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The Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association have signed off on a new five-year partnership agreement starting next season which is understood to be worth around £125million. The bodies agreed a one-year deal last summer for the 2022-23 campaign which was worth £24.94m, an increase of £1.9m on the annual value of the previous three-year deal which ran from 2019 to 2022. The new deal is understood to be broadly similar to the one-year agreement covering the current Premier League season. Both sides were keen to seal a longer-term agreement on funding which was why an interim deal was put in place last year. Some of the money under the agreement will be put towards projects the Premier League and the PFA co-fund and some of it will be spent at the discretion of the PFA. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with the PFA and extend our long-term commitment of support for a further five years. “The PFA carries out vital work to support players in the Premier League and throughout the game. We share the ambition of ensuring that they have the support they need to successfully navigate the highs and lows of professional football and are prepared for life after their playing career. “We look forward to our continued work with the PFA on player welfare, as well as a range of other important programmes within communities and those which help improve diversity among coaches.” His PFA counterpart Maheta Molango said: “This new long-term agreement recognises the crucial role the PFA continues to perform as the players’ union. “The new deal will support the wide range of services that the PFA provides to its members. It will also ensure the continuation of the successful projects across the game that are co-funded by the Premier League and the PFA. “The length of this new agreement reflects the positive and collaborative relationship that has been established between the Premier League and the PFA. It ensures that we will be able to work as partners on shared priorities. “Crucially, it also means that when there are issues that do need to be addressed on behalf of players, we will work constructively to achieve solutions.” The partnership will help to support programmes such as the Professional Player to Coach Scheme, which aims to increase the number of black, Asian and mixed heritage players who transition into full-time coaching roles in the professional game. As well as campaigning and lobbying on behalf of its members, the union works to support former players and their families after a dementia diagnosis, supports current and former players experiencing mental health and well-being issues and offers advice and support to young players after their release from the academy system. The union also supports players reaching the end of their professional playing careers by providing counselling where needed, education and training services. It also represents players’ interests on other matters which directly affect them, such as cost control measures across the domestic and European game and how player data is used. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Nobody really knows what I can do’ says fit-again Aspinall Henrik Stenson resigns from DP World Tour after fines for LIV rebels Sam Allardyce hoping fear of relegation helps drive Leeds to safety

An hour before kick-off in their league showdown with play-off rivals Middlesbrough, Luton Town’s club shop is teeming. The little building perched outside Kenilworth Road is like a temporary prefab classroom and inside it’s cosy: once you’ve bought a shirt or a mug or a woolly hat then you best be on your way to make room for someone else. It is a different world to the extravagance of the Premier League. Tottenham, for example, boast the largest club shop in Europe: half an acre of sheer Spursy-ness, selling everything from Spurs-encrusted party bowls to the Spurs Monopoly board game, complete with a 100-seat auditorium to consume even more Spurs from the comfort of a soft chair. These two clubs seem to exist on different planets, and yet they could well be rivals in the same league next season. Luton have climbed here by consistently punching above their weight. The club’s entire wage budget, around £6m, would afford one Manchester City sub. They are always swimming against the tide and the small but mighty Kenilworth Road is a monument to that – intimate and intense, like a particularly atmospheric cow shed, with 10,000 seats that sound like 50,000 when the linesman fails to spot a foul throw. Luton’s long-awaited move to a new venue at Power Court is still a couple of years away. So should they win promotion, what on earth will the Premier League giants make of a ground where away fans file through an alleyway and up a metal staircase that hangs over neighbouring gardens? “They will think it’s a tip,” smiles Alex, a Luton season-ticket holder in the club shop. He has been coming here since 2005, sitting in the same seat since he was three years old. “But it’s our tip.” *** Despite his reputation as one of the brightest managers in the Football League, Rob Edwards was expecting some hate from Luton fans when he took charge in November. He had only recently left Watford, their bitter rivals, and so when he sat down for his first press conference as the new man in charge of Luton Town, all he could do was try to defuse a potentially volatile situation. “It’s not as if I left Watford a club legend,” he joked. Edwards was referring to the way he was spat back out by Watford after only 11 games, a familiar story for managers who dare work for the trigger-happy Pozzo family. But far from holding a grudge, Luton fans seemed to get a kick out of sticking one to their rivals. “Welcome Rob,” read a banner at his first game away at Middlesbrough, which soothed some anxiety. His first home game at Kenilworth Road, a Boxing Day win over Norwich City, finished with the entire ground singing his name. It would prove to be the first win of many with only two league defeats since, to leave Luton third in the Championship and into the play-offs for the second successive season. A club with a tight-knit staff and limited funds have improved their league position every year for eight in a row, climbing from the Conference in 2014 to the upper echelons of the Championship, and now they are within touching distance of the top tier for the first time in 30 years. At the heart of their rise is continuity – midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu has been with the club from non-league – and careful planning. Losing manager Nathan Jones to Southampton was a sudden bruise, but Edwards was already on the radar. Luton had analysed his League Two-winning year in charge of Forest Green Rovers and found it was no fluke – the underlying numbers showed a manager deploying the kind of fast, aggressive football that Luton themselves used to dominate Leagues One and Two. They analysed his 11 games at Watford too, and discovered some good things in the team Edwards was building, despite the quick sacking. Preparation has been key in the transfer market too. Led by club legend Mick Harford, chief scout Phil Chapple and analyst Jay Socik, Luton have made a habit of identifying smart signings from across the Football League and some inspired loans from the Premier League too. Right-back James Bree left the club in January but Luton seamlessly replaced him with Cody Drameh on loan from Leeds, and the addition of Aston Villa’s Marvelous Nakamba has brought solidity in midfield. Buying Carlton Morris from Barnsley last summer was crucial, and he has racked up a career-best 20 league goals. They recruit a specific Luton type: as well as being technically sound and a good character, they have to be athletic, able to withstand a high tempo for 90 minutes and out-run their opposition. After all, this is what Luton are: a club who extract every last drop from whatever they have. No Championship side have won more tackles in the final third than Luton this season, and the result is a team that are often hard and horrible to play against. Edwards has found a balance between a pragmatic approach and a team who can play football too. A direct route to goal is always an option with the power and strength of Morris and the imposing Elijah Adebayo up front, and Luton have found they don’t need to dominate possession to win games. That might be a useful trait in the Premier League. But what really stands out is how Luton are run off the pitch. There is no billionaire benefactor here: the club were saved by their own fans and now they are supporter-owned, and the people in charge – chief executive Gary Sweet, chairman David Wilkinson and majority stakeholder Paul Ballantyne – are deeply invested in its future. As one member of staff told The Independent this week: “Our owners give a s**t, and that isn’t always the case in football.” *** One staff member, Bill Cole, has worked for Luton for five years and has been visiting Kenilworth Road for 76. He will miss it, but he won’t shed a tear when it’s gone. He reels off more than half a century’s worth of new stadium plans that ended in disappointment, and says Power Court is exactly what the club has been crying out for, for far too long. “I hope they build a metal pillar in front of the press box to remind us of The Kenny,” he smiles. Behind the pillar an entertaining game plays out between two teams equipped to compete with the lower rungs of the top flight. Luton are caught on the counter and Middlesbrough go ahead, but the second half is different. Tom Lockyer heads home an equaliser and the stadium comes alive. Morris goes down under what looks like light contact from a rash goalkeeper’s challenge, and slides home the penalty to win the game 2-1. At full-time, buoyant Luton fans pour out into the narrow streets that run down the hill to town. Luton will almost certainly finish third now, and Boro fourth, and if these two sides are to contest the play-off final – the so-called richest game in football – then perhaps this win has set the tone. Cole has seen it all before, though, and he has a warning. “In 1959 we played Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup final,” he remembers. “Two weeks earlier we’d played them here at Kenilworth Road and we stuffed them 4-0. But at Wembley, we never showed up.” But win or lose the play-offs, Luton are unlikely to change too much. They are going in the right direction and their progress is a result not of vast investment but of sound stewardship. Amid the game’s financial bonanza benefiting a few elite clubs, Luton are showing that there is still a place for a little meritocracy in football. 