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Tottenham Hotspur's chances of finishing inside the Premier League top four are fading after the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Thursday night, despite some positive signs in the second half.

Spurs fought back from 2-0 down to rescue a point, with Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min getting on the scoresheet in the second half. However, they probably needed three points to keep their Champions League dream alive.

The Lilywhites still trail the Red Devils by six points, despite playing two more games, while Newcastle's emphatic 4-1 win away at Everton means it will also be very hard to catch Eddie Howe's side.

Since our last set of predictions, Tottenham have parted ways with Cristian Stellini, with Ryan Mason taking charge on an interim basis until the end of the season. Here's how we expect their remaining games to finish:

Tottenham fixtures 30 April: Liverpool (a) 6 May: Crystal Palace (h) 13 May: Aston Villa (a) 20 May: Brentford (h) 28 May: Leeds (a) Liverpool v Tottenham

Jurgen Klopp's side have underperformed this season, so this Sunday's encounter at Anfield may prove to be decisive in the race for the Europa League, rather than the Champions League, but Liverpool have started to click at the right time.

The Reds have now won their last three Premier League games, most recently emerging 2-1 winners away at West Ham United, and they will have the opportunity to leapfrog Tottenham in the table with a victory this weekend.

Given the improvement from Liverpool in recent weeks, they are likely to emerge as comfortable winners, particularly considering Anfield is not a happy hunting ground for Spurs, having failed to win there since May 2011.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham

Tottenham v Crystal Palace

Tottenham will need to be winning games like this to stand any chance of finishing inside the top four, and they are likely to take all three points, especially since Crystal Palace have little to play for at this stage of the season.

The returning Roy Hodgson has overseen the Eagles rise up the league table, now sitting eight points clear of the bottom three, and just three points off the all-important 40-point barrier.

With safety more or less confirmed, Palace have started to falter in recent weeks, drawing against Everton, before losing 2-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out, and they are unlikely to pose too much of a threat to Spurs.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Crystal Palace

Aston Villa v Tottenham

Unai Emery has been breaking records as manager of Aston Villa, with his side scoring in all 20 league games since his appointment, which is the most consecutive Premier League matches a team with a new manager has scored in.

At the time of writing, the Villans have won five Premier League home games in a row to put themselves in contention for European qualification, particularly impressing in a resounding 3-0 victory against Newcastle United.

Although there were signs of improvement from Spurs in the second half against Man United, they are unlikely to take anything against such an in-form Villa side.

Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Tottenham

Tottenham v Brentford

Although their form has started to dry up in recent weeks, winning just one of their last seven games, Brentford are likely to be very happy with their 2022-23 campaign, and they returned to form in their last match.

The Bees ran out 2-0 winners against a struggling Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, and they now sit ninth in the Premier League table, although it looks very unlikely they will be able to make a late push for Europe.

Despite the victory in their last match, the Bees should not pose too much of a threat for Tottenham, who must win games like this to keep their European dream alive.

Prediction: Tottenham 3-1 Brentford

Leeds v Tottenham

On the final day of the season, Spurs travel to Elland Road to take on a Leeds side who may well be fighting for their lives, given that they are in 16th place, just one point above the bottom three at the time of writing.

Javi Gracia's side have been very disappointing in recent weeks, losing 5-1 at home to Crystal Palace and 6-1 at home to Liverpool, while a 1-1 draw against Leicester City last time out has also done them no favours.

The Lilywhites have won four of their five matches against Leeds since the West Yorkshire club returned to the Premier League, most recently running out 4-3 winners after a late figh back in November.

Both sides have very poor defensive records, with Leeds having conceded the joint-highest amount of any side in the league, therefore it is likely to be a high-scoring game, with Spurs emerging as narrow winners.

Prediction: Leeds 2-3 Tottenham

Predicted run-in points: 9/15 Predicted total points: 63

Chelsea's search for their potential next permanent manager has taken them to the door of Mauricio Pochettino with initial talks being held this week.

