Here are the latest Premier League headlines for Friday, April 15.
Tuchel's Gallagher apology
Thomas Tuchel has revealed he apologised personally to Conor Gallagher for Chelsea blocking the England midfielder playing for Crystal Palace against the Blues in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final. Palace made an official request for Chelsea loanee Gallagher to be given permission to play against his parent club in the last-four cup clash at Wembley.
Chelsea rejected Palace's request due to the terms of his Selhurst Park loan, and while manager Tuchel insisted that was the correct decision he also admitted understanding the 22-year-old's frustrations. Asked if he could appreciate the frustration from Palace boss Patrick Vieira and Gallagher, Tuchel replied: "Yes. I had the chance to speak to Conor, and I could also see his frustration. We met some weeks ago, we met after the international break by coincidence, in a restaurant, and we had a chat, and the subject came up. And I apologised!
"Because I know how competitive he is and I know his character, I like him a lot and it was a pleasure to have him here in pre-season. We play to win the game, the rules were clear when we made the loan. I can totally understand the disappointment of Conor, but these were the rules when we made the loan and we don't want to suffer from our rules."
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Gallagher has struck eight goals in all competitions in a fine campaign on loan at Palace that has also seen his elevation to Gareth Southgate's full England side. The Chelsea academy graduate is likely to push into the Blues' first-team squad next season, and should be given the chance to state his case for that rise in pre-season.
Liverpool to go 'all in'
Liverpool will go "all in" and treat their trip to Wembley to face Manchester City like a final because manager Jurgen Klopp believes that is what they have been doing with all their games since the turn of the year. The Reds have lost just once since late December - to Inter Milan in a Champions League second leg from which they still progressed on aggregate - and have built momentum ahead of the final part of the season.
In January they were 14 points behind Premier League leaders City and that is when the 'final' mentality kicked in as they knew they could not realistically afford to lose again. That gap is now down to one and, after the pair played out an enthralling 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, they go head-to-head in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday with Liverpool's continued bid for an unlikely quadruple at stake.
"It has to be treated like a final, we have to," said Klopp. "In an ideal world we have 12 games, that means the 10 around we treat like finals. That's how it is pretty much and that's how we approached it already since January since we started this little mission. You have to go all-in.
"Imagine now if we would play against City and would think, 'Yeah, maybe we can (do) a little bit less there, there a little bit less'. No. Any way, against City you always have to see it as a final but now it is the semi-final, it means it's the only way to get to the final and we actually want to go there."
Leicester will continue to 'grow'
Triumphant Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers believes his side will continue to grow after their late show at PSV sent them into the Europa Conference League semi-finals. James Maddison and Ricardo Pereira scored in the final 13 minutes in Eindhoven to send Leicester through 2-1 on the night and on aggregate.
The Foxes hit back in their quarter-final second leg after going behind to Eran Zahavi's first-half opener and will face Roma in the last four. It is the first time in the Foxes' history they have reached the semi-final of a European competition.
Rodgers, who now has to prepare his side for Sunday's game at Newcastle, said: "We're very young in our experience as a club in Europe, but nights like this, everyone grows from it - the players, the club, the supporters - and when you get to your first semi-final it's a great feeling.
"The boys were absolutely outstanding in the second half. When you come to finals, semi-finals and big games you don't get a second chance. They kept going and kept fighting and we scored two wonderful goals. I go into games having a script how it can go, I map out different things which may happen, and I felt we needed to bring the intensity in the second half."
Hasenhuttl's top-10 goal
Ralph Hasenhuttl says it would be a major achievement for Southampton to achieve their target of a top-half Premier League finish but concedes they have "no chance" based on recent performances. Saints were thrashed 6-0 at home by Chelsea last weekend and have collected only a solitary point from their past five top-flight games.
Despite the poor run of form, the south-coast club sit just a point behind 10th position going into their final seven fixtures, which begin on Saturday at home to Arsenal. Manager Hasenhuttl admits his side can only afford a few more slip-ups if they are to fulfil ambitions.
"Our target this year is a top-10 finish and the chance this season is there definitely," said the Austrian. "This is a big goal for us. But definitely from these seven games we need to win a minimum of three or four because otherwise there is no chance to go there. It would be a massive achievement for us, definitely, and as long as the chances are there we have to fully concentrate on our performances."
Smith's Norwich challenge
Norwich head coach Dean Smith has challenged his players to prove everyone wrong and keep their slim survival hopes alive when they head to Manchester United. The Canaries beat relegation rivals Burnley 2-0 at Carrow Road last weekend, but a first Premier League victory in 10 attempts was not enough to lift them off the bottom of the table.
Despite the uplift in mood within the camp, Norwich continue to face a tall order if they are to extend their stay in the top flight beyond one season. Ahead of Saturday's trip to Old Trafford, the Norfolk club sit seven points adrift of safety while also having played a game more than both Burnley, who have sacked long-serving manager Sean Dyche, and Everton. Smith, though, is determined to remained focussed on the job in hand - even if the odds appear stacked against them.
"I am a realist and I know how difficult it is going to be, there are no 'gimmes' in the Premier League," the Norwich boss said. "We are travelling to Old Trafford next, the Theatre of Dreams - and what a tough place to go. But we have got that renewed confidence from what four points in the last two games brings you."
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