Football365

Spurs in Norway on an artificial pitch? Nothing to worry about, lads. Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta must inspire an Arsenal comeback against PSG in the Champions League.

Game to watch: Bodo/Glimt vs Tottenham Hotspur

There is strong potential for a Full Spurs showing on Thursday night – and as everyone should know by now, you should never go Full Spurs. Yes, both Champions League semi-finals are finely balanced, but the prospect of a Tottenham capitulation on a treacherous Thursday night is simply too delicious to ignore.

Ange Postecoglou’s side looked the real deal in their 3-1 first-leg win over Bodo/Glimt, but a late goal from the visitors and an injury to James Maddison turned comfort into creeping dread. That strike wasn’t a consolation; it was a lifeline. And Bodo/Glimt, the Norwegian minnows writing history as their country’s first European semi-finalists, will fancy their chances at home against anyone.

Kjetil Knutsen’s squad is 80% Norwegian and has knocked out stellar opposition in FC Twente, Olympiacos and Lazio to get to this stage. Their only home defeat in this season’s Europa League strangely came against FC Qarabag, winning every other league phase match at the Aspmyra Stadion against FC Porto, Besiktas and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Convincing home wins – 5-2 vs Twente, 3-0 vs reigning Conference League champions Olympiacos, and 2-0 vs Lazio – prove this is not some fairy-tale side there to make up the numbers. Premier League or not, this is a serious test.

Postecoglou was quick to play down the challenge of playing against non-league Tamworth away in the FA Cup – and the Londoners barely got out of that alive. Now it’s an artificial pitch, in freezing conditions, against a high-energy, high-belief Bodo/Glimt team.

With this fragile Spurs team, quite literally any result is on the table – which is exactly what makes it so entertaining.

Manager to watch: Mikel Arteta

There’s a huge amount riding on Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, especially for Mikel Arteta, after a 1-0 first-leg defeat at the Emirates.

Some uncomfortable questions are starting to swirl about Arteta’s ability to win the biggest prizes. He’s clearly a world-class rebuilding manager – taking Arsenal from a punchline to a genuine Premier League force – but there’s still nothing tangible to show for it. Yes, there was the FA Cup in year one, but that was nearly five years and close to £700million ago. Since then, Arsenal have lived up to the moniker of ‘Next Season FC’.

Lose in Paris on Wednesday and a fourth straight trophyless season is confirmed. And while Arteta’s job is safe – despite what some Mailbox contributors might argue – next season starts to look suspiciously like make-or-break. If he reaches the end of a sixth full campaign without any silverware, even the Carabao Cup, it’ll be hard for anyone not wilfully deluding themselves to argue Arsenal don’t need someone who can actually get them over the line.

So, yes, a fair bit riding on this one.

Arsenal were largely second-best at home last week, conceding early and only growing into the game after half an hour. They were unlucky not to equalise, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in inspired form, but equally fortunate not to concede again.

But 1-0 is salvageable, especially considering how flat they were in the first leg. This tie is still alive – if Arsenal had won 1-0 away, nobody would be writing PSG off, so it’s daft to do so with the roles reversed.

Still, Arsenal are underdogs now, and it’s PSG’s final spot to lose, which, given their Champions League history, remains very much on the cards. We’ve not yet seen the annual Parisian meltdown, and Arteta will be hoping they’re saving it for Wednesday.

READ: Arsenal’s season has been embarrassing – Champions League exit should be the final straw

Player to watch: Antony

Antony – yes, that Antony – is one of the most in-form and entertaining wingers in Europe right now. He’s enjoying quite the remontada at Real Betis, and it’s genuinely remarkable what can happen when a player is freed from the shackles of Old Trafford.

We’re turning some limelight on the Europa Conference League and a tie with no English teams, as Betis’ semi-final against Fiorentina hangs delicately after a 2-1 first-leg win in Spain last Thursday.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are chasing a Champions League spot in La Liga, but there was plenty of rotation against Espanyol on Sunday – though Antony started, finished, and scored in both 2-1 wins. He smashed in an absolute corker with the right foot nobody knew he had – past former Manchester United teammate David de Gea – and followed it up with a late winner against Espanyol, curling in a peach past Joan Garcia, who could yet end up as his future teammate at United.

Antony’s form has been electric and he’s genuinely exciting to watch right now. Football can change fast – so fast, in fact, that it now feels like United would be bloody stupid to sell him this summer. Which of course means they absolutely will, and for a fee that’ll make everyone wince.

Betis’ second leg against the two-time Conference League runners-up promises to be tight, and Antony could well be the difference-maker.

Team to watch: Barcelona

Antony might be one of the most entertaining wingers in football right now but another La Liga winger is the most entertaining player in the world: Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old – which is still hard to believe – was frightening against Inter last week and without him, Barcelona would be heading to Milan needing a comeback to reach the Champions League final.

After that chaotic 3-3 draw, we’re expecting something similarly unhinged at San Siro. With their first-choice defenders available, you might expect a more cagey affair — but with Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde sidelined, Barcelona’s ‘attack is the best form of defence’ mantra will be more necessary than ever, especially against a side with Inter’s defensive pedigree.

That pedigree went out the window in Catalonia. Simone Inzaghi recognised that parking the bus wouldn’t cut it against Barca’s firepower, so Inter played them at their own game – and it made for a spectacular (not diabolical) spectacle.

Hansi Flick’s back four is now a puzzle. Reports suggest Inigo Martinez could slot in at left-back, while Ronald Araujo might play at right-back or partner Pau Cubarsí centrally. That leaves one spot up for grabs, with Eric Garcia the likely choice over Gerard Martin, Hector Fort, and Andreas Christensen.

Flick rotated heavily for the trip to Real Valladolid, but with his side 1-0 down at half-time, he brought on Raphinha and Fermin Lopez to join 36th-minute substitute Yamal. That trio helped spark a crucial comeback, meaning most of the squad heads into this semi-final well-rested, high on confidence, and with a Treble still very much in sight. If only Arsenal could relate to any of that.

EFL game to watch: Bristol City vs Sheffield United

There may technically be only one midweek play-off match, but that won’t stop us from talking about Sheffield United’s trip to Ashton Gate.

The Blades’ play-off record is nothing short of abysmal. They’ve never been promoted that way in eight attempts – five failures in the second tier and three more in the third. Reaching the final four times isn’t horrendous, but losing every single one certainly is. This is absolutely not where Sheffield United want to be.

Then there’s Wembley. Dismal doesn’t even cover it. They haven’t won there in their last six trips, and their only victory at the national stadium came 100 years ago, in the 1925 FA Cup final against Cardiff City.

Bristol City await in the semi-finals after sneaking into sixth place, a full 22 points behind Chris Wilder’s side. The Robins are massive underdogs and ended the season poorly – but so did the Blades, who lost four of their last seven Championship games.

The regular-season head-to-head finished 3-2 to Sheffield United on aggregate, and they remain favourites to go up – which, if it happens, would be a historic achievement.

All just to come straight back down with 13 points.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has questioned whether struggling domestic sides like Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur should be allowed to qualify for the Champions League through Europa League success, a scenario both clubs are currently on course to exploit.

Man Utd and Spurs are languishing in 15th and 16th place respectively in the Premier League, but convincing first-leg wins in their Europa League semi-finals — 3-0 over Athletic Club for Utd and 3-1 over Bodo/Glimt for Spurs — have put them in pole position to set up a winner-takes-all final in Bilbao later this month.

Current UEFA rules grant the Europa League winners automatic entry to the following season’s Champions League, regardless of domestic league performance.

But Wenger, the pantomime villain of so many Arsenal and Utd encounters during his 22-year reign as Gunners boss, is not convinced that such a backdoor route is fair.

In an article on TNT Sports covering quotes from an interview with BeIN Sports on whether it was right for Europa League winners to qualify for the Champions League, Wenger said:

“No. They should qualify automatically for the Europa League again, but not necessarily for the Champions League.

“Especially when you’re in the Premier League, where already five teams qualify. I think it’s something [for UEFA] to think about and to review.

“On the other hand, people will tell you that to keep the Europa League focused, interesting and motivated, you need to give them that prize.”

A recent change to UEFA’s format will already see the English top-flight awarded a fifth UCL spot next season due to the nation’s strong coefficient rating.

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“With more teams now qualifying for Europe, the gulf inside the league will become even bigger.”

Asked whether the increase in Champions League representation from single leagues was a positive development, Wenger responded:

“I don’t believe so.

“It will make the difference between the top teams in England and the rest of Europe even bigger, because you would say only a few teams now can compete with the Premier League teams in the Champions League.

“It can be Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and then, financially, you’re already at the end basically.”

This wouldn’t be the first time Man Utd have relied on the Europa League to save a disappointing season. In 2016/17, they won the competition under Jose Mourinho despite finishing sixth in the Premier League.

If Utd can repeat that feat this season, or if Spurs can end a 41-year European trophy drought, then the Premier League sides will record a bit of history.

No club finishing lower than 12th in the Premier League has qualified for the Champions League via the Europa League since the tournament’s rebrand in 2009.

Real Madrid are reportedly interested in making the signing of a Tottenham star as they plan to lure in ‘the leading talents on his generation’ in the coming years. Tottenham are having a poor domestic season by their standards.

They have not finished in the bottom half of the Premier League since 2007/08, and have only finished outside the top six three times since then. But they’re on track to finish in their worst position in the Premier League, currently 16th.

Bright points in the season have been few and far between, but 19-year-old Lucas Bergvall has been one.

In his first season at the club, the teenage midfielder has one goal and four assists, three of those coming in the Europa League, in which Spurs are in a good position to reach the final, currently leading after the first leg of their semi-final.

Bergvall has already been rewarded for his performances with a new contract, which will also serve to fend off competition.

But it seems Real Madrid are not bothered about Tottenham’s decision, as GIVEMESPORT states they plan to keep tabs on him despite the fact he’s penned a new deal. It’s stated they remain ‘undeterred’ and want to offer Bergvall an escape route from Tottenham at some point.

Real are interested in making the future signing, as they are ‘determined to recruit the leading talents of his generation in the coming years’.

At 19, and having taken to Premier League and European football well, it seems Bergvall could well come on leaps and bounds in the next few years.

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There could be a similar situation to the one which saw Luka Modric leave Spurs for Real in 2012. He was older than Bergvall when he joined Tottenham (22) but had come from Dinamo Zagreb, a similar level to the Spurs man’s previous club, Djurgarden.

Modric impressed enough in four years in north London for Real to pay £30million for him, a decent fee in 2012, and if Bergvall continues impressing for Tottenham, he’ll surely cost north of that if the Spanish giants are to sign him.

They are apparently ‘adamant’ that he has a high ceiling, so their eyes will be fixed on him as he continues to grow with Spurs. But the new contract means the signing won’t be coming any time soon for Real.

Tottenham may have won 3-1 but Bodo/Glimt midfielder Ulrik Saltnes reckons his team still have a chance as he described Spurs as “shaky.”

Ange Postecoglou’s side looked to be in cruise control after taking a 3-0 lead against the Norweigan team but Saltnes’ goal in the 83rd minute has given the visitors some hope of overturning the fixture in the second leg next week.

That late goal appears to have done wodners to the cofndinece of Saltnes in particular who said Spurs were “shaky” and that his team would “come out flying”

“I don’t remember what happened at all, but now it’s alive as hell,” he told Viaplay.

“I think they’re pretty shaky now, we’re going to charge some f**king energy and come out flying!”

While Saltnes may have been confident in his team’s chances of overturning the result, Postecoglou believes the late goal was not reflective of the game and he backed his side to get the job done at the Aspmyra Stadion.

“I thought our performance was everything it needed to be, really well organised and disciplined defensively and really calm going forward and created good opportunities for ourselves and maintaining pressure,” the under-pressure Australian said.

“Obviously they scored the goal late, which doesn’t I think reflect our dominance in the game, but if we repeat that performance next week, it’ll be enough for us to get through.

“I get that Bodo away is a difficult fixture, but so was Frankfurt away and we went there knowing we had to win to get through and I thought the lads handled it really well.

“I think in Europe this year we’ve been really good at managing whatever situation we’re in. We’ve had some games where AZ (Alkmaar) we lost away from home, but had to come back and showed real calm and composure to win to get through here.

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“I think all those experiences give me the belief we can go there and get the job done.”

Bodo/Glimt defender Jostein Gundersen meanwhile said he was “damn proud to be a Glimt player today.”

“We got off to the worst possible start,” he began. “But I think the performance is good, considering all the conditions before the match, we have people out.

“I have to say that I am damn proud to be a Glimt player today, it’s almost so touching that we do what we do.

“We will welcome them to Aspmyra, we know for sure that we can compete against this team here,” he said. “There are good opportunities.”

