Roy Hodgson says managing Crystal Palace has been a “fairytale” despite his final home game in charge ending in disappointment after Arsenal scored twice in injury time.

Veteran manager Hodgson, 73, announced on Tuesday he will be leaving the club at the end of the season after four years in the job and was given a warm reception from the returning home supporters.

But his farewell match at Selhurst Park ended in a last-gasp defeat as Gabriel Martinelli latched onto fellow substitute Martin Odegaard’s cross to convert from close range in added time before Nicolas Pepe coolly rolled in Arsenal’s third four minutes later.

Christian Benteke’s diving header from Andros Townsend’s free-kick had levelled for the home side after Pepe had volleyed in to finish off a neat Arsenal move.

“It has been exceptionally good,” Hodgson told BBC Sport. “I never really envisaged it. From being on the terraces at the age of five to finish managing the team at the age of 73 – it is something of a fairytale or like Roy of the Rovers. It’s been a privilege.

“I am delighted with the reception they gave me. It seems they appreciated me as much as I appreciated them and that’s a nice feeling.”

Asked about his favourite moment at the club, Hodgson said: “In a year or so I might say tonight was the standout moment. A guard of honour, people cheering you throughout and the reception at the end. Not all managers have experienced that in their life.

“It was a nice feeling. I am sure that will mean more to me than the odd game or good performance I remember.”

Palace can move up a place to 12th on the final day if they better Wolves’ result against Manchester United, while Arsenal’s hopes of a top-six finish were ended by West Ham’s victory over West Brom.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp likened his side’s victory at Burnley to winning “a semi-final” that takes them to Sunday’s “final” against Crystal Palace and the chance to seal a top-four finish.

Liverpool’s incredible win at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday kept their Champions League hopes alive and at Turf Moor they built on their last-gasp weekend heroics with a victory that was much tighter than the scoreline suggests.

A cool finish from Roberto Firmino turned the game Liverpool’s way then a first club goal for Nathaniel Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s late drive made the points safe and improved the Reds’ goal difference.

The Reds are now in the fourth Champions League spot, level on points with fifth-placed Leicester City and with a goal difference four better than the Foxes.

Klopp’s side host the Eagles in Roy Hodgson’s last game in charge in four days’ time, with 10,000 fans inside Anfield.

The Foxes are at home to Tottenham while Chelsea, who are a point better off than both, are at Aston Villa.

“Today was a semi-final,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “We had to win the semi-final and we did.

“Nothing is decided yet but we improved our position and we have the final. That’s what we needed. It’s what we deserve because this was a top performance.

“Now we have to make sure we recover quickly. We have a thin squad in some positions. We have to wrap them in cotton wool.

“I can’t wait for the 10,00 fans at Anfield. Nothing is decided – Palace are strong.”

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been named in France’s 26-man squad for this summer’s European Championship after an absence of nearly six years.

He has not played for his country since 2015 as a result of his alleged involvement in an attempted blackmail case involving an ex-France team-mate.

Benzema, 33, missed France’s Euro 2016 campaign and 2018 World Cup win as a result of the allegations.

In January 2021 French prosecutors announced Benzema would face trial.

He is accused of paying individuals to extort money from midfielder Mathieu Valbuena, 36, by threatening to make a sex tape public in 2015, but the striker argues a police officer used dishonest methods to draw him into the situation.

After confirming Benzema was in his squad, France manager Didier Deschamps said: “The most important is today and tomorrow.

“There were important steps. We saw each other. We discussed at length. I had a long reflection to come to this decision. I won’t reveal a word of the discussion, that concerns us. I needed it, he needed it “.

Hugo Lloris and Moussa Sissoko of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton left-back Lucas Digne, Chelsea’s Kurt Zouma, Olivier Giroud and N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba of Manchester United are all named in the France squad.

Benzema has scored 27 goals in 81 appearances for France, including netting twice in his last outing for the national team during a 4-0 friendly win over Armenia.

He has been one of Real Madrid’s standout players this season, scoring 29 goals – including 11 in 10 games – and providing eight assists in all competitions.

The Spanish giants are aiming to leapfrog league leaders Atletico Madrid and lift a record 35th La Liga title with one game remaining.

Now in his 12th year at the Bernabeu, Benzema was recently voted the best French player playing abroad by France’s National Union of Professional Football Players.

