Kompany issues warning in battle to avoid the drop
VINCENT Kompany has warned Nottingham Forest not to assume they are safe from relegation after a potentially pivotal day in the battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.
The Clarets were unbeaten in eight going into Saturday’s game with Newcastle United and on course for a potential final-day winner-takes-all showdown with the Reds at Turf Moor.
But all that changed on Saturday when Forest ran out 3-1 winners over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, while Burnley were trounced 4-1 at home by Newcastle.
Coupled with Luton Town’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Friday, many pundits have forecast survival for the Reds and doom for Burnley.
But the Clarets boss is having none of it, despite his side being five points adrift of safety with only two games to play.
He told Sky Sports: “If it wasn’t for the fact Forest have to come here on the final day, I’d say it would be difficult.
“But because they do, although we can’t control what they do next weekend, that’s one game. If we win that and they lose theirs, then special things can happen. That’s enough for me.”
Forest host Chelsea on Saturday (5.30pm kick-off) while Burnley travel to face Tottenham Hotspur (3pm) and could already be down before the game starts at the City Ground if they lose in London.
Their fate could also be sealed before then should Forest’s appeal against a four-point penalty for breaching top-flight spending rules be successful, with a decision thought to be imminent.
Discussing Burnley’s defeat, Kompany added: “I’m not beaten by it or defeated by it personally in terms of attitude.
“But I want to highlight that we never let this game die. The result was done, the score was done, but we kept going, we kept being threatening if we could.
“That’s all I could ask my players to do.”
Meanwhile, there was news of a possible managerial change in the Premier League yesterday.
Julen Lopetegui has agreed a deal to become West Ham United manager, according to reports.
The 57-year-old former Spain, Real Madrid and Wolves boss is reported to be close to returning to management at London Stadium if current incumbent David Moyes leaves the club.
Moyes, 61, has been in charge at West Ham since 2019 but is out of contract at the end of the season and has refused to discuss his future at the club until after their final game, away against Manchester City on May 19.
West Ham were thrashed 5-0 by Chelsea on Sunday to effectively end their slim hopes of earning European qualification for a fourth straight season.
The heavy defeat comes on the back of a 2-2 draw to Liverpool and 5-2 loss at Crystal Palace and they now sit ninth in the Premier League table with two games to go.
The Hammers, Europa Conference League winners last season, were also knocked out of the Europa League last month following a quarter-final loss to Bayer Leverkusen.
Lopetegui guided Wolves to safety last season but left the club after nine months on the eve of the new Premier League campaign in August. The former Porto and Sevilla boss lifted Wolves from the bottom of the table to a 13th-placed finish during his spell in charge.
West Ham have been contacted by the PA news agency for comment.