The Independent

Tottenham host Bournemouth in what feels like crunch time for Ange Postecoglou’s side. An embarrassing 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League midweek has left them with a small mountain to climb if they want to win the last remaining trophy available to them this season, but their crisis of confidence has come at the worst time with the high-flying Cherries making the trip to north London this Saturday.

Andoni Iraola’s team are seventh, just four points off the top four, while Spurs are 13th and another ten points off the pace. The hosts suffered another setback on Thursday when Dominic Solanke, the striker they signed from Bournemouth last summer, came off injured after only just making his return from a seven-week absence for a knee issue.

Tottenham host Bournemouth this weekend in an encounter of contrasting fortunes.

The Cherries are seventh in the Premier League and only four points off the top four, while Spurs are down in 13th and reeling from an unfortunate 1-0 Europa League defeat to AZ Alkmaar in midweek.

Ange Postecoglou’s side suffered another blow as Dominic Solanke limped off with what appeared to be a lower back issue, having only recently returned from a knee injury that kept him out for seven weeks.

Andoni Iraola by contrast has overseen an impressive campaign by Bournemouth, although they’ll be looking to bounce back from dropping points in disappointing losses to Brighton and Wolves in recent weeks. The chance to complete a first-ever league double over Spurs might be what he needs to get some spark back into his side.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match:

The match is due to kick off at 2pm GMT on Sunday, 9 March at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Viewers in the UK can watch the game live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event.

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Tottenham XI: Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Son, Odobert

Bournemouth XI: Kepa; Cook, Hill, Huijsen, Kerkez; Adams, Scott; Semenyo, Kluivert, Ouattara; Evanilson

Tottenham win -

Draw -

Bournemouth win -

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Spurs have a point to prove after their embarrassing defeat to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday but Iraola’s men look to have too much quality for the hosts.

Tottenham Hotspur take on Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie, with Ange Postecoglou’s side looking to take a decisive advantage back to London.

The Europa League is Spurs’s last remaining chance of silverware this season and embattled boss Postecoglou could do with a boost as his side languish 13th in the Premier League table.

Given their exits from other cup competitions, Spurs have not actually played since a narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester City on 26 February but that break has allowed some key players to return to fitness after injury spells.

The likes of Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke have now returned to training while James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson are also back in action, leaving their boss confident of success against an AZ side lying sixth in the Eredivisie.

Tottenham Hotspur face AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie tonight, with Ange Postecoglou’s side looking to take a decisive advantage back to London.

Spurs have not played since a narrow 1-0 loss to Manchester City on 26 February, but that break has allowed Postecoglou to ease some key players back after long injury spells.

And returning players will help the side push for the only remaining trophy they can win as they look to salvage a disappointing season.

Spurs are among the favourites for the competition, and their first knockout match takes them to the Netherlands to face an Alkmaar side who have slipped to sixth in the Eredivisie.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match:

The match is due to kick off at 5.45pm GMT on Thursday, 6 March at the AFAS Stadium in Alkmaar, Netherlands.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on TNT Sports 3, with coverage starting at 5pm. Subscribers can also watch online via discovery+.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

This match may come just too soon for Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Dominic Solanke, though all three have retuned to training so they could feature. Ben Davies and Richarlison are a few days behind that trio in terms of their recovery.

That said, Spurs’ injury crisis has eased in recent weeks, and the squad have had rest since the defeat to City on 26 February.

James Maddison, Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson have all returned in the last few weeks, giving Ange Postecoglou plenty of midfield and attacking options ahead of this match.

However, Dejan Kulusevski will be unavailable after picking up a knock.

AZ Alkmaar XI: Owusu-Oduro; Maikuma, Goes, Penetra, Wolfe; Belic, Koopmeiners; Poku, Buurmeester, Lahdo; Parrott.

Spurs XI: Vicario; Porro, Gray, Danso, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Tel, Son.

AZ Alkmaar win - 23/10

Draw - 11/4

Tottenham win - 21/20

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Even if Postecoglou rests players, Spurs should have more than enough quality for the Eredivisie side, and they should take a healthy lead back to London.

The new Women's Super League marks the start of a new era for reigning champions Chelsea, with long-serving boss Emma Hayes having departed in summer to start a new adventure with the USA Women's team.

Last year they just about did enough to claim the title on goal difference ahead of Manchester City, while Arsenal will again hope to make it a three-horse race for the WSL title. Meanwhile Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham will hope to progress after further rebuilding this summer.

Crystal Palace were promoted to replace Bristol City in the top flight, while on a wider note, the league is now under the management and operation of a new organisation set up to lead women's football towards further growth and progression, with Nikki Doucet overseeing both the WSL and Championship in a new phase for the game.

Follow the live action below as Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester City today in the WSL:

Follow live coverage as Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester City today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.

The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.

Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:

Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester City in the Premier League tonight, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to re-take fourth place despite disappointing recent results.

City’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool at the weekend illustrated the gap between City and the league’s top sides, but the champions are currently reasonably well-placed to earn a spot in next season’s Champions League.

And tonight they face a Spurs side who are now on a four-match winning streak, though Ange Postecoglou’s side still sit in 13th.

