BBC

Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi has made four changes after overseeing a 1-0 loss to Sunderland in his first game in charge.

For his first home match as Spurs boss, De Zerbi hands midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur his first start since undergoing surgery on his hamstring in January.

Kevin Danso replaces the injured Cristian Romero in defence, while Yves Bissouma and Xavi Simons also come in for Archie Gray and Richarlison.

Another huge boost for Spurs is the return of James Maddison to the squad for the first time this season, after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in pre-season.

Tottenham XI: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Udogie, Bissouma, Gallagher, Bentancur, Kolo Muani, Solanke, Simons.

Subs: Austin, Dragusin, Palhinha, Richarlison, Maddison, Tel, Gray, Bergvall, Spence.

There are no changes for in-form Brighton.

Fabian Hurzeler's side have won five of their past six in the league as they make a late surge for European football, and the German names the same 11 that started in the 2-0 win over Burnley, with Danny Welbeck leading the line.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Ayari, Gross, Gomez, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Igor, Rutter, Baleba, Kostoulas, Mitoma, De Cuyper, O'Riley, Veltman.

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Tottenham 0-0 Brighton

Dominic Solanke backs into Jan Paul van Hecke as he waits for the ball to drop out of the sky but the referee says no foul.

Tottenham get forward and a good block prevents the ball from Destiny Udogie on the left-hand side reaching Solanke in the six-yard box.

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Tottenham 0-0 Brighton

After a bit of a rocky patch in the middle of the season Brighton are enjoying a really good run of form and will go sixth in the Premier League with victory today.

The Seagulls have won their last three away league matches - they’ve never won four in a row in the top-flight. They have also kept a clean sheet in all three wins.

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Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Well, quite, Ed.

I was just going to say will that give this side a boost? Does that line-up already look a bit more positive because of their presence?

When I watched Spurs last week I was a bit concerned by their attitudes at full-time. They all looked utterly despondent but they do still have six games to save themselves and the attitude probably needs to improve as much as the performance.

Dinner on De Zerbi

Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Roberto de Zerbi has said his new side do not need coaching but instead said he can be a "big brother, father" figure for his players.

"They don't need a coach - they are good guys and I am sorry for them,” the Italian said.

In an attempt to boost morale and get to know them he took the squad out for dinner this week.

Whether that will be enough for his side to start picking up points, who knows. But De Zerbi said if they win today he will pick up the bill more often.

"I don't know if we win the game for [this] dinner, but we ate very well. The food was amazing and if we win I am ready to pay every week one dinner," he said.

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Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

The Spurs fans have been given flags to wave for this evening's fixture.

In recent weeks we've seen supporters flock to the exits long before the final whistle is blown so this could be an attempt to galvanise the crowd in some way.

We've also had a rousing speech from the stadium announcer and a highlights reel is being shown on the big screen.

It's a concerted effort to get the crowd up for this.

Has Romero played his last game for Spurs?

Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero left the Stadium of Light pitch in tears last weekend and is set to miss the remainder of the season with injury.

But something suggested the tears were not just because of the injury but perhaps because he knew he had played his last game for the club.

Perhaps it was also that he knew he would not be able to help the club in this crucial part of the season but, if rumours are to be believed, Spurs are planning a complete overhaul of the squad even if they achieve Premier League survival.

Is Romero a big miss? And what would his legacy be if this was the end of his Spurs career?

'Trying to keep unbeaten run going'

FT: Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth

Bournemouth

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola speaking to Sky sports: "Very pleased, I think we played really well. We enjoyed playing it. At 1-1 the game changes which was expected but we showed composure to keep playing and 2-1 is a lovely goal and we deserved it.

"This is a very difficult place to come as an away team. They are so fast in the last line that you can lose those races but overall we have defended really well.

On how far Bournemouth can go this season: "We are in a good place and arriving at an important part of the season. We are trying to keep this unbeaten run [going] as long as we can because the players have shown me they will take no days off. We tried to continue playing, keep the ball and I think that's the way the second goal has arrived."

Hello again

Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Familiar faces for Roberto de Zerbi this afternoon as his first home match in charge of Tottenham comes against his former club Brighton.

The Italian was in charge of the Seagulls from 2022-24.

The two sides could not be on more different paths right now. Spurs have lost 10 of their 16 league games to date at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and four consecutively in recent weeks.

