The Mirror

Tottenham Dejan Kulusevski has dug the knife into Manchester City with a bold claim about Pep Guardiola 's side.

The Swedish forward shone once more at the Etihad Stadium as the North London side racked up a comprehensive win. A brace from James Maddison put Spurs in control, with Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson both scoring to round off a stunning 4-0 win.

It also saw Kulusevski extend his brilliant record against the reigning champions. He now has eight goal contributions in as many games against City - who are now in the midst of a five-match losing run.

And the ex- Juventus winger has now rubbed salt into their wounds by claiming he relishes his showdowns with City every season. Speaking after the game, he said: “I believed [we could get a result like this] because in the past years, we’ve come here and played really well. So this is the game I look forward to most in the year and once again it happens, so glory to God.

“Because City have a lot of the ball so sometimes we can rest when we defend. There’s also so much space up there, we play one against one and then it’s always dangerous because we have a lot of quality.”

“It’s always great to play great teams because they always want to play football. When you play lower teams, sometimes it’s not. There’s not much football played because they are a lot of fouls a lot of injuries and it’s slow going.”

Spurs’ win at the Etihad leaves them sitting sixth in the table and three points off of the top four. And while Kulusevski was left delighted with the win, he has demanded more consistency from his teammates.

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He added: “We have to be much more consistent. It’s not a turning point. We have to be better in other games. This game suits us perfectly, but we have a lot of improvement to make in the other games.

“We have to climb the ladder. We have to improve a lot, especially in the games where we play the lower-ranked teams, but it’s up to us all to take responsibility because we’re very good players, and now we just have to do it every day.”

Ange Postecoglou ’s side will be aiming to add to their memorable win against Man City over this coming week. Spurs host Roma in the Europa League on Thursday before a home game with Fulham on Sunday.

Tottenham have confirmed that goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario faces a spell on the sidelines after breaking his ankle in the 4-0 victory over Manchester City.

Italy international Vicario sustained the injury in a collision during the first half of the resounding victory at the Etihad Stadium, although he went on to complete the full 90 minutes.

Spurs confirmed that the 28-year-old had been sent for an operation on Monday, and said in a statement: "We can confirm that Guglielmo Vicario has today undergone surgery for a fracture of his right ankle. Guglielmo will be assessed by our medical staff to determine when he can return to training. We're all behind you, Vic."

Vicario is set to be replaced in the side by veteran Fraser Forster, who has kept goal for Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and Europa League this season, making three appearances in total.

Former Newcastle, Celtic and Southampton stopper Forster, 36, hasn't made a Premier League appearance since Tottenham's 4-1 win at Leeds on the final day of the 2022-23 season and won the last of his six England caps in 2016.

Vicario, who has been Spurs' No.1 since signing from Empoli in the summer of 2023, was making his 50th appearance for the club in the win at City having replaced long-time No.1 Hugo Lloris in north London.

The Italian had appeared in a bullish mood following the win at the Etihad Stadium, which came off the back of a shock home defeat to Ipswich.

After celebrating in front of the away fans at full-time, Vicario posted a message to Instagram which read: "A lot of noise recently.. but this is why we do it. Great win away from home."

Tottenham fans goaded Pep Guardiola with chants of "you're getting sack in the morning" as the Manchester City boss watched his side slump to a fifth successive defeat.

The Premier League champions started the weekend five points behind league leaders Liverpool - who play on Sunday - after losing four games on the bounce prior to the international break.

But their hopes of responding in style were dashed by an early double from James Maddison. Pedro Porro added a third after the break before Brennan Johnson struck late in the day to seal a famous 4-0 win for the visitors, who move into the top six.

Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as he watched his team fall further behind in the title race - and the travelling Spurs fans took the opportunity to rub salt into his wounds with their mischievous chant.

Saturday evening's result marred a positive week for Guardiola and City, who had earlier announced the Catalan would extend his stay at the club for a further two years, which will take him beyond a decade of service.

Guardiola and his team are also chasing a record-extending fifth straight Premier League title. But history looks set to evade them as they struggle to get to grips without the influential Rodri, who paraded his Ballon d'Or trophy on the pitch before kick-off.

Arsenal's convincing 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest earlier in the day has also piled the pressure on Guardiola and co, who were unbeaten in 52 home matches prior to this.

Join the debate! What did you make of Man City's performance against Spurs? Let us know here

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson expressed his concerns after the match on BBC Sport, saying: "So many headlines today for both sides. That's the best and most mature performance I have seen under Ange Postecoglou.

"They went in with a lead and second half they were very mature and defended like a unit. That was an excellent textbook away performance. We know Man City are not themselves at the moment, but it's an incredible performance.

"Man City didn't have the answers today, they were knocking at the door, but they couldn't find the answers. They are off-colour, Man City."

Manchester City's losing run continued as they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Tottenham at the Etihad.

James Maddison scored a first-half brace for Ange Postecoglou's side, who were incredibly clinical against the hosts. City looked very comfortable in the first ten minutes as they created several chances which they failed to take.

However, Spurs then scored with their first touch in City's box as Dejan Kulusevski skinned Josko Gvardiol and found Maddison with a brilliant cross that he guided into the back of the net. Maddison then doubled Tottenham's lead just seven minutes later, dinking the ball over Ederson after being played through on goal by Son Heung-min.

Pedro Porro then made it 3-0 against his former club after some more excellent play from Kulusevski, before Brennan Johnson wrapped up an outstanding victory for Spurs and piled more misery on City. Mirror Football takes a look at the talking points to emerge from the match.

City's losing run continues

Manchester City headed into the game in the unusual position of being on a four-game losing streak across all competitions.

The poor run of form started when they were knocked out of the League Cup by Tottenham and has seen them also suffer losses against Bournemouth, Sporting and Brighton. And that run continued as they were once again beaten by Tottenham thanks to goals from Maddison, Porro and Johnson.

City remain five points behind league leaders Liverpool, but Arne Slot's side now have a golden opportunity to go eight points clear when they face Southampton on Sunday and such a lead could prove insurmountable in the title race.

Rodri watches on

Ahead of the game, City honoured Rodri after he beat Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr to win the Ballon d'Or.

Rodri has been instrumental to City's success since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2019, but he is currently sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and his absence has been keenly felt by the champions.

Mateo Kovacic has typically been used as his replacement, but he is also out injured now and Ilkay Gundogan was given the role against Tottenham. However, he was at fault for Spurs' opener as he lost Maddison in the build-up, further highlighting how much of a miss Rodri is for City.

Maddison's birthday to remember

James Maddison celebrated his 28th birthday in style as he starred in a brilliant win for Spurs, netting a brace.

Maddison scored his first after latching onto a brilliant cross from Kulusevski, while his second came after some excellent interplay with Son on the edge of the box. He was excellent throughout the game and his performance provided a timely reminder of his qualities to incoming England boss Thomas Tuchel.

Maddison has not featured for England since he was axed by Gareth Southgate ahead of Euro 2024. He will be eyeing a way back into the squad once Tuchel officially takes charge next year and more performances like the one he put in today will surely see him return.

Kulusevski stars

As one of few Spurs players who has been consistently impressive this season, Dejan Kulusevski once again starred against City.

The versatile 24-year-old was outstanding against the reigning champions, playing crucial roles in Maddison's opener and Porro's goal. "There in a nutshell is why Dejan Kulusevski cannot be left out of this side," former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Darts down the right hand side, does well to keep the ball in play and he curls the most delicious ball into the box. City can't defend it, the keeper can't come for it, and James Maddison left foot, six yards out and he volleys it into the net."

City's defensive woes

Both Josko Gvardiol and Kyle Walker should have done better for two of Tottenham's goals and Manchester City looked incredibly shaky at the back when stretched by Spurs' attackers.

Part of that may well be down to the absence of Rodri, who usually provides extra security in front of the back four, but City were carved open far too often by Tottenham. "Defensively they have been all over the place," Robinson said of City's performance. "They have looked nervous, edgy and as soon as they conceded the cohesion went. They looked so susceptible.

"For the first 12 or so minutes City were excellent and could have scored two or three, but Tottenham then go and get the first goal against the run of play. There was a shift change and you could see it in the back four. Tottenham just smelt a bit of that weakness and kept going and they have caused City numerous issues."

Vedran Corluka has revealed he had to beg Harry Redknapp to let him leave Tottenham after falling out of favour in north London.

The former Croatia international - who is now assistant manager of the national team - joined Spurs from Manchester City for around £8.5million in the summer of 2008. Corluka, 38, signed a six-year deal at White Hart Lane but only made it halfway through that term before falling down Redknapp's pecking order.

The defender decided to move on in a bid to play regular football and ensure his place in the Croatia squad for Euro 2012. However, Corluka - whose former Premier League employers will collide this evening - revealed how Redknapp was initially dead set against the idea.

"When I told him that I had an option to move to Germany, Harry didn't want to even hear about that," he told Vecernji List in February 2012. "He said to me that he still needs me and that I'm like all the other players - very important to him.

"The day before leaving Spurs I called him, and even begged him to let me go, as that was the only option for me and my chances to be at Euro 2012. And, after that conversation, he softened up and said that I can leave Tottenham."

Corluka made 109 appearances for Spurs in total and was part of the squad that finished as League Cup runners-up in his first season. He made just eight appearances on loan at Bayer Leverkusen but soon joined Lokomotiv Moscow, where he won a Russian Premier League title and four Russian Cups over the course of nine years.

Despite the disappointing nature of his Spurs exit, Corluka enjoyed some very bright spells with the cub. It was only six months or so prior to him leaving for Leverkusen that he insisted Tottenham were a bigger club than City despite the latter's newfound spending in light of their Abu Dhabi takeover.

"I still think that," he told the Daily Mail in 2011. "The fans are a little bit more close to the club here than at City. I have nothing against City and I had a great time there but when I played for City, the stadium wasn’t always full, whereas here, you never see that [here].

"Here, the stadium is full even when we play friendlies, so you can see that there is more passion for the club here than there is there. The most important thing for Spurs now, though, is to keep this team together and to add some players, not to sell two players and then try to rebuild the team because then it’s a hard thing to do."

It's up for debate as to whether the former right-back would hold the same sentiment today given City's upwards trajectory in the Pep Guardiola era. The gap between them and Spurs has only increased since his days in England, though Ange Postecoglou will hope to turn that ship in the right direction this weekend.

With a racial slur, Rodrigo Bentancur insulted a nation of 52 million people, including his team-mate and captain.

But Spurs are upset because the Uruguayan midfielder is going to miss Liverpool at home. That is how it looks. You would have thought Tottenham Hotspur might be more sensitive than most when it comes to casual, but harmful, discrimination, but, instead, they believe Bentancur has been hard done by.

When asked in a TV interview in his homeland to provide a shirt belonging to a Spurs player, Bentancur replied: “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.” It could not have been more offensive. And, in a different way, Spurs’ decision to appeal against the Football Association’s sanction of Bentancur could not be more offensive.

The next time Spurs take part in a Premier League campaign against racism and discrimination, just remember the day they objected to one of their players being punished with a seven-match ban for saying that all South Koreans look the same. As always in these types of cases, there will be a lot of whataboutery.

And what the punishment of Bentancur has most certainly done is highlight the absolute disgrace of Enzo Fernandez not yet being held to account for the racist song he and his Argentine team-mates sang about French players. Apparently, it is to do with jurisdiction. Well, whatever the jurisdiction issues, the assorted football authorities - FIFA and CONMEBOL, in particular - should be ashamed.

Just as Chelsea should be ashamed for the way they, effectively, swept the whole issue under the carpet. A month after his chant, they even made Fernandez captain, for goodness sake. A lot of clubs seem to be tough on racism and discrimination - but not when it involves one of their own.

It seems Spurs and the player’s legal representatives believed Bentancur’s contrition and immediate apology to Son Heung-min should have been mitigating factors. But what is less widely known - mainly because few can be bothered reading the independent commission’s written reasons for the punishment - is that Bentancur actually denied the misconduct charge and denied it was an aggravated breach.

He claimed his comment was - after the man interviewing him referred to Son as ‘the Korean’ - a “sarcastic and gentle rebuke … intended to be a light-hearted and jocular manner of chiding the journalist for his use of a generalisation that was wholly inappropriate.”

Rightly, the commission emphatically dismissed that defence. Bentancur might have apologised to Son but he tried to wriggle off the charge. And having been given a seven-game ban, which is only one more than the minimum tariff for such an offence, Spurs are now appealing against the sanction, believing it to be “severe”.

If the minimum he could have got was six, Tottenham are, presumably, just trying to get him available for what will be number seven - that home match against Liverpool on December 22. But what is ‘severe’ here is Tottenham’s lack of judgement, Tottenham’s lack of sensitivity.

One of the club’s players has made a racial slur. Take the punishment, educate him and try to be better. And don’t worry about Liverpool at home.

Ruben Amorim could inadvertently play a role in sending Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid next summer.

The new Manchester United head coach has only been in place for 11 days, but the rumour mill has already kicked into gear. Amorim has been continuously linked with moves for his stand-out players at Sporting Lisbon, with Viktor Gyokeres the chief among the players who could follow him to Old Trafford.

But the 39-year-old coach’s influence extends beyond just Sporting, where he spent four very successful years and won two league titles. He has a big fan in north London, having played a huge role in the development of Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro.

Porro spent two and a half seasons working under Amorim’s management at Sporting, winning one league title and two domestic cups. The 25-year-old moved from Sporting to Tottenham in January 2023, initially on loan, before signing permanently in the summer for around £40million.

However, if Spanish outlet AS are to be believed, people close to Porro are ‘convinced’ that Amorim will try and bring the full-back to United in the near future. Amorim will implement a 3-4-3 formation at Old Trafford which could suit Porro perfectly, but his future could well be entwined with Liverpool star Alexander-Arnold’s due to Real Madrid.

Real want to sign a new right-back to become the long-term successor to the injured Dani Carvajal and are interested in both Porro and Alexander-Arnold. But one looks much more likely than the other, due to their contractual situations.

While Alexander-Arnold is out of contract with Liverpool in June, Porro is under contract with Spurs until June 2028. AS report that Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy values him at €70m (£58.3m) and will not budge – a fact Real have become familiar with in the dealings over Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the past.

Tottenham’s reluctance to do business with Real over Porro could help propel Alexander-Arnold to Madrid. The 26-year-old has been coy over his plans, but the temptation to join close friend Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital is definitely there, while the situation around his team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah is another factor to consider.

Like Alexander-Arnold, Salah and Van Dijk’s deal are set to expire in the summer and they also haven’t agreed new terms yet. But they are at a later stage in their careers and are considered more likely to stay put.

"Look, I have been at the club 20 years now, I have signed four or five contract extensions and none of those have been played out in public,” Alexander-Arnold said in September. “And this one won't be either. I want to be a Liverpool player this season (as a minimum) is what I will say.

"The most important thing is always trophies, if I am honest. I want to win trophies, I am a player who is highly motivated by trophies and winning things and being elite. So that is probably the main factor of anything, if you have a personality that is elite, who wants to win and will do anything to win, then that is what drives me."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called Rodrigo Bentancur "an outstanding person" after his seven-match ban for comments about team-mate Son Heung-min - and said the club would support him through his suspension.

Bentancur will miss a huge chunk of games for Spurs after an interview with a Uruguayan TV station earlier this year where he was asked for Son's shirt and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

The midfielder has also been fined £100,000, with Tottenham confirming they accept his guilty verdict but insisting they would lodge an appeal against the severity of the ban.

Postecoglou said Bentancur had made a "mistake" but said he was supporting Tottenham's appeal, adding that the player and club were bracing for a lengthy ban before the punishment was officially handed down.

"It's obviously disappointing because he's been great for us this year," Postecoglou said. "He's one of the ones whose football has gone up a level. But we understood that this was coming and there was an acceptance that whatever the penalties were, I fully support the club's decision to appeal the severity of the ban.

"Ultimately we know it's going to be for X amount of games and we'll work with Rodrigo through that time to make sure he has all our support so when he's available again he's ready to go."

Bentancur - who has apologised to Son for the slur - has been one of Tottenham's best players this season, starting seven Premier League games and scoring in their last game, which was a 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich, with his absence coming as a huge blow to the team.

Postecoglou defended Bentancur after his comments, saying they were uncharacteristic for him and that he was "a person of utmost character".

"I haven't spoken to him since it came out because he's been away with Uruguay and he's not quite back yet," he added. "I had spoken to him in the lead up to it. He understands he's made a mistake and prepared to accept whatever penalty that comes this way.