Who is the favourite for the Chelsea job?

It has been a turbulent campaign in west London which has seen the coming and going of two managers already in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter.

Frank Lampard has been handed the keys until the end of the season but his arrival is yet to bear fruit with the Blues having now lost all four of the games he has overseen.

The search for their next permanent boss has been fizzing away in the background now for a number of weeks with the likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann both linked with the job.

And it has been suggested the German is the favourite to land the job with their interest in Enrique cooling of late.

However, there has been another name to enter the frame in recent days in Tottenham Hotspur's former boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Indeed, speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Blues have now held initial talks with the Argentine with further discussions set to take place:

(5:45) "What we can say is that Chelsea approached Mauricio Pochettino there has been a contact between Chelsea and Pochettino.

"It's the very first time since last summer you remember probably that Pochettino was one of the names together with Graham Potter to replace Thomas Tuchel. Then Chelsea were really convinced on Potter, but Pochettino has been approached.

"Now there are conversations. Nothing is advanced. It's just an approach, a contact. Nagelsmann remains the favourite but Pochettino is a name to add to Chelsea's list."

Would Pochettino be a good fit for Chelsea?

During his time in north London, Pochettino was labelled as a "magician" for his transformation in making Spurs a consistent top-four side.

However, it was a long-term project which the Argentine set out at Tottenham and he was provided the patience of the Spurs board until 2019.

Whether this would be the same at Chelsea is another matter given the huge sums of money which have been spent by Todd Boehly already since his arrival.

Chelsea will obviously be looking for a significant turnaround next season from their current league standing in the bottom half of the table.

But given the finances involved, perhaps improvement alone may not be enough and perhaps the owners will want to see the club get their hands on some silverware.

This is something which plagued Pochettino's time in north London but there will always be the notion of him not being backed by the board.

There is also the question of whether the Argentine would be willing to potentially tarnish his relationship with the Spurs fans who have been heard recently singing his name from the stands.

Pochettino – hailed as a "master tactician" by Mina Rzouki – has admitted in the past that he would like to return to manage Spurs one day, but perhaps he has to take this opportunity to return to the Premier League if Chelsea are to offer him the role.

Arsenal are ready to make a move for Gabriel Veiga this summer, as he is set to leave Celta Vigo, according to recent reports from Spain.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Mikel Arteta has his sights set on bringing in additional options in the engine room this summer, and the manager has recently been handed a boost in his pursuit of West Ham United captain Declan Rice.

The Gunners are now said to be in pole position to sign the 24-year-old this summer, having overtaken both Chelsea and Newcastle United in the race for his signature, with the Hammers set to demand £80m – £100m to sanction a sale.

Rice is Arsenal's top priority to bolster their midfield this summer, however he is not the only target, with Football Insider reporting Moises Caicedo and Amadou Onana could be targeted as back-up options.

According to a recent report from AS (via Sport Witness), the Gunners are one of the clubs ready to make a move for Veiga, with current club Celta Vigo almost resigned to losing him at the end of the season.

There are multiple Premier League clubs interested in the 20-year-old, while Real Madrid are also named as potential suitors, although they are yet to open talks.

It is detailed that Celta would be delighted if they were to receive €40m (£36m) for the starlet, as that figure would almost double their club-record transfer, and he is set to make a decision about his future when he has chosen a new agent.

Should Arsenal sign Gabriel Veiga?

The maestro has enjoyed a phenomenal breakthrough season this year, scoring nine and bagging four assists, weighing in with more goals per 90 than any other Celta Vigo player, averaging 0.47.

Such is the Spaniard's threat on the front foot, he ranks in the 99th percentile for goals, and the total number of shots taken per 90 over the course of the past year, while he also places in the 96th percentile for successful take-ons.

The youngster does not possess the proven Premier League experience that Rice does, however if he only costs £36m, then there is no reason why Arsenal cannot bring in both players.

Hailed as "amazing" by football scout Jacek Kulig, Veiga looks like he will be a very exciting prospect for the future, and his performances this season indicate he could immediately challenge for a place in the Arsenal starting XI.

Manchester United are likely still reeling following their late collapse in Thursday's 2-2 draw at home to Sevilla in the Europa League, with that first-leg stalemate having ensured the tie is very much still in the balance heading into next week's trip to Spain.

The higher cost from that clash at Old Trafford, however, was the loss of both Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez to injury, with the withdrawal of the latter man, in particular, having sparked concern among the home support with regard to the extent of his potential absence.

As it has proved, United's worst fears have been realised as the club have since revealed that Martinez will be out for the remainder of the campaign after sustaining a metatarsal injury, while fellow World Cup winner, Varane, is also set to be out of action for the next few weeks.

That double blow has ensured that manager Erik ten Hag only has Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof to call upon as his senior centre-back options for the forthcoming games, albeit with usual left-back Luke Shaw – who has endured his own injury woes of late – also able to slot into a central berth if required.

Even with the flexibility of the England international, however, with games coming thick and fast it may be difficult for the Old Trafford outfit to rely solely on those limited options, with 19-year-old, Rhys Bennett, one potential academy gem who could well be called upon to ease this worrying, injury crisis.

Who is Man United's Rhys Bennett?

The teenage defender notably came to wider prominence after captaining United's U18 side to FA Youth Cup glory at the tail end of last season, with the promising Englishman having proved vital in the showpiece triumph over Nottingham Forest after netting the game's opening goal.

Having worn the captain's armband in the academy ranks of late, Bennett is seemingly something of a "natural leader" – according to Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst – and also a real "good character", having clearly made a strong impression at the club to date.

While a competitive, senior bow has yet to emerge for the £730-per-week prospect, the exciting talent did notably feature for Ten Hag's men during the World Cup break against Real Betis, with experienced stopper Tom Heaton having hailed his young colleague as "excellent" despite that 1-0 defeat.

Bennett has already been promoted to the first-team squad this season alongside fellow Youth Cup winners Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, with the next step now for the youngster to go beyond just merely featuring as part of the matchday squad for the top-four hopefuls.

Having "played well" against Betis, as per Luckhurst, the teen starlet clearly has the ability to be able to thrive against senior opposition, with it potentially not too long before a proper chance to impress emerges, amid the loss of both Martinez and Varane.

Referee Christopher Kavanagh and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the most recent Newcastle United game after awarding a controversial penalty.

What's the latest on Newcastle and VAR?

The Magpies managed to pick up a vital three points on their push to finish inside the top four as they beat Brentford 2-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Indeed, travelling away from home and down to west London, Eddie Howe and his men were put under plenty of pressure in the first half.

After just 28 minutes, Sven Botman made a poor challenge inside his own box but Nick Pope saved Ivan Toney's penalty. However, before the break, the Brentford man did manage to score from 12 yards after Alexander Isak was judged to have fouled Rico Henry.

While the incident wasn't called live, video assistant referee Darren England instructed Kavanagh to go to the pitchside monitor, and a penalty was then awarded.

Was it a foul by Isak?

It's clear that referee Kavanagh has a great view of the initial challenge but he decided against giving a foul.

With that in mind, it's a little odd that he later agreed with VAR that he had made a clear and obvious mistake and so would have to overturn his first call.

While speaking about the incident on Match of the Day (via Shields Gazette), Alan Shearer certainly made this point.

Indeed, the furious BBC pundit said: “I don’t mean to get angry, but there’s no other option than to do that. This is a terrible, terrible decision.

“Henry goes for it, Isak goes for it. Chris Kavanagh the referee sees that himself and he doesn’t give that at all, not at all. He has a great view of it.

