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Bodo/Glimt: Norwegian side aiming to upset Ange Postecoglou again

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Bodo/Glimt: Norwegian side aiming to upset Ange Postecoglou again - BBC
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Such is the disparity between Bodo/Glimt and Tottenham that the entire 55,000 population of the Norwegian team's town could fit inside the Premier League side's stadium.

But the two sides meet as equals on Thursday looking to take a closer step towards the Europa League final.

With supporters famed for carrying giant yellow toothbrushes to games, Bodo/Glimt have swept aside bigger teams throughout Europe to join Spurs, Manchester United and Athletic Club in the last four.

They are the first Norwegian side to reach a men's semi-final in a European competition, while they have won eight of their last 10 two-legged ties.

It is an impressive achievement for a team who, less than a decade ago, were just happy to be out of the Norwegian second division.

And Bodo/Glimt will back themselves to continue making more history given their record as giant-killers, coupled with having a manager who has got the better of Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou before.

Of the four teams left in the Europa League's last four, Bodo/Glimt are lesser known and, arguably, the more intriguing.

Based in the small fishing town of Bodo, 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the nearest city is a 10-hour drive away. Incredibly isolated, their remote location has arguably helped forge a community bond between the residents.

The team's players can often be seen out for walks with their family or eating in the local restaurants.

"It is like they are a big family," Chris Shaul, who has followed the team since moving from England to Bodo around eight years ago, told BBC World Service.

"They are friends. A lot of the players have grown up here and they go and socialise together."

As has often been the case with underdogs, a strong bond between the team and their fans can go a long way to producing results on the pitch - and Bodo/Glimt have certainly done that in recent years.

Jose Mourinho will no doubt still have nightmares of the time Bodo/Glimt handed him the joint-biggest defeat of his distinguished managerial career when his then-Roma side lost 6-1 in Norway four years ago in a Europa Conference League tie.

It was the first time a Mourinho side had conceded six or more goals in a single game - in what was the 1,008th match of his coaching career - and matched a 5-0 loss to Barcelona while in charge of Real Madrid.

This season, too, Bodo/Glimt have produced some eye-catching results, seeing off Porto, Twente, Olympiakos and Lazio on their way to the semi-finals.

Having not been allowed to gain promotion to Norway's top division until 1972 alongside other northern-based teams due to existing rules, Bodo/Glimt reached the top flight in 1976.

But their story really gathered pace 15 years ago when the club almost went bankrupt.

"Economically we were a mess for years before this success," recalled Thomas Solberg, of the Bodo/Glimt supporters group.

"We were bankrupt in 2010, but the club was saved. We were then an up-and-down club between the second division and the top flight, but in 2017 we hired our current manager."

That key appointment was Kjetil Knutsen, a Bergen-born coach who had enjoyed modest success previously with smaller clubs in Norway.

He initially arrived as assistant to Aasmund Bjorkan, before replacing him the following year. Initially it did not look like being a successful appointment.

"They were thinking about sacking Knutsen but they didn't have the money to do it," Norway international and former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen told BBC Sport.

"So they stuck with him instead and they started liking his ideas. They got the momentum, things started to roll and they got results."

Knutsen's ideas involved creating an identity-based, intense possession-based game with purpose.

"Dominating doesn't just mean scoring but also having the possession of the ball and dictating the rules of the game," said the 56-year-old previously.

"We want to create a team identity that encompasses everyone; players, staff, managers, fans. We must confront ourselves to be able to create this 'Bodo model'."

Part of that 'Bodo model' was to also change the mentality of the players.

They had been used to being a team that would bounce around the top two divisions without enjoying any real success. But around the time Knutsen was appointed, the club also brought in Bjorn Mannsverk.

A former fighter pilot, he became a performance and mentality coach. Mannsverk had been a Royal Norwegian Air Force squadron leader with deployments to Afghanistan and Libya, meaning he had plenty of experience of developing mental resilience.

Midfielder Ulrik Saltnes, who has been a part of Bodo/Glimt's transformation since the beginning, used to suffer stomach problems and considered retiring, while vice-captain Patrick Berg was ready to leave a club his grandfather, father and two uncles played for.

