Ft7Ball
These are your Premier League headlines on Friday, April 22.
How sets requirements for the selection of Newcastle United
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe insists the level of his team performance will not drop despite securing their Premier League status for next season. A 1-0 mid-week win over Crystal Palace saw Howe’s side reach their sacred 40 points with weeks to go, an incredible feat given their dismal start to the Premier League season.
When Howe arrived on Tyneside after Steve Bruce’s departure, Newcastle were in the relegation zone, with their first win of the campaign against Burnley on 4 December. A remarkable turnaround followed Burnley’s victory, with Newcastle winning nine of their 14 Premier League games since the turn of the year to secure their Premier League survival.
But despite their success in 2022, Howe is challenging his players not to let their levels drop for a challenging series of games, which kicks off this weekend with a trip to Carrow Road to take on Norwich.
“First of all, we have standards that we have to uphold,” Howe said. “We’ve had a way of playing and have had consistent performances overall. We don’t want to lower those standards, we don’t want to let go of that feeling.
“Every game we have between now and the end of the season is very difficult because we are playing against teams that have something to play for. But we play for Newcastle. Not for a second will our preparation drop and our expectations of the players will not drop. We have to make sure the players are ready to give it their all.”
Norwich will get Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams on loan after missing out on a 3-2 defeat to his parent club. Kenny McLean is ready to endure the pain of a broken toe as Pierre Lees-Melou has resumed full training. Miss Lukas Rupp, Josh Sargent, Adam Idah, Andrew Omobamidele and Ozan Kabak.
Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser (hamstring) faces a race against time to return before the end of the season. Eddie Howe has hinted he can freshen things up, but fullback Kieran Trippier (fractured metatarsal bone) and striker Callum Wilson (Achilles/calf) are still out.
Last five league matches: Norwich LLDWL; Newcastle LLWWW
Top scorers: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) 10; Callum Wilson (Newcastle) 6
FA announced FA Cup kick-off and women’s FA Cup final
The Football Association has announced kick-off times for the Emirates FA Cup and Vitality Women’s FA Cup finals at Wembley next month. Chelsea will face Liverpool on Saturday, May 14 at 4:45 PM, while Chelsea Women will face Manchester City Women at 2:30 PM the following day.
Chelsea defeated Liverpool 2-1 when the teams last met in the men’s final in 2012. Chelsea Women are the current women’s trophy holders after beating Arsenal 3-0 in a final postponed from May 2021 to December due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tickets for the conclusion of the 150th anniversary season of the Emirates FA Cup will be made available from Chelsea and Liverpool in due course. Tickets for the Vitality Women’s FA Cup Final are currently on sale.
Frank reveals Eriksen excitement ahead of Spurs clash
Thomas Frank hopes Brentford can help Christian Eriksen thrive against his former club Tottenham. The Bees host the Spurs Champions League chase on Saturday at the Brentford Community Stadium, where Eriksen hopes to continue his brilliant return to the Premier League.
The 30-year-old joined the Bees as a free agent in January after leaving Inter Milan following a cardiac arrest during last summer’s Euros, and Brentford has won all five games the Danish midfielder has started.
His next appearance will be against the club he helped reach the 2019 Champions League final, and Bees boss Frank expects Eriksen to be motivated to beat his old side. Frank said: “I think he’s just literally looking forward to playing Tottenham. He’s got a lot of old team-mates, a lot of staff with whom he’s worked closely for seven years of his life.
“Here he has gone from being a very talented footballer at Ajax to a world class midfielder and one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. I know one thing, he is looking forward to it, but he will do his best to try and make them.” beat, of course he wants to compete.”
Tottenham manager Antonio Conte is no stranger to Eriksen, who coached him at Inter Milan. On Thursday, Conte admitted he was surprised by how well Eriksen’s return to football has gone. Eriksen’s six-month contract with Brentford expires in the summer and Tottenham are among the clubs linked with the offer.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings