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On why his side have struggled against Spurs of late, he added: "Always have been an exceptional team. A fantastic team through the years it happened [City lost].

"Their success is not a surprise when you see the squad, the depth of the squad, and the quality of the managers, and Ange is not an exception to the quality of them."

Speaking ahead of the game, TNT Sports expert Peter Crouch said: "I’m a little bit miffed to be honest. They don’t play again until next Thursday I think [against] AZ Alkmaar [and] they’re not in the cup, so I’m a little bit surprised.

"Manchester City at home and they were probably three of Tottenham’s best players on the weekend. Ange Postecoglou knows the fitness of the players and he’s chosen to rest them tonight."

He added: "Son was terrorising them [Ipswich last time out], it was one of his best games. I know people will say it’s Ipswich but it’s a difficult place to go. Son was mesmerising, back to his best it felt."

Tottenham have already beaten Manchester City twice this season: 4-0 in the reverse fixture and 2-1 in the EFL Cup. They also boast three wins in all competitions over Manchester United this term.

Ange Postecoglou has made three changes to the Spurs side that beat Ipswich 4-1 last time out. Son Heung-min, Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski drop to the bench, with Pedro Porro, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison starting.

Pep Guardiola will be buoyed by the return of his star striker, who has been nursing a minor knee injury. City do not look like the same side without their talismanic forward, so they will be hoping he can get among the goals this evening.

If the Norwegian finds the net, he will become just the second player in history to have scored 10 or more goals both home and away in three consecutive Premier League campaigns, joining Harry Kane who did it from 2015/16 to 2017/18.

More importantly, a win would see the Citizens move above Chelsea and back into fourth as the race for a top-four finish heats up. Just five points separates Nottingham Forest in third and Aston Villa in 10th, so every point is crucial.

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MAN Utd and Spurs want Cunha

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are both keeping tabs on Matheus Cunha as they look to sign the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker.

The Mirror reports that there is a £60 million release clause for the Brazilian this summer.

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The paper writes: "Manchester United are continuing to keep tabs on Matheus Cunha with the Wolves star inserting a release clause into his new deal.

"The forward remains the leading light at Molineux and was heavily linked with the exit door in January, but ultimately chose to remain and penned a new deal which tied him down until 2029. That hasn't stopped admirers circling however as he continues to perform.

"United were among those who considered making a move last month as they sought a goalscorer. Cunha also remains on the radar of Tottenham with the two teams monitoring him closely.

"Come June Cunha will be available for around £60 million - that fee is set regardless of whether Wolves remain in the top flight or drop down to the Championship. Either way the figure is more than achievable for a number of potential suitors."

Ten Hag could join Feyenoord

Former Man United manager Erik ten Hag could soon be back in work after leaving Old Trafford last year.

The Dutchman could return to the Netherlands, with Feyenoord on the hunt for a new boss after sacking Brian Priske this week.

The Sun reports: "Erik Ten Hag is set to be thrown a career lifeline by Dutch giants Feyenoord.

"Manchester United sacked the 55-year-old boss last October following a poor start to the season.

"Rut Rotterdam-based Feyenoord are understood to want Ten as their new manager after dismissing Brian Priske on Monday.

"Rene Hake, ETH's assistant at Old Trafford earlier this season, is also under consideration for a No.2 role at De Kuip.

Rangers weigh up Clement sacking

Rangers are reportedly reluctant to sack their struggling manager Philippe Clement, due to the cost of doing so.

The Daily Record believes it would cost north of £1.2 million to get rid, with a contract that runs for two more years.

The paper explains: "Sacking Philippe Clement would cost Rangers in the region of £1.2m.

"The under-fire Ibrox boss signed a contract until 2027 last summer but a humiliating Scottish Cup defeat to Queen's Park has sparked fresh concerns over whether he's the man to see out THIS season – let alone the next two and a half years.

"But the new-look board at Ibrox, including CEO Patrick Stewart and chairman Fraser Thornton, have stood by him this far despite questions arising at various points in a difficult season at Ibrox. Part of that, it's widely believed, is the financial constraints that would make sacking him now an expensive decision.

"But if things get any worse, with a tricky trip to Hearts coming up, then they may be left with no other choice."

Chelsea land Kazakh wonderkid

Chelsea will welcome Kazakhstan teenage prospect Dastan Satpaev to Stamford Bridge, but will have to wait for more than a year.

The 16-year-old can join when he turns 18, but now he will stay at Kazakh champions FC Kairat Almaty.

The Evening Standard writes: "Chelsea have signed 16-year-old wonderkid Dastan Satpaev, with the Kazakhstani forward to join the Blues when he turns 18.

"Satpaev currently plays for reigning Kazakhstan Premier League champions FC Kairat Almaty.

Kairat have confirmed that Satpaev will head to Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal that includes the option of a further year once he turns 18, which is not until August 2026.

"It comes after the teenager had a successful trial at Chelsea back in November.

"Chelsea will pay a fee worth £3.3million including add-ons, which is a record transfer for a player from the Kazakh Premier League."

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FULL TIME: VILLA 2-1 SPURS

That s it for the match. Villa through to the fifth round, with Spurs now in UEFA Europa League contention and nothing else.

Villa went 1-0 up after just 59 seconds when Jacob Ramsey beat Antonin Kinsky, with his shot going through the Czech 'keeper.

The home side then went close through Donyell Malen, Leon Bailey, Youri Tielemans, and Ramsey again, but they could not find another way through, and a wasteful Son Heung-min sent Spurs’ best chance of the first half straight at Emi Martinez.

In the second half, Dejan Kulusevski went close as the visitors upped their game, but Morgan Rogers fired home just before the hour mark to double Villa’s lead.

Marcus Rashford was then introduced to make his debut, along with Marco Asensio, with Spurs heads dropping once more. The former Manchester United man had his moments to suggest there was more to come for The Villans as they secured their passage into the next round.

Mathys Tel scored in added time to give the away side some late hope, but Villa held on.

Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey spoke to the BBC after the match, understandably proud of the part they played.

Rogers said: "We played really well in the first half but didn’t kill the game off, so the second goal gave us a cushion. Overall, we’re really happy with the intensity and the energy of the performance.

"We’re trying to build on something and create something. I want to play my part in that.

"Us two are just starting on our careers so we want to learn what we can from these players who have achieved so much. It’s massive to have people like that in the building."

Aston Villa - Tottenham Hotspur Live - The Emirates FA Cup: Football Scores & Highlights - 09/02/2025  TNT Sports

Mathys Tel says joining Tottenham was the "best option" for him after making a loan move from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day.

The 19-year-old forward made the switch having originally reportedly turned down the club in favour of a move to either Manchester United or Arsenal.

But after interest cooled from United and Arsenal over the weekend, he decided to join Spurs, initially on loan but with an option to be bought permanently.

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"Why I chose Tottenham, because that was the best option for me, what was important for me," Tel said.

"I felt the commitment, I spoke with the president [chairman Daniel Levy], talked with the manager. I'm young, I've started to grow up and this was the best option for me and I'm very happy.

"I'm very excited to play with my team-mates, for the fans. That's a new challenge for me, a new chapter to open. Very excited about it."

Tel has struggled for game time at Bayern under manager Vincent Kompany this season, making only eight league appearances.

Now he has a new challenge in north London, which could start as early as Thursday when Spurs go to Liverpool aiming to protect their 1-0 first-leg lead in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

‘We are having a tough season’ - Postecoglou shoulders blame for Tottenham results

Video credit: Eurosport

The teenager has explained more about his qualities, saying: "I think I am a physical player, fast, technical.

"I play every moment, every game with my heart. I live with this pressure. I always have to push myself to go up and look forward."

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has come under increased pressure in recent weeks.

But that eased just a little when his team claimed a valuable 2-0 Premier League win at Brentford on Sunday.

An own goal from Vitaly Janelt gave Postecoglou's men the advantage in the first half, while a late effort from Pape Matar Sarr made sure of victory.

- - -

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SPURS SECURE FIRST LEAGUE VICTORY IN EIGHT GAMES

Tottenham secured their first Premier League victory in seven weeks as Vitaly Janelt’s own goal and Pape Sarr’s late strike secured a win at Brentford.

Spurs were on the back foot for much of the game as the hosts had over 30 crosses into the area and over double the touches in the opposition box, but Ange Postecoglou’s side showed a resolute edge they have not always exhibited this season.

The first goal came when Son Heung-Min’s inswinging corner found stand-in goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson out of position and the ball ended up deflecting into the goal off the back of Janelt.

Although the Bees dominated most of the play the only time they came especially close to scoring was when Yoan Wissa could only clip the crossbar when found six yards out from goal.

The victory lifts Spurs up to 14th in the table, four points and three places behind Brentford, and it must give Ange Postecoglou’s side some confidence going into their biggest match of the season, away to Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final, second leg on Thursday.

POSTECOGLOU HAILS SPURS DEFENSIVE DISPLAY

"It's always a challenge here, they're a quality side especially at home," Postecoglou told Sky Sports.

"After Thursday night we needed to back up here and I thought we did that really well.

"With so many set pieces we had to defend well and I thought we did as well as we have all season.

"We also showed some quality when we had the ball."

