talkSPORT

Tottenham host Man City in Carabao Cup as Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United learn opponents

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham will host Manchester City in the standout Carabao Cup fourth round tie.

The last 16 draw took place on Wednesday night following the conclusion of Liverpool and Arsenal's wins over West Ham and Bolton respectively.

Man City progressed thanks to a 2-1 win over Watford on Tuesday night with Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes getting the goals to send them through.

Meanwhile, Spurs secured their spot in the fourth round with a 2-1 win over Coventry last week.

Now Premier Legaue champions City and Spurs will meet in north London, with a quarter-final place at stake.

Arsenal, who beat Bolton 5-1 at the Emirates Stadium, will travel to face Preston in the fourth round while Brighton host holders Liverpool at the AMEX Stadium.

Arne Slot's side progressed thanks to a 5-1 victory over West Ham at Anfield with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo grabbing two goals each.

Manchester United have been drawn against Leicester City at home following the 7-0 hammering of Barnsley and the Foxes' dramatic penalty shootout win over Walsall.

It was that clash with the League Two side that saw a fan try to confront Steve Cooper before being tackled by a Walsall player.

The winners of AFC Wimbledon and Newcastle will face Chelsea in the next round, with the rearranged third round tie set to take place at St James' Park following the flooded pitch at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

AFC Wimbledon's vice president Ivor Heller has told talkSPORT the club could spend around £1million on repairing their pitch.

A fan-led JustGiving page has been set up to raise funds to fix the pitch and has already raised £111,000 at the time of writing.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa host Crystal Palace, Southampton welcome Stoke City and Brentford take on Sheffield Wednesday.

talkSPORT co-hosts Jason Cundy and Jamie O'Harahad their say on the Carabao Cup draw, with some fantastic fixtures to look forward to.

Speaking on The Sports Bar, ex-Chelsea defender Cundy said: "There's a couple of tasty ones, Brighton vs Liverpool is a tasty one.

"And obviously your boys [Tottenham] against Man City, that catches the eye.

"Villa vs Palace... you expect Arsenal to go through."

Left dejected by Tottenham's opponents, former Spurs midfielder O'Hara stated: "Is there any danger of us just getting an easy route to a final? Come on."

To which Cundy quipped: "You're never going to win anyway even if you've got an easy route, you'll still lose in the final."

He continued: "You expect Newcastle to beat Wimbledon and that'll be a tough game for Chelsea, it'll be a tough game for both to be honest.

"It's amazing this competition, because you win two games [round three and four] and then you're staring the quarters in the face."

Ties will be played the week commencing October 28th.

Source

Why Cristian Romero is banned for Tottenham's opening Europa League clash despite never playing in the competition

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham will be without key defender Cristian Romero for the start of their Europa League campaign, live on talkSPORT 2 this week.

The Argentine has played every minute for Spurs in the Premier League so far this season but will be unavailable against Qarabag.

Ange Postecoglou will oversee European football at the club for the first time since becoming manager.

The Australian guided the Lilywhites back into continental competition this term following a one-year absence.

It is Tottenham’s first foray into the Europa League since 2020/21 - with Romero in Champions League action for Atalanta that season.

The 26-year-old has never played in UEFA's secondary tournament, but a unique ruling will mean he's forced to wait until he can.

Why is Romero banned against Qarabag?

Tottenham's World Cup-winning vice-captain is serving a retroactive ban that has not been served yet from the last time the club were in Europe.

Romero was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the second leg of the 1-0 aggregate Champions League defeat to AC Milan.

Under Antonio Conte, Spurs were looking to overturn a one-goal deficit to the Serie A side in the round of 16 in March 2023.

However, their task was made exponentially harder after Romero was shown a red card in 77th minute for a late lunge on Theo Hernandez - having been walking a tightrope since his initial caution 17 minutes in.

Tottenham ultimately only managed a goalless draw to confirm their elimination, before their lowly league finish meant rivals Arsenal have been north London's only representative in Europe since.

