Premier League, Championship finale and WCL semi-final buildup – matchday live
Key events
Drama awaits in the Championship and the good news is we don’t have to wait too long to see it unfold. Yes, all today’s final round of games kick off at 12.30 BST.
As mentioned in the preamble, Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough can all still grab the final automatic promotion spot. Here are their matches:
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Ipswich v QPR
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Millwall v Oxford
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Wrexham v Middlesbrough
A rung below that, Wrexham, Hull and Derby are all trying to secure a berth in the playoffs so there’s plenty on that Wrexahm v Middlesbrough game. As for the other two contenders, these are their fixtures.
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Derby v Sheffield United
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Hull v Norwich
Let’s start with some morning headlines:
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Leeds all but confirmed their Premier League survival with a 3-1 win over relegated Burnley at Elland Road last night.
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A number of leading European countries still expect to lose money at the World Cup despite Fifa increasing the prize and participation fund by $112m (£82m) this week.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says freshness was the key to the Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich classic in midweek, something Premier League teams just don’t have.
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Under-fire Newcastle boss Eddie Howe admits ‘a lot is riding’ on today’s game with Brighton after meeting with the Magpies’ Saudi owners.
Preamble
Good morning everyone (shuffles papers and looks into camera while staff mill around in the background) and welcome to matchday live! We’re at the stage of the football season when every day seems significant, make-or-break, do-or-die. And that’s absolutely the case this very Saturday with three teams – Ipswich, Millwall and Middlesbrough – all having a shot at clinching the second automatic qualification spot from the Championship to the Premier League. At the very summit of the pyramid, Arsenal have the chance to pull six points clear when they host Fulham this evening. So there’s that and, quite frankly, an awful lot more. Let’s do this and, as always, get in touch with via the email at the top of the page!
