So Chitty what are you going to do on your night off?
So Chitty what are you going to do on your night off?
Manchester City have overtaken Manchester United as the most valuable Premier League club, according to a new football finance study.
City are valued at £2.364bn, up £385m, while United are valued £2.087bn, a drop of £376m blamed on "higher wages and lower profit".
The top six account for almost three-quarters of the combined league value.
Burnley are seventh and described as the "most sensibly run club in the Premier League financially".
Overall, the study by the University of Liverpool's Centre for Sports Business Group, found the cumulative value of the league's clubs is £14.7bn, a 1.6% drop.
The two Manchester clubs are the only two valued at more than £2bn in the study for the 2017-18 season.
Spurs (£1.837bn), Liverpool (£1.615bn) and Chelsea (£1.615bn) have seen big rises but Arsenal dropped to £1.368bn without Champions League football.
The top six clubs make up 74% (£10.9bn) of the overall total with Burnley almost £1bn behind Arsenal in sixth.
Saturday's Women's FA Cup final will kick off three exciting years for the English women's game, says England and Manchester City captain Steph Houghton.
After this summer's World Cup, 2020 may see a Team GB Olympics women's team, before England hosts Women's Euro 2021.
Houghton's side face West Ham at Wembley [17:30 BST kick-off] with hopes for a new competition-record crowd.
"We're all sitting here thinking 'how big can this game get?' There's been so much progression," she told BBC Sport.
"There have been so many watershed moments in the past few years. The 2012 Olympics, playing at Wembley with 70,000 was definitely the turning point.
"The next three years are so exciting for women's football in this country. We've got the World Cup coming up, we've got the Olympics potentially next year and then a home Euros in 2021.
"Success also brings interest and generates crowds. We need to continue being the best we can be in this country and getting the people through the gates."
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Organisers are hoping the attendance for Saturday's final will surpass last year's record of 45,423, with around 52,000 tickets understood to have been issued so far.
The final is being held at England's national stadium for the fifth consecutive year, just over a month before the World Cup begins in France on 7 June.
'No-one is expecting West Ham to win'
'A fairytale' - Man City and West Ham players look ahead to Women's FA Cup finalThe Hammers are in their first final of the competition, in their maiden season as a professional club, while City are bidding to win the cup for a second time, following their success in 2017.
The London club, who moved up to the Women's Super League from the third tier last summer after a successful licence application, beat Reading on penalties in April's dramatic semi-final.
"We've got to play the game, not the occasion," West Ham boss Matt Beard said. "We'll do as much as we can to make sure the girls are relaxed and comfortable on the day.
"We're going to go to Wembley on Friday, visit the dressing room and visit the stadium, so we can get that out the way, so when the players get there, they can just concentrate on their jobs.
"No-one is expecting us to win. [Victory] would be a remarkable end to a remarkable story. We got told in May last year that we would make it in to the top division, and pre-season was the start of July.
"Everyone here deserves enormous credit. If we can pull it off on Saturday, it'll be an unbelievable achievement."
Can City go season unbeaten?
City, who won the WSL league Cup in February, are yet to lose a domestic game this season, with just two matches remaining in all competitions.
Despite that league form, Nick Cushing's second-placed side have missed out on the title, which was clinched by Arsenal last Sunday, with a game to spare.
"We're disappointed in the outcome of the league but we're proud of our form this year," Cushing said. "Here it's not about isolating individual trophies - it's about continuing to be successful."
City enjoyed 7-1 and 3-1 wins when they faced West Ham in the WSL earlier this campaign, but Cushing is not being complacent.
"We know for sure that 7-1 game here was not a true reflection of West Ham," he added.
"Yes, we were good on the day, but they were probably disappointed with their performance. [This final] is a one-off game, which means that anybody can win."
Beard - on his side's 7-1 loss - added: "I would class that as a freak result. There were a few individual mistakes on the day that added to that.
"But we're a completely different team [now]. Whoever turns up on Saturday will win the game."
How cruel is that? - Eriksson's injury-time own goal gifts Man City win'The whole club should celebrate'
The Hammers' men's side have a home game against Southampton on Saturday, but the club's plea to move the Premier League fixture to avoid a clash with the Women's FA Cup final was rejected.
The men's match starts at 15:00 - just two-and-a-half hours before the women's final - but West Ham say the Premier League told them any kick-off change would be a "potential inconvenience" to fans.
Nevertheless, West Ham Women's managing director Jack Sullivan told BBC London that they had sold 5,000 tickets for final, separate to those fans who have purchased 'general sale' tickets.
"To end what has been an incredible season at Wembley, I don't think it gets any better really," he said.
"The whole football club should really celebrate getting to Wembley, not just the women's team or the men's team.
"It's so important that we have that synergy, all driving towards the same goal of growing West Ham United."
He'll be backing Man City womens team to win the sextruplet next year
Hurts don't it?
Never mind you have your history to keep you warm and harp on about
Let's face it, you can still be the richest kid at school and still only own a second hand PS/3.
Was that a curse thing (in which case it worked) or some kind of hopeful prayer (in which case it didn't).
Do you see the raggy hanger on running around trying to hug all the players?
Who was that, the shaikh's driver?
The 18th approaches. Tick-tock-tick-tock......
Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City could be in store for a “crazy” finale on Sunday that evokes memories of the club’s dramatic, heart-stopping first Premier League title success seven years ago.
But the City manager has urged his players to hold their nerve and keep calm if they do run into trouble against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
City famously trailed 2-1 to Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011/12 season only to score twice in stoppage time through Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero to win 3-2 and clinch the title on goal difference from Manchester United.
Guardiola is hoping it will be a more straight-forward affair against Brighton as City bid to win a fourth title in eight seasons and extend Liverpool’s wait for the championship to a 30th year - but recognises his players, young and old, may have to improvise if they hit problems.
Still recovering from yesterday's party, gotta get match fit for the Cup Final
A few pics from the celebrations yesterday. ..
An anxious minute when Liverpool and Brighton went into the lead, but the class of City shined through
Admit not a great kick ball fan but even I watched the final couple games. Great season. Had to root for City mainly because in red shirt country City is very popular even though the words Man U are oft uttered.
Funny you should mention red shirts, as today the former Thai PM Thaksin who brought the big investment into Manchester 11 years ago is looking at investing in another Premier league club Crystal Palace .
City's road to success started with Thaksin
I even met the great man and shook his hand back in the day at Albert Square in the city centre.
I hope you counted your fingers afterwards.
Chitty has 6 on each hand anyway
Mondays celebration parade
HAHAHAHAHAHA I like they way they're calling it the "Champions Trophy", is that so they can pretend they won the "Champions League"?
Gonna be a open top bus with an extra strong suspension to carry all that silverware.
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