talkSPORT

Leicester vs Tottenham LIVE commentary: Foxes start Premier League return with visit of Spurs on Monday - kick-off time, team news and how to follow

Submitted by daniel on Thu, 15/08/2024 - 10:56

Leicester start their Premier League return by welcoming Tottenham to the King Power for the first Monday night game of the season.

The Foxes have endured a tumultuous summer, losing their manager, Enzo Maresca, and one of their best players, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, to Chelsea.

Former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper is the new man in charge, and it already feels like this season is going to be a struggle.

The Foxes haven't spent much money so far in the transfer window, and the squad looks thin but they will hope to hit back on Monday.

Meanwhile, Tottenham, under Ange Postecoglou, will be looking to push into the top four after finishing fifth last year.

Spurs started brilliantly, but they petered out near the end of the campaign and missed out on Champions League football.

Leicester vs Tottenham: Dom's big day

This match is likely to see new Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke make his Spurs debut.

The north London club splashed out £65million on the former Liverpool and Chelsea forward.

Solanke saw his price sky rocket after an excellent campaign for Bournemouth, in which he scored 19 Premier League goals in 38 games.

Postecoglou has been crying out for a striker since Harry Kane left last summer, and in Solanke, he might just have the ideal man to lead the line.

Spurs impressed people last season with their enterprising play, so Solanke should get plenty of opportunities to score, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he was thrown straight in against Leicester.

Leicester beat Tottenham 4-1 in their last Premier League meeting in February 2023, last winning consecutive league games against Spurs in October 1999 (a run of three).

Tottenham have only failed to score in one of their 17 Premier League away games against Leicester, a 3-0 loss at Filbert Street in September 1997.

Of all Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 30 times, Leicester against Tottenham has the highest goals-per-game average (3.8 – 128 goals in 34 games). There have been 28 goals scored in the last five meetings between the sides alone (5.6 per game).

Leicester vs Tottenham: Date and how to follow

This Premier League clash is set for Monday, August 19.

Kick-off at the King Power is scheduled for 8pm UK time.

talkSPORT will have live and exclusive commentary from the east Midlands, with Adrian Durham serving as your presenter.

Commentary will then come from Sam Matterface, former Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy and Leicester icon Marc Albrighton.

talkSPORT.com will also have all the reaction.

To tune in to talkSPORT 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.

Leicester are unbeaten on the last nine occasions they’ve begun their league campaign with a home game (W6 D3). However, the last three times they’ve lost such a match, they’ve been relegated at the end of the campaign – 1-3 v Newcastle in 1994-95 (Premier League), 0-5 v Bolton in 2001-02 (Premier League) and 0-1 v Blackpool in 2007-08 (Championship).

This is the seventh time Tottenham are starting their Premier League campaign against a promoted side; they’ve won five of the previous six, losing the other 1-0 against Sunderland in 2007-08.

Tottenham’s last four Premier League wins of 2023-24 came against each of the sides to finish in the bottom four (Nottingham Forest, Luton, Burnley, Sheffield United). They won all six of their league games against promoted sides last term, accounting for 30% of their overall victories (6/20).

Leicester vs Tottenham: Team news

The Foxes look set to be without three important players for the start of the season.

Jamie Vardy has only featured in one pre-season game, which was the first and hasn't played since.

Conor Coady is also set to miss the game, while Patson Daka's foot is in a protective boot after coming off against Lens last week.

As far as transfers go, Facundo Buonanotte and Bobby Decordova-Reid will hope to make their debuts after joining from Brighton and Fulham, respectively.

Isshaku Fatawu's loan from Sporting Lisbon has been made permanent, while Caleb Okoli could come straight into the defence.

For Spurs, Solanke should make his debut, along with central midfielder Archie Gray.

Lucas Bergvall is another young midfielder who has joined the club and is expected to be with the first team.

In terms of injuries, Richarlison is out with a calf injury.

Reserve goalkeeper Fraser Forster fractured his foot last year and is closing in on a return, but he's unlikely to be available for this one.

Leicester have lost half of their Premier League games played on Mondays (21/42) – only in Friday games do the Foxes have a higher loss rate in the competition (61.5% - 8/13).

