Premier League news conferences before build-up to Thursday's football – BBC.com
Tonali given suspended FA ban for betting breaches
Aston Villa v Olympiakos set for Europa Conference League semi-final (20:00 BST)
Chelsea v Tottenham in Premier League (19:30 BST)
Fernandes 'doubt' to face Palace – Ten Hag
'We need to know' about appeal outcome – Nuno
Reaction to Borussia Dortmund 1-0 PSG in Champions League semi-final first leg – Jadon Sancho stars
Will Still to leave Reims in summer
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Ben Collins, Craig Nelson, Jonty Colman and Holly Bacon
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You can also read news, fans' views and analysis about every club in the Premier League by using this index – then just click on the team of your choice.
The football continues tonight with Chelsea v Tottenham in the Premier League and Aston Villa v Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
You will be able to follow coverage of both matches via the BBC Sport website from around 18:30 BST.
And don't forget, we will be back tomorrow morning with reaction from tonight's matches and build-up to the weekend's action.
Make sure you join us…
Alex Howell
BBC football news reporter
The game against Tottenham at Stamford Bridge is a big one for both Chelsea and Mauricio Pochettino.
The match will be Pochettino's 400th match in English football after his spells at Southampton and Tottenham, while Chelsea's chase for European football means they have to get a positive result.
They have one game in hand and are just five points from seventh place and six points from sixth.
Pochettino has been trying to build consistency at Chelsea throughout the season in his 'project' at Stamford Bridge but injuries have hampered him.
They currently have 14 first-team players listed as out injured for the game, with big money summer signings Romeo Lavia and Christopher Nkunku barely featuring for the Blues all season.
It is likely that there will be more young players in the squad this evening after Pochettino confirmed defenders Thiago Silva and Axel Disasi are the latest players to pick up knocks.
It has taken a while for some Chelsea fans to warm to Pochettino because of his ties to Tottenham and Pochettino's comments about not being able to "hide his emotions" against his former club will not have gone down well with some.
He mentioned that it takes time to build a relationship and when he is out walking his dog and sees supporters, they show him appreciation.
However, Pochettino knows the only way to keep supporters totally happy is to be winning games. He will hope that starts with victory over Spurs.
Chelsea v Tottenham (19:30 BST)
Chelsea defender Thiago Silva, who announced on Monday he will leave the club at the end of the season, is ruled out by a groin injury.
Axel Disasi will be assessed, while this game may come too soon for Levi Colwill and Christopher Nkunku.
Tottenham's former Blues forward Timo Werner will miss the remainder of the season because of a hamstring issue.
Ben Davies' campaign is also probably over after he hurt his calf but Oliver Skipp is set to return to contention.
Chelsea v Tottenham (19:30 BST)
Tonight's London derby sees Chelsea face Tottenham for the first time since the Blues earned a dramatic 4-1 victory over Spurs in north London back in November.
That game was way more dramatic than just the five goals it had as Spurs played the final 35 minutes with nine men after receiving their second red card of the match.
Dejan Kulusevski had given Spurs an early lead but Cole Palmer levelled from the penalty spot shortly after Cristian Romero had been sent off.
Early in the second half, Destiny Udogie was also sent off with 35 minutes to go, with Chelsea given most of the second half to find a winning goal against a Tottenham side who were two men down.
Ever the optimist, Ange Postecoglu got his side playing a high line and it almost paid off after missing chances to score, but a late Nicolas Jackson hat-trick gave the Blues a memorable 4-1 victory.
While there is a big night of European football ahead for Aston Villa and clubs in the Europa League and Europa Conference League, there is also a lesser-spotted Thursday night Premier League match.
Chelsea host Tottenham at Stamford Bridge this evening and both teams could do with a victory, both for bragging rights and their hopes of playing European football next season…
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Until gambling companies are allowed to advertise on the shirts of the players wearing them, I don't see how The FA can handle our bans or fines to anyone. Tonali was backing his team to win in the games he bet on as well so it's not as if he was throwing matches or doing anything he shouldn't be doing to win his bet. I really don't see the problem with any of it.
Jay in MK
If you're just joining us, here's the latest on Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, who has been given a two-month ban – suspended until the end of the 2024-25 season – after admitting to breaches of Football Association betting rules:
Read the full story here
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 BST)
Mike Taylor
BBC WM commentator
Unai Emery's fascination with European competitions has been plain – and never far from his public comments – since the moment he walked into Villa Park. While the primacy of the Champions League is obvious, you can be sure that he wants the Europa Conference League on his already formidable record as well, simply because it is there; collecting every European experience like a child hunting the last sticker to complete his album.
For the long term of Aston Villa, finishing fourth and winning the right to compete in the Champions League would probably be the most meaningful achievement possible for them this month. To that end, Brighton away on Sunday could arguably be the higher priority for a coach juggling his dwindling resources.
But that will not be how it feels inside Villa Park. Wondering which competition the next European game in the stadium after Olympiakos will concern – and we now know for sure that there will be European football there next season – can wait.
The final league table will look nice in a frame on the wall. But Villa want a trophy for the cabinet.
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 GMT)
Moroccan forward Ayoub El Kaabi has taken a liking to the Europa Conference League. He has scored five goals in six games this season in the competition.
Daniel Podence is on loan from Wolves and is likely to play a key role in their attack at Villa Park.
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 GMT)
Greek side Olympiakos will compete in their first-ever major European semi-final tonight against Aston Villa.
Thrylos are also battling it out for domestic glory in the Greek Super League. They trail league-leaders AEK Athens by five points but have played a game less.
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 BST)
BBC Radio 5 Live
Aston Villa fan Becky Fielding: "It's great for my kids, they've been going for ages. It's an absolute dream to be where we are now.
"What a manager we've got. He's completely turned the Aston Villa squad round, and we've still got a lot of the players we had before.
"Look at Ollie Watkins, he's the third-top goalscorer this season. Two seasons ago, I didn't rate him at all, but all of sudden he's like a whirlwind."
On Olympiakos: "They could come tonight and annihilate us, take it away from us – we've got to go there with a positive thought.
"Not having [Emiliano] Martinez [through suspension], there is a concern, but hopefully our other goalie will stand up and do what he needs to do."
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 BST)
Tonight is Aston Villa's 102nd match in European club competitions, but for the first time in their competitive history, they will face a side from Greece.
Villa's long-standing history in European competitions has seen them face teams from many of Europe's footballing nations, but never Greece, until now.
Olympiakos have previously faced West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester City in competitive fixtures, with their trip to Villa being the 11th different English team the Greek giants have faced.
Aston Villa v Olympiacos (20:00 BST)
Aston Villa host Greek side Olympiacos this evening at Villa Park in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
For Unai Emery's side, it is the first time they have reached this far in a major European competition since winning the European Cup in 1982.
Here are the previous times over the last 42 years that Villa have reached a European quarter-final:
Previous seasons in European football:
1975/76: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Antwerp)
1977/78: Uefa Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Barcelona)
1981/82: European Cup winners (beat Bayern Munich in the final)
1982/83: European Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Juventus)
1983/84: European Cup second round (knocked out by Spartak Moscow)
1990/91: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Inter Milan)
1993/94: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Deportivo La Coruna)
1994/95: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Trabzonspor)
1996/97: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Helsingborg)
1997/98: Uefa Cup quarter-finals (knocked out by Atletico Madrid)
1998/99: Uefa Cup second round (knocked out by Celta Vigo)
2001/02: Uefa Cup first round (knocked out by Varteks)
2008/09: Uefa Cup round of 32 (knocked out by CSKA Moscow)
2009/10: Europa League play-off qualifying round (knocked out by Rapid Wien)
2010/11: Europa League play-off qualifying round (knocked out by Rapid Wien)
In the written reasons, it states that Sandro Tonali placed four bets that fall under "category 3" which is where someone bets on their own team.
The written reasons state that had Tonali not placed the four bets on Newcastle to win, he would have only received a financial punishment as opposed to a suspension.
"In this case, ST has voluntarily admitted to placing 46 category 2 bets and 4 category 3 bets. Had these 4 category 3 bets not taken place, ST would have fallen into category 2 and would have only been facing the application of a financial penalty. Of the 4 category 3 bets, 3 of these were accumulator bets. In comparison to the cases stated, the number of bets placed by ST is relatively low."
The FA says Tonali played in three of the four Newcastle United matches that he bet on.
He was a an unused substitute for the Brentford FC match on 16 September.
The FA said the money placed on the bets by Tonali, who has also been fined £20,000, would have been "well in excess of 100,000 euros" (£85,600).
The written reasons stated the four Newcastle matches Tonali admitted betting on were:
Aston Villa v Olympiakos (20:00 BST)
Aston Villa will be hoping to follow West Ham United's success last season in the Europa Conference League this season.
West Ham won their first major trophy for 43 years when beating Fiorentina in last season's final and Villa themselves are hoping to win their first major European trophy in 42 years.
The Europa Conference League was introduced for three years ago to plenty of scepticism, but it has given chances of European football to sides in lower-profile leagues and other teams in the top-rated competitions.
So far, Roma and West Ham have been the two winners of the competition and Aston Villa will hope to follow suit this season.
The Football Association has published the reasons for the misconduct charges made against Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali:
More from Newcastle United on Sandro Tonali's two-month suspended ban, announced by the Football Association today, after the Italy midfielder admitted breaches of the FA's betting rules:
As acknowledged by the FA in the independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons, the level of assistance Sandro has provided by self-referring and fully cooperating with a subsequent investigation is extraordinary and unprecedented.
Sandro made full admissions as to his betting activity, and did so in circumstances where there was no other evidence to support misconduct proceedings.
Sandro is continuing to follow a therapeutic plan and educational programme with the club's full support and will continue to train with his team-mates.
Last Updated 2nd May 2024 at 19:54
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