While a win for the London club will do little bar restore some pride, three points could be vital for City, with Newcastle, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Aston Villa all chasing them in the race for top four.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game:

When is Tottenham vs Manchester City?

The match kicks off at 7.30pm GMT on Wednesday, 26 February at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

How can I watch the match?

The match will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 3, with coverage starting at 6.30pm. Subscribers can also watch online or on the discovery+ app.

You can purchase a TNT Sports subscription via discovery+ here, for only £30.99 per month.

Team news

Spurs’ injury crisis has eased somewhat with the returns of Guigliemo Vicario, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Wilson Odobert in recent weeks.

Nevertheless, first-choice centre-back pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven remain out, alongside Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin.

In attack, Dominic Solanke and Richarlison are likely out until some point next month.

City boss Guardiola is unsure whether Erling Haaland will be fit to play a part against Spurs, though he is hopeful the Norwegian will return to the squad.

John Stones is the latest to join Manuel Akanji on City’s injury list, with Oscar Bobb and Rodri the two longer-term absentees.

Predicted line-ups

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Spence, Gray, Danso, Udogie; Kulusevski, Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Tel, Son.

Man City XI: Ederson; Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Gvardiol; Gonzalez; Savio, Foden, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland.

Odds

Tottenham win - 12/5

Draw - 3/1

Man City win - 19/20

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Prediction

Matches between these two sides are notoriously hard to predict, and even more so with both teams in mixed form of late. Nevertheless, City are the more settled of the two and should have enough to earn three points given Spurs’ injury problems, though much could ride on whether Erling Haaland is fit.

Tottenham 1-2 Manchester City.

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Follow live coverage as Ipswich Town face Tottenham Hotspur today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.

The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.

Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:

Rangers will face Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in the last 16 of this season's Europa League.

The Scottish club, who finished eighth in the group phase table, have been drawn against the Turkish Super Lig outfit after their 5-2 aggregate victory over Anderlecht which was secured by a 2-2 draw in the second leg of their play-off in Belgium on Thursday evening.

Manchester United's reward for automatic qualification is a showdown with Spanish side Real Sociedad, who put five past Midtjylland to add to their 2-1 win in the away leg as they progressed 7-3 on aggregate.

United, who lifted the trophy in 2017, last met Sociedad in the same competition in 2022-23 when both matches ended 1-0 to the away side.

Premier League counterparts Tottenham Hotspur will lock horns with AZ Alkmaar for the second time this season.

The Dutchmen lost 1-0 in North London during the group stage in October when Richarlison's penalty proved decisive on a night when the visitors had defender David Moller Wolfe sent off with five minutes remaining.

Rangers and Fenerbahce currently lie second in their respective leagues' with Philippe Clement's men 13 points adrift of leaders Celtic and Mourinho's charges six shy of Galatasaray.

They last met in the third qualifying round of the Champions League in 2001, when the Turks progressed courtesy of a 2-1 second leg win in Istanbul after a goalless draw in Glasgow.

For United and Spurs, the competition perhaps represents their best chance of winning a trophy this season.

Spurs are 12th in the Premier League after last weekend's 1-0 win over Ruben Amorim's side, who sit 15th.

The ties will take place on March 6 and 13.

Should Rangers progress, they will face either Roma or Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-final, while United would line up against FCSB or Lyon and Spurs Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt.

Chelsea, meanwhile, face Copenhagen in the Uefa Conference League.

PA

Tottenham Hotspur will face AZ Alkmaar in the last-16 of the Europa League as their route to the final emerged after Friday’s draw.

Spurs finished an impressive fourth in the new and extended group phase of the competition, meaning they were seeded for the draw in Nyon.

Despite their poor form domestically, Ange Postecoglou’s team finished the group phase strongly with victories over Hoffenheim and Elfsborg.

Tottenham’s last involvement in the competition, in 2020-21, saw them reach the last-16 where they were knocked out by Dinamo Zagreb.

Let’s see how Tottenham could make the final in Bilbao on 21 May.

Who will Tottenham face in the last 16?

Tottenham will face AZ Alkmaar in the last 16.

AZ Alkmaar defeated Galatasaray in the knockout phase play-offs, 6-3 on aggregate.

The draw also confirmed the entirety of the Europa League knockout bracket.

Tottenham know that if they beat AZ Alkmaar in the last-16, they will face either Ajax or Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals. The first leg would be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Should Spurs make it to the semi-finals, they will face either Viktoria Plzen, Lazio, Bodo/Glimt or Olympiacos. The first leg would be at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The final is on 21 May at the San Mames in Bilbao.

When will Tottenham play their last-16 tie?

Tottenham will play the first leg of their last-16 match away from home at AZ Alkmaar on 6 March and then the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur stadium on 13 March.

Europa League last 16 draw in full

Bodo/Glimt vs Olympiacos

Ajax vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Viktoria Plzen vs Lazio

AZ Alkmaar vs Tottenham

Real Sociedad vs Man Utd

Fenerbahce vs Rangers

FSCB vs Lyon

Roma vs Athletic Club

Round of 16: 6 & 13 March 2025

Quarter-finals: 10 & 17 April 2025

Semi-finals: 1 May & 8 May 2025