Premier League

On that note, we are switching focus from European action to the Premier League.

Friday is always a busy day of news conferences, so we have plenty to catch up on.

We have already heard from newly-crowned Premier League-winning boss Arne Slot on the "well done" message he received from previous Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

And Eddie Howe has given a bleak injury update on Brazil midfielder Joelinton, as Newcastle bid to seal a place in the top five.

Stick with us for all the latest from those two managers before a further flurry of news conferences from 13:00 BST.

Manchester United

A Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United would, of course, be huge - for the kudos of the silverware and the chance to win a place in next season's Champions League.

It would be a match United captain Bruno Fernandes would relish, no doubt.

He told TNT Sports after Thursday's 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao about how he lives for the pressure that comes with playing at a "global club":

"You need to grow and you need to understand where you are, the place you play for and the club you play for and everything gets bigger," he said.

"Obviously, [former club] Sporting is a massive club but United is a global club, it's unbelievable the attention we get and the pressure we get.

"To be honest, I feel the pressure but that's the good thing of football and that's what we have to enjoy because when I finish my career that pressure will go away and I will be much more relaxed and this is what I tell the manager and the physio when they say that I need to relax and rest. I say 'no, when I die I will have a lot of time to lay down and rest'."

Image source, Getty Images

If Manchester United and Tottenham do manage to set up an all-English Europa League final, then recent history suggests that Spurs could hold the advantage.

Tottenham have won all three encounters between the two teams this season, the last coming in the Premier League in February when James Maddison scored the only goal of the game.

Spurs have not lost to United in their past six meetings in all competitions, stretching back to a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford in October 2022:

2024-25

• 16 Feb: Tottenham 1-0 Man Utd
• 19 Dec: Tottenham 4-3 Man Utd (EFL Cup quarter-finals)
• 29 Sep: Man Utd 0-3 Tottenham

2023-24

• 14 Jan: Tottenham 2-2 Man Utd
• 19 Aug: Man Utd 2-0 Tottenham

2022-23

• 27 Apr: Tottenham 2-2 Man Utd
• 19 Oct: Man Utd 2-0 Tottenham

NB: Manchester United hold sway over Tottenham if we broaden it out further. In total, the Red Devils have won 95 matches, compared with Spurs' 57 wins in their head-to-heads. The two sides have also played out 52 draws.

Image source, Getty Images

Should Manchester United and Tottenham meet in the Europa League final, it could well be a historic moment for the competition - for all the wrong reasons.

Since the Europa League was rebranded in 2009-2010, no team to play in the final or win the competition has finished lower than 12th in their domestic league.

United are currently 14th and Spurs are 16th in the Premier League.

Since 2014-15, the winners of the Europa League have been awarded a place in the following season’s Champions League.

Sevilla two seasons ago were the lowest domestic team (12th) to take up a place in the Champions League as Europa League winners...so far.

Image source, Getty Images

No country's teams have ever won the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League in the same season - albeit the Conference League is only in its fourth year.

England and Spain could still achieve that this season, but Manchester United's 3-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao makes a Premier League clean sweep a more realistic proposition.

Premier League's chances:

• Champions League - Arsenal trail Paris St-Germain 1-0 after the home leg of their semi-final
• Europa League - Manchester United (3-0 v Athletic Bilbao) and Tottenham (3-1 v Bodo/Glimt) both take healthy aggregate leads into the second leg of their semi-final
• Conference League - Chelsea lead Swedish side Djurgarden 4-1 after the away leg.

La Liga's chances:

• Champions League - Barcelona drew the home leg of their semi-final 3-3 against Inter Milan
• Europa League - Athletic Bilbao must turn around a 3-0 deficit at Manchester United to make the final
• Conference League - Real Betis are in pole position in their last-four encounter against Fiorentina after winning the home leg 2-1.

Stephen Kelly
Former Tottenham defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

It's always a real worry when players go down with no reaction. If they are muscle injuries, then James Maddison and Dominic Solanke aren't playing the second leg because it's too close to get them ready for that and they have to have one eye on the final and prepare for that.

Those two players have been so influential, Maddison starting to come into form, getting goals in Europe has been really good for him this season and Solanke - his energy and running and determination up front is really such a huge part of how Tottenham play. So, it's two massive players that they have to get back.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was also asked about possible injuries to Richarlison, Dominic Solanke and James Maddison, who were all substituted off in the second half against Bodo/Glimt:

"Richarlison wasn't injured, it was just a tactical thing. He did a great job for us in the first half, exactly what we needed him to do, but we thought the game would open up in the second half and we got Mathys [Tel] on for that.

"Madders felt a tweak in his knee, but it doesn't sound like it's anything serious, and Dom something similar in his quad. Both of them didn't feel it was anything too significant, but thought it was wise just to take them off at that point."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou says it is "too early to assess" Lucas Bergvall's ankle injury after revealing that the Sweden midfielder "tweaked" his right ankle in training on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old summer signing, who extended his contract to 2031 on Wednesday, attended Thursday night's Europa League quarter-final and was pictured at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium walking with crutches and a protective boot on his right foot.

His injury was not mentioned in Wednesday's pre-match news conference, but Postecoglou gave a cautious update after Spurs' 3-1 win against Bodo/Glimt.

"You know, it's just the way our season's gone on unfortunately, it's just hugely disappointing for Lucas, he was obviously really excited," said the Spurs boss.

"He had a big week, re-signing [a contract] with the club and he's had such a great year for us.

"It's just the way our season's gone, where in training something innocuous like that ends up with him hurting his ankle. We'll just assess over the next few days, let it settle down and we'll find the extent of it."

Tottenham have lost two matches in the Europa League this season - although one of those defeats was the first leg of their last 16 victory over AZ Alkmaar.

Despite Manchester United's domestic form, boss Ruben Amorim says they can win a European trophy this season.

Since Amorim took charge in November, United have now won more games in the Europa League (7 in 9 games) than in the Premier League (6 in 23).

United have also only scored three goals fewer under Amorim in European competition (24) than in the league (27), and they are the Europa League's top scorers this season (31) - they had four games under Erik ten Hag and interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, scoring seven goals.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest's Champions League hopes are hanging in the balance after another damaging defeat.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side have lost three of their last four Premier League outings, while also losing 2-0 to Manchester City in Sunday's FA Cup semi final.

They have slipped at the wrong time having previously been so consistent. Forest were caught out by two long balls against the Bees with the usually reliable Nikola Milenkovic certainly at fault for the second.

Forest have recovered from setbacks before this season, successive defeats to Fulham and Newcastle in February were followed by a draw with Arsenal and wins over Manchester City, Ipswich and Manchester United.

Yet, with four games left Forest's top five future is no longer certain. Although their final game of the season against Chelsea could become a top-five shoot-out.

If Manchester United and Tottenham both progress through the Europa League semi-finals it would set up the SIXTH all English final in European competitions:

• The first ever Uefa Cup, in 1971-72, saw Tottenham and Wolves meet in the two-legged final. Spurs won the first leg 2-1 at Molineux and drew 1-1 at White Hart Lane two weeks later.
• It would take 36 years for the next English final, which came in the 2007-08 Champions League as Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.
• Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in the 2018-19 Champions League final in Madrid, with goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.
• In the same season, Chelsea saw off Arsenal 4-1 in Baku in the Europa League final, with Eden Hazard netting twice in his final game for the club.
• Two years later Chelsea beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League, with Kai Havertz scoring the only goal in Porto.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea might have struggled domestically but their dominance of the Conference League is there for everyone to see.

They topped the league stage table with six wins out of six games, scoring 26 goals and conceding just five.

Let's have a look at some stats that display the sheer level of dominance Enzo Maresca's side have had in the competition this season -

• Chelsea average the highest possession with 62.5%
• They have scored the most goals with 37 - nine more than any other team.
• Chelsea have recorded 94 attempts on target - 19 more than anyone else.
• Maresca's side have conceded only nine goals - third fewest in the competition.

Image source, Getty Images

With a commanding 4-1 first-leg lead to take back to Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will be confident of continuing their cruise to the Conference League final.

But who are they most likely to meet?

Well, Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis will take a one-goal advantage to Italy next week thanks to Antony's wonderful volley.

Fiorentina had chances but were unable to build on Luca Ranieri's strike midway through the second half, and that tie is delicately poised for the return leg in Florence.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca was full of praise for teenager Reggie Walsh when he spoke after his side's dominant away win in the Conference League.

Here's what he had to say.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Chelsea have been so dominant throughout this year's Europa Conference League that, while sweeping aside just about every team in front of them, they have also been able to use the competition to blood a number of youngsters.

The Blues have one foot in the final after a comfortable 4-1 win over Djurgarden in their semi-final first leg on Thursday - and this time it was 16-year-old Reggie Walsh's turn to be introduced on the global stage.

Still of schoolboy age, he is unable to sign a professional contract until his 17th birthday in October.

But Walsh is now Chelsea's third youngest ever player, behind only midfielder Ian Hamilton and goalkeeper Kingsley Whiffen - who made their debuts in 1967 - having entered the pitch at 3Arena six months and 11 days after his 16th birthday.

Image source, Getty Images

Bodo/Glimt's artificial pitch has been described as like a "cheat code" for the Norwegian side in Europe.

They have won nine of 10 matches on home "turf" in European competition this season and claimed victories in 70% of their home games in Europe over the past three seasons.

Tottenham will take a 3-1 aggregate lead into the second leg, but four of Bodo/Glimt's six home wins in the Europa League this season, including all three of their knockout matches, have been won by two goals or more.

Spurs may not want to call upon their recent experience of playing on an artificial surface, having been taken to extra-time by National League side Tamworth in the third round of the FA Cup this season.

Ange Postecoglou's side eventually won 3-0 after extra-time, but required a last-gasp save by Antonin Kinsky from Tamworth's Jordan Cullinane Liburd in normal time to force the extra period.

Sevilla, who last won the Europa League in 2022-23, finished 12th in La Liga that season.

That is the lowest-ranked finish for a Europa League winner in their domestic league in the same season as they lifted the European trophy.

Manchester United and Tottenham, as we have mentioned, are 14th and 16th respectively in the Premier League.

As they close in on an all-English final, football finance expert Kieran Maguire says: "Premier League clubs in total generate twice as much money than clubs in La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A and probably about five times as much revenue as Ligue 1.

"Therefore it is not a surprise to see ‘middle tier’ clubs from England having vastly higher budgets than clubs against which they’re competing – and they can turn this into success in European competitions through being able to recruit and retain some of the best talent in Europe that isn’t deemed good enough to play for the truly elite clubs in Europe such as PSG, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich."