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The Premier League title race is beginning to resemble a blinking contest in which neither Manchester City nor Liverpool are willing to give up.

You could be forgiven for thinking that the league’s broadcasters have somehow duped us all into re-watching the finale to the 2018-19 season; then as now, both teams are refusing to give an inch to their rivals, by simply winning game after game, week after week.

On Saturday, both clubs spent time at the top of the table. Jurgen Klopp took a calculated risk with his team selection at St James’ Park, by removing Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Ibrahima Konate from his starting line-up.

Lesser squads would have crumbled against a Newcastle side that has won six on the spin at home, but not this Liverpool team, who held their nerve to earn a priceless 1-0 win thanks to Naby Keita’s first-half goal. It was a demonstration as if it were required, of the depth of quality that Klopp has at his disposal. No Salah? No problem was the message.

Premier League table

1. Man City – Played 34, +63 GD, 83 pts
2. Liverpool – Played 34, +64 GD, 82 pts

Klopp was quick to praise the performances of his stand-in players, in particular Joe Gomez, James Milner and the match-winner Keita, but his cheerful demeanour quickly shifted when asked whether the spotlight was now on Manchester City by BT Sport’s Des Kelly.

“No,” he snapped. “To Villarreal. They are 2-1 down, playing at the moment [against Alaves]. That’s what I’m interested in. I haven’t thought a second until now about City, but immediately about Villarreal.”

His spiky response belied a frustration that Liverpool’s results are undeniably entangled with Manchester City’s. Should Liverpool win their remaining four matches of the campaign, they will end with 94 points, a total that would have been sufficient to win the title in all but four seasons – one of which was won by Liverpool anyway in 2019-20 (with 99 points).

And yet, as was the case in 2018-19 when Liverpool earned what was then the third-highest tally in Premier League history of 97 points, it still might not be enough.

Man City’s remaining fixtures

• Newcastle (h) – Sun 8 May, 4.30pm
• Wolves (a) – Wed 11 May, 8.15pm
• West Ham (a) – Sun 15 May, 4.30pm
• Aston Villa (h) – Sun 22 May, 4pm

For Klopp and Guardiola, the focus is resolutely on what they can control, rather than what they cannot. Liverpool kept up their end of the bargain at St James’ Park and in doing so applied pressure on City for their match at Elland Road. One team overtaking the other is likely to be a common theme before the final points are totalled, given that besides the final day on Sunday 22 May, they will each play at different times: Liverpool before City twice and City before Liverpool once.

Seeing Liverpool leapfrog them in the table didn’t seem to unduly bother City’s players, considering they ran out comfortable 4-0 winners at Elland Road. Jesse Marsch insisted after the game that Leeds were better than the scoreline suggested which was true, but City were well worthy of the three points in any case. They too made changes, with Kevin De Bruyne given the entire afternoon off ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Madrid.

By the time these two could next be in action, they may have a Champions League final meeting to look forward to as well. Klopp’s caution is understandable, but it would take something miraculous for Liverpool to squander their two-goal advantage against Villarreal. City have a harder task away to Real Madrid, but perform as they did in the first leg and they should be fine.

Liverpool’s remaining fixtures

• Tottenham (h) – Sat 7 May, 7.45pm
• Aston Villa (a) – Tues 10 May, 8pm
• Southampton (a) – Tues 17 May, 7.45pm
• Wolves (h) – Sun 22 May, 4pm

Once those games are out of the way, they will each look to two of their hardest remaining fuxtures. Liverpool have an excellent record against Spurs at Anfield, but if there is one pair capable of taking advantage of their high defensive line, it is Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as Guardiola and City will attest.

City, meanwhile, face Newcastle, who despite failing to cause Liverpool too much trouble are a team transformed under Eddie Howe. It will be interesting to see if and how other competitions impact each side, with both still competing in the Champions League and Liverpool facing Chelsea in the FA Cup final before the league season is over.

Picking where and when either side may drop points, though, is an exercise in futility considering how good these teams are. It is quite conceivable that they will each win all four of their remaining games and that for the second time in four years, Liverpool will finish second to City by a single point. But both will be acutely aware that any misstep is almost certain to be punished, which makes for a fascinating final few weeks.

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Leeds 0-4 Man City (Rodri 13′, Ake 54′, Jesus 78′, Fernandinho 90+3′)

Manchester City reclaimed pole position in the Premier League table with a comfortable win against Leeds, a few hours after being temporarily dislodged by title rivals Liverpool.

The pressure on both sides was ramped up due to results elsewhere earlier in the day. Liverpool’s 1-0 win against Newcastle at St James’ Park saw them leapfrog Pep Guardiola’s men into pole position, while Burnley’s dramatic comeback victory at Vicarage Road moved them level on points with Jesse Marsch’s side while also pushing them down to 17th.

Leeds’ supporters sought to unnerve their visitors by creating a hostile atmosphere inside Elland Road and they almost had an early goal to cheer when Joao Cancelo inadvertently played Rodrigo through on goal. The Spaniard lacked the acceleration to dart clear, though, and after a moment’s hesitation, his shot was blocked by the covering Ilkay Gundogan.

