║➽║ EXCLUSIVE Football News║

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Sammie Szmodics: The Blackburn hotshot who could be set for a big move
By FootballTransfers
14:19 · WED April 03, 2024
After Viktor Gyökeres took the Sky Bet Championship by storm last season, there is a new player grabbing the headlines for their goal scoring form.

Sammie Szmodics’ two goals against Sunderland on Monday took his tally to 23 and cemented his place at the top of the Championship goalscoring charts.

The 28-year-old has been nothing short of a messiah for Blackburn Rovers, whose financial issues meant they could not replace top scorer Ben Brereton Diaz following his exit last summer.

But few would have expected Szmodics to step up to such an extent - his 23 goals in the league make up over 40% of Blackburn's total.

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-ge...p=SL_ACQ_BXG30
He is also the current top scorer in FA Cup with six goals in just three games. All of this is even more impressive given that he has not scored a single penalty, and not led the line in most of these games.

But Szmodics has not stopped there, and has also picked up some of the creative burden after the departure of Bradley Dack. He ranks second for chances created and assists within the squad.

The Republic of Ireland international has now capped off his career-best campaign by making his long-awaited debut against Belgium during last month’s international break.

Sammie Szmodics Transfer Value - how much is he worth now?
According to our Player Valuation Model, Szmodics has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €3.4 million.

Sammie Szmodics Estimated Transfer Value
There is incredible talent in the lower English leagues for anyone who cares to find it.

Szmodics is a prime example of this, having never played above Championship level and joining Blackburn from a Peterborough side which had just been relegated.

His value has more than doubled since the start of the season, and has quickly eclipsed the €2 million fee which brought him to Ewood Park.

Celtic and a host of Premier League clubs are reported to be interested in Szmodics.

With his stock at an all-time high, Blackburn will find it very hard to keep hold of him should a significant offer come in.

The numbers behind Szmodics’ goals
Szmodics primarily operates as an attacking midfielder, yet his remarkable versatility sees him frequently feature as a centre-forward and winger.

Sammie Szmodics' minutes played by position
Sammie has been occupying more advanced positions this season and his ability to link play and make intelligent runs into the box makes him a handful for any defence.

This is reflected in his involvement on the pitch, with fewer touches in the middle and defensive thirds compared to last season, but an increase to 4.9 touches in the attacking penalty area (up from 2.8) and 22.3 touches in the attacking third (up from 14.1) per 90.

His excellent positioning, especially in the box, has led to his expected goals (xG) figure tripling to an impressive 0.47 per 90.

But it’s not just about getting into great goalscoring positions, it's importantly what you do after that.

expected goals on target (xGOT) is a post-shot variation of xG that assesses the quality of shots on target based on their end location. A higher xGOT value compared to the xG suggests better finishing ability.

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Premier League winner odds: Man City, Liverpool or Arsenal for the title?
By Sporting Life
22:45 · SUN April 07, 2024
The Premier League title race looks like going right to the final day of the season, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City currently separated by just one point with seven fixtures remaining.

Arsenal - 71 pts | GD: +51 | GF: 75
Liverpool - 71 pts | GD: +42 | GF: 72
Man City - 70 pts | GD: +40 | GF: 71
Premier League table in full

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-ge...p=SL_ACQ_BXG30
Premier League winner (odds via Sky Bet)
Man City - 6/4
Arsenal - 7/4
Liverpool - 9/4
The market now has Man City as favourites following Liverpool's draw at Man United.

Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to end his spell as Reds boss on a high with a title as they look to deny City from becoming the first club in English football history to win a fourth successive title.

Despite being top, Arsenal, who were comfortable weekend winners at Brighton, remain just behind City in the betting.

What does Man City's run-in look like?
Pep Guaridola
Focusing on fixtures against the current top seven, each of Liverpool, City and Arsenal face a fairly even split of home contests against those opponents.

MAN CITY face one particularly tricky away game.

Man City's fixture list in full
They go to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - a ground they are yet to score a Premier League goal at - as well as travelling to unpredictable Brighton.

What does Liverpool's run-in look like?
Harvey Elliott celebrates
LIVERPOOL host Spurs, while they face a tricky trip to Aston Villa.

Liverpool's fixture list in full
Jurgen Klopp's side also have the problematic prospect of a Merseyside derby at Goodison, a fixture that proved ultimately decisive in another close title race five years ago when Marco Silva's Everton battled to a goalless draw late in the campaign.

What does Arsenal's run-in look like?
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
ARSENAL probably face the toughest finale of the trio involved.

Trips to Tottenham and Man United - their final two away games of the season - mean if they are to win a first title in 20 years they really will have to do it the hard way.

Arsenal's fixture list in full
Of the current top seven, they do only have Aston Villa to welcome to The Emirates, but Chelsea will also visit for a London derby.

Who has the momentum?
Arsenal players celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, second leg match at the Emirates
Arsenal celebrate winning on penalties against Porto
All three sides are in very strong form, with Arsenal having won 10 of their last 11 league games, Liverpool 10 of their last 13 and City 11 of their last 14.

It's hard to argue that Mikel Arteta's side are not the side gathering the most momentum. They will finish the season unbeaten against their fellow title rivals, beating both at home and drawing away, so should fancy their chances this season.

Their current run is all the more impressive given that it follows a collapse when they won just once in seven games in all competitions.

All three are still involved in Europe (City and Arsenal the Champions League, Liverpool Europa League) - while City and Liverpool still have FA Cup semi finals in April.

Jurgen Klopp celebrates winning the Carabao Cup
Jurgen Klopp celebrates winning the Carabao Cup
While things may have been falling apart in terms of injuries, Liverpool have already shown remarkable resilience to remain in contention, but will need to continue to be fuelled by the emotion of Klopp's impending departure as their fixtures pile up over the closing weeks of the campaign.

Plenty of their first-team regulars have now returned, and much of the Reds' hopes could hinge on just how quickly they all get back up to speed.

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Championship promotion odds: Who is going up to the Premier League?
By Sporting Life
09:51 · WED April 10, 2024
We're witnessing what is potentially the greatest title race the second tier has ever seen, with three teams set to take right to the wire.

Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich are setting what would usually be title-winning pace, yet at least one of them is guaranteed to remain where they are next season.

The Foxes' once commanding position has collapsed, with their odds for the title going from 1/12 to 11/10 - highlighting the swing in momentum.

Sky Bet Championship title | automatic promotion odds (via Sky Bet)
Leicester - 4/7 | 1/9
Ipswich - 11/4 | 5/6
Leeds - 9/2 | 5/6
Southampton - 80/1 | 33/1
https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-ge...p=SL_ACQ_BXG30
They entered 2024 a huge 17 points clear of Leeds and even six weeks later, after a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on February 13, they remained 12 points ahead.

But since then, their form has dipped - that includes a damaging defeat against Leeds.

With the run-in in full swing, it really is wide open.

How many points are needed for promotion?
Daniel Farke with the Sky Bet Championship trophy
Leeds boss Daniel Farke has won the title twice with Norwich
Across the past 10 Championship seasons the average points needed to win the title was 89.6 with 84.6 required to finish in the top two.

These averages are worked out from the totals of the teams who finished second or third, with title and promotion winners of course regularly going way beyond these numbers.

If all four teams continue at their current rate, Ipswich would finish on 98 points and yet that would not be enough for automatic promotion.

Since its re-branding to the 'Championship' in 2005, that has been enough for promotion from the second tier every single season.

In 13 of the 19 campaigns, it's won the title.

Who has the best remaining fixtures?
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Leicester's victory over Norwich on Easter Monday has eased the nerves a bit following Good Friday defeat to Bristol City.

That said, they were beaten by Millwall in midweek. They are struggling with consistency at a time when the opposite is required.

Southampton (H) and West Brom (H) are to come, with a trip to play-off chasing Preston at the end of April too.

Leeds
Leeds have already completed their fixtures against Ipswich and Leicester - winning all four - while their remaining away games come against teams in seventh or lower.

Having powered into the top two following a remarkable run of 15 games unbeaten throughout 2024 - 13 of those being wins - defeat away at Coventry halted their momentum.

They followed it up with a 0-0 home draw with Sunderland - a pair of results that could be decisive in the Whites finishing outside of the top two.

Ipswich in action against Southampton
The advantage Ipswich have over their promotion rivals is that there isn't as much pressure on them to deliver.

Defeat in the East Anglian derby to Norwich meant that they couldn't gain ground on the others, although they do still have to play in the current midweek slate of fixtures.

Expect to see a decent movement in the odds if they fail to beat Watford on Wednesday night - that would leave them level with Leeds but holding a significantly lower goal difference.

Adam Armstrong celebrates during Southampton's 3-1 win over Leeds
The Easter weekend ended Southampton's realistic hopes of the title/automatic promotion.

Having enjoyed a remarkable 25-game unbeaten run in all competitions earlier this season, they've dipped off, with three wins from their last eight in the league.

They may hold two games in-hand over both Ipswich and Leeds but even winning both of those leaves them three points adrift with a worse goal difference.

The positive is that they can at least start looking towards a play-offs campaign - that is much easier to digest than a final day defeat when a spot in the top-flight was on the line.

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Betting tips: Our best bets, free previews and predictions for all sports
By Sporting Life
11:00 · FRI April 12, 2024
Below is a full list of Sporting Life's current recommended bets across racing, football and more sports including golf, cricket, tennis and darts - plus the latest free bet offers.

These selections, prices and bookmakers were all verified at the time of publication and help to make up our tipping record.

You'll find tips listed at the top of all our betting previews as we seek to ensure we are fully transparent and that the prices reflect the market when our content is published.

Click on the preview title or named tipster below to be taken directly to the preview itself.

Racing
Matt Brocklebank's Value Bet (Apr 12)

1pt win Theatre Man in 2.20 Aintree at 11/1 (General)
1pt e.w. Shantreusse in 4.05 Aintree at 20/1 (bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
1pt win Ted Hastings in 5.15 Aintree at 16/1 (General)
Ben Linfoot's Tips (Apr 12)

1pt win What’s Up Darling in 2.20 Aintree at 16/1 (General)
1pt win Serious Operator in 2.20 Aintree at 18/1 (General)
1pt e.w Frero Banbou in 4.05 Aintree at 20/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
Punting Pointers (Apr 12)

1pt win Iroko in the 1.45 Aintree at 5/1 (General)
1pt win Firefox in the 2.55 Aintree at 5/2 (General)
1pt win Protektorat in the 3.30 Aintree at 9/2 (General)
1pt e.w Frero Banbou in the 4.05 Aintree at 14/1 (General 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
0.5pts e.w Eagles Reign in the 5.15 Aintree at 9/1 (Sky Bet, 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)
Football
Plymouth vs Leicetser (Apr 12 - 20:00)

2pts Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to score or assist at 11/10 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
Newcastle vs Tottenham (Apr 13 - 12:30)

1pt Brennan Johnson 1+ assists at 4/1 (bet365)
1pt Alexander Isak and Heung-min Son both to score at 19/4 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
0.5pts Destiny Udogie first player carded at 16/1 (William Hill)
Saturday best bets (Apr 13 - 12:30-15:00)

2pts Rayan Ait-Nouri 2+ shots Nottingham Forest vs Wolves at 13/10 (Betfair, Paddy Power)
1pt Rayan Ait-Nouri to score anytime in Nottingham Forest vs Wolves at 10/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt Watford win-or-draw double chance vs Southampton at 2/1 (Sky Bet, Betfair, Paddy Power, BetVictor)
1pt Crysencio Summerville to score anytime in Leeds vs Blackburn at 6/4 (Sky Bet)
Mark O'Haire's best bets (Apr 13 - 14:30-15:00)

2.5pts Queen of the South vs Edinburgh City – BTTS at 11/8 (Sky Bet)
2.5pts Mainz vs Hoffenheim – BTTS and Over 2.5 Goals at evens (Sky Bet)
Jake Osgathorpe's Premier League tips (Apr 13 - 15:00-17:30)

