Peter in Horley: Hi Phil. Despite the EPL getting all the money and column inches, the EFL and National Leagues are doing very well (congratulations to Bromley). Is it time for the media to give more exposure to the backbone of the football pyramid?

Hello Peter. Not sure if you know but as someone who lives in Oxford I have often mentioned how much I enjoy just going to Oxford United to watch football at League One level and really enjoy it.

Of course it’s not as Premier League level but you still see some really good football watched by passionate fanbases totally invested in their clubs.

I do think this is the time of the year when this part of the pyramid does get exposure with the play-offs and promotion/relegation battles. If it gets more, then fine by me.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Arsenal fan Laura Kirk has been speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast this morning after her side beat Manchester United 1-0 to move to the top of the Premier League table.

Kirk said: "Old Trafford’s not been a good place for us in the past 20 years or so. Walking away with three points was all that matters.

"It was a painful watch. I was, by the end of it absolutely covered in sweat and screaming things at my TV.

"Ultimately, we got the job done and week 37 now? That’s the most important thing. Certainly an ugly win but we got what was needed from us.”

Steve, Powys: Hi Phil. Do you think more needs to be done to bridge the gap between the Championship and EPL? I wasn't too upset my team Coventry didn't make the play-offs this year to ensure that if we did get promoted we were in a better place to actually stay up.

Morning, Steve. This situation has certainly been accentuated by the three promoted teams from last season going straight back down from the Premier League.

I have actually been contacted by some fans of Championship teams who would prefer staying there to losing every week in the Premier League. Football cannot be like that – there always has to be hope.

I would love to find a way to spread the wealth and power more evenly in football but I think that might have to start with Premier League clubs agreeing to do that.

On your general point, I do agree there is a growing gap and that is not good for the game.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

Manchester United are mopping up this morning after over a month’s worth of rain fell in two hours around the end of their Premier League game with Arsenal yesterday.

United say 41mm of rain fell in the two hours after the final whistle of the defeat by Arsenal. Last year, only 29mm fell at Old Trafford in the whole of May.

The extreme conditions, which affected a wide area of Greater Manchester and Cheshire led to rain pouring off the roof into parts of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.

There was some leakage into the stand whilst other areas of the ground, including the away dressing room were also affected.

The stadium is drying out and a clean-up operation is ongoing to ensure Old Trafford is fine to host its final game of the season, against Newcastle on Wednesday.

Mark Ogden
Senior writer for ESPN on the Football Daily podcast

Mark Ogden on Sir Jim Ratcliffe not attending the Women's FA Cup final: "There is a bigger problem to address with the men's team. I think they have to get that right first and once you have got that right everything else would flow from that.

"The success of the club and the earnings from that, would help all the parts of the club including the women's team.

"Yes, they won a trophy and it would have been perfect for him to be there, but he wasn't as there was such a big job to do at Old Trafford and he needed to be there."

Image source, Getty Images

Anon: Phil, Luton Town are all but relegated, how do you rate their efforts to avoid the drop compared to the other two promoted clubs?

I think they gave it a real crack but in the end just suffered from a lack of quality, not effort or determination. They were just not good enough in the key moments, often losing games they were in a position to win. There is no shame in that, though, and manager Rob Edwards has enhanced his reputation even in relegation.

Out of the three promoted clubs who are going back down, I think Luton Town did themselves the most credit and if they can keep that squad and that manager (although I would be surprised if Ross Barkley wanted to play in the Championship) together then they can have another tilt at promotion next time around.

Do remember to put your names on your messages, please!

Image source, Getty Images

Bayer Leverkusen thrashed 10-man Bochum to notch up a half-century of unbeaten matches in all competitions.

Patrik Schick's crisp strike put Leverkusen ahead and Victor Boniface increased their lead from the penalty spot.

Amine Adli added a third in the second half with a header from a corner before late goals from Josip Stanisic and Alex Grimaldo completed the rout.

Xabi Alonso's side are now within one game of completing the first part of an invincible treble.

If Leverkusen avoid defeat in their final league game of the season - at home to Augsburg next Saturday - they will become the first team to go through a Bundesliga campaign without tasting defeat.

Bayern Munich lost just once in their title successes of 1986-87 and 2012-13.

After next weekend the Bundesliga champions face Italian side Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on 22 May and play in the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern in Berlin three days later.

The last time Leverkusen tasted defeat was way back on 27 May 2023.

Their opponents on that occasion were none other than Bochum, who ran out 3-0 winners at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion on the final day of the 2022-23 Bundesliga season.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was given a display of the issues facing the club's Old Trafford stadium following heavy rainfall during Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Arsenal.

The Ineos billionaire was at the game alongside members of a joint taskforce set up to look at options for redeveloping the ground.

They include Lord Coe and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was also a guest at the match.

Ratcliffe has said his "preference" is to build a new stadium for the club.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

And as heavy rain fell towards the end of the Premier League fixture, water could be seen cascading down from the corner of the roof between the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and East Stand on to the seats below.

Social media videos also showed water flowing down the steps of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, flooding a moat around the pitch.

The PA news agency said senior figures met to discuss the issues following the game.

The club has not commented but told PA 41mm of rain fell in the two hours after the final whistle, compared to 29mm in the whole of last May.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Alan, West Sussex: Hi Phil. With your comments about Kompany in mind do you think some managers are too rigid in how they want their teams to play and if it has not been for the best why haven't they changed - I'm thinking of Brighton and Spurs in particular as well as Burnley.

Hello, Alan. I think Spurs are a good case in point here. I watch them and find them very entertaining but they can be far too easy to play against and score against but manager Ange Postecoglou has made it clear he will not be switching from his principles.

I have seen them win games but be carved open regularly at the same time. Whether Postecoglou switches remains to be seen but it is a high-risk approach and time will tell if he is right or wrong.

I always feel there should be pragmatism attached to principles. You have to get results, above all.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

It wasn't only on the pitch where Manchester United had problems yesterday.

Old Trafford was the scene of an intense storm during the end of the game.

It was estimated 41mm of rain fell in the two hours after the final whistle, which is more than Old Trafford experienced in the whole of May 2023.

Little wonder some areas of the stadium struggled to cope, although thankfully everyone exited the ground safely.

It is ironic the problems occurred on the day new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe held a meeting with Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Lord Coe on his hopes for a new stadium to be part of a massive regeneration project across the local area.

Victoria G: How highly do you rate the job Sean Dyche has done at Everton, making them safe with games to spare despite an eight-point deduction?

Hello Victoria. Sean Dyche deserves huge credit for the job he has done at Everton with all the “noise” – his word not mine – around the club this season and also a dreadful run of form and results before things picked up really well at the end.

Everton, let’s be honest, have been a tough watch at times this season but needs must and they would have been comfortably mid-table had they not had those points knocked off.

What happens next? Well who knows because the takeover situation is dragging on, director of football Kevin Thelwell has admitted players must be sold – and Everton’s squad is thin as it is. It might be even tougher next time out.

Arsenal spent the majority of last season at the top of the Premier League table, but they failed to last the course as Manchester City's experience and knowhow led them to a third successive title.

The Gunners were in control of their own fate in 2022-23 but three wins from the final nine games saw them slip out of contention.

It's all in Manchester City's hands this time, however, with Pep Guardiola's side knowing back-to-back wins in their two remaining games will deliver a fourth title in a row.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

A huge cheer from the away end greeted the final whistle in this often hot-tempered and closely fought encounter.

This wasn't the big win that many perhaps predicted before kick-off but Arsenal dug in and ground it out against one of their fiercest rivals to ensure they take the title race to the final day.

The Gunners did show nerves at times, understandable given what was at stake, but in the end Leandro Trossard's first-half goal was enough to put them back on top of the table.

They may still fall short, given the relentlessness of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, but Mikel Arteta's side are doing all they can, and the fans cannot ask for much more than that.

The pressure is now back on Manchester City, who head to Arsenal's rivals Tottenham on Tuesday.

Vicki Sparks
BBC commentator, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live

Commentator Vicki Sparks, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after Manchester United's historic FA Cup victory on Sunday: "It's such a moment for Man Utd. It's been a rollercoaster season for them, they only reformed in 2014. They were absolutely superb yesterday, they were the favourites."

On Rachel Williams: "She is so good from set pieces. The stage she is at in her career in terms of indexes in her mid 30s, she is the super-sub. She scored a brilliant header in the second half, the direction she got on it was absolutely perfect."

On the WSL final weekend: "I am so excited about the final of the WSL, between Manchester City and Chelsea. Even if Chelsea lose, it could still be a possibility that they could take over Man City. The victory is really down to the wire."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Manchester United sit eighth in the Premier League with two games left to play.

That means Europe is still in the equation if they can pick up results against Newcastle on Wednesday and Brighton on Sunday.

The Red Devils also face Manchester City in the FA Cup final and will secure a spot in the Europa League if they win that competition.

Manchester United supporter Kim Burdett has been talking to BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast about their last three fixtures.

Burdett said: “We’ve still got this faint hope of getting into Europe but I’m not even sure if it’s much of a faint hope or not.

"The biggest concern, apart from the fact that we’re playing City in the final, is that we’re on this run up to the final, we’re not particularly in good form to come into a cup final on.

"I just hope we can get some players fit and give it our best shot when we’re at Wembley."

Richard Preston: Dear Phil, A lot of time is spent talking about managers and their tactics and set up of teams but the assistants are very often the people who prepare the teams and a good assistant manager is worth gold to a top team. Should these people be more recognised?

I think in many cases they are, Richard, certainly within the club. There are dominant figures at clubs such as Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp but the backroom staff will never under taken lightly by those managers.

Look how Guardiola welcomed back Juanma Lillo after a spell away from his side and Klopp did the same with Pep Lijnders. They are the people who give a different view, maybe ask managers questions of themselves as well as offer constant support.

We have also seen two of Guardiola’s former assistants, Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and Enzo Maresca at Leicester City, flourish in their own right.

The Tooney and Russo Show is back with another episode.

Ella Toone and Alessia Russo hand over control to the listeners who’ve sent in questions on everything from football ‘icks’ and perfect meals to life advice and quickfire rounds.

Plus the trio get deep about what kitchen utensil they would choose to be and their favourite carbs. Expect the unexpected!

Listen to the full podcast here.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United forward Rachel Williams says lifting the FA Cup "masks over" a difficult campaign but it can be a catalyst to winning the Women's Super League title next season.

United thrashed Tottenham 4-0 at Wembley thanks to two goals from Lucia Garcia and one apiece from Ella Toone and Williams.

The Red Devils are fifth in the WSL table - 17 points behind table-topping Manchester City - and Williams acknowledged the club had faced "some ups and downs" this season.

"We don't like to admit it but it does mask over the issues we've had. We are going to have to change things," the 36-year-old told BBC Sport.

"Next year we might just come back bigger, better and stronger and who knows we might just be lifting the league."