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West Ham have done it. This humid, sticky, unforgiving evening in Prague will go down in their history.

It was far from a classic, but the Hammers won’t care. The trophy was clinched at the death when the ever-present Jarrod Bowen sprinted on goal and calmly slotted it into the back of the net.

The club had flirted with relegation throughout the year, finding themselves in the drop zone at various points.

But through the murky turmoil of domestic football, the Europa Conference League provided a shining beacon of light that has culminated in the club’s first major trophy in 43 years and European success since 1965.

There were many points within the season when the faith wavered. The trust in David Moyes, who was elated at full-time and his cohort of extravagant new signings was under constant scrutiny.

But they have emerged as champions, blessed with another season of top-flight and European football.

In recent weeks, when the pressure intensified, one player who has emphatically proven his worth is Lucas Paqueta, who was instrumental in this monumental victory.

How did Lucas Paqueta perform against Fiorentina?

The Brazilian arrived in East London with humongous expectations for a club-record fee of £51m – a dazzling, scintillating playmaker expected to orchestrate another top-half finish.

However, at the start, he flattered to deceive. The 40-cap international often cut an anonymous, dejected, and uninvolved figure, unable to showcase his extraordinary talent.

The 25-year-old didn’t score his first goal for his new club until January 2023, but in the latter stages of the Premier League and in Europe, the former Lyon ace has repaid every penny of his transfer.

Although he struggled to influence the first half of their famous 2-1 victory, he provided that match-winning moment, threading an expertly weighted through ball to the onrushing Bowen, who coolly converted.

As well as this, the joyous technician recorded two key passes from his 46 touches, won 11 defensive duels, and made four tackles, as per Sofascore, in a well-rounded performance from central areas.

Throughout the term, the £150k-per-week star’s contribution to the defensive effort has been undeniable; in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers, he ranks in the highest 4% for tackles, blocks, clearances, and aerials won per 90 – a glowing testament to his unrelenting work rate and commitment to the Irons.

Described as “simply sensational” by CBS’ James Benge following the game, the attacker has finished the season with 43 appearances, 12 goal involvements, and the second-highest average rating in the squad across the campaign.

Big players forge even bigger moments and Paqueta’s contribution to this fateful European excursion is unforgettable. It may well have been Bowen who popped up with that remarkable late goal, but it was his Brazilian colleague that he owes it to.

More power to Moyes, who after receiving a torrent of speculation regarding his future, is deservedly entitled to another season at the helm.

Tottenham Hotspur manager candidate Ange Postecoglou is a 'concrete option' for the Lilywhites in their hunt for a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Ange Postecoglou?

As per The Sun, Tottenham look likely to announce Postecoglou as their new manager and could do so by early next week, bringing their long search for a new boss to an end.

The report states that Celtic are 'resigned' to losing the 57-year-old and have already started to look at potential replacements, with West Ham United coach David Moyes said to be 'a likely front-runner' for the position.

talkSPORT have also chimed in and offered an update on the future of the former Australia boss, detailing that Celtic are 'bracing themselves' for Postecoglou to take up the vacant role at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Talks are set to ramp up following the Hoops' Scottish Cup final clash with Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday where Postecoglou could lead his side to a domestic clean sweep of trophies in 2022/23.

Sky Sports revealed on Wednesday that Postecoglou was now Spurs' 'preferred candidate' for the job after they failed in their pursuit of Feyenoord's Arne Slot.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has detailed that Postecoglou is a 'concrete option' to step in as manager in N17.

Romano said: "Postecoglou is a concrete option, for sure. He's on the list, but he is not the only one.

"After what happened with Arne Slot, Tottenham want to be careful and also have different options."

What has Ange Postecoglou achieved in his managerial career?

Interestingly, the Celtic boss, whose side play some "beautiful" football, recently broke a record at Parkhead as his side recently netted an 114th goal, which is the highest total seen from the club since the 1937/38 season.

A shed load of trophies, to put it bluntly. Postecoglou is an experienced figure in football management and has achieved remarkable success at both club and international level, making it no surprise that a club like Tottenham would be interested in his services.

In his time at Celtic, the 57-year-old has won consecutive Scottish Premiership titles and two Viaplay Cup trophies. At the same time, he will have the chance to add the Scottish Cup trophy to his lengthy list of honours if Celtic can defeat Inverness at Hampden Park on Saturday evening.

Before crossing into Europe, Postecoglou raked in trophies in both Asia and Oceania, racking up four A-League titles, One J-League triumph, one OFC Champions League and winning the Asian Cup with the Australia international side, among other impressive achievements, as per Transfermarkt.

His distinctive brand of high-intensity attacking football has caught the attention of Premier League and other English clubs and Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United have all tracked his progress across the last year.

Postecoglou is a man in demand and it looks as if fans of both Celtic and Tottenham won't have to wait too long to find out where his future lies.

Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor thinks West Ham could sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window if they sell Declan Rice.

Has Phillips had a good season?

The 27-year-old moved to City from Leeds United last year in what looked like an exciting move for him during the peak of his career. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out for him, however, with injuries hampering his progress and a lack of minutes coming his way.

Phillips has only started one Premier League game in the whole of 2022/23, with only another nine appearances in the competition from the substitutes' bench, and it is hard to see him breaking into the team regularly moving forward.

For that reason, the £150,000-a-week England international could move on at the end of the season, with West Ham one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for him.

Could West Ham snap up Phillips?

Speaking to Football Insider, Agbonlahor talked up West Ham's chances of signing Phillips in the summer window:

"Rodri isn’t in his 30s, he’s not going anywhere. He’s that good – Pep plays him in every game. Whether it’s a big FA Cup game, Carabao Cup game, or whatever. There have even been games where Rodri hasn’t started, but Gundogan slots into that position.

"Pep fits other players in before Kalvin Phillips. If I’m Phillips and I want to play in the European Championships next summer, I’m leaving in this transfer window. Go and play somewhere where you are the first name on the team sheet. A Crystal Palace, or a West Ham. If West Ham lose Declan Rice, they could get him in.

"You want to play football as a player, and he hasn’t done that this season. These are his peak years, and he needs to be playing football."

Phillips could be an excellent signing by West Ham this summer, coming in as a direct replacement for Declan Rice, who he knows so well after partnering him in England's midfield throughout Euro 2020. Granted, this season has been a disappointing one for him, but given his displays for Leeds persuaded Pep Guardiola to make a move for him, there is every reason he can be a key man for another Premier League side – as long as he remains fit.

The fact that Spain and Barcelona legend Xavi once hailed both Phillips and Rice as "superb" speaks volumes, and the former could come in and provide tackling tenacity and technical quality in the middle of the park for the Hammers, having averaged three tackles per game in the EFL Cup this season, as well as a 92.1% pass completion rate in the Premier League.

Liverpool star forward Sadio Mane is close to leaving the club and joining Bundesliga side Bayern Munich this summer. It represents a huge blow for The Reds off the back of their disappointing Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

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What’s the story?

According to French outlet L’Equipe, Mane is close to agreeing on a three-year deal with the German side which could see Liverpool lose out massively and only make €30m (£25.5m).

In a recent interview with Sky Sports the Senegalese international said he would reveal his future after the Champions League final, so with that now over, it’s only a matter of time before we find out where he will be playing next season, but it’s not looking good for fans of the Premier League club at the moment.

Klopp will be gutted

Ever since his arrival on Merseyside, Mane has been “sensational” and a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s rebuild that has turned Liverpool into one of the best sides in Europe.

He’s now 30-years-old, and with a year left on his contract, the club were going to have to start planning for life without him sooner rather than later. The signing of Luis Diaz in January will help, and Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino can easily slot in, but he will still be a huge loss.

Mane has made 51 appearances and been directly involved in 28 goals this season. He’s transformed into a poacher with Liverpool arguably more reliant on his goals this season.

This is proven by him ranking in the top 3% for touches in the attacking penalty area this season, when compared to other in his position playing in Europe’s top five leagues.

His contribution going forward will be hard to replace, and if Liverpool don’t, they may fall short again next season too.

What’s more gutting for Klopp and the supporters is the small fee that they are likely to receive should he depart. £25m for a player of his quality is a small amount and doesn’t give them much to invest in a replacement.

With Divock Origi also set to leave when his contract expires, Liverpool are now facing a shortage of bodies going forward and may need to re-think their summer transfer plans.

Whilst this will be a huge blow for The Reds, we expect Klopp to turn things around and for the club to still be competing for both the Premier League and Champions League next season.

It just looks like they will have to do it without Mane now.

AND in other news, Liverpool eyeing move for “tenacious” £100m “predator”, Klopp would love him…

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent and reliable reporter Alasdair Gold has now shared a potentially big transfer boost for manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Conte summer in full swing…

Having already confirmed the signing of Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan on a Bosman deal, it appears Conte’s first summer window at Spurs is well and truly underway.

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After the Italian’s crunch transfer summit with club director Fabio Paratici in Turin last week, the Lilywhites are showing absolutely no sign of stopping there (The Telegraph).

The Premier League giants are said to be casting their eye towards Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan) and Gabriel Jesus (Man City) among other targets.

Another name in right-wing-back starlet Djed Spence is repeatedly being linked at the moment and Gold now has a very promising update concerning the defender.

The Latest: Gold shares very promising update…

According to the football.london journalist, Spence is now ‘definitely’ tempted by a move to Spurs.

He explained:

“The latest on Spurs and Djed Spence as I understand it. The young wing-back is definitely tempted by a move to work with Antonio Conte but Tottenham have some decent competition for his signature.”

The Verdict: Big boost for Conte…

Able to help solve a ‘looming problem’ at Spurs in their homegrown quota, Spence’s potential signing would come as a boost for the north Londoners in so many ways.

His age and quality are obvious pulls given his phenomenal season in the Championship and just how crucial he was under manager Steve Cooper.

The Middlesbrough loanee was a fixture in Forest’s promotion campaign, starting 41 second tier matches and featuring over the sixth-highest amount of minutes in Cooper’s squad.

As well as this, forward Keinan Davis was the only Forest regular to complete more successful take-ons than the 21-year-old over the past season (WhoScored).

Spence also delivered the second-most crosses per 90 on the road to promotion, leaving little wonder members of the media have branded him an ‘exciting player’ (Marc Williams, Basford United head of media).

In other news: Tottenham now hopeful of signing ‘technically brilliant’ star amid internal talks! Find out more here.

Alasdair Gold has dropped an update on reported Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Brennan Johnson.

What’s the talk?

In a recent video posted on his YouTube channel, the football.london journalist revealed that Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici have now added the Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder to their shortlist of transfer targets, with the Championship play-off finalists expected to demand a figure in the region of £20m in order to part with the 21-year-old this summer.

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Regarding Spurs’ interest in the playmaker, Gold said: “I know Spurs really like Brennan Johnson who plays for Forest, he is a talent. But I think there will be a queue of people for him… It’ll be interesting to see where he goes.”

The next Dele

Considering just how talented a prospect Johnson evidently is, it is easy to see why Conte and Paratici would be keen on a deal to bring the forward to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

Indeed, over his 48 Championship appearances this season, the £13.5m-rated attacker has been in breathtaking form for the Reds, scoring 18 goals, registering ten assists and creating 15 big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.9 shots, making 1.3 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £2.5k-per-week Wales international who Sabri Lamouchi dubbed “unbelievable” average a quite spectacular SofaScore match rating of 7.10, ranking him as Forest’s fourth-best outfielder in the second tier – playing a key role in the Garibaldi’s run to the play-off final.

Furthermore, considering his age, position and extremely impressive showing in the Championship this term, there are quite clear comparisons that can be drawn between the Forest starlet and another of Tottenham’s former recruits from the lower leagues of English football – Dele Alli.

Indeed, in the season prior to the 26-year-old’s £5m move from MK Dons back in 2015, the attacking midfielder was in similarly exceptional form, scoring 16 goals and providing 11 assists over his 44 appearances in all competitions in 2014/15.

As such, should Conte be able to convince Johnson of a move to north London this summer, he could well have unearthed Tottenham’s next Dele, as the 21-year-old Forest sensation is undoubtedly a player who could go on to replicate the incredible impact the former England international had during his first few seasons with Spurs.

AND in other news: “I’m told…”: Alasdair Gold drops big Spurs transfer twist, supporters will be gutted

Rangers have lost out to Union Berlin in the race to bring centre-back Danilho Doekhi to Ibrox as a potential replacement for Connor Goldson. 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell reported in January that Rangers are keen to land the Vitesse Arnhem man.

And there was confidence at the club that they would get the deal done, with Campbell noting that they were ‘in a strong position’.

Doekhi’s deal at the Eredivisie club expires at the end of the season, which meant he was free to negotiate pre-contract terms with foreign clubs.

The Light Blues are of course in need of a new defender, given that Goldson’s future is still unclear.

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The latest

Fabrizio Romano tweeted on Monday morning that Doekhi ‘will join’ Union Berlin ‘as [a] free agent’ ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The deal, which runs for three years, has been ‘signed and completed’.

The player had ‘several options’ but has ultimately elected to join Urs Fischer’s side, who finished fifth in the Bundesliga to qualify for the Europa League group stages.

The verdict

Rangers may now be bracing themselves for the departure of their own out-of-contract defender at the end of the campaign.

Goldson’s expected exit will deplete their centre-back ranks, and while they’ve already lined up Hearts’ John Souttar as a possible replacement, adding a player of Doekhi’s European experience would have done more to fill the void.

However, he’s only 23 years old, and his contract is only medium-term. Who’s to say they don’t go back in for the £2.7million-rated ace in the future?

In other news, an ex-Gers manager has his eyes on a Rangers midfielder. 

The wheels have come off at Leeds United and they are now the favourites to be relegated from the Premier League in that final spot in the relegation zone.

They were never expected to beat defending champions Manchester City but two ill-tempered, dire defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea have likely sealed their fate.

And amid injury concerns and suspensions, manager Jesse Marsch has no easy task with Brighton and Hove Albion up next this afternoon.

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If Burnley lose to Tottenham Hotspur in today’s lunchtime kick-off, then a point would be enough to see the Whites lifted out of the drop zone ahead of Brentford next weekend, though the Clarets still have a game in hand.

Given the squad crisis at his hands, it’ll be interesting to see what sort of side the American will name at Elland Road, that’s for sure. Here’s what we are predicting…

Between the sticks, Illan Meslier is likely to remain as the first-choice goalkeeper but there could be some alterations to the backline as Jamie Shackleton comes in at right-back with Luke Ayling suspended.

Skipper Liam Cooper and Diego Llorente could be the central defensive pairing, meaning Robin Koch makes way, whilst on the left, we could see a return for Junior Firpo in what could be a back four.

In midfield, Kalvin Phillips should continue in the engine room and he’s surely going to be joined by Mateusz Klich, who regains his place in the starting XI over U23 gem Lewis Bate.

Further up the pitch, Rodrigo will surely take up a role in the no.10 spot, with Raphinha and Jack Harrison on either flank, The £13.5m-rated winger went off injured at Stamford Bridge but is expected to be fit for this encounter.

Meanwhile, in the absence of Patrick Bamford, we could see Joe Gelhardt gifted a start up top, with Daniel James also suspended. The 20-year-old, described as a “wrecking ball” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, is Marsch’s only available and fit senior striker right now.

Predicted Leeds XI (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Firpo, Cooper, Llorente, Shackleton; Phillips, Klich; Harrison, Rodrigo, Raphinha; Gelhardt

AND in other news, Phil Hay relays Raphinha injury update ahead of Brighton clash…

Newcastle United face the daunting prospect of facing an aggravated Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League this afternoon.

Pep Guardiola’s side lost 6-5 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the Champions League in midweek and the domestic title is the one trophy they can win this season, which may spell bad news for the Magpies as the league leaders focus all of their effort, and frustration, on this match.

Meanwhile, the Toon come into the game off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at St James’ Park last weekend. Naby Keita scored the only goal as Eddie Howe’s side managed to avoid a drubbing against the Reds, which the 44-year-old will be hoping to prevent again today.

With Newcastle playing away from home against the Cityzens, the ex-Cherries head coach may be expecting a tough 90 minutes playing against the ball for the most part. He may therefore pick a team with this in mind, and one player he must finally unleash from the start is centre-forward Chris Wood.

Howe must unleash Chris Wood

The New Zealand international has not started a Premier League match since 20 April against Crystal Palace, and he must now be brought back into the fold.

Magpies reporter Ciaran Kelly claimed last month that the striker provides the team with a “focal point”, and this is why the 30-year-old needs to start against City. He can offer an outball for the rest of the players to hit in order to relieve pressure as the opposition potentially sustain attack after attack whilst dominating possession.

In Europe’s top five leagues over the past 365 days, Wood ranks in the 97th percentile for aerial battles won per 90 minutes amongst strikers. He has won a whopping 8.7 headers per 90 minutes in the Premier League, which illustrates the value that he will be able to provide to Newcastle at the top of the pitch.

The striker, who Howe claimed has been “fantastic” since coming to St James’ Park, can make himself a target for the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Dan Burn to hit when they have the opportunity to clear the ball. Wood can then either hold the ball up with his strength or flick the ball on to the likes of Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin, allowing them to use their pace to threaten on the counterattack.

Therefore, the £72k-per-week colossus can play a crucial role in Newcastle getting anything out of this match, and he must be selected in the starting line-up today.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: Howe must land NUFC swoop for £17.1m gem who “radiates calmness”…

Adam Jones has now shared a double injury boost for Everton ahead of their game away at Watford in the Premier League tonight.

The Lowdown: Team News

Taking to Twitter, The Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has shared that while Yerry Mina is unavailable for the match due to injury, Vitaliy Mykolenko is fit.

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There are no other fresh concerns as the Goodison Park faithful look to take all three points away from the Hornets and put themselves further clear of the relegation zone, but there is some more good news ahead of the final couple of matches…

The Latest: Injury updates

Jones also shared injury updates on Donny van de Beek and Ben Godfrey from Frank Lampard as he spoke to the media in his pre-game press conference:

“We’re hoping Donny will be ready for next week’s games, Ben Godfrey is similar.”

The Verdict: Double boost

While the pair may not be available against Watford, it is certainly a boost that they could be ready to play in the Merseyside club’s remaining fixtures.

Brentford at home on Sunday afternoon may come too soon for both players, but they could well make a return against Crystal Palace, and then away at Arsenal on the final day.

Godfrey ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, clearances and blocks per match in the top flight this season, while no current Toffees player with five or more appearances has averaged more passes at a higher success rate than van de Beek (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, having both available could be key in the Blues getting the points that they need in order to stay up.

In other news, find out big in-house EFC development has now emerged here!