As a result, Romero's ban has lingered, and it carries across UEFA competitions if it cannot be served in the one it was gained in.

The one-match suspension has not expired from his record despite the time delay, and so will be active in Thursday's clash instead.

Romero won't get the chance to make his Europa League debut until matchday two, having played in each of the other two UEFA competitions both above and below across his tenures at Tottenham and Atalanta.

His Champions League red card, which was his second sending-off during the 2022-23 season, saw him dubbed a 'liability' by talkSPORT's Jamie O'Hara.

He has since worked on his discipline issues, having then had to serve a three-match ban after his high challenge on Argentina teammate Enzo Fernandez in a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea eight months later.

Romero picked up just one yellow card in Tottenham's final six Premier League games last season.

He wasn't booked at all during his country's Copa America triumph this summer and is also waiting on his first caution of this season.

His Europa League suspension will be a major blow to Postecoglou's plans, with Romero's only absence so far coming when he was rested for the Carabao Cup win over Coventry City.

Radu Dragusin deputised for the defender in the 2-1 third-round victory and is likely to do so again against Qarabag.

Coverage of which will be available on talkSPORT 2, with commentary from Ian Danter and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

Source

Tottenham vs Qarabag LIVE commentary: Spurs set for return to European football after a year away - kick-off time, team news and talkSPORT coverage

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham will begin their Europa League campaign this Thursday night when they welcome Qarabag to London, live on talkSPORT 2.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have not made a great start to the new season, but after a 3-1 win against Brentford at the weekend, they will want to build some momentum.

Spurs venture into this competition for the first time since 2021 in search of a trophy that would end their long, long wait for some silverware.

They have been handed a tough set of games in UEFA’s new format, with ties against Roma, Rangers and Galatasaray to come.

But Qarabag are their first opponents and the Azerbaijani side are returning to the Europa League after their best-ever campaign last year.

They reached the round of 16, winning four of their games which is the most they have ever won in major European competitions.

Tottenham vs Qarabag: Back in Europe

Tottenham are back in Europe after a year away.

In Postecoglou’s first season, he was able to secure qualification to the Europa League with Spurs finishing fifth in the Premier League.

It meant they would be making a return to continental football for the first time since their Champions League last 16 defeat to AC Milan in March last year.

Under Antonio Conte, Tottenham were booed off the pitch following as they failed to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg.

And after finishing eighth in the league, they didn’t qualify to play in Europe last season.

But Postecoglou has them back as they prepare for their first Europa League campaign since Dinamo Zagreb knocked them out in the round of 16.

This is the third meeting between Tottenham Hotspur and Qarabag in major European competition, with Spurs winning both previous meetings in the 2015/16 group stage of the UEFA Europa League (3-1 & 1-0).

Qarabag have lost all six of their meetings with English sides in all competitions – twice vs Spurs (2015-16), twice vs Chelsea (2017-18) and twice vs Arsenal (2018-19).

Tottenham vs Qarabag: Team news

Dominic Solanke scored his first Tottenham goal at the weekend and he’ll likely keep his place up front as he aims for more.

That’s because Richarlison remains sidelined alongside summer signing Wilson Odobert.

Postecoglou is expected to rotate his team slightly though, with Radu Dragusin, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray vying for starting spots.

Timo Werner could also get some extended minutes and Djed Spence may come in to allow some rest for Destiny Udogie.

Brennan Johnson will hope to continue his turnaround in form by getting on the scoresheet on his European debut.

As for Qarabag, Juninho Vieira will look to add to his goal last time out while Yassin Benzia will be a creative hub for the side from Azerbaijan.

Tottenham have lost just one of their last eight matches in the UEFA Europa League (W6 D1), although this defeat did come in their most recent such match – 0-3 against Dinamo Zagreb in March 2021.

Qarabag’s Juninho has been involved in five goals in his last six appearances in major European competition (4 goals, 1 assist), netting in both round of 16 matches against Bayer 04 Leverkusen last season.

Tottenham vs Qarabag: What has been said?

After scoring against Brentford, James Maddison hit back at criticism he has received since the start of the season.

Maddison’s performances have left some unimpressed, but after his first goal of the campaign last time out, he’ll now be looking to build on it.

Speaking on Saturday, the midfielder said: “The team is always the most important. I would have been happy with my performance and how I played regardless of whether I got the goal.

“It [the goal] kind of shuts up a few people in the background who think the goals and assists do matter more than what they probably do.

“I am an attacking player who has always scored goals and always got assists, that’s my job.

“So when you are not doing that and even if you feel like you are playing well personally, helping the team, the gaffer is happy with what I’m doing, for some games you have it where I feel like I play really well in the build-up and help the team progress but you don’t get a goal or assist to show for that.

“And then people start questioning the numbers, so sometimes you have to take the outside noise with a pinch of salt, but on the other hand I love scoring goals and it was a nice feeling.”

Qarabag reached the round of 16 in last season’s UEFA Europa League, the furthest they’ve advanced in a major European competition. Their four wins were also their most in a single such campaign.

Tottenham vs Qarabag: talkSPORT coverage

This Europa League clash will take place on Thursday, September 26.

Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is scheduled for 8pm.

talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage of all the action this week.

Commentary of the game will come from Ian Danter and former Chelsea defender Scott Minto.

To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.

You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

The game will also be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1.

Source

Transfer notebook: Sean Dyche's Everton future revealed, Manchester United target Championship star, Tottenham failed to sign title-winning striker

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Everton’s proposed takeover by Daniel Friedkin is set to hand under-pressure Sean Dyche a stay of execution - at least in the short term.

Dyche could be forgiven for fearing the sack after current owner Farhad Moshiri agreed on Monday to sell his shares to Friedkin after the American brutally axed Roma legend Daniele De Rossi.

The Italian's termination at the Stadio Olimpico comes just four games into the season, prompting fierce criticism from former players including Paolo Di Canio.

But talkSPORT understands Friedkin intends to follow the example of Sir Jim Ractliffe by conducting a thorough performance review of the Toffees.

This includes manager Dyche with Friedkin keen to not rush into any knee-jerk decisions following Everton’s poor start to the season.

If Dyche fails to convince he can turn their fortunes around after taking just one point from their first five games, ex-Everton boss David Moyes is expected to be considered for a return to the Toffees hot-seat.

The Scot is keen to get back to work after leaving West Ham

at the end of last season.

Ex-Chelsea and Brighton chief Graham Potter and recently-departed England boss Gareth Southgate are other potential targets.

He's our Man

Manchester United are ready to step up their interest in Sunderland whiz-kid Chris Rigg.

United are among a number of Premier League clubs who have been following the progress of the 17-year-old, who is widely considered as the best youngster to emerge in the Championship since Jude Bellingham.

The Tyneside-born midfielder only enhanced that reputation by scoring a stunning solo goal in Saturday’s derby win over Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

Sources close to Rigg have told talkSPORT that United could make their move for Rigg as early as the January transfer window to fend off competition from rivals including Newcastle.

He perfectly fits the profile of young player INEOS want to build their Old Trafford revamp around.

In your Face

Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface went viral after an outrageous double nutmeg followed by a no-look pass helped set up a goal in Bayer Leverkusen’s Champions League thrashing of Feyenoord last week.

The Nigerian could have been showing those silky skills in a Tottenham shirt had this summer’s transfer window worked out differently.

talkSPORT understands Spurs approached Leverkusen over Boniface’s availability, before signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for a club-record £65million fee.

If the 23-year-old keeps pulling off pieces of magic like we witnessed in Rotterdam, then Tottenham won’t be the only Premier League club on his trail, particularly with the global dearth of forwards.

Leverkusen are braced for interest and value Boniface around the £50m mark.

Stuck in the Mud

Mykhailo Mudryk is determined to battle for his Chelsea future.

The 23-year-old is in danger of becoming the Blues’ forgotten man following the summer signings of Pedro Neto, Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho.

But the Ukrainian, who has started just one Premier League game under new manager Enzo Maresca, still believes he can be a success at Stamford Bridge.

talkSPORT has been told Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali is desperate for Mudryk to come good after leading the charge to sign him from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal worth up to £88.5m.

Source

Just one Tottenham player remains from last Europa League starting line-up which saw Harry Kane flop on big occasion

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham are hoping to put their previous Europa League nightmare fully behind them when they return to the competition on Thursday.

Spurs face Azerbaijan outfit Qarabag in Europe's second-tier tournament in north London on Thursday night - live on talkSPORT 2.

Having spent last season out of Europe following a dismal eighth-placed finish in the 2022/23 season, Ange Postecoglou helped guide his side to a respectable fifth-placed finish last term.

And just three years on from their last appearance in the Europa League in March 2021, their squad is almost unrecognisable.

Just one player remains from the starting XI that suffered a shock 3-0 defeat away at Dinamo Zagreb in the last 16 second leg.

Spurs seemed destined to reach the quarter-finals following a 2-0 first leg victory, with Harry Kane helping himself to a double.

But he drew a blank in the return fixture away at the Croatian side, having been denied twice by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.

His misses proved costly, with a hat-trick from Mislav Orsic compounding Spurs to an embarrassing exit from what was expected to be a comfortable win.

Their performance left then-boss Jose Mourinho to issue a heartfelt apology to the club's supporters, while also lamenting the attitude from his men.

Meanwhile former skipper Hugo Lloris hit out at his teammates, as he said: "I think we are more than disappointed, it is a disgrace. I hope everyone in the changing room feels responsible."

Before adding: "We have a lack of basics, fundamentals, our performances are just in relation of that. Mentally we should be stronger, more competitive."

Here talkSPORT.com takes a look at Spurs' starting XI from that fateful night in Croatia, with ten of those players no longer on their books.

Goalkeeper

A club icon, Lloris made 447 appearances for Spurs during his 12-year stay in north London.

But mistakes soon began to creep into his game during the end of his time, which led to the Frenchman being frozen out of the squad following Postecoglou's appointment last year.

He is currently plying his trade in America with Los Angeles FC.

Defenders

Left-back Ben Davies is the only player still on Spurs' books from their clash against Zagreb.

However the Welshman is no longer a key player, with the 31-year-old yet to feature in any of the club's Premier League matches this season.

Serge Aurier started as Tottenham's right-back, but the Ivorian joining Villarreal shortly after the Zagreb loss following inconsistent performances.

A centre-back pairing consisted of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, both of whom were shipped out by Postecoglou.

Dier was allowed to join Bayern Munich in the 2024 winter transfer window, while Sanchez was sold to Galatasaray last summer.

Midfielders

A double pivot saw Harry Winks partner Moussa Sissoko in the heart of the midfield.

Just two years earlier, they had also started in Spurs' Champions League final defeat to Liverpool.

Dele Alli then featured in the No.10 role, but failed to impress on what was one of Spurs' most humiliating nights in Europe.

Winks left Spurs last year to join Leicester having been deemed as surplus to requirements.

Meanwhile, Sissoko joined Watford following the 2020/21 season, with Alli, who is currently unemployed, making the move to Everton in 2022.

Forwards

Featuring on the right wing was Erik Lamela, who scored an incredible rabona goal away at Arsenal just days before the clash with Zagreb.

Having never reached his full potential for Spurs, he was offloaded to Sevilla in 2021.

As for left winger Lucas Moura, he was released just before Postecoglou took over after five-and-a-half-years at the club.