The striker will add to Deschamps’ already impressive attacking options of Paris St-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona’s Antoine Griezmann when Euro 2020 starts on 11 June.

Les Bleus made it to the final of the tournament on home soil five years ago but were beaten by Portugal substitute Eder’s extra-time strike.

They begin their Euro 2020 campaign against Germany on 15 June.

Chelsea will face Manchester City in the Champions League final in Istanbul after convincingly overcoming a fading Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge.

On a night of high tension, even behind closed doors, Chelsea fully deserved a victory that sets up an all-English final against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League leaders on 29 May.

Thomas Tuchel’s hosts were grateful to goalkeeper Edouard Mendy for two fine first-half saves from Karim Benzema but they were able to build on the 1-1 draw they achieved in Madrid when Timo Werner headed in from almost on the goal-line in the 28th minute after Kai Havertz had lofted a finish on to the bar.

It set the platform for a second half of total Chelsea domination that was nevertheless laced with anxiety as the hosts missed chance after chance to put the game to bed.

Real’s former Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois saved from N’golo Kante and Havertz, who also headed against the bar, while Mason Mount shot wildly over the top when clean through.

It was Mount, though, who finally sealed Chelsea’s place in their first Champions League final since they won the competition in 2012.

The outstanding Kante, who was also instrumental in the opening goal, fed substitute Christian Pulisic and his cross was turned in by Mount with five minutes left.

The result adds another chapter to the remarkable transformation under Tuchel since he succeeded the sacked Frank Lampard in January – and gives him the chance to make amends for the 2020 Champions League final, when his Paris St-Germain side lost to Bayern Munich.

Real coach Zinedine Zidane called on the great old warrior Sergio Ramos, fit again, and former Chelsea forward Eden Hazard in an attempt to navigate a route to another Champions League final.

Ramos provided organisation and a customary yellow card but this Real side looked well past its best and in need of a rebuild, Hazard game but clearly nowhere near full fitness.

They got past Liverpool over two legs in the quarter-final based on a fine win at home but this was a toothless performance with only the evergreen Benzema, now 33, a danger.

Ramos and Luka Modric, while still making key contributions, are both 35 and Real must now start looking even beyond those Bernabeu legends when plotting the future.

Real looked tired, uninspired and well beaten at the final whistle. This looked like a team that needs breaking up and a new era ushered in, exposed by Chelsea’s youth, zest and energy.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says guiding the club to a first Champions League final “now makes sense” of his five-year spell in charge at Etihad Stadium.

Riyad Mahrez’s second-leg double against Paris St-Germain secured a 2-0 win and sealed a 4-1 aggregate victory.

The Blues are one win away from a third league title under Guardiola but he had failed to steer them past the quarter-finals in Europe until this season.

“This is remarkable,” said Guardiola.

“People believe it’s easy to arrive in the final of the Champions League. Getting to the final now makes sense of what we have done in the past four or five years.

“Every day these guys have been consistent. We scored a goal through the hips [of the defensive wall] in the first game, and today Marquinhos hit the bar in the first half – you can be out for little details.

“Manchester United won a title because of John Terry’s slip and scored in the last minute against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid won a title against Atletico in the 93rd minute. It’s a competition that is so difficult and something in the stars is involved in that.

“I want to thank the owner, the chairman and the staff at the club. This club is about all the people that work behind the scenes, it’s not just about money. If you want to think that then you are wrong.”

Guardiola’s side have been knocked out in the quarter-finals in the past three seasons by Lyon, Tottenham and Liverpool and lost in the last 16 to Monaco in his first campaign in charge.

They are playing in the Champions League for a 10th successive season and had only once before reached the semi-final stage, losing 1-0 over the two legs to Real Madrid in 2015-16 when they were managed by Manuel Pellegrini.

Manchester City reached their first Champions League final as they overcame Paris St-Germain at Etihad Stadium to secure a commanding victory over two legs.

In a game played in unseasonal snow, the brilliant Riyad Mahrez capped a sweeping move started by goalkeeper Ederson’s 60-yard pass to extend their 2-1 advantage from the first leg in Paris.

PSG suffered a serious blow before kick-off when world-class forward Kylian Mbappe was restricted to the bench because of injury. They did not lack endeavour or intent and had early hope when a penalty was awarded for a handball by Oleksandr Zinchenko before it was correctly overturned, but with Neymar subdued and City throwing bodies on the line in defence, Mauricio Pochettino’s side could not find a way through.