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City managed to quieten the home faithful, albeit temporarily, 10 minutes later by taking the lead through Rodri. The Spain midfielder guided his header impressively into the bottom corner, but the goal was all about the quality of the assist from Phil Foden, who flighted a perfect cross into the six-yard-box for Rodri to attack.

Not for the first time, questions will be asked over whether football’s attitude and protocols towards head injuries need to be assessed after Aymeric Laporte and Robin Koch played on following a sickening clash in the first half. Both players received treatment for over two minutes and Laporte lay stationary on the pitch for the duration of that time as he was examined by Manchester City’s medical team.

There was another lengthy stoppage at the end of the half which ended with Stuart Dallas being stretchered off with what looked like a serious knee injury after he had fouled Jack Grealish. Dallas has started in all 72 of Leeds’ Premier League games since their promotion in 2020 but will almost certainly miss their final few fixtures of the season.

Player ratings

Leeds (5-4-1): I Meslier 5 – St Dallas 5 (D James 6), L Ayling 5, R Koch 5, P Struijk 6, J Firpo 4 (J Gelhardt 6) – Raphinha 6, K Phillips 6, M Klich 5, J Harrison 5 – Rodrigo 6

Man City (4-3-3): Ederson 7 – J Cancelo 6, R Dias 7, A Laporte 7, N Ake 7 (O Zinchenko 6) – I Gundogan 7, Rodri 8 (B Silva 6), P Foden 8 (Fernandinho 7) – G Jesus 8, R Sterling 6, J Grealish 7

Following a frantic first half, City controlled the game much better after the break and doubled their lead early in the second, again from a set-piece. Ruben Dias won his duel at the back post and nodded down to Nathan Ake to smuggle home his second of the campaign. Perhaps surprisingly given their reputation as a passing side, City have scored more set-piece goals (18) than any other Premier League side in 2021-22.

Ake hobbled off soon after which could exacerbate City’s injury issues in defence ahead of the Champions League second leg against Real Madrid, with John Stones and Kyle Walker already sidelined.

With the chances of mounting a comeback slim, Leeds supporters took to chucking multi-coloured pieces of card onto the pitch, mainly in the direction of Jack Grealish, who enjoyed one of his better games in a City shirt. Bizarrely, some decided to target Raphinha as he took a corner too, much to the Brazilian’s understandable bemusement.

Gabriel Jesus made absolutely sure of the points 12 minutes from time, scoring his sixth goal in the space of seven days with a well-taken finish after being put through on goal by Foden before substitute Fernandinho made it four in stoppage time with a crisp finish from the edge of the box.

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The football agent Mino Raiola had died at the age of 54, his family have confirmed.

Raiola was regarded as one of the sport’s “super agents” due to his representation of a number of high-profile players around Europe, including AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

A statement from his family on Saturday read: “In infinite sorrow, we share the passing of the most caring and amazing football agent that ever was.

“Mino fought until the end with the same strength he put on negotiation tables to defend our players. As usual, Mino made us proud and never realised it.

“Mino touched so many lives through his work and wrote a new chapter in the history of modern football. His presence will forever be missed.

“Mino’s mission of making football a better place for players will continue with the same passion.”

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The announcement comes just two days after Raiola was forced to make an impassioned denial that he had passed away following widespread erroneous reports that he had died.

The agent’s official Twitter account posted: “Current health status for the ones wondering: pissed off second time in 4 months they kill me. Seem also able to ressuscitate.”

Raiola was born in Naples on 4 November 1967 but was raised in the Dutch city of Haarlem. While there, he began working in his father’s restaurant when he was only 11 or 12, which he told the Financial Times, meant that he developed a gift for talking to people – a trait that served him well during his career.

He became a millionaire at the age of 19 after selling a McDonalds branch to a property developer and used the money to carve out a career for himself in his main passion: football. Raiola became a technical director at his local club, FC Haarlem, before turning his hand to negotiating transfers.

In 1992, his company Intermezzo, was involved in the transfer that saw Dutch international winger Bryan Roy move from Ajax to Foggia.

Arguably the deal that catapulted him into the wider consciousness of the football world, was the one which saw the iconic Czech Republic playmaker Pavel Nedved move from Sparta Prague to Lazio in 1996. In 2003, Nedved, then of Juventus, was named the best player in the world after winning the Ballon d’Or.

Ibrahimovic was the next superstar to benefit from Raiola’s expertise. During a relationship which spanned more than two decades, Ibrahimovic moved from Ajax to Juventus to Inter Milan to AC Milan to PSG to Manchester United to LA Galaxy and back to AC Milan.

The outspoken Swede wasn’t the only colourful character in Raiola’s stable as he also represented one-time Manchester City and Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli for over a decade.

More recently, Raiola has partnered with some of the world’s best up-and-coming talents, including Juventus defender Matthijs De Ligt and in-demand Borussia Dortmund striker Haaland, who has been tipped to join Manchester City this summer.

PSG, whose players Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Verratti and Xavi Simons were represented by Raiola, tweeted: “Mino Raiola, charismatic sports agent, passed away today following an illness. The club, through its President, sends its condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Ibrahimovic’s club AC Milan wrote: “Our deepest condolences to the Raiola family and all the friends of Mino for their tragic loss.”

Real Madrid tweeted: “Real Madrid C.F., its president and its Board of Directors deeply lament the passing of Mino Raiola and wish to express their condolences and affection to his family and loved ones.”

Raiola’s top clients

According to Transfermarkt.com, Raiola had over 70 clients, ranging from world superstars like Pogba, to journeymen like one-time United forward Federico Macheda and ex-pro’s like Maxwell.

Raiola counted Pogba, Ibrahimovic, Verratti, Donnarumma, Matthijs De Ligt and former United midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, among his clients.

• Erling Haaland – Borussia Dortmund
• Matthijs De Ligt – Juventus
• Gianluigi Donnarumma – PSG
• Paul Pogba – Manchester United
• Jesse Lingard – Manchester United
• Zlatan Ibrahimovic – AC Milan
• Marco Verratti – PSG
• Lorenzo Insigne – Napoli
• Alessio Romagnoli – AC Milan
• Kostas Manolas – Olimpiakos
• Moise Kean – Juventus
• Stefan De Vrij – Inter
• Ryan Gravenberch – Ajax
• Marcus Thuram – Borussia Monchengladbach
• Henrikh Mkhitaryan – AS Roma

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Jurgen Klopp’s relentless red machine continues to move ominously towards history.

That quick turnaround from a Champions League semi-final? No problem. Starting without four players who would walk into the first XI of 18 of their Premier League rivals? Brushed off with ease. This was a Newcastle side who had not lost in the league all year, but such is the brilliance of this Liverpool side they made it look like they were barely breaking sweat.

Klopp’s reaction at the conclusion belied that there was perhaps substance to his pre-match complaints about the schedulers who had sent them to the North East just 72 hours after being forced to break down Villareal’s Champions League equation.

A roar on the touchline followed by a clenched fist and high fives with his support staff suggested he felt this was another critical victory for his side, applying sizeable pressure on Manchester City ahead of their game against Leeds at Elland Road.

Liverpool take three crucial points from their trip to Newcastle and go back to the top of the league…

Jurgen Klopp showing exactly how much that win meant to him ???? pic.twitter.com/2K5lBNet3F

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 30, 2022

The scariest part for City and the others with pretensions to end their golden run? Take out some of the key parts of this generational side and they are still capable of whirring through the obstacles that stand in the way of a triumphant march towards the quadruple.

Mo Salah was rested, Thiago benched and Trent Alexander-Arnold named as a substitute. Those that came in for that trio took a short while to get up to speed but when they did Newcastle could not find an answer to the equation Klopp posed.

The only skirmish Newcastle won was when Joelinton squared up to Diogo Jota, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Both players were brandished with yellow cards on a day when Newcastle’s biggest mitigation for being out-played was that they didn’t get the rub of the green from the officials.

It was, in truth, a flimsy argument. A sell-out home crowd sang that it was ‘1-0 to the referee’ but Andre Marriner was not the reason they lost. James Milner’s tackle on Fabian Schar that preceded the opening goal looked at first as if it was a foul but Marriner had made the right call: the Liverpool man won the ball and the game played on correctly.

Naby Keita was to score in the passage of the play that followed, Matty Targett having been pulled out of position in the build up. It was a good goal and quelled the pre-match St James’ Park storm.

Liverpool’s excellence should probably have warranted further goals. Saido Mane let Newcastle off the hook while Martin Dubravka was the home side’s man of the match, pulling off a string of superb saves to keep Eddie Howe’s side in the contest. For all that there’s been talk of Newcastle replacing him with another goalkeeper in the summer, he remains a class act.

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It was that kind of day for the home side.

Amanda Staveley has spoken of Newcastle challenging for the Premier League title within five years but here was a reminder in technicolour just how far the club majority-owned by the Saudi PIF has to travel before becoming genuine contenders.

It was not that the home side dipped below recent standards to any great degree, just that their opponents were savvier, their movement slicker and patterns of play more in sync.

The only answer for an overtly ambitious Newcastle is to recruit better players, like Guimaeres, who is the lynchpin of a new model Magpies with pretensions to assert themselves at the top. The yawning chasm between Liverpool and Newcastle – who are by no means alone in playing catch up – was perhaps best summed up in the final 25 minutes when the homes side summoned Chris Wood from the bench, only for the Reds to bring Salah into the fray.

Perhaps Newcastle’s tactics were off, with Allan Saint-Maximin unable to gain a foothold against the imperious partnership of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip. Joelinton had prospered on the left against Norwich but that was Norwich. This time the formation looked lightweight. For all that he lacks mobility, Wood’s hold up play allows Newcastle to break more

While it lacked the euphoria of the late, Guimaeres-inspired victory over Leicester this kind of afternoon might – in the long run – benefit the Magpies. Six straight home wins had extinguished memories of their battle to stay in the division but on the seventh home game, there will at least be a recalibration of expectation. They have Manchester City next, which could be just as sobering.

Liverpool will switch to Newcastle supporters then, hoping their rivals won’t match their results as we zero in on another fascinating title run-in. On this evidence, they will do their bit and win every game they have left, one way or another.

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Newcastle 0-1 Liverpool (Keita, 19′)

Liverpool kept the pressure on Manchester City after moving ahead of them to go top of the Premier League table courtesy of Naby Keita’s first-half winner against Newcastle at St James’ Park.

With the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Villarreal looming on Tuesday, Jurgen Klopp opted to make five changes with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara the headline absentees.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the rotation, Liverpool looked disjointed in the opening 15 minutes, but it didn’t take long for them to click into gear. Newcastle felt aggrieved that a meaty challenge from James Milner on Fabian Schar went unpunished in the build-up to Keita’s opener, but they could have done more to prevent the Guinean from waltzing through to score.

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The challenge by Milner was checked by VAR, but the goal was allowed to stand as the veteran midfielder, who was excellent against his former club, got a touch to the ball before making contact.

Wonderful feet from Naby Keita ????

Liverpool take the lead and the Newcastle fans aren't happy, but it looks like James Milner got his challenge just right… pic.twitter.com/1gdngbRXmb

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 30, 2022

Even without Salah, Liverpool carried a significant threat on the counter-attack. Luis Diaz sprinted the length of the pitch with Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane joining to create a three-on-two after a Newcastle free-kick had been cleared, but Mane fired straight at Martin Dubravka after being teed up by the Colombian.

Miguel Almiron thought he had equalised after scoring past Alisson at the second attempt before the assistant referee raised his flag for offside – a decision that saw the Paraguayan’s trademark grin quickly vanish from view. At the other end, Jota drew a spectacular stop from Dubravka with a powerful header that is quickly becoming his signature move.

Despite controlling possession, Liverpool found a second goal hard to come by, although they should have doubled their advantage just past the hour mark through Mane. The Senegalese played a one-two with stand-in right-back Joe Gomez but fired wide when well-positioned inside Newcastle’s penalty area.

Player ratings

Newcastle (4-3-3): M Dubravka 8 – E Krafth 6 (J Murphy 6), F Schar 6 (J Lascelles 6), D Burn 6, M Targett 7 – J Shelvey 7, Bruno Guimaraes 7, J Willock 6 (C Wood 6) – M Almiron 6, A Saint-Maximin 6, Joelinton 6

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 7 – J Gomez 8, J Matip 6, V Van Dijk 6, A Robertson 7 – J Henderson 6 (Fabinho 6), J Milner 8 (Thiago 6), N Keita 8 – S Mane 6 (M Salah 6), D Jota 6, L Diaz 7

Man of the match: Martin Dubravka (Newcastle)

Mane’s final action of the game before being replaced by Salah was to catch Dubravka on the knee with his studs and he was perhaps fortunate to only receive a yellow card for the challenge. Not for the first time this season, perhaps.

Much to Klopp’s frustration, Liverpool continued to be wasteful in front of goal, with Jota firing straight at Dubravka when a calmer head was required. Alisson, by contrast, had barely anything to do, but he stood tall to deny Chris Wood one-on-one, although the striker was deemed to be offside anyway.

Dubravka denied Jota for the third time with a flying stop to his left and rushed out to deny Salah from racing through at the end. Sandwiched between those two chances was a rare Newcastle effort on target, when Alisson denied his Brazilian compatriot and Newcastle’s man of the moment Bruno Guimaraes with a comfortable save down to his right.

Klopp made a beeline for Divock Origi after his exploits in last weekend’s Merseyside derby win; this time Keita was the recipient of the Klopp bear-hug at full-time after being Liverpool’s difference-maker.

Robertson: Gomez was different class today | Klopp: I loved our performance

Andy Robertson singled Joe Gomez out for praise after the game and stated that the right-back’s display was indicative of the strength of Liverpool’s squad.

“Today I thought we were really solid, they didn’t have many chances from what I can remember,” he told BT Sport.

“I thought Joe Gomez was different class and like Milly (James Milner) said we need everyone in the squad. We’re blessed to have everybody fit right now maybe apart from Bobby [Firmino] but a lot of us are fit and healthy and fighting for places in the starting XI.

“We made five changes today, but we had man of the match (Milner), Gomez was different class, Naby Keita, so it just shows that the lads coming in are putting in big performances and we’ll need that from now until the end of the season.”

“The performance was absolutely outstanding I have to say, I loved it,” said Klopp afterwards. “We controlled the game in so many ways.

“It was difficult, the only plan they had obviously was long balls to our right side… we had some moments where we struggled because it’s just difficult, but the rest we really controlled it.”

Klopp was also full of praise for Liverpool’s stand-ins, saying: “The impact that we have from the bench in games is outstanding but we now it’s really coming from the bench before a game pretty much.

“We expect a lot, but the boys have to deliver. Joe Gomez, what a game. Naby Keita, what a game, James Milner, what a game. That’s three. Diogo Jota, oh my god, what a game. Joel Matip as well. And the other five, six (who started against Villarreal) had to go again.”

Klopp hopeful his new deal will convince Salah and Mane to stay

By Nick Tanner

Jurgen Klopp hopes his decision to extend his tenure to 2026 will give Liverpool the stability not only to attract players in the transfer market but possibly influence stars like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to sign new contracts – both of them have a year left on their current deals.

“It is important to a lot of people to know [my future] early,” he added. “It is good for transfer windows. We cannot guarantee success but we can guarantee stability and in these difficult times, that is a big thing.”

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As for Salah and Mane, he added: “In life, there are more things to think about than who the manager is, but knowing who the manager and coaching staff are is an important thing.

“If it is a positive sign for the boys, then great, but I don’t think this will be the one decisive thing for whatever decision they have to make. It’s their own life. My relationship with both of them is great. We just wanted to guarantee that everyone who wants to be here knows what he can expect.

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Arsenal have a history of being unable to keep hold of their star players – from Ashley Cole to Cesc Fabregas to Robin van Persie – but with a new generation of talent flourishing in north London, the Gunners must avoid repeating the mistakes of their recent past if they are to continue their progression

Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe have elevated Mikel Arteta’s squad to top-four hopefuls, becoming the first duo under the age of 21 to score 10 Premier League goals each in a season since Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney did so in 2006-07.

Achieving a top-four finish is in Arsenal’s hands with teams around them struggling to find consistency. Tottenham have failed to score or even register a shot on target in their previous two games, while Manchester United seem completely incapable of playing as a functioning unit.

Playing on Europe’s biggest stage strengthens a club’s magnetic pull towards top-class players but for Arsenal, it would also help to secure the futures of several promising talents including Saka, Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard.

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“You’ve seen how much of a team we’ve been,” said Saka when asked about his stellar performances on MOTDx.

“I think that’s probably been the spark. That hunger we have to work for each other. Everyone’s young and just wants to give their all to Arsenal.”

He may be committed to the process but with his contract expiring in 2024 will he be content with Arsenal’s position if they are not competing for major honours soon? The same applies to Smith Rowe whose deal runs until 2026.

During the Euros, Saka proved that he can perform on the highest stage and without a doubt, he will want to compete in the Champions League and push for domestic titles.

Technical director Edu Gaspar is reportedly ready to offer the 20-year-old a contract extension to reflect his importance to the squad.

Saka has played in every league game this season racking up 16 goal contributions (11 goals, five assists), demonstrating how much Arsenal depend upon him already.

A reliance similar to van Persie who “didn’t feel like we [Arsenal] were on the level to compete.”

Fabregas also made his frustration about the Gunners public in an interview with Rio Ferdinand.

“In important moments I felt so frustrated to see big teams always winning and always having that edge,” he said. “I was hungry, I wanted to win, I was a competitor, I would have done anything to win for Arsenal and I felt it wasn’t coming.

“We had opportunities to sign good players that I felt would make such a difference and for one thing or another they looked away.”

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That is still an issue for Arsenal to this day. In January they missed out on long-term target Dusan Vlahovic, who joined Juventus from Fiorentina.

Ultimately the lack of Champions League football meant the Serbian and his agent refused to entertain Arsenal’s interest.

But even if Arsenal return to the Champions League they will find it hard to compete with Liverpool and Manchester City who have won the last four Premier League titles between them and will make it five by the end of this campaign.

Jurgen Klopp extended his contract at Liverpool until 2026 earlier this week and Pep Guardiola cannot “visualise being at a better place” than Manchester City. The division may continue to be a two-horse race for the foreseeable future.

Saka and Smith Rowe could find themselves in a situation similar to Harry Kane who last summer agitated for a move away to Spurs to join City in order to enhance his prospects of winning silverware. Qualifying for Europe’s top-tier competition represents Arsenal’s best chance of keeping their star duo happy.

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It seems somehow appropriate that Bradford City – the eighth and easily most unexpected club on Mark Hughes’ managerial CV – train on the pristine pitches of Woodhouse Grove, a secondary school in Apperley Bridge, a few miles away from the cosmopolitan city centre.

After all, even at 58, Hughes is still learning. Having never managed below Premier League level before his son Alex – who is also his agent – emailed Bradford a speculative expression of interest in their vacancy back in February, he has embraced his first taste of life in football’s basement division.

“I’m really enjoying it,” Hughes tells i over the whir of a lawnmower cutting the spring grass outside. And you can tell he means it.

6am starts, days spent poring over training plans, discussing the club’s recruitment plans for a busy summer or pruning insights from his small team of data analysts, this is Hughes back on the front line. Back where he feels he belongs.

