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How Tottenham’s Villa Win Recasts the Final Three-Game Fight with West Ham

Tottenham’s 2–1 win over Aston Villa puts Spurs ahead of West Ham with three decisive fixtures left.

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Leeds United’s victory over Burnley has all but secured their safety and, combined with Nottingham Forest’s improved displays since Vitor Pereira took charge, has left Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United to contest survival over the last three weeks of the season.

Tottenham’s 2–1 win over Aston Villa was decisive. The result lifted Roberto De Zerbi’s Lilywhites above their London rivals and out of the relegation places. West Ham’s momentum stalled at Brentford at the weekend, which opened the door for Spurs to leapfrog the Hammers.

That sequence is remarkable given the recent context. Spurs finished 17th last season and the Hammers obviously weren’t going anywhere with Graham Potter in charge, so few foreseen an existential scrap between the pair at this stage.

The remaining fixtures are straightforward and unforgiving. A favourable result for Arsenal in east London on the weekend of Arsenal v West Ham would alter the dynamic for West Ham and Tottenham. As the draft noted, “Victory for Mikel Arteta’s side in east London would greatly aid their survival bid, especially as they’re hosting a Leeds United team that may be taking their foot off the gas in May, given that they’re pretty much safe.” A West Ham win could, conversely, ease Manchester City’s path to the title while making life harder for Spurs.

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After the Arsenal meeting, Spurs face Chelsea in midweek following Chelsea’s FA Cup final with Manchester City. That fixture will revive memories of the old Battle of the Bridge when late drama reshaped a title race.

League positions and remaining fixtures

Tottenham (17th, 37 points)
Leeds (H) – May 11
Chelsea (A) – May 19
Everton (H) – May 24

West Ham (18th, 36 points)
Arsenal (H) – May 10
Newcastle (A) – May 17
Leeds (H) – May 24

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Arsenal

Bruno Guimaraes Set To Become Arsenal’s Second-Highest Transfer Fee

Arsenal are close to sealing a huge move for Bruno Guimarães, which would reshape their transfer rankings.

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Arsenal are close to finalising a move for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães, with the Brazil midfielder expected to become the second most expensive signing in the club’s history if the reported deal is completed.

Multiple reports say Newcastle are prepared to approve his departure for a fee of $101 million (£75 million), after the two clubs reportedly found a “compromise.” At 28, Guimarães would leave St James’ Park after a summer in which Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon also departed at significant expense, a run of exits that reportedly led Eddie Howe to tender his resignation as manager.

For Arsenal, the scale of the move would underline how sharply their spending has risen under Mikel Arteta. A club that once sought a manager “who will not spend big money on transfers.” has long since embraced a different approach.

If the transfer goes through at the quoted figure, Guimarães would sit behind only Declan Rice in Arsenal’s list of record buys. Most of the club’s biggest fees have been committed during Arteta’s time in charge, and four of the 10 most expensive arrivals in Arsenal history came in last summer alone, when Martín Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke arrived for a combined total of more than $300 million.

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The proposed move would also place Guimarães above Nicolas Pépé, whose $92 million transfer from Lille in 2019 remains one of the most costly and one that ultimately ended Unai Emery’s spell.

The fee, though substantial, is still below the temporary $135 million release clause inserted into Guimarães’s new five-year contract in October 2023. Newcastle had bought him from Lyon for around $58 million in 2022, but Arsenal appear to have struck a lower figure than that clause.

When viewed against this summer’s market, the move would not even top the scale of other major deals. It would be the fifth most expensive transfer in that wider group, behind the reported sums involved in moves for Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers.

Arteta summed up the reality of elite spending last summer when he said: “The budget is like when you have your wedding,” and added: “you plan your wedding with your wife and you give her a budget and it’s never less, it’s always more.”

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Liverpool

Salah Reportedly Set for Trabzonspor Move After Liverpool Chapter Ends

Salah is reportedly heading to Trabzonspor after nine Liverpool seasons and a confirmed Turkish move.

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Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool spell appears to be drawing to a close, with reports in Türkiye claiming the forward is set for Trabzonspor.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Salah has signed a two-year contract with the Turkish side. If the move is completed, he would link up with former Premier League players André Onana and Stefan Savić under Fatih Tekke.

Trabzonspor have also issued a statement confirming that transfer talks are under way. The club said: “Professional footballer Mohamed Salah, with whom we have begun transfer negotiations, will be at Istanbul Atatürk Airport General Aviation Terminal at 12:00 on Wednesday, Aug. 5.

“The player is scheduled to arrive in Trabzon on the same day in the evening hours. The time and other details regarding the welcome program in Trabzon will be shared with the public through our club’s official communication channels during the day.”

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The reported destination marks a significant change for one of the Premier League’s modern greats. Salah signed a contract extension in April 2025 that kept him at Anfield through the 2026-27 campaign, and he had initially expected to still be a Liverpool player next season before confirming in March that he would not see out the deal.

His numbers at Liverpool underline the scale of the move. Salah made 442 appearances and scored 257 goals in red, achievements that now appear set to be followed outside Europe’s top five leagues.

Trabzonspor also offer a very different stage from Liverpool. They finished third last season, which means Salah would not be competing in the Champions League, a tournament he won with Liverpool in 2018-19.

There is, however, still European football on the table. Trabzonspor have qualified for the Europa League, giving Salah the chance to compete for continental silverware rather than stepping away from Europe altogether.

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Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace Move Closer to Deal for Zavier Gozo

Crystal Palace are advancing on a deal for Zavier Gozo after the winger’s strong season for Real Salt Lake.

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Crystal Palace are said to be moving towards the signing of Zavier Gozo, with talks over the Real Salt Lake winger described as advanced. The 19-year-old American is expected to cost in the region of $15 million, or £11.1 million, as the Premier League club look to secure one of the more sought-after young attackers linked with Europe this summer.

According to the report, Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid were also among the clubs to show interest, but Palace have emerged as the leading contenders for his signature. Gozo’s rise has accelerated quickly since his breakthrough 2025 campaign, when he established himself as a regular starter for Real Salt Lake and finished the season with 31 appearances and seven goal contributions.

He has carried that form into the current season, producing six goals and four assists in only 16 appearances. That output earned him a place in the 2026 MLS All-Star selection and has strengthened the sense that a move away could now be imminent.

If the transfer is completed, Gozo would arrive at a club already familiar with USMNT centre-back Chris Richards. The defender was central to Palace’s Conference League-winning run, though he missed the final through injury, and would offer a useful reference point as Gozo adjusts to English football.

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The winger would also be entering a Premier League environment that already includes several Americans, among them Antonee Robinson at Fulham, Tyler Adams at Bournemouth and Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United. The draft also notes that Richards, Robinson and Adams have become permanent fixtures in Pochettino’s XI and featured for the USMNT on home soil this summer.

Palace finished 15th last season and saw Oliver Glasner leave at the end of the campaign. Under Pierre Sage, and with Europa League football ahead in 2026-27, the club are aiming for a stronger year. Gozo, who last represented the U-23 side during the November international break, has not yet made his senior USMNT debut but will be hoping to push into Pochettino’s plans for September and October, when Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada are next on the schedule.

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