Brighton head to the capital having won two of their last four away league games against Spurs, including a 4-1 victory last season and are looking up the table with the aim of European football.

'Spurs still missing fight'

Tottenham v Brighton (17:30 BST)

Steph Houghton

Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 Live

I'm not so convinced at this moment in time. That's not what Spurs fans want to hear, but to the eye you could see there were general changes, but they are still missing that little bit of fight and that battle and mentality to get back into a game. It doesn't look promising.

De Zerbi spoke about being a father figure, acting like they are his sons and getting more belief and confidence into them. Without that, it's so hard to be in a relegation battle.

'It's looking good'

FT: Leeds 3-0 Wolves

Leeds United

Leeds goalscorer James Justin, speaking to Sky Sports on if this feels like a defining week: "Yeah definitely. It's crunch time. We put two good wins back-to-back for the first time this season. What a time to do it. It gives us a bit of a buffer and it's looking good."

On a fast start: "We knew we couldn't wait for the crowd to pick us up, we had to pick the crowd up. After the win the other night we knew the expectation was to come back home and win again. We had to put our foot on the gas from minute one.

On his acrobatic goal: "When the ball was in the air I just thought why not? I had no idea where it was going but luckily it went in so I'm really happy."

On if it feels like this is enough for safety: "It's not over until it's over. We're on a good points total but until we are mathematically safe we will still work hard until the end."

After Spurs lost to Sunderland in his first match in charge, Roberto de Zerbi said his players need a father figure, not a coach. He is trying to build their confidence but maybe that means he is not coaching them the way he wants to.

It's a bit of a head-scratcher, but then Tottenham's entire season has not made much sense. When you look at their team and their bench, they have got some incredible players.

Somehow, though, Spurs are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the year after playing 14 league games already in 2026. Looking at the table, they will need three wins, or at least two, from their final six games if they are going to climb out of the relegation zone and stay up.

They really should not be in this position but I am not sure they have got the stomach to get out of it now they are.

I just don't think they will get one of those wins against Brighton, who have come into a bit of form.

The Seagulls are on a run of three successive victories and have five wins in their past six games. I can see things going wrong for De Zerbi against his old club, so I am backing Brighton to nick the points here.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Spurs close to unwanted home record

If their situation wasn't already serious enough, a morale-sapping weekend of results brought into even sharper focus just how much trouble Tottenham are in.

West Ham's crushing victory over Wolves, Nottingham Forest's battling point against Aston Villa and Leeds United's historic triumph at Old Trafford were sandwiched by a toothless defeat for Spurs at Sunderland in which they also lost captain Cristian Romero for the season.

There were only limited signs of a "new manager bounce" for Roberto de Zerbi in his first match in charge. He's since had another week on the training ground to try to instil some belief in his fragile squad. "I can be a big brother, father, they don't need a coach," he said of his plans to lift spirits.

The only one of Spurs' last 13 managers to lose their opening home game was his much-maligned predecessor Igor Tudor. Their home form remains an ongoing issue and if they are beaten again on Saturday, the Lilywhites will equal their club record of five successive home league losses set in February 1994.

So dismal have their performances been in front of their own fans that their tally of 10 home points is just one more than Brighton have picked up in their last three league matches alone.

Overall, Tottenham's winless streak in the league of 14 matches - dating back to 28 December - is just two shy of the longest such run in their history of 16 set between December 1934 and April 1935.

They also remain one of only two top-flight sides yet to win a match after failing behind along with Wolves.

De Zerbi confirmed that Argentina centre-back Cristian Romero is out for season and said: "I am really sorry for him, for his injury. Romero, first of all, loves Tottenham, and the people have to know his suffering."

Goakeeper Guglielmo Vicario remains out: "I am looking forward to working with him. He is another important player for us with big experience and a big personality. We are waiting for him."

Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is available to play, although De Zerbi does not know if he will start, while Yves Bissouma is "100%" ready to play.

The Spurs boss said he does not want to "push" England forward James Maddison, who has not played since suffering a torn ACL in pre-season

On Maddison's return: "It's better to lose [Maddison] for one game more than to take a risk for another injury."

On taking the team out for a meal: "I don't know if we win the game for [this] dinner, but we ate very well. The food was amazing and if we win I am ready to pay every week one dinner."

On facing former club Brighton: "I love Brighton, I love my former players and all people working in this club. Fabian [Hurzeler] is working very well and is credit for what they are doing."

