The Mirror

Aston Villa boosted their hopes of returning to the Champions League with a 2-0 win over Tottenham, but Emiliano Martinez sparked fears he could be leaving the club with his emotional interaction with fans

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery could not give any assurances over the future of Emiliano Martinez after the goalkeeper was in tears following his side’s 2-0 win over Europa League finalists Tottenham.

The Argentina international has been linked with a move away from Villa Park this summer and he was emotional at full-time of Villa’s final home game of the season. Asked about the 32-year-old’s future, Emery could only say “we will see”, with Villa forward Leon Bailey also in tears.

“Of course, it is the last match (of the season) here, and I don’t know,” the Spaniard said. "We will see about the team, the players, but of course, they are responding on the field, at the moment they are responding and they are so, so focused in how we are preparing and playing each match.

“Of course, Leon Bailey is playing now less because other players are responding very well. They are performing well.

“And we are going to play Manchester (United) for the last three points. And for us it will be very important again, to prepare, to be focused everybody.

“And of course, then we will see about everything, how we are going to try to get better for the next season.”

Second-half goals from Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara strengthened Villa’s hopes of returning to the Champions League next term. Villa’s memorable run to the quarter-finals of this season’s competition gave them the taste for more and they boosted their hopes with an eighth win from their last nine Premier League games.

However, Chelsea ’s win over the Red Devils later on Friday night saw Villa drop to fifth and they will sink further if sixth-placed Manchester City win their game in hand. Emery added: “It’s not in our hands. We are winning. But other teams are as well, they are being demanding, and they are getting their points.”

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou was not prepared to risk defenders Cristian Romero, Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven ahead of next week’s Europa League final after they stayed at home.

Spurs’ focus was clearly on Wednesday’s clash with Manchester United in Bilbao with the defensive trio not even travelling to Villa Park, where Tottenham suffered a 21st defeat of a miserable league season.

They could yet still be in the promised land of the Champions League next season as well if they can end their trophy drought in Europe and boss Postecoglou did nothing to jeopardise that at Villa Park.

When reminded it would be two weeks since the trio played, Postecoglou interjected: “Yeah, but they’re available. They’re available. For us, at that point we knew they weren’t going to play today, they stayed home and had a really strong session.”

“Come Wednesday, knock on wood, they’re all available. And that’s the most important thing, that was the primary thing. Because when those guys play our chances of success are significantly greater.”

Postecoglou could have a fresh injury worry for the final, though, after Pape Matar Sarr limped off early in the second half. The midfielder walked straight down the tunnel, but Postecoglou said: “Pape felt something in his back, we don’t think it’s anything significant having spoken to him, but we’ll see.”

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are in Premier League action on Friday to allow both equal rest before next week's Europa League final but the FA had previously said games would not be scheduled before Cup final

Manchester United are gearing up to face Chelsea, while Spurs are preparing to take on Aston Villa in rearranged Premier League fixtures on Friday night.

But the Friday night matches, moved so both clubs could have equal and longer rest ahead of Wednesday night's season-defining Europa League final in Bilbao, break a vow made by the Football Association about the FA Cup final.

Crystal Palace face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday afternoon and the FA said when announcing plans for this season’s cup that not only would the final take place “on an exclusive Saturday” but there would be no top-flight fixtures the night before “to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event.”

But Spurs’ visit to Villa, who were unhappy with the date of the game being changed, will now kick off at 7:30pm on Friday, followed by Chelsea versus United at 8:15pm. Both Friday night games were initially set to take place alongside other Premier League matches on Sunday.

Palace and City only learnt of the kick-off time for their meeting at Wembley a fortnight before the game following protracted negotiations involving broadcasters. However the 4:30pm will allows supporters travelling from Manchester sufficient time to reach Euston station for trains home.

In a statement confirming changes to this season’s Cup, the FA said last year : “The Emirates FA Cup Final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on an exclusive Saturday with no Premier League fixtures taking place on the same day.

“Additionally, there will be no Premier League games on the Friday night before the final, to allow focus on the build-up to the showpiece event.”

The priority for both United and Spurs will be to come through without any fresh injuries and both Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou are expected to name a rotated team.

Spurs captain Heung-min Son will be given an opportunity to build up his minutes at Villa Park having returned from a month out with a foot injury against Crystal Palace last weekend.

But several key figures may only be named on the bench as focus turns to Bilbao, with not only major silverware on offer but a place in next season’s Champions League and the huge financial benefits that brings.

The Tottenham boss confirmed latest injury casualty Dejan Kulusevski is out for “months” with a knee injury and Spurs are now less than a week from their Europa League final with Manchester United

Ange Postecoglou insists he will not take any more fitness gambles - because Tottenham’s own Champions League hopes are on the line. Postecoglou angrily dismissed any notion that he is damaging the “integrity” of the Premier League by fielding a potentially weakened team at Aston Villa.

The Tottenham boss confirmed latest injury casualty Dejan Kulusevski is out for “months” with a knee injury after he played against Crystal Palace last Sunday and Spurs are now less than a week from their Europa League final with Manchester United. Postecoglou served a reminder Tottenham can potentially win their first trophy in 17 years and also earn a passport into next season’s Champions League.

Villa are still chasing a place in the top five with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle so they will all be watching Tottenham with interest. Postecoglou said: “Villa are obviously going for Champions League football and you see how important it is to them and we’re doing the same.

“Look, in a normal world you’d be using this to sharpen up but we’re not living in a normal world. That’s the reality of our existence at the moment where we can’t lose another player to an injury. It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake.

“That seems to be our lot at the moment and even with the best planning, we’re still getting hit with these setbacks and from my perspective I’ve got to take that into account when considering the game.”

Postecoglou doubled down on the accusations about “integrity” and served up a reminder how some fans wanted to lose against Manchester City last season if it meant stopping bitter rivals Arsenal winning the title.

Postecoglou added: “I'm not sure what people are talking about when they talk about the integrity of the game - I don't know what that means. We have certainly put out teams this year that because of our injury situation were not the strongest we needed to put out there but we still needed to play those games and it's the same with other clubs.

"I don't even know why that question is being asked if I'm honest because if anyone thinks we are going to go out there and not do our absolute best to win - that's the only time when integrity is questioned.

"When we played Man City last year and apparently I was in the wrong for trying to win a game of football that's where integrity comes into it, that's why I was so strong on it.

"When you put a line-up out there you are trying to win a game of football but at the same time every club has got its own interests and you have to prioritise what's important for your club.

"Champions League is very important for all those clubs fighting for it at the moment, I can see how important it is and every game and every decision is crucial but we are in exactly the same boat. We have got Champions League qualification plus a trophy to win. It would be negligent of me if I wasn't doing the best thing for our football club to make sure we achieve that.”

EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United and Tottenham will meet in the Europa League final next week but some fans travelling to Bilbao will have to contend with strike action

Football fans going to the Europa League final are facing travel chaos because of airport strike action. And potential delays and cancellations could leave Tottenham and Manchester United fans hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

The industrial action will affect flights out of Gatwick Airport next Tuesday and Wednesday when supporters are flying out to Bilbao. Refuelling staff - who work for Redline Oil Services Limited - are taking strike action after talks collapsed on new working terms.

EasyJet are still selling flights from Gatwick to Bilbao for £900-plus even though they could be delayed or cancelled and they would not be covered for compensation as it is seen as an exceptional circumstance.

Unite members at Redline are taking industrial action from Friday, May 16 to May 20 and then from May 23 to May 27 after they rejected the company’s new pay offer. The budget airline is one of the firm’s main clients.

There is also potential for delays because of a backlog from the strike action with fans already paying thousands of pounds to get to the all-English Europa League final.

Fans have spent huge sums on flights, travel and accommodation for the Tottenham and Manchester United tie. But they are facing potential travel chaos and a possible financial hit because of the industrial action.

Meanwhile, industrial action by Red Handling workers at Gatwick Airport over late and missing pension payments has been postponed to allow members to vote on new working terms.

Over 100 Unite members had been due to walk out this weekend but that has now been put on hold. They work in areas including baggage handling, check-in and flight dispatching.

Regional officer Ben Davis said: "Red Handling has returned to negotiations and made an improved offer and therefore Unite has suspended strike action to allow members to be balloted on the proposals.”

It is understood that EasyJet are confident that contingency plans are in place and the schedule will not be affected.

Tottenham have been hit with two huge injury blows ahead of the Europa League final in James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, and fans shouldn't get their hopes up about Lucas Bergvall making a recovery

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that Lucas Bergvall won't recover in time to face Manchester United in the Europa League final. Bergvall, 19, damaged ligaments in his ankle last month and has missed Spurs' last four games.

The Swedish midfielder is the fourth freshly-injured Tottenham player to be ruled out of next Wednesday's final. Bergvall joins Timo Werner, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski as well as long-term absentees Radu Dragusin and Dane Scarlett in missing the match in Bilbao.

Postecoglou was asked ahead of Spurs' trip to Aston Villa on Friday if there was any chance that Bergvall, who's made 45 appearances in his first season with Tottenham, could make a miracle recovery. "No, it is still the same sort of timeframe," he reiterated.

"He was never a long-term one but he has literally just got out of the boot and taken his first tentative steps on the grass but he won't be available."

Bergvall's injury came just days before their semi-final first leg against Bodo/Glimt. "Lucas was devastated. He didn't want to deal with it and we didn't want to make it public, not as much about the opposition but to give him the time to process it," Postecoglou said earlier this month.

"He's a young man. He had such a high in the week, he had signed a new deal, he was playing well, his whole family was out here looking forward to the game."

Tottenham's morale has been tested this season with constant injury setbacks. Nearly every member of their squad has had a spell on the sidelines, with Postecoglou admitting that his players have become hardened to it.

"I guess because it's been a constant with us during the year, we've kind of become almost accustomed to it," he explained. "It would probably be a bigger issue if we had a smooth run all year and got hit with injuries now and deal with missing key players, but we've pretty much been without key players all season.

Who'll win the Europa League final - Tottenham or Man Utd? Give us your score prediction in the comments section.

"There hasn't been a time where we had a three or four week spell with our strongest line-up, so the boys are getting on with it. They're disappointed for the people involved and Deki [Kulusevski] being the latest one because he had a fantastic first part of the year for us and was just working his way back into it.

"At the same time as I keep saying to the group all along, you can't pick and choose when these opportunities come along. There could be other years where we don’t have these disruptions and injuries, but we don't get to a final. The reality of it is now the opportunity is there and whatever happens between now and then, we've got to make sure we're ready for it."

Tottenham are expected to ring the changes when they face Aston Villa on Friday night, as they continue to prepare for the season-defining Europa League final next week

Ange Postecoglou angrily dismissed claims that Tottenham are damaging the “integrity” of the Premier League by fielding weakened teams. Tottenham travel to Aston Villa on Friday night in the middle of an injury crisis just five days before their biggest game of years with the Europa League final.

Spurs boss Postecoglou made it clear he will not take any unnecessary risks but Villa are chasing a Champions League spot while Manchester United have a similar dilemma as they go to Chelsea who are also vying for a place in the top five.

It means other clubs in the hunt - Manchester City, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and the like - will be looking on with great interest at the games at Villa Park and Stamford Bridge.

But when the word integrity was even brought up, Postecoglou bit back and insisted that he was doing the best for his club, especially after losing Dejan Kulusevski to a long-term knee injury which will keep him out for “months.”

Postecoglou said: “We’re going to go out there to try and win the game and put out a team which hopefully gets that job done.

“I’m not sure about the integrity. I think there are teams when we’ve had to field weakened teams because of injury, does that affect integrity?

“People are thinking that some kind of competitive balance exists. That doesn’t exist over the course of a season. I’d be very surprised if people are questioning our integrity to try and win a game of football tomorrow.

“I put a team out that I think will do its best to win a game of football, yeah. It’s been a constant with us all season. There hasn't been a time when we’ve had a three or four week time with our strongest line-up.”

Postecoglou also revealed that Kulusevski will be out for months after he underwent surgery on a knee injury which also puts him out of the Europa League final.

“I’m really disappointed for him,” said Postecoglou. “He’s done so well for us this season and we can’t put a time frame on it but it will be months. I’m reluctant to get into when he will be back but it will put him out for some months.”

Postecoglou also dismissed suggestions that Lucas Bergvall could be back to face Villa and also Timo Werner is out with a hamstring issue. “Lucas has just come out of a boot, he’s just come back onto the grass but it’s very early for him.”

Tottenham captain Son Heung-min 'files blackmail complaint' as police launch investigation

Son Heung-min will lead Tottenham Hotspur out in the Europa League final, but the attacker is also dealing with a police investigation after he alleged a woman had attempted to blackmailed him

Tottenham skipper Son Heung-min has reportedly submitted a complaint to South Korean police over a woman he alleges blackmailed him with a false pregnancy claim. Son has spent a decade at Spurs and was named captain in the wake of Harry Kane's move to Bayern Munich in 2023.

This season he has captained them to the final of the Europa League, though they have plummeted down to 17th in the Premier League. The 32-year-old does not have a wife or any known children.

He has previously hinted he did not want to have kids until he retired, telling The Guardian in 2019: "I want to make sure that while I play at the top level, football can be number one."

But according to the Korean Times, Son submitted a complaint to South Korean Police alleging a woman in her 20s attempted to blackmail him by falsely claiming she was pregnant with his child.

The Gangnan Police Station in Seoul confirmed on Wednesday that it had 'booked' the woman, along with an alleged accomplice in his 40s on charges of blackmail. They revealed Son submitted his complaint on May 7 and subsequently began an investigation.

According to Son’s legal team, the woman falsely claimed in June 2024 that she was pregnant and demanded large sums of money in return for not going public. It is claimed that investigators believe the suspects continued to seek additional payments totalling tens of millions of won even recently.

One British pound is worth roughly 1,850 South Korean won. Police said they are questioning those involved to determine the exact circumstances of the case.

Son meanwhile is attempting to put his full focus into the upcoming final. The final will take place in Bilbao next Wednesday, with Spurs looking to win their first trophy since 2008.

"I don't really listen to the outside noise, I know my quality, I know my ability," Son told TNT Sports. "I've been here 10 years, very consistent, and people can say what they want, but they don't see how I work, how I grow up, and I still think that I have a quality, that I have no doubt.

"I'm concentrating on my job, I'm concentrating on my training session, I'm concentrating on my game. I care about my team-mates and my staff, that they'll be successful because they work hard.

"The 10 years have been fantastic [but] obviously missing something. When you're thinking about the puzzle, [it is] just missing one piece that makes the perfect puzzle. So I can make it this year, next Wednesday.

"The boys want to win something for me, I can see that, I feel it, and I really, really appreciate that and also the fans. But for me, I think it's not all about me, I want to do it for them. I want to do it for the team, the staff and the fans."

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim admits he is still in the dark as to whether or not a number of the team's first-choice defenders will be fit to play in the Europa League final

Ruben Amorim has revealed that several key Manchester United defenders, including Diogo Dalot, are 'trying really hard' to ensure they are available for next week's huge Europa League final against Tottenham.

The Red Devils will lock horns with their Premier League rivals in Bilbao for the chance to salvage their sorry season with a trophy and an unexpected golden ticket to the Champions League after falling well below expectations on the domestic front.

Dalot, Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt are injury doubts for next week, with Yoro coming off in Sunday's 2-0 home defeat against West Ham. Neither he nor De Ligt were seen in training ahead of United's clash with Chelsea on Friday night.

When Amorim was pressed for an update on the trio, he admitted that he is unable to say for sure whether or not any of them will be available for next week's big game.

"I don't know if they are going to be available," Amorim said in a press conference on Wednesday. "We are going to try to push because it's the final matches and this is a final, you know that. All the players want to play that really bad.

"I don't know, I think they will not go to Chelsea [on Friday], but we will have a possibility to have some of them for the final.

"Dalot is trying really bad. I don't want to risk Dalot because, when you start getting one injury, second injury [follows] and it's a big thing. We cannot have these kinds of problems in our squad. So, we will see, but he's working really hard to get in the final."

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While United are sweating on the fitness of several defenders, Tottenham are facing up to the prospect of trying to beat their rivals without one of their most influential attacking figures after Dejan Kulusevski underwent surgery for a knee injury on Wednesday.

Spurs confirmed the news in a statement, which read: "We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.

"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki."

Manchester United take on Tottenham in the final of the Europa League next weekend, nearly a decade after snubbing the chance to sign a Spurs superstar for just £5million

Manchester United turned their noses up at a young James Maddison when offered the chance to sign him back in his Coventry days. The Tottenham superstar, 28, has been one of the Premier League's top creative midfielders for a while, after turning heads at Leicester before sealing a £40million move to Spurs in 2023.

But United could have snapped him for a fraction of that price back in 2016. At the time, Coventry were in the mire financially, and were thus forced to sell many of their best players, including 19-year-old prodigy Maddison.

In 2020, transfer expert Ian McGarry, who, at the time, was working as a football consultant for the Sky Blues, claimed he contacted United to see if they'd be interested in bringing Maddison to Manchester, but claimed they "didn't take any notice" of his recommendation.

"When Maddison was in the process of leaving Coventry City because the club's financial crisis meant they had to sell their best players and Maddison even then was considered one of the best players," McGarry explained on the Transfer Window podcast.

"I contacted someone I knew at Manchester United in their recruitment department and said look you’re going to get a bargain here, this guy's going to be a huge player in the future and he's available for around £5m and he's also a Manchester United fan.

"They didn't take any notice. Manchester United could have had Maddison four years ago. In saying that there's no guarantee he would have developed the way he did at Norwich and then Leicester."

Maddison would have almost certainly been lining up against the Red Devils in the Europa League final later this month, but will miss the clash due to injury. The England international was ruled out for the season after limping off in the first leg of Tottenham's semi-final against Bodo/Glimt, meaning he'll have to catch the action from the stands.

"Gutted. Just absolutely gutted," Maddison wrote on social media after learning he'd miss the showpiece. "We've had our sights on that European final in Bilbao from day one of this campaign. So to accept not being able to take part out on that pitch with the boys is really tough to take.

"Injuries are just part of this game that can be so cruel at times. But I truly believe that it can be a special night for my football club. Bring on the 21st. All together."

Maddison has notched 23 goal contributions in all competitions this season, including 12 goals - the second-best tally of his top-flight career. He's been a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy season for Spurs, who are on course for their worst-ever Premier League finish.

The same can be said of Ruben Amorim's United, who are a place and a point above Ange Postecoglou's men in 16th. For both clubs, the Europa League final represents a shot at redemption, but also an unlikely path to Champions League football next season.

For Maddison, watching from the sidelines will sting all the more knowing how different things could have been - not just in terms of his fitness, but in terms of an Old Trafford career that could have been but never was.

Had United paid attention to McGarry's recommendation all those years ago, the creative spark that's been so often missing in their midfield might have been theirs to harness.

Instead, Maddison stands as a living reminder of United's muddled recruitment strategy - an emblem of the talent they've let slip through their fingers during a decade of drift.

Tottenham Hotspur star Dejan Kulusevski will miss next Wednesday's Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao after the club confirmed he has undergone surgery on a knee injury.

The Swedish attacking midfielder was taken off in the 19th minute of the weekend defeat to Crystal Palace, and will now be forced out of the showdown with Ruben Amorim's Red Devils in Spain.

Spurs said in a statement: "We can confirm that Dejan Kulusevski suffered an injury to his right patella in our Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace last weekend.

"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately. We're all with you, Deki."

The blow comes after Spurs had already lost fellow midfielders James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall to injury, with Ange Postecoglou seeking to win the club's first trophy since the 2008 League Cup.

Kulusevski's absence will be a major blow to Spurs, with the former Juventus attacker having scored 10 goals in all competitions this season, including strikes in the 3-0 Premier League win over United at Old Trafford in September and in the 4-3 League Cup success over them at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.

Postecoglou had initially suggested that Kulusevski would be fine for the final and dismissed the injury in the wake of the loss to Palace.

The Australian boss said: "He should be okay, just talking to him after. The medical team are not too concerned with him, more of a knock than anything else, so we're hoping he should be okay."

There was some good news for Spurs on the injury front from the Palace defeat, with skipper Son Heung-min emerging from the bench to play for the final 32 minutes.

Postecoglou said: "It was good to get him some match minutes and hopefully we can get him some more match minutes against Villa on Friday. It would be good to get him back, involved and available."