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Championship club Burnley are close to signing winger Marcus Edwards from Sporting Lisbon, talkSPORT understands.

Edwards is set to join the Clarets on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season with an obligation to buy for around £8million if they are promoted to the Premier League.

Talks are at an advanced stage ahead of the transfer deadline at 11pm on Monday night.

And it is understood that Edwards is flying over to Burnley having been given permission by Sporting to undergo a medical.

The stunning move would see Burnley boss Scott Parker reunited with Tottenham academy graduate Edwards after their paths crossed at Spurs.

The 26-year-old Sporting winger spent 13 years at Tottenham but never made a Premier League appearance.

Edwards joined Tottenham's academy at the age of eight and signed his first professional contract with the north London club in 2016.

He only went onto make one appearance for Tottenham's senior team before moving to Portugal for around £6m.

Parker played at Tottenham for two years from 2011 until 2013, during which time Edwards was still part of the academy.

It has been claimed their pre-existing relationship was a significant factor in persuading Edwards to joining Burnley.

Edwards is now a player with Champions League pedigree and has previously been linked with Premier League clubs such as Everton.

Edwards has represented England at every level from Under-16 to Under-20s.

In 120 games for Sporting, he has scored 24 goals and assisted 26 times.

He played for two years under Ruben Amorim, impressing in Europe and winning the Primeira Liga title in the 2023/24 season, before the manager took over at Manchester United.

However, since Amorim was replaced by Rui Borges, Edwards has fallen down the pecking order in Lisbon.

Questions have been asked of the player's commitment and Borges recently left him out of the Champions League squad to face Bologna with little explanation.

If Edwards joins Burnley permanently, is understood Tottenham would be entitled to a sell-on clause as part of the deal which saw Edwards sold to Sporting in 2019.

In January 2023, Sporting acquired a further 15 per cent of Edwards' economic rights from Tottenham when Pedro Porro was initially loaned and then bought by the north London side.

Edwards is now thought to be valued at around £7million.

Burnley are currently third in the Championship, one point off the automatic promotion places and three points off top, having conceded only nine goals in 29 matches this season.

Bayern Munich striker Mathys Tel has rejected a move to Tottenham, talkSPORT understands.

It means Spurs have been dealt a bitter blow late in the January window as Tel decided to snub a switch to North London.

They had been working overtime to persuade the 19-year-old to join them amid interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United.

The fact that they were willing to bring Tel in on a permanent deal was appealing to Bayern and the move was agreed, but the final decision came down to the player.

And unfortunately for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham, Tel was not keen on the move and won't be joining the club.

On Wednesday evening, after a 3-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava, Tel stayed behind for what seemed to be his final goodbye to Bayern fans.

Meanwhile, for their game on Saturday against Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga, he's not expected to be part of the German giants' squad.

“He has said he would like to leave,” said Bayern sporting director Max Eberl. “Now we have to think about whether we will do it and what we will do.”

It's clear that Tottenham won't be his destination but reports claim that a loan move to another club could still be on the cards.

As many as seven clubs are said to be trying to sign Tel before the window closes on Monday night.

Among them are Spurs' top-flight rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United, as well as Aston Villa.

But Tottenham were pushing the hardest, with technical director Johan Lange going to Bavaria to convince the Frenchman of a move.

However, despite the effort, the deal has come crashing down.

With Harry Kane ahead in Vincent Kompany's pecking order, Tel has struggled for minutes despite showing promise.

He scored ten goals and assisted six times last season but has struggled to replicate that form with the Frenchman yet to score this term.

Tel has only played 458 minutes this campaign and is yet to play more than 65 minutes in a game.

But after missing out on him, Spurs remain desperate to sign a new forward before the transfer window closes after missing out to Juventus on PSG's Randal Kolo Muani.

As reported by finance expert Stefan Borson on talkSPORT, Spurs could splash £180m and still not break financial regulations.

Postecoglou’s side continue to struggle amid a host of crippling injuries, currently sitting 15th in the Premier League.

They face Brentford on Sunday afternoon before full focus turns to their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool.