Both found their mentality transformed by working with Mannsverk.

Saltnes, who previously described their style of play as "kamikaze", said: "I don't think it would be possible to play like that without Bjorn and the mental work we do."

Rather than trudging off individually after conceding goals like before, Bodo/Glimt's players would gather in a huddle. It was what Mannsverk called the "Bodo/Glimt Ring", to discuss what happened and maintain their composure and togetherness.

With Mannsverk's work on mentality and Knutsen's coaching methods, Bodo/Glimt became a team transformed.

After narrowly avoiding relegation in 2018 they would go on to win their domestic league title in 2020 for the first time, before triumphing again in three of the next four seasons.

Those championship successes also earned them a place in Europe, where their hope was not to be just happy to be there, but to actually compete.

In 2022 they took part in the Europa Conference League, where they faced a Celtic side managed by current Spurs boss Postecoglou.

Not only did Bodo/Glimt shock the Scottish giants in their knockout round play-off tie, but thumped them 5-1 on aggregate, winning the first leg 3-1 and the second 2-0 to reach the last 16.

"Knutsen plays attacking football," added Pedersen. "They like to press high, and play similar to Tottenham.

"Knutsen demands a lot from the players, a very nice guy, but the group is very strong.

"They are a very fit team and very well trained. They know what they have to do and Tottenham are going to have a very hard game."

Having been humbled by Bodo/Glimt before, Postecoglou said Spurs will not take them lightly.

"The are a good football team," said the Australian. "It doesn't matter where you come from. I come from the other side of the world where football is the fourth sport, so I don't underestimate anyone.

"You say they are a small club and we are big club, it doesn't matter. We are two clubs in the semi-final of a European competition and they have earned the right to be there.

"They have done very well to get there and we are going to treat them with the respect they deserve."

Bodo/Glimt will be hoping to repeat history by condemning Postecoglou to another home defeat in Europe.

However, they will want to return to Norway still in the tie, knowing they could use the conditions on home soil to their advantage.

Their northerly location means opposition teams can face wind and snow conditions as well as a talented, determined side.

"I don't think we are the most sexy team to meet," Bodo/Glimt defender Jostein Gundersen told BBC World Service.

"We don't have the biggest stadium, it is cold and windy and we have the artificial grass.

"It is not a problem for us if it is a little snowy and cold, but hopefully it can scare the opposition a bit."

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Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt: Fans confident for Europa League semi-final

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'Spurs are afraid and they should be' - Bodo/Glimt fans confident - BBC
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'Spurs are afraid and they should be' - Bodo/Glimt fans confident

'Spurs are afraid and they should be' - Bodo/Glimt fans confident

BBC Sport travels north of the Arctic Circle to see how Bodo/Glimt and their supporters are reacting to what could be a historic season for the Norwegian club.

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Tottenham: James Maddison says Spurs are '100%' behind Ange Postecoglou

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Tottenham: James Maddison says Spurs are '100%' behind Ange Postecoglou - BBC
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James Maddison says Tottenham's squad are "100%" behind manager Ange Postecoglou and can still turn their season into "something very special".

Spurs are 16th in the Premier League table after a dismal domestic campaign and pressure is mounting on Postecoglou despite their contrasting fortunes in Europe.

The North London club, who have not won a trophy in 17 years, host Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday.

Attacking midfielder Maddison, 28, acknowledges the club's disappointing season but says the narrative surrounding the manager is "not healthy".

"We are behind the manager 100%," said Maddison. "I think he's a great man. We have had a poor season, especially in the league. We've been very good in Europe, but the league season has been unacceptable.

"He's my manager, he's my gaffer and I respect him an awful amount. The narrative [of Postecoglou's job being under threat] is something we players are trying to keep away from because it's not healthy.

"I just know that I come into work every day and see the lads listening and taking on the messages on how he wants us to play and doing the best for this club and we are in a real good position in Europe, where we can still have a special season under his management.

"I will continue to do that until the day he isn't here."

Spurs will be without captain Son Heung-min, who is unavailable with a foot injury, against Bodo/Glimt but Maddison says the club are going to "relish the challenge" of reaching a first European final since they were beaten by Liverpool in the 2019 Champions League showpiece.

"It's huge," the England midfielder added.

"When you get to the end of your career and you look back, there's not many times a player has been in European semi-finals. Maybe once or twice if you are lucky.

"We need to use that. We are in the final four in a massive competition in Europe and use that to have a great tie on Thursday and in Bodo as well.

"We've got a real special opportunity. There's obviously been a lot of talk about form and being a poor season, but we have the opportunity to do something very special.

"We've earned it and we deserve to be here. It is a challenge we are going to relish."

Bodo/Glimt reached the semi-finals with victory over Lazio on penalties in the last round and Postecoglou has dismissed his side's tag as favourites.

"Bodo are there on merit," said the Australian manager.

"They are there because they are a good football team. It doesn't matter where you come from. I come from the other side of the world where football is the fourth sport, so I don't underestimate anyone.

"You say they are a small club and we are big club, it doesn't matter. We are two clubs in the semi-final of a European competition and they have earned the right to be there.

"They have done very well to get there and we are going to treat them with the respect they deserve. At the same time, make sure we go in there and give it our best performance."

The 59-year-old also says Tottenham's success in Europe is being "diminished" by some people amid the backdrop of their league form.

He added: "I am really strong at the moment on the parallel worlds we are trying to traverse and I have sensed, which is not surprising because this is the way this club is perceived, people are almost trying to diminish it in some respects.

"I have seen some people saying it is the equivalent of Manchester United winning the FA Cup, no. Not on any planet is it equivalent. That is suggesting that maybe we are not worthy of Champions League.

"Things are there that are designed to diminish what is ahead of us, which is an unbelievable opportunity. Irrespective of how this season has gone, we have generations of fans who want this more than anything else - to share this with the people that they love, a special moment supporting their football club.

"We could be flying in the league, but it wouldn't make this opportunity any different. The opportunity is the same and I have made that clear to the players."

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Champions League: Reaction to Arsenal's semi-final first-leg defeat to PSG

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Europa League semi 'good challenge' for Spurs

Tottenham v Bodo Glint (Thur, 20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou described the Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt as a "good challenge" for the club.

He has also given some team news and discussed Lucas Bergvall's new contract.

More to follow.

'You're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer'

Tottenham Hotspur v Bodo Glimt (Thursday 20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou's future with the club has been under immense scrutiny and speculation this season. However, after qualifying for the semi-finals of the Europa League, Postecoglou bit back at the naysayers.

"I'm the same coach that I was yesterday. The players have never lost belief. People like to mock and diminish my achievements but I'll leave that there.

"I don't care, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't affect what I do. For me, it's always about the dressing room. Do the players believe? Do the staff believe?

"That's much more important than what others may make of me.

"So, unfortunately for a lot of you, you're going to have to put up with me for a little bit longer."

Tottenham's road to the semi-finals

Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt (Thu, 20:00 BST)

As mentioned, we will be hearing from Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou as they get ready to host Norwegian club Bodo/Glimt in the semi-finals of the Europa League.

You will be able to watch the news conference live from 13:30 BST, just click on the play icon at the top of this page.

In the meantime, let's have a look at Spurs' pathway through the knockout stages to the semi-finals:

vs AZ Alkmaar - 3-2 victory on aggregate in the last-16

vs Eintracht Frankfurt - 2-1 aggregate win in the quarter-finals

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Get Involved - Spurs' Europa League chances

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We would love to hear from Tottenham fans on how you are approaching the Europa League semi-final.

Are you confident you can make it past Bodo/Glimt?

Or have recent league defeats against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool taken the shine off any positive feelings that came with victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League last-eight?

Get in touch via X, WhatsApp or text using the contact details above.

Postecoglou incoming...

Tottenham v Bodo/Glimt (Thu, 20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

We will be hearing from Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, along with a Spurs player, from around 13:30 BST.

It's a huge game for Tottenham, who look destined to finish in the bottom half of the Premier League this season and missed out on silverware in the domestic cup competitions.

It's hard to say whether winning the Europa League would make up for an otherwise poor season, but victory and the Champions League qualification that comes with it would certainly help.

Arsenal's men and women to follow suit again?

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Arsenal do not have to look too far for inspiration as they consider how to overcome a one-goal deficit in their Champions League semi-final following defeat in the home leg against the French champions.

The club's women's side have already done it.

They were trailing 2-1 after the home leg in their Women's Champions League semi-final against eight-time winners Lyon, only to demolish them 4-1 away from home to win the tie 5-3 on aggregate.

The comparisons don't end there.

Both Arsenal's men and women beat Real Madrid in the quarter-finals after claiming 3-0 wins in the home leg.

All six goals were scored in the second half, all at the same end, with an England international scored the opening two - Alessia Russo and Declan Rice - and a Spanish player finishing the scoring - Mariona Caldentey and Mikel Merino.

And get this, the Arsenal women's team will play Barcelona in the final, while Barca are favourites to be waiting for the Gunners in the men's final, should they upset the odds to beat Paris St-Germain.

'Arsenal are still in the game'

Arsenal 0-1 PSG

Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott, speaking to Amazon Prime, said: "Arsenal are still in the game. If it was 2-0 then it would potentially kill the tie. PSG will be disappointed it's only one.

"We all understand that Arsenal's main strength is free-kicks and set-pieces. You go into a stadium that's very hostile and players are going to have to be smart and slow the game down by winning these silly little fouls. That's going to be their best bet to win the game, set pieces."

Partey a great 'asset for the second leg'

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

As mentioned, Arsenal will have suspended midfielder Thomas Partey back for the second leg.

Gunners defender Johan Djourou told BBC Radio 5 Live that he believes Partey's return could be key to their chances: "It will be massive. I think we know how important he’s been. I think people don’t always rely on much of an anchor. For sure we missed him, especially as we saw yesterday those movements that [PSG] come from deep.

"We got attracted to the ball and followed the players and we were missing a bit of organisation. A player like Thomas Partey will be so important to release players like Martin Odegaard, who yesterday was a bit low on form, and Declan Rice, to give him freedom to go forward.

"So definitely I think Thomas Partey will be a great comeback and asset for the second leg."

'I have got a feeling the second leg is going to be a better opportunity'

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Matthew Upson

Former Arsenal defender on Football Daily podcast

I have got a feeling the second leg is going to be a better opportunity for Arsenal.

I know the atmosphere is going to be amazing but that also does bring pressure for the home team, as does taking an advantage into that game.

To have sampled that [PSG's press] and to have figured it out [will help them].

Arsenal's route to the semi-finals

Arsenal 0-1 Paris St-Germain

Arsenal's Champions League campaign kicked off on 19 September in a 0-0 draw against Atalanta.

They then beat semi-final opponents Paris St-Germain 2-0 and Shakhtar Donestsk 1-0 before losing to another semi-finalist, 1-0 against Inter Milan.

They finished off the league phase with wins over Sporting 5-0, Monaco (3-0), Dinamo Zagreb (also 3-0) and Girona (2-1).

After qualifying directly for the last-16, Arsenal faced PSV across two legs but had the tie sewn up in the first leg with a 7-1 win away from home. They drew the return leg 2-2 to progress 9-3 on aggregate.

The quarter-finals saw the Guners brush off defending champions Real Madrid, expertly dispatching the holders with a 3-0 win at home and 2-1 victory at the Bernabeu.

But could a campaign that promised so much have come undone with Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at home to PSG in the first leg of their semi-final tie?

'Experience makes a difference'

Arsenal 0-1 PSG

John Murray

BBC Radio 5 Live chief football correspondent on Football Daily podcast

Experience in this competition does count, it really does. They were in the semi-finals last season PSG, lost both legs 1-0 to Dortmund. This is new for Arsenal, quarter-finals last season so they went far in the competition but to be at this level for the first time for this group of players, first time for 16 years, I think it does make a difference.

I think we saw that with Aston Villa in the fact that in the first leg when Nuno Mendes scored a third goal in added time, some teams would have done something. It's the game management.

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Mohamed Salah selfie: The story of iconic Liverpool celebration

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'I have to think of something special' - the story of Salah's selfie - BBC
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Mohamed Salah's selfie celebration during Liverpool's Premier League title-clinching win over Tottenham Hotspur has become an iconic moment.

The Egyptian scored the Reds' fourth goal in Sunday's 5-1 victory at Anfield and, after celebrating his strike, borrowed a phone from a staff member before taking a photograph of himself and the cheering Liverpool fans behind him.

But some have asked could it have been a marketing idea, because the phone Salah used is made by one of Liverpool's sponsors.

"At the beginning of the season I always take selfies with players [who score], so for this one I said 'OK, I have to think of something special because it's a picture that's going to be there forever'," Salah told BBC Sport.

Salah, 32, has frequently posted selfies with Reds team-mates on social media, while his recent two-year contract extension announcement included a self-taken photograph.

Initially observers thought Salah had taken the phone off a fan in the crowd, but it was a Liverpool staff member located behind the advertising hoardings in front of the Kop.

The photograph, which Salah and Liverpool posted on their social media accounts, has millions of likes and views.

But it has courted some controversy with observers wondering if it was a natural celebration, or an advert for Google Pixel, an official partner of the club.

In response, others have pointed out they could not know Salah would have scored - and none of the first three goalscorers did this celebration - although it was his 33rd goal of the season so not much of a surprise.

Various Liverpool players have taken part in adverts for Google this season on social media and TV.

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Premier League: Aston Villa object to Tottenham fixture change plea

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Premier League: Aston Villa object to Tottenham fixture change plea - BBC
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Aston Villa have objected to Tottenham Hotspur's request to move their Premier League game in May to aid the London club's chances of possible success in Europe.

Spurs are in the Europa League semi-finals and, should they reach the showpiece, they will be required to play in Bilbao on 21 May - just three days after their Villa Park meeting.

In a statement released on Sunday, the club said: "We should like to inform supporters that we are in discussions with the Premier League regarding a change in date to our away Premier League match against Aston Villa, currently scheduled for Sunday, 18 May."

BBC Sport understands Spurs wanted to bring the game forward to Thursday, 15 May, however, the request has been rebuffed by Villa.

Sources close to the matter have indicated there is no precedent set for the Premier League to move fixtures to help clubs in European competition.

It has been pointed out to BBC Sport that Villa have played every three to four days during April due to their participation in the Champions League and FA Cup.

Another reason for the refusal is the game against Tottenham, Villa's final home game of the season, will include a number of pre-organised family activation activities which would not be possible to complete if the match was held in the evening.

Tottenham face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final, with the first leg on Thursday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Manchester United visit Athletic Club in the other last-four tie.

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Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham: Roman Haug denies Spurs long-awaited win

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Liverpool 2-2 Tottenham: Roman Haug denies Spurs long-awaited win - BBC
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Liverpool denied Tottenham a first win in eight Women's Super League games as they battled back to claim a point at Totally Wicked Stadium.

Sophie Roman Haug powered a header past Lize Kop for her second goal of the game shortly after half-time to help Amber Whiteley's side strengthen their grip on fifth place.

Roman Haug had fired Liverpool into a 12th-minute lead after reacting sharply to a loose ball in the box to open the scoring with the side's first shot on target.

However, Tottenham scored two goals in six minutes midway through the first half to turn the scoreline around.

After Grace Fisk's attempted clearance had hit her own crossbar and squirmed through the hands of goalkeeper Racheal Laws for the equaliser, Clare Hunt ghosted into the penalty area to divert Maite Oroz's cross into the bottom corner.

As the game ticked into 10 minutes of second-half stoppage time the hosts flooded forward in search of a winner, but Lize Kop stood her ground to block Jenna Clark's flying header.

Martha Thomas almost nicked all three points at the very last for Spurs but headed wide of the target from just a few yards out.

The north Londoners remain on course to equal their worst-ever Women's Super League finish of ninth, while Liverpool stay fifth.

Tottenham show resilience with point on the road

Robert Vilahamn and his players must have felt a sense of deja vu when Liverpool opened the scoring with their first shot on target in St Helens.

Given Spurs were on a run of seven Women's Super League games without a win they may have been forgiven for thinking that luck was against them once again as Roman Haug poked the ball home.

But the Merseyside sun ultimately shone on Spurs as they held on to a point against a difficult opponent away from home.

Indeed, had Thomas made a better connection with her stoppage-time header, the visitors could have been heading back to London with all three points.

Nevertheless the manner in which they battled back from a goal behind to take the lead and then hung on to ensure a share of the points, will please boss Robert Vilahamn, who urged fans to be patient this week amid questions about his position at the club.

Despite their inconsistent campaign only Manchester City and Arsenal have won more points from losing positions in the Women's Super League this season than Tottenham.

Taking 16 points from games they trailed in is testament to the resilience Spurs have had to build during a tumultuous 2025.

They have often been on the wrong side of things this term but the mix-up in the Liverpool defence for the first goal and the big save from keeper Kop in stoppage time may prove to be the building blocks for an upturn in fortunes.

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Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head

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Liverpool vs Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League preview, team news, stats & head-to-head - BBC
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Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 15 home games against Tottenham in all competitions (W11 D4), winning the last three while scoring four goals each time.

Tottenham have won just two of their last 24 Premier League games against Liverpool (D6 L16), with both victories coming at home. They’ve also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 18 against the Reds in the competition.

Tottenham have conceded 10 goals against Liverpool this season, losing 6-3 in the Premier League and 4-0 in the League Cup semi-final second leg. They last conceded more against an opponent in 2013-14 (11 vs Man City), while the most they’ve conceded is 14 (vs Chelsea in 2001-02).

Tottenham (37) are 42 points behind Liverpool (79) coming into this match. It’s the second highest number of points Spurs have been behind a side they’re facing – they were 43 behind Arsenal when they met at White Hart Lane in April 2004, with the Gunners securing the title against them that day.

With five games remaining, Liverpool have already won as many Premier League games this season as they did last term (24), while victory in this game would also see them equal their points tally from last season (82) with four games to go.

Tottenham have lost 18 Premier League games this season, only losing more in 1993-94 and 2003-04 (19 both times).

Liverpool have scored at least once in each of their last 29 Premier League games, since a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September. It’s the second longest scoring streak in a single campaign, after Arsenal who scored in all 38 games in 2001-02.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has scored 15 goals against Tottenham Hotspur in all competitions, only netting more against Manchester United (16) in his European club career. 11 of those 15 goals have come in the Premier League, with only Alan Shearer (14) netting more against Spurs in the competition.

If he plays it will be Luis Díaz’s 100th Premier League appearance. He would be the 60th player to reach this milestone for Liverpool, the third most of any club after Arsenal (70) and Chelsea (63).

Richarlison has scored in four of his last five Premier League appearances (4 goals), though Tottenham have lost all four of these games. Indeed, only Matheus Cunha (5) has scored in more defeats than Richarlison this term.

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Tottenham Hotspur news: Protest planned against Crystal Palace

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Tottenham Hotspur news: Protest planned against Crystal Palace - BBC
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The Change for Tottenham protest group are planning "to visibly signal dissatisfaction" with events in north London at the next home game against Crystal Palace by not taking their seats for the beginning of the second half.

The move is the latest escalation of an ongoing protest movement by a growing fringe supporters group that aims to put pressure on Daniel Levy and the wider Enic ownership group, featuring the Lewis family trust.

They say that the club needs to stop putting "profit before glory" and supporters will repeat their protests from recent matches against Liverpool, Manchester United and Southampton by gathering before kick-off and marching to the stadium. Fans are also encouraged to wear yellow.

There were already noticeably empty seats in some sections of the stadium on Monday as Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Nottingham Forest.

This comes amid the backdrop of a season which could be the club's worst in the Premier League era. After 33 games, Spurs are 16th on 37 points having lost 18 matches.

They need to pick up eight more points to surpass their worst total in a single Premier League campaign, which came in the 1997-98 season, under a combination of Gerry Francis and Christian Gross as permanent managers.

They also need to avoid a further two defeats to avoid breaking the record 19 defeats suffered that season.

At the moment, Spurs are five matches without a win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the league and have already suffered more defeats (eight) on home turf than they had in any other 38-game season.

Because of these struggles, manager Ange Postecoglou is understood to be under some pressure when he faces a post-season review, regardless of whether Tottenham win the Europa League.

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