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“I took a complete break from it,” he says of three years in football exile that followed him leaving Southampton.

The first 12 months were deliberate, spent on holidays with his wife Jill or “doing things at weekends you can’t do when you’re managing a football team”. The next year was because he found pandemic football behind-closed-doors left him feeling flat. “If there’s no crowds, there’s no games for me,” he says.

But after that he struggled to get jobs or even interviews which, given his previous record, came as something of a surprise. Life as an out-of-work manager did not suit him.

“You can quite enjoy a game of golf on a Saturday but there’s still that gnawing thing when results are coming in at 20 to five. That rush of adrenaline is missing.

“For a long time I just stayed away from the results, shut out the game. That’s what I do when I’ve been sacked. You fall out of love with the game a little bit but it’s always there in the background, drawing you back.”

And here, under slate grey skies in West Yorkshire, it is clear he is re-energised by the challenge at Bradford. “Every role I’ve had I’ve tried to do it to the best of my ability but this one really excites me,” he says.

“It’s certainly a challenge but it’s just the thought of getting this place going again that really excites me and motivates me.

“We feel there’s big potential here but first of all we need to win games and get the team right on the pitch. Recruitment is the key, probably more so at this level than any other level. We need a good summer, get the right players in [with] the right ability and character. If we do that, we’ll have a great chance.”

It says a lot about his character that he isn’t particularly worried about external perceptions of taking a job in the basement division. Initial results have been mixed but that misses the point: he inherited a group not suited to his preferred style of play. Nevertheless there have been glimpses of what he and assistant Glyn Hodges are attempting to do.

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His first two months have been an extended audition for next season when, he admits, the “pressure is on” to deliver promotion to League One.

“Listen, I’m probably opening myself up to reputational damage if I don’t get it right but I was prepared to do that. It’s what I wanted to do.

“I’m at that stage in my career where I was looking for something different, maybe. This is definitely it.”

Earlier in the day Fiacre Kelleher – the Bradford defender and older brother of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin – had spoken to local media about a managerial appointment that still feels surreal to many in a squad that has spent a season of intense frustration bouncing around the bottom half of League Two.

“You’re never going to get a Premier League manager coming into League Two again, are you?” Kelleher says, when asked if the presence of Hughes might encourage players to sign for Bradford.

Probably not, which is what makes Hughes’ situation all the more intriguing. “To be honest I did wonder whether I’d come back [at all],” Hughes says of the experience of struggling to get interviewed for Championship or League One roles.

“It got the point where I put myself forward [for jobs] and thought ‘That’d be an interesting project’ but I wasn’t really getting the opportunities to get in front of people.

“I was getting that thing of ‘You haven’t managed at this level’ but it was starting to grate a little. Well why do you think my skillset won’t transfer?

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“The reality is Bradford actually asked me to come and maybe other clubs would have had a similar answer if they’d have asked the question. But for me, coming to Bradford is the right time, the right place and the right club with the potential. It’s the right project for me.”

Hughes’ experience chimes with what has happened to many experienced managers. Mick McCarthy recently applied for the Sunderland job but didn’t even receive a call back.

It isn’t as if Hughes is a dinosaur. An early adopter of Prozone 20 years ago, he is an advocate of data science and Kelleher speaks of being presented with “nuggets of insight” by his manager.

It is put to him that sometimes clubs pass over experience for what appears fashionable at the time.

“There’s certainly trends and there’s that sense of just following the crowd,” he says.

“They all go down a certain route and think that’s the right way to go without sitting down and looking at what certain people have achieved.

“It’s not just myself, it’s other managers who have had the careers they’ve had who are missing out and it can be difficult [but] it is what it is.

“The assumption is ‘He will only play one way, he’s not flexible’. It’s nonsense really. I’ve had to formulate tactical ideas and plans relating to games against some of the best teams in the world when I was with the likes of Manchester City. If you’re not tactically proficient, you’re going to get beaten by a hatful in those games.

“That has happened [to me] because on occasions I maybe wasn’t but when you have to test yourself against squads who are more talented, with more resources than you have got and some of the best managers – well you don’t survive for long in the industry if you can’t do it. The fact I have been able to do what I’ve done for so long tells you I’ve got a sense of what you need.”

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Bradford is a club waiting for lift off, attempting to reconnect to the city after some barren years. They are underachieving in League Two but Hughes can feel the “excitement” created by his appointment. Cheap season tickets – adults can buy one for less than £200 – will ensure crowds of more than 15,000 once again next year and his job is to build a team to match that.

Next week, they will announce a new recruitment structure. Hughes wants to retain Jamie Walker, a talented forward who joined on loan from Hearts, and Charles Vernam, his out of contract winger attracting interest from higher up the pyramid. Hughes’ job is to build a team of players who won’t be fazed by playing in front of the biggest crowds in the division.

He wryly observed when he took over that his appointment being lauded by Bradford fans made a difference from the antipathy that has sometimes greeted him at other jobs.