Ange Postecoglou has belittled Erik ten Hag’s achievements at Manchester United after hearing suggestions his Tottenham side are “not worthy” of competing in the Champions League next season.

Spurs have endured a miserable campaign which sees them sitting 16th in the Premier League table having lost five of their last six games.

The Europa League is their only saving grace, with glory not only ending a 17-year trophy drought but also booking their place in the Champions League next term.

Postecoglou’s side first have to get past Bodo/Glimt in the semi-final before a possible meeting with either Manchester United or Athletic Club in the final.

The Australian came out swinging once again in his press conference, hitting out at those who are trying to “diminish” the accomplishment of winning the Europa League, aiming a jab at Ten Hag in the process.

“I’ve seen people trying to diminish it in some respects,” Postecoglou told the assembled media. “I’ve heard people say, ‘well it’s the equivalent of Man Utd winning the FA Cup’. No it ain’t. I’m sorry. Not on any world is it the equivalent.

“Others are suggesting we are not worthy of the Champions League. Again, things that are designed to diminish what’s ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity. Irrespective of how this season has gone we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else, a special moment watching this football club.

“Look, this season could have gone very differently and we could be flying in the league but it wouldn’t make this opportunity any different. The opportunity is the same and I’ve made that clear to the players. What we have before us is a semi-final in a European competition and the opportunity to win a trophy and get Champions League football.”

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Spurs midfielder James Maddison insists the players aren’t paying attention to the “narrative” of Postecoglou facing the sack and remain right behind their manager.

“We are behind the manager 100%,” said Maddison. “I think he’s a great man.

“We have had a poor season, especially in the league. We’ve been very good in Europe, but the league season has been unacceptable.

“He’s my manager, he’s my gaffer, and I respect him an awful amount.

“And listen, the narrative [of Postecoglou’s position being under threat] is something we players are trying to keep away from because it’s not healthy.

“I just know that I come into work every day and see the lads listening and taking on the messages on how he wants us to play and doing the best for this club, and we are in a really good position in Europe, where we can still have a special season under his management.

“I will continue to do that until the day he isn’t here. He’s my manager and I respect him an awful amount and that will continue.”

Tottenham turn their attention to Europea League duties this Thursday night as they welcome Norway’s Bodo/Glimt to London for the first leg of their semi-final tie.

There’s no denying that Spurs have made a complete mess of their domestic campaign, but their season is not over yet.

Winning the Europa League would not only secure the club’s first trophy in 17 years, but it would also guarantee Champions League qualification. In short, continental success would go a long way in making up for their domestic woes.

But before Spurs can start planning their trophy parade, they have the small matter of a European semi-final to contend with.

While their opponents may not look like much at first glance, there’s no denying that Bodo/Glimt have made it this far on merit.

The Norwegian side have already defeated a number of big clubs in the Europa League this season, including Porto, Braga, Besiktas and, most recently, Lazio. Superlaget even came close to stunning Manchester United, eventually losing the league-phase match 3-2 at Old Trafford.

Kjetil Knutsen’s side are not easily intimidated, and they certainly have nothing to fear from an out-of-form Tottenham side.

Spurs come into Thursday’s crunch tie on the back of a 5-1 thumping at Liverpool – a result which condemned the club to their fifth Premier League defeat in six games.

Such results won’t do Tottenham’s confidence any good as the side look to save their season with Europa League success.

Here, we take a closer look at everything you need to know ahead of Thursday’s first leg clash.

Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt prediction

If you didn’t know the context behind this fixture, you would have no qualms about backing the Premier League side to win and do so comfortably.

However, with Spurs in the midst of a catastrophic season and Bodo/Glimt proving they can hang with the big boys, this is not an easy fixture to predict.

On one hand, Tottenham will have to get out of the blocks quickly. With the first leg taking place in London, Postecoglou’s men will be looking to make the most of home advantage ahead of a tricky trip to Norway.

The town of Bodo is located so far up north, Spurs may have to contend with freezing temperatures and snowfall. With that in mind, building a healthy advantage is the key for Postecoglou’s side.

Both teams have been involved in high-scoring encounters lately, with each seeing 22 goals scored across their last six matches in all comps.

In terms of specific individuals, Dominic Solanke is the one to watch. With Spurs needing to be on the front foot, Solanke could have a big role to play considering he has scored two goals in his last three outings.

Tottenham team news

Postecoglou made eight changes for last weekend’s trip to Anfield and is expected to revert to his strongest starting XI for Thursday’s European semi-final.

As a result, Rodrigo Bentancur, Micky van den Ven and Cristian Romero should all feature in the starting line-up.

The big injury doubt for Spurs concerns Heung-min Son, who has missed the last four games. The South Korean could be saved for the second leg in Norway.

Defender Radu Dragusin is out with a knee injury while Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner are not registered for the knockout stages of the competition.

Tottenham expected line-up

Bodo/Glimt team news

Bodo/Glimt will be missing a number of their key players for this first leg in London.

Andreas Helmersen, Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen are all suspended and will watch Thursday’s game from the sidelines.

Defender Odin Bjortuft is also on the absentee list after being forced off the field with a groin injury in a recent league match.

Bodo/Glimt expected line-up

Haikin – Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjork – Fet, Auklend, Saltnes – Blomberg, Hauge, Hogh

Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt how to watch and listen

Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt will be shown live on TNT Sports at 20:00 on Thursday, May 1. Fans can follow radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Tottenham vs Bodo/Glimt stats

– This will be the first ever competitive meeting between Tottenham and Bodo/Glimt

– Tottenham have won all four previous games against Norwegian opposition

– Bodo/Glimt have lost all three European meetings with English clubs

– This is Tottenham’s ninth European semi-final, last reaching the final four of the Champions League back in 2018/19

– Bodo/Glimt are the first Norwegian side to reach a major European semi-final

– Including qualifying matches, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last 19 home European games

James Maddison has admitted Tottenham’s league form has been “unacceptable” and warned that talk surrounding Ange Postecoglou’s future is “not healthy”, but insists the squad remains fully behind their under-pressure boss.

With Spurs clinging to European hopes after a frustrating domestic campaign, Maddison didn’t shy away from the criticism, calling out their poor Premier League performances while making it clear that Postecoglou still has the dressing room.

“We are behind the manager 100%,” said Maddison. “I think he’s a great man.

“We have had a poor season, especially in the league. We’ve been very good in Europe, but the league season has been unacceptable.

“He’s my manager, he’s my gaffer, and I respect him an awful amount.

“And listen, the narrative [of Postecoglou’s position being under threat] is something we players are trying to keep away from because it’s not healthy.

“I just know that I come into work every day and see the lads listening and taking on the messages on how he wants us to play and doing the best for this club, and we are in a really good position in Europe, where we can still have a special season under his management.

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“I will continue to do that until the day he isn’t here. He’s my manager and I respect him an awful amount and that will continue.”

Maddison recently returned from a spell on the sidelines and has been thrown back into a squad that’s been decimated by injuries throughout the season.

Those absences have played a huge part in Spurs’ Premier League decline, with the club currently sitting 16th on 37 points – just two places above the drop zone.

Injuries to key players like Heung-min Son, Micky van de Ven, and Cristian Romero have forced Postecoglou to shuffle his line-up repeatedly.

Son remains a doubt for the upcoming Europa League semi-final against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, as the Spurs boss confirmed the forward is still training away from the squad.

Despite their domestic woes, Spurs have enjoyed a strong run in Europe, navigating their way to the final four of the Europa League with impressive displays. They now face the Eliteserien champions, who are aiming to pull off a major upset after a dream run to the semis.

While the Europa League may now be Tottenham’s best hope of salvaging something from a disappointing season, Maddison’s comments reflect a dressing room still committed to their manager’s vision amid mounting pressure from the media.

Spanish side Atletico Madrid have made their ‘first formal offer’ for Tottenham centre-back Cristian Romero, according to reports.

Spurs are having an awful season in the Premier League with Ange Postecoglou’s side currently 16th in the table after losing 19 of their 34 matches this term.

Tottenham have lost their last three Premier League matches and conceded 11 goals in the process with Postecoglou’s men winning one game in their last eight.

Postecoglou has been linked with the sack for most of the season but there was apparently some sympathy from the Tottenham hierarchy with the Australian overseeing an injury crisis at one point.

However, with most players returning, the Spurs boss is now under intense pressure after their 5-1 capitulation on Sunday and now Tottenham could lose some of their best players in the summer.

Spurs can boost their chances of keeping their top players if they can win the Europa League, where they play Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals, which will give them a spot in next season’s Champions League.

