Football365

A pundit claims that Ange Postecoglou is “one step” closer to leaving Tottenham Hotspur and he “should go” even if they win the Europa League.

Postecoglou is under immense pressure at Spurs and is among the favourites to be the next Premier League manager sacked.

The former Celtic boss enjoyed a decent first season at Tottenham in 2023/24 as he overhauled their style of play and came close to qualifying for the Champions League.

However, Spurs have massively declined this season and suffered their 16th Premier League defeat of the campaign against Chelsea on Thursday night. This result leaves them 14th in the table.

Postecoglou’s support has evaporated in recent months. Spurs fans jeered his substitutions, while the head coach cupped his ear while looking at the crowd when Pape Sarr scored a disallowed goal.

Former Premier League forward Stan Collymore has hit out at Postecoglou following this act.

“The main takeaway from last night’s match between Chelsea and Tottenham was Ange Postecoglou cupping his ears in the direction of his own supporters after the Pape Sarr goal that was eventually ruled out by VAR,” Collymore told Caught Offside.

READ: Postecoglou sacked off as Mailbox ignores Spurs to laugh at Everton complaints about Liverpool decisions

“In doing that, he has probably taken one more step towards the exit door. By doing something like th

at, he is making himself increasingly unpopular.

“There is no sign that this is the Ange Postecoglou team that creates lots of chances, scores lots of goals, and takes lots of risks.

“It feels like it is almost the exact opposite of what he had doing at the start of his tenure at Tottenham. This is now a team that lacks confidence, and has no dynamism or verve.

“I was one of the people that said that his style of play was not sustainable in the Premier League, and that has proven to be the case.

“And I really believe that he is sleepwalking his way towards the sack, and I think he should go even if he were to lead Tottenham to the Europa League, which would be a good parting gift. For me, it is clear that the club needs to go in a different direction next season.”

MORE SPURS COVERAGE ON F365…

👉 Tottenham insiders make Postecoglou sack U-turn as ‘mood shifts’ amid ‘deepest crisis’

👉 Postecoglou closer to exit after dismal Spurs gift Chelsea ‘catalyst’ with £5m Sancho call tempting

👉 Tottenham Hotspur vs Southampton prediction, expected line-ups, how to watch and stats

Collymore has also encouraged former boss Mauricio Pochettino to avoid a return to Spurs.

“There have been rumours of Mauricio Pochettino possibly making a return to Tottenham, having seemingly held talks with Daniel Levy. But if I was him, I would not go anywhere near his former club, as I think very little has changed from when he left in 2019.

“I was at the Champions League final that year when Liverpool defeated them, and I remember very clearly how frustrated he was with the club after that.

“If he came back, he was not be given the tools to do the job that he wanted, so it would make little sense for him to be willing to go back there.”

Tottenham Hotspur will be hoping to put on a show when they host strugglers Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday.

We didn’t bother verifying if the Saints have the worst home record in Premier League history, mainly because it’s Friday afternoon, and we want to go home soon.

However, this sorry bunch have claimed five points at St Mary’s, which is far fewer than record-breaking Derby, who at least picked up eight of their 11 points on home soil.

Spurs are one of many sides to have thumped them on their patch and there’s little reason to believe this game will be any different.

Ivan Juric’s side has benefited from playing away so they should be able to make a much better fist of contributing to the scoreline, but it could still be lopsided.

Ange Postecoglou was as spikey as ever on Thursday night. As well as ‘falling out of love with the game’, the Spurs boss looks ready to throttle the next idiot with a microphone who asks him a stupid question.

It’s a good thing we don’t have a media pass for this match, then.

Tottenham vs Southampton prediction:

Tottenham stuffed five past the Saints in the reverse fixture, and while it’s outlandish to suggest they will do it again, it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

Liverpool, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest and Man United have all stuck three or more past them in their previous five away matches.

One thing it does feel like they’ve done better on the road is to stick the ball in the net. That’s just recency bias, as they’ve scored 11 at home and 11 away, but they’ve scored six in five, while scoring four in eight at home.

It’s still nowhere near enough to win games, given the rate they’re conceding.

Talking of shambolic defences, Ange’s side has allowed 22 goals in 10 home matches. The fact that they always give you chances makes us think they’ll get on the scoresheet.

Tottenham team news

Tottenham are as healthy as they’ve been all season, which means that bomb scare Vicario will continue between the posts, protected by Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Djed Spence has been preferred to Pedro Porro in recent times, so expect him to line up on the right to allow Destiny Udogie to continue at left-back.

James Maddison enjoyed himself with a pair of goals when the sides last met. He’ll retain his place in midfield alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall.

As predicted, Wilson Odobert got the nod in the attack against Chelsea. He struggled to shine so Brennan Johnson could take back his place.

Dominic Solanke will be supplied by Son Heung-Min as he cuts in from the left-hand side.

Tottenham expected line-up

Vicario – Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie – Maddison, Bentancur, Bergvall – Johnson, Solanke, Son Heung-Min

Southampton team news

Injuries and poor performances have prevented Juric from fielding a settled defence this season, but Jan Bednarek, Jack Stephens, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis did enough during the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace to earn another start.

Will Smallbone and Flynn Downes have been ruled out due to injury and suspension, respectively, meaning Lesley Ugochukwu and Joel Aribo will be unleashed in midfield.

Mateus Fernandes has battled Tyler Dibling for a starting berth this campaign and often won.

The Argentinian will join Kamaldeen Sulemana in supporting the attack, though it remains to be seen who will spearhead it.

Juric talked up the performances of Cameron Archer in training this week, so it seems he may be the man to replace Paul Onuachu if the big man is still nursing a knock.

Southampton expected line-up

Ramsdale – Bednarek, Stephens, Harwood-Bellis – Walker-Peters, Downes, Ugochukwu, Manning – Fernandes, Archer, Sulemana

Tottenham vs Southampton: How to watch and listen

Unfortunately, Tottenham vs Southampton isn’t being broadcast in the UK, but it is available around Europe through ViaPlay. Supporters will be able to find radio coverage on THFC Radio or Radio Solent.

Tottenham vs Southampton stats:

– This fixture has averaged 4.75 goals since Spurs beat Southampton 3-2 in the FA Cup in 2020.

– Both teams have scored the last nine times Tottenham hosted Southampton.

– At least one team scored three or more goals in each of the last four meetings.

– Tottenham have scored at least one goal in 15 consecutive meetings with Southampton.

– Tottenham are conceding an average of 2.2 goals per Premier League home match.

– Southampton’s only win in 18 Premier League away matches was a 2-1 victory against fellow promoted side Ipswich Town.

Tottenham vs Southampton referee stats:

Contrary to Ange’s beliefs, AI will not be refereeing this game. Instead, Michael Salisbury will be the man with the whistle.

Salisbury is a soft touch when compared to other Premier League referees, as he’s producing just three yellow cards per fixture on average.

That sounded a bit mean; he might just be good at his job.

Despite setting the bar high for yellow cards, Salisbury has given five players their marching orders in 20 matches.

He’s yet to take charge of either side in this season’s Premier League, though he was at the whistle when Southampton lost out to Ipswich in the 96th minute last season.

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou could now face the sack before the end of the season after insiders were previously certain that wouldn’t happen, according to reports.

Spurs have been in awful form this season with Postecoglou’s side still 14th in the Premier League table after they lost 1-0 against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night.

That has piled more pressure on Postecoglou, whose side have only won ten of their 30 Premier League matches this season, with Tottenham now only having potential Europa League glory as a route back into Europe next term.

There have been rumours at various points of the season that Tottenham could sack Postecoglou but it was understood that the board had sympathy with the Australian over their injury crisis.

However, with some of his better players coming back, GiveMeSport now claim that Tottenham insiders have performed a ‘Postecoglou sack U-turn’ after the Australian’s tenure was plunged into its ‘deepest crisis yet’.

The report adds:

‘The mood around Postecoglou’s future at Tottenham is shifting. Those close to the club, who had been unwavering in their belief that he would see out the season, are now slightly hesitant. In the aftermath of yet another loss, there were quiet murmurings of doubt where before there had only been certainty.’

READ: Mediawatch: Spurs plunged into civil war as Vicario decides to ‘SHUSH’ fans after Postecoglou clash

Postecoglou showed his frustration in a particularly spiky interview with Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison after appearing to cup his ears to fans after Pape Matar Sarr had equalised for Tottenham at Chelsea.

The goal was eventually disallowed after a long VAR review with Postecoglou also going on a long rant about how the technology is ruining football.

On his gesture towards the Tottenham away support, GiveMeSport continues: ‘There was already a disconnect between the manager and fanbase – and chairman Daniel Levy has to seriously consider this moment.’

MORE ON TOTTENHAM FROM F365…

👉 Tim Sherwood singles out Chelsea ‘diamond’ for praise during narrow Tottenham win

👉 Tottenham star ‘snubbed’ by Postecoglou during Chelsea loss seen angrily punching tunnel

👉 Man City FFP, Liverpool bottle it, Ange sack, Man Utd glory: Five ways to save this season

Former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara doesn’t think Son Heung-min is up to being a starter or captain any more.

O’Hara told talkSPORT: “Nothing. He has done nothing. I’ve been saying it for a while. What I’ve said about him is he’s a squad player. For one, he isn’t a captain. He has never been a captain, ever. He’s just not.

“He’s a player who leads by example and he has done that in the past. But, he isn’t good enough no more. He can’t beat a player, he has got no sharpness, he doesn’t go past people, he doesn’t make a difference.”

O’Hara added: “You see Cole Palmer tonight, he wants to get on it, he wants to make things happen, he’ll take risks with the ball. Son – I’ve been saying it, and I got a load of stick for South Korean fans. That’s the problem, we’ll keep him onside because he brings people through the door. But, let me tell you, he isn’t the player for us. He isn’t the player he was.”

Former managing director of football at Tottenham, Fabio Paratici, could be a ‘key factor’ in Man City boss Pep Guardiola moving to AC Milan, according to reports.

Paratici stepped down from his role at Spurs in April 2023 after losing his appeal against a 30-month Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ban on certain football related activities, which FIFA ruled to extend worldwide.

The Italian, who had been in his role at Tottenham since the summer of 2021, was handed a two-and-a-half-year suspension from working in Italy in January 2023 by the FIGC Court of Appeal for his involvement in allegations of false accounting at his old club Juventus, who were given a 15-point deduction.

A report in November 2023 claimed that Paratici still ‘remains heavily involved at the club despite resigning in April’ and that he is continuing to ‘pull all the strings’ in terms of Tottenham recruitment.

However, there have been claims in the last few days that Milan are now attempting to hire him as the Serie A club’s new sporting director ahead of a summer recruitment drive.

Milan are having a poor season with Sergio Conceicao’s side currently ninth in the Serie A table and now Spanish website Fichajes insists that the Italian giants are ‘planning a change of direction on its coaching staff for next season and is evaluating high-calibre options’.

It is claimed that Paratici, ‘who is tipped to become the new sporting director, has among his favorites an attacking coach with international experience’.

The report adds:

‘While the priority seems to be an Italian coach, with Roberto De Zerbi at the top of the list of candidates, an unexpected name has emerged that could change everything: Pep Guardiola.

‘Although it remains a rumor at first and his signing is complicated, the possibility of the Spaniard leaving Manchester City has put Milan’s leadership on alert. The close relationship between Paratici and Guardiola could be a key factor if the option becomes more viable in the future.

‘Within Manchester City, the manager’s situation remains unclear. Guardiola recently renewed his contract and remains focused on achieving this season’s goals, but the English club faces challenges both in planning for next season and in its continued presence in the Champions League.’

MORE MAN CITY COVERAGE ON F365…

👉 Man City accuse Premier League ‘of distorting the competition in favour of Arsenal’

👉 Big Weekend: Man Utd v Man City, Nottingham Forest, Kiwior, Slot, Postecoglou misery-enders

👉 Champions League race: Isak > Shearer, Monchi genius, Grealish at No.10 and Bournemouth f*** it

Man City, who are currently fifth in the Premier League table, have been struggling this season in all competitions with Guardiola’s only chance of silverware coming in the FA Cup.

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit insists Guardiola looks “broken” this season and puts it down to “what happened outside the pitch”.

Petit said recently: “Something has been broken with him. I don’t want to talk about his private matters, but I think what happened outside the pitch, maybe had a big impact on him. Maybe the players saw that.

“I’m not there at the Manchester City training ground, but when you look at this team, they are not the same team from the last few years.

“We’re talking about guys that just won the Premier League, and we’re talking about a team and a manager that’s supposed to play at the highest standards domestically and in Europe, but we haven’t seen it.

“The way they’ve fallen apart at the same time has been shocking to watch. They’ve lost so many games.”

Guglielmo Vicario might have SHUSHED a handful of Spurs fans for no apparent reason, but crucially we cannot be sure so shouldn’t be making the accusation.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the SHUSH

The big story from Thursday evening’s confirmation of a delightfully early St Totteringham’s Day was no doubt Ange Postecoglou’s attempts to gaslight an entire fanbase and just generally people with functioning eyes.

He cupped his ear to the Spurs supporters who had booed him moments before because he was happy and wanted to hear them make more noise, your honour. It really is incredible how things are interpreted nowadays, especially when there are precisely zero other available interpretations of something.

So there is absolutely currency in pretending that rifts at Spurs run deeper than that irrevocable one between manager and fans. Which is how we get this from The Sun website:

‘Tottenham keeper Vicario appears to SHUSH fuming Spurs fans then smacks tunnel after Chelsea defeat’

It is a mightily loaded headline in the circumstances and they absolutely know that. Hell, they’re nakedly depending on either the fury of Spurs fans or the schadenfreude of everyone else for clicks there.

But it’s immediately problematic: he either SHUSHED the fans or he didn’t. This is not really a scenario in which cakes can be both had and eaten here.

The explanation in the story makes it no clearer. Digital Sports Reporter Kealan Hughes writes that Vicario ‘walked over to the away end and made a gesture, spinning his wrists around his head before appearing to make a shushing action.’ And who among us can honestly say they haven’t ever made a gesture, spinning our wrists around our head before appearing to make a shushing action?

It’s nonsense for a number of reasons. For starters, not a single Spurs fan reacts to this supposed act of disrespect; those left in the stands just continue to clap as Vicario allegedly comes over specifically to SHUSH them.

Also, the camera is filming Vicario from the back and thus the slightly grainy footage only shows him raising his hand in the vague vicinity of his face. And of course he cannot possibly have been SCRATCHING an itch or anything. It can only have been a SHUSH.

Just look at this remarkably incriminating evidence attached to the story:

That is admittedly quite damning. Just look at that handful of ‘fuming Spurs fans’ he has decided to goad for no apparent reason.

It is quite strange that the only other outlet covering this story is TribalFootball. It’s not even a thing on the social media hellscape of manufactured controversies formerly known as Twitter. Why is everyone choosing to ignore this apart from the incredibly brave souls at The Sun website? Stop asking questions. SHUSH.

More tea, Vicar?

Actually, tell a lie: the Daily Star website brings us this latest development:

‘Tottenham star spotted shushing Chelsea fans after tensions boiled over in clash’

That really does clear up any and all confusion. Cheers.

Ange management

This line in that Sun website story is also slightly absurd:

‘Postecoglou was also accused of cupping his ear towards the away end after Pape Sarr found the net – only for his goal to be ruled out.’

The reluctance to say with absolute certainty that Vicario SHUSHED the fans is understandable. But saying Postecoglou was ‘also accused of cupping his ears towards the away end’ is like saying he has been accused of being a surly 59-year-old Australian.

Brawl of shame

Something about that game at Stamford Bridge obviously planted a mischievous seed in the collective minds at The Sun website because…

‘Chelsea and Tottenham descends into chaos as Romero sparks mass brawl after shoving Colwill to ground’

The players ‘came to blows in a feisty brawl’ and ‘referee Craig Pawson was left helpless given the sheer number of players involved’, you see?

An alternative view might be that there was a small amount of pushing or shoving and a whole lot more separating, while a ‘helpless’ Pawson watched from the outside instead of getting stuck in.

And what punishment was meted out after these two sets of players ‘came to blows’? One yellow card apiece. It doesn’t exactly scream ‘Battle of the Bridge’, does it?

You with the sad eyes

One player who might want to SHUSH a certain section of the fans is Trent Alexander-Arnold, but as he is currently injured the Liverpool defender has been reduced to ‘show true colours’ duty by the Daily Mirror website.

‘Trent Alexander-Arnold shows true colours with Liverpool reaction despite fan anger’ is a headline which leaves plenty to the imagination as to what he might have done. Maybe Mediawatch missed him holding up a Real Madrid shirt to the Kop in this sordid true colour reveal. Or did he spin his wrists around his head before appearing to make a shushing action?

The suspense is killing us…

‘The 26-year-old stood by the tunnel so he could congratulate every one of his team-mates as they came off, with a special reception reserved for Jones, who got some words of encouragement.’

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been told the Europa League match against Eintracht Frankfurt is “all or nothing” after another Premier League defeat.

Spurs‘ 1-0 loss away at Chelsea was the club’s 16th league defeat of the season, leaving them 14th and heading for their worst finish since 1994.

With qualification to Europe via the league a near impossibility, former player and now Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said Tottenham’s Europa League tie against Eintracht Frankfurt has become the most important game of their season.

“The Frankfurt game is all or nothing,” Redknapp told Sky. “I’ve never seen a club where it’s joy or despair in every aspect because he [Postecoglou] will be proven right. Everything he said early on in the season.

“He is all in on that Europa League and right now the players look like that as well. Ange said they did okay but the players weren’t at it.

“Considering they had everyone back. It’s as poor as I’d seen them play all season.”

Tottenham have reached the quarter finals of the UEFA competition but are not favourites to win it with Manchester United, Lyon, Athletic Club and Rangers all still in.

The North London club host Frankfurt next week and Redknapp believes if they were not still in the competition, Postecoglou would have already been sacked.

“If they weren’t in Europe, I don’t think he’d still be the manager. It’s been that poor and he knows the price on the ticket.

“You don’t lose 16 games at a club like Tottenham. He’s got to win the cup, if they do – they are creating history. If you don’t, you will be history. That’s why it is all or nothing for Ange Postecoglou.”

The Australian manager clashed with a Sky Sports reporter after being questioned on a gesture that seemed to show him cupping his ear to the away support.

MORE ON TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR ON F365

👉 Van Nistelrooy still clear favourite, but might this season’s Sack Race already be run?

👉 Postecoglou closer to exit after dismal Spurs gift Chelsea ‘catalyst’ with £5m Sancho call tempting

👉 Tim Sherwood singles out Chelsea ‘diamond’ for praise during narrow Tottenham win

The 59-year-old claimed it had been misinterpreted and that he was asking to hear the fans cheer.

“It’s incredible how things get interpreted. We just scored, I just wanted to hear them cheer,” he said.

“We’ve been through a tough time and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited.

“I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was [going] our way.

“It doesn’t bother me. It’s not the first time they’ve booed my substitutions or my decisions. That’s fine, they’re allowed to do that, but we just scored a goal, we just scored an equaliser.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has explained his gesture to Spurs fans during their 1-0 loss to Chelsea in a prickly interview with Sky Sports.

Enzo Fernandez scored the only goal of the game on 50 minutes as the north Londoners remained in 14th place in the Premier League table.

Tottenham have been in awful form this season with Postecoglou’s side winning just ten of their 30 Premier League matches so far.

After Pape Matar Sarr’s long-range strike got Spurs back on level terms, which was eventually ruled out by a lengthy VAR check, Postecoglou appeared to cup his ear towards the away end.

Postecoglou was booed by the away section for bringing on Sarr in place of Lucas Bergvall and his reaction to the disallowed goal seemed in direct response to that.

When asked about his gesture by Sky Sports journalist Patrick Davison, Postecoglou said: “Yeah, I wanted them to be happy, mate. We’d just scored a cracking goal. So I wanted them to cheer – because they haven’t had a lot to cheer about.”

When asked whether his gesture was in reaction to his substitutions being booed, Postecoglou replied: “It’s not the first time my substitutions have been booed. If you followed my tenure, it’s not the first time. They’re allowed to boo. But I wanted them to cheer – because I thought it was a cracking goal.”

But Davison kept pressing, he said; “You said in the week – in your interview with Mark Schwarzer – that you felt you’d lost a portion of the fans. Is that what we saw tonight?”

Postecoglou hit back: “I get it, Pat. You’re trying really hard. That’s fine. You’ve already decided what the outcome is.”

MORE ON TOTTENHAM FROM F365…

👉 Tim Sherwood singles out Chelsea ‘diamond’ for praise during narrow Tottenham win

👉 Postecoglou closer to exit after dismal Spurs gift Chelsea ‘catalyst’ with £5m Sancho call tempting

👉 Man City FFP, Liverpool bottle it, Ange sack, Man Utd glory: Five ways to save this season

The Tottenham boss has never hidden his disdain for VAR and Postecoglou once again highlighted his frustrations with the technology.

“It’s killing the game, mate. It’s not the same game it used to be. We all sat on our couches last night and watched TV – I guarantee you, if [Thursday’s VAR] Jarred Gillett was the VAR last night, we’d have got a different outcome.”

Postecoglou was referring to the Merseyside Derby, still fuming he continued: “You just don’t know what you’re going to get. We waited for six minutes for something that apparently the VAR thought was clear and obvious. It’s madness, mate.”

When asked whether Sarr’s disallowed goal was the wrong call by Davison, Postecoglou said: “Look, Pat, you can try and force me into a corner.”

Davison: “I’m not trying to force you into anything.”

Postecoglou replied: “Did you think last night was clear and obvious? How many minutes did it take this referee to figure out whether it was clear and obvious? In your basic knowledge of human vocabulary – ‘clear and obvious’ – what does that suggest to you?”

Davison admitted: “No, it’s maybe not clear and obvious. I do think it’s a foul [by Sarr], if I’m honest.”

Postecoglou finished: “OK. Right. Well, there you go. So the referee didn’t see it. He then needs to see it for six minutes, but you get the right outcome so you’re happy – and that’s why the game’s going the way it is. And I guess people like you will continue to be happy sitting on your couches waiting for six minutes for clear and obvious stuff. That’s fine. I don’t agree with that, but that’s fine.”

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was described as a “diamond” by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Tim Sherwood.

The west London club defeated their city rivals 1-0 to boost their chances of staying in the top four as the season comes to a close.

Enzo Fernandez scored the only goal of the game, but it was his Chelsea midfield partner, Caicedo, that Sherwood picked out for praise.

“Caicedo is a diamond of a player,” Sherwood told Premier League Productions.

He breaks up so many attacks, he sits in that midfield, for [Levi] Colwill and [Trevoh] Chalobah tonight he must’ve been a dream.

“He was just in there and giving it to players who can play in front of him, the likes of Enzo, Cole Palmer, [Pedro] Neto, always threatens in behind even though it wasn’t his best game, they’ve got Nicolas Jackson back.

“They need to finish in the top five otherwise it’s not a very good season for them.”

Chelsea are one point ahead of Manchester City with eight games to go in the Premier League season and manager Enzo Maresca said at this stage of the campaign, every win is important.

“It’s very important. First of all, because of the performance. We know how important it is in this moment to win games, but since we start, we try to win games in the way we want, and I think tonight the performance was very good.

“I said yesterday in the press conference, the last four games at home was Leicester, Southampton, West Ham and Wolves. Four teams that they sit back and wait for us. Tonight, Tottenham, it’s a different kind of game, so for us in some way it’s better.”

Glenn Hoddle, meanwhile, said Chelsea were not at their best and would have been punished by a better team.

MORE ON CHELSEA ON F365

👉 Enzo Maresca lauds Chelsea star as ‘the best in the world’ after Tottenham victory

👉 Enzo Fernandez talks with Real Madrid revealed as 70% price plummet expected at Chelsea

👉 Premier League prize money calculated after latest TV games announcement

“They didn”t play free-flowing, quick football where it was one, two touch through the pitch quickly, create, get corners, get pressure, it wasn”t that sort of performance from Chelsea,” Hoddle said.

“I think the manager said it right, they did enough to win, they deserved to win, they did just enough to win tonight against Tottenham who were playing a little bit within.

“If they”d have played against Liverpool tonight, or Man City, or Forest, they might have had some trouble, they really might.”

Ange Postecoglou looks too far gone with the Europa League saving grace unlikely after Spurs’ no-show vs Chelsea, who should pay to send Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United…

Chelsea’s toothless performance against Arsenal made us question whether they even wanted to win after Enzo Maresca’s side willfully allowed their London rivals to coast to the easiest of victories.

This weak showing left Chelsea with the same points tally as Manchester United since their Premier League title challenge started to evaporate in mid-December.

In this time, Spurs have been even worse as Championship-bound Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town are the only Premier League teams with fewer points in 2025 than Postecoglou’s side.

Tottenham’s injury crisis is a mitigating factor, but even their patched-up squad has massively underperformed and not turned up in far too many games this season.

Their injury issues have eased with all of their eggs in the Europa League basket as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven started together against Chelsea.

This is the first time they have each started since the reverse fixture against Chelsea in December, in which they were forced off after being rushed back from injury.

History did not repeat itself on Thursday night, but the Spurs duo had a rough evening against a returning Nicolas Jackson, who gave Chelsea the focal point that was sorely lacking vs Arsenal and in previous pre-international break fixtures.

Jackson’s lively return to action contributed to an improved performance from Chelsea, who showed intent from the opening whistle and almost took the lead within a minute as Van de Ven touched the ball onto the post.

The striker’s development has eased Chelsea’s need to sign a top-tier striker, but issues remain in wide areas, with Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto continuing to infuriate.

Sancho had the best chance of the opening of the first half; his effort was superbly tipped over the bar by an overwise erratic Guglielmo Vicario.

However, it was another disappointing game for Sancho as he mostly insisted on dribbling into a tackle or going for a pass when in a shooting opportunity, which royally wound up the home crowd.

Sancho’s bright start to this campaign has been undermined by a dramatic decline; months of ineffectiveness have sapped his confidence to the point where the £5m penalty charge to send him back to Man Utd looks a bargain.

READ: Premier League prize money calculated after latest TV games announcement

Cole Palmer has also had his confidence knocked as Chelsea’s nonchalant star man has proven he’s human, but normality was restored against Tottenham as he produced a big moment.

Chelsea dominated the first half as the visitors failed to register a shot on target in a tepid performance, but the host’s lack of a clinical edge – even against such a poor opponent – threatened to put Maresca and his side under more pressure via a glaring missed opportunity to capitalise on a visit from Dr Tottenham.

Thankfully for Maresca, Palmer sparred his blushes. His pinpoint cross was headed home from close range by Enzo Fernandez. He and Moises Caicedo were Chelsea’s two best players on the night; the latter is unfortunate not to feature in our team of the season so far.

This derby did not come close to matching the seven-goal thriller in December, but Thursday’s match was not without incident as Caicedo (correctly for offside in the build-up) and Pape Sarr (correctly for a foul) had goals chalked off by VAR, which a touchy and straw-clutching Postecoglou focused on post-match after his latest clashes with Spurs supporters provided further evidence that they have grown tired of one another.

Even with the World Cup winner and Van de Ven finally back together, Spurs were wide open in defence and would have been on the end of a one-sided hammering against a Premier League foe in a more rampant mood.

Pre-match, Jamie Redknapp said this season would be “unbelievable” for Spurs if they win the Europa League, but this feels like a big ask after Postecoglou’s underdelivering team didn’t do nearly enough to trouble an off-peak Chelsea and will come unstuck against the Bundesliga’s third-placed side, Eintracht Frankfurt, if there’s not a spark improvement to save the Aussie’s job, which is slipping away from him.

As for Chelsea, there were positives with the promising return of Jackson, Palmer getting the monkey off his back with his first goal involvement since February, Fernandez’s all-action performance and Caicedo establishing himself as “one of the best defensive midfielders in the world”.

The Blues are a far cry from the side they were at the start of this season, but – much like for Liverpool in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby – the victory was the most important thing tonight to restore order.

As Redknapp said pre-match, a win tonight could be the “catalyst” for an upturn in form during the run-in to seal Champions League qualification, which they need to grasp because this version of Chelsea will still be picked off against superior opposition to Spurs.

Chelsea and Tottenham will renew rivalries when they meet in a Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

Ange Postecoglou’s record against Chelsea doesn’t make for pretty reading. The Aussie has lost all three meetings with the Blues, conceding 10 goals in the process.

We asked Big Ange how he plans to turn that record around, but he just got upset and told us that he always thought it would take three years to have success in the Premier League.

Barring an incredible end-of-season run, Thursday’s trip to the Bridge is nothing more than an opportunity to be spiteful and p*ss on Chelsea’s chips.

Ange is now second favourite in the sack race but that would seem particularly harsh to us, as 85% of Spurs’ net spend in the transfer window went on players 21 and under.

