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Saturday’s victory over Preston North End was a special result for Sheffield United, wasn’t it Blades fans?

In-front of a travelling faithful of 5,577 at Deepdale, Chris Wilder’s side edged out the Lilywhites as a first-half strike from David McGoldrick secured a vital three points which moved the club above Leeds United in the Championship standings after they were beaten 1-0 by Birmingham City.

Currently occupying the second automatic promotion position, the Blades are now just six games away from a return to the top flight of English football after 12 years away but they cannot afford to become complacent.

Wednesday’s clash at Birmingham could see United extend the gap between them and Leeds to four points yet if they slip-up at St Andrews, they may be leapfrogged by Marcelo Bielsa’s side depending on how they perform at Preston.

Wilder could look to inspiration from the way that the Blades finished their 2016/17 campaign. The Yorkshire-based outfit won all six of their final fixtures that year to secure promotion to the second tier, winning the League One title in the process. Although it is extremely unlikely that they will be overcome runaway leaders Norwich City in May, if they can replicate a similar run of form over the next four weeks they will be almost certain to edge out the Whites.

The first step to achieving the dream of a top-two finish is to end their poor record against Birmingham which has seen them fail to beat the Blues in their last four meetings. A victory in midweek would be the first in a decade against their opponents who are arguably a lot better than what their league position suggests.

Garry Monk’s side where in contention for a play-off position earlier on in the season however a drop off in form was compounded by a nine-point deduction from the English Football League for breaching profitability and sustainability rules (via the BBC).

Birmingham’s victory over Leeds illustrated that they can be competitive against anyone in the Championship when at their very best and with the likes of Che Adams and Lukas Jutkiewicz leading the line, the Blades know that they will have to be in top form in midweek in order to keep their promotion hopes on track.

What do think United fans? Will the result at St Andrew’s have a profound impact on your club’s hopes for finishing in the top two? Are you confident overcoming Leeds in the race for promotion? Let us know below.

Aston Villa fans are starting to believe that this could be their year as Dean Smith continues to get the very best out of his side, with today’s win extending their winning streak to eight games.

The return of Jack Grealish has changed the Villans’ season for the better as they look a completely different side with him back and thriving on the field. But, Aston Villa fans will be well aware that they may have to wave goodbye to the midfielder if promotion isn’t secured in the current campaign.

Interestingly, another player who could be on his way out of Villa Park in the summer transfer window is Scott Hogan, as according to the Bristol Post, the forward is a target for Bristol City.

Hogan has spent the second half of the current campaign on loan at Sheffield United but he’s failed to make any kind of positive impact having scored just one goal in five appearances.

Of course, Aston Villa may need to find a new striker regardless of whether Scott Hogan leaves as Tammy Abraham is set to return to his parent club once his loan deal expires.

One man who could replace both Hogan and Abraham is Brentford’s Neal Maupay. Birmingham Live reported last month that Maupay has refused to rule out leaving Griffin Park amid interest from Aston Villa.

Maupay, who is valued at £9 million (by Transfermarkt), has established himself as arguably one of the best strikers in the Championship this season and he’s produced a whopping 26 goals and eight assists in all competitions. He would be a major upgrade on Scott Hogan as he’s shown just how prolific he can be in the Championship and he still has his best years ahead of him at the age of 22, so he could be develop into a future star at a top level.

Aston Villa fans, would you like to see Maupay at Villa Park? Join the discussion by commenting down below! 

If we’ve learned one thing from this Forest collapse, it’s that they need more firepower! Indeed, Lewis Grabban has been good, but Lawrence Shankland can give him a much-needed hand in front of goal.

Forest now sit over 10 points off the play-offs, so it’s time to plan for another promotion push next season, whether Martin O’Neill is the manager or not. The Express (via the Scottish Sun) claimed back in February that the club are interested in bringing Ayr United’s Shankland to the City Ground.

He’s scored a whopping 33 goals and assisted eight in this season’s Scottish Championship, so if that’s not enough to excite the Forest faithful, I don’t know what is. Yes, it’s at a much lower level, but he can certainly finish, and that’s what they need.

Lewis Grabban has scored 17 goals this season, and that’s one great return, but the rest of the squad just aren’t helping him out. The second top scorer is Joe Lolley on just nine, so the team can’t only rely on him to earn promotion.

Shankland would make a great partner for Grabban up top, and if the manager wants to play one up front, it means one can be rested and be fit for the next game. To be promoted, teams need depth and for goals to come from more than just one forward.

Forest fans expect the club to add more firepower to the squad in summer, and a risk-free signing of soon-to-be free agent Shankland would fit the bill perfectly.

It’s time for Grabban to get some help up there!

Forest fans, where do you think your club could finish next season with two on-form strikers? Join the discussion by commenting below…

With Sheffield Wednesday needing a miracle to gatecrash the play-off positions in their final two fixtures of the season, it is looking extremely likely that Steve Bruce’s side will be playing in the Championship once again next year.

Since the former Aston Villa boss arrived at Hillsborough in January, the Owls have transformed into a completely different side with one player, in particular, showing a superb turn-around in form.

Having experienced a tough start to the current campaign, Liam Palmer has benefited massively by the club’s switch in management from Jos Luhukay to Bruce and is arguably playing some of the best football of his Wednesday career to date.

If he continues to produce the kind of performances which has helped his side keep 10 clean sheets in their last 17 games, there is no reason why he should not be offered a new deal by the Owls.

With his current contract set to expire in June (via Transfermarkt), the Scotland international’s future is still up in the air yet when you consider just how much he has improved in recent months, it would be a huge shock if Bruce decides to let him leave the club.

Although it is clear that the 58-year-old will be wanting to build his own squad heading into next season, it is extremely unlikely that he will be able to bring in a full-back who has a better pedigree than Palmer without spending a significant amount of money.

It would therefore be more cost-efficient to sign the 27-year-old up as Bruce could use the summer transfer budget on making crucial improvements to the areas of his team which need improving. If he does indeed allow Palmer to extend his stay at Hillsborough, the full-back could help Wednesday launch a sustained push for automatic promotion next season.

What do you think Owls fans? Should Palmer be offered a new deal in the summer? Or is it time to cut-ties with the defender? Let us know below.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been reacting to comments made by Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek about their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie.

The 22-year-old, in the run-up to the two teams clashing in the final four of Europe’s premier club competition, admitted his admiration for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and suggested that they are the favourites to progress to the final.

But supporters are seeing his comments as more than just respect for the opposition, articulating that it’s a call by the promising talent to be signed by Daniel Levy and expressing their own desires to see the player plying his trade in north London in the near future, alongside teammates Kasper Dolberg and David Neres.

The trio are key to the Dutch giants’ hopes of overcoming the Lilywhites and booking their place in the Champions League final, having helped them to defeat Juventus in the quarter-finals to set up a clash with Tottenham who saw off Manchester City.

Here’s the best Spurs replies to the quotation…

[ad_pod ]Ian Wright posted a GIF on his Twitter account on Sunday, as he watched his team almost certainly blow their chance of a top four finish in an uninspiring draw at home to Brighton and Hove Albion, who only just survived relegation.

It sums up how most Arsenal fans must be feeling, as within the space of two weeks they have lost to Crystal Palace, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City. In a very short space of time, everything has started to fall apart around the Gunners, their Champions League hopes – fittingly – going up in smoke.

Indeed, their Champions League fate through the top flight is out of their hands – they must beat Burnley at Turf Moor and hope Tottenham Hotspur lose to Everton at home whilst seeing an eight-goal swing in goal difference.

But with the games they had and the position they found themselves in, they had ample opportunity to seal a place in the top four.

Luckily for Arsenal they are strong favourites to progress to the Europa League final after a 3-1 win over Valencia in the first leg of the semi-final.

Unai Emery has won the competition three times and will feel very confident he can win it for a fourth time which of course will seal Champions League football for the Gunners.

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Paul Merson has tipped Tottenham Hotspur to finish above Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season, per Sky Sports.

What’s he said?

Spurs face Everton on the final day, while the Blues take on Leicester City.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently fourth and an amazing series of events could see them drop out of the top four altogether; if they lose to the Toffees and Arsenal beat Burnley, with an eight-goal swing involved, Spurs would finish fifth.

But Merson is tipping them to beat Marco Silva’s men.

And he also feels that Chelsea might drop points against the Foxes, events that would see the Blues end the season in fourth, one point behind their London rivals.

Predicting Spurs’ clash, he said: “You’re playing against a good Everton team here, who have turned a corner but they were getting beaten at Newcastle and Fulham a few weeks ago.

“The players probably won’t be thinking of this game but you want to get third. I think Tottenham will sneak it, but Everton aren’t as good on the road as they have been at home so I think Spurs will sneak it.”

And, asked about the Blues, he added: “They’ve got to beat Leicester, it’s quite a big game for Chelsea to finish third, but it’s a hard game and I think Leicester will get something with how they’ve been playing.”

Merson expects Spurs to beat Everton 2-1 and has predicted a 2-2 draw between the Foxes and the Blues.

Tiredness a factor

Do either Spurs or Chelsea care?

Pochettino’s side beat Ajax in the Champions League semi-final in midweek in one of the most dramatic games in recent memory and have a final to prepare for, against Liverpool.

So too do Chelsea, who squeaked past Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties to set up another all-English final, in the Europa League, between the Blues and Arsenal.