“The VAR and Darren England look at that for twenty replays and it takes them three minutes to send the referee [to the monitor] and say to him ‘no, I think you have made an absolute howler, you have to go to the screen’. What I would say to Chris Kavanagh is show some courage and back yourself to say to VAR and Darren England ‘no, you’ve got it completely wrong. I’ve watched it for myself, I’ve had a good view of it and I’m sticking to my decision.’

“But no, he backs down and gives the penalty. It’s a terrible decision."

He then added that he expects a PGMOL apology for the call, saying: “Once again Howard Webb will be ringing Eddie Howe up for the second time in a month and saying ‘I apologise we got that one wrong’. I know Howard Webb has a tough job and he wants to have a high bar, but for them to re-referee like that, it’s not right, he doesn’t want that, he’s told me.”

In the end, despite this controversy, Newcastle still managed to pick up the win with two goals in the second half – including a redeeming winner from Isak.

Despite the stability that has been re-introduced at Manchester United following the appointment of manager Erik ten Hag, it does look set to be yet another summer of change for the Red Devils, with a whole host of first-team assets looking set to depart.

The defensive ranks, in particular, look set to be depleted amid what could be something of a mass exodus, with the likes of Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe coming to the end of their respective deals, while Brandon Williams, Alex Telles and Eric Bailly also appear in line for a departure.

Perhaps more pressingly, however, is the suggestion that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof could also be up for grabs come the end of the season, with the experienced duo having fallen behind both Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in the centre-back pecking order.

Although it would appear unlikely that both Maguire and Lindelof will be moved on this summer, even if just one of the pair is to be sold it would spark a need for a fresh face to arrive through the door ahead of next term.

According to Football Insider, one potential target that could be on his way to Old Trafford is Eintracht Frankfurt colossus, Evan Ndicka, with the 23-year-old set to depart the Bundesliga side with just a matter of months left on his existing contract, after rejecting 'multiple' offers regarding an extension.

The 6 foot 4 Frenchman is also said to be attracting attention from United's bitter rivals, Liverpool, with the prospect of signing such an impressive figure on a free transfer having piqued the interest of clubs across Europe.

Should Man United sign Evan N'Dicka?

The chance to acquire a more youthful central defender this summer will likely also be of interest to Ten Hag, with Ndicka having proven himself a truly "superb player" during his time in Germany to date, as per talent scout Jack Kulig.

The former Auxerre ace – who made the move to Frankfurt back in 2018 – would seemingly be a suitable fit at the Theatre of Dreams, with the towering titan said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities with current United man, Varane, as per FBref.

That likeness to his compatriot is not just due to Varane's impressive, physical stature – as the 29-year-old stands at 6 foot 3 – but also due to their quality on the ball, with the former Real Madrid man having recorded 12 progressive carries so far this season from his 19 Premier League games, while Ndicka has racked up 11 progressive carries from his 25 league outings.

The comparison between the pair can also be made due to their prowess defensively, with the latter man having recorded 21 tackles in the current campaign, while his fellow Frenchman has recorded 22 tackles to date.

To be compared to the World Cup winner is a sign of Ndicka's exciting potential, with Varane having made a fine impression in Manchester over the past 18 months or so – despite having been hampered by injury at times – after being lauded as a "monster" by journalist Tom McDermott due to his impressive impact.

While Ndicka would offer a slightly different option to 93-cap gem as he is a left-sided centre-back, it would seemingly be a real coup if Ten Hag could get a deal over the line, particularly without having to pay a transfer fee.

Manchester United's potential takeover process reached a new landmark on Wednesday when the deadline was reached for bids to be submitted and a new name emerged.

Who has submitted a bid for Man United?

It is believed Sir Jim Ratcliffe submitted his second bid for the club on Thursday after being granted an extended deadline but there has been no confirmation yet from the Qatari party.

Skeikh Jassim's bid was also believed to have been a victim of the deadline, but another bid is expected to land within the coming days.

However, a third bidder has now emerged as a public figure in the race to potentially purchase the club in the form of the Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus.

And speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided some insight behind the tabled bid from the 59-year-old:

"Yes, it's true. He has this kind of model that could be kind of new – also involving the fans in the bid, so to have this possibility to also involve them by paying a small amount of money and be part of the club decisions.

"But I can tell you, that from my understanding, the two most credible bids at the moment remain INEOS group and Qatari group. So these two remain the favourites to buy Manchester United."

What could Zilliacus offer for Man United?

The proposed race to potentially own Manchester United has taken a really interesting twist with this bid from the Finnish business being made public.

Presuming a bid does land from Qatar, the three bids which have been made public all offer very different terms for the Glazer family to choose from.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be interested in buying their 69% share of the club which could leave him with the possibility of claiming more shares in the club further along the line.

The expected bid from Qatar would offer United a fresh start under Sheikh Jassim, who would take on the entire club and wipe their debt in the process.

Whereas, this bid from Zilliacus offers a seriously interesting prospect.

It has been suggested by the 59-year-old that his bid would see him purchase half of the club and the fans would be granted the possibility of purchasing the other half.

Fans could have the possibility to purchase a piece of the club for under $6 (£4.90) and it would offer them the ability to run the club alongside the Finnish businessman.

This would mean fans would have some say in the key decisions that take place at the football club with Zilliacus wanting to give back some of the power to the United faithful:

"Any sport club ultimately should belong to its fans. My bid is built on equality with fans. The current development, where billionaire sheikhs and oligarchs take over clubs and control them as their personal playgrounds is not a healthy trend," he said.

Uncertainty over Tottenham Hotspur's managerial position continues to rumble on this international break…

What's the latest Spurs manager news?

Antonio Conte finally took his leave from the club late on Sunday with the Italian mutually terminating his deal in north London.

Prior to that, Sky Sports reported that the club's hierarchy had been conducting their due diligence on a number of potential successors for several weeks, of which FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao is one name that has emerged as a likely candidate.

The 48-year-old has been in charge of the Portuguese giants since June 2017 and has led the Dragons to as many as nine trophies across a near six-year spell, including three Primeira Liga titles.

Is Conceicao a good appointment for Spurs?

Conceicao's only success has come at one of Portugal's biggest clubs, with stints at Ligue 1 outfit Nantes and other Iberian sides such as Vitoria Guimaraes and Sporting de Braga failing to hit the same heights.

This would surely make his fit for the Premier League rather dubious, seeing as his one spell outside his home country lasted just a year, with personal and family reasons being cited.

It would certainly be a big gamble from chairman Daniel Levy, though he's done it before, from the very same neck of the woods. Back in 2007, the Spurs supremo appointed a relatively unknown Spaniard called Juande Ramos, who arrived from Sevilla, where he had won six trophies, including two UEFA Cups.

He inherited a struggling side in the relegation zone and went on to win the League Cup later that year, but after a costly £60m summer spree – in which Luka Modric arrived at the club – the 68-year-old recorded Tottenham's worst-ever start to the league and by October, he was sacked.

According to former Spurs striker Darren Bent, Ramos became a very unpopular figure around the dressing room, losing the trust of key players such as skipper Ledley King and it all largely stemmed from his strict diets.

“When you’ve trained in the morning, you’ve had your lunch at the training ground, which isn’t usually that great, and then you get on a coach and get to the hotel and think, ‘I’m a bit hungry, I can’t wait for dinner’ and there’s just some dry rice," he told talkSPORT.

“Dry pasta, dry chicken, plain vegetables… and no crumble. People tried, people said to him: ‘Look, Juande, people are struggling…' Even our captain Ledley King was like: ‘Listen gaffer, we’re struggling here, what’s up with this food?’."

Conceicao is similar in this sense, according to some reports, and just like Ramos, had big success in Europe, but that clearly doesn't always translate into England, for whatever reason.

As such, Levy could be making an all too familiar mistake if he follows up his interest in the Porto tactician in the coming weeks. Whilst things were bad under Conte, they mustn't rush into another catastrophic appointment and given the evidence above, the 48-year-old could well end up being another Ramos in north London.

