Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola gave a coy response when asked about his future after Saturday's frustrating goalless draw at Crystal Palace, but Cherries supporters will be desperate for the Spaniard to extend his stay at Vitality Stadium. The draw at Selhurst Park lifted Iraola's team to 49 points - a club record in the Premier League - with five games remaining, surpassing their tally of 48 in Iraola's first season. Bournemouth were disappointed not to claim all three points in south London after failing to capitalise on Palace defender Chris Richards' first-half dismissal, but Iraola - whose existing deal is set to expire next summer - could yet guide the Cherries into Europe for the first time in their history. Owner Bill Foley is due to attend next weekend's game at home to Manchester United before talks with the 42-year-old former Rayo Vallecano manager. Tottenham are reported to be interested in securing Iraola's services after a disappointing campaign under Ange Postecoglou, while reports have also linked him to Real Madrid as a potential replacement, external for Carlo Ancelotti. However, sources at Bournemouth suggest Iraola is open to extending his time on the south coast. "We'll talk, but nothing special," Iraola, who was appointed in June 2023, told BBC Match of the Day after Saturday's stalemate. The Spaniard was also quick to deny reports that talks have already started about a contract extension. He went on to describe the result as a "missed opportunity" for his side, but former Brighton striker Glenn Murray says the Cherries are heading firmly in the right direction. "Of course they want Europe, but this is the best season Bournemouth have had," Murray told Final Score. "Things are progressing in the right way for them." In December 2023 - a year after taking control of the club - Foley said he was confident Bournemouth would qualify for Europe within the next five years. After following an impressive 2023-24 campaign with another outstanding season including wins over Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle, Iraola could be about to lead the Cherries into continental competition far quicker than Foley or anyone else had anticipated. They could end the weekend eight points outside the top seven, but eighth place may still be enough to secure European football in 2024-25. For a club who were playing in League One as recently as 2013, it is a tantalising prospect. Indeed, Iraola's downcast demeanour following Saturday's draw only serves to highlight how far Bournemouth have come. "We cannot be happy with this point," he said. "Before the game, [we thought a draw] is not a bad result, coming to a stadium this difficult. "But considering how the game has gone, we cannot be happy. I feel we have not used the extra player in the proper way." Bournemouth were fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men themselves after referee Sam Barratt opted against showing midfielder Alex Scott a second yellow card 10 minutes before Richards' dismissal. It may be nothing more than a silver lining for Iraola and his players, but the point does at least extend Bournemouth's unbeaten league run to three games - their longest streak since going 11 games without defeat between November 2024 and January 2025. "Iraola has been able to grow and develop his squad," former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told Final Score. "They have been able to establish themselves in the Premier League. "He is very tactically astute and uses his bench well, which is a credit to his in-game management and squad depth." Next up for Bournemouth is a home match against Manchester United, a team they beat 3-0 at Old Trafford this season. By the end of next weekend, Bournemouth may not only be closing in on European qualification, they may have moved a step closer to ensuring Iraola remains at the helm.

Filmmaker, Soji Ogunnaike, recently unveiled his latest action-thriller titled, ‘Dead Tide’, to a room full of actors, critics, and cinema lovers at the premiere held at Rushing Tap Studios in Lagos. The premiere drew a mix of top actors, directors, influencers, and content creators, all eager to witness the film The movie tells the gripping story of Itoro, a reformed Niger Delta militant trying to lead a peaceful life after the tragic death of his sister. However, his quiet existence is thrown into chaos when Sade, a vibrant social media influencer, accidentally captures the President’s son committing murder and is forced into hiding. Speaking at the event, Ogunnaike shared the vision behind the bold cinematic move. “We’ve noticed how quickly audiences move past typical drama plots. So, we took a risk. We made something different and visually striking. With Dead Tide, we wanted to push Nigerian cinema forward and position Rushing Tap Studios as a spectacular content powerhouse.” The CEO of The Nile Media Entertainment Group, Moses Babatope also expressed confidence in the project’s market appeal. He said, “The Nigerian audience is evolving. We’re seeing demand for deeper action-packed movies that tells bold, authentic and relevant stories. Dead Tide delivers on every front and we are proud to bring this to cinemas nationwide.”