Rotation, then, is likely on Sunday. All Spurs need to do is avoid defeat to confirm a top four finish, while the Blues have already confirmed that they will be playing in Europe’s elite club competition next term.

Merson is probably right; these are two tough games for both London sides, but fans and players alike are unlikely to place too much importance on Sunday’s fixtures.

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Former Celtic player Davie Hay has issued his honest verdict on what the future holds for Neil Lennon at the club in his latest Glasgow Evening Times column, and has hinted that he has changed his own mind on the matter.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Bhoys’ hierarchy face a decision in the coming weeks as to whether they are going to hand caretaker manager Lennon a contract beyond the end of the campaign, or switch their attentions elsewhere.

The Northern Irishman looked to be in a good position to get the job following an unbeaten run that saw him steer the club to the Scottish Premiership title despite Brendan Rodgers’ mid-season exit, but the 2-0 defeat to Rangers last weekend was surely a big blot on his copybook.

Hay has issued his latest verdict on whether Lennon will get the job via his Glasgow Evening Times column: “If I was pressed on whether I think he will get it or not, I’m now really not so sure.”

Change of mind?

The fact that he says he is “now not really so sure” indicates that he thought the 47-year-old was essentially a shoo-in for the role previously.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

The Old Firm defeat and some of the criticism Lennon has received as a result has clearly made an impact, given Hay’s latest words.

He’s right to be unsure now as well, with the likes of Slaven Bilic and Carlos Carvalhal throwing their hat into the ring for the job just this week, with Rafa Benitez another name mentioned.

There appears to be a real feeling that the job is more up for grabs than it might have been previously, and the former Hibernian manager may well be relying on completing the treble-treble against Hearts at the end of the month to boost his chances again.

You would be excused for forgetting that David Ospina was still an Arsenal player.

The Colombian goalkeeper was sent out on loan to Napoli last summer as Bernd Leno was signed from Bayer Leverkusen, and although Ospina started off well for the Italian side, it quickly became apparent that the Serie A runners-up won’t be signing the Arsenal keeper any time soon.

With a clause in his loan agreement to make the deal permanent after playing 25 league games, Ospina, of course, only started 24 times for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, meaning a move to Italy is unlikely for the Colombian number one, and with an impending return to Arsenal this summer, the club needs to ensure the 30-year-old keeper is sold this transfer window.

Although Petr Cech is retiring, many Arsenal fans would like to see Ospina head for the exit door this summer.

The Colombian is an odd position where he is too good to sit on the bench yet not at that level of quality where he should be starting for the club, and as the keeper signed for the Gunners on the cheap in 2014, making a profit on him could be an easy move in this transfer window.

Ospina has been a good servant for Arsenal over the past few years, and at this stage of his career, it would be wise for the Colombian to move away from north London in search of first-team football, something he is not guaranteed to get next season.

Arsenal fans, would you have Ospina as backup to Leno next season? Let us know!

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Crystal Palace secured a 12th-placed finish with their thrilling 5-3 victory over Bournemouth on the final day and, having ended their term on a solid run of form once again, will be targeting a much stronger start to the 2019/20 campaign in the hope that they can make the top ten next time around.

With Michy Batshuayi returning to Chelsea, it’s clear that the Eagles need a new striker this summer if they’re to realise their ambition of competing with the likes of Leicester and West Ham, although club legend Clinton Morrison has indicated that the key to such an achievement is already at the club.

What did he say?

Well, speaking to Football London, the former striker said:

“I feel we are good enough to finish in the top half of the table, but I think we have got to try and keep hold of Wilf (Zaha).

“He is the key to everything. I know people put a lot of onus on him, but he is a special player.

“The fans love him, the young kids love him and he is a role model and everyone looks up to him. He is a nice guy too.”

Keeping the ‘key’

The culmination of the season at Selhurst Park a week-and-a-half ago means Zaha exit rumours have begun to rear their ugly heads again, although this time the player has added fuel to the fire by expressing his desire to play Champions League football.

Currently in his prime, the 26-year-old will undoubtedly have no shortage of suitors in the coming months having had another excellent campaign in red and blue, but the Eagles won’t let him fly the nest that easily.

Has this guy found the worst stadium in English football? Decide for yourself by watching the video below…

The south London outfit reportedly value their star man at an eye-watering £100m – a fee Spurs have already baulked at – and Morrison seems to think that Palace must not budge on their big asking price if they want to improve on their 2018/19 campaign next season.

The number 11 proved his indispensability to the Eagles in the term just gone, scoring 10 goals and recording 10 assists – tallies Palace will struggle greatly to replace should they lose him for anything less than their reported nine-figure valuation – so they can hardly be blamed for setting what is seen as an astronomical price by anyone outside the club.