Mahrez punished them again just after the hour when he turned in Phil Foden’s cross at the far post to effectively end the contest.

PSG, as they did when Idrissa Gueye was sent off late in the first leg, lost their discipline and Angel di Maria was shown a red card for a senseless stamp on Fernandinho following a touchline tangle.

City were in full control, avoiding further mishap to set up the Champions League final they and manager Pep Guardiola have craved, against either Chelsea or Real Madrid in Istanbul on 29 May.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says his side will have to “fight for every centimetre” when they host Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg next week.

The Blues secured a potentially important away goal as they drew 1-1 in Madrid in the first leg.

But Tuchel knows there is plenty more work to do if they are to reach a first final since winning in 2012.

“Even if we had won here, everything is possible,” he said.

“It’s half-time and we’ll have to fight for every centimetre and every advantage that we want to have and we need to fight and deserve it.”

Christian Pulisic had put Chelsea ahead on Tuesday before Karim Benzema equalised in a thrilling first half.

The second period failed to live up to the excitement of the first, and Tuchel felt his side should have made more of their superiority in the early stages of the game.

“I have a feeling we should have won the first half and that we deserved to win the first half,” he added.

“We could have perhaps decided this game in the first half an hour when we were playing so strong.”

Werner ‘angry’ at his miss

Timo Werner failed to take a glorious chance to score before Pulisic’s opener as his shot from four yards out was saved.

Werner, who has 11 goals in all competitions for Chelsea this season, scored the winner against West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend but also missed a big chance in that game.

“He missed a big one at West Ham and he missed a big one here but it is nothing to cry about,” Tuchel said.

“This is the best thing about sport, nobody cares tomorrow. He is maybe angry.”

Real Madrid are 13-time winners of the Champions League but boss Zinedine Zidane accepts his side will have to work hard if they are to keep alive their chances of a 14th title.

The Spanish giants travel to Stamford Bridge for the second leg on Wednesday, 5 May (20:00 BST).

“We’re alive and we’re going to the second leg with the idea of winning,” said Zidane. “In general, we’re happy.

“We know they’re good in the opposition half, that they’re a competitive side and they don’t concede many. They’re in the semis for a reason.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is to be investigated by Uefa over an “alleged financial interest in a betting company”.

According to reports in his native Sweden, the AC Milan striker, 39, has broken rules after becoming a partner in a betting company.

Uefa’s disciplinary regulations state players should not have a financial interest in betting.

Last week he signed a new contract that will run until after his 40th birthday.

“A Uefa ethics and disciplinary inspector has today been appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding a potential violation of the Uefa disciplinary regulations by Mr Zlatan Ibrahimovic for having an alleged financial interest in a betting company,” a Uefa statement said.

The former Manchester United striker has scored 17 goals in 25 appearances in all competitions this season.

Ibrahimovic came out of international retirement after a five-year absence to play for Sweden earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic has been fined 4,000 euros (£3,500) for his part in an ugly clash with Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku during a Coppa Italia match in January.

The pair were involved in a number of exchanges and Ibrahimovic, who denied he used racist language, was eventually sent off.

Like Ibrahimovic, Lukaku was charged with “unsportsmanlike behaviour with provocative phrases” by the Italian Football Federation. The Belgian has been fined 3,000 euros (£2,600).

Marcelo Bielsa says his Leeds side are evolving as a Premier League force by learning from past errors against the top flight’s elite after holding Manchester United to a goalless draw at Elland Road.

Sunday’s stalemate continued Leeds’ fine run of results against teams in the top six since the turn of the year, having won at Leicester and leaders Manchester City, as well as holding Chelsea, Liverpool and, now, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United.

They have conceded just three times across those five games, a stark contrast to the opening months of the season when they shipped goals in thrilling but gung-ho fashion, losing 4-3 at Anfield, 4-1 to Leicester and 6-2 at Old Trafford.https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.40.2/iframe.htmlLeeds 0-0 Man Utd: Marcelo Bielsa says his side are evolving

“In the game we defended well. We couldn’t attack how we wanted to. Even if we didn’t dominate, we avoided the game becoming unbalanced. There are signs of evolution,” Bielsa told BBC Sport.

“The group of players have constructed a solid group. Throughout this time they made errors and have learned how to correct them.

“In the same way, they learned to avoid errors that are avoidable. I have the feeling there has been a growth in their maturity in how to manage these games.

“Clearly at this moment we cannot go into the games to dominate them and think we can win while dominant.

“But the capacity for the players to go up against these very good players has also increased. We can impose ourselves on defences and can avoid being overcome by attackers of the highest level.”

The result means Manchester City will be crowned Premier League champions next weekend if Pep Guardiola’s side beat Crystal Palace on Saturday and second-placed United lose at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

United boss Solskjaer praised the hosts but felt his side were unfortunate not to come away with all three points after creating the game’s clearer chances.

“I have not seen many teams dominate in the second half the way we did against Leeds – they steamroller teams but I felt we steamrollered them,” Solskjaer told BBC Sport.

“Today we just didn’t have the moment, didn’t take them when we had them. A draw is disappointing because we wanted to put pressure on City.”

Inigo Martinez’s late header threw La Liga’s title race even further open as leaders Atletico Madrid lost at Athletic Bilbao.

Alex Berenguer scored early for the hosts but Stefan Savic looked to have rescued a point until Martinez struck.

Atletico remain two points above both Real Madrid and Barcelona, with Sevilla a point further back in fourth.

But Barca, winners earlier on Sunday at Villarreal, have a game in hand and can go top by beating Granada on Thursday.

Atletico paid the price for a poor first half against a Bilbao side that had lost two Copa del Rey finals – the delayed 2020 showpiece to Real Sociedad and the 2021 edition to Barca – this month.

They could have fallen further behind after Berenguer headed home Ander Capa’s cross but Jan Oblak foiled Asier Villalibre’s shot and Oihan Sancet wasted two good openings.

Atletico improved after the break, Marcos Llorente drilling just wide from 20 yards before Savic glanced home a corner to equalise – but Martinez powered home a set-piece header to win it.

West Brom’s faint hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a significant setback after substitute Keinan Davis scored a 92nd-minute equaliser for Aston Villa.

The Baggies fell behind when Anwar El Ghazi marked his return to the side by firing Villa ahead from the penalty spot after Semi Ajayi had clipped Ross Barkley.

They were then awarded a penalty of their own, Matheus Pereira beating Emiliano Martinez to equalise after Ezri Konsa caught Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Brazilian forward Pereira then hit the bar from a free-kick after creating chances for Okay Yokuslu and Maitland-Niles before Mbaye Diagne’s deflected finish off Tyrone Mings looked to have sealed a third win in four games.

But Davis pounced in the closing moments for his first Premier League goal after a defensive mix-up to deny the Baggies, who are now nine points from safety with five games remaining.

West Brom’s players dropped to their knees when referee Stuart Attwell blew for full time after seeing three points ripped from their grasp by Davis’ dramatic goal.

They had shown tremendous character to bounce back from Thursday’s tame defeat at Leicester and come from behind to lead their West Midlands rivals at Villa Park.

West Brom started this game 10 points from safety following Burnley’s handsome victory at Wolves earlier on Sunday and could quite easily have collapsed after El Gahzi’s ninth minute penalty.

Instead they clawed their way back with Pereira outstanding, the former Sporting Lisbon player scoring one, hitting the bar and setting up several chances for his team-mates.

At the other end Sam Johnstone, whose long clearance led to the second goal, produced a huge save to stop England striker Ollie Watkins from equalising.

But they could not hold on and face a quick return to the Championship one season after winning automatic promotion with Leeds although Sam Allardyce is not conceding defeat just yet.

“We put it to the lads the teams who have got out of this position and there are about six of them,” said the Baggies boss.

“It means winning a lot of games in your last few but five or six teams have done that.

“People might have looked at the team and thought ‘are they going to go under?’ but we didn’t.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says owner Stan Kroenke has apologised to him over the club’s aborted attempt to join the European Super League.

The Spaniard added that football fans had sent “the strongest message” over their opposition to the ESL.

Arteta said he had spoken to Kroenke, while Arsenal chief executive Vinai Venkatesham had addressed the players.

He said they accepted the ESL episode “has had terrible consequences and it was a mistake”.

The Gunners were one of 12 clubs, including English counterparts Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, to sign up to the ESL, which was announced on Sunday.

All six withdrew on Tuesday, with Arsenal apologising in an open letter to their fans.

“They [the owners] have the maximum responsibility to run the football club and what they said was: ‘apologies for disturbing the team, we did it without the capacity to communicate in a different way earlier and pass on my message to the players’ – that is all you can ask for,” said Arteta.

“I found out just a little bit before the news was leaked. And then everything was completely out of control and the world reacted in a really unified manner.

“There was not really time to think about it, reflect and evaluate or anything because by the time that was out, a big tsunami already came on to it and basically killed it.

“Vinai spoke to me and explained a little bit what was happening. He was very clear and transparent with me.

“I understand the reasons why we could not know. We were not involved in the decision.”

‘The soul of this sport belongs to the fans’

The proposed new league was condemned by fans, football authorities and government ministers in the UK, and across Europe by Uefa and league associations.

Around 1,000 fans gathered outside Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground before their game against Brighton on Tuesday to protest at their club’s involvement.

“I think this has given big lessons and it shows the importance of football in the world,” said Arteta.

“And it shows that the soul of this sport belongs to the fans – and that’s it. During this pandemic, for a year, we have been trying to sustain this industry with no fans in the stadium.

“But, when the fans have to come out to talk, they’ve done it really loud and clear, and they sent probably the strongest message that has ever been sent in the football world.

“And every club, leaving their interests apart, has done the right thing – which is, they are the ones [the fans], we have to listen to them, we put it aside and in 24 hours we kill the project.

“So that is a massive statement for the history of football.”

BBC sports editor Dan Roan has reported that senior executives from the six Premier League clubs who agreed to join the ESL are being asked to stand down from various league working groups – or face being voted out by the top flight’s other 14 clubs.

Everton accused the six of ” preposterous arrogance” and “disrespect”, while their manager Carlo Ancelotti said he thought it was a “joke” when he heard about the ESL plan.

“For every supporter of football it was a strange day, a surprise,” said Ancelotti, who has coached four of the 12 clubs who signed up for the ESL.

“We’ve heard about it [before] but I was sure the Super League wasn’t going to happen.

“Those 12 clubs were wrong because I think they didn’t take into consideration the opinion of two parts that are really important – the players and managers, and the supporters.

“They wanted to build a competition without sport merit and this is not acceptable.”

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson said he had been “disappointed” by events surrounding the ESL but that “the best thing that’s happened has been the fans”.

Hodgson – who has managed two of the clubs who tried to break away, Liverpool and Inter Milan – said: “You could argue that fans of these clubs could have been quite happy to say, ‘we’re with you on this one and we’re quite happy to make certain you never have to worry about the last game of the season and we are going to qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League because our place is guaranteed’.

“The fact that the fans, as [Palace chairman] Steve [Parish] put it, voted for the right to lose is the most important thing of all.”

Burnley captain Ben Mee said the news of the breakaway “shocked” him and his team-mates. A meeting scheduled between the captains of Premier League teams to discuss the issue was cancelled after the English teams withdrew.

“We were going to have a meeting on Wednesday but, thankfully, it wasn’t necessary because the fans took action and I think owners realised what a mistake they had made,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“For our league, it would have been terrible. We’ve got the best league in the world. Other countries envy it – it’s exciting. It’s competitive and we certainly want to keep it that way.”

He added: “We’ve heard [former England and Manchester United defender] Gary Neville talking about about regulation, legislation and bringing things in to stop anything like this from happening, and it’s got to be looked at, for sure.”

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has signed a one-year contract extension that will keep him at the club beyond his 40th birthday.

Ibrahimovic joined Milan for a second time in December of 2019.

He extended his initial six-month contract for one year in August of 2020 and has now put pen to paper again.

Ibrahimovic has scored 17 goals in 25 matches in all competitions this season, passing 500 career goals in February.

Atletico Madrid returned to the top of La Liga with a win over Huesca 24 hours after withdrawing from the European Super League.

Real Madrid had replaced neighbours Atletico at the summit after a 3-0 win over Cadiz on Wednesday.

On Thursday, goals by Angel Correa and Yannick Carrasco helped Atletico see off struggling Huesca.

Diego Simeone’s side are three points clear at the top with six games remaining.

Atletico had apologised to fans for causing “confusion” after ending their involvement in the breakaway European Super League.

They are chasing a first La Liga title since 2014 but still have to play title rivals Barcelona away on 8 May.

Huesca are 18th in the table, one point from safety with six games remaining.

They went close to taking a surprise early lead but Dimitrios Siovas’ close range shot was saved by Jan Oblak before Argentina forward Correa scored his third goal in two games.

Carrasco added the second while Marcos Llorente finished the match with two assists.