And Atletico Madrid are trying to tempt Tottenham into selling Romero with Spanish website Fichajes insisting that the La Liga side have made their ‘first formal offer’ for the Argentina international.

It is understood that Atletico are trying to ‘close the signing’ of Romero after ‘preparing its first super offer’ of €50m (£43m) and they are ‘moving decisively in the transfer market’.

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Atletico, who are looking to strengthen the centre of their defence, are ‘aware that competition will be tough and that the player himself is very open to a change of scenery heading to La Liga’.

But Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy ‘asks for more money’ and the report adds:

‘Diego Simeone’s team needs to restructure its defense in light of the imminent departures of Axel Witsel and Cesar Azpilicueta, and the likely departure of Clement Lenglet, who will have to return to Barcelona at the end of his loan. Atleti currently only have Jose Maria Gimenez and Robin Le Normand, making it urgent to bring in a top-tier center-back.

‘Romero, one of Spurs’ pillars, has a current contract, but his desire to try his luck in the Spanish league could facilitate negotiations. Although Tottenham is demanding around €70 million to let him leave, those at the Metropolitano are confident that the player’s willingness could be key to lowering the English club’s financial demands.

‘Atletico Madrid also wants to accelerate negotiations to sign the Argentine defender ahead of the Club World Cup, which will be held this summer. The Madrid club hopes to complete the signing during the first few days of the transfer window, aware that they will have to act quickly if they don’t want other European clubs to join the bidding.’

Yes, Liverpool are champions, but let’s focus on who had a miserable weekend, because that’s much more enjoyable.

Here is the Premier League’s worst XI of the weekend, with match ratings taken from WhoScored.

GK: Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur) – 5.20

Leicester City’s Mads Hermansen (5.32) has been saved by a helpless and hopeless Vicario, who conceded five at Anfield on Sunday.

The Spurs No.1 made two saves but ultimately, conceding five goals should almost always result in a goalkeeper earning a spot in the Premier League Worst XI.

Vicario has shown promise as a shot-stopper and occasional sweeper-keeper, but his poor form this year is slipping under the radar. His decision-making and kicking have been erratic, turning him into a liability rather than just a goalkeeper who looks vulnerable at corners. The Italian appears to unsettle everyone around him, and his command of the penalty area is virtually non-existent. Damning comparisons to Heurelho Gomes on social media are harsh – but justified.

RB: Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur) – 5.28

No errors leading to any of Liverpool’s five goals, no red or yellow cards, no own goals, nothing like that, just a good old-fashioned absolute stinker.

Spence lost seven of his eight duels, committed a foul, lost possession 20 times, misplaced 11 of his 27 attempted passes, conceded five goals, failed to complete any of his three take-on attempts and was dispossessed three times. Not a good day at the office.

CB: Jean-Clair Todibo (West Ham) – 5.83

Oh, West Ham. What are we going to do with you?

For once, Manchester United seem to have dodged a bullet rather than been obliterated by one. Todibo has been very disappointing in the Premier League this season and the Hammers have now signed him permanently for £36million. Their pants have been pulled down.

Todibo again struggled this weekend as West Ham lost in quite ridiculous circumstances at Brighton. A goal up heading into injury time, two late goals consigned Graham Potter’s men to a 3-2 defeat. The Frenchman didn’t win any tackles, make any interceptions and was dribbled past once.

CB: Conor Coady (Leicester) – 5.99

The Conor Coady derby went exactly as expected. An in-form Wolves side put already-relegated Leicester to the sword and were unlucky not to win more handsomely than 3-0.

It was the Matheus Cunha show at Molineux and Coady could not handle him or Jorgen Strand Larsen.

LB: Destiny Udogie (Tottenham Hotspur) – 5.85

This Spurs full-back did score an own goal against Liverpool and joins Vicario and Spence in our back five.

The own goal really knocked the stuffing out of Udogie’s rating because, statistically, he wasn’t actually that bad. He still won three tackles and made two interceptions while winning six of his eight duels.

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👉 Liverpool fans ‘dine out on all the tears’ as the Premier League title is won

DM: Sander Berge (Fulham) – 5.87

Fulham might have won against Southampton but they were very, very close to a draw at St Mary’s, which would have been enough for the Saints to reach 12 points and usurp the 11-point haul of 2007/08 Derby County.

Berge was brought off at half-time after failing to make a positive impact.