De Zerbi said he has not decided who will captain the side in Romero's absence, but added: "I would like all players to feel they could be a captain. We can't cry, we have to push and be stronger to come out of this situation."

The conclusion of the 2026 winter transfer window was a quiet affair for Premier League clubs.

There were no headline-grabbing, big-money deals and none of the customary deadline-day drama. It was, in fact, rather dull.

That is, apart from one quietly curious deal: James Wilson's loan move from Heart of Midlothian to Tottenham Hotspur.

Eyebrows were raised when the talented striker decided to trade top-flight football in favour of playing for Spurs' under-21 side, becoming the latest young Scottish player to decide his prospects elsewhere were brighter than at home.

The relegation-threatened Premier League club won a tug-of-war with rivals Arsenal for the 19-year-old, and have the option to make the move permanent in the summer.

Wilson has scored four goals in seven Premier League 2 appearances, and has twice been an unused substitute for Spurs in the Premier League.

"I've loved it, it's been really good," Wilson said after scoring in Spurs U21s' 1-0 win against Wolves on Friday.

"I have settled in really quickly. The boys in the changing room have been amazing. The coaches have been really good with me. I've had loads of chats and individual meetings with Wayne Burnett [U21s manager].

"I've settled in well at home, that's been quite easy [because] the club helped with that. All in all I can have no complaints, it's been a really easy transition for me."

Meanwhile, the Hearts team he left behind are one point clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership as they look to win a first top-flight title in 66 years. Did Wilson make the right call to leave?

After progressing through the Hearts academy, Wilson signed his first professional contract in the summer of 2023 and made his first-team debut during 2023-24.

In March 2025 he made his senior Scotland debut at 18 years and 17 days old, becoming the youngest player to do so.

Wilson featured in Hearts' opening three Scottish Premiership matches this season, but managed just seven minutes across the 21 league games that followed.

In total, he scored eight goals in 45 appearances for Hearts.

"I couldn't guarantee him minutes, such is the way it's been," said Hearts boss Derek McInnes.

"I told him and his agent that our preference was to stay, fight for his place, be part of something. But his head was turned with the Tottenham thing."

Arsenal were keen to sign the teenager on what would have effectively been a trial basis, but were usurped by Spurs' loan-to-buy offer.

"I don't think it's the right move for him. Ultimately, it's academy football and I think he's better than that. But it was something James wanted to do," McInnes said.

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Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will meet in an all-English Europa League semi-final after both came through their quarter-final ties on Thursday.

Unai Emery's Villa continued their impressive run with a 7-1 aggregate win over Italy's Bologna, while Forest put their domestic worries to one side as they edged past Porto 2-1 on aggregate and into a European semi-final for the first time since 1984.

The tie also guarantees there will be a Premier League representative in this season's Europa League final.

From controversial semi-finals to iconic finals, English sides have crossed paths on the continental stage many times before, so here are eight of the most memorable meetings.

Last season's Europa League final offered both Tottenham and Manchester United a chance to put their dismal domestic campaigns behind them with silverware - and a route back into the Champions League - on the line.

But it was Spurs who ended their 17-year wait for a trophy as Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved enough to pile more misery on the Red Devils, who went on to finish 15th in the Premier League under Ruben Amorim - two places above their opponents.

The long-awaited triumph, however, was not enough to save head coach Ange Postecoglou's job in north London, even though the Australian delivered on his promise to win silverware in his second season at the club.

Few European ties have been as emotionally charged as the 2005 Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Liverpool.

Just under two years after Roman Abramovich's takeover, Chelsea were assembling a star-studded squad under Jose Mourinho, while the Reds were seeking a return to the top of continental football after two decades.

The two-legged tie was decided by a single moment at Anfield - a controversial Luis Garcia goal.

Liverpool were adamant the ball had crossed the line before William Gallas cleared on the goalline, but those of a Chelsea persuasion vehemently disagreed. But in the pre-technology era and replays also inconclusive, only referee Lubos Michel's opinion mattered.

Liverpool went on to complete an extraordinary comeback in the final against AC Milan to lift the trophy in Istanbul, while their rivalry with Chelsea continued to grow.

This remarkable tie was defined by chaos, controversy and drama involving the video assistant referee (VAR).

Tottenham were protecting a 1-0 lead from the first leg but an extraordinary opening 21 minutes from hosts Manchester City put them 3-2 ahead on the night.

City looked on course for the semis when Sergio Aguero crashed home a fourth goal after the break but Fernando Llorente struck 17 minutes from time, bundling in from a corner via his hip after a VAR check for handball.

More controversy followed as Raheem Sterling thought he had netted a dramatic late winner - and completed his hat-trick - only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside and send Mauricio Pochettino's side through on away goals.

Spurs then beat Ajax in another whirlwind last-four contest to reach their first Champions League final where they fell short against Liverpool in another all-English tie.

Manchester City were still chasing a first Champions League title under Pep Guardiola when they met domestic rivals Chelsea in the 2021 final in Porto.

But Thomas Tuchel, who had succeeded the sacked Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge in January, had other plans as the German brought European club football's biggest prize back to the club for the first time since 2012.

Kai Havertz latched on to a defence-splitting pass from Mason Mount and rounded City goalkeeper Ederson to score the only goal of the game right before half-time.

And it proved enough as Guardiola's Premier League champions failed to click as European glory again eluded them.

The first all-English European tie came more than 60 years ago, when Manchester United faced Tottenham in the Cup Winners' Cup.

Holders Tottenham had won the first leg 2-0 in front of 57,000 at White Hart Lane to look on course to defend their title, but Manchester United - managed by the legendary Matt Busby - were given a lifeline when Spurs' Dave Mackay broke his leg early in the return leg.

Against 10 men in an era before substitutes, FA Cup winners United capitalised as David Herd scored twice to draw them level before a late double from Sir Bobby Charlton sent them through to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.

The final of the inaugural Uefa Cup was contested by Wolves and Tottenham 54 years ago.

Winners of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963, Spurs were favourites and won the first leg at Molineux 2-1 as Martin Chivers scored either side of Jim McCalliog's goal for the hosts.

Captain Alan Mullery then consolidated Tottenham's position in the second leg at White Hart Lane, before Wolves threatened a comeback after Dave Wagstaffe's goal, but it finished 1-1 and 3-2 to Spurs on aggregate.

While the Londoners became the first winners of the competition, now rebranded as the Europa League, the 1972 showdown remains a notable high for Wolves in Europe despite the defeat.

Chelsea and Manchester United met in the first all-English final of European club football's showpiece.

Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front but Frank Lampard equalised before the interval. Lampard and Didier Drogba hit the woodwork for the Blues before the Ivory Coast striker was sent off in extra time for slapping Nemanja Vidic.

Captain John Terry then slipped and missed the penalty that would have won Chelsea their first Champions League in the Moscow rain, before United keeper Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka to spark wild celebrations for Sir Alex Ferguson and his men.

United's third major European triumph was made all the more poignant as it came 50 years on from the Munich air crash, where eight players from the club were among the 23 killed.

It takes something special for a club to go through four managers and for nothing to change.

Four different sets of principles, four different approaches, four different game plans, yet nothing sticks. Not one idea nor concept has made a lasting impact on who we are as a football club. Tottenham Hotspur have been lacking an identity for so long that I am not sure I could tell a stranger, someone who has never heard of the club, what exactly we are.

Games pass us by, bad luck seems to wait at every 50-50 and there is such a lack of goal threat that opposition goalkeepers may as well start their summer holidays early. We are a team lacking in every department, on the pitch and off it.

With each appointment, we are promised change. Something to make us proud, something to cling to, but every new era brings the same disappointment and the same draining of our most valuable resource: time.

The new manager bounce is a fable as old as time, but at Spurs there has been no sign of it. It remains a bedtime story as we sleepwalk towards relegation. Every weekend brings another must-win game, and every weekend the line in the sand is erased and redrawn further down the beach.

On a personal level, I have gone beyond panic, fear and anger. I have arrived at acceptance. Since January, all we have needed is three wins, yet even that has proved beyond everyone involved. I do not see Spurs, with the finish line in sight, suddenly finding the energy to push on. Instead, we will continue to crawl towards it, as Nottingham Forest, Leeds and, most painfully, West Ham surge past us to safety.

In the long term, Roberto de Zerbi may prove an inspired appointment, but he has been dropped into a hole so deep and so dark that even a five-year contract may not give him enough time to find a way out.

Tottenham fans have been let down so often this season that I have no fingers left to point with. You make your own fate, and this club has created a monster.

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