"We as a club are going to support him because the one thing that's undeniable to me - I know him, he's an outstanding person - he's an unbelievable team-mate, he's a person of the utmost character that's made a mistake. I think when that happens our role is to support him in any way we can."

The first game Bentancur will miss is Tottenham's trip to Manchester City this Saturday, followed by games against Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton, Manchester United and Liverpool. He will still be available in the Europa League.

Tottenham have unveiled a new logo which they say embraces the clubs "rich history and unmistakable heritage".

Tottenham have redesigned their badge, with the club deciding to remove the words 'Tottenham Hotspur' from underneath their iconic crest which features a cockerel standing on a football. The move is the culmination of nine months of work with sports branding specialists Studio Nomad.

They also unveiled a new silhouette version of the logo, a remastered font and reintroduced the THFC monogram. In a statement, they announced the new logo will be rolled out across the club in time for their next home game - a Europa League clash against AS Roma on November 28.

Head coach Ange Postecoglou said: "We want to be a certain type of football club - we want success like everyone else, but we want to arrive there doing it our way. The brand represents consistently challenging what you do and looking for an edge - when you do get it right, you create something special.

"It encapsulates values that are ingrained in what this football club is - we want our people to dream and we want to stand out from the rest and do things a little bit differently." Executive director Donna-Maria-Cullen added: "This is a Club that drives, that forges, that innovates, that is relentless both on and off the pitch.

"This phenomenal exercise has been about bringing it all together, defining it, taking it to the next level. The reimagined brand embraces all the excitement, all the innovation and shows that we're going to be brave, we're going to be exciting and we're going to have some fun – this is where we should be with our brand right now.

"We have taken aspects from our history, our emblems, our imagery and we've taken them forward – we've now got something that we have built from listening to everyone at the Club, on and off the pitch, and the consistent message coming through. This is something that everyone can unite behind."

However, some fans have questioned the logo change, with one simply responding: "But why?" A second wrote: "Watched this 3 times and I'm still not actually sure what you're changing".

Another wrote: "It's the same thing". While a fourth commented: "'Remastered' You've removed some text. It's hardly rebranded".

Tottenham Hotspur's Rodrigo Bentancur has been issued a seven-game ban - but that's far from the longest ever seen in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan midfielder was filmed in June during an interview for local TV show 'Por La Camiseta,' in which the 27-year-old is claimed to have stated that South Korean people "all look the same," replying to a question in Spanish.

Despite taking to Instagram in the wake of this comment, which he dubbed "a very bad joke," the FA confirmed that Bentancur would be charged with an 'aggravated breach' of their rules. The two team-mates made up online, but, Spurs are now without the midfielder for seven games, including a trip to Manchester City and a clash with Chelsea.

However, Bentancur's seven-game suspension is nowhere near the longest ban imposed in the English top flight's history, as Mirror Football takes a look back at the longest disciplinary actions ever handed out.

Paolo Di Canio

Back in 1998, during a matchup with Arsenal, then-Sheffield Wednesday ace Paulo Di Canio landed himself in hot water after an altercation with a match official.

The Italian was shown a red card by referee Paul Alcock after a melee between both sides, and didn't take kindly to the sending off, pushing the official to the ground. This earned him an 11-game ban and a £10,000 fine.

Di Canio later expressed remorse, saying: "I want to say that I am very, very sorry for what happened. I had a fair hearing, and I am happy about that."

Luis Suarez

Luis Suarez was slapped with multiple lengthy bans during his time in English football. His first came after an alleged racism incident involving Patrice Evra, which lead eight-game hiatus in 2011.

Another saw Suarez hit with a four-month ban from all football-related activities after he was caught biting Giorgio Chiellini during the 2014 World Cup. This notorious act marked the third time Suarez had been accused of such behaviour in his career.

The Uruguayan had previously been suspended for seven games after allegedly biting PSV midfielder Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax in 2010, and faced a 10-match punishment for a similar incident involving Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.

Kolo Toure

Former Liverpool and Manchester City defender Kolo Toure faced a six-month suspension in 2011 when he admitted to taking a banned substance found in water tablets he got from his wife.