Some of Europe's greatest clubs were involved in the draw, and there are some fascinating fixtures on display - with plenty on the line as just eight spots in the last 16 remain.

Those representing the Premier League - namely Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur - secured victories on Thursday to make their spot safe, but some were not so fortunate.

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With that in mind, here is everything you need to know about the Europa League knockout phase.

Who could Man Utd, Spurs and Rangers face in UEFA Europa League last 16?

The draw for the last 16 will not take place until February 21, so the top eight will have to wait to learn their fate.

However, the new format means each team has four possible opponents at this stage.

All three British teams progressed automatically to the last 16 after cementing their places in the top eight in the final round of fixtures.

Manchester United finished the league phase in third despite being the only team in the competition not to lose a game.

The Red Devils are now set to face either AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray when their UEFA Europa League campaign resumes.

Tottenham finished one place behind their Premier League rivals in fourth, meaning they have the same four possible opponents as United in the last 16.

It was confirmed in the play-off draw that AZ will face Galatasaray, while Real Sociedad and Midtjylland will do battle. In both matches, a blockbuster last-16 tie with a Premier League tie is at stake.

Rangers finished eighth in the league phase table after they secured a 2-1 win over Union Saint-Gilloise on matchday eight.

Full UEFA Europa League knockout phase play-off draw and path to quarter-finals

Ferencvaros v Viktoria Plzen

FC Porto v AS Roma

The winners will face either Lazio or Athletic Club

---

FC Twente v Bodo/Glimt

Fenerbahce v Anderlecht

The winners will face Rangers or Olympiacos

---

Union SG v Ajax

PAOK v FCSB

The winners will face either Lyon or Frankfurt

---

AZ Alkmaar v Galatasaray

Midtjylland v Real Sociedad

The winners will face Tottenham or Manchester United

The first legs of the knockout phase play-offs are on February 13, with the second legs on February 20.

Who do Mourinho's Fenerbahce face in the UEFA Europa League play-offs?

Jose Mourinho is a regular in Europe's esteemed competitions, but faces a new kind of challenge as he looks to guide Turkish side Fenerbahce to Europa League glory.

His side just about squirmed into a play-off spot in the league phase standings, occupying 24th - setting them up for a tie against either Anderlecht, who finished 10th, with a tie against either Rangers or Olympiacos on the line.

Meanwhile, AS Roma take on FC Porto - the victors of which will face either Lazio or Athletic Club in the last 16.

How does bracket format work?

From the knockout phase play-off stage onwards, the UEFA Europa League takes a bracket format.

So how does it work? Sides who finished between ninth and 16th in the league phase standings are seeded for the play-offs, while those between 17th and 24th are unseeded.

Teams are then paired by their final position in the league phase table, so, ninth and 10th are paired, 11th and 12th, etc, creating four pairs of seeded teams, and four pairs of unseeded teams.

Ahead of Friday's draw, each team involved knew their potential play-off opponents. Those positioned 23rd and 24th would meet those placed ninth or 10th. And it continues in that exact manner, 21st and 22nd clashing against teams placed either 11th or 12th, and so on.

But what is the significance of the bracket format?

From here, teams who were paired together will split off into separate sides of the draw, meaning they cannot meet until the final.

During the draw, unseeded teams (17th-24th) were first drawn into a bracket position, and the seeded teams are drawn thereafter - forming the round of play-off fixtures.

But the bracket is significant in splitting up some of the competition's well-matched sides. And the same will occur when the last 16 draw is made in February.

The winners of the play-off tie will be drawn between their corresponding, potential last 16 opponents. For example, Manchester United could face one of AZ Alkmaar, Midtjylland, Real Sociedad or Galatasaray in the knockouts.

Ruben Amorim's side will not learn their fate until the draw is made, but they are guaranteed to land on the opposite side of the draw to Tottenham - due to being paired by their third and fourth-placed finishes.

Can teams from the same country face each other?

Two teams from the same national association can be drawn against each other from the knockout phase play-offs onwards.

While this did not materialise at this particular point of the competition, it did occur in the UEFA Champions League play-off draw, with Paris Saint-Germain and Brest set to clash for a last-16 spot.

To add another layer of intrigue, clubs can also face sides they played during the league phase.

- - -

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Ange Postecoglou has questioned his own future as Tottenham Hotspur manager after his side slipped to a 2-1 home defeat to Leicester City, while TNT Sports expert Karen Carney claimed recent results "just haven't been good enough".

Spurs, sitting 15th in the Premier League table, were beaten by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s visitors, who themselves ended an eight-game winless streak in the league thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannous.

As a result, The Foxes hauled themselves out of the relegation zone, where they hover a point ahead of Wolves in 18th.

