Bournemouth agree a deal to buy back their Vitality Stadium and plan to expand it, says owner Bill Foley.

The Premier League-bound Clarets and their manager have no shortage of motivation heading into next season If the opening night was anything to go by, it looked as if Burnley’s return to the Premier League at the first time of asking was inevitable. It was Scott Parker’s first game in charge, a tricky trip to Luton, who had dropped down with the Clarets. One team had enjoyed a summer of continuity whereas everything had changed at Turf Moor but it was Burnley who left with a dominant 4-1 victory. That warm night at Kenilworth Road was not indicative of what was to come. By the end of the month, three of the goalscorers had left – 12 first-team players departed in total in August – forcing Parker to almost reset after the campaign had started, but it helped mould his squad into his vision for a promotion push. It would not be done with the flair and style with which Vincent Kompany et al accrued 101 points and 87 goals to win the title two years ago but, with the potential to reach a century, the result could be the same. Continue reading...

Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart and ex-Premier League striker Chris Sutton discuss how Daniel Farke's Leeds and Scott Parker's Burnley will cope with the Premier League after both were promoted on Monday.

Scott Parker celebrates a third promotion to the Premier League with Burnley's season built on a near-impenetrable defence.

Scott Parker says achievement ‘means everything’Daniel Farke lauds his side for delivering ‘in great style’ The Burnley head coach, Scott Parker, described his third Premier League promotion as his best yet after taking Burnley up, while Daniel Farke said Leeds are “back where we belong” after securing a top-flight return. Parker has taken Fulham and Bournemouth to the Premier League in previous jobs and will have a third chance to challenge the elite next season after two goals from Josh Brownhill edged Burnley past third-placed Sheffield United to ensure their opponents can no longer catch them or Leeds. Continue reading...

When Burnley last escaped the Championship for the promised land of the Premier League, they blew a hole in the wall under Vincent Kompany. Scott Parker decided it was more sensible to chisel their way out, inch by inch, completing their route to freedom with a tense victory over Sheffield United. Amid the change of owners, managers and styles, the captain Josh Brownhill has been a mainstay throughout and it was fitting his two goals completed the painstaking job. Parker’s promotion push has been the polar opposite to Kompany’s approach. The Belgian’s all-conquering side played fast, aggressive, attacking football, whereas the current style is based on discipline and defensive organisation. Burnley have conceded 15 goals in 44 games, a record anyone would be proud of and the foundation of their success. Continue reading...

Clarets can seal promotion in 5.30pm BST kick-offGet in touch: email Niall with your thoughts Chris Wilder starts three traditional strikers – Tom Cannon, Ben Brereton Díaz and Kieffer Moore – in a bid to break down this miserly Burnley defence. That trio come in for Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Rhian Brewster and Tyrese Campbell, with Jack Robinson replacing Rob Holding in central defence. No rotation required for Scott Parker despite Burnley playing on Good Friday – he’s named the same starting XI that won at Watford three days ago. Continue reading...

For vast swathes of this match – the first half, in particular – any spectator would have been hard-pressed to identify the Premier League-destined team on the verge of an all-time Football League clean-sheet record. Not only did Watford score – to make it just the 14th of Burnley’s 43 Championship matches in which they have conceded – but James Trafford endured a torrid afternoon preventing the hosts from becoming the first team to put two goals against him in the Championship this season. Alas, a collective loss of Watford heads precipitated a flurry of cards and in effect brought the game to a premature end, allowing the thoughts of Scott Parker’s side to return once again to potential top-flight football. Continue reading...

Semi-final against Athletic Bilbao now the priority Amass, Obi and Heaven in line to get more game time Ruben Amorim will use younger players in Manchester United’s next three Premier League fixtures as he prioritises the Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao. United play at Athletic on 1 May and host the return a week later. Matches against Wolves and Bournemouth precede the first leg and United go to Brentford in between the European fixtures. Continue reading...

Brighton hope their injury problems ease, Palace must stem the tide and Forest could do with Chris Wood fully fit Considering the length of Brighton’s injury list, Fabian Hürzeler will be desperate to get Kaoru Mitoma back in time for Saturday’s trip to west London. The Japanese winger sustained a heel injury against Crystal Palace, ruling him out of the draw with Leicester. It was the first time he had missed a Premier League game all season after making 31 appearances. Whether he will be available against Brentford is yet to be seen but, with three teenagers on the bench last weekend, the more experience Hürzeler can name on the teamsheet the better. James Milner, Igor Julio, Georginio Rutter, Adam Webster, Ferdi Kadioglu and Tariq Lamptey are all out, while the goalkeeper Jason Steele returned to action for the under-21s this week but Carl Rushworth will remain the backup to Bart Verbruggen for now. If Mitoma can recover in time, it will be a timely boost as Hürzeler’s side fight for a European place. Will Unwin Brentford v Brighton, Saturday 3pm (all times BST) Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm Everton v Manchester City, Saturday 3pm West Ham v Southampton, Saturday 3pm Continue reading...

Updates from the Vitality Stadium, kick-off 8pm BSTPremier League talking points | Live league table This is such an important night for Bournemouth, who have their last four league games at home. They were also beaten by Manchester City in the FA Cup. They have to get something tonight. Look, it’s complicated. It’s always complicated at this time of year. We’re talking, of course, about whether it’s acceptable for a weathered quadragenarian man to wear shorts in a public place European qualification. England will have between eight and 11 teams in Europe next season, and both Bournemouth and Fulham still hope to be among their number. Continue reading...

Manager’s predecessor, Gary O’Neil, also enjoyed a fine start before things took a seemingly inevitable downturn Managers rise and managers fall and often there isn’t much reason for it. It was only a year ago that Gary O’Neil seemed one of the brightest young managers in the Premier League, but by December it was over. This is how football is: when a blip becomes a slump becomes a spiral, the only solution is the sacrifice of the manager. It often works: Wolves have improved dramatically under Vítor Pereira and, while they may not yet be mathematically safe from relegation, they surely soon will be. The life of man, the folk carol reminds us, is but a span; the life of a manager is even shorter (but a spanager?). O’Neil had replaced Scott Parker at Bournemouth four games into 2022-23, after their 9-0 defeat by Liverpool, and had kept them up comfortably, only to be jettisoned for Andoni Iraola. He took over Wolves less than a week before last season began and had them in the top half in March. Continue reading...

Burnley went back to the top of the Championship after holding on to beat Norwich at Turf Moor and extend their unbeaten league run to 29 matches. Goals from Hannibal Mejbri and Jaidon Anthony before the break were reward for a dominant first-half display by the hosts, who moved three points clear of Leeds. Norwich were much improved in the second half and Jack Stacey pulled one back, but Scott Parker’s side stood firm to also extend their unbeaten home league run this season to 21 matches. Continue reading...

Manchester City are interested in signing Tottenham's Destiny Udogie and a host of Premier League clubs want Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen.