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Fabian Hurzeler grateful for Manchester City’s late draw: How has Brighton’s race for Europe changed?

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Head coach Fabian Hurzeler is grateful that Erling Haaland’s late equaliser for Manchester City at Bournemouth has added an extra dimension to Brighton & Hove Albion’s pursuit of a place in Europe on the final day of the season.

The chance of Brighton qualifying for the Champions League by beating Manchester United at the Amex Stadium on Sunday was disappearing from view until until Haaland’s 95th-minute leveller in the 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

It was not enough to keep City’s hopes of catching Arsenal alive in the title race, but Hurzeler’s seventh-placed side can still move above Bournemouth to sixth in the table, which could in turn secure Champions League football if results elsewhere also go their way.

“I wouldn’t say relieved, but I think it definitely changes something, changes the situation in the table,” Hurzeler said of Haaland’s goal on Thursday during his pre-match press conference. “Therefore, it’s not that you completely try to not focus on that. It’s part of it. If a team is playing in a similar situation to us, then you follow it.

“But in the end we need to focus on us. We can’t change the other results, therefore the main thing will be to focus on our result and our performance.”

Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over Freiburg in the Europa League final on Wednesday could also impact the number of English clubs playing in the Champions League next season. That creates the possibility of an extra Champions League spot for finishing sixth under UEFA’s European performance spot (EPS) system. Qualification for the Premier League’s top five has already been assured by the performances of English clubs in Europe.

Villa, in fourth, have already secured the Champions League via their league position, so their Champions League spot for winning the Europa League will pass on to sixth, as long as Villa end up in fifth.

For that to happen, they must lose at Manchester City on Sunday and Liverpool must beat Brentford at Anfield to edge above Villa on goal difference. Brighton, as well as beating United, also need Bournemouth to lose at Nottingham Forest to make the Champions League.

Otherwise, their Europe hopes rest on finishing sixth or seventh to be in the Europa League, eighth to play in the Europa Conference League. If they drop to ninth they will miss out altogether with Brentford, Chelsea and Sunderland (who play each other at the Stadium of Light) also in the mix.

Midfielder-turned-right-back Mats Wieffer is back in contention against United after missing the last two matches with an ankle injury. Danny Welbeck is poised to lead the line on what would be his 400th Premier League appearance against boyhood club United, where his top-flight journey began.

Welbeck is Brighton’s top scorer this season with a career-best tally of 13 goals. The 35-year-old is in England’s long list squad for this summer’s World Cup, which gets cut to 26 players by Thomas Tuchel on Friday morning.

“It’s a sign of his professionalism, how hard he works,” Hurzeler said of Welbeck’s appearances landmark. “I am really happy for Danny, for his season. Let’s wait until tomorrow and hopefully he will be announced for the England squad and he gets the rewards he deserves for his achievements this season.”

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David Sullivan: Ex-West Ham co-chairman attends London Stadium against advice

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Former West Ham United co-chairman David Sullivan has attended their Carabao Cup match against Portsmouth despite being advised he should stay away from home games at London Stadium.

Sullivan resigned from his position as co-chair of West Ham in June after seven women accused him of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour, allegations he categorically denies.

West Ham are in the opening round of the EFL Cup for the first time in 15 years following last season’s relegation from the Premier League.

The match against Portsmouth is the first the club have played since the allegations against Sullivan were reported.

A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and The Times revealed Sullivan has been banned from contact with West Ham’s women’s and youth teams for the past three years because of safeguarding concerns.

Despite resigning from his position as co-chairman in June, Sullivan remains the largest single shareholder at the club with a 38.8% stake.

A spokesperson for London Stadium on Monday told BBC News it had “recommended” to West Ham that Sullivan does not attend with concerns about fan unrest.

However, there did not appear to be any problems inside the stadium before and shortly after kick-off.

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Nottingham Forest set to sign Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP for €40m

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Nottingham Forest are set to sign Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande for €40million (£34.3m; $46.2m).

The deal is in the process of being finalised and, if all goes to plan, Diomande is expected to fly later on Saturday to undergo a medical ahead of signing a proposed five-year contract at Forest.

The Athletic reported on July 22 that Forest were in advanced talks with Sporting over Diomande, who has had suitors from across Europe this summer.

The 22-year-old centre-back represented Ivory Coast at the World Cup this summer, alongside Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, and has made 132 appearances for Sporting since joining from Danish side Midtjylland in January 2023. Diomande has played 16 times for his country.

Forest have already completed the signing of midfielder Xaver Schlager on a free transfer from RB Leipzig, as new head coach Oliver Glasner begins to shape his squad at the City Ground. Sangare and centre-back Murillo have also signed new contracts this summer, penning terms until 2029 and 2030 respectively.


Diomande the final part of Glasner’s back three?

Analysis by Nottingham Forest correspondent Paul Taylor

The signing of Diomande is not only a significant statement of intent from Forest, but it could also provide a key piece of Oliver Glasner’s defensive jigsaw.

At Crystal Palace, Glasner had a back three that he viewed as having the perfect blend of attributes.

Marc Guehi had hugely intelligent instincts but was not the strongest in the air, Chris Richards was hugely powerful aerially but lacked a turn of speed, and Maxence Lacroix was both tall and could play out from the back.

Diomande is seen as a player who can add to the qualities of Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, who have forged an impressive partnership in the centre of defence over the last few years, to create something similar at the City Ground.

Milenkovic is a leader and a dominant defender who is strong aerially, but who is not the fastest. Equally, Murillo’s heading ability is not his biggest asset, but he has pace and acceleration, can play out from the back, carry the ball and is a capable defender.

Diomande would add some of the height and physical presence Glasner believes his squad needs to help them to thrive from set pieces at both ends of the pitch. But he is also confident and capable on the ball.

Forest felt they were close to landing Diomande during their training camp in Portugal but, while it has taken longer than expected to get the final details of the deal agreed, it feels like a pivotal moment in the early stages of Glasner’s tenure.

The Austrian is now equipped to play with the back three he favoured as Palace won the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League over the last two seasons.

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How to watch Blue Jays vs. Phillies: TV channel and streaming options for August 8

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The Philadelphia Phillies host the Toronto Blue Jays at 6:05 p.m. ET on Saturday. Aaron Nola (3-9, 5.55 ERA) will start for the Phillies, who are 62-55 this season and second in the NL East. Max Scherzer (1-4, 7.92 ERA) is starting for the Blue Jays, who are 55-62 and fifth in the AL East.

How to watch Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Blue Jays vs. Phillies odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Phillies -169
  • Underdog Moneyline: Blue Jays +140
  • Total: 9.5
  • Total Over Odds: -110
  • Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Phillies

Rafael Marchan: 10 Day IL (Knee), Johan Rojas: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Brad Keller: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Adolis Garcia: 60 Day IL (Lat), Tanner Banks: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Derek Hill: day-to-day (Shoulder), Andrew Painter: day-to-day (Hamstring)

Blue Jays

Luis Urias: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Jonatan Clase: 10 Day IL (Foot), Spencer Arrighetti: 15 Day IL (Foot), Trey Yesavage: 15 Day IL (Knee), Cody Ponce: 60 Day IL (Knee), Anthony Santander: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Bowden Francis: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joe Mantiply: 60 Day IL (Knee), Addison Barger: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Yimi Garcia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), José Berrios: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Lenyn Sosa: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Patrick Corbin: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Vladimir Guerrero Jr.: day-to-day (Hamstring)

Stats to know

  • Bryce Harper is hitting for a .257 BA, .366 OBP and .500 SLG with a 21.1% strikeout rate and a 15% walk rate. His OPS is .866, which ranks 16th in MLB, and he has scored 71 runs. In 494 plate appearances, he has hit 24 home runs (16th in MLB) and driven in 70 runs (17th in MLB). Harper has been crafty on the base paths, recording six steals on 11 attempts.
  • In 482 plate appearances, Luis Arraez is hitting .323/.359/.446 with a .805 OPS and 10 steals on 10 attempts. He has hit five long balls, driven in 47 runs and scored 54 times.
  • Toronto’s Ernie Clement is slashing .284/.308/.411 this season with nine home runs, 38 RBIs and an OPS of .719. He has a 9.5% strikeout rate and a 3.3% walk rate in 461 plate appearances, and he has scored 48 total runs.
  • In 456 plate appearances, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has slashed .259/.338/.349 this season. He has hit six long balls and driven in 44 runs with a strikeout rate of 13.6% and a walk rate of 10.1%. He has stolen seven bases on 10 attempts and has scored 56 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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