• Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
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Happy Friday, gang! Well, that was quite the statement from Manchester City last night wasn’t it? Suddenly the most exciting three-way tussle for the title is looking a little predictable – unless (and there’s always an unless ) things change this weekend. There’s another set of fixtures hot on the heels of the midweek batch, with the title in the spotlight and various promotions and regulations to be decided.

We’ll mop up the best and worst of the Friday press conferences, which will come thick and fast today, and bring you all the other breaking news too.

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Frontrunner to take charge at Liverpool did not make a big impression as a player but can spark a revolution as a manager

Liverpool’s move for the Feyenoord coach, Arne Slot, has been described by Ajax fans as “the best news of the year”. Troubled Ajax have been blown away this season, losing 4-0 at home and 6-0 away against their arch-rivals .

So superior were Feyenoord in every area – tactics, intensity, power, unity, intelligence – that it could have been worse for Ajax. Only in their finishing might Feyenoord have done better.

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Liverpool await a dead-ball salvo, Luton have to keep their chins up, and things could get spicy at the City Ground

David Moyes will surely have taken note of Liverpool’s struggle to defend set pieces against Everton. Jürgen Klopp, who must be delighted with a 12.30pm kick-off on Saturday, should prepare his team for another bruising test when they visit West Ham. For Moyes, this is a chance to repair the sizeable damage to his reputation caused by last weekend’s collapse at Selhurst Park . West Ham were 4-0 down to Palace after 31 minutes and are preparing to part company with Moyes at the end of the season, but they should take heart from how Everton unsettled Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. Everton scored twice from set pieces and West Ham pose a similar threat from dead balls. James Ward-Prowse’s deliveries towards Tomas Soucek, Kurt Zouma and Michail Antonio will have Klopp’s defenders sweating. Jacob Steinberg

West Ham v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm (all times BST)

Fulham v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Newcastle v Sheffield United, Saturday 3pm

Manchester United v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

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• Manager says his club want to play ‘winning football first’
• Beating Brentford could secure Premier League survival

Sean Dyche has insisted he will not be judged on playing style at ­Everton but by winning as he strives to secure the Premier League status of the ­financially troubled club.

They took a significant step towards that goal on Wednesday by winning the Merseyside derby for the first time in 14 years at Goodison Park. After the 2-0 defeat of Liverpool Dyche, conscious of the criticism his approach attracted during a run of 13 games without a win, claimed he wanted “to play beautiful football if I can, but I want to play winning football first.”

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Almost ten years ago to the day, Steven Gerrard slipped, Liverpool lost control of their destiny in terms of the Premier League title race and Manchester City nipped in to win it.

The talk in recent weeks and certainly since Arsenal and Liverpool lost on the Saturday before last has been about whether City might have a slip of their own in them, something that – frankly – they have never done previously under Pep Guardiola when the trophy has been within their grasp, the focus narrowing over the run-in.

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• ‘It’s no secret that I want to go to Liverpool’
• Feyenoord coach confident the clubs will agree a deal

Arne Slot has revealed he is keen on a move to Liverpool and has “confidence” that a switch to Anfield will materialise.

The Feyenoord manager, who has become Liverpool’s preferred candidate to succeed Jürgen Klopp , was speaking to ESPN before the club’s Eredivisie game with Go Ahead Eagles.

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Ethan Wheatley became the latest homegrown talent to make their first-team debut in the win over Sheffield United

The quarter of a century has been 93 years in the making at Old Trafford and it was poignant that a local lad, Ethan Wheatley, became the 250th academy graduate to make their debut for Manchester United’s senior men’s team on Wednesday night.

The 18-year-old had spent the previous evening scoring two goals to help defeat Manchester City to win the Premier League Cup. Wheatley, who like his teammate Kobbie Mainoo was born in Stockport, became the 101st player from Greater Manchester to make the leap from academy to elite when he replaced Rasmus Højlund late on against Sheffield United .

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… and then there were two . OK, it’s true that Liverpool aren’t officially out of the title race yet, but … c’mon.

Manchester City are still very much in it, though, their destiny in their own hands. But Arsenal have points on the board, a bumper goal difference and the wind behind, so if the champions are going to win a record-breaking fourth title in a row, City really can’t afford any slip-ups as they hit the final turn. You’d expect them to get the job done tonight, given they’ve beaten Brighton 11 times in the last 13 meetings … but the other two matches were a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 defeat at the Amex, and those came in two of their last three visits. So nothing’s certain, especially not at the Business End when the nerves start to jangle. Arsenal fans (and overly optimistic Liverpool ones) are all Seagulls tonight. Kick-off is at 8pm BST. It’s on!

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• English coach out of work since Chelsea sacking in April 2023
• Fifth-placed Ajax in danger of missing out on Europe

Ajax are interested in appointing Graham Potter as the former Chelsea manager plots a return to coaching after more than a year on the sidelines.

Potter, who is also on a list of potential replacements for Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, has been recharging his batteries since a challenging seven-month spell at Chelsea last season. The former Brighton manager has been linked with plenty of jobs and is determined not to be rushed into taking the wrong one.

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