His legal team fought for a shorter three-month ban to allow him to play for City at the start of the 11/12 season, and eventually, Toure received a backdated ban, enabling him to join Roberto Mancini's squad for their opening match against Swansea.

The relieved Ivorian expressed his gratitude, saying: "I am relieved that I will be able to return to football in September and thank the FA's commission for their understanding."

Adrian Mutu

Once a promising striker at Stamford Bridge, Adrian Mutu saw his Chelsea stint end in shame in 2004 after testing positive for cocaine, resulting in a seven-month ban and the premature termination of his time with the club.

Mutu chose not to have his B sample tested, instead fully admitting to the misconduct. His positive test sparked a protracted legal battle as Chelsea sought financial recompense for his actions.

The Romanian was later ordered to pay £15.2 million in damages to his former employers, the largest financial penalty in FIFA history, after unsuccessful appeals.

Rio Ferdinand

Ex- Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was handed an eight-month suspension and a £50,000 fine for missing a doping test in 2003.

Ferdinand was summoned for a routine drugs test in September 2003, shortly after Sir Alex Ferguson made him England's most expensive player.

An independent tribunal found the England player guilty of misconduct and imposed a ban on him. The suspension meant Ferdinand was ineligible for Euro 2004, and he couldn't help his side stop Arsenal's Invincibles.

Ivan Toney

The former Brentford man departed English football this summer for a big money move to Al-Ahli, leaving behind a somewhat stained legacy after he was issued with an eight-month ban for breaching the FA's gambling rules.

Toney was heading for a 15-month suspension before pleading guilty to the 232 breaches he was accused of, but the 28-year-old still missed out on some of the prime months of his career in 2023.

Despite a move to a Premier League giant being flaunted, there were little-to-no suitors on the back of the ban, and the Saudi Pro League ended up as Toney's destination.

Eric Cantona

Known for his controversial nature during his time in England, Eric Cantona served a nine-month suspension - the longest in league history - whilst at Manchester United after an infamous altercation with a fan.

Having been being sent off at Selhurst Park, Cantona was verbally abused by a Crystal Palace fan as he left the pitch. In response, Cantona launched a 'kung-fu' kick at the bystander, earning him the mammoth ban.

This incident against Palace in 1995 remains a significant part of the Frenchman's legacy, along with his spectacular chip against Sunderland a year later after he had returned.

Mark Bosnich

Another player who also faced a nine-month suspension, like Mutu, goalkeeper Mark Bosnich tested positive for cocaine while playing at Chelsea.

"Yes, I took drugs but only once my career was over. I have no regrets. I owe football absolutely nothing," Bosnich told The Guardian when he retired in 2004.

"I still maintain that at the time of my drugs test in November 2002 I was not taking cocaine... I got talking to a girl who later admitted that she had slipped the drug into her drink. I must have had a sip of her glass."

Sandro Tonali

Though this ban was heard in Italy, Newcastle's Sandro Tonali still missed a large chunk of English top-flight action when he was slapped with a 10-month suspension for betting offences in 2023.

The Italian Football Federation and FIFA could have seen the midfielder face a three-year suspension, but, as he co-operated, much like Toney, this ban was reduced.

The 24-year-old's agent said at the time that his client was "fighting against a gambling addiction," adding that he was "shocked, shaken and sad" at the scandal that rocked Italian football.

Abel Xavier

Middlesbrough's Abel Xavier was the first Premier League star to test positive for a performance-enhancing drug, when he was tested during a UEFA Cup clash in 2005.

His contract was terminated by Boro in the wake of the scandal, but, despite initially being banned for 18 months, this was later reduced to just 12.

"We are surprised by the verdict but cannot make any further comments before receiving the detailed reasoning of the decision," a UEFA spokesperson stated on the back of the original sentence being cut by six motnhs.

Joey Barton

Another player who fell foul to betting offences, Joey Barton's were a little more severe than some of those who came after him. Over 1,000 breaches from 2006 up until 2016 resulted in a hefty punishment.

Barton was banned for 18 months, and despite this being reduced to 13, it remains the longest in Premier League history, and pretty much brought an end to his playing career.

It is also worth noting that Barton received a 12-game ban by the FA in 12 for violent conduct during a brawl against Manchester City on the final day of the 2011/12 season.