An oil and gas professional turned movie producer, Blessing Amidu, has teamed up with her daughter, Emmanuella, to produce a family-powered animated series titled ‘Secrets of the Multiverse’. A spin-off of the acclaimed 2020 feature, ‘Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters’, the new series explores themes of leadership, morality, and sacrifice through a futuristic African lens. Speaking during a virtual media parley during the week, Amidu noted that her inspiration for the project came from years of bonding over cartoons with her children. “Animation was just a genre I fell in love with, especially because I spent a lot of time with my kids watching cartoons during their growing-up years. And I was enticed or influenced by the characters on TV. And I could see that we didn’t really have African stories to showcase in Nigeria. That was how animation came to be,” she said. On how she chose her daughter to write the series, Amidu explained that she stumbled on Emmanuella’s storytelling gift while searching for writers. Shocked by the high cost of hiring professionals and unimpressed with the story options available, she decided to look inwards. “I stumbled on my daughter’s talent. I had asked her to write a few short stories, and as God would have it, one of the short stories she wrote had so much potential for expansion that I just asked her to write six episodes. When I sent an episode to Adebisi Adetayo, who was the director for LBMM in 2020 and who also directed for SOTM, he was surprised,” she said. Reflecting on the creative process, Emmanuella added, “I wanted something new. When children or even older people move abroad for a little while, it’s easy to lose that connection with yourself, your family and culture. That’s one of the reasons I wrote ‘Secrets of the Multiverse’. It was to remind me of who I am back home, all the things I’ve experienced and the things I’ve learnt. It’s also for people my age to remember what makes us proud Africans.” The young filmmaker added that she hopes the series will inspire young African audiences, especially girls. “The aim of this project, actually, is to remind teenagers and young adults that they can go on to do or to achieve anything they set their minds to. You will always achieve more with a little bit more determination and resilience,” she said.

For Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City side, the celebrations at full-time at Goodison Park on Saturday pointed to a monumental result in the context of their substandard campaign. City have set the benchmark in English football, as the first side to win four top-flight titles in a row, but they will relinquish their hold on the trophy this season. They also fell in the Champions League play-offs - and for 84 minutes on Merseyside, it seemed like they were facing a real battle to compete in Europe's elite club competition next term. But two late goals from the emerging star Nico O'Reilly and experienced midfielder Mateo Kovacic gave City a hard-fought victory at Everton. Asked how big the result was, Guardiola told BBC Sport: "I would say big. We have five, six games left and with the moment they had after [winning against] Nottingham Forest away, [and given that] Liverpool and Arsenal could not win here, it is massively important. "I've tried to convince the players that qualifying for the Champions League is a huge achievement in this country and in this league. "Being in the Champions League is enough, thinking that is not enough for us would be arrogant." City were facing the prospect of being out of the Premier League top five come the end of the weekend, but picked up a pivotal result to strengthen their hopes of Champions League football in 2025-26. The performance of English teams in Europe means the Premier League has received an extra fifth spot in the continent's premier club competition for next season, which leaves City in a healthy position. But they needed a late show on Merseyside for all three points and the reaction at the end highlighted how important a victory it was. City players and staff made their way over to the corner of the stadium where their joyous supporters were housed, taking their acclaim and being serenaded with chants for Guardiola and the departing Kevin de Bruyne. Victory in their next game against Aston Villa, who are also chasing a top-five place, will go a long way to sealing a coveted Champions League spot. "If you win you have character, if you don't win you don't have character - this is the motto," said Guardiola. "What these players have done for one decade, I am so grateful for, whatever has happened - this season more than ever, in the toughest period for many reasons especially injuries. "We were more or less stable, kept going and going for the next time. We are miles away from Liverpool and Arsenal but tonight we sleep fourth. "It is in our hands but we have a final on Tuesday, three games at home, two away and hopefully we can achieve this big success to qualify for the Champions League." Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "That is a massive win for Manchester City. Champions League football for a club of their stature is an absolute minimum." Injuries have had a substantial impact on City this season - and the absences of Nathan Ake, Manual Akanji and John Stones have provided a chance to Manchester-born O'Reilly. He has been deployed as an inverted left-back, often drifting into midfield, and his runs forward have contributed to City's attacking threat. At 20 years and 29 days, O'Reilly became the fourth-youngest player to score in back-to-back Premier League appearances for City after Kelechi Iheanacho, Gabriel Jesus and Phil Foden. "My defending and positioning while defending is definitely improving," O'Reilly told Sky Sports. "Every day I am just learning and I am grateful for that." The left-footer has had an instant impact since being drafted into the team, having had a hand in six goals across his past six appearances for City in all competitions. "He's not really a left-back," Guardiola told BBC Match of the Day. "I would say all of our left-backs score, Josko Gvardiol before and now Nico. He is an attacking midfielder. "We have passes, passes and passes and then we can arrive brilliantly into that position. He has arrived from the academy and is helping us a lot. I am more than grateful. He is taking his opportunity." Team-mate Ilkay Gundogan described O'Reilly as being "very humble and shy" and someone who "doesn't talk much". The German midfielder added: "In terms of talent and quality, not just his size but playing in a position that isn't natural for him at left-back, he's been doing amazing in recent weeks. "He has the technical ability and timing to arrive in the box and score crucial goals. I am very glad for him."