Jason Tindall says Newcastle United can 'rely' on the in-form Jacob Murphy after the winger bagged his ninth goal and 13th assist of the campaign in Wednesday's 5-0 win over Crystal Palace.

The Magpies head to Aston Villa on Saturday on the back of six successive wins - a run of form that has lifted them to third in the Premier League table - and Murphy's superb form has helped sustain United's push for Champions League qualification.

Assistant head coach Tindall, who again stood in for Howe at Friday morning's media briefing, along with Graeme Jones will lead the team once again at Villa Park this weekend as Howe continues to recover from pneumonia.

"Full credit to Jacob. He's been at the football club a long time and I'm sure if he was someone we signed at the start of the season or in January from somewhere, then he would be receiving more plaudits than he is.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is nearing a return to full fitness and could be part of the Liverpool squad at Leicester City this weekend. The Reds full-back has been sidelined since sustaining an injury during the Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on March 11.

But Alexander-Arnold is due to rejoin team training on Friday and may be ready to take a spot on the bench at King Power Stadium on Sunday.

Asked about the right-back and how close he is to featuring again, head coach Arne Slot said although he is not ready to start, but given his training sessions go alright, Arnold could return to the bench.

“Trent is coming back from an injury, he trained with us yesterday and every time he plays with us and trains with us he shows his commitment. He has worked so hard to be back already now, and the moment he is on the pitch he shows me what a great football player he is and how much he is involved in us trying to achieve our goals this season.

UEFA Champions League finals on home soil continue to haunt Bayern Munich and this season's early exit has raised tough questions about the club's future, squad structure and financial strategy.

After the heartbreak of losing the 2012 final to Chelsea at the Allianz Arena, Bayern's 2025 Champions League hopes were dashed once more - this time in the quarterfinals by a disciplined Inter Milan side. The loss marked the German champion's fourth quarterfinal exit in the past five seasons.

"Business as usual is no option," Germany's Kicker magazine commented, urging a comprehensive squad overhaul and a more decisive direction from club leadership.

Manchester United booked their place in the semifinal of the Europa League, edging out Lyon 7-6 on aggregate in the quarterfinals.

Ten-man Lyon came from behind to lead 3-2; but late goals in extra time from Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire sealed a memorable 5-4 victory (7-6 on aggregate) for the hosts, who will face Athletic Club in the semifinals.

Man United started on the front foot and took the lead after ten minutes, when Alejandro Garnacho cut back to Manuel Ugarte inside the Lyon box and the Uruguayan midfielder sent a shot flying past visiting goalkeeper Lucas Perri.

Dominic Solanke's first-half penalty proved decisive as Tottenham Hotspur booked a place in the UEFA Europa League semi-finals with a 1-0 (2-1 aggregate) win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frankfurt, buoyed by a 1-1 draw in London, started brightly. Hugo Ekitike went close early on, while Mario Gotze saw a promising effort go just wide. However, the hosts were dealt a blow in the 17th minute when Gotze limped off with a thigh problem, forcing an early tactical reshuffle.

Frankfurt maintained control but lacked the cutting edge as Spurs grew into the game. James Maddison had a shot saved before winning a penalty a few minutes later when he was brought down by goalkeeper Kaua Santos. Solanke converted from the spot just before the break, reports.

Frankfurt pushed forward after the restart. Fares Chaibi tested Guglielmo Vicario with a powerful free-kick and the keeper was again called into action to deny the Algerian from close range. The rebound fell to Rasmus Kristensen, but the right-back shot wide.

A disciplined bowling effort on a wicket that offered extra bounce and some assistance helped Mumbai Indians restrict Sunrisers Hyderabad to 162/5 in 20 overs in Match 33 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday.

After skipper Hardik Pandya opted to bowl first, Mumbai Indians used the conditions superbly and kept the Sunrisers batters under a tight leash from the start and did not allow them to score freely. Will Jacks claimed 2-14 in his three overs while Jasprit Bumrah (1-21), Trent Boult (1-29) and Hardik Pandya (1-42) were the other successful bowlers.

Zimbabwe have kickstarted their preparation for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh via its first training session at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday, despite rain delaying the start and forcing an early end to the day’s activities.

“It’s unfortunate, but obviously these things you can’t control. I’m happy with the prep we got in Harare. We had four good days of a regional game there, so the guys are coming off quite a bit of game time. And we sort of prepared for all possible conditions when we were in Harare – that was quite nice,” said head coach Justin Sammons in a statement on Thursday.

Sammons praised the players’ attitude in whatever time they got to practice despite having back-to-back travel days. “Like I said, it’s unfortunate, but the guys are in good spirits. They’ve had some nice time together in the changeroom after two sort of heavy travel days. So, I am happy with where the group is at.”

Punjab Kings assistant coach Brad Haddin believes the morale-boosting 16-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has instilled a renewed sense of belief within the squad.

However, with the business end of IPL 2025 approaching, he has called for sharper focus, better execution and bolder cricket from the Shreyas Iyer-led side.

Punjab Kings had defended the lowest-ever total in IPL history — just 111 runs — to bowl out KKR for a mere 95 in Mullanpur. Haddin said such a result reinforced the players’ belief in their process and ability to fight back from any position.

Speaking ahead of RCB’s upcoming IPL 2025 clash against Punjab Kings on Friday, the veteran seamer admitted that the Bengaluru surface has shown inconsistent behaviour this season, leaving even home teams like RCB scratching their heads.

“Our preparation is as usual, nothing different. What we do for any opposition on any ground, it is going to be the same. We know the Chinnaswamy is known for batting, but if you look at the wicket, it is not the same as what it used to be. I don’t know the reason, but yes, whether we bowl or bat first, we’ll look at the first few overs and then see how the wicket plays, and then we will decide how to approach things accordingly.”