Tag: Tottenham

Aston Villa pushed Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank closer to the sack with a 2-1 win over the troubled side in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Frank is on the brink after Tottenham paid the price for conceding twice in a woeful first-half display in north London.

Emiliano Buendia put Villa ahead, and Morgan Rogers increased the visitors’ lead.

Tottenham improved after the break, but although Wilson Odobert reduced the deficit, they were unable to avoid a second successive defeat.

The loss ended in suitably ugly fashion for Tottenham as their frustrated players became embroiled in a clash with Villa after the final whistle, as boos cascaded from the stands.

Tottenham have won just three of their past 14 games and sit 14th in the Premier League, only three places above where they ended last season under Ange Postecoglou.

If Frank can survive until next weekend, another loss at home to lowly West Ham would surely bring an end to his disastrous reign.

Frank added to his problems when he drank from a cup emblazoned with the branding of Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal before Tottenham’s 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday.

That embarrassing gaffe drew the ire of Tottenham supporters, who once again booed Frank and his players at the final whistle.

Now Frank is out of the Cup following the latest damp squib in the former Brentford manager’s wretched first season in charge.

Hired to replace the sacked Postecoglou, who ended the north Londoners’ 17-year trophy drought by winning the Europa League last season, Frank increasingly looks out of his depth at a club with Tottenham’s expectations.

Aston Villa, who haven’t won the FA Cup since 1957, have now won twice at Tottenham Hotspur this season after a 2-1 victory in the Premier League in October.

Unai Emery’s team also beat Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round last season.

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Desperate to buy himself some breathing space, Thomas Frank ignored the trend of Premier League managers resting their key players in the FA Cup by naming a strong line-up.

To mark the 125th anniversary of becoming the first non-league side to lift the FA Cup, Tottenham wore a special commemorative kit with no player surnames on the back and the sponsors and club badge less visible than usual on the front.

Unfortunately for Frank, Tottenham’s first-half display was closer to a non-league effort than the standards expected of his expensively assembled team.

Aston Villa took the lead from their first serious attack in the 22nd minute.

John McGinn and Donyell Malen carved through the creaky Tottenham defence with a rapid exchange of passes before Buendia lashed high into the roof of the net from 10 yards.

Villa fans taunted the Tottenham boss with chants of “Thomas Frank is an Arsenal fan”.

And Frank’s problems mounted when Brazil striker Richarlison limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.

Tottenham were rudderless and it was no surprise when Rogers bagged Villa’s second goal on the stroke of half-time.

It was the kind of flowing move that Frank has so rarely been able to inspire from his players as Buendia’s deft back-heel teed up Rogers for a clinical close-range finish.

Tottenham were improved in the second half and Odobert reduced the deficit in the 54th minute.

Randal Kolo Muani won possession in midfield and slipped a pass to Odobert, whose low drive arrowed into the far corner from 12 yards.

In a brief burst of pressure, Xavi Simons hit the post before Kolo Muani’s strike forced a save from Marco Bizot.

But their momentum fizzled out in the closing stages to leave Frank with nowhere to hide.

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Mohammed Kudus’ first Tottenham goal lifted Spurs up to second in the Premier League by ending Leeds United long unbeaten home run with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

Noah Okafor cancelled out Mathys Tel’s opener for the visitors in a first half that raged from end to end.

Kudus grabbed the winner just before the hour mark, and Tottenham had to show their newfound defensive resolve under Thomas Frank to inflict Leeds’ first league defeat at Elland Road for 24 games.

Spurs close to within one point of leaders Liverpool, but Arsenal can go top later on Saturday when they host West Ham.

Tottenham needed late fightbacks to avoid defeat against bottom-of-the-table Wolves and Champions League debutants Bodo/Glimt over the past week.

Frank made six changes to the side that started in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday and was rewarded with a far more purposeful performance from the visitors.

But Leeds will rue their missed chances to avoid a first league defeat at Elland Road since losing to Burnley in September 2024.

Joe Rodon should have put the home side in front when he headed Sean Longstaff’s free-kick off the post on seven minutes.

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Tel was left out of Spurs’ Champions League squad after struggling to make an impression since making his move from Bayern Munich a permanent one in the transfer window.

The Frenchman was handed a rare chance to start in the middle of a front three and made it count with his first goal of the season.

Tel was played in by Kudus and his powerful shot deflected off Pascal Struijk to leave Karl Darlow helpless.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin blazed a glorious chance to level wide before Kudus did the same at the other end as a slick Spurs counter-attack cut Leeds open.

However, Daniel Farke’s men were well worthy of being at least level at the break.

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario should have done better as he could only parry Brenden Aaronson’s shot back into the path of Okafor, who tapped in to an empty net for his second Leeds goal.

Tel came close to his second with a looping header that hit the crossbar in first-half stoppage time.

The second half started in a similar end-to-end fashion as Vicario denied Calvert-Lewin with his feet.

Kudus then produced the match-winning moment with a surging run infield before unleashing another powerful shot that deceived Darlow via a deflection off Gabriel Gudmundsson.

Last season, Tottenham lost more points from winning positions than any other side in the Premier League on their way to finishing just above the relegation zone in 17th.

Frank has so far stamped out that habit as Spurs are yet to drop points after taking the lead in a match.

The visitors had to survive a scare deep into stoppage time when Vicario redeemed himself with a fine save low to his left from Joel Piroe.

Defeat leaves Leeds in 12th with eight points from their first seven games.

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Brennan Johnson’s scrambled goal ended a 17-year Tottenham Hotspur trophy drought with a battling 1-0 win over Manchester United in the Europa League final on Wednesday.

Spurs, who had not won European silverware since 1984, will play in next season’s Champions League, while failing to qualify for it is a severe financial set-back for Manchester United.

Despite their triumph in Bilbao, manager Ange Postecoglou’s future is still on the line following a shambolic domestic campaign, with Spurs sitting a place below United in the lower reaches of the Premier League table.

The Australian furiously insisted he was “not a clown” on the eve of the final and had the last laugh on a nerve-racking night at the San Mames, as he made good on his claim to always win a trophy in his second season in charge of a club.

“This is what it’s all about, this club hasn’t won a trophy for 17 years, honestly, this is what it means, it means so much,” Wales winger Johnson told TNT Sports.

“Ever since I came here it’s been (people saying) ‘Tottenham are a good team, but they never get it done’ — we got it done!”

Fans came from far and wide to pack Athletic Bilbao’s stadium, some taking quite preposterous routes and sleeping in cars to avoid eye-watering prices, but they could not escape a final lacking in quality.

It was a match between teams languishing in 16th and 17th place respectively after dismal Premier League campaigns and that was the essence of it too, played at high intensity but with low confidence, and a prize on the line so big it overawed.

There were a large number of turnovers, neither side keeping the ball with any ease, moves ending in panicked defending and balls being thumped to safety, or a litany of clumsy fouls.

Manchester United fans chanted Ruben Amorim’s name, backing their Portuguese coach despite the club’s worst Premier League season in half a century.

In the early exchanges, 22-year-old United winger Amad Diallo, one of the few players high on self-belief, flashed a shot across goal and then left Destiny Udogie spinning as he dribbled past.

Spurs made the breakthrough after 42 minutes and, perhaps fittingly, it came in the form of a scrappy goal.

Tottenham midfielder Sarr, who had completed just a single pass to this point, curled in a cross to the near post for Johnson.

The winger’s attempted flick bounced off Shaw’s shoulder, brushed Johnson’s boot again and crossed the goal-line in slow motion with Andre Onana unable to claw it out with a desperate arm.

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Spurs sat back in the second half, for once pragmatically trying to protect their slender advantage and look for opportunities to strike again on the counter-attack.

They nearly found one when Yves Bissouma played in Dominic Solanke, but the striker could not control the ball.

Spurs had just 27 percent possession by the end, with three shots, just one on target.

Manchester United almost equalised when Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario came off his line but failed to claim a set-piece pounded forward from deep.

The ball dropped for Rasmus Hojlund but his header over the stranded Spurs stopper was sensationally cleared in acrobatic fashion by Micky van de Ven.

Spurs sent on captain Son Heung-min for the ragged Richarlison, with the South Korean international a surprising non-starter.

United defender Harry Maguire scored a vital goal against Lyon on United’s thrilling run to the final, and was thrust up front late on, but Spurs shut him out.

Shaw had a chance to redeem himself at the end for his part in Johnson’s goal, but his header was pushed to safety by Vicario.

United suffered a 21st defeat this season and a fourth against Spurs, who claimed their third Europa League trophy.

Amorim said winning the trophy would not solve United’s many deep-lying problems, but could set the club up well for the future, however United leave Bilbao without even that.

“We managed not to score again, which makes it hard to win matches,” said Amorim.

For only the second time in 35 years, United will not play European football next term.

“For a club like Manchester United, it’s nowhere near good enough,” Shaw told reporters.

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Liverpool demolished Tottenham 5-1 to clinch the Premier League title at an impassioned Anfield on Sunday, sealing a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown.

Arne Slot’s men stormed back after conceding a surprise early goal to dominate the match, feeding off the crackling energy from the 60,000-plus crowd.

Liverpool, who can no longer be caught by second-placed Arsenal, are now level with bitter rivals Manchester United as the joint-most successful club in English top-flight history.

It is just their second title of the Premier League era and the first they have celebrated in front of fans since 1990 — their 2020 triumph came at a near-empty stadium due to Covid restrictions.

Slot, who is in his first season in English football, said he had built on solid foundations left by Jurgen Klopp, who departed last year after a successful nine-year reign.

“Almost the whole season we were on top of the league and had a team that could win it,” he told Sky Sports. “We know how tough the Premier League is, but we always had the belief we could win it.”

“The work Jurgen (Klopp) and (assistant) Pep (Lijnders) left, the culture, work-rate, quality, was outstanding. We started (the season) really well and maybe it helped that (Manchester) City had a difficult spell that they have not had in five years.

“When the season started, we would have been happy with top four. But I don’t think that is fair to the players as they are much better than that, and they have shown it this season.”

Slot’s men started on the front foot at an expectant Anfield after a stirring rendition of club anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in the warm spring sunshine, but they were rocked by an early goal from Tottenham’s Dominic Solanke.

However, Liverpool barely blinked and roared back with a Luis Diaz tap-in and a screamer from Alexis Mac Allister.

Now the party was well and truly started, and Cody Gakpo made it 3-1, slamming a shot into the bottom corner after a much-changed Spurs team failed to clear.

The Liverpool fans ran through their full repertoire of songs as their team pushed for a fourth goal in the second half.

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Top-scorer Mohamed Salah scored the goal the crowd craved, collecting Dominik Szoboszlai’s pass before cutting in and blasting his shot into the bottom corner.

Liverpool had a fifth when Spurs defender Destiny Udogie poked the ball past his own goalkeeper from close range with 21 minutes to go.

As the game went into added time the club’s anthem rang out again as scarves were held aloft and the final whistle elicited a thunderous roar.

The win leaves Liverpool on 82 points, 15 clear of nearest challengers Arsenal with just four games remaining.

Tottenham are a miserable 16th in the Premier League table after their 19th defeat of the season, putting manager Ange Postecoglou under enormous pressure.

Tens of thousands of fans swarmed around Anfield in the build-up to kick-off in anticipation of Liverpool’s coronation, setting off flares as the home team bus arrived.

Flags and scarves saying “Liverpool 20-time Champions” were on sale from stalls outside the ground.

At the start of the campaign, Pep Guardiola’s City were favourites to extend their dynastic Premier League reign and make it five titles in a row but their form collapsed.

Arsenal emerged as Liverpool’s closest challengers, but they drew too many games, failing to take advantage of the rare slip-ups from Slot’s team.

It was feared the club’s players would need time to adapt to the methods of Slot but the former Feyenoord boss has sailed serenely through the season despite relentless speculation over the futures of three of his biggest stars — Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Both Salah and Van Dijk have now signed two-year extensions, though England defender Alexander-Arnold is believed likely to be on the verge of a move to Real Madrid.

“A lot of emotions before the game, during the whole week, but we got the job done and we are truly deserved champions of England,” said Van Dijk. “The most beautiful club in the world and I think we deserve all of this.”

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England captain Harry Kane said on Wednesday he made the move to Bayern Munich “to feel a new pressure of having to win titles every year”.

Kane, 30, left Tottenham in a deal worth an initial 100 million euros ($110 million) on Saturday after spending his whole career with his boyhood club.

Speaking with Sky Sports, Kane revealed his desire to play consistently at the highest level was behind the move.

“A lot of people talk about the trophies and why I came here but ultimately it was to improve and to feel a new pressure of having to win titles every year, having to go far in the Champions League and pushing myself to that limit.”

Kane left Tottenham as the side’s record goalscorer with 280 in all competitions but did not lift any silverware during his time in north London.

Tottenham lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool, as well as two League Cup finals during Kane’s stint at the club.

Six-time European champions Bayern have won the past 11 Bundesliga titles and are favourites for domestic honours again this season.

The England captain said team achievements rather than individual goals were his focus in the Bavarian capital.

“If you’re winning games, if you’re winning titles, if you’re winning Champions Leagues it will likely mean I’ll be scoring goals, which then allows you to win other individual awards, but that all comes from what you achieve as a team.”

Harry Kane came off the bench late in Bayern Munich’s 3-0 Super Cup loss to RB Leipzig on Saturday, just hours after finalising his deal.

He could make his Bundesliga debut on Friday away at Werder Bremen.

The forward, who is also England’s top goalscorer, said he would relish the pressure of playing for one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“When you are at a club like Bayern Munich you have to win. There are no questions about it.

“If you don’t win or you don’t perform well there are going to be question marks.”

Kane said he knew the move away from England would be “strange to begin with”.

“I’ll miss it to begin with, but I think my focus is here… I’m really excited for this challenge and trying to help this team.”

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