The Independent

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 Leicester City face Tottenham Hotspur today in the WSL:

Andoni Iraola has insisted his full focus is on doing the best job he can for Bournemouth amid links with Tottenham Hotspur.

Speculation has intensified in recent days that the highly-rated Basque manager may emerges as a top target if Spurs part company with Ange Postecoglou in the coming months.

Iraola has done impressive work since arriving on the south coast at the start of last season, with Bournemouth in the chase for European places in the league and targeting a semi-final berth in the FA Cup against Manchester City this weekend.

Postecoglou, conversely, is a man under pressure with Tottenham languishing in 14th in the table.

Iraola did not comment directly on reports linking him to the role, with the Bournemouth boss hopeful of creating history in the quarter-final clash at the Vitality Stadium this weekend.

“I want to do my job the best I can,” Iraola said. “I don’t know how far we can [go], where we will finish. I want to do my job the best I can. If I don’t do the job very well, they will find someone else. It’s like this in every job.

“I’m really happy here. We have a great opportunity to make the semi-finals [of the FA Cup] for the first time in history. That would be amazing for me personally, and for the club, to achieve new heights.

“But we also know that we have to be realistic. There are better teams than us. We have to fight against teams that are very good. We will try to give the best level we have. I don’t know how far we are going to go.”

Victory on Sunday would secure a trip to Wembley for Bournemouth as they seek to continue a strong season.

The hosts beat Pep Guardiola’s side for the first time in their history in the Premier League in November and Iraola is hopeful that his side can repeat the feat.

“The draw we cannot change, once it is finished it is what we have. We are in a different moment, we hope we are close to the level we gave that day [in November], it is the only way we have a chance.

“I think we have a big opportunity this weekend, anyone who steps on the pitch has to be ready to give everything, and even that might not be enough to beat City. The work for everyone is huge, but the chance to play at Wembley - for City it is less important as they play there a lot, but for us it is huge."

Iraola has been given a clean bill of health with his squad, though Marcus Tavernier is unable to play 90 minutes as is thus likely to be included on the bench.

Former Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen has announced that he will retire from professional football at the end of the season.

It comes a year after the Anderlecht captain called time on his international career with Belgium, retiring as the nation’s record appearance holder with 157 caps.

Vertonghen wrote himself into Spurs folklore during an eight-year spell in North London, making 315 appearances between 2012 and 2020.

He is most vividly remembered by Premier League fans for making up one half of a formidable centre-back partnership with fellow compatriot Toby Alderweireld that acted as the backbone of the side that reached the Champions League final in 2019.

Vertonghen, now 37, cited a daily struggle brought about by an accumulation of injuries as the reason for hanging up his boots - something which has plagued his season with Anderlecht, limited to only five appearances.

"During all those months on the sidelines, I had time to reflect,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday. “I quickly came to the conclusion that I wouldn't be able to play a full year at the level I wanted. I constantly suffer from ankle pain, so the decision was quite easy to make.

"I've seen about 10 specialists this year who assured me the pain would go away. But the pain is daily, and just walking up the stadium stairs hurts. I have to warm up for a very long time before I can play.

"I take painkillers and have had several injections, but I'm not a fan of that kind of shock treatment. I don't want to be dependent on painkillers. I feel like I'll still be welcome at every club I've played for, and that makes me proud, as does the fact that I've been able to discover many different countries and cultures."

Vertonghen was tipped for stardom at Ajax after breaking through as a teenager and spent six years in the first-team setup, before earning a move to Tottenham in the summer of 2012.

There, he established his name in the upper echelons of English football, being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year twice during his near-decade stay at Spurs.

After becoming a free agent in the summer of 2020, he moved to Portuguese giants Benfica before returning to his homeland to play for Anderlecht in 2022, where he was quickly awarded the captaincy.

Vertonghen will now bid farewell to the professional game, but has vowed to go out on a high ahead of the Belgian Pro League’s hotly-anticipated championship play-offs.

“For the next 11 games, these eight to 10 weeks, I'll try to give it my all and hopefully experience some beautiful moments together,” Vertonghen added.

“But then the journey ends and that hasn't been an easy decision, but it's a decision I have to take and I feel it's the right time. We'll do everything we can to make it a fantastic ending.”

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 West Ham United face Tottenham Hotspur today in the WSL:

Tottenham’s 1984 UEFA Cup winner Mark Falco has told the current team the lows of this season will quickly be forgotten if they win a trophy.

Spurs are 14th in the Premier League after a dismal domestic campaign, which has increased the scrutiny on Ange Postecoglou, who struggled with an injury crisis throughout the winter months.

The only chance for Tottenham to salvage this campaign is Europa League success, with a quarter-final tie with Eintracht Frankfurt on the horizon for April after they produced a comeback victory to beat AZ Alkmaar earlier this month.

Falco was a key part of a Keith Burkinshaw side who went all the way in the UEFA Cup in a 1983-84 season which also provided challenges.

Tottenham eventually finished eighth in the old First Division after injuries to influential figures like Glenn Hoddle and Falco believes it can serve as a lesson for Postecoglou’s squad.

“No, you forget all the aches and pains, the testing times, that evaporates and drifts away because you have a big smile on your face and you can say you’ve done well. If they can do it this year, I would be so proud and pleased as punch,” Falco told the PA news agency.

“We’ve played some great football and we just need to get the team back together. It’s coming gradually and the injuries are being patched.

“Hopefully we can get the whole team and squad back together firing on all cylinders.”

Similarities can be drawn between the heroes of 1984 and modern-day Tottenham with both teams struggling throughout December and March of their respective seasons.

The two sides also exited the FA Cup at the start of February, but Falco recalled how it was all worth it after a successful penalty shootout win over Anderlecht in the second leg of the final at White Hart Lane clinched what has proved to be the club’s last European trophy to date.

Falco added: “It was quite a gruelling season but it all came good and to win the trophy at the end of it was a good reward for all the efforts the boys put in.

“To win the actual trophy in front of your own fans, on the last kick with a penalty save by Tony Parks, it is one you write down and say it can’t happen because it is Hollywood stuff, but to win a trophy and a European trophy at our own ground was magnificent.

“It was a great achievement for all the boys because there was nearly eight home-grown or not-big signings in the final team, so it was a quite a local and great thing for the club to put young talent in at the time.”

Sunday will give Falco the chance to return to his old stomping ground as a Spurs Legends XI face AC Milan Glorie at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Falco is excited to play at the 62,850-seater venue again after he featured against Inter Milan Legends in 2019, which serves as a good omen.

“Well, my knees are gone and my back is shot but other than that I am great,” Spurs’ 89-goal forward Falco joked.

“People know I am a lifelong Spurs fan and my family are so to put a Spurs shirt on and get out at the main stadium is unbelievable, especially at the rip old age of 64!

“We got to the (Champions League) final the last time we had a friendly against Inter Milan, so hopefully we can go one better and win this year after playing AC.”

:: Mark Falco will be playing for Spurs Legends vs. AC Milan Glorie on Sunday in aid of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Tickets available at http://tottenhamhotspur.com/legendstickets

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 Brighton & Hove Albion today in the WSL:

Follow live coverage as Fulham 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:

Tottenham Hotspur host AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie tonight, with Ange Postecoglou’s side on the back foot and looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

The visitors produced a flat performance in the Netherlands last week as Lucas Bergvall was at fault for the only goal of the evening, so Postecoglou’s men will be hoping to produce a better display in order to avoid exiting the competition they are among the nominal favourites to win.

Spurs came back from 2-0 down in their last outing to salvage a point against Bournemouth in the Premier League, but know that time is running out to rescue their season, with the Europa League their last shot at silverware.

AZ Alkmaar meanwhile are sixth in the Eredivisie, with three wins in their last five, and will be aiming to pull off the upset of the round if they can build on their first-leg lead.

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

The match is due to kick off at 8pm GMT on Thursday, 6 March at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the game live on TNT Sports 3, with coverage starting at 7pm. Subscribers can also watch online via discovery+.

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

Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso are expected to miss the contest for Spurs, with the latter absent from training on Wednesday and looks set to be on the sidelines until after the intermational break.

Richarlison is also out and is forecasted to remain unavailable until April, despite having returned to training. Rodrigo Bentancur is suspended after picking up one booking too many in the away leg.

Ben Davies, on the other hand, is back available after recovering from a knock, while Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are also fit to feature - a major defensive boost for Postecoglou.

AZ Alkmaar were dealt a double injury blow in the first leg as Mayckel Lahdo was forced off inside just 10 minutes, before his replacement, Denso Kasius, was later withdrawn on the hour mark.

They join Sven Mijnans, Ruben van Bommel, Jayden Addai and Mexx Meerdink on the sidelines for the visitors, who will turn to former Spurs frontman Troy Parrott to do the business once again on his return to North London.

Tottenham XI: Vicario; Spence, Gray, Romero, Udogie; Maddison, Bergvall, Sarr; Johnson, Tel, Son

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

Tottenham win - 4/9

Draw - 18/5

AZ Alkmaar win - 5/1

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Spurs looked turgid in last week’s encounter but should produce enough to overwhelm AZ, the heavy underdogs in this tie - and may feel fired up after the criticism they’ve received since that first leg.

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.

You can add Sky Sports to any Sky TV package for £22 per month for all nine sports channels, or the complete sports package plus Netflix is available for £43 per month. Subscribers will also be able to watch via the Sky Go app.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

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.