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Leeds boss Sam Allardyce hopes the fear-factor can help kick-start his side’s Premier League survival bid on Saturday against Newcastle. Allardyce answered Leeds’ SOS last week after they sacked Javi Gracia with four games remaining and has three left to save them from relegation after the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City. Leeds ended their 16-year Premier League exile under Marcelo Bielsa three seasons ago, but slipped back into the bottom three on Monday and are two points from safety. Allardyce said: “The fear needs to drive them on, the fear of relegation, the fear of losing their Premier League status should make them hopefully fight and fight hard for their status, their position at Leeds United.” Leeds conceded 23 goals in April, a Premier League record for a calendar month, and former England boss Allardyce feels they must score first against Champions League hopefuls Newcastle. “That’s very important for us on Saturday,” the 68-year-old said. “Getting the first goal would be a big lift. “It would help us win the game. I’m not saying we would win the game, but going a goal down would be a very difficult job I think mentally for the players to come back from. “If that’s the case then they’ll have to try and do it. What they won’t have to do is go daft like they have done before, leave the back door open and concede two, three and four again.” Allardyce is relishing his first game in charge of the club at Elland Road and revealed a meeting with Leeds great Eddie Gray this week invoked memories of Don Revie’s side of the 1960s and 70s. “I loved playing here as the away team,” Allardyce said. “I love the atmosphere. I came as a manager and it was the same. “The historical nature of the game and yes, it might be an old stadium, but it’s Elland Road and what it stands for.” Allardyce joked he almost asked former winger Gray, who had two spells as Leeds manager and is now club ambassador, if he wanted to play. “The old days when I was growing up watching that (Revie) team, I was speaking to Eddie today at great length,” Allardyce added. “He’s looking really fit, I was wondering if he could put his boots on and play. He’s the fittest 75-year-old I’ve seen in a long time. He’s still around the club, he still comes in he loves it that much. It’s a great football club.” Allardyce, who has focused on shoring up Leeds’ leaky defence in his short time at the club, bemoaned the criticism he has received throughout his career for extoling the need for keeping clean sheets. He added: “If you don’t listen to me, listen to Eddie Gray. If you don’t listen to him either listen to Pep (Guardiola) or Alex Ferguson. They all win the league with the best clean sheet record.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Notts County boss Luke Williams looking to end emotional season with Wembley win ‘Struggling’ Tommy Spurr steeled for charity fundraiser in aid of his son Football rumours: Tottenham ready for fight to keep hold of Harry Kane

As an emotionally charged season reaches its climax Notts County boss Luke Williams knows there are no guidelines for grief. The Magpies lost chief executive Jason Turner suddenly in March, aged just 50, with his funeral held last week. Williams, who was among those who carried his coffin, has helped lead a club through heartache while trying to win promotion from the National League. A staggering 107 points still saw them finish second, behind Wrexham, but they then claimed a blockbuster 3-2 win over Boreham Wood in their play-off semi-final on Sunday as Jodi Jones’ strike in the final minute of extra time capped a comeback from 2-0 down. Now, Saturday’s play-off final against Chesterfield is their chance to end a four-year EFL exile with the memory of Turner a driving force. “I don’t think there’s a manual,” Williams told the PA news agency. “You can be involved in 1,000 games of football but this is something that is about life and there’s no rule book for this. I try my best to support people and to try to support Jason’s family as best I can. After this type of rollercoaster you need to be with people that care about you and people you trust with your life to be able to help you to recover before it all begins again. Notts County boss Luke Williams “It’s been a huge challenge for me but at the same time I got to work with Jason and got to know him as a man. He’s made a huge impact on my life in a very, very positive way. “Nothing that I’ve had to do has been a burden to me. It’s actually, in a way, helped me to mourn Jason’s passing.” Saturday’s final at Wembley will mark the finale of a thrilling campaign, one where Williams and the club have kept going in tragic circumstances. Yet it leaves the former Swindon boss wary for when the adrenaline wears off and he and the Magpies have time to reflect. He said: “When you experience very, very strong emotions, very, very high emotions and very low emotions – when they’re all very extreme – I feel like you’re always very vulnerable when you come to an end of a chapter like this. “I have experienced things similar in the past and I have a brilliant family and that is the key thing. “After this type of rollercoaster you need to be with people that care about you and people you trust with your life to be