Thiago and Matip to leave Liverpool, final days in Premier League and WSL: football news – live

Arsenal could get to 89 points on Sunday and still not win the title. Little sympathy from Liverpool fans who racked up enormous points tallies of 97 (2019) and 92 (2022) and were still pipped by Manchester City. Here, Guardian Sport looks at the fine margins that look set to cost the Gunners their first Premier League title since 2004.

Let’s revel in some more Klopp. Andy Hunter sat down with the Liverpool boss to reflect on the German’s Anfield career that delivered seven major trophies and made him a club legend.

The general view on life in Liverpool is very similar to mine. I’m ready to fight for the right things. Do I think I deserve everything? No, and it’s fine that other people should have things as well. I’m not a socialist but I do come from there and I understand life like that. I fitted so well. I didn’t have to change a bit – that was the biggest blessing. Just be myself. That’s why it worked out so well in my relationship with the people.

Will Leeds be back in the Premier League next season? Well, they’re only one step away after reaching the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Sunday week thanks to a 4-0 gubbing of Norwich at Elland Road last night. Louise Taylor was there.

More quotes from Klopp soon as his unforgettable reign at Anfield comes to an end. In the meantime, let’s break off from the chin wobbling stuff with a solid and meaty dose of ‘Ten things’.

And more tears in Liverpool circles. It’s also farewell to Thiago Alcantara, the Reds’ silky but very injury-prone Spanish midfielder. Thiago, whose father won the World Cup with Brazil, made 98 appearances over his four seasons with the Reds after signing from Bayern Munich, sometimes looking their best player but too often watching on from the bench.

The 33-year-old has done an Instagram to say goodbye.

Appreciation and gratitude – they are two words that come to mind on the day I have to say goodbye to all of you, Reds. Thankful, too.

Thankful for the opportunity to have been a part of this city, this club and this community. The continuous support I have received since day one has been incredible: Anfield cheering, the Kop chanting… amazing, overwhelming. A very unique fan base for a unique club.

These past four years have been a time of learning for me and my family. Some wins, some defeats, but without a doubt, a life-changing experience.

Teammates, coaches, staff and club employees: you were all part of it. And to the fans, I don’t have the words. Just know you will have my deepest gratitude forever. Thank you, it was an honour. All the best always, Liverpool FC.

Farewell Joel Matip. Liverpool’s centre-back is leaving the club after eight seasons with the Reds. The 32-year-old was among the first signings made by Jürgen Klopp in 2015, snapping the Cameroon defender up on a free transfer from Schalke 04. He went on to make 201 appearances, scoring 11 goals and setting up the second goal in Liverpool’s 2019 Champions League final win over Spurs.

Klopp has been fulsome in his praise of the defender, whose mazy dribbles towards opposition territory helped secure cult status with the Anfield crowd.

In all the years that I have been involved in football, I am not sure I have come across too many players who are more loved than Joel Matip. I’m not even sure it would be possible to say anything bad about him,” said Klopp.

A wonderful professional, a wonderful footballer and a wonderful human being – we have been blessed to have him with us for as long as we have and now all we can do is wish him well as he heads off in a new direction.

Joel’s qualities as a player are there for all to see and as a club we have benefited from them since the first moment that he joined. I don’t think he has had too many headlines over the years but he has only ever been a very famous figure within our group.

I have said before that if there was one person who wouldn’t care if he was underrated it would be Joel, but the truth is we could not have rated him more highly. Not only has he set the standards for himself, he has set them for others and this is one of the main reasons why his time here has been so successful.

If I had to choose one moment from his time here it would definitely be his assist for Divock Origi at the Champions League final in Madrid,” added Klopp. “This was the touch that detonated an explosion in the LFC family. What a moment. What a player.

We wish Joel and his family the very best for the future.

And for the final time in the 2023/24 Premier League season, matchday 38 of 38, we bring you hot build-up to all the top-flight weekend action.

By weekend, we mean Sunday: all 10 games kick off at the same time, 4pm. And by ‘hot’ we, erm, mean the race for sixth.

Okay, there’s still a title race to complete but Manchester City are 1/12 with the bookies to get the home win over West Ham that would leave Arsenal fans performing a collective ‘what more could we have done’ shrug. “Not lost at home to Villa,” says a Spurs fan out of the side of his mouth. And if Luton win 25-0, or something like that, they could still survive on goal difference and send Nottingham Forest down.

So, yes, it’s all to play for. Come on, you won’t get another of these until August so jump aboard, see what the managers have got to say and look for the clues that will help decide who will finish higher out of Brighton (10th) and Bournemouth (11th).