The same approach has worked wonders for a Chelsea side on the verge of Champions League football, though spending the best part of £600,000,000 on 25 players has left them surprisingly better equipped to deal with injuries than Spurs.

Still, we’re here to make a case for the visitors claiming a result on Thursday.

Chelsea vs Tottenham prediction:

Injuries have derailed Tottenham’s chances of making a real fist of this season, yet they were able to field almost their strongest side when surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose to Chelsea in the reverse fixture.

Neither side is in great form coming into this fixture, with the Blues having won two of five in the league. Those wins came against, let’s be honest, already relegated teams in Southampton and Leicester City.

Spurs haven’t fared much better, winless in three before the international break and losing eight of 14 on their travels this season.

Despite that, something is telling us to zig when we should zag. Ange and his team had the break to get healthy and refocus, intending to salvage some pride and finish near the top half at least.

Keep in mind Spurs have produced emphatic wins away to Man United, Man City and Brentford this season, all at a time when the chips were down.

In addition to backing the visitors to spring a surprise, we’re predicting they’ll pile the pressure on the Chelsea goal at some point and make Robert Sanchez earn his crust.

Chelsea team news

Chelsea look set to welcome several key players back to the fold in the coming week, though it remains to be seen if any of them will be fit to start on Thursday.

Wesley Fofana has been a standout performer in defence for the Blues, and so could partner Levi Colwill as part of a back four.

Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo came through the international break unscathed.

Christopher Nkunku may be asked to continue playing on the left if Pedro Neto is deployed in attack, which all depends on the fitness of the returning Nicolas Jackson.

Noni Madueke is also an option in the wide areas.

Chelsea expected line-up

Sanchez – James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella – Fernandez, Caicedo – Sancho, Palmer, Nkunku – Neto

Tottenham team news

Ange should be able to call upon the trio of Vicario, Christian Romero and Micky van de Ven on a regular basis going forward, which is huge for Spurs’ end-of-season prospects.

They’ll be flanked by the dependable Pedro Porro on the right and surprise package Djed Spence, who not so long ago was deemed surplus to requirements and sent on an ill-fated loan spell to Championship Leeds, on the left.

Archie Gray enjoyed a start in a more familiar role in midfield last time out, but we expect him to make way with Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison as options.

Wilson Odobert could be deployed on the left but that’ll depend on the availability of Dejan Kulusevski, with his status unknown at the time of writing.

If Kulu is indeed fit, you’d expect him to join Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-Min in the attack.

Tottenham expected line-up

Vicario – Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence – Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison – Odobert, Solanke, Heung-Min

Chelsea vs Tottenham: How to watch and listen

You can watch Chelsea vs Tottenham live on Sky Sports Ultra HDR, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League on Thursday, April 3. There’s also live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live Sport.

Chelsea vs Tottenham stats:

Chelsea’s three-match win streak has compounded their dominance in this fixture, in which they’ve won 23 and drawn 12 of 43 meetings.

Chelsea came from 2-0 down inside 11 minutes to score four unanswered goals and win the reverse fixture 4-3.

Chelsea’s last three matches have finished 1-0, the first time they’ve played out the same scoreline in three consecutive games since facing Leicester, Southampton and West Ham in March of 2022.

The last time they featured in a trio if 1-0 wins was when they beat West Brom, Sunderland and Crystal Palace in 2016.

Chelsea’s home games are averaging 3.03xG per game this season, which is identical to the 3.03xG Spurs are averaging in away games.

Tottenham have won more matches on their travels than at home this season, taking maximum points in 36% of away trips compared to 33% of home dates.

Chelsea vs Tottenham referee stats:

Craig Pawson, who was demoted by UEFA last summer and controversially ruled out a late Chelsea goal at this stage of the season last year, will take charge of Thursday’s fixture.

He was also at the centre of VAR controversy this season as Everton fans fumed at his decision not to award the Toffees a penalty against Newcastle in October.

Thursday’s assignment will be his 18th Premier League fixture of a campaign which has also seen him officiate games in the Champions League, League Cup, Europa League and Nations League.

It will be the first time he’s refereed Chelsea this season, but he did oversee Spurs’ 4-1 win at home to Aston Villa recently.

Pawson is averaging 4.12 yellow cards per game, 0.18 red cards and has awarded five penalties in 22 contests.