The Warm-Up: Fulham's boy king takes them to Wembley

There had been concerns that, due to some slightly limp performances in the last few games, it had all come a bit soon for Ryan Sessegnon. This is a kid, after all, who isn’t 18 until Friday, and for portions of the season has carried Fulham to the play-offs.

But those fears were cast aside when the second leg of their semi-final came around, Fulham needing to overturn a 1-0 defeat from the first game. The first-half was as tense as you might expect from these encounters, but in the second half Sessegnon popped up, in a manner that will become very familiar to everyone over the years, with a seemingly preternatural sense of where he should be, slamming home Fulham’s opener.

Denis Odoi then took advantage of some hilarious Derby marking from a corner, and Fulham are off to Wembley, where they will face the winner of Aston Villa v Middlesbrough, the second leg of which takes place tonight.

“We’ve beaten many records this year and we’re really proud and happy,” said Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic afterwards, “but we know it’s not enough yet just to take the fans to Wembley. We need to start working for this game because the whole season will depend on it.”

Max Allegri is out, Thomas Tuchel has a different job, and Sam Allardyce has his own problems. All of which means that it looks like the Arsenal job is going to Mikel Arteta.

On the face of it this seems insane, a coach with no managerial experience and actually only two seasons of coaching experience, taking a job that one might logically think would need a wise head, the ability to deal with the problems that come with something like this.

But then again, perhaps it’s an inspired choice. Maybe the thing Arsenal need, after having a manager in place for 22 years, is somebody with no pre-conceptions about what being a manager is. Someone who isn’t already set in their ways, who can adapt to the changes as needs be.

Of course this would be a flamboyant risk, but then again so would basically any appointment.

Speaking of Sam Allardyce, it seems his loveless marriage with Everton is coming to an end. Reports indicate that he is on his way out, the rumblings from the stands proving just too much for a board that would really prefer it if their fans didn’t hate the manager’s guts.

You could have a certain amount of sympathy for Allardyce: he’s essentially done the job he was asked to do, but because there’s been some carping from the stands, he’s out.

But it seems like the sensible choice. You don’t want this sort of division continuing into the new season. Marco Silva is the leading candidate to take over, the man Everton actually wanted in the first place, so basically the last six months or so have been a complete waste of time.

Ever get annoyed at a game if your seat isn’t ideally placed? Afraid you’re going to miss some of the action? Well we could have the solution for you. In the Saudi cup final at the weekend, they had this nightmarish contraption on the sidelines, whizzing up and down. We guarantee we would be sick after about 10 minutes.

If you ever want a dictionary definition of the word ‘jobsworth’, then it’s here, in the European Under-17 Championships. The quarter-final between Ireland and Holland had ended 1-1, and in the penalty shoot-out Jimmy Corcoran saved the fifth Dutch penalty, but was adjudged to have moved off his line too early. That was enough for referee Zbynek Proske to give him a yellow card, his second of the game, and send him off. Technically speaking, Proske may have been correct…but come one mate. Defender Oisin McEntee had to go in goal for the retake, Holland scored and went through. Eeesh.

After the shoot-out, like an overenthusiastic dad defending his boy, Martin O’Neill marched onto the pitch to give the referee what for. Gwarn Martin.

Jonathan Liew in the Independent speaks to Gary Lineker about…well, things other than football really.

On this day in 2002, Real Madrid played Bayer Leverkeusen in the Champions League final. Some bloke scored a goal. You probably won’t remember it or him so here’s a clip.

Between now and the World Cup, football will now be doled out in dribs and drabs, as if someone out there is trying to wean you off it. But, still, a red hot injection tonight: the second play-off semi-final takes places between Aston Villa and Middlesbrough, the former taking a 1-0 lead from the first game, the winners to face Fulham at Wembley. Should be spicy.