LondonWorld

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai scored another impressive free kick but may have been helped by one Tottenham star.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario once again found himself at the centre of matchday action at Liverpool on Sunday evening.

Spurs picked up a late point to end interim boss Igor Tudor’s losing streak but spent much of the match 1-0 down. The Reds opened the scoring after just 18 minutes with Dominik Szoboszlai netting a trademark free kick.

As good as that striker was, Vicario was slow to react with fingers pointed at his footwork. The Standard rated the player a 5/10 for his efforts and wrote: “Restored to the starting lineup, he will feel he should have done better from Szoboszlai’s free-kick. Made an excellent save to push Gakpo’s effort onto the post, but was unconvincing with the ball at his feet. Lucky not to give away a corner after carrying the ball over the line as he swept up a Liverpool attack in the second-half. Involved in the equaliser.”

That sentiment was shared by former Tottenham man Jamie Redknapp with the pundit impressed at how Vicario managed to dust himself off and become a matchwinner for Spurs.

Jamie Redknapp praises ‘unbelievable’ Vicario transformation

Redknapp told Sky Sports: “This one [the Liverpool goal] I can’t help but look at the goalkeeper, his foot pattern is wrong. It’s a negative step to start, it’s a little one and then another little one instead of taking one big step. It’s just completely wrong. If you see someone trying to the high jump they aren’t going to go small steps, they’re going to big steps to get that trajectory and reach for it.

“He’s been poor but he made an unbelievable save from Gakpo to keep his side in it, when he palmed it onto the post. They’re big moments. In fairness, he reacted well and kept his side in when they needed him.

“You felt, at this point in the match, if Liverpool go 2-0 up, it could be four or five because they are so frail. It’s a brilliant save. Unbelievable when you look at it from behind the goal because he has to be strong and alive, his confidence is low from the one he conceded before. That’s beautiful, an excellent save that has kept his side in the game. They’re going to need him to make a lot of saves like that before the end of the season because, as much as it’s a good point, Spurs have an awful lot to do.”

In other news, Jamie Carragher drops new Tottenham relegation verdict as he slams 'sleepwalking' Liverpool.

Relegation to the Championship would make for a complicated summer transfer window at Tottenham Hotspur.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison could reject an immediate summer exit to a Premier League rival, even if his side is relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.

Spurs are in freefall under interim boss Igor Tudor and are set to become embroiled in a relegation dogfight between now and the end of the top flight campaign. A drop down to the second tier would come with an inevitable mass exodus of important first team stars this summer.

Maddison has not played for Tottenham this season due to a serious ACL injury. The England international has 222 Premier League appearances to his name and might have been considered one of the first candidates to push for an exit.

However, Football Insider suggests that the 29-year-old could be happy to remain at Spurs in the Championship, which would allow him to become a linchpin in midfield. Spurs have missed Maddison’s creative intelligence this season.

The player does have 47 appearances in the Championship to his name, with 15 goals and eight assists. The outlet claims that Aston Villa are monitoring a summer transfer for the player but that Maddison could elect to complete his full comeback in North London and then potentially look to leave in January.

James Maddison tipped to stay at Spurs if club drop to Championship

Former Tottenham scout Mick Brown told the outlet: “While most of the Spurs squad would be expected to move on, and the midfielder would be available at a bargain price, he could decide to stick with his current club. Maddison is going to be an interesting one. If the reports on his recovery are positive and he returns for Tottenham in pre-season, there could be an opportunity to bring him in on a bargain deal.

“If Tottenham are relegated, they’re going to struggle to keep hold of players and they’ll have to sell, so the opportunity will be there for clubs like Villa. From Maddison’s point of view, though, I think there’s a strong possibility he could stay at Spurs.

“The major factor for him is getting back fit and playing, and I would think he needs a good pre-season to get back playing first and foremost. If he can do that and get back to form early in the season with Tottenham, whichever league they might be in, then it might be something he looks at in January.”

Despite not having played this season, former Spurs boss Thomas Frank had lavished praise on the midfielder when head coach at Brentford and acknowledged his importance to the club. In January 2024, Frank said: “I’m pretty sure he [Postecoglou] will say that he [Maddison] is a key player for them if he hasn’t already said it.

“I think they are a different team with and without Maddison. I think he’s been a game-changer for them this season. They have a lot of other good players, Spurs, so it’s not that they can’t replace him, but the dynamic in the team, they just change.

“He is the one that can do something out of nothing with a pass, shot, cross, action. So, that’s a key player they got back.”

In other news, 'I'd Take It': Ex Tottenham manager forced to address links when cornered at Cheltenham Festival.

West Ham could struggle to hold on to key players should the club be relegated to the Championship instead of Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur are in the tricky predicament of planning for a summer transfer window which could be in preparation for either a Premier League or Championship campaign.

Spurs sit 16th in the top flight and just one point above the drop zone going into the weekend’s fixtures, and are on a poor run of form. Interim manager Igor Tudor has lost all of his first four fixtures in charge with the North London outfit in freefall.

Should the club be relegated to the Championship, big-earning first team stars will need to be offloaded and recruitment focused on competing in a tricky second tier. However, should Tudor avoid the drop, those losses will not happen and Spurs can rebuild for a top flight campaign.

Tottenham to target West Ham duo if Hammers relegated

According to SportsBoom, Tottenham are ready to capitalise on a Premier League rival’s misery, should they avoid relegation. West Ham and Nottingham Forest are both currently below Spurs in the division, with the Hammers in 18th.

Should West Ham be relegated, just like Spurs would, the London outfit will need to offload some of their best stars. Tottenham have been linked with interest in Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville in recent months and SportsBoom believes those links could come back to life in the summer.

Spurs have struggled for attacking impetus this season. The club spent £55 million on West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus last summer and, despite some promising performances, the Ghanaian managed just two goals and six assists in the Premier League before an injury in January.

Xavi Simons, Conor Gallagher, Mathys Tel and Richarlison can all also be deployed on the flank but have largely failed to impress this term. West Ham are also in a relegation fight, but Summerville and Bowen are stepping up to the plate.

Summerville has hit a purple patch of form after a slow first season and a half at the London Stadium, with seven goals across all competitions since the turn of the year. Meanwhile, Bowen has now hit double figures with 10 goals this season.

It’s added that a number of Premier League clubs are considering moves for the duo, who look almost certain to leave West Ham should the club be relegated to the Championship.

In other news, Liverpool set for two fitness boosts ahead of Tottenham clash.

A look at the pundit predictions for Tottenham’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham take their crisis show to Liverpool this weekend, with Igor Tudor seemingly keeping hold of his interim role for now. Tudor has had a disastrous start to life at Spurs, losing all of his games so far, and pressure is already building on his position.

Spurs are just one point ahead of the drop zone and it feels as though this is a real low point in the club’s proud history. Slipping into the relegation zone would be an even bigger low, and Spurs have their work cut out against a Liverpool side that will want to bounce back from a mid-week defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League.

Here we round up the pundit predictions for the game from SportsKeeda’s Paul Merson and BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton.

Chris Sutton

“How on earth can anyone back Spurs to get anything at the moment? Igor Tudor is making me look like I was a competent manager when I was in charge of Lincoln. The Spurs fans in Madrid were singing about playing Lincoln away next season - the Imps are top of League One - can you imagine me up against Tudor in the dugout?

“He has taken over a difficult situation but he has gone about things in a very odd way. It might be the done thing in Croatia or Italy to go into a club and tell the players some truths and say they are rubbish, but it is one thing doing it behind closed doors, and another to do it publicly.

“There just seems to be so many things wrong at Spurs. They sacked Thomas Frank, thinking they were going to get this short-term fix from Tudor, but they have got a guy who has had a short-term shocker. Liverpool are far from convincing either, mind you. It's not impossible that Spurs scramble a win here because Arne Slot's side were lousy in Turkey on Tuesday.

“Slot has got the second leg against Galatasaray to think about, and they will make changes, but they surely can't lose to Tottenham, can they? Prediction: 2-0.”

Paul Merson

“It's just a matter of by how many goals Liverpool can win! How long is Igor Tudor going to be around? My question is who wants the Spurs job at the moment?

“Tottenham will wait it out. They will get the Liverpool game out of the way before making a decision on Tudor. No one expects Spurs to win this game. I won't be surprised if they sack Tudor on Sunday. Time is running out and at some point they must make a change, so why not at the earliest?

“If Tottenham lose at Anfield, I will be shocked if Tudor is still in charge of the team for next weekend's massive relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest. I'm expecting Arne Slot to go with his best team for this game. I expect Liverpool to turn it around against Galatasaray in the second leg next week. But let's admit it, they have a better chance of finishing inside the top five rather than winning the Champions League.

“Tottenham will be hoping Fulham can do them a huge favour by beating Forest this weekend. If Forest win that game and beat Spurs next weekend, Vitor Pereira's team will be safe. Spurs are in trouble if that happens. Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur.”

