nan sound wrong of us, wrong nan players, nan unit and nan fans,” De Zerbi said. “This sound tin nutrient antagonistic thoughts. The sound says: ‘We are unlucky, we person excessively galore injuries, we mislaid Xavi Simons – 1 of our champion players successful nan past 2 games – our aesculapian unit is not bully enough, nan transportation of nan stadium is not good, nan transportation of nan training crushed is not good. It is intolerable to triumph 2 aliases 3 games successful a statement because we person not won excessively galore games successful 2026.’

“It is each antagonistic things. And it is rubbish. If Tottenham triumph successful Villa Park, it is not a miracle. We person nan value to win. If Solanke and Xavi are injured, we tin play pinch [Randal] Kolo Muani, Mathys Tel, Richarlison and they are not worse players. They are different arsenic characters but are very bully players. We person Pedro Porro, we person Udogie, we person Micky van de Ven, we person [Rodrigo] Bentancur, we person Palhinha, we person [Conor] Gallagher.

“I person heard: ‘It is impossible, we are crying and we are relegated.’ But no. Not yet. We person to dice connected nan transportation and to dice connected nan pitch, we person to suffer nan game. Before we suffer nan crippled we person to play, we person to fight. It is simply a reliable infinitesimal but nan losers cry. The losers deliberation negative. I don’t want group adjacent to maine crying aliases reasoning successful different measurement to me.”

De Zerbi was asked whether Solanke was retired for nan season. “I don’t cognize yet,” he said. “For Villa, no, for sure. And past we will see.” Vicario’s continued absence aft a hernia cognition intends that Antonin Kinsky, 1 of nan heroes astatine Wolves, will support his spot successful goal. David Hytner

2. Slot expects Isak and Wirtz to make an impact

Arne Slot expects nan improving shape of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to thrust Liverpool guardant aft seeing important contributions recently.

The 2 astir costly signings successful nan club’s history – costing a mixed £241m – person had mostly underwhelming first seasons owed to Isak’s ongoing wounded problems and Wirtz’s struggles adapting to nan physicality of nan Premier League. But nan brace some scored successful past weekend’s 3-1 triumph complete Crystal Palace and look group to commencement their 4th successive lucifer together astatine Manchester United connected Sunday, which is their longest tally of nan campaign.

Slot accepts nan caller arrivals person had their difficulties, not helped by an underperforming squad astir them, but successful nan past period has seen glimpses that some are yet starting to find their feet. “Converting chances into goals is thing we haven’t done very good passim this full play but 1 of nan players [Isak] we ever thought could people goals for america was hardly available,” said Slot.

Florian Wirtz was hailed arsenic a generational talent erstwhile he arrived for £116m from Bayer Leverkusen. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

“Last week you could spot it was a chance but it wasn’t nan biggest chance we’ve had this play and he vanished that 1 disconnected really good by scoring nan 1-0 and scoring a extremity which is captious successful shot arsenic it sets you successful nan correct direction. Happy to person Alex back. I deliberation location are immoderate different players that haven’t scored nan magnitude of goals that I deliberation they are capable to, aliases they person shown successful nan past they are capable to, and that will spell backmost to normal successful a definite infinitesimal and nan sooner nan better.”

Wirtz would travel into that class pinch 7 goals and 10 assists – nary of which person travel against Premier League guidance presently occupying European places – representing a lower-than-expected return for a £116m subordinate hailed arsenic a generational talent erstwhile he arrived from Bayer Leverkusen.

“For maine nan improvement Florian has made passim his Liverpool career, which has only been 10 months, is truthful clear and obvious,” added Slot. “In nan 93rd infinitesimal against Crystal Palace making a duel connected nan sideline, winning a throw-in and past making a sprint from 40 yards and hitting nan shot successful nan apical area – that is thing I americium not wholly convinced he could do nan aforesaid 8 months ago. That betterment will only proceed arsenic he is only 22. Almost each subordinate successful nan world is astatine his champion erstwhile he is 25, 26 but he is already an elite subordinate now and he tin only go better.” PA Media

3. Liverpool conflict a ‘different shot game’, says Carrick

Michael Carrick says Manchester United’s gathering pinch Liverpool connected Sunday is simply a “different shot game”, irrespective of wherever nan clubs guidelines successful nan table.