“In some jobs you’ve got to convince people of your worth and ability but I’ve found that once I’m in there for a period of time, people do say ‘He knows what he’s doing’,” he says.

“It has been different this time: people have had an excitement that I’ve come here which I hope will be maintained.

“Everything’s positive but we know next season is when we’ll be judged. I feel that expectation on my shoulders but that is what I want. I have always loved that, the big stadiums, the biggest games, the big crowds. I never run away from that.”

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Jurgen Klopp has warned the rest of the Premier League and Europe that he is gearing up for a period of sustained success at Liverpool.

The Merseyside club continue their chase for an unprecedented quadruple at Newcastle boosted by the news that their manager has extended his contract by two more years.

Klopp insists that even if his squad add one, two or three more trophies to the Carabao Cup they have already won this season, neither he nor the club will rest on their laurels.

“We had a lot of difficulties in the past for different reasons but the club is in a good moment,” he said. “But the message is: we don’t want to rest here. We want to use it as a basis for the next steps. We have to. And that is what we will try to do.

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“We all love being here and want to help as much as we can that the club is as successful for as long as possible.”

Klopp had hinted in previous interviews that he might quit when his previous deal was due to expire in 2024 but he admitted there is still so much he and his coaching staff want to achieve.

He hopes his decision to extend his tenure to 2026 will give Liverpool the stability not only to attract players in the transfer market but possibly influence stars like Mo Salah and Sadio Mane to sign new contracts – both of them have a year left on their current deals.

“It is important to a lot of people to know [my future] early,” he added. “It is good for transfer windows. We cannot guarantee success but we can guarantee stability and in these difficult times, that is a big thing.”

As for Salah and Mane, he added: “In life, there are more things to think about than who the manager is, but knowing who the manager and coaching staff are is an important thing.

“If it is a positive sign for the boys, then great, but I don’t think this will be the one decisive thing for whatever decision they have to make. It’s their own life. My relationship with both of them is great. We just wanted to guarantee that everyone who wants to be here knows what he can expect.

“It is for me in this moment in time, the place to me, this club offers a lot. It is just a sign we never stop trying to develop the situation. A team in the best age group but time is running. We don’t think about changing the team in the next two or three years but we have to prepare. It is a really good place to be or join, if not the perfect place.”

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Over the last 15 years, club football has consistently peaked – in terms of drama and entertainment at least – with Champions League semi-final second legs.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ballboy-aided corner. Lucas Moura’s miracle and six Ajax players lying on the turf. Gary Neville’s Fernando Torres-inspired original goalgasm. Didier Drogba screaming “f**king disgrace” into the camera, as if Truman Burbank had worked it all out. “The most beautiful defeat” of Jose Mourinho’s life.

You can guess where this is going. Football governance ploughs an excellent furrow in fixing things that aren’t broken and maintaining – or exacerbating – status quos that threaten to pass the point of no return.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is reportedly in favour of scrapping the two-legged Champions League semi-finals in favour of a week-long mini-tournament that will take place in the same city. At some point in the near future, someone in a suit will use the phrase “Festival of football” and we will know it is inevitable.

Each of these grand ideas come with their own giveaway traits. There is the self-congratulatory tone that aims to convince us that we are all being led one step closer to football utopia and this is all part of some natural process. Nothing could be further from the truth: the principle reason for these ideas holding some appeal is because they offer answers to problems their proponents created.

Make no mistake: this new idea is a brazen attempt to reduce fixture congestion. The shift to the “Swiss-style” Champions League model, due to begin in 2024-25, will almost double the number of Champions League matches per season to 225; teams will play 10 group games rather than six. By effectively reducing the semi-finals and finals from three matchweeks to one, you create space for your bloated monster.

Then there are the vested interests. We are told that Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG who used the failed Super League project to grab power by being installed as the chairman of the European Club Association, is strongly in favour of the proposed changes. Who knows why the president of a super-rich club that has repeatedly crumbled in second legs, and reached the final in 2019 when the quarter- and semi-finals were played in a similar format due to Covid-19 restrictions, would prefer a permanent version of the same plan.

True to form, an idea that might hold some appeal in theory sees it dissipate in practice. Match-going football supporters are famously not fleeced enough. Making them choose between booking an entire week in the same city in case their team makes it through the first game or booking a flight home and then having to fly back two days later probably seems eminently reasonable if you are not used to ever paying for your ticket or accommodation.

It also inevitably creates a small cabal of potential host cities, namely those who can accommodate 100,000 fans en masse at the same time. Over the last seven years, the Champions League final has been held in Berlin, Milan, Cardiff, Kyiv, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto. Only two of those (Berlin, Madrid) could likely host the week-long event. Add in the other obvious places to be rotated: Paris and London.

There are two broad storylines in football’s dystopian future. The first is the naked power grabs by financial super clubs attempting to ring fence their wealth, and the tiptoed path that governing bodies must take as a result: giving enough to keep them quiet for a while but don’t give them so much that it becomes obvious that the whole sport is coordinated by a select group of multibillionaires.