The club will want to have a new striker by that time after the transfer window closes on Monday night.

It won't be Tel, so they are going to have to assess their options.

One of their back-up strikers, youngster Will Lankshear, has left the club on loan for the rest of the season.

So that leaves them with even shorter options up top.

There is also a shortage at the back for Spurs after injuries ran through almost all of their key defenders.

talkSPORT understands that they are now in talks with AC Milan over a late move for England defender Fikayo Tomori.

It remains unclear whether the former Chelsea centre-back would agree to the move though.

Tomori has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs, - including Newcastle, West Ham and Brentford.

It comes after he has fallen out of favour at the San Siro.

Raul may be Real Madrid's biggest legend - but he could have become a Tottenham hero had it not been for club chairman Daniel Levy.

The 47-year-old is regarded as one of the finest strikers of his generation following a glittering 21-year professional career.

No player in Los Blancos' history has featured more times for the club than Raul, who played in 741 matches from 1994-2010.

He is also third in Real's all-time scoring charts with 323 strikes - with only Cristiano Ronaldo [450] and Karim Benzema [354] finding the back of the net on more occasions.

His knack in front of goal failed to wane towards the end of his Madrid career, banging in 23 times in all competitions during the 2007/08 season.

Incidentally, that campaign saw Tottenham end their nine-year trophy drought by lifting the League Cup at Chelsea's expense under the tutelage of Juande Ramos.

That trophy - Spurs' only piece of silverware this century - was supposed to be the springboard for continued success.

The 2008 summer window saw the north London outfit bring in midfielder Luka Modric and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.

And Raul has revealed he held talks with Ramos to become their next high-profile star with the 2009 winter transfer window on the horizon.

Spurs were in the market for a new centre-forward having sold fan favourite Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United.

And Raul - then 31 - was open for a new challenge in England, where he would have competed with Pavlyuchenko, Darren Bent and Robbie Keane up top.

However, having guided Spurs to their worst ever start to a league campaign after picking up just two points from their opening eight games, Levy axed Ramos after 12 months in the dugout, with Harry Redknapp swiftly replacing him.

As luck would have it, Ramos, who shared the same agent as Raul, was then snapped up by Real in December 2008 - winning ten of his first 12 matches.

He was lauded by Raul for turning around Real's fortunes, while the legendary striker also divulged just how close he came to joining Spurs.

Speaking to Digital Plus in February 2009, Raul said: "Four months ago, Juande and I had a meal with Gines Carvajal, who is our agent and a friend of mine.

"They called me because I like English football and I wanted Juande to tell me about his experience of Tottenham and of The Premier League.

"He is a football man and speaking with him is a pleasure.

"A chain of events meant that he was sacked and then Madrid were interested in him.

"The fact that we share the same agent led to unfortunate interpretations.

"Juande is a winning coach and he has proved that he is good enough to manage Real Madrid."

When Raul decided to leave Real in 2010, Tottenham were touted as as one of his destinations.

Fuelling rumours, Raul stated at the time: "My future lies in Germany or England."

In the end, he decided to make the move to join Schalke on a free transfer

Raul eventually remained at Real until 2010 - scoring 40 goals in 98 games - helping them lift both the DFB-Pokal and the German Super Cup.

Moves to Qatar and America followed at Al Sadd and New York Cosmos, before he decided to hang up his boots in 2015.

A true legend of the game, Raul has left a lasting legacy during his lengthy stay the Bernabeu.

He was part of the Real squad that scooped three Champions League crowns in five years.

The 102-cap Spain international scored in both the 2000 and 2002 final victories over Valencia and Bayer Leverkusen respectively.

He also won six LaLiga titles - winning the Pichichi Trophy in both 1999 and 2001 for being the division's leading scorer.

But the question mark will always remain over whether he would have sealed his place in Spurs folklore had Ramos have been given more time by the board.

Tottenham Hotspur are facing a tough season and no matter if Ange Postecoglou stays or goes all eyes are on the north London side to see how they get out of the rut they're in.

As Spurs now sit 15th in the table they face a potential relegation battle if they don't bounce back and talkSPORT BET have boosted the odds on a bottom three finish.

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Tottenham are still in a great position for two trophies this season, which hasn't quite aligned to their Premier League form.

They sit comfortably in the knockout spots in the Europa League while they have one foot in the final of the League Cup, as they have a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of the Semi-Final against Liverpool next week.

Losses to Leicester City and Everton have ramped up the pressure on the Tottenham manager who could be given more time to turn things around having started the season pretty well.

Thursday night sees them take on Elfsborg in the final Europa League game of the league phase of the competition.

A win would cement their top eight finish but another shock result could force a play-off finish meaning another game to add on against their already injury-stricken side.

The lack of European football next season would be a huge loss so they need to get a win at home on Thursday to help their cause.

In the league, it's looking more dire though as they've lost to two teams below them and sit eight points above the relegation zone.

Spurs have scored a staggering 46 goals this season, 27 more than Everton who sit just one point below them.

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Tottenham's stance on Ange Postecoglou hasn't changed, talkSPORT understands.

It is understood the club's board remain behind the embattled Australian despite a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday.

However, should Tottenham change their minds, assistant coach Ryan Mason stepping up as the interim boss remains a strong possibility.

Should that situation transpire, it would mark Mason's third stint as Tottenham's caretaker manager.

The 33-year-old first stepped in following Jose Mourinho's sacking in April 2021.

Mason was thrown into the deep end as he led Tottenham in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in just his second game in charge.

Unfortunately the Tottenham academy product could not end the club's trophy drought as City prevailed 1-0.

Mason ultimately finished his first caretaker stint with a record of four wins and three losses.

He stepped in once again after Cristian Stellini had departed following Antonio Conte's axing in March 2023.

Mason's record during that spell was less successful as he won twice, drew once and lost three games.

The 33-year-old was also heavily linked with his first full-time managerial role earlier this season at Anderlecht.

However, the Belgian giants and Mason mutually decided not to go ahead with the appointment.

The calls for Mason come amid Tottenham suffering their 13th loss in the league this term as the result left the north London outfit languishing in 15th, one point and one place ahead of Everton.

What made the loss all the more humiliating was the fact Leicester were winless in their last eight league matches and had lost seven on the bounce.

But goals from Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss after Richarlison opened the scoring for the hosts gave the Foxes a much-needed boost to snap their horror streak.

As for Tottenham, the stats behind their recent run are damning.

Since the beginning of December, only Southampton have lost more games (nine) than Postecoglou's side (eight).

However, a mitigating circumstance amid Tottenham's dire run is the fact they have been ravaged by injuries.

Key trio Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven remain sidelined with injuries while midfielder James Maddison was absent from Sunday's defeat.

Despite the ever-growing casualty ward, Tottenham picked up a midweek victory in the Europa League away to Hoffenheim to keep the boo boys at bay, at least momentarily.

But Tottenham fans made their displeasure known following the Leicester defeat, with one supporter particularly angry as they shouted at the Australian: "You're taking us down, we're going down with you."

Former Tottenham player Jamie O'Hara also voiced his frustrations regarding the state of the team and believes the club is opting to stick with Postecoglou rather than twist because they're 'scared of making a change.'

"You can't keep sticking with a manager when you've got relegation form, just because of who's going to come in," O'Hara said on talkSPORT Breakfast.

"That's your job as the chairman to find a manager to come in.

"There's plenty of great young managers out there, plenty of coaches all across Europe that would love to have the opportunity to manage Spurs.

"I feel like we're just sticking with Ange Postecoglou because we're scared of making a change."

Postecoglou is under no illusions he is under the pump either.

"I'm a football manager and I get judged on results, that is the way of the world," Postecoglou said following the defeat.

Tottenham will be back in front of their own fans on Thursday as they welcome Swedish side IF Elfsborg for a Europa League clash.

Another loss could prove to be one too many for Postecoglou.

Down to a McA-tee

Bayer Leverkusen have entered the race to sign James McAtee from Manchester City, talkSPORT understands.

TalkSPORT correspondent Ben Jacobs has confirmed Xabi Alonso's side have made no formal offer for the England starlet yet.

City and manager Pep Guardiola's preference is to retain the 22-year-old, who has scored one goal in six Premier League appearances.

However, the reigning champions have always adopted a fair stance of allowing players to leave if they push for a transfer.

TalkSPORT revealed earlier this month that Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart are all keen on a move for McAtee.

McAtee, who came through City's academy, scored a hat-trick in their FA Cup third-round 8-0 win over Salford City.

Police investigate threats made to referee Oliver

Police are investigating threats and abuse aimed at referee Michael Oliver following Arsenal's game against Wolves on Saturday.

The PGMOL - the body responsible for refereeing professional games in England - said they were appalled by the vitriol Oliver has received over his decision to send off Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly during their 1-0 win at Wolves on Saturday.

The PGMOL have since released a statement condemning abuse that has been sent to Oliver following the decision.

"We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver following the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal fixture," the PGMOL said.

"No official should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone the abhorrent attacks aimed at Michael and his family over the past 24 hours.

"The police are aware, and a number of investigations have commenced. We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour.

"Sadly, this is not the first time a match official has been forced to deal with threats in recent times. We will continue to support all investigations."

On a cliffe edge

Angry Manchester United fans confronted Sir Jim Ratcliffe to express their anger at the rising ticket prices.

The Man United minority shareholder was in attendance for the 1-0 victory over Fulham in west London.

But instead of enjoying the game, Ratcliffe's ears were left burning after listening to derogatory chants from the away fans throughout.

Fans at Craven Cottage could be heard chanting "Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe's a c***," and "£66, taking the p***again."

That was then followed after the match when some Red Devils' fans approached a car in which Ratcliffe was travelling

The supporters could be heard saying: "66 f***ing quid, you're taking the p***.

Rube Awakening

Ruben Amorim suggested he'd pick Manchester United's 63-year-old goalkeeping coach ahead of Marcus Rashford.

The Red Devils got back to winning ways in the Premier League by edging out Fulham 1-0 in an uninspiring clash at Craven Cottage.

It was the seventh time in the last eight Premier League matches Rashford wasn't selected by Amorim.

Amorim admitted that Man United's performance lacked the pace Rashford possesses in abundance, but added that he'd rather select his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than any player who wasn't willing to pull their weight.

When asked about Rashford's absence, Amorim said: “It’s always the same reason. The reasons is the training, the way I see what a footballer should do. In training, in life and it’s every day, every detail. So if things don’t change, I will not change.

"It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player."

"And you can see it today on the bench – we miss a little bit of pace to go, to change the game, to move some pieces but I prefer like that.

"I will put Vital before I put a player that don’t give the maximum every day so I will not change in that."

Evan Almighty

TalkSPORT's chief football correspondent Alex Crook has delivered the latest news surrounding the future of Evan Ferguson.

Brighton's out-of-favour Irishman is Graham Potter's first choice for the striker's berth at West Ham, talkSPORT understands.

The pair previously worked together during Potter's time at the Seagulls and that is why the Hammers believe they have the edge.

However, West Ham face competition from as many as half a dozen clubs, which could even include Arsenal.

The Gunners are on the hunt for extra firepower and might consider a loan deal.

Bournemouth have also made an inquiry, with Everton among the other clubs keeping tabs on the 20-year-old.

Brighton will leave Ferguson's future until late in the window, with Danny Welbeck's injury history a factor in sanctioning any exit.

Ferguson himself has been struggling with an ankle problem and has scored just one goal in 12 Premier League outings this season.

Tottenham's dismal form continued on Sunday with another defeat that only adds more pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs were beaten 2-1 at home by Leicester City, who were winless in their previous eight Premier League outings before this weekend.

Postecoglou's side opened the scoring through Richarlison but Jamie Vardy and Bilal El Khannouss goals ensured Leicester won the points.

It's a result that leaves Spurs 15th in the table with 13 defeats, and new statistics show just how poor their recent form has been.