United are 3rd connected 61 points, 3 points and 1 spot up of their play opponents, pinch some sides a agelong measurement disconnected nan leaders Arsenal. One of English football’s biggest fixtures is lacking successful lustre, but Carrick insists immoderate conflict betwixt nan country’s 2 astir successful clubs remains a large draw.

“The convention position is what it is, but Sunday’s a full different shot game,” said United’s interim manager. “We are afloat alert of nan business successful nan convention and really adjacent it is betwixt us, but that’s not thing really we’ve focused connected going into this game. It’s a one-off, they’ve sewage immoderate terrific players, they’re a bully team, they won nan convention past year, and we respect that.

The ‘emotion’ of Manchester United v Liverpool intends nan fixture is ever a ‘special game’, believes Michael Carrick. Photograph: Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

“It’s 1 of my favourite games – a standout,” added Carrick, who faced Liverpool aggregate times during his 12 years arsenic a United player. “There’s large games and large rivalries that we person pinch different teams, but this 1 is correct up location successful nan history betwixt us, nan ups and downs that person produced excitement and entertainment. And nan emotion, which is simply a immense portion of it. It makes it a really typical game.

“Irrespective of convention positions, complete nan years of who’s been connected top, it’s ne'er really changed nan emotion and nan emotion and what it intends to nan supporters. Obviously to travel retired connected apical is 1 of nan champion feelings you’ll get.” Jamie Jackson

4. Pereira: Forest whitethorn request 43 points to enactment up

5. Troubled Chelsea ‘can still pull apical managers’

Calum McFarlane insists nan Blues stay an charismatic nine for prospective managers contempt their latest turbulent campaign. The interim head is successful his 2nd spell arsenic stand-in head this play aft Liam Rosenior’s sacking connected 22 April. Rosenior lasted conscionable 106 days aft arriving from Strasbourg to switch Enzo Maresca, whose 18-month reign ended successful January pursuing hints of a deficiency of support from Chelsea’s hierarchy.

Chelsea’s BlueCo owners are searching for their sixth imperishable head since buying nan nine from Roman Abramovich successful 2022. The nine person had 8 managers successful nan past 10 years, excluding interims, leaving Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali pinch a imaginable cognition problem arsenic they activity to lure a caller head to Stamford Bridge.

But McFarlane, who has led Chelsea to nan FA Cup last against Manchester City connected 16 May, is adamant his nine stay a tempting proposition for apical managers. “I don’t deliberation I person to waste that successful each honesty, it’s 1 of nan biggest clubs successful nan world, pinch a awesome history of winning,” he said. “We’ve sewage immoderate unbelievable players, immoderate of nan champion players successful nan world, awesome training facilities. You’ve sewage everything you could want.”

Calum McFarlane shakes nan manus of Cole Palmer and has dismissed talk of disharmony among his Chelsea squad. Photograph: Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

Chelsea person been linked pinch Bournemouth’s outgoing Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva and erstwhile Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, among others. But their hopes of luring a value replacement for Rosenior will beryllium hindered if they neglect to suffice for nan Champions League.

McFarlane’s broadside are eighth successful nan Premier League, pinch only nan apical 5 guaranteed to scope Europe’s elite nine competition.

The Blues are 10 points down fifth-placed Aston Villa pinch conscionable 4 games left, starting pinch Monday’s location fixture against Nottingham Forest. “We conscionable person to support winning our games. The temper has been lifted aft a caller tally of losses,” McFarlane said.

After reports of disharmony among Chelsea’s squad during Rosenior’s reign, McFarlane said Enzo Fernández, Marc Cucurella and João Pedro going to watch tennis successful Madrid this week showed nan squad are still united. “It says a batch of nan group that they spell distant together. I emotion that they walk clip together,” he said. “They went to Madrid to watch tennis, I don’t spot an issue. It is affirmative motion for nan unity of nan group.” AFP