2pts Bournemouth 17+ total shots vs Man Utd at 10/11 (Unibet)
1.5pts Bournemouth 7+ corners vs Man Utd at evens (Sky Bet)
1.5pts Julian Alvarez to score anytime at in Man City vs Luton 6/5 (bet365)
1pt Morgan Gibbs-White to carded in N Forest vs Wolves at 9/2 (Sky Bet)
Bournemouth vs Manchester United (Apr 13 - 17:30)

1pt Bournemouth to win from behind at 17/2 (Betvictor)
0.5pts Half time/full time Man Utd/ Bournemouth at 22/1 (Betvictor, Ladbrokes, Coral)
Jake Osgathorpe's Premier League tips (Apr 14 - 14:00-16:30)

2pts BTTS in Liverpool vs C Palace at 10/11 (General)
0.75pts e.w. Gabriel Magalhaes to score first in Arsenal vs Aston Villa at 20/1 (bet365 1/3, 1-98)
Mark O'Haire's best bets (Apr 14 - 15:30)

3pts Young Boys to beat Luzern at 10/11 (Sky Bet)

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Mohamed Salah: Why Liverpool may look to sell this summer
By Sam McGuire
14:15 · MON April 15, 2024
It is going to be a busy summer for Liverpool.

Published before Liverpool v C Palace
Michael Edwards has returned to the club, this time taking up the role of chief executive of football.

He’s already brought in Richard Hughes as his sporting director and the pair are working together to find Jurgen Klopp’s successor, with the German tactician bringing his time to a premature end this summer after a successful spell at Anfield.

The Reds are also set to lose Thiago and Joel Matip on free transfers while there have been rumours recently linking Luis Diaz with PSG and Caoimhin Kelleher with a move elsewhere as he looks to cement himself as a long-term first-choice goalkeeper.

Hughes has to negotiate new deals for captain Virgil van Dijk and vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the duo heading into the final 12 months of their contracts when the current season comes to an end.

Another player who finds himself in a similar situation is Mohamed Salah.

Should Salah stay or should he go?
Mo Salah graphic
The 31-year-old’s deal at Anfield comes to an end in 2025. And though some will have you believe it is a no-brainer to extend his stint on Merseyside, the decision is going to be a complicated one.

The three-time Golden Boot winner is still in with a chance of winning a fourth top goalscorer title despite missing a chunk of the season.

Injured while away with Egypt at the African Cup of Nations, Salah seemingly suffered a recurrence of the hamstring injury having replaced Diogo Jota against Brentford. The club were vague though, so nobody truly knows what happened other than Salah was forced to miss a further four matches.

Salah stats still stack up
He’s comfortably the leading scorer for the Reds this season with 17 in the Premier League and 23 across all competitions. He’s hit 20+ goals in all seven campaigns with Liverpool.

Despite his limited playing time since the turn of the year, only three players have racked up more assists than the Liverpool No11.

He could still finish the 2023/24 season as the leading scorer and the player with the most assists, which would be some achievement, all things considered.

'No room for sentiment'
Michael Edwards will leave Liverpool
Former sporting director Michael Edwards has recently return to Liverpool
Why would the Reds even consider letting their most reliable forward leave?

Because numbers aren’t a predictor of what might happen in the future. Salah has been one of the best forwards in the world but there are no guarantees he will continue to be one of the best in the world over the coming years. That is what those in charge will assess before determining whether to give him a new contract.

Now that Edwards is back at the club, sentiment won’t come into these sorts of decisions. During his first stint here, he was prepared to let captain Jordan Henderson leave after ignoring his pleas for a contract extension. It wasn't until Klopp intervened that the one-time Sunderland man was given that new deal. That sort of thing simply will not happen now the German is moving on.

Edwards and those at that level will assess everything rather than simple goals and assists.

What sort of picture do his physical numbers paint? Once a hamstring injury occurs, how often are players picking up hamstring strains in the following years? Are injuries a formality now for Salah after playing so much football since moving to Merseyside?

