Are Newcastle leaders in race for Champions League? | Who pays for Man City's £20 million legal bill
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Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm Dave Fulton and joining me are The Telegraph's Chief Football Correspondent Jason Burt and The Times' Chief Sports Reporter Martin Ziegler. Welcome to you both.

We are going to start with the Guardian and talk about Bukayo Saka. I feel fresh mentally, he says. Jason, this is great news for Arsenal, having him back at this stage of the season. He played so much football before his injury. This kind of layoff, he's suggesting, it's just freshened him up from a mental perspective. And he scored on his first start back. This is a useful player for Mikel Arteta to have back fresh and firing.

Oh, absolutely. It's fantastic news for Arsenal that he's available and, as you say, fit both mentally and physically refreshed. Obviously, we talk an awful lot about the injuries that have struck Arsenal with Gabriel, the latest to go down, the problems they've got defensively and how that's caused them problems in the past and hamstring injuries and so on and so forth. But actually, this has been perfect for them in terms of the way that Bukayo Saka has come back. He came on as a substitute against Fulham last week, scored.

came on at the weekend got another 45 minutes so he's tapered it really really well to be ready to start against Real Madrid and you know it's a massive boost for them he is their special player he is the one who makes all the difference to them and you saw that last week the roar when he came on at the Emirates was almost greater than when he scored really and the

and obviously the feeling from the Arsenal fans of having him back in their team will be a great confidence lift for all of them and for Arsenal in a tie which is obviously mouth-watering as well. It's a fantastic game tomorrow night at the Emirates. I'll be going, I'm fortunate enough to be going to that game and covering that tie, so I'm really looking forward to it. Arsenal,

given the impression a little bit recently of almost feeling sorry for themselves the way things have turned out in the Premier League, failing to take advantage with Liverpool slipping up and drifting out of contention really. But suddenly, you know, they're in the last eight of the Champions League. They've got a fantastic opportunity.

to win this competition, to go all the way if they can, really over two legs. Clearly, Real Madrid will be the outstanding favourites, and rightly so, especially with the second leg and the Bernabeu, but the return of Saka gives Arsenal real hope that they can cause some problems for Real Madrid and score some goals, and I think it will be a really open tie. I think there'll be quite a few goals in this, and I think it could really be exciting for the Arsenal fans tomorrow evening. Martin, your take on Bukayo Saka back and firing?

I mean, absolutely, because, I mean, it's been so difficult for Arsenal with him out and then without a recognised striker. So it's going to be absolutely vital that he's back and on top form for them. And it's just to give confidence to the whole team, for sure. I mean, obviously, it's going to be a really tough...

I mean, I think Atletico Madrid were very unlucky in the last round against Real Madrid. Just that slightly controversial penalty shootout decision cost them. So I think Arsenal will probably be looking at this and thinking maybe attack is the best way to go and actually not try and sit back because they've got, you know, with Vinicius, Juni and Mbappe, Bellingham, they've got so many attacking options. Maybe Arsenal think they need to actually try and take the game to Real Madrid.

Well, if they do, it should be an absolute cracker, shouldn't it? Just the back of the mirror talks, it says, work of art, Arteta aiming for defining win over Real. His biggest game as a boss. I mean, that's probably fair, isn't it, Jason? The biggest game. And you mentioned you set the scene, they faded away a little bit in the Premier League, which means all eggs very much in the Champions League basket for Arteta and Arsenal.

Yeah, absolutely. There's an awful lot of scrutiny now on Mikel Arteta. It's five years that he's been at Arsenal, obviously won the FA Cup in his first season. But this is his team now and we've seen them finish second the last two years and they'll probably finish second again this year. So there's that whole debate about progress and whether or not they actually win a trophy again. But suddenly, as I say, they're in the last eight of the Champions League and this is the biggest scalp of all, the holders, the players.

the sort of the serial winners in the competition, the Real Madrid have made it their own. And if Arsenal can get through this tie, it would be a huge achievement for them and a huge confidence boost and really give them a chance of going all the way in the competition. I think, as I say, over the two legs, clearly Real Madrid will be the favourite. But he's right to try and, you know, have that roll of drums and almost build it up and say, look, this is...

this is our chance to really sort of create a bit of history and really a defining game because it would be a defining game for him as a manager as well because he's never played he's never coached a quite occasion like this a big big

big European night where it all matters in terms of against a team like Real Madrid. So he's right to build it up and he's right to basically say it all depends on this. We saw that at the weekend really with the team selection against Everton. We arrested a few players. He clearly thinks it's a Champions League or bust now for them and they can obviously have that opportunity to get one over on Real Madrid. Mike,

Martin, just picking up on Jason's point about Arsenal not really knowing what it's like at this stage of the competition, contrast Real Madrid and Angelotti's been at pains to make this point, hasn't he? This is the business end of the competition. This is when Real come into their own.