RM: Ben Johnson (Ipswich) – 5.16

Despite a couple of shockers from Solly March (5.66) and Brennan Johnson (5.61) for Brighton and Spurs, respectively, Johnson signed up for a place in the worst XI when he received a first-half red card against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

LM: Mathys Tel (Tottenham Hotspur) 5.71

Tel might be regretting his decision to sign for Spurs, but 1) he knew what he was signing up for, and 2) it’s not as if he has looked a level above his teammates; he can’t claim he’s surrounded by duds while being blameless himself.

The 20-year-old Frenchman had an error leading to a goal in Sunday’s 5-1 defeat against the freshly-crowned champions and his only shot was blocked.

AM: Julio Enciso (Ipswich) – 5.39

Kieran McKenna’s game plan was thrown out the window by Johnson’s 36th-minute red card, so not long after that, Enciso decided to pull back Jacob Murphy in the box to concede a penalty. Was there enough contact to justify a grown man falling to the floor? No. Was it a penalty regardless? Yes. And was Enciso very silly to put his hand on Murphy? Very silly indeed.

Enciso has shown some promise on loan at Ipswich this season but his parent club, Brighton, won’t look too much into his poor performances considering how bad the Tractor Boys have been.

On top of his penalty blunder, Enciso lost possession 15 times and only completed eight of his 12 attempted passes.

ST: Beto (Everton) – 5.33

Beto’s error led to Nicolas Jackson’s decisive strike in Chelsea’s crucial victory over Everton.

The big striker did force a good save out of Robert Sanchez with his only shot of the game but he failed to make a positive impact as David Moyes’ side lost at Stamford Bridge.

ST: Evanilson (Bournemouth) – 5.58

A debatable Evanilson red card is rated more heavily by the algorithm than Jamie Vardy’s (5.72) penalty miss for Leicester against Wolves. It was never a penalty anyway…

The Brazilian assisted Antoine Semenyo’s opener against Manchester United but was very quiet other than that and the sending off. So really, not quiet at all.

Gary Neville labelled Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall as “pathetic” during Spurs’ 5-1 defeat to newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool.

The Reds just needed a draw to win the Premier League title on Sunday but they did it in style by putting five past Ange Postecoglou’s men at Anfield.

Tottenham did open the scoring on 12 minutes through Dominic Solanke but Liverpool soon rectified that when Luis Diaz scored only four minutes later to equalise.

Further goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and an own goal from Destiny Udogie gave the Reds a comfortable win and saw Tottenham remain in 16th position.

Manchester United legend Neville was not impressed by Spurs midfielder Bergvall for Liverpool’s third goal which started their procession to the title.

When defending a corner at the front post, Bergvall was only able to flick the ball into the danger area with Gakpo there to score his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

On the Tottenham midfielder, Neville said on Sky Sports commentary: “Bergvall’s header is appalling, it’s pathetic. He half ducks his head.

“I have no idea what he’s doing. It was a free header and he ended up glancing it into his own box.

“But take nothing away from Gakpo, what he does really well is get it away so quickly. It’s a good strike.

“Spurs are the perfect opponents for Liverpool today. They just don’t smell danger.

“Liverpool have got so many players out there who will punish any mistake at any level.”

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Tottenham boss Postecoglou will come under even more pressure after the result against Liverpool with Spurs suffering their 19th defeat in 34 Premier League matches.

Postecoglou told a press conference: “Credit to Liverpool, worthy champions and they have been the outstanding team all year, consistent and again today obviously. I thought we started the game well and sort of made things difficult for them.

“Even apart from the goal, I thought just in general we had decent territory but once they got in front with the atmosphere inside the stadium fair to say it was going to be difficult for us to claw them back and that’s how it proved.”

When asked about the balance between performances in the Europa League and Premier League, Postecoglou added: “It’s not easy, it’s not easy on the players because if you sort of look at Liverpool’s line up you can almost pick it on a weekly basis. I had made a lot of changes but I just felt it was necessary.

“A lot of our players have missed a lot of this season with injuries and it wasn’t just about bringing them back but managing their minutes because obviously we want them ready. Guys like Micky and Romero today could have played but they’ve missed so much of the season that we’ve just got to be really careful about when we use them.

“Guys like Pedro and Bentancur have played a lot this year. It has been a juggling act for sure and that hasn’t helped the team, hasn’t helped the players and when you’re facing the best you pay that price.”