Newcastle United reportedly want to sign Borussia Dortmund left-back Raphael Guerreiro as a free agent in the summer.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Guerreiro is out of contract at Dortmund this summer, meaning that he can leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

The 29-year-old would certainly not be short of suitors, having amassed an impressive four goals and nine assists in 26 games in total over all competitions so far this term, mainly from the left-back position (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle interest

Co-writing in his latest piece for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey says that Guerreiro is ‘wanted’ by Newcastle, among a whole host of other clubs, as a free agent this summer.

Teams from both Italy and Spain, as well as some of Dortmund’s rivals in Germany, have also made their interest known, while Leeds United, Aston Villa and Wolves are also all believed to be interested in his signature.

Burnley, who are currently in the Championship at the moment but look set to make a swift return to the Premier League under Vincent Kompany, are also thought to be thinking about making an ‘audacious’ attempt to try and sign Guerreiro, while the Magpies have also looked at Arsenal and Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney as a potential alternative.

The Verdict: Statement signing

Guerreiro would certainly be a statement signing from the St. James’ Park outfit, as he has the potential to completely transform their backline for the next campaign.

Boasting a total of 214 appearances for Dortmund over all competitions, where he has notched up an impressive 38 goals and 45 assists from defence (four goals and 13 assists in 61 senior caps, including three goal contributions at the most recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Hailed as an ‘amazing player’ by his manager at Dortmund Edin Terzic, and someone who ‘oozes class’ by journalist Josh Bunting, Guerreiro would be sure to make the left-back spot his own should he make the move to the Magpies, with Dan Burn, who has Eddie Howe so far this campaign, primarily a central defender by trade.

Guerreiro actually shares the same agent as the Magpies boss, and if the North East club could snap him up on a free transfer this summer it could turn out to be a real bargain in the future.

West Ham are crying out for a clinical striker who can do it all, as they continue their battle against relegation from the Premier League this season.

Michail Antonio is past his best, Danny Ings offers goals but can't hold the ball up, while summer signing Gianluca Scamacca has failed to live up to the big expectations of him at the London Stadium, and looks likely to follow in the footsteps of several disappointing strikers who preceded him.

David Moyes will, therefore, be wishing that the club still had a powerful, talented goalscorer such as Marko Arnautovic, who impressed under the Scottish manager in a two-season stay at West Ham having initially been brought in by Slaven Bilic.

Could Marko Arnautovic save West Ham now?

West Ham would sign the Austria international from Stoke City in 2017 in a club-record deal worth £20m, having hit 26 goals and 32 assists during his time with the Potters.

He would manage double figures for league goals in both the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns for West Ham, finishing his time with the east London side on 22 goals and 12 assists in just 65 appearances, before completing a move to China, where he joined Shanghai SIPG.

Former Hammers midfielder Jack Wilshere sang his teammate's praises after he joined the club on a free transfer in 2018.

He said: “He is up there. He is right up there.

“Ability-wise, he’s powerful, got so much in his game. His attitude is brilliant. He’s a good character and is one of the leaders in the team as well."

West Ham's woeful form in the Premier League so far this campaign certainly suggests that they are missing leaders in the dressing room, while their lack of goals on the pitch has been a major factor in Moyes' downfall.

Only five sides have scored fewer top-flight goals than the Hammers, while Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen currently lead the way for goals in Moyes' squad, with only four to their name, which emphasises how poor the attacking options have been so far this campaign.

Even at 33, Arnautovic is still outperforming all of West Ham's attackers with Bologna, as he boasts eight goals in 15 Serie A appearances so far this term.

Considering that Scamacca was signed for big money from Italy in the summer but now cannot get a game in Moyes' side, the Scottish manager will perhaps be wishing that he still had Arnautovic at his disposal.

Indeed, with his goals and Premier League know-how, the chances of West Ham suffering a shock relegation would surely be significantly lower.