Yeah, and they always seem to pull it off, don't they? You know, you think they're down, you think they're out, and then they somehow come back up with it, and they've done it so often. So, yeah, as Jason says, they're very much the favourites for this.

And also, you know, Arsenal do have their problems. I mean, Gabriel's a massive miss. Thinking back to 2006, that famous win when they did beat Real Madrid, Sol Campbell was out, I think, and Lauren. So maybe they'll take some inspiration from the past. But it's going to be tough, that's for sure.

OK, let's stick with the mirror and move on to Virgil van Dijk just on the right hand side of the paper. It says skippers on verge of new deal. Jason, I mean, this has been rumbling on, hasn't it, for months and months and months. The three big names who are out of contract. But it looks like the captain, the first kind of positive noises that it's moving in the right direction.

Yes, it's all hung on the word progress, isn't it? I think obviously last month he was talking about there's been no, nothing moved on in terms of his new deal. Yesterday after the game against Fulham, he used the word progress. I think it's made all the Liverpool fans very, very excited about the possibility of him now signing up.

I think of the three, he was always the most likely to agree a new deal. So I would be surprised if he doesn't. Obviously, from his point of view, it's the terms that matter and stage of his career now. This has been his last big contract. I think Liverpool will probably meet

the demands that he wants or there'll be a compromise and the deal will be struck. So I think that, you know, the optimism that's swirling around him now and whether or not the Liverpool captain will stay is probably well founded. Obviously, we know Trent Alexander-Arnold is most likely to go and then it all depends now on Mo Salah what he's going to do. And I think that is a little bit more in the balance, although noises seem to be that he's tipping a little bit more towards staying at Liverpool.

In saying that, the Saudis definitely have not given up the hope of taking him to the Pro League. But in terms of Van Dijk, yes, a bit of optimism. Not maybe...

too much optimism just yet because the words were a little bit sort of not so clear as that perhaps has been interpreted. Progress doesn't mean he signed it, but I think obviously progress does mean something more than the last month when he said nothing was happening. Yeah, I mean, it's a timely boost to some extent, even the word progress, Martin, given that they've lost the Carabao Cup final to

to Newcastle, given the result at the weekend as well. It would be a good fillip for Liverpool fans if at least they think one of their big three and that that's moving in the right direction. Yeah, I think it's a positive step. It's only a few weeks ago he was saying anyone who says they know what's going to happen next season is a liar. So this is definitely from Liverpool fans' point of view a very important step, I'm sure.

it makes sense really for him to stay it makes absolute sense for Liverpool to try and keep him they've had a terrific season they're sort of stumbling a bit towards the finishing line but I'm sure they'll get over it but I think without him without Trent Alexander-Arnold that's a lot of rebuilding so it would make sense for them to try and keep him for at least a couple more years and

And I'm sure, as Jason says, he will want to make sure that final contract is a very good one. Yeah, I'm sure it will be. Right, let's move on to the Monday Night Football. Staying with the sun then. Jacob tunes up heat. Jacob Murphy with a couple of cracking goals. I mean, I suppose tap-ins, but the second one was a cracking goal given what led before it. I mean, Jason...

Let's focus on Newcastle to start with, because the Leicester thing we could talk about for hours. Newcastle just seem to have some real momentum. I was wondering whether Carabao Cup final party, they might then drop off. It doesn't appear that they're doing that.

Yeah, that's a really good point. I mean, we've seen in the past with teams when they've won the Carabao Cup, but it's been a little bit of an end-of-season feel to them. I remember Swansea City in particular, when they won the competition, it seemed to all fall apart a little bit after that. And we saw those celebrations in Newcastle.

And I looked at them and thought, well, they're not going to win the next game, are they? But they did win the next game and that was quite crucial to them. And then suddenly it's opened up really, hasn't it? With Manchester City faltering once again and that draw against Manchester United yesterday, which I was at, was a truly awful game of football, frankly. And you come away from that game thinking, well, you know, Man City are in real danger now. Not only not finishing in the top four, but possibly even not finishing in the top five.

So they've now dropped out of that picture for the first time since January. And you look at the table and it looks very worrying for them. Newcastle really are in a strong position now. They've gone above Man City. They've still got a game in hand. We know Chelsea are faltering. The way things are going at the moment, you're looking at Newcastle and thinking, right, they're probably going to finish third, never mind fourth or fifth. And then after that, what's going to happen? One of Chelsea or Man City or even both of them might be in a bit of trouble then finishing the top four. Aston Villa are doing very, very well. So...

In a season where we thought it's all going to be sorted out very, very early, especially with the relegation and who's going to win the league, that race for the Champions League has suddenly become a real hotly contested one. And Manchester City in particular, if they don't qualify for the Champions League, that will be a massive blow to them in terms of their rebuilding this summer and what they plan to do for the team. So they really have to sort of buck up their ideas and get back on track as quickly as possible.

Yeah, the race for the Champions League spots bubbling up nicely. Martin, if we just focus on the other end of the table, use Leicester to do that. Firstly, they've been pretty woeful. Ruud van Nistelrooy has had no real impact. Ivan Juric had no real impact at Southampton. He's been sacked. And the three teams that have come up for the second year in a row look like they're going straight back down. Jamie Carragher was quite vocal about that being a bad thing. Is it worrying for you?

I think it should be worrying for everyone in English football, to be honest, because it's got to be competitive. And if you're going to have a situation where you're going to have absolutely three yo-yo teams every time, then that's no good for the championship. It's no good for the Premier League. You need to somehow get teams to be able to invest more.

and not to suffer too much financially when they get relegated. So, I mean, there's lots of issues around the parachute payments and the EFL don't like that. But I think they're going to have to come together, the Premier League and the EFL, and try and work out how do we stop this happening? Because it's no good for England. You know, the Premier League has always been

the best league in the world because the bottom club can beat the top club on any given day. That really hasn't happened the last couple of seasons and I think that is definitely a cause for concern.

Yeah, good point. Just wondering, those teams that go down, there'll be one or two players up for grabs, notably if Ipswich go down. Liam De Lappe, the side of the sun, left-hand column. De Lappe is United target, Jason. I mean, Liam De Lappe has done pretty well considering he's playing for a team in the relegation zone. He's scored goals. He's been a real menace up front with not a lot of service. He would attract a lot of suitors, I would imagine.

I'd be really surprised if Liam Dillap is still in for next season. I think he has had a fantastic season.

despite what's happened in terms of the struggles of Ipswich. As you say, he's been scoring goals, he's been creating lots of problems, he's been really looking the part as a Premier League and I think international striker as well. I think he can't be too far away from an England call-up. I would have called him up into the last squad actually. I'd have included him then as a reward for the way he's played. He's almost been like a one-man attack at times at Ipswich and I've seen him take on some of the best centre-halves in the Premier League and cause them real issues.

So I think he's exactly the type of player that Manchester United should be looking to sign. He would fit the profile of what they're looking for. So much talk about Victor Gokarez. Well, Liam de Lappe to me is a better prospect for Manchester United going forward in the future and what he can do for them. I think I would be looking to buy him if I was them rather than Gokarez. He'll be cheaper as well. And I think he's obviously Premier League ready. He's

played in the division this season, done very, very well. I'm really excited by him. And as I say, I see him as a long-term successor for how he came for England and been in that England team for many, many years to come. In the Times, Premier League faces £20 million legal bill for Manchester City. A defeat, the Premier League lost the first part of its dispute with Manchester City over sponsorship rules. There are those charges, of course, hanging over Manchester City. They deny all those charges. And now City, Martin, want the Premier League to pick up

the club's legal bills. Is that right? Have I got that right? Yeah, exactly right. So this is, I'm sure you remember, a big legal battle between Manchester City and the Premier League over sponsorship deals. They were blocked from having a huge new sponsorship deal with Etihad and a couple of others. The Premier League decided they weren't fair market value deals.

The Manchester City have won the first part of that and the legal bills are eye-watering and we're talking about the cost for both City and the Premier League coming to more than £20 million. They'll be hearing about this, an arbitration hearing. City's position is that because they effectively claiming victory in that first case that they think the Premier League should pay.

I mean, it's an intriguing one. When you say the Premier League's paying, it's actually the clubs are going to be paying. It's a million pounds each, if that turns out to be the case. You have an interesting story. I worked on this with my colleague Matt Lawton, and it's definitely something which other clubs are concerned about too. Martin, just to follow up on that, what impact does this other case have on the charges that are hanging over Manchester City? Are the two linked?

They're not directly linked. In fact, they're completely different cases. But I think what it does emphasise is that Manchester City will leave no legal stone unturned when it comes to anything negative which happens as a result of the 115 charges. So it may be a shot across the bow saying, you know, watch out, we're not going to take anything lying down. We will use all legal weapons in our armoury.

Okay, switching sports then. We're going to focus on Harry Brooke, who's the new white ball captain. And in the back of the Guardian, it said, Brooke steps up. New white ball captain helps England avoid Stoke's overload. I mean, Harry Brooke, Jason, has been a revelation since he's come into the team. He's second in the test rankings and he's now the white ball captain, just 26 years of age. Joss Butler stepping down last month after the Champions Trophy. Joss,

new look for England and also it avoids Ben Stokes being yanked out of retirement and his workload being heightened. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, looking at the sort of comment pieces from people who know far more about cricket than I do, like Michael Vaughan in my newspaper and sort of

endorsing this decision to give the captaincy to Harry Brooke and saying actually this is the right way ahead and actually Michael Vaughan suggesting that Harry Brooke will now go on to be England test captain as well to eventually succeed

Ben Stokes. And clearly, you know, the consideration was given to give him the captaincy to Stokes, but given his fitness and his age as well, I think he's 34 soon, be 36 by the time the next ashes come around. I think that will be his main target will be to stay as test captain and not to have the extra responsibilities, extra burden, um,

on his body really of being the white ball captain as well so this seems to be almost the start of the handing of the baton that Harry Brook has been sort of earmarked to say as England's future captain in all forms of cricket and

The verdict from all the former cricketers and sort of pundits seems to be this is the right decision. He's the right sort of character as well as a fine player and has made a huge impact for England. So, yeah, I think there's thumbs up all round for what the ECB have decided to do here.

Yeah, Martin, I know you enjoy your cricket. Harry Brook, the right call for you? He's already given some indications, hasn't he, by pulling back from his IPL deal that he wants to give England his full priority and focus. That's a good sign. But he's a superstar already, but he's certainly a superstar in the making from a captaincy perspective.

Yeah, a no-brainer for me. Not just the fact he comes from a village a couple of miles away from where I live. But I think I was actually quite surprised that they even gave such strong consideration to Stokes because...

He needs to focus on India and Australia in the test. And I mean, that's a massive thing. He's tried, hasn't he, to come back to the white ball game, but wasn't able to bowl, was just

batting and it didn't really work. So to me, it was just the obvious choice and I can see why they think they need to weigh up all the alternatives. But I mean, I think Harry Brook could be a really, really good appointment as England white ball captain.

Martin, how about the, you mentioned the Ashes and the India series, this workload on a young man like Brook, I mean we've talked about Stokes, I know Brook doesn't bowl in the same way that Ben Stokes does, but those series that you mention, it's a lot to thrust upon his young shoulders, is there a concern that he might burn out or do they have to kind of manage him as he goes along?

I think it's more the all-rounders and the fast bowlers are really at risk of that. Brook, as a batsman, I think obviously lots of people talk about the overload in cricket and whatever position you play, batsman, bowler, all-rounder, it does take its toll. But I think he's young enough, he's fit enough and he doesn't have quite as much physical demand on him. So I think he'll be all right.

OK, let's hope so. We're going to finish with the story in the back of the Telegraph. Chaps Grealish slapped by United fan. This kind of worrying story. We've seen this kind of abuse, haven't we, of players, but now this appears to be physical, Jason, which is even more of a concern. Yeah, and I think, you know, at times we're living in quite a feeble atmosphere around football, both in terms of social media coverage

what people are chanting in stadiums and the sort of behaviour such as this, obviously alleged behaviour in terms of the fan involved. But the story seems to be that he sort of called Grealish over and then allegedly physically assaulted him. And I think people really have to really look at this quite seriously in terms of what we're trying to achieve here with our sports people and the kind of the way we're treating them, the scrutiny they're under.

the abuse they suffer, obviously verbal abuse and in this instance, potentially physical abuse as well. And it is quite a worrying time. I think, you know, as a football writer, I've become increasingly concerned about the kind of atmosphere around football, how

angry people are getting, how upset they seem to be with sports people, how they seem to carry on with this behaviour constantly. We even saw it on a different level, you know, I was to Cogley last week talking about the camera phones constantly being thrust into the faces and how upset he gets about that. And I think we almost treat them like they're in a zoo or something, you know, that these people are there to be

sort of you know looked at and gawped at and treated in a very sort of strange way at times and it is a very concerning development in football that's getting worse and worse season by season really