Meanwhile Kane, who would go on to become Spurs' all-time top scorer, departed last year for Bayern Munich in his quest for silverware.

That has so far eluded him in Germany, though his goalscoring exploits has seen him regarded as one of the world's top centre-forwards.

Source

Tottenham star suffers gruesome black eye in incident missed by referee

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Tottenham Hotspur Women star Amanda Nilden has been left with a black eye after their 4-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Spurs won their first Women's Super League game of the season with ease against the newly-promoted Eagles.

Head coach Robert Vilahamn was forced into a number of signings of the summer with high-profile stars Grace Clinton and Celin Bizet both leaving.

England international Clinton was a key player last season but was on loan from Manchester United so returned to her former club, while Bizet, who formed a close bond with the midfielder, then signed for the Red Devils.

However, that blow was swiftly remedied with Bizet's replacement, Hayley Raso, putting in a brilliant showing on debut against Crystal Palace at Brisbane Road.

She got the Tottenham opener with a low drive across goal, before Jess Naz, Drew Spence and Olga Ahtinen, with a rocket, made it a comprehensive win for the hosts.

The Eagles, embarking on their first ever WSL season definitely made an impact though.

And Spurs' Swedish left-back Amanda Nilden can certainly attest to it.

After just eight minutes gone in the clash, Palace star Josie Green went for a high ball along with Nilden while leading with her elbow.

The collision, prior to the ball getting to the pair, left the Swede laid out on the floor but referee Amy Fearn allowed play to go on before realising the extent of the injury.

Treatment lasted for three minutes, but Nilden managed to complete 87 minutes before being substituted, with Charli Grant replacing her.

However, after the match, Nilden showcased the results of the incident.

On Instagram, she posted a picture of herself with black eye and a blood-soaked plaster where it appears a stitch or two has been administered.

On the story, she wrote: "3 points and a black eye (celebration emoji) Great start to the season (four white heart emojis)."

After the game, Vilahamn was delighted with the win but admits, despite netting four, his team will be working on their finishing.

He said: "I think I've learned that we shouldn't be stressed in half-time if the press doesn't work or if we don't really get the goals.

"If you keep going and keep going for 90 minutes, we are that good that we can create chances against the opponent.

"But also perhaps we also need to practice how to finish even more clearly because the goalkeeper was amazing. But we can actually be a little bit better there.

"But on the other hand, first game, next game is Aston Villa away. It's going to be a really tough one. So we cannot be too happy about this.

"We need to analyse this and make sure we have a good performance next week."

Source

Ivan Toney gives perfect response to Ange Postecoglou comments with stunning Al Ahli display

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Ivan Toney sent a clear message to his doubters after scoring twice for Al Ahli - his first goals for his new club.

The England striker was making his third appearance for the Saudi Pro League side and grabbed a brace and an assist in a 4-2 win over Damac.

Toney showed that he was more than just a goalscorer inside 15 minutes when he drifted to the right wing before playing a perfect pass to Gabri Veiga who gave Al Ahli the lead.

Damac drew the game level in first half stoppage time, but Toney didn't have to wait long to find the net himself.

Almost immediately after kick-off in the second half, Veiga turned provider as he found the 28-year-old in the box.

Toney showed his poaching qualities as he prodded the ball home to make it 2-1 with his first goal for the club.

He then celebrated by putting his hand over his mouth and putting his finger in his ear.

The striker was denied the chance to open his account earlier this week when Riyad Mahrez claimed a penalty against Persepolis in the AFC Champions League. - only to miss from 12 yards.

Damac drew the game level, before ex-Liverpool star Roberto Firmino put Al Ahli back in front in injury time.

Amazingly, 15 minutes into added on time, Toney got his second of the game after VAR ruled that he was not offside for his poacher's effort that wrapped up the win.

The result means that Al Ahli now have seven points from four games, putting them closely behind Saudi's elite.

Toney's stunning goalscoring bow came on the same day that Ange Postecoglou spoke out on Tottenham's pursuit of the player.

Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the Brentford forward, but ultimately decided to pay £65million to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth instead.

Explaining Tottenham's decision not to sign Toney, Ange Postecoglou said in his press conference: "We looked at him, but the reality was that Dom [Solanke] is the one that I wanted.

“It took the whole summer to get him in, but he was the one that fitted the profile that we wanted.”

Solanke is currently without a goal in three appearances for Tottenham, but his move to north London paved the way for Toney to complete his £40million move to Al Ahli.

After the same number of games for his new club, Toney now has a goal and an assist to his name.

Based on his performances so far, it feels like Toney is going to be very popular indeed in Saudi Arabia.

Source

Ange Postecoglou explains why Tottenham did not sign Ivan Toney after opting for £65m Dominic Solanke deal

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Ange Postecoglou has explained the reason for not signing Ivan Toney, saying that he wanted Dominic Solanke more.

Toney was heavily linked with a move to north London as uncertainty over his Brentford future grew over the course of the previous Premier League campaign.

In the end Spurs opted to sign Solanke from Bournemouth in a deal worth £65million.

This came after he racked up 21 goals in all competitions for the Cherries last term.

That paved the way for Toney to complete a lucrative move of his own, joining Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli for a fee of £40m.

Explaining Tottenham's decision not to sign Toney, Postecoglou said: "We looked at him, but the reality was that Dom [Solanke] is the one that I wanted.

“It took the whole summer to get him in, but he was the one that fitted the profile that we wanted.”

While Toney will be hoping to make a success of himself in Saudi Arabia, Solanke is still bedding into life in north London.

Solanke has endured a tricky start to life with Tottenham, with his new team winning just one of three fixtures he's played in.

Without a goal to his name, the 27-year-old will be desperate to open his account for the Lilywhites when they face Brentford on Saturday evening - LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on talkSPORT 2.

But discussing Solanke, Postecoglou only had positive things to say.

“He’s settled in really well,” Postecoglou said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“There’s plenty more to come from him, because he got injured. He’s only played two-and-a-bit games for us.

“He just needs to get some games under his belt.

"But what I’ve seen in the games he has played, he’s going to be a real asset for us.

"I’ve got no doubt he’ll be a great contributor.”

Source

Jamie O'Hara issues come and get me plea to Tottenham with outrageous Ronaldinho skill in 5-a-side

Submitted by daniel on
Picture
Remote Image
Description

Jamie O’Hara has jokingly called for Ange Postecoglou to bring him back to Tottenham after pulling off a flip flap in a game of 5-a-side.

When he’s not hosting talkSPORT shows, the former Spurs midfielder and boyhood fan still gets his boots on.

And in his latest Instagram post, the 37-year-old showed he’s not afraid of showboating still, posting a clip of him doing his opponent with a move Ronaldinho would have been proud of.

Passing the ball round the defender and fooling him by darting the other way round him to reach it, O’Hara won the ball and crossed it across the box for his teammate to fire into the net.

“I’ve still got it,” O’Hara wrote as the caption along with three crying laughing faces.

“Sent him for a hotdog, they still can’t deal with the flip flap.

“Ange give me 4 weeks to get fit I’ll do job.”

O’Hara, if you couldn’t tell, was pretty chuffed with himself.

And he had a huge grin on his face as the camera panned in on him after the goal.

Fans in the comments of his video loved it, too.

“Straight in to the Tottenham 11 in place of madders,” one fan wrote, joking Spurs should bring O’Hara in to replace James Maddison.

A second added: “Sign him up.”

“Sent him for a Hotdog in a f******* taxi,” a third added.

O’Hara came through Tottenham’s youth ranks after switching from Arsenal.

He made his senior Spurs debut in 2005, going on to make 56 appearances.

The midfielder bagged seven goals for his club, as well as four assists.

After a series of loans, left permanently for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2011 for a reported fee of £5million.

Source