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Postecoglou’s side are still in the Carabao Cup – holding a 1-0 aggregate lead over Liverpool in their two-legged semi-final – and they are into the fourth round of the FA Cup thanks to a 3-0 win over non-league Tamworth, who took them to extra time.

In the UEFA Europa League, they sit sixth in the group stage league table and are on course to qualify automatically for the knockout stages.

Despite their form in cup competitions, the pressure has piled onto Postecoglou.

"Who knows, mate," the Australian replied when asked whether he would still be in his post when his first-choice defenders - chiefly Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero - returned from injury.

"I'm sure there will be a fair chunk that say no. As a manager, sometimes you can feel really isolated. I don't because of the players – not for me – but they're still giving everything for this club, and I've got great staff who are doing the same.

"I have been around long enough to know that some will just judge on where we are at the moment and rightly so in some respects. It’s not good enough.

"If people want to put context to that they can, if not, so be it. From my point of view, I’m still very much stuck on the fact that the players are just giving everything they can. They did on Thursday night [a 3-2 win over Hoffenheim], they did today.

"There are probably at least two who shouldn’t have been out there. They were just desperate to try to turn our fortunes around. Hopefully over the next 10 days, two weeks, we should get some significant players back, which I think will help this group a lot. It will give them the boost they need.

"We have still got some fantastic opportunities this year to make an impact in the second half of this year, and I’m sure that will happen."

Carney worried about 'stubborn' Postecoglou

Meanwhile, Carney admits that she "worries" about Postecoglou's future at the club.

"As soon as the fans start having a go at Daniel Levy, usually that means Daniel Levy acts and takes the pressure off him a little bit," said Carney ahead of Fulham v Manchester United on TNT Sports.

"He [Postecoglou] has had money this year and obviously a lot of criticism has been because he's been so stubborn.

"The results can't lie, and I think for Ange it might be a little too far.

"I like him, I love his football. I love the entertainment that he has brought to the club, and the fans wanted that, but the results just haven't been good enough."

Rio Ferdinand believes that Postecoglou needs to be "more adaptable with his tactics" given the injuries he has been faced with.

"If I was Ange, I'd turn my phone off for a couple of days minimum just to try and get through to the next game," said Ferdinand.

"I interviewed him at some point last season and I was really impressed with him.

"One of the things I actually thought was quite refreshing about Ange was his attitude: ‘I am what I am, I'm not going to change.’ I respect that and I understand that.

"But when you’ve had the amount of injuries they’ve had and the amount of young and inexperienced players they've had to bring in, that makes me think you have to be a bit more adaptable with your tactics, just to support those young players and give them a bit better of a foundation and build around them.

"Give them an opportunity to get their foot into games and maybe nick a couple of results to build some confidence. He hasn't done that, and I think they've been hugely punished."

Asked if Postecoglou deserved more time at Spurs, Ferdinand commented: "I think you’ve got to speak to him and check his temperature to see where he is.

"In his last few interviews I’ve seen he's been very, very tetchy, prickly, and understandably, because the results haven’t been good and he hasn’t liked the line of questioning.

"He looks a man under pressure right now and that'll be a concern."

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BIG SAVE TO DENY PORRO!

Gray delivers a cross from the left which finds Bergvall in space, but he can't find room for the shot so lays the ball off for Porro to strike first time which he does, but Stolarczyk pulls off a brilliant save to keep the score level.

CHANCE FOR LEICESTER

Victor Kristiansen races down the left wing and pulls a low cross back for Ayew on the edge of the box, he has loads of time but takes his shot first time and sends his effort straight at Ben Davies.

Leicester are getting a lot of joy going forward in the early stages and Spurs look wide open, which is not helping the nerves from the home support!

LEICESTER FAIL TO CAPITALISE EARLY ON

Sarr gives the ball away cheaply in the middle of the park and Leicester break forward, with Jamie Vardy finding Jordan Ayew on the right as he darts into the penalty area. Archie Gray comes across and does enough to prevent any further damage as Leicester are forced away from goal.

MAN UTD TRAVEL TO FULHAM ON TNT SPORTS

This game might not be televised in the UK, but TNT Sports will bring you all the action from Craven Cottage as Manchester United take on Fulham in west London later today.

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Fulham v Manchester United will be live on TNT Sports 1 with coverage from 18:00 UK time on Sunday, January 26, ahead of kick-off at 19:00.

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MADDISON 'SORE' AFTER UEL WIN

Ange Postecoglou has explained Maddison's absence today.

"He's still a bit sore from the other night, it took a fair bit out of the group and he just wasn't 100 per cent," the Spurs manager told the club website.

"Hopefully he should be alright for next week."

Image credit: Getty Images