If you look at the key players under Klopp, the ones with the most minutes, the majority have all suffered an abrupt downturn in form at some point: Henderson, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and even Sadio Mane all just seemed to hit a wall without any real warning signs.

The club will need to weigh all of that up before deciding whether to make Salah one of the highest-paid players at the club. They can’t afford to get that wrong.

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Premier League top scorer odds: Cole Palmer surges into Golden Boot contention, but who else could win it?
By Joe Townsend
10:56 · TUE April 16, 2024
On a night that will be best remembered for infantile squabbling between Chelsea players over penalty duties, Cole Palmer’s rise to the top of the Premier League scoring charts via a perfect hat-trick and the aforementioned spot-kick went a little under the radar.

Not quite to the degree that Mauricio Pochettino’s side beating Everton 6-0 did, but under the radar nonetheless.

Palmer was cut from 20/1 to 3s to win the Golden Boot; as recently as March 31 he was 150/1. His penalty took him level with Erling Haaland on 20 league goals for the season, and he leads the Golden Boot race by virtue of the nine assists he has provided this term compared to the Manchester City striker’s five.

But the former City man is not the only unlikely contender with just five rounds of fixtures to go.


Premier League goalscorer charts
Cole Palmer - 20 goals, 9 assists
Erling Haaland - 20 goals, 5 assists
Ollie Watkins - 19 goals, 10 assists
Mohamed Salah - 17 goals, 9 assists
Dominic Solanke - 17 goals, 3 assists
Alexander Isak - 17 goals, 1 assist
Premier League Top Goalscorer odds (via Sky Bet)
Erling Haaland - 4/6
Cole Palmer - 3/1
Ollie Watkins - 11/2
Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak - 12/1
Dominic Solanke - 20/1
Edgy Erling
Haaland
Haaland of course remains favourite, but the Norwegian is streets behind last season in terms of both performances and potency, while fitness struggles for large parts of the campaign have also contributed to him being challenged for a trophy that last term he ran virtually unopposed for on his way to a Premier League record 36 goals.

Just two goals in his last eight appearances for club and country is as bad as it gets for the Norwegian, but ominously both those goals have come in his last league games.

With City's final five matches including fixtures against defensively lax Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Tottenham, Haaland should have enough opportunities to get over the line.

Cool Cole
Cole Palmer Chelsea
A stunning performance in the Monday Night Football against an abject Everton took Palmer from not even being spoken of as an outsider, to second favourite for the Golden Boot.

One of the top-flight's standout players this season and crucially with penalty duties there is little reason to believe the England international can't maintain his wonderful goalscoring form - 11 goals in his last six matches in all competitions emphasises the hot streak he is on.

The Blues' next four fixtures are tough though, with trips to Arsenal and Aston Villa followed by Tottenham and West Ham at home.

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Can Liverpool save their season with European comeback against Atalanta?
By Sam McGuire
09:26 · THU April 18, 2024
Exactly one month ago, Liverpool were still in the hunt for an unlikely quadruple.

After a forgettable seven days, there’s a real possibility that Jurgen Klopp will end his final season at the helm with just a Carabao Cup trophy.

The Reds had to settle for a point at Old Trafford having been in complete control in the first half.

They then collapsed at Anfield, suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final clash.

A 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, their first Premier League defeat at home since October 2022, rounded off the seven days.


Liverpool went from being in complete control of their destiny in the English top-flight to being two points off leaders Manchester City in what felt like a blink of an eye.

When the Europa League draw was made, Atalanta was viewed as a favourable tie for the Reds. Yet they now head to Bergamo needing another historic European night under Klopp in order to keep their journey in the only competition the 56-year-old has failed to win during his time on Merseyside.

Had the second leg been at Anfield, you may have fancied them.

In front of a home crowd, the Reds have done the impossible on countless occasions under the German tactician. From the 4-3 win over Borussia Dortmund in 2016 to that night against Barcelona in 2019.

Things happen at Anfield on a European night that just defy logic. Away from home though, not so much.

However, there’s always a but with Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp celebrates
If there is a team that could do the unthinkable and overturn a 3-0 home defeat, it is them.

It won’t be easy, but stranger things have happened.

While the Reds have lost all their momentum over the past week, football can change in an instant. All it takes is a scruffy goal or a lucky bounce for a team to find their confidence again.

A creative force still
It isn’t as though Liverpool have been struggling to create either.

Across their last three outings, their expected goals (xG) haul is almost into double figures. It has been a combination of poor finishing, good saves and bad luck during this period.

But, as we know, finishing is fickle. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. The Reds could easily cash in on their xG numbers on Thursday night and romp to victory.

Atalanta sit sixth in the Serie A table having drawn with Verona on Monday night. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side let a 2-0 lead slip at home to draw against the relegation-threatened side.

The Atalanta manager is aware that his team, who have won just one of their last seven in Serie A, have allowed matches to slip away from them this season.


Speaking after the game, he said: “Unfortunately, we have seen several times this season that we threw away in a very short space of time.

"We saw tonight Verona were able to score two goals in four minutes. I’ve seen Liverpool score three in six minutes in a Champions League Final against Milan!

"We knew after Anfield it wasn’t over, but Thursday will be a historic appointment for the city, the club and our players."

Mixed form for the hosts
The Serie A side have lost three of their previous seven outings in the Italian top flight as they look to juggle cup competitions with a strong finish in the league.

Inter ran out 4-0 winners, and Bologna claimed a 2-1 win, as did Cagliari. This run of form has seen them keep just one clean sheet in the league.

And while they managed to shut out Liverpool last week, the hosts did rack up an xG total of 2.6.

Their clean sheet at Anfield was more down to luck rather than a defensive masterclass.

Atalanta do have the second-best defensive record in the Europa League but they’re up against the team with the highest xG in the competition as well as the most goals on a per 90 basis (3.1).

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Saturday Horse Racing Tips: ITV Racing Tips for April 20
By Matt Brocklebank
17:14 · FRI April 19, 2024
Matt Brocklebank picks out the best bets on the competitive cards at Newbury and Ayr this Saturday, featuring the Coral Scottish Grand National.

The Value Bet is designed to generate long-term profit by searching for overpriced horses in the feature weekend races and at the big Festivals in the UK and Ireland.
Value Bet tips are now available to qualified, logged-in readers through Sporting Life Plus, before the full column appears on the main Sporting Life website and App one hour later.
Following all Matt’s selections to recommended odds/stakes since taking over the column in June 2020 would have produced over 165pts in profit.
Value Bet tips: Saturday April 20
1pt win Hitching Jacking in 1.50 at 7/1 (William Hill, bet365, BetMGM)

1pt win First Street in 2.25 Ayr at 10/1 (General)

1pt win Noble Order in 3.15 Newbury at 9/1 (bet365)

1pt e.w. Inis Oirr in 3.35 Ayr at 12/1 (Coral, BetMGM, 888Sport 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power |

https://m.skybet.com/horse-racing/ay...dcmp=SL_RACING
Stick Oirr in Saturday bets
The Willie Mullins juggernaut moves onto Ayr this weekend as the trainer bids to cement his place at the top of the British trainers’ championship standings.

Victory in the Coral Scottish Grand National will probably just about seal the deal and he runs six including lightly-raced novice Spanish Harlem, who has been popular in the market since it was confirmed Paul Townend would be riding around lunchtime on Thursday.

He can’t be recommended on stamina grounds given he’s not raced beyond two and a half miles, while antepost springer Macdermott has a lot more on his plate than when winning easily in a fairly moderate affair at Fairyhouse.

He also doesn’t get very high at his fences, paying the price with a fall at Limerick last month, and still makes plenty of jumping mistakes, which remains something of an issue for better-known stablemate Mr Incredible, for all that he was badly hampered before unseating Brian Hayes again in the Randox Grand National at Aintree.

Of course, it’s not just Mullins gunning for this valuable pot with a view to the trainers’ title as Paul Nicholls relies on top-weight Stay Away Fay, who has to bounce back from a no-show in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham, with fellow championship chaser Dan Skelton sending out Sandown second Ballygrifincottage, who has gone back up 3lb for last month’s defeat which won’t exactly help.

The value call is to look away from that particular sideshow and focus on the form, with Git Maker and INIS OIRR very much in the shake-up for Jamie Snowden and Lucinda Russell respectively.

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Next Manchester United manager odds: Gareth Southgate favourite after stunning Wembley result
By Tom Carnduff
20:00 · SUN April 21, 2024
England boss Gareth Southgate remains the 2/1 favourite to be the next Manchester United manager as pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag.

The Dutchman watched on as his United side threw away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Sky Bet Championship outfit Coventry after 90 minutes of their FA Cup semi-final encounter.

Bruno Fernandes' effort just before the hour mark looked as if it had secured the result, only for Coventry to battle back, equalising through Haji Wright's penalty deep in added time.

They would still reach the final thanks to Rasmus Højlund's winning spot kick in the penalty shootout, but it's yet another performance that raises questions about his future at the Old Trafford club.

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-x-ge...=SL_ED_MASTERS
Next Manchester United manager odds (via Sky Bet)
Gareth Southgate - 2/1
Graham Potter - 5/2
Roberto De Zerbi - 7/1
Thomas Tuchel - 8/1
Zinedine Zidane - 8/1
Julian Nagelsmann - 10/1
Julen Lopetegui - 12/1
Odds correct at 1745 GMT (21/04/24)

Southgate has been the favourite for a number of weeks following reports of United's potential interest in bringing him in following England's Euro 2024 campaign.

He replaced Graham Potter at the top of the market, with Zinedine Zidane another name to often claim favouritism. He has since drifted out to 8/1.

Current Bayern boss and former Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is available at the same price. Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi sits slightly ahead at 7/1.

Ten Hag's position has been under severe scrutiny following the minority investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos group.

Following that move, a full-scale review of the club's football operations will be taking place, which includes the managerial position.

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League One and Two final day: Promotion, play-off places and relegation all on the line
By Michael Beardmore
08:39 · FRI April 26, 2024
Much of the time the final day of a Sky Bet EFL campaign can be a damp squib, with little (or even nothing) left to play for.

But with promotion, relegation and play-off places all to be decided in League One and Two, Saturday should be fun.

Who will be automatically promoted from League One?
Derby boss Paul Warne
Portsmouth are already promoted as third-tier champions and Paul Warne's DERBY are in the box seat to join them in the Sky Bet Championship next season. In fact, they're not just in the box seat - they're belted in and wearing chainmail.

The Rams, three points clear of third-placed BOLTON and with a goal difference superior by four, need just a point at home to already-relegated bottom side Carlisle.

Derby have won eight of their past 10 at Pride Park, including the last five straight.

They are 1/250 to finish in the top two. Yep, you'd have to stake a monkey just to win a shiny £2 coin.

League One final-day fixtures in full
Full Sky Bet League One table
Any sliver of hope for Trotters fans? Well, Bolton themselves did lose at home to Carlisle 3-1 in October, and the Cumbrians also won by the same score at play-off bound Peterborough in March. But... they've lost 16 of their last 20 league games.

Too many draws - five in their past 10 - have cost Bolton, who, for their part, have to win at Peterborough to stand any chance.

Posh may rest players with an eye on the play-offs - although they'd actually leapfrog Bolton into third if they win by four goals.

League One table
Who will make the League One play-offs?
Peterborough will be in the play-offs, almost certainly joined by Bolton. The it gets messy.

Neill Collins
Neill Collins was sacked by Barnsley only this week
BARNSLEY have looked top-six certs virtually all season but after picking up just nine points from the past 33 available, they took the shock step of sacking Neill Collins as head coach with just one game to go.

The fifth-placed Tykes have by far the worst form of any side in the promotion race but their fate remains in their own hands due to their strong results earlier in the season.

Win at home to mid-table, nothing-to-play-for Northampton and they're in. Any other result, however, could see them leapfrogged by one, two or all three of the teams directly below them.