In the Makerfield by-election, we reported that there are many suspicious and anonymous accounts lining up behind Reform UK and Restore Britain. Now, Talk host Alex Phillips has accused the latter party of benefitting from a “sophisticated Bot operation”:

Who does it ultimately serve when Restore attacks Reform, losing them support?

In the event Reform drop ~5-7% in a General Election, due to Restore, they'd be forced into a coalition with the Tories to stop a socialist coalition

Last year Cyabra ran a report into Lowe's sudden…

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— Alex Phillips (@ThatAlexWoman) May 27, 2026

Phillips also suggested Restore leader Rupert Lowe may be part of a Tory psy-op to prevent Reform UK forming a majority government.

Restore: scum like it bot

Ex-Reform MP Lowe founded Restore Britain earlier this year. As we’ve reported:

Reform UK is a party that exists because the Conservatives weren’t right-wing enough. Restore Britain, meanwhile, is a party that exists because Reform UK weren’t right-wing enough.

In terms of the mainstream media, Restore UK mostly flew under the radar until the Makerfield by-election. As it turned out, the party had built up a substantial following online, and this is translating into actual polling – polling which has gotten Reform rattled:

The Times have just released a new poll for the Makerfield by-election by Survation.

Robert Kenyon is the only candidate who can stop Andy Burnham.

This is a two horse race – nobody else comes close. pic.twitter.com/zZ75PasBdt

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— Nigel Farage MP (@Nigel_Farage) May 23, 2026

Oh, and it could be higher than this too:

So there is panic internally in Reform as I stated earlier being the reason for the Restore attacks and that there had to be internal polling issues

They are admitting to a Restore tally of around 18% and themselves being around 8% behind Labour pic.twitter.com/QX3QKuFK0b

— dave lawrence (@dave43law) May 25, 2026

In her post, Phillips said:

Who does it ultimately serve when Restore attacks Reform, losing them support?

In the event Reform drop ~5-7% in a General Election, due to Restore, they’d be forced into a coalition with the Tories to stop a socialist coalition

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You could ask who it benefited when Reform UK ran in 2024, taking votes away from the Tories and ensuring a greater Labour victory. Phillips doesn’t ask this, of course, because that wouldn’t benefit her argument.

Phillips also noted:

Last year Cyabra ran a report into Lowe’s sudden social media boost.

You don’t become an overnight sensation online with only 8% name recognition

The report revealed a sophisticated Bot operation…

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Who has the money and motive to do such a thing?

Who indeed?

Tory tactics

Phillips continued:

Around the same time Rupert and I had a long phone call. He told me the Tories were desperately courting him. Or seemingly him, them

This was not a secret. Read for yourself. It suggests he will ‘work for’ the Tories

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Phillips also said:

Now, back in 2019, when we were MEPs and Boris called the election, Lowe collaborated on a list with the Tories called ‘Men And Measures’ with Dougie Smith. It was a list promising peerages, knighthoods and positions to Brexit Party candidates to stand down. My colleague Robert Rowland blew the whistle to me

And:

Lowe became the first Brexit Party candidate to step down in Dudley North just before nominations closed and Farage was due to hold a big event there

Phillips provided links to back up these points. She didn’t have hard evidence for the following, though, presenting it as a ‘suspicion’:

I know some Restore fanatics are fooled into thinking Reform is ‘controlled opposition’. I suspect the opposite is true

Questions

Phillips did provide some circumstantial evidence for her accusation, including:

Does Lowe criticise the Tories? Or just attack Reform?

Is Restore standing in Aberdeen South where Tories are putting in loads of resources? Or just Makerfield, where they only target Reform voters?

How come Tories are silent on extreme elements of Restore – the only party to be so?

To be fair, there are possible explanations here. Chief among them is that Restore isn’t trying to win over Tory voters; it’s trying to win Reform voters. At this point, the hard-right has moved on to Farage’s party, and Lowe’s group is more hard-right again. As such, Lowe probably isn’t going to win over the centre-right Britons who’ve stuck with Badenoch’s Tories.

The fact that the Tories aren’t attacking Restore makes sense whether they’re in cahoots with Lowe or not. Much as Lowe is unlikely to steal voters away from the Tories, Badenoch is unlikely to win back voters from him. Also, why would the Tories attack Restore when the party is doing such a good job diminishing their primary rival, Nigel Farage?

At the same time, we absolutely wouldn’t be surprised to discover Lowe is in bed with the Tories. These right-wingers are all in it for themselves, and that will be beyond obvious should Lowe or Farage enter into government.

Featured image via Chris J Ratcliffe (Getty Images) / Alishia Abodunde (Getty Images) / Alishia Abodunde (Getty Images)

By Willem Moore

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In European football, few achievements define a career like winning the Champions League. It is the pinnacle of club success — yet even football’s most expensive names have failed to swoop the trophy. Talent and wealth, it seems, don’t necessarily guarantee the coveted two-eared cup.

Champions league — the gap among the elite

Despite reaching peak valuations of over €140 million, these 10 international stars have never lifted the Champions League trophy. This exposes a simple paradox — even elite talent does not always bring European success.

Players at the apex

Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid striker valued at €200 million, has played 98 Champions League matches for Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain but has yet to win it. Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is still chasing his first Champions League title, though at under 18, time is firmly on his side. Raheem Sterling reached a €160 million peak in 2019 but never lifted the trophy.

Several other high-value stars have also missed out. Antoine Griezmann, Harry Kane, Pedri, and Bukayo Saka, all valued around €150 million, have yet to win the Champions League. In the €140 million range, Michael Olise, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak are among the promising talents still chasing a first European title.

The paradox of football

These players illustrate that even the most expensive and celebrated stars are not guaranteed continental success. The Champions League rewards more than individual brilliance; it requires the right mix of timing, team cohesion, tactical mastery, and sometimes luck.

Even wealth at the top level cannot buy what the Champions League ultimately demands: a perfect storm of talent, opportunity, and collective achievement.

Featured image via Stu Forster / Getty Images

By Alaa Shamali

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The cost of the unprovoked US war on Iran is limiting routine training and maintenance at home. The military’s usual practice flights, training exercises, and the upkeep of equipment have all been affected as the American empire strains under the demands of the failing war. CNN reported:

The Navy’s top officer, Adm. Daryl Caudle, told House Armed Services Committee lawmakers earlier this month that his 2026 budget “didn’t bake in [Operation] Epic Fury” and that the Navy faces impacts on “routine operations” as a result.

That includes having to limit training exercises, flight training hours and training for new recruits, he said.

Caudle said recruitment and basic training has been affected:

My record recruiting is going to be thwarted without additional funding to [move] those individuals from boot camp and to pay enlistment and reenlistment bonuses.

CNN said it had seen evidence that one armoured formation had has nearly $300mn cut from its budget as a result of the war:

The Army’s III Armored Corps, a Texas-based headquarters that oversees roughly 70,000 troops and hundreds of tanks, saw a nearly $292 million cut to its training budget in late April, according to an internal document reviewed by CNN.

Iran: US has costs in the tens of billions

CNN reported that US military medical staff had suffered cuts to “dozens of courses” while funding was entirely “eliminated” some training.

And, sources said in April 2026 that the cost of the war in Iran could be up to $50bn:

when accounting for the costs of rebuilding US military installations and replacing destroyed assets.

US-Israel attacked Iran first on 28 February without provocation. Iran was offering unprecedented concessions in negotiations at the time. The Pentagon has since stated there was no imminent threat from Iran. And the UN’s atomic watchdog, the IAEA, has said there is no evidence Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

The US has achieved none of its original war aims. Iran predictably closed the Straits of Hormuz, a vital oil channel, once attacked – creating a global energy crisis. Iran has said the war will continue until “the enemy’s inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender”. Trump came to power on an anti-war ‘America First’ ticket. He now faces worldwide humiliation.

Meanwhile, peace talks are currently underway. Donald Trump recently demanded many Muslim countries recognise Israel as a condition of any deal. Trump’s demands have been bizarre at times – and quite out of step with the reality that the war is failing.

Featured image via Getty/Chip Somedevilla

By Joe Glenton

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We’ll be honest with you, readers, if we were in a situation where a lawyer was issuing statements for us, this isn’t what we’d want to hear.

“If my client had been charged, she’d be in prison right now” is a worrying distance short of a vote of confidence in your client’s innocence.

But the statement Aamer Anwar put out for Nicola Sturgeon last night – her FOURTH in 48 hours, despite saying on Monday morning that she’d be making no further comment on the Peter Murrell case – had rather more wrong with it than even that.

Firstly, like the third statement, released earlier the same day, it was a shockingly false description of how the legal system works.

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The short version of that is: the police can’t just arrest people on a whim – they need to have some evidence first, before they can question you under caution. If you then clam up for seven hours and give them absolutely nothing (or in Nicola Sturgeon-speak, “co-operate fully”) then there’ll be a lower chance of any charge being successful, especially if, as a purely hypothetical general example, your potential co-accused is protecting you as part of a plea deal.

It might also be speculated that if – again as a purely hypothetical general example – the head of the organisation responsible for deciding whether you should be charged is someone you appointed and who used to be answerable to you as a minister in your government, that might also reduce the chances of charges being laid against you.

So in such circumstances, which might give rise to considerable public suspicion – whether warranted or not – having your own lawyer say “If my client had been charged she’d have been found guilty and banged up” is perhaps not the most helpful of protestations.

It’s particularly curious because Aamer Anwar ought to be an extremely loyal servant to Sturgeon. He’s been an SNP member at least since she became leader in 2015, to the extent that he was nominated as a candidate for that year’s general election.

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He’s also a long-time independence activist, speaking at the Believe In Scotland march and rally in Edinburgh two months ago.

?

His friendship with the top echelons of the SNP has served him well.

Anwar describes himself as a “human rights campaigner” and a “political activist”.

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(He’s currently representing Fahir Amaaz and Muhammed Amaad, two Muslim men accused of violently assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport in 2024 in a case which may go to a third trial.)

?

But despite that he’s never registered as a lobbyist under the Lobbying (Scotland) Act 2016, which activist lawyers are required to do.

(Something which has been noted in the Scottish Parliament.)

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Readers may feel – we have no opinion ourselves – that a self-confessed political activist lawyer who refuses to register as one, and who is doubly unlikely to be seen as a neutral disinterested professional on matters relating to the SNP leadership due to his close connections to both the party in general and its senior figures personally, is a slightly reckless choice if you wish your pronouncements about your innocence to be taken seriously.

Then again, more than one prominent figure in the Scottish legal system has privately expressed to Wings the opinion that Anwar’s most recent two statements on Sturgeon’s behalf have been so wildly unhelpful to her that he might be suspected of being a double agent.

Anwar lists one of no fewer than 12 specialist services as “Reputation Management”.

On the evidence of this week so far, it might be an idea to narrow his focus a bit. Personally, we just can’t wait for Statement 5.

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Five Premier League clubs will compete in the Champions League, three in the Europa League, and one in the Conference League. Below is a breakdown of English clubs in Europe for 2026/27:

• Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool (Champions League)
• Bournemouth, Sunderland, Crystal Palace (Europa League)
• Brighton (Conference League)

England’s recent club performances have earned the Premier League an extra Champions League place, allowing five teams to qualify directly instead of the usual four — reshaping domestic priorities and increasing fixture congestion.

Bournemouth secured its first-ever European campaign by finishing sixth, and Sunderland claimed a final-day European place by beating Chelsea. Crystal Palace will also enter the Europa League after their Conference League success.

All three will enter the Europa League league phase, with the draw scheduled for 28 August 2026. Europa League fixtures follow a similar autumn-to-winter rhythm to the Champions League but adhere to UEFA’s competition calendar.

Palace’s Conference League win secured European qualification and influenced England’s allocation and distribution of places. This ensured Palace’s European presence and nudged other qualification routes via domestic cups and league positions. Additionally, the Conference League schedule adds another layer to the European calendar, impacting midweek Premier League planning for participating clubs.

What this means for the Premier League

The immediate consequence is fixture congestion as clubs in Europe will face more midweek matches, more travel, and a greater need for rotation. However, the financial upside of extra Champions League places is substantial. This increases broadcast and matchday revenue and strengthens clubs’ positions in the transfer market.

Tactically, managers will be forced to prioritise and rotate intelligently. Early European results can set the tone for a season. This affects league momentum and injury risk. For fans, the season promises more high‑profile nights and a deeper test of squad construction across the English game.

Key dates

• The Champions League draw: 27 August 2026.
• The Europa League draw: 28 August 2026
• The Champions League matchday one: 8 — 9 September 2026
• The Champions League final 5 June 2027 (Madrid)

The 2026/27 European season raises the stakes on and off the pitch, with clubs needing the right signings to compete at the highest level across five Champions League places, three Europa League entrants, and one Conference League spot.

The calendar from September through to the finals of these competitions at the end of May 2027 and the Champions League final June 5th 2027 will reward depth, planning and early momentum. In addition, the late August draws will map out a season where every midweek result matters.

The key for the new teams going to Europe is to add the right profile of players to be able to compete against the best teams and the best coaches. Furthermore, having nine teams from the Premier League across three competitions is something that further affirms the claim that the English Premier League is the strongest league in the world.

Featured image via Burak Kara / Getty Images

By Faz Ali

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Last week, the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC) and the Public Interest Law Centre (PILC) filed a joint complaint against three patrons of UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) – Lord David Pannick KC, Lord Anthony Grabiner KC, and Stephen Hockman KC – alleging that the senior barristers used their professional seniority in a

pattern of legal intimidation … targeting individuals and organisations engaged in Palestine advocacy.

It is an overdue reckoning for UKLFI, who have been slammed for using a strategy of “lawfare” in mounting a series of complaints against teachers, healthcare workers, and even museum staff. However, many have failed to notice the link between the accused patrons and the upper echelons of Keir Starmer’s Labour.

As I have discovered, the family of one of the accused barristers gave thousands to fund the election campaigns of the party’s parliamentary candidates.

The Grabiner Family

Anthony Grabiner KC, a crossbench peer, is one of the three UK Lawyers for Israel patrons reported to the Bar Standards Board for an alleged misuse of their professional status. The Grabiner family have donated thousands of pounds to two senior Labour MPs: Wes Streeting and Sarah Sackman.

The family foundation, which is known as The Blue Thread and was “established with resources gained over the last 30 years through work in the media and private equity industries”, specifically funds organisations in the UK and Israel.

Companies House lists a whopping 75 appointments for Anthony Grabiner’s cousin Stephen, including previous directorships at UK Israel Business, the Jewish Chronicle, and the Telegraph Media Group. In 2023, he personally donated £6000 to the Finchley and Golders Green branch of the Labour Party.

Sarah Sackman

In July 2024, Sarah Sackman was elected as Labour MP for Finchley and Golders Green. Before the election, she received a total of £11,150 from Joseph, Sarah, Miriam, and Stephen Grabiner. Sackman previously worked as a judicial clerk at the Israeli Supreme Court and still travels to the settler state “on a yearly basis”. One month before her election, Sackman declared her opposition to ICC arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, saying:

I trust the Israeli people to hold their leaders to account.

Keir Starmer appointed Sarah Sackman first as Solicitor-General and then as Minister for Courts and Legal Services. Last November, she announced proposals to deprive many of their right to a trial by jury, in order to stop them:

coming into court and laughing in the face of the justices.

Wes Streeting

Wes Streeting, Labour’s ex-Health Minister, received a total of £8920 from Daniel, Joseph, Miriam, and Stephen Grabiner for his 2024 election campaign.

Streeting resigned from the cabinet earlier this month and has made his leadership ambitions clear, although his current polling figures of 4% amongst Labour members leave much to be desired. Under Streeting’s leadership, Labour have been predicted to achieve a derisory five seats at the next general election.

This month, Streeting was forced to disown reports that the disgraced ex-Labour peer Peter Mandelson was privately backing his leadership bid, but in the past, the two enjoyed a cosy relationship. Indeed, the now expelled Labour MP Karl Turner told me in March that the pair were “very close friends”.

Streeting’s recent attempts to distance himself from Jeffrey Epstein’s “best pal” included releasing a selection of their WhatsApp communications, which included the following exchange:

Peter M: Are you planning visit to US this year?

Wes Streeting: Hope so! X

Peter M: Need to plan. Lots of tech companies…to talk to.

After the scandals of the Starmer era, the Labour Party are determined to rebrand, but many of the donors and influencers behind the scenes remain.

Featured image via Oli Scarff/Getty Images

By Jody McIntyre

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Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing to write a new chapter in World Cup history when he leads Portugal in the 2026 World Cup, at an age of 41 years and 126 days when the tournament kicks off, becoming the fourth oldest player to participate in the history of the World Cup, according to historical figures adopted in the FIFA report.

Despite Ronaldo’s approach to the historic peak, the record is still held by Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who made history during the 2018 World Cup in Russia as the oldest player to participate in the World Cup at the age of 45 years and 161 days, after he played in the match between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and succeeded in saving a penalty kick.

According to the historical list of the oldest players in the World Cup, El-Hadary tops the list by a comfortable margin, followed by Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón, who participated in the 2014 World Cup at the age of 43 years and 3 days, and then Cameroonian legend Roger Milla, who played in the 1994 edition at the age of 42 years and 39 days.

Ronaldo making history

If Ronaldo officially participates in the 2026 World Cup, he will surpass prominent historical names such as Northern Irish goalkeeper Pat Jennings, who participated at the age of 41 in the 1986 World Cup, in addition to Englishman Peter Shilton, who participated at the age of 40 years and 292 days in the 1990 World Cup, and Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff, who participated at the age of 40 years and 133 days in the 1982 World Cup, to advance directly to fourth place in the historical list.

The Portuguese captain, born on February 5, 1985, continues to defy time, having already become the first player to score in five different editions of the World Cup, while the world awaits the possibility of his appearance in a sixth World Cup, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the game that could be shared by the Argentine captain, Lionel Messi.

Thus, the 2026 World Cup could become a new historical milestone in Ronaldo’s career, not only in terms of goal-scoring numbers, but also as one of the most consistent and competitive players across different generations of football.

Featured image via Getty/Charles McQuillan

By Alaa Shamali

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The morning cup of coffee has an impact that most consumers are unaware of. A real impact, in terms of carbon and water. New forms of stimulants are also appearing on the shelves and at the checkout in the UK, from caffeine pouches to concentrated shots, and they raise a legitimate question. The figures associated with a cup of coffee are higher than marketing tends to suggest. So how does coffee actually compare to small-format alternatives, per serving, by the kettle?

The hidden weight of your morning brew

Most of coffee’s environmental cost is paid before the beans leave the farm. On the farm, not in the cup. Between 75% and 91% of the total carbon footprint of a cup is generated at the cultivation and on-farm processing stage, led by fertiliser use, land use change and wet-processing emissions, according to Terrascope and CDP.

Deforestation in the coffee-producing regions of Brazil, Vietnam and Colombia accounts for around two million hectares cleared for coffee plantations between 2001 and 2015. Whilst this area is smaller than that devoted to cattle farming, it nevertheless represents a valuable resource for the communities living in coffee-growing regions. As for water consumption, the figures per cup are higher than most consumers imagine.

A growing alternative scene

Small-format stimulants have become noticeably more mainstream over the last few years. Caffeine pouches, concentrated ready-to-drink shots and cold brew on dose are now stocked alongside conventional variety UK retailers. WH Smith recently secured a national listing for one such brand, according to The Grocer. Use is climbing.

The category is still small in absolute terms, amounting to tens of millions of pounds rather than billions. Scale will come later. What matters is what the format does to the footprint per dose when a portion of demand shifts away from brewed cups.

What life-cycle analyses actually show

Available figures point in a consistent direction. One caveat applies: there is no published life-cycle study that makes a head-to-head dose-level comparison between brewed coffee and caffeine pouches, so the differences below are directional rather than exact.

Carbon and water per cup

The headline numbers are useful as a baseline:

• Black coffee: about 0.258 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per cup
• Coffee with milk: about 0.844 kilograms per cup, with dairy carrying most of the difference
• Tea: about 34 litres of virtual water per cup
• Coffee: about 140 litres of virtual water per cup

Same direction, every measure. Most of coffee’s load sits in the bean itself and the dairy that goes with it, not in the brewing.

Mass per dose

Small-format stimulants carry less mass per dose, with a single pouch containing a fraction of a gram of active material against the seven grams of roasted bean that go into a brewed cup. That gap drives lower transport energy, less packaging per serving and a smaller land and water footprint for the same caffeine delivered.

None of this makes one format good and the other bad. The unit of analysis is what matters. Per kilogram of beans is one question. Per dose of caffeine, quite another. Consumer choices live at the dose level.

Coffee isn’t the villain – but it is resource-heavy

A morning cup of coffee is one of the better small pleasures in modern life, and there is no need to frame it as something to apologise for. The figures describe a resource-intensive product, not failing morals. Coffee is, after all, a tropical crop grown by people other than those who drink it.

Pressure is mounting from the other side too. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall are projected to shrink the land suitable for coffee growing by 48% to 97% in key regions by 2050.

Taken together, the numbers suggest that complementation can be good, rather than replacement. Someone who keeps the home morning ritual and reaches for a pouch during a long commute is not abandoning coffee but spreading the load. That is a different decision to giving up the cup altogether, and one most readers can make without changing much else about their day.

What the choice means at scale

Around 98 million cups of coffee are drunk across the UK each day, according to the British Coffee Association. A figure that large means small individual choices compound into national-scale outcomes. Change one cup in twenty into a lower-footprint format and the country shifts roughly five million cups a day onto a lighter ledger.

This is not an argument directed at any particular brand or product. The important thing is to understand the true cost per dose across a population. Format matters. The data is now reliable enough for consumers, retailers and policymakers to do these calculations themselves. The result is more interesting than what the marketing suggests. It is worth doing the maths.

By Nathan Spears

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Oliver Glasner’s perfect farewell and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s decisive strike sealed a historic win in Leipzig, giving Crystal Palace their first European trophy after a whirlwind season. The victory capped a year that saw FA Cup glory, a Community Shield triumph, and a dramatic climb from uncertainty to celebration.

Crystal Palace storm to victory

A single goal decided a cagey final, with Mateta converting a rebound after Adam Wharton’s long range effort rattled the Rayo goalkeeper. Chances were scarce before the break, Tyrick Mitchell missing a gilt-edged header, while Rayo controlled possession but failed to create anything dangerous against Dean Henderson.

Palace fans held their breath as the second half started but then erupted when Mateta instinctively pounced on a loose ball to nod home and break the deadlock. The strikers journey this season has been turbulent, publicly linked with moves away in January, yet he stayed, recovered from injury, and delivered.

Rayo responded with urgency, Yeremy Pino testing the woodwork with a spectacular free kick that struck both posts and the Spanish side enjoyed the lions share of possession. Still, they could not fashion a clear chance to beat Henderson, whose calm presence between the sticks proved the key to keeping the slim lead.

Glasnor’s tenure at Selhurst Park will be remembered for transformation. When he arrived the club teetered near relegation, within a year he has overseen three trophy wins. His decision to depart was announced months ago, but he will be recognised as the best Palace have ever had.

Road to Leipzig

The route to Leipzig was not straightforward. Palace were denied Europa League entry last summer by UEFA ownership rules. That decision forced them into the Conference League instead. Rather than diminish resolve, the detour galvanised the squad, who navigated a gruelling schedule and emerged battle ready when it mattered most.

The final was a tactical battle, it took a disciplined performance coupled with clinical timing to snatch the win. Rayo’s technical fluency tested Palace but their inability to convert possession into clear opportunities proved their undoing, while Palace’s counter attacks carried a constant threat.

The celebrations that followed were bittersweet knowing that an amazing chapter is closing, whether they will reach these heights again remains to be seen. For the clubs hierarchy, the task will be to match what has been achieved this past year.

Rayo Vallecano depart with pride, their run to the final confirmed their resilience and tactical identity. Despite this loss they can build on a successful campaign that showcased attacking flare and defensive organisation. For manager Inigo Perez, lessons will be learned and the club will return to LaLiga with renewed purpose.

For Crystal Palace the immediate reward is Europa League football next season, a platform to attract talent, increase revenue, and test the squad against higher calibre opponents.

Fans will be hoping that the club can keep its core intact, as last summer the jewel of their team was sold to Arsenal. This summer will also test the clubs resolve to hold onto their players.

Palace will be looking to add quality in key areas to cope with the demands of continental competition and domestic ambition in seasons to come.

Moving forward

These questions will be addressed in the summer, for now the club, the players, and the coaches will be celebrating a historic achievement. Crystal Palace, champions of Europe.

Oliver Glasner leaves with a legacy; trophies, belief, and a squad forged in diversity. Jean Philippe Mateta’s goal will be inducted into Selhurst lore, a fitting end to transformative era.

Featured image via Getty/Alex Grimm

By Faz Ali

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We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

If you’ve ever planned a long haul holiday, you’ll be well aware of the countless things you have to think about before you even get there.

Deciding the time of year you want to visit; finding flights that don’t cost an arm and a leg; figuring out whether you need a visa; I could go on.

Then there’s the limited time you have to see everything, which is especially difficult in a country as culturally rich as China.

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Add to that booking accommodation and transport, the language barrier, and avoiding tourist traps when you’re there, and it’s enough to make you not want to go away in the first place. Not to mention the never ending challenges of flying anywhere right now.

Luckily, there is a way to circumvent having to navigate any of that.

For over 30 years, Wendy Wu Tours has specialised in running tours to China that will make you feel like you’re getting an exclusive, behind-the-scenes experience.

With decades of experience, Wendy Wu consults destination specialists to make sure you’ll experience the perfect mix of must-see attractions and local experiences you’d struggle to find yourself.

You know what that means: you’ll be able to avoid the hordes of tourists, which are only increasing to China each year – and it’ll save on hours of tiresome planning.

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Of course, your trip will include all the best-known attractions, like walking along the Great Wall of China, marvelling at the Terracotta Warriors, sailing along the Yangtze River, and visiting panda conservation centres in Chengdu.

But that’s what the billions (six, to precise) of other tourists to China will be doing, too. Unlike them, though, Wendy Wu will also grant you access to experiences other tourists won’t know about.

Think: sharing lunch with a rural Chinese family, and tours through lesser-known regions so you can understand the full depths and diversity of the ancient country’s history.

And best of all, you won’t have to worry about any of the logistics. Choose from over 70 of Wendy Wu’s private or group tours to China, and the company will do everything for you.

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Yes, that really means they’ll book your flights, accommodation, meals, guides, entrance fees, and transport – and it’s all included in your upfront cost.

It even works with trusted airlines so that it can deal with any unexpected changes to your travel, and provide hands-on support the entire time.

If none of the pre-planned trips appeal to you (which seems unlikely) you can also book an appointment to plan your very own trip.

Sound too good to be true? That’s why Wendy Wu has won the Best Specialist Operator at the Globe Travel Award for 16 consecutive years (this is where we’d whistle if we could).

It also has countless five-star reviews from happy customers who have done one of their tours of China.

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One five-star review from a customer who did the China Experience tour enjoyed how knowledgeable their guide was.

“The tour guides were very knowledgeable, and it was good to hear their personal perspectives and experiences which shaped things for them and the changes that have advanced in modern China,” they said.

“It gave a very real element to the world beyond the facade of simply seeing what is in front of you.”

Another reviewer who did the Gems of China tour commented on the support Wendy Wu gave from booking through to the tour itself.

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“From the first moment of booking we were very satisfied with the attention to detail and level of support we received from the company,” they said.

Others praised the quality of the hotels and transport connections, and not having to organise a trip themselves.

Whether you’ve never visited China before, or you want to deepen your knowledge of its history and culture, here are just a few of Wendy Wu’s pre-planned tours of China to explore now.

Includes:

• Imperial Beijing tour (including Tiananman Square)
• The Great Wall
• Tour of Ancient Xian, the former capital
• Terracotta Warriors
• Cruise through the Yangtze River
• Visit Chongqing Panda House
• Cruise down the Li River
• Visit Yangshuo region
• Explore Shanghai

Length: 16 days

Includes:

• Imperial Beijing tour (including Tiananman Square)
• The Great Wall
• Alleyways of the Muslim Quarter
• Terracotta Warriors
• Fly to Guilin to experience its stalagmites and caves
• Cruise down the Li River
• Yangshuo countryside and Tai Chi
• Chongqing hot springs
• Dazu carvings and drone show
• See the giant pandas at Chongqing Zoo
• Cruise through the Yangtze River
• Cruise through the Three Gorges and visit the dam
• Visit Zhangjiajie, ride on the glass elevator, and walk across the glass bridge
• Cable car to the top of Tianmen Mountain
• Explore Shanghai

Length: 20 days

Includes:

• Explore Shanghai
• Bullet train to Yichang and cruise the Yangtze river
• Explore Chiqikou
• Day at Chengdu Panda Reserve
• Terracotta Warriors
• Explore Beijing
• Great Wall of China

Length: 14 days.

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