Since the beginning of December, only Southampton have lost more matches than the north London outfit with nine compared to eight.

Spurs have won just five points since then, with the Saints the only side to earn less during that time with one point.

They've conceded 28 goals in the Premier League since December 1 and Spurs are just four off them on 24.

In fact, the only team that Spurs have managed to beat in their past 11 league outings was Southampton when they won 5-0.

Postecoglou's side have been ravaged by injuries across the past two months and it's been clear to see in their performances.

Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been notable absences, with James Maddison also missing Sunday's defeat.

Failure to win any of their last seven Premier League matches is their longest winless run since their spell of nine from May to October 2008.

It's also the first time Spurs have conceded two goals in the first five minutes of a Premier League second half since losing 4-0 to Liverpool in November 1997.

Their only wins since beating Southampton on December 15 have come in the cups against Liverpool, Tamworth and Hoffenheim.

Spurs fan frustrations have been building amid such poor form and were audible at full-time against Leicester when boos rang out.

There were also chants of 'Levy Out' during the match as chairman Daniel Levy also faces pressure at the top of the club.

Ex-Tottenham man Jamie O'Hara said after the game: "It was disgraceful. I mean, it was actually, that is a disgraceful performance. Pathetic second half, nowhere near good enough.

"An inquest needs to be had into what Ange was telling them at half-time. They're going, they're 1-0 up, keep the game tight.

"It was edgy in the first half, nervous performance, but you got your noses in front to come out and play like we did in the second half. And it was just desperation after that. Leicester City were the best team.

"Over the course of 90 minutes, they were the better side. They played well in the first half and they didn't quite have the end product, but I thought they got into good areas.

"Tottenham didn't trouble the keeper once, apart from the ball from Porro, which he swings in, which is a great cross from Richarlison, who'd done nothing else in the game, by the way, gets his head on it and scores.

"That's his job, to score goals. But after that, when Leicester went 2-1 up, they were non-existent, Tottenham. The performance was pathetic.

"Top players meant to be at that football club in terms of Son, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Richarlison, Porro. Mate, it was one of the worst performances I've seen. Again, another shocking result, another shocking performance.

"I don't know how Ange can stay in the job. I don't know what needs to happen. And I don't know what happens at the top with Daniel Levy.

"It's the 26th of January and we've signed one player, and he's a goalkeeper, who's going to end up being number two to Vicario when he comes back. Sign some players."

Whilst there is still an eight-point gap between them and the bottom three, a poor final standing remains on the cards.

Some Spurs fans are convinced they are in a relegation fight, however, as they called into talkSPORT in their droves.

Darren the Tottenham fan said: "It's so badly mismanaged this club and my biggest fear now is that the manager hasn't got the tactical nous and I'm sorry to say it the players haven't got the bottle to get themselves out of a relegation battle."

Spurs fan at the game Jack added: "The players may not be good enough. We know that. But this manager has to go now.

"I mean we can't carry on losing game after game after game and however bad those people, the squad is or that chairman might be, that team is not a 16th place team."

Jamie Vardy celebrated joining an elite group of Premier League legends the only way he knew how - by trolling Tottenham fans.

The 38-year-old kickstarted Leicester's dramatic 2-1 comeback win against Spurs by scoring the equaliser two minutes after half-time.

The former England international bundled home Bobby De Cordova-Reid's low cross from close range to cancel out Richarlison's strike.

It was Vardy's seventh Premier League goal of the season, and in doing so, he joined an elite club for top-flight veterans.

The striker, who also has three assists, is now one of only five players to have been directly involved in 10 goals in a Premier League season aged 37 or over.

The first was achieved by fellow England star Teddy Sheringham, during his twilight years at Portsmouth during the 2003/04 campaign.

Gary Speed and Ryan Giggs both managed the feat, with Cristiano Ronaldo's first season back at Manchester United the most recent.

All of the quartet lacked the Vardy flavour when celebrating the achievement, with the Leicester man reigniting his feud with Spurs fans.

The first of Vardy's most recent record-breaking run ironically also came against Ange Postecoglou's side in August's reverse fixture.

During the Foxes' first game back in the Premier League, the forward again notched his club's equaliser in a 1-1 draw.

On both occasions, Vardy pointed to the Premier League badge on his shirt, then made a 1-0 gesture at the travelling Spurs support.

The 2016 title winner enjoys reminding the Lilywhite faithful that he has lifted the top-flight trophy where they haven't.

Asked about his banter with the Spurs travelling fans in August, Vardy told Sky Sports: “You take a bit of stick during the game.

“As long as they can take it when I give it back then it's all good.”

Vardy's most recent antics may prove even sweeter, having proved the catalyst for Leicester to complete a turnaround to make it 2-1.

It was his 10th Premier League goal against Tottenham – only scoring more against Arsenal (11).

Aged 38y 15d, Vardy became the second 38+-year-old to score in the competition this season after Everton’s Ashley Young.

Just three minutes after the former's goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bilal El Khannouss found the net from the edge of the box.

Leicester then held on for a priceless three points to seal a fourth straight Premier League loss for Postecoglou's men.

Vardy told the BBC: “It is big, hopefully, it stops the rot we have been in.

"We have been playing some decent football for probably half a game and it has let us down a bit.

“The lads there battled through for 90 minutes and it is credit too to the manager what he’s been doing on the training pitch.

“At times you want to be the team playing the nice football but at times during a game, it is not on. We have all stuck together as a team. We knuckled down, stayed together and got the big win.

“As a striker, you just want to score in every game and that is what I am trying to do."

Asked if Leicester can go on to avoid the drop, Vardy added: “100 per cent back every single one of them. We all know what is at stake.

“We want to play nice football but that was three points in the right direction and hopefully the start of a run.”

Aston Villa are in talks to bring Villarreal defender Juan Foyth back to the Premier League, talkSPORT understands.

The Villans have turned their attention towards the 27-year-old after failing to prise Loic Bade away from Sevilla.

Villa had been keen on signing the 24-year-old in a potential £25million transfer, only for the Frenchman to snub a move to the Midlands.

Shutting down any talk of a January switch, Bade revealed on Saturday evening: "I’m staying at Sevilla, yes. I fully trust this project.”

As a result, Villa are now pressing ahead with a move to secure the services of ex-Tottenham centre-back Foyth.

It is believed that the Champions League contenders have submitted an official proposal in their quest to snap him up before the February 3 deadline.

Villa are in the market for a new centre-half having sold Diego Carlos to Fenerbahce in a £10million deal.

Meanwhile the club are currently without Pau Torres, who is set to be out until March after suffering a metatarsal fracture.

Foyth linked up at Spurs in 2017 from Estudiantes, but failed to make an impression during his time in north London.

He was limited to just 32 appearances in all competitions - with 16 of his outings coming in the Premier League.

Having fallen behind in the pecking order, he was shipped out on loan to Villarreal in 2020, where he became a key player under now-Villa boss Unai Emery.

Together, the pair helped the Yellow Submarine win their first major honour in the club's history - beating Manchester United in the Europa League final.

Villarreal swiftly turned his temporary stay in Spain into a permanent switch in 2021.

But he could now be heading back to England to link up with Emery.

talkSPORT understands that Emery is a huge admirer of the 2022 World Cup winner and is pressing for a reunion at Villa Park.

And should the deal materialise, he could once again form a partnership with Torres having spent three years with the player at Estadio de la Ceramica.

Despite being a popular figure amongst the club's fans, with just 18 months left on his contract, Foyth is facing an uncertain future.

And he will surely be desperate to make up for lost time having only made his long-awaited return to the pitch last month.

Foyth spent a year on the sidelines having suffered a shoulder injury in December 2023, only to then pick up a knee knock against Nottingham Forest in pre-season.

After 12 months out, he made his first appearance of the campaign against Rayo Vallecano on December 18.

Now fully fit, he has featured in four out of Villrreal's last five matches - starting twice.

Tottenham Hotspur face Leicester City in a Premier League game that both teams need to win.

