Manchester Evening News

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are on course to meet in the Europa League final after both team's comfortably won the first legs of their semi-final ties.

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a significant injury blow ahead of a potential Europa League final against Manchester United this month.

Ange Postecoglou's side beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in their semi-final first leg clash on Thursday night and look likely to face the Reds, who eased past 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in their first leg fixture. Both clubs have endured miserable campaigns overall with United 14th and Spurs 16th in the Premier League table.

But winning this season's Europa League would offer some success and a lucrative spot in next term's Champions League. The final will take place in Bilbao on Wednesday, May 21 (8pm kick-off UK time).

However, Tottenham's hopes for a potential final against Ruben Amorim's team have been dealt a significant blow. Spurs boss Postecoglou has confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's game against West Ham that key midfielder Lucas Bergvall will miss the remainder of 2024/25.

He adds that while striker Dominic Solanke is injured, it is not expected to keep him out for long. James Maddison's injury, however, is being assessed.

"Lucas looks like the injury is significant enough to keep him out for the rest of the season," Postecoglou explained. "He was on his own, went to turn and his ankle gave way.

"Dom (Solanke) is not too bad, still sore from last night but nothing too serious. A doubt for the weekend.

"Madders a bit more of a concern because it's the knee. We've sent him for a scan."

In a further blow to Tottenham, United could enjoy a recovery time advantage of over 42 hours compared to Spurs if the two clubs reach the final. Amorim's men would benefit from five days of rest before the final, while Tottenham would have only three-and-a-half days.

The Reds' match against Chelsea was recently rescheduled to be an 8pm kick-off on Friday, May 16, due to the Women's FA Cup final between the same teams on Sunday, May 18. In contrast, Postecoglou's side are set to face Aston Villa away on the Sunday, with a 2:15pm kick-off.

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Manchester United and Tottenham are both in control of their Europa League semi-finals after first leg wins, with the Premier League pair on course to meet in the final

Manchester United could enjoy a recovery time advantage of over 42 hours compared to Tottenham Hotspur if the two Premier League clubs reach the Europa League final.

Both the Reds and Spurs are currently favoured to advance from their semi-final matches, having established strong leads in the first legs. United secured an impressive 3-0 victory away against Athletic Bilbao, with a goal from Casemiro and a brace from Bruno Fernandes silencing the San Mames. Meanwhile, Spurs triumphed 3-1 over Norwegian outfit Bodo/Glimt in North London.

The likelihood of an all-English final has increased, with the potential showdown set for Wednesday, May 21, intriguingly in Bilbao. However, the preparation period for each team would differ significantly.

United would benefit from five days of rest before the final, while Spurs would have only three-and-a-half days. The Reds' forthcoming match against Chelsea was recently rescheduled to be an 8pm kick-off on Friday, May 16, due to the Women's FA Cup final between the same teams on Sunday, May 18.

In contrast, Tottenham are slated to face Aston Villa away on the Sunday, with a 2:15pm kick-off. This means Spurs would have 42 hours and 15 minutes less recovery time than United, reports the Mirror.

Despite this, both sets of supporters might argue that pride is the only thing at stake for United and Tottenham in the Premier League. Both teams have had disappointing league campaigns, with United languishing in 14th place and Spurs faring even worse, sitting just two positions above the relegation zone.

Managers Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou can breathe easy knowing that relegation is not a concern for their teams. Instead, their season's success will hinge on their performances in Europe, with the lofty expectation to make it through to the final and triumph in the Basque region looming over them.

United appear to have a tighter hold on their semi-final ambitions, especially with the advantageous prospect of playing the second leg at home.

Conversely, Bodo/Glimt's captain Ulrik Saltnes netted a late goal to carry some hope into next Thursday's meeting with Tottenham. Spurs must brace themselves for a chilly excursion to the Arctic Circle to seal their progress.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

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Singer-songwriter Chris Brown will embark on a huge world tour later this year that will see him play 10 dates in Europe including the UK.

The Go Crazy singer announced his Breezy Bowl XX Stadium World Tour on Thursday and it includes a show at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the summer.

Other UK shows include Manchester's Co-Op Live, Birmingham's Villa Park, Glasgow's Hampden Park and Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Tickets go on general sale on Thursday, April 3, at 10am local time via Ticketmaster and Live Nation, with presale from Monday March 31.

Chris has said the tour will mark twenty years of his career, and will build on the momentum of his 2024 11:11 Tour, which saw the musician perform shows in North America, Brazil and South Africa.

Chris Brown kicks off his Breezy Bowl XX World Tour on 8 June 2025 in Amsterdam. He will perform at London on Saturday, June 21. Here is everything you need to know about the venue.

What is the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium capacity?

For music events Tottenham Hotspur Stadium can hold up to 62,850 fans.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium map and seating plan

Here is the seating plan for the venue, according to Ticketmaster.

How to get tickets for Chris Brown tour

Tickets will be going on general sale next Thursday (April 3) at 10am local time via Ticketmaster and Live Nation, but there will also be a number of pre-sale opportunities taking place from Monday (March 31).

For the Manchester shows at Co-op Live on June 15 and 16, 2025, the first presale that will be available to fans will be through the Co-op. Co-operative Members will be able to take part in a presale from Monday (March 31) at 10am.

The presale will be available via the Co-op app, which is available to download for free on iOS and Android devices, and the presale will then direct you to a special page on Ticketmaster. You can sign up as a co-operative member here..

There will also be a presale via Live Nation from Wednesday (April 2) at 10am for all UK and Ireland shows. It will be open to members of the website, which fans can register to for free.

Priority from O2 will also be hosting a presale for O2 and Virgin Media customers on Monday (March 31) at 10am for all UK and Ireland shows. All you will need to do is log into the Priority from O2 website or app ahead of time to join the waiting room.

Full list of Chris Brown tour dates

Jack Grealish has been linked with a move away from Manchester City this summer and Tottenham have been named as the ideal destination for the 29-year-old winger

Jack Grealish has been advised to leave Manchester City and make a switch to Tottenham, with a summer transfer being described as 'nailed on'. The 29-year-old has had another challenging season at the Etihad, notably failing to net any goals in the Premier League.

Grealish's subdued performances resulted in him being omitted from Thomas Tuchel's first quad as England manager, amid fierce competition for places among wide forwards. Although injuries hampered his early season, he has been fit for almost all of City's matches in 2025 but Grealish has only started in FA Cup games since the turn of the year.

With over two years remaining on his contract, the ex-Aston Villa skipper is widely expected to be on his way out come summer. Ex-Watford forward Troy Deeney has suggested that Spurs would be an ideal destination for Grealish, who is struggling to get a look in under Pep Guardiola.

Deeney shared his thoughts on talkSPORT, saying: "I think it's nailed on that he's going to leave now. I've said this before, I think Pep Guardiola's one of the best coaches we've ever seen.

"But I don't think he's handled the Jack Grealish/Kevin De Bruyne situation well this year at all. I think he's left them in the cold.

"He will have to leave and I don't think he wont be short of suitors but I think now it's a massive situation for him.

"He may have to lower his expectations in terms of wages and where he's playing but you could definitely see him going to somewhere like Spurs playing week in, week out and trying to move them up but for Jack it's about staying fit and playing consistently."

Tottenham showed interest in securing Grealish's services back in 2018 following Villa's failed attempt at Premier League promotion, reports the Mirror. However, Spurs' bid of £25million was turned down as they were not willing to meet the £40m asking price set by the Villains.

Fast forward three years, after making a significant impact for Villa in the Premier League, City splashed out a British record transfer fee of £100m to bring him to the Etihad. Though Grealish has collected six trophies during his time in Manchester, his performances have rarely justified his price tag and he was notably absent from England's squad in Euro 2024 last summer.

Grealish made headlines earlier this month when he was seen spending time with friends at a social club, later that same evening being spotted out in Newcastle, fuelling rumours of a potential switch to the North East. In response to queries regarding player conduct, Guardiola insisted he places importance on actions within the game, stating: "A day off is a day off.

"They have private lives to do whatever they want. I'm not going to control what they do in their private life. I judge what I see on the pitch, the training sessions and the performances in the game."

Manchester United are currently 13th in the Premier League table, leaving their options for qualifying for European football severely limited.

Manchester United's season has been one to forget for supporters, but there still remains a chance they could qualify for Europe next season. Despite their recent good run, which continued after the 3-0 success over Leicester City on Sunday, the Red Devils find themselves in 13th in the Premier League.

One of the few bright spots of the season has been Ruben Amorim's team in the Europa League. Their 4-1 success (5-2 on aggregate) over Real Sociedad booked a quarter-final clash against Lyon next month.

For as long as time itself, Manchester United have graced Europe's biggest stages, and it looks likely they will have a season away from the big time. However, there are still a couple of ways they can qualify, even if one of them would require an extraordinary set of circumstances.

The most straightforward route is by winning the Europa League. United must first defeat Lyon over two legs next month - April 10 and 17, both home and away.

Should they progress through the semi-final, they could be pitted against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the final in Bilbao on May 21. Winning these five matches would not only secure a trophy but also guarantee a place in next season's Champions League as a lucrative bonus.

In terms of qualifying through the Premier League, Manchester United have a mountain to climb. They are seven points away from the top half with nine games left and 27 points up for grabs.

However, the Premier League has outlined an admittedly unlikely scenario where the team finishing 11th this season could play in Europe next year. For this to happen, several events must align.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City must all qualify for the Champions League as the top four teams. Then, Newcastle must qualify for the Champions League in fifth place, due to UEFA potentially awarding an extra spot to English clubs based on their performance in Europe this season.

In this hypothetical scenario, Brighton would secure a Europa League spot by finishing sixth, and Bournemouth, despite finishing seventh, would also qualify for the Europa League by winning the FA Cup. Chelsea, currently in fourth place, would need to drop to eighth while simultaneously qualifying for the Europa League by winning the Conference League.

Aston Villa, finishing ninth, would then have to qualify for the Champions League by winning that competition. Either Manchester United or Spurs would need to finish 10th and qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.

This extraordinary sequence of events would mean that Newcastle's Conference League place, earned by winning the Carabao Cup on Sunday, could not be allocated to any of the top 10 teams as they would all have qualified for another European competition. The spot would therefore go to the team in the next highest Premier League position - 11th.

Currently, Brentford holds that position with 41 points, followed by Crystal Palace two points behind, United another two points back, and Spurs trailing the Bees by seven points. It's the Europa League or bust for Ruben Amorim's Manchester United.

Man United co-owners Ineos reach Tottenham agreement on 'million-pound sponsorship deal' exit

Latest Manchester United news as Ineos make a breakthrough in their bid to cut-ties with Tottenham

Manchester United co-owners Ineos are reportedly close to agreeing an early exit of their sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur with details over the agreement emerging.

Ineos completed a minority purchase of United in 2023 and has been in charge of the football operations at Old Trafford since. However, despite their involvement at the club, they have remained in partnership with Spurs in the form of their 4X4 offshoot Grenadier.

On the Ineos Grenadier website, Tottenham's chief commercial officer Todd Kline heralded the partnership with Ratcliffe's business. He said: "Our partnership with Ineos Grenadier represents the coming together of an innovative British brand with an iconic London Football Club – both of whom are committed to pushing boundaries and daring to do things differently, while staying true to authentic values and traditions.

"We would like to thank the team at Ineos Automotive for their vision and commitment to the future success of this partnership."

Beginning in 2020, the partnership sees the Ineos logo plastered on the seats in both sets of dugouts alongside electronic advertising hoardings. In February, it was reported that discussions had taken place to see the petrochemicals giant withdraw early from their five-year deal.

During Tottenham's Europa League win against AZ Alkmaar, the branding around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was nowhere to be seen. Now, according to Inside Sport, a deal has been agreed which will see Ineos pay a 'not insignificant sum', thought to be in the millions, to end the deal.

Manchester United have one final shot at silverware this season as they gear up for a Europa League round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad

TNT Sports pundits do not believe Manchester United can outlast Tottenham in the Europa League this season as the two Premier League clubs aim for one final shot at silverware.

It has been a dismal campaign for United as former manager Erik ten Hag was sacked by the club in October and replaced by Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese coach has struggled to spark a positive run of results, the most recent disappointment a penalty shootout defeat in the FA Cup against Fulham over the weekend.

United's Premier League hopes had diminished before Amorim's arrival in November, but they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup under his watch in December. If the Reds are to salvage their season in any way, the Europa League remains their only means of doing so.

A last 16 tie against La Liga side Real Sociedad awaits, but TNT Sports' pundit line-up of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch and Ally McCoist have little faith they will progress. Speaking on Tuesday's Agree or Disagree UEFA Special episode, McCoist said: "I think Spurs will go further [than United].

"I think Spurs could win it. If they get key players back, they'll get a boost. I think they can win it."

Cole was in agreement, adding: "I do as well." Crouch was a little more pessimistic, highlighting they would need to overcome the hurdle of not winning anything for a long time.

"I don't believe they can win it," the ex-Liverpool striker said. "But I do think they can get further than United."

Surprisingly, Ferdinand opted to go with his head, rather than his heart, agreeing that Spurs will likely progress deeper into the competition than his former club.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola recently praised Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who previously had trials at Manchester United before joining Spurs last year

Manchester United were reminded of what could've been as Pep Guardiola delivered a glowing review of Lucas Bergvall.

The 19-year-old has been a revelation for Tottenham Hotspur since arriving from Swedish side Djurgardens IF in the summer. An £8.5million signing last February, Spurs’ injury troubles have led Bergvall to emerge as a key player for Ange Postecoglou’s side, making 34 appearances across all competitions.

However, Bergvall could have been lining up for United this season, having previously had two trials at the club before heading to Spurs. Manchester City boss Guardiola rubbed more salt into United’s wounds by recently highlighting the midfielder as Tottenham’s standout player.

After his side’s narrow 1-0 win over Spurs on Wednesday, Guardiola said: “Bergvall, every time he has the ball and runs, he’s unstoppable. Spence, Pedro Porro, Udogie, Kulusevski, Son. It’s an incredible physical team with a clear idea to play, and they play really good.”

Bergvall was spotted by United scout Sergio de Souza, who covers Scandinavia, in 2020. The midfielder was playing for IF Brommapojkarna and first headed to Carrington for a trial as a 15-year-old. There were suggestions that United could make a £1.5m bid for the young midfielder, though no move materialised.

Subsequent Brexit regulations meant overseas players couldn't be signed until their 18th birthday. However, the club firmed up their interest by bringing in Bergvall for a second trial in 2022, where he registered an assist for United’s under-16s.

The Sweden international joined Djurgardens that December, and changes to United’s recruitment staff in the same year are blamed for the club ultimately missing out on Bergvall. On February 1, 2024, the day before his 18th birthday, it was announced that the two-time United trialist had signed for Spurs, linking up with his new club at the end of the season.

Bergvall scored his first goal for Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Liverpool in January. Spurs boss Postecoglou was delighted by Bergvall’s performance and acknowledged how quickly he had adapted to the first team.

"Lucas was brilliant. Like I said, I haven't lost sight of the fact that we've got two 18-year-olds, one who's playing at centre back (Archie Gray), it's not even his position,” Postecoglou explained. “I just don't think people really understand the level of performance that these young guys are giving us at the moment.

"Lucas is just growing all the time. He's got that ability as a footballer to create space for himself. He's got the quality, but he works awfully hard for the team as well."

Post Malone is embarking on a world tour later this year and tickets go on general sale later today.

The Better Now singer will start his world tour on 8 August in Romania, before heading to Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, plus 13 more locations before finishing up his tour in Portugal on 14 September. He will visit London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 7 September, between visiting Germany and the Netherlands.

While a presale for Post Malone's Big Ass World Tour has already taken place earlier this week, tickets to see the genre-blending music star go on general sale at 12pm today (Friday, February 21), over on Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

Post Malone last performed in the UK in 2023 during his arena tour which saw him perform in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. And before this, he headlined Reading and Leeds Festival in 2019 and 2021.

Becoming another artist to venture into the country genre, Post released his debut country album, F-1 Trillion, in August 2024 which landed at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and was recently nominated for a Grammy award for “Best Country Album.”

Post Malone is only performing in the UK for one night, meaning that securing tickets to see him in London could be very competitive. The capacity for music events at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is around 60,000, and it is likely the demand for tickets is a higher number.

So here's everything you need to know about securing tickets.

What time do Post Malone tickets go on general sale

Tickets to see Post Malone at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium go on general sale at 12 pm today on Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

How to get tickets to see Post Malone at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tickets will go on general sale at 12pm on Friday 21 February on Ticketmaster and Live Nation. You can access the Ticketmaster sale using this link, or the Live Nation sale using this link.

Full list of Post Malone Europe and UK tour dates 2025:

Fri 8th Aug | Romania, Cluj-Napoca| | Untold Festival+

Sun 10th Aug | Hungary, Budapest | Sziget Festival

Tue 12th Aug | Czech Republic, Prague | Airport Letnany*

Wed 13th Aug | Austria, St. Pӧlten | Frequency Festival+

Fri 15th Aug | Poland, Poznań | Bittersweet Festival+

Sat 16th Aug | Slovakia, Bratislava | Lovestream Festival+

Mon 18th Aug | Germany, Berlin | Parkbühne Wuhlheide

Thu 21st Aug | Lithuania, Kaunas | Darius and Girenas Stadium*

Sat 23rd Aug | Denmark, Horsens | Horsens & Friends at Nordstern Arena*

Wed 27th Aug | Italy, Milan | IDays Milano+

Fri 29th Aug | Zürich, Switzerland | Zürich Openair+

Sat 30th Aug | Munich, Germany | Superbloom+

Wed 3rd Sep | France, Paris | Paris La Défense Arena

Fri 5th Sep | Germany, Hanover | Heinz von Heiden Arena

Sun 7th Sep | UK, London | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium*

Tue 9th Sep | Netherlands, Arnhem | GelreDome

Fri 12th Sep | Spain, Barcelona | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Sun 14th Sep | Portugal, Lisbon | Estadio do Restelo

*Without Jelly Roll^With Sierra Ferrell+ Post Malone festival appearance

Here's everything you need to know about Post Malone tickets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Post Malone will perform in the UK for the first time in two years later in 2025, when he embarks on his Big Ass World Tour.

The genre-bending international superstar will kick off his world tour on 8 August in Romania, before heading to Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, plus 13 more locations before finishing up his tour in Portugal on 14 September.

He will visit north London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for one night only, September 7, between performing in Germany and the Netherlands. And tickets for his UK tour will be available for general sale later today.

Post entered his 'country' era last year when he released his debut country album, F-1 Trillion, which landed at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and was recently nominated for a Grammy award for “Best Country Album.” Included on the album was hit single “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen which also received Grammy nominations.

When he rose to fame around 2011, Malone was mainly known as a rapper - but now he has built a name for himself as a jack of all trades, dabbling in pop, country, R&B and rap.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has a capacity of around 60,000 for music events, and considering there is only one UK date, securing tickets to see Post Malone in the UK could be very competitive.

General sale tickets will be available to purchase through Ticketmaster and Live Nation from 12 pm today, Friday 21 February. In the presale, ticket prices were confirmed to range between £103 and £379.

How much are tickets for Post Malone's UK tour at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Ticketmaster says: "Tickets have been priced in advance by the tour, ranging from £58.75 to £464 (including fees) with a per order handling fee of £2.75." In the presale, the ticket prices were as follows:

GA Pitch Standing: £103.70

Gold Circle Standing: £141.70

Big Ass Early Entry VIP Package: £253.50

Big Ass Early Entry GC VIP Package: £309.50

Hospitality tickets: from £379

If there are any changes with the ticket prices we will update the information here.

When do tickets go on sale for Post Malone 2025 World Tour

Tickets go on general sale at 12 pm on Friday 21 February on Ticketmaster and Live Nation.

Full list of Post Malone Europe and UK tour dates 2025:

Fri 8th Aug | Romania, Cluj-Napoca| | Untold Festival+

Sun 10th Aug | Hungary, Budapest | Sziget Festival

Tue 12th Aug | Czech Republic, Prague | Airport Letnany*

Wed 13th Aug | Austria, St. Pӧlten | Frequency Festival+

Fri 15th Aug | Poland, Poznań | Bittersweet Festival+

Sat 16th Aug | Slovakia, Bratislava | Lovestream Festival+

Mon 18th Aug | Germany, Berlin | Parkbühne Wuhlheide

Thu 21st Aug | Lithuania, Kaunas | Darius and Girenas Stadium*

Sat 23rd Aug | Denmark, Horsens | Horsens & Friends at Nordstern Arena*

Wed 27th Aug | Italy, Milan | IDays Milano+

Fri 29th Aug | Zürich, Switzerland | Zürich Openair+

Sat 30th Aug | Munich, Germany | Superbloom+

Wed 3rd Sep | France, Paris | Paris La Défense Arena

Fri 5th Sep | Germany, Hanover | Heinz von Heiden Arena

Sun 7th Sep | UK, London | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium*

Tue 9th Sep | Netherlands, Arnhem | GelreDome

Fri 12th Sep | Spain, Barcelona | Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Sun 14th Sep | Portugal, Lisbon | Estadio do Restelo

*Without Jelly Roll^With Sierra Ferrell+ Post Malone festival appearance