able to help you to recover before it all begins again. “Will I be able to draw on these experiences? I’m sure, yes. l hope nothing like that happens but you know life is so fragile so there is every chance I’ll be involved in something of a similar nature. “So I think this stressful experience will help me to cope with that in the future.” While champions Wrexham have been partying in Las Vegas, courtesy of owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Notts County have one last game. Reynolds and McElhenney are expected at Wembley to support the Magpies, something which Williams welcomes as he looks to join them in League Two. “It’s brilliant we’re able to be really fiercely competitive and do everything we possibly can to try to get to the title and then be able to be respectful and supportive at the same time,” added Williams. “Not that I think anybody wants to take the passion and the competition out of football, we all want rivalry. “We want passionate performances and brilliant moments to celebrate and the fans to be able to wind each other up. Then, afterwards, it is a nice development to see the class of the two clubs and the respect they have shown towards each other.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘Struggling’ Tommy Spurr steeled for charity fundraiser in aid of his son Football rumours: Tottenham ready for fight to keep hold of Harry Kane 5 contenders as Justin Thomas sets out to defend US PGA Championship crown

In stark contrast to their money-laden neighbours, Sunderland are within touching distance of the Premier League’s riches with one of the youngest squads in the Championship. Luton stand in their way of reaching the richest game in football – the play-off final – and the means to unlock hundreds of millions of pounds available to those who play in England’s top flight. The Black Cats spent a decade in the Premier League, before they were relegated with four games remaining at the end of the 2016-17 season. Sunderland’s plight is better known than most, in large part due to Netflix’s Sunderland ‘Til I Die fly-on-the-wall documentary which started with optimism of an immediate return to the top tier, but instead catalogued the disastrous, often embarrassing relegation to League One. That documentary helped inspire Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to buy Wrexham but now the Black Cats are hunting a Hollywood fairytale of their own. The third level of the English footballing pyramid is arguably one of the most difficult divisions to escape, as Leeds too found in recent years, and Sunderland finished in the play-offs three times before moving back into the Championship in the 2021-22 season. However, Tony Mowbray is on the brink of something extraordinary. After Alex Neil’s departure on 21 August to take charge of Stoke - despite having led the Black Cats back into the second tier - Sunderland have flourished. Despite one of the youngest squads, with an average age of just 23.4 years, they are unbeaten in their last nine matches, including a 1-1 draw to Luton who they will face at the weekend. The Hatters’ meteoric rise eclipses even that of Sunderland, having been outside the Football League as recently as the 2013-14 season, though they are more established in the Championship, playing in their third season. But Sunderland will be encouraged by their 1-1 draw with Premier League side Fulham in the FA Cup – although the Cottagers made a number of changes from their usual starting XI – and Mowbray has argued against those who believe promotion would come too soon for his youthful side. They have the potential. And a 46,000 seater stadium with passionate fans who would relish the opportunity to take on their old rivals Newcastle in the first northeast derby since March 2016. However, Sunderland – if they return – will be returning to a wholly different local footballing landscape. While they have travelled to Grimsby and Port Vale, their local rivals are on the cusp of a return to the heights of Europe and have become one of the richest football clubs in the world. In contrast, Sunderland have had a chaotic near-constant change of ownership which has been a source of contention for the fans. Their path to the play-offs was also far from straightforward, having started the final round of matches outside the top six, but Millwall’s capitulation from a two-goal lead to suffering a 4-3 defeat against Blackburn, who went into the game without a win in eight, allowed Sunderland to sneak into sixth. Securing promotion could also be a fitting final tribute for Manchester United’s Amad Diallo and Paris Saint Germain’s Edouard Michut. Diallo has netted 13 times this season in 40 appearances and is likely to be welcomed back to Old Trafford after impressing during his spell on loan. Sunderland have the experience and they won a play-off final as recently as last year, but the knockout matches are notoriously difficult and Luton will prove tough opposition. Read More Coventry City aiming to come full circle after journey to hell and back When are the play-offs? A tiny ground and a squad costing less than a Man City sub. So how are Luton within reach of the Premier League? Football rumours: Tottenham ready for fight to keep hold of Harry Kane Michael Smith wraps up quickfire Premier League hat-trick with Sheffield success West Ham overcome ghosts of Frankfurt to eye another shot at European glory

It’s 22 years and counting since Coventry City last graced the Premier League, over two decades of ups and downs, necessary ups as a result of downs, a whole chapter and more of club history written outside of the game’s elite. Once, the Sky Blues were synonymous with top-flight football, iconic 90s names - if not always quite among the elite - throughout the team. They were in the first Premier League campaign, the 1992/93 season, and stayed a part of that fledgling top flight for the first nine years, finishing in the bottom half each term but always there, always a tough opponent, always carrying players with a backstory, a big future, or both. But an entire generation of football fans have never seen Coventry among the top clubs. A sea-change has happened at England’s highest level since they were on the scene; they departed in 2001, two years before Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and could now return one year after he sold it. While billions were moved around in the transfer market and in broadcast deals in Coventry’s absence, they embarked on an altogether more painful journey; should they complete the comeback on 27 May and win the EFL Championship play-off final they will become the first team to go from the Premier League all the way down to the fourth tier...and come all the way back up again. Before they can dream of all that, though, they must overcome Middlesbrough in a two-legged semi-final. The first of those games comes on home soil. A generation back, that would have been Highfield Road. For those who haven’t followed the fortunes and failings of Coventry’s ownership since then, that memorable old ground - where they played for over a century - was demolished in 2005. They moved to the Ricoh Arena, but less than ten years later there were leasing issues and disagreements, resulting in the team spending a season at Sixfields in Northampton, 33 miles away. A return to within the city limits lasted only another few years, with the 19/20 and 20/21 campaigns spent playing home games at St. Andrew’s, in Birmingham - this time 23 miles away, and in the opposite direction to Sixfields. Two seasons back at the renamed Ricoh, now the Coventry Building Society Arena have followed, with a ten-year deal to play there seemingly securing the club’s immediate future in terms of a home ground - but the stadium owners were since bought out and Coventry have only, until now, agreed a deal to stay until the end of this campaign. Closer to home, matters haven’t been much better. Investment group Sisu Capital bought the Sky Blues in 2007 to stop them going out of business, but under Ray Ranson’s chairmanship the club floundered financially and on the football pitch. Liquidation and relegation to League Two painted a bleak picture; the EFL Trophy in 2017 and promotion back to League One in 2018 offered far more of a glimpse of hope. Doug King, a local businessman, finally completed a full takeover just a few months ago and immediately insisted on a future of “transparency and clarity”, noting there was no debt on the club and no interest would be payable on loans provided to it. However, he was unable to secure the purchase of the stadium, leaving work to do there for next season. Yet even that question mark only becomes cause for excitement if Coventry can pull off the most improbable of finishes to this campaign. When King took sole ownership on 27 January - just four months to the day before the play-off final - Coventry sat 15th in the Championship. They had won nine games all season, and lost ten. They had a negative goal difference. Their first game of the new era took place the next day and they won - and they have done so, again and again, in nine of their last 19, losing only twice. Mark Robins has managed nothing shy of a minor miracle in that most mad-cap of leagues, while it’s worth noting that the final day of the regular season saw them play away at the very team they now face twice more. A 1-1 draw at ‘Boro didn’t give much away for either side, while Coventry won the early-season meeting on home soil. Robins, of course, is the former striker who - as myth, legend or partial truth tells it - saved Sir Alex Ferguson’s career at Manchester United in those pre-trophy early seasons, scoring a goal in a must-win FA Cup clash which might otherwise have seen the Scot sacked. Robins went on to play for Norwich and Leicester, before a nomadic final decade or so in the game. This spell with Coventry, his second with the club, is his sixth coaching job. He is just three games away from giving the fans their best occasion in decades. And they have had plenty of those memorable occasions before. This was a club of Dion Dublin, Noel Whelan, Darren Huckerby, Robbie Keane. And before that, of Steve Ogrizovic, Roland Nilsson, Roy Wegerle, Gary McAllister and Peter Ndlovu. They were genuinely exciting, talented, committed players who could certainly have played for the biggest sides - some indeed went on to do so - had that era been like this one, where top clubs swoop continuously on any of those below them who fare well. Now it is instead to Viktor Gyokeres, Gustavo Hamer and Callum Doyle the fans will look, in hope and in anguish, that a long and difficult road might be just weeks from the final corner. What lays around it is almost entirely unknown, yet it could also in many ways mark the most incredible full-circle journey the Premier League era has seen. Read More A tiny ground and a squad costing less than a Man City sub. So how are Luton within reach of the Premier League? When are the play-offs? West Ham overcome ghosts of Frankfurt to eye another shot at European glory Football rumours: Tottenham ready for fight to keep hold of Harry Kane On this day in 2010: Fulham beaten by Atletico Madrid in Europa League final

What the papers say Tottenham are determined to hold on to England captain Harry Kane, according to the Daily Mirror, despite him approaching the final year of his contract. Manchester United have been leading the chase to sign the 29-year-old striker. Another England player is in Manchester United’s sights as they look for a possible replacement for goalkeeper David de Gea, 32. The Daily Mirror reports they are preparing a move for Jordan Pickford, 29, from Everton. Bayer Leverkusen’s 23-year-old winger Moussa Diaby has emerged as a possible summer target for Arsenal, according to the Standard. The French international has also been linked with Newcastle and Paris St Germain. Striker Romelu Lukaku, who turns 30 on Saturday, will return to Chelsea for pre-season training and talks with the new boss at Stamford Bridge before deciding on his future. The Belgian international has been on loan at Inter Milan. Social media round-up Players to watch Mohammed Salisu: Southampton’s 24-year-old Ghana defender is catching the eye of Everton. Dujon Sterling: The 23-year-old defender is set to move from Chelsea to Rangers on a free transfer this summer. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Fulham were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid in the Europa League final on this day in 2010. Diego Forlan’s winner late in extra-time brought the London club’s Europa League adventure to a heartbreaking end. Roy Hodgson’s side provided shocks in the competition to reach the final – beating Juventus and Shakhtar Donetsk along the way – but were denied a first European trophy by an Atletico side which contained the likes of Sergio Aguero, Jose Antonio Reyes and David De Gea. Atletico hit the front in the 32nd minute when Forlan pounced on a mishit shot from Aguero to beat Mark Schwarzer from close range but Fulham were quick to level as Simon Davies smashed home Zoltan Gera’s cross five minutes later. Both sides failed to make an impression or create any quality chances in the second period and the match was all square at the end of normal time. Extra-time was needed for a result and the winning goal came in the 116th minute. Fulham looked fatigued and the Spanish side took advantage when Aguero made space down the right before passing to Forlan whose shot rolled through the legs of Brede Hangeland and past Mark Schwarzer. “I thought the game was heading for penalties,” said Hodgson. “I know they are a lottery but we fancied our chances. Then Forlan popped up with a second and we had no time to recover. “Everyone wants to finish first but at this level of achievement, after 63 games, second is something we can be very proud of as well.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

David Moyes was relieved to come through a “difficult night” after West Ham recovered from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead into next week’s Europa Conference League second leg with AZ Alkmaar. Goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio kept West Ham’s dreams of a first trophy in 43 years alive at a sold-out London Stadium. The Hammers were big favourites to beat the Dutch dark horses, but were put on the back foot when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola gifted AZ the lead before half-time. But another goalkeeping error from Australia international Mathew Ryan gave West Ham a penalty which Benrahma converted. Antonio then prodded home from a corner after a goalmouth scramble to give the Hammers a crucial lead going into next Thursday’s return leg in the Netherlands. “We’ve got a narrow lead but nothing more than that,” said Moyes. “The tie is very evenly balanced, there is very little in the game, if we were losing by a goal I wouldn’t be saying we were out of the tie. “I’m pleased we’ve got ourselves in front, which is a big thing. It was a difficult night. We’ve learned some lessons over the years but it’s difficult when you think you’re not getting the rub of the green. But we’re used to that at the minute. We have a big job to do next week David Moyes “I hugely believe we’ve got a big resilience here, through the club, through the team, and we’ve needed it. “We’re just off a big win against Manchester United and just won 2-1 in a semi-final first leg, so that’s OK. But we have a big job to do next week.” West Ham were given a painful lesson in last season’s Europa League semi-final, conceding in the first minute of the first leg and losing Aaron Cresswell to a red card in the second as they crashed out to Eintracht Frankfurt. They got an early warning when former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie fizzed a low shot just past the post. And history repeated itself when West Ham allowed AZ to take a shock lead five minutes before half-time, Areola letting Tijjani Reijnders’ shot in at his near post. However, the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Ryan missed his punch at a corner and caught Jarrod Bowen square in the face. Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler pointed to the penalty spot and Benrahma stepped up to bury a perfect spot-kick just inside the post. The official had infuriated the home crowd all match but, unlike last year’s match in Frankfurt, West Ham kept their heads. “There was a little period it was beginning to get a little out of hand but we’ve learned a bit from it,” added Moyes. “It’s an emotional game, football, and the players were fighting for everything.” Eight minutes later West Ham went ahead, Antonio stabbing home the rebound after Nayef Aguerd’s header was cleared off the line to give them a slim advantage and, if they improve next week, every chance of moving a step closer to a first European trophy since 1965. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ronnie O’Sullivan shows how versatile his book is – Thursday’s sporting social Counties cast rivalry aside and honour the life of Matt Dunn’s daughter Overseas territories should have representation in Parliament, ministers told

Perhaps the afternoon onslaught of slashing rain had washed West Ham clean of their remorse, a year on from their Europe League semi-final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt. Perhaps this Europa Conference League semi-final with AZ Alkmaar is just a step down in competition. Either way, its first leg marked a liberating step forward for West Ham, who battled from behind to emerge 2-1 winners at home on Thursday. The 2006 FA Cup final, a soul-splintering affair for the Hammers, remains the closest the club has come to a trophy in over 40 years, and while that shattered spirit is arguably still to be restored, its fragments seemed to glint when West Ham reached the final four of the continent’s second competition 12 months ago. And again they gleamed on Thursday, in the soaked, steel silo of the London Stadium, where the reserves of fans’ faith were rewarded by a second-half rally. While West Ham's narrow, nervy win over Manchester United on Sunday was about West Ham maintaining their place in the Premier League, this game was about David Moyes' side mentally measuring themselves against last year's team, which was physically more formidable but proved emotionally fragile against Frankfurt. Sixty thousand home fans offered emotional support on this occasion, soundtracking the scenes before them as they had done in the knockout ties of last season, rattling the bolts of this silo with each roar, while the Alkmaar faithful bounced and buoyed their on-pitch avatars. Early on, however, exuberance was Alkmaar's best offering, and even that left them too exposed. West Ham were eager to exploit the space they saw – whether Lucas Paqueta was pirouetting into it or Michail Antonio was marauding through it. The home team failed to capitalise on early opportunities to establish a lead, however, with Jarrod Bowen misjudging the angle of a header and the timing of an incoming cross. Still, West Ham were the stronger and slicker side and nearly struck first when Said Benrahma forced Mathew Ryan into a desperate, fingertip save with a curving, first-time effort. The rising pressure around the Alkmaar goal was greeted by raucous reactions in the stands. The excitement turned to aggravation, though, as the home fans and players vented over what they perceived to be an unpunished push on Paqueta. His fall seemed theatrical, and against the odds, Alkmaar closed the first act of this semi-final with a goal. The visitors, apathetic to West Ham's appeals, picked out Tijjani Reijnders in an embarrassment of space, and his rifled shot bounced over the gloves of a despairing Alphonse Areola. West Ham had little time to spare in the second half, but Alkmaar felt they had plenty to waste. That was until they forfeited their advantage when Ryan clawed at Bowen's face to prevent a close-range header, giving away a penalty and receiving a booking. The noise, as Benrahma whipped his spot kick beyond Ryan, was brutal. So was West Ham's oppressive pursuit of a second goal to transform this tie, or at least reshape it into its intended outcome, with 20 minutes remaining. Within ten, the oppression had paid off. Nayef Aguerd's header was cleared off the goal line but only as far as the looming Antonio, who stabbed the ball home to puncture Alkmaar's hopes of leaving London with a lead. It was in the final throes of this game that West Ham demonstrated how vital those goals had been in unshackling the chains of their last European semi-final. Courtesy of interplay between Paqueta, Benrahma, Declan Rice and substitute Danny Ings, Moyes' side exhibited the kind of free-flowing football that has eluded them too often this term. Next week, West Ham travel to the Netherlands to cleanse themselves of the spirit of Frankfurt. They will be carried by a soul that is stirring with each of these European nights. Read More Erik ten Hag reveals David De Gea contract stance after costly mistake at West Ham Manchester United’s fragility allow Liverpool back into the battle for Europe West Ham vs Manchester United LIVE: Premier league result and reaction Declan Rice among West Ham players expected to be fit to face Manchester United Six clubs, only three survive: Who can escape the Premier League relegation fight Record-breaker Erling Haaland makes the extraordinary look predictable again

Goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio kept West Ham’s dreams of a first trophy in 43 years alive after a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar. The Hammers were big favourites to beat the Dutch dark horses, but were put on the back foot at a sold-out London Stadium when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola gifted AZ the lead before half-time. But another goalkeeping error from Australia international Mathew Ryan gave West Ham a penalty which Benrahma converted. Antonio then prodded home from a corner after a goalmouth scramble to give the Hammers a crucial lead going into next Thursday’s second leg in the Netherlands. There was a sense of optimism before kick-off with West Ham almost safe from relegation and captain Declan Rice confidently predicted ‘the good times are back on their way’ in his programme notes, even though it remains unlikely he will be here to enjoy them for much longer. Still, a European final in Prague on June 7, against Fiorentina or Basel, would be a fitting way for the England midfielder to sign off before a big-money summer move. But AZ, a progressive club based around the moneyball model also used by Brentford, are a slick, attacking young side who had beaten Lazio and Anderlecht to reach the last four. They were watched from the directors’ box by Billy Beane, the real-life inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in the baseball movie Moneyball, who owns a stake in them. Ominously, AZ goalkeeper Ryan was unbeaten in his five previous matches against West Ham during his spell at Brighton, and he set about trying to maintain that record when he got down well to tip Benrahma’s curler behind. West Ham were given a painful lesson in last season’s Europa League semi-final, conceding in the first minute of the first leg and losing Aaron Cresswell to a red card in the second as they crashed out to Eintracht Frankfurt. They got an early warning when former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie fizzed a low shot just past the post. And history repeated itself when West Ham allowed AZ to take a shock lead five minutes before half-time, Areola letting Tijjani Reijnders’ shot in at his near post. It was not a gaffe on the scale of the one West Ham benefitted from in their win over Manchester United on Sunday, when David De Gea let Benrahma’s tame shot roll in, but it was still not a good look for the Hammers’ cup keeper. West Ham protested that there had been a foul on Lucas Paqueta in the build-up – Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler even put the whistle to his lips before opting to play on – but the goal stood. However, the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Ryan missed his punch at a corner and caught Jarrod Bowen square in the face. Meler, who had infuriated the home crowd all match, pointed to the penalty spot and Benrahma stepped up to bury a perfect spot-kick just inside the post. Eight minutes later West Ham went ahead, Antonio stabbing home the rebound after Nayef Aguerd’s header was cleared off the line to give them a slim advantage and, if they improve next week, every chance of moving a step closer to a first European trophy since 1965. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ronnie O’Sullivan shows how versatile his book is – Thursday’s sporting social Counties cast rivalry aside and honour the life of Matt Dunn’s daughter Overseas territories should have representation in Parliament, ministers told

Captain Jordan Henderson believes Liverpool have to use the variety of goalscoring options they have available to their advantage next season. The return to fitness of Luis Diaz in recent weeks means manager Jurgen Klopp can now choose between five of his six first-choice forwards (the departing Roberto Firmino is injured). That has contributed to an upturn in form which has brought six successive victories and pushed them into unlikely contention for the top-four, sitting just a point behind Manchester United having played one match more. If that quintet – Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Cody Gakpo and Diaz – can remain fit Henderson expects Liverpool to be vastly improved next season. “Things evolve all the time and we’ve had new players come into that forward line and they are very exciting players,” the midfielder told Sky Sports. “There are a lot of different things we can use and different personnel that can do different things really. “We have a lot of quality players that can go up front and all of them can score goals, so we need to use that to our advantage next season. “It’s been a bit of a roller coaster for us this season to be honest. We’ve probably struggled to find consistency for the majority of it. “The good thing is we look a lot more like ourselves and I think there is still a long way to go in terms of improvement for us but the signs are good. “Hopefully we can finish these three games off strongly and take that into next season.” Read More Jurgen Klopp: Darwin Nunez was ‘like a racehorse’ in win over Fulham Slow-starting Spurs – the statistics behind Tottenham’s early travails in games Diaz highlights every area Liverpool’s top-four bid is falling short