New Leicester manager Steve Cooper’s last Premier League game in charge was a 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham in December last year with Nottingham Forest. This will be the 10th occasion of a manager taking charge of consecutive Premier League games against the same opponent but with a different team, with none of the previous nine losing both matches.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min has been involved in 13 goals in 14 Premier League appearances against Leicester (9 goals, 4 assists), only having a hand in more against Southampton (15). Indeed, the Korean has scored five and assisted once in his last three against the Foxes.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has scored eight Premier League goals against Tottenham, only netting more goals in his league career against Arsenal and Watford (11 each). Indeed, the Englishman has netted seven goals in eight MD1 appearances in the Premier League with only four players scoring more on the opening matchday in the competition’s history (Shearer, Lampard, Rooney & Salah – 8 each).

Leicester vs Tottenham: What has been said?

Former Spurs and current Leicester midfielder Harry Winks is looking forward to taking them on.

He said: "It's a game I am looking forward to.

"My friends and family are going to be there, and it's against ex-teammates.

"It will be good to see some people.

"This will be my first time playing against a former team, but I am experienced enough to approach it like any other game, but I am sure there will be that added fire to want to win."

talkSPORT

Tottenham could have signed Luis Diaz but dad claims hesitation allowed 'elite' rivals Liverpool in - now Man City are linked

Submitted by daniel on Wed, 14/08/2024 - 10:44

It could have been so different for Luis Diaz and Liverpool.

In January 2022, Colombia and Porto star Diaz was on the market for around £40m and with 14 goals in 18 Primeira Liga matches, the winger was attracting interest from top clubs across Europe.

Diaz still had more than two years left on his contract - but a £66m release clause meant he was available.

Tottenham were willing to pay £46m and their opening bid of £37.6m was rejected by the Portuguese club.

Spurs only had three days left of the winter window to complete the deal - and Liverpool read the urgency of the situation.

The Reds were long-term admirers of Diaz and manager Jurgen Klopp had already identified the forward as his top summer target.

While Tottenham dragged their heels, Liverpool acted quickly and decisively.

The Reds hijacked the move by offering a deal which could reach £50m, including an up-front fee of £37.5m plus a further £12.5m in potential bonuses.

Spurs were beaten though were adamant that Diaz's desire to join Liverpool meant there was nothing that could be done.

The Reds did not financially outmuscle their rivals and the total value of the bids were similar.

However, the Colombian's father told a slightly different story about how his son ended up joining Liverpool instead of Tottenham.

"Tottenham was one. Roma was also left behind in the process. They hesitated a lot and let themselves be caught by Liverpool," Diaz Sr said to BluRadio's Blog Deportivo in February 2022 shortly after his move to the north west of England as opposed to north London.

"Liverpool were faster than them, they needed him and they took him away.

"There were many suitors who wanted Luis' services, but he had the dream of reaching Liverpool. Because Liverpool are an elite team.

"After the first game, he told me that it was a team that works hard, complete, in which he will feel comfortable and will have the chance to play with high-performance players."

Diaz rubbed salt into Tottenham's wounds with an electric start to life at Anfield.

The 27-year-old injected incredible energy into Klopp's side and adapted to the Premier League instantly.

In the 13 remaining matches of the 2021/22 season, Diaz registered four goals and three assists, starring in a run that saw Liverpool win their last six games and miss out on the title by one point.

Injury plagued him the following season where Diaz featured for less than half of the 2022/23 campaign.

After the departure of Sadio Mane, Diaz was sorely missed as the Reds limped to a fifth-place finish.

But perhaps his absence was more acutely felt in north London, where Tottenham ended up finishing eighth.

In the summer of 2022, Spurs used much of the Diaz money to sign Richarlison from Everton in a deal worth up to £60m.

The Brazilian only managed one goal in the Premier League in his debut season at Spurs.

Fast-forward a year and Tottenham acted quickly to win the race for Maddison fending off Newcastle and getting the deal done early.

Last season, though, was one to forget for Diaz as his mind was elsewhere understandably when his father was kidnapped in his native Colombia.

He was released in the middle of November after being held for 12 days.

Now the player has been in good form going into the new season under manager Arne Slot. He scored twice in the 4-1 win over Sevilla and has even been linked with Manchester City, which the club have denied.

Barcelona, PSG and clubs in Saudi Arabia have also been linked.

Read more transfer stories on talkSPORT.com...

talkSPORT

Bruno Fernandes got dream Man United transfer after being angry at failed Tottenham move - now he could be best paid player

Submitted by daniel on Tue, 13/08/2024 - 15:44

Over the past few seasons, there have not been many more impactful players in the Premier League than Bruno Fernandes.

Manchester United signed the midfielder in January 2020 and he became an instant hit, scoring eight in 14 Premier League matches that season.

But down in London, one club has watched Fernandes become a fan favourite through envious eyes.

That is because Tottenham were on the brink of signing the Portugal international from Sporting in the previous transfer window - only for the move to collapse.

Fernandes was furious at the failed transfer but he got his dream move in the end when he joined one of the most glamorous clubs in Europe.

He told The Athletic in 2022: “Obviously I wanted to go to the Premier League.

"The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was the one who wanted me there. It was a good offer but Sporting tried their best to keep me.

“The president (Frederico Varandas) spoke with me but he spoke with me on the wrong day.

"It was the day after they decided to refuse the offer from Tottenham and I was really angry.

"Luckily for me, the manager (Marcel Keizer) was the right one at the right time.

“At the beginning of January, my agent said, ‘You don’t need to worry, because any time I bring you a club, it will be a dream club for you’. He knew that the dream club was Man United."

And what a move it has turned out to be, instantly becoming a hero at United and one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Manager Erik ten Hag named the 28-year-old the club's new captain, taking the armband off Harry Maguire in the process.

The midfielder takes the free-kicks, corners and penalties, and has a penchant for fantastic goals as well as possessing incredible vision.

His goals and assists have helped the club finish in the top four in three of the five seasons he has been at Old Trafford, though he has had his critics, especially with United's poor final position last season.

They finished eighth with a negative goal difference, their worst placed finish since 1990 and the first time since then that they conceded more goals than they'd scored. In addition they finished last in their Champions League group though they did win the FA Cup.

Fernandes, who turns 30 in September, is also expected to extend his current contract, which expires in 2026 for another year and is likely to be handsomely rewarded.

Any new deal he signs is likely to give him parity with Marcus Rashford, the highest paid player at United, who is thought to be on around £350,000-a-week.

This is a sharp turnaround given that some fans feared his dream move would come to a premature end. Speaking in May 2024, he said of his future: "I just want my expectations to fit with the expectations of the club," he said before the FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

"If you go talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to compete for the league. We want to be playing Champions League football. We want to be in cup finals.

"That is the standard. That is what I want. That is what you all deserve."

Tottenham, meanwhile, have clearly lacked a midfielder of such attacking output in that time period.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp and Rodrigo Bentancur have their assets but it could be argued they do not come close to what Fernandes can do.

And several other midfielders have been snubbed in that meantime, including Yves Bissouma, Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.

However, Ange Postecoglou is hoping the tide is turning in north London and will be praying James Maddison stays fit.

Read more transfer stories on talkSPORT.com...

talkSPORT

Bayern Munich star Harry Kane takes off captain's armband as he refuses to lift trophy on his return to Tottenham

Submitted by daniel on Tue, 13/08/2024 - 08:30

Bayern Munich star Harry Kane takes off captain’s armband as he refuses to lift trophy on his return to T... - talkSPORT

Harry Kane finally won a trophy in north London - but he showed his class and loyalty to Tottenham in refusing to lift it.

The 31-year-old returned to Spurs, his boyhood club where he made his name, as part of the Bayern Munich side that won the pre-season clash labelled the Visit Malta Cup.

And Kane, who spent 14 trophy-less years spent at Spurs, helped his side win 3-2.

Kane came off the bench in the second half where he was given the captain armband's on his Tottenham return - a year after he departed in a deal worth more than £100million.

He came close to getting on the score sheet - firing narrowly over the bar - with first-half goals from Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller proving to be the difference.

He had the chance to lift the trophy on the pitch following the five-goal thriller - but decided against doing so to once again show why he is so loved by Spurs fans.

He was caught on camera removing his armband, while shaking his head towards Joshua Kimmich, insisting he couldn't possibly do so out of his love for the Premier League side.

As a result, Bayern's usual skipper Manuel Neuer hoisted aloft the trophy, with Kane seen clapping during the presentation.

Though he did get his hands on some form of silverware - along with Eric Dier - who followed Kane to Bavaria from Tottenham in January.

The duo were presented with special commemorative gifts by Spurs legend and former captain Ledley King in a ceremony prior to the kick-off.

Both men were treated to a rapturous applause from the home faithful, with Spurs' all-time top scorer Kane soaking in the atmosphere.

But it was his wholesome decision to turn down lifting the trophy that sent social media into meltdown.

One Spurs supporter posted: "Big respect to him, he knows it's wrong at our ground plus he knows what he will get on social media for lifting a friendly trophy."

Another posted: "Loyalty is rare in football nowadays fairs to Kane."

A third added: "This is nothing but total class and respect from a legend of our club and a legend of a man."

This fan then messaged: "He's genuinely a really good bloke and I'm proud he's one of our own."

Meanwhile, another simply stated: "Ultimate respect to him."

Kane was quick to show his gratitude to his adoring fans after the match.

He said: "I am so used to coming here as the home player.

"[I've] been here so many times before so it was strange and putting this shirt on, being in the away dressing room, but I like to enjoy these occasions.

"I had an amazing career at Spurs, so many great memories and just great to see the fans again, so many players and staff I have a lot of relationships with.

“The game itself, I probably shouldn’t have been playing. I only trained yesterday but I was always going to play 10 minutes and it was good.

“Everything was really rushed through last year, so we didn’t have a chance (to say goodbye), but it was great way to say thank you to all of them.

"The reception I got was amazing and great to clap them around the pitch after, those who stayed behind and I will always be thankful for every Spurs fan for the support they’ve given me through my whole career. It’s been incredible.

“I just appreciate them seeing me and me seeing them again.”

Tottenham, coincidentally, confirmed the signing of striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in a £60million deal on Saturday.

Kane was asked about the man who could prove to be his long-term successor in north London.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Yeah, he should be great.

"Dom is a great player and plays with high intensity and high speed, For sure, he's going to get chances in this team with the way Ange [Postecoglou] plays. You saw that today, two top teams going at it.

"I think it's a really good signing. I've seen him in the dressing room there and I just wished him all the best and of course I hope he has a great season."

Solanke enjoyed a fine season in front of goal for Bournemouth in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring 21 goals in 42 games in all competitions.

The Chelsea academy graduate told fans as he joined: “Me as a player, I’m ambitious on the pitch, I work hard for the team, score goals, leave it all out there and love winning, so hopefully we can win a few things together. That’s what I’m going to bring, that fighting spirit.

“I’d say my attributes are movement, goals, hard work and link-up play, so hopefully I can bring all that together at Tottenham.”

And Solanke will be desperate to hit the ground running to make fans forget who his allegiances were to when he was younger.

In a video that has resurfaced following his transfer, the former Liverpool revealed he used to watch Spurs' rivals Arsenal when he was younger.

talkSPORT

Yves Bissouma apologises for 'severe lack of judgement' as Tottenham confirm investigation into nitrous oxide video

Submitted by daniel on Mon, 12/08/2024 - 10:18

Yves Bissouma faces possible punishment from Tottenham after the midfielder filmed himself inhaling nitrous oxide on social media.

Spurs have confirmed they have opened an investigation into the matter, with the 27-year-old since apologising for his 'severe lack of judgement'.

The Mali international uploaded clips of himself using the Class C drug - known as 'hippy crack' - onto Snapchat last weekend.

Bissouma could be seen laughing between taking hits of the balloon in footage he shared to his fans.

The incident came just hours after Spurs' final pre-season clash, where they lost 3-2 to Bayern Munich in the Visit Malta Cup.

And he now faces an anxious wait over whether he will be reprimanded by club chiefs.

Issuing a statement, he said: "I want to apologise for these videos. This was a severe lack of judgement

"I understand how serious this is and the health risks involved.

"And I also take my responsibility as a footballer and role model very seriously."

Meanwhile a Tottenham spokesman added: "We are looking into the events.

"This will be dealt with as an internal matter."

As part of the Government's anti-social behaviour action plan last November, nitrous oxide was made a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs act.

This means that possession of the so-called 'laughing gas' with the intent to get high illegal.

Repeat offenders could face a two-year jail sentence, along with an unlimited fine.

Dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide can lead to nerve damage, depression, brain disorders and hallucinations as well as memory loss.

The incident is a major blow to Spurs ahead of their Premier League season opener away at Leicester next Monday night.

Bissouma has starred in pre-season for the north Londoners, where he scored a superb solo effort in the 2-0 win over QPR at Loftus Road.

The ex-Brighton man rediscovered his form under Ange Postecoglou last season, where he proved to be a key player - making 28 top-flight appearances.

Bissouma may have already found himself in hot water with Spurs chiefs after he appeared to let slip that teammate Emerson Royal is on his way out.

The right-back is currently in Italy where he is set to join AC Milan on a permanent deal.

Again taking to Snapchat, Bissouma shared a video of himself in a Spurs training kit, where he and the defender shook hands before embracing in a hug.

At the bottom of the video, he wrote: "One of the best guy (sic) I've ever seen in my life all the best there brother I love you I'll come see u soon there."

talkSPORT

Tottenham announce club-record deal to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth

Submitted by daniel on Sat, 10/08/2024 - 13:00

Tottenham have confirmed the signing of Dominic Solanke in a club record deal.

It's understood that Spurs will pay Bournemouth £55million up front, with the fee rising to £65million with add-ons.

The 26-year-old was announced his six-year deal shortly before the club took on Bayern Munich in a pre-season friendly at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Liverpool also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal following his move from Anfield to Bournemouth.

Solanke has been rewarded for his best top-flight return last season, netting 19 times in the league for the Cherries

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has pinpointed Solanke as the long-term successor to Harry Kane following the England skipper’s exit last summer and believes the Bournemouth star fits his style of play.

He did, however, state that it's impossible to directly replace Kane, saying: "I don't think we've been looking to replace Harry. I think I said a number of times last year you can't replace a generational player and there's a reason they stand apart.

"It's fair to say front third is an area we really believe we need to reinforce this year. We've been working hard to try and get the right kind of players into those areas we need for another challenging season ahead.

"We're back in Europe, which means more games, and the one thing coming out of last year when we had disruptions in terms of injuries or suspensions there was a real drop off and we want to sort of try and mitigate that this year by having a stronger squad to cope with everything we do."

The ex-Chelsea and Liverpool star was tied to the south coast club until 2029, but his contract contained a £65million release clause that could be triggered by certain clubs.

Solanke came through the ranks at Stamford Bridge before making the switch to Liverpool in 2017 on a free transfer.

A frustrating two-year spell at Anfield came to an end when he joined Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee in 2019, however the Reds hold a 20 percent sell-on clause for the striker.

That will see Liverpool net a tidy £9m fee due to Spurs meeting Solanke’s release clause.

He missed out on England's Euro 2024 squad but is hopeful the switch will help force his way back into contention.

Solanke will become Tottenham’s third signing of the season after the arrivals of Leeds’ Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall from Djurgarden.

Spurs had previously held an interest in Brentford’s wantaway striker Ivan Toney as reported by talkSPORT on Thursday.

Postecoglou appears better equipped to launch Tottenham’s Premier League campaign following a testing start to life at the club 12-months ago.

The Australian was inundated with speculation over Kane’s future after arriving at the club, only to see the striker complete his move to Bayern Munich on the eve of the Premier League season.

Spurs were forced to share the goal scoring responsibility in a bid to fill the void left by the club’s all-time record scorer.

Although Spurs were able to secure Europa League qualification in Kane’s absence, Solanke’s arrival will boost the club’s hopes of returning to the Champions League.

And former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara thinks Solanke could be the key to ending the club's trophy drought.

He wrote on X: "Solanke is a great signing, he’s quick can finish hold up play is really good and he works his nuts off and has something to prove, well worth the transfer fee, can’t wait for the season to start now, big Ange will deliver a trophy."

talkSPORT

Tottenham agree club-record deal to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth

Submitted by daniel on Fri, 09/08/2024 - 16:55

Tottenham have agreed a club-record deal worth £65million to sign striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth, talkSPORT understands.

It's understood that Spurs will pay £55million up front, with the fee rising to £65million with add-ons.

The 26-year-old will travel to north London to undergo a medical after having already agreed personal terms.