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City odds

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Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City predictions

Only the cup competitions can save Ange Postecoglou now.

A battling 3-2 victory over Hoffenheim on Thursday night moved Tottenham Hotspur one step closer to securing a place in the last 16 of the Europa League. Requiring a top-eight finish to bypass the play-offs, Spurs are sixth ahead of the final round of fixtures next week.

In the first week of February they head to Anfield to defend a 1-0 aggregate lead in the semi-final of the EFL Cup. And a few days after that they will do battle with Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Without a piece of silverware since 2008, Tottenham are desperate to add another trophy to their cabinet. If Postecoglou manages to deliver one, all else will be forgiven.

Still, the Australian is treading dangerously. His team heads into the weekend in 15th place. They are a whopping 16 points adrift of the top four and only eight clear of the bottom three.

There are mitigating factors. Spurs have been hamstrung by an injury crisis for weeks now. They have been particularly hard hit at the back, losing their No.1 goalkeeper and their two first-choice central defenders. Any team would struggle in those circumstances.

At the same time, that does not absolve Postecoglou completely. Tottenham should not be 15th in the league this late in the season.

Even without some of his key players, the manager has refused to take a backwards step. As a result, Tottenham’s opponents find it relatively easy to pick them off. Having principles is a virtue; stubborn dogmatism is not.

On a more positive note, Tottenham are about to face a team that is in even worse form than they are. Leicester City have lost seven in a row in the Premier League under Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has yet to have a positive impact at the King Power Stadium.

For all that, the Foxes are still only two points adrift of safety. A win this weekend would be a huge boost for Van Nistelrooy and co., but Tottenham start as clear favourites.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City betting tips

Can Tottenham Hotspur get their Premier League campaign back on track this weekend?

Tottenham to win and both teams to score

Tottenham currently have 10 players on the treatment table, although there is a chance that Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma will be available this weekend.

Yet despite everything, Spurs continue to score plenty of goals. They stuck three past Hoffenheim in midweek and are the second-most prolific team in the Premier League this season, behind only Liverpool.

The problem is at the other end of the field. Spurs have shipped 35 goals in the league. Only six sides have worse defensive records.

Leicester have not carried much of a threat in attacking areas of late, scoring just two goals in their last seven games.

But while we expect Spurs to come out on top this weekend, Leicester can follow the likes of Everton in breaching the north Londoners’ backline.

⚽ Back Tottenham to win and both teams to score at 7/5 with bet365 ⚽

Over 3.5 goals

Tottenham’s 22 Premier League games up to now have featured 80 goals, second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers (83). That works out as 3.64 per match.

Five of their last eight top-flight encounters have featured over 3.5 goals, with Tottenham’s games increasingly resolving basketball contests.

Leicester are not much better. In fact, they are almost as defensively open as Tottenham without possessing the same sort of quality going forward.

The football under Steve Cooper was not great, but at least Leicester looked more steely and resolute prior to Van Nistelrooy’s arrival. The evidence from the last few weeks suggests they will struggle to shut down Tottenham’s frontline here.

They should create chances going the other way, though, so there is a pretty good chance we will see four goals or more at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

⚽ Go for over 3.5 goals at 4/5 with Betfred ⚽

Son Heung-min to score any time

Son Heung-min stepped up for Tottenham on Thursday, scoring a brace to help his team run out 3-2 winners against Hoffenheim.

We have seen signs of decline in the South Korea international this season. Perhaps that is to be expected given Son will turn 33 this summer.

He should not be written off, however. Son might no longer be at the peak of his powers, but he still has more than enough quality to be influential in games like this one.

Only Wolves and Southampton have conceded more goals than Leicester this season. Over the last eight games, the Foxes have the joint-worst defensive record in the division.

Keeping Tottenham - and Son in particular - quiet will be difficult.

⚽ Tip Son Heung-min to score any time at evens with CopyBet ⚽

📺 How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Leicester City

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England.

Date and time: Sunday 26th January, 2pm.

How to watch: Not being shown live in the UK.

Read more about the 2024/25 football season

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