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The second is the constant generation of new ideas to re-market and rebadge the product, all of which overlook – presumably deliberately – that the product itself only works, on its most basic level, for so long as a competitive balance exists. And that balance is, at best, struggling to swim.

If Manchester City and Liverpool reach this season’s final (as they are expected to do), six of the last eight final participants will come from Europe’s wealthiest league. The exceptions are Paris Saint-Germain (state-owned, domestically dominant with eight of the last 10 league titles) and Bayern Munich (domestically dominant with 10 of the last 10 league titles.

Predictability is the greatest driver of these changes. It requires that the Champions League is rolled in glitter to make it shine. Make it a showpiece. Copy the Super Bowl. Who’s doing the half-time show this year? Can we crowbar in a meaningless, trumped-up awards ceremony in between the matches? As soon as you hear the suggestion, you know it will inevitably become reality.

If the Champions League semi-finals need shoehorning, it is because they bloated the group stage. If they believe that the biggest matches in the biggest competition needs extra pizazz, maybe they care too much about pizazz. If there is surgery required, it is because they dropped the ball and cracked it in three places. Just another example of unnecessary change disguised as progress.

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The “Northern Notebook” is i‘s weekly look inside the biggest football clubs in the north of England, providing insight, analysis and news on the burning issues of the day

Tottenham Hotspur are attempting to compete with the two big Manchester clubs and the likes of Leeds United for the best young players on their own patches as they beef up their scouting operation in the North West and Yorkshire.

Spurs are interviewing for a new emerging talent scout primarily focusing on players between the age of 16-20 – with a focus on the sizeable patch that incorporates football hotbeds Merseyside, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. The new scout will work closely with Chris Perkins, Tottenham’s head of emerging talent, who was poached from Everton last summer.

The scout will be expected to follow up on key targets and compile lists of potential recruits from an area that the club see as a potential gold mine for new talent ready to make an impact.

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It is understood they are looking for an experienced candidate and there has been plenty of interest in the role.

The new appointment is also a wider reflection of Premier League clubs’ new recruitment priorities in the wake of Brexit, which has made it much harder to bring in the best under-20 talent from Europe.

EU-based players now have to earn GBPE points through appearances and international credentials to play in England, a problem that Leeds director of football Victor Orta bemoaned as seriously limiting the recruitment pool for big clubs.

Tottenham are not the only club widening their network in areas they might have traditionally left to rivals.

Brighton, Leicester and Wolverhampton Wanderers have also beefed up their scouting networks in the north, in Scotland and in parts of Ireland as they adapt to the new circumstances.

Spurs have revamped their scouting processes since Fabricio Paratici took over as director of football, improving their use of data and video scouting. But their move into areas traditionally dominated by the two big Manchester clubs is an interesting new development in northern football recruitment.

It is likely to mean the battle to recruit the best British young players will become even more competitive in the coming years. Clubs are also starting to look to South America and North America, where the GBPE system will make it easier to bring in outstanding talent from those markets – who may have found it difficult to earn work permits in the past.

One recruitment specialist told i: “Clubs have been slow to adapt to the new rules – partly because there was a real lack of clarity around the GBPE system until fairly recently. But now we are starting to see them pivot towards the UK and areas where they wouldn’t normally have applied an awful lot of resources, like South and Central America.

“Things will fundamentally change in the next few years.”

Sunderland gem nears exit

Everton and Newcastle are tracking Sunderland’s highly-rated midfielder Chris Rigg, who has featured for the under-18 side at the age of just 14.

i understands the Toffees are set to move for Rigg in the summer. But Newcastle – whose under-23 boss Elliot Dickman used to work for the Black Cats – are also interested.

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The word in scouting circles is that Sunderland have another highly rated youngster in Mason Cotcher, who has also featured for the under-18 side this season.

Man Utd youngster set for big chance

Manchester United midfielder James Garner looks set to get a chance to impress incoming boss Erik ten Hag after a stellar spell on loan at Nottingham Forest.

Ten Hag will take over in the summer and wants to take a close look at players who have impressed out on loan.

Ten Hag is keen to embrace United’s impressive record of working with their academy.

Burnley make decisions on future

Burnley are almost certain to hand Mike Jackson the manager’s job on an interim basis until the end of the season after collecting seven points from his first three games in charge.

Owner Alan Pace received fierce criticism for sacking Sean Dyche at a pivotal point in their relegation battle but, so far, the move looks like an inspired one. That is despite sources suggesting there was no clear plan for an alternative when Dyche left.

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Potential candidates including Sam Allardyce and Chris Wilder have fallen by the wayside, with the latter committing himself to Middlesbrough. As i revealed last week Daniel Farke is waiting until the summer to assess his options – but would be open to a return to English football.

i understands interest in an overseas manager in the first week of the managerial search was rebuffed, which paved the way for Jackson to get his opportunity. If he keeps the club in the Premier League, he is surely favourite for the job on a permanent basis.

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