The former Burnley and Everton boss is somewhat of a relegation specialist and could be targeted by Tottenham Hotspur.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a hint over the position of former Burnley and Everton manager Sean Dyche with the 54-year-old touted as a possible replacement for Igor Tudor.

Results at Spurs have somehow gone from bad to worse under the Croatian. Defeats in the Premier League against Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace were made even more miserable after a 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League and just one point off the drop zone with serious questions being asked as to whether Tudor has what it takes to lead a relegation dogfight. Should Spurs look for another managerial change, Dyche is one name heavily linked.

The ex Burnley man has earned a reputation as a survival specialist but the sinking ship at Spurs may not prove all that tempting for the manager. Transfer specialist Pete O’Rourke took to social media platform X on Thursday and wrote: “Sean Dyche is thought to be unwilling to take the role of Tottenham boss if they axe Igor Tudor. Spurs have been strongly rumoured to be interested in Dyche due to his proven track record in handling difficult situations and dealing with the challenges of survival battles.”

Sean Dyche confirms ‘top level’ offers since Nottingham Forest sacking

Dyche was sacked by Nottingham Forest in February after just four months in the job, having taken over from Ange Postecoglou. Forest then appointed Vitor Pereira as their fourth head coach of the campaign.

Dyche has since confirmed approaches for his services since leaving the City Ground but has not named specific clubs. Asked about his future plans on The Football Boardroom podcast, he said: "I know what I am. I could branch off this minute now and do what you're doing now and be quite happy. "You know, I've done my bit so if I do more, great. If I don't do more, I won't be crying over it. I won't be, you know, but you're left with this moment or that moment.

"Okay, yeah, not bothered about that. I've given my lot, I always do. So I've got no problem with that. So if I choose to step away, it will be my choice. It won't be because no one will employ me.

"I could certainly, I've had offers already by the way, so that's not a problem. Top level [offers] but the point is, you go, 'Do I need that? Do I want to make a decision? Not at the moment.'"

In other news, Harry Redknapp nominates two candidates to save relegation 'favourites' Tottenham.

Harry Redknapp has been discussing Tottenham’s current predicament and who can save them.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Harry Redknapp has been speaking about the dire Tottenham situation and who may be able to fix it in the short-term. Spurs are on the verge of exiting the Champions League, and more importantly, the Premier League.

The North London club are just one point above the drop zone and in the worst form of any of the relegation-threatened clubs. Interim boss Igor Tudor has lost every game, and it doesn’t look as though he is capable of lifting spirits around the club,

There are questions now over whether Tudor will be sacked, and it certainly isn’t out of the question after the shellacking Tottenham received in Madrid. The question then would become who Tottenham turn to, given the short amount of time any incoming manager is likely to have to stave off relegation.

According to club hero Redknapp, two familiar faces should be considered. It’s such a short-term job for someone,” he told TalkSport. “Someone just needs to go in there and give the place a lift.

“It ain’t going to be what you do on the training ground when you are playing Saturday and mid-week. You ain’t going to be out there putting on some super coaching, it’s going to be about the atmosphere about the place.

“Tim (Sherwood) would be a shout now. I think someone like Tim, Glenn Hoddle, even. I’d do it for sure. But I don’t see myself getting it, to be truthful. I would doubt very much that I would be...”

Asked about the current relegation picture, Redknapp added: “Them two (West Ham and Forest) are in better form. West Ham are playing very well. They have hit a bit of form, and Summerville is in good form, Bowen hasn’t scored lately but is a very good player.

“Notts Forest are quite capable at putting a run together and they are dangerous. Leeds are on the verge of it but they have done well and have had a good season. Tottenham are probably favourites, I think, out of the four, and their situation is pretty desperate.”

As things stand, West Ham are in the relegation zone, goal difference behind Nottingham Forest, while Tottenham are one point ahead of the drop and Leeds are three points ahead.

Crucially, Spurs face Liverpool this weekend, meaning they are in serious danger of dropping into the drop zone this weekend.

Tottenham are said to be considering a very smart move to turn things around.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham have a great deal to fix as they stare down the barrel of a possible relegation. The last couple of weeks have been a real low point in Spurs history, with the team sinking within one point of the relegation zone and capping a disastrous start under interim boss Igor Tudor with a 5-2 Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.

It’s still unclear whether Tudor will see out the week, with growing concern about the team’s Premier League position and the looming threat of relegation.

Whatever happens on the pitch, the Tottenham board know they have to fix the club, or at least begin fixing it immediately. Multiple managers have failed to get a tune from this team, and beyond the fact there is a real culture issue, Tottenham have a crisis-level problem with recruitment.

Investment has been lacking at times, yes, but money has still been spent, and other clubs have proven they can do it well for less. Be it Brentford, Bournemouth, Brighton or Crystal Palace, there are numerous examples of clubs recruiting well on limited budgets.

Fabio Paratici did a sloppy job at the help in his short-term return before returning to Italy, and now Tottenham need to find a much better replacement. At this juncture, it will be a relief to Tottenham fans that the club appear to be considering a proven Premier League recruiter.

Dougie Freedman is available having left Crystal Palace at the end of last season, and the former Eagles head coach is credited with a run of superb recruitment at Selhurst Park, culminating in a first-ever FA Cup and European qualification.

Whether it is players or manager, Freedman recruited expertly, regularly dealing with big sales like the loss of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Michael Olise, replacing those players faultlessly, and on the cheap.

Freedman identified players like Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton from the Championship, while also achieving success abroad with the likes of Daniel Munoz and Jean-Philippe Mateta.

According to The Independent, Spurs have now made contact with Freedman to see if he will be interested in taking on a similar role at Tottenham and turning around a dysfunctional recruitment department.

Igor Tudor is under serious pressure at Tottenham Hotspur after a fourth defeat in four matches.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Tottenham Hotspur interim manager Igor Tudor risks seeing his temporary stay in North London made even shorter after being thrashed 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in Champions League action on Tuesday night.

The European tournament had been the potential saving grace of the campaign for Spurs with strong showings so far this term helping the London outfit into the last 16. It had been hoped at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that further success in the competition could inspire an uptick in Premier League form.

Tudor was already under pressure ahead of the midweek fixture, having lost his opening three matches in charge against Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace. That had seen Spurs sink to 16th in the top flight, just one point above the drop zone.

Relegation to the Championship now poses a very realistic threat to Tottenham and a fourth defeat for Tudor could force club chiefs into further drastic action. Should the 47-year-old be dismissed, one man linked with the emergency role is former Spurs talisman Robbie Keane.

Robbie Keane has already responded to Tottenham Hotspur job links

The Irishman, who is currently working at Ferencváros, had also been linked with the Spurs post following the departure of Thomas Frank earlier this year. At the time, Keane said: “I think it’s nice that your name is there. Who puts it there? I have no clue. I think it shows you that I’m doing okay. To be even put there, again, I don’t even know, is it just the bookmakers? I have no clue how it works. I’m obviously aware of it, but I’m happy here.

“It’s a fantastic club, unbelievable training ground and stadium. It’s amazing, of course, as we all know. And really good players, good squad of players.”

Keane is in charge of Hungarian club Ferencváros. The head coach won the Israeli Premier League with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2024 and followed it up with a Hungarian league title in 2025.

The feelgood factor that could come with the return of Keane could be priceless for Spurs, and it’s a move that has been backed by former Tottenham defender Michael Dawson too.

Speaking to Sky Sports last month, Dawson said: “For me, there’s someone there in the making, someone who knows the football club, someone who has got the passion, played for the club and loves it, will galvanise everyone. That is Robbie Keane for me.

“I can’t imagine him leaving, top of the league and in the knockout stages of the Europa League. I don’t know too many managers that would leave for an interim job. Why not give it him on a permanent basis? They’ve tried Jose, they’ve tried Conte, they’ve tried Thomas Frank.”

In other news, Atletico Madrid could lose up to seven players for Tottenham second leg.

Atletico Madrid have some concerns ahead of their Champions League clash with Tottenham.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

Atletico Madrid are in a delicate situation as they prepare to face Tottenham in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Atleti welcome Spurs to the Spanish capital for the first leg on Tuesday night, and they will be looking to make a statement to awaken what has been a rather ordinary campaign.

Atleti have been nowhere near the standard of the top two in La Liga, only head-to-head above Villarreal in fourth place, although Champions League qualification is very likely.

The Champions League and Copa del Rey are the potential saviours for Diego Simeone’s men, and they have already booked a very winnable final with Real Sociedad in the latter. Atleti only beat La Real over the weekend, so they will be confident of repeating the result and taking top prize in Sevilla next month.

As for the Champions League, Simeone’s men will believe they can at least reach the quarter-finals of the competition having been drawn against a relegation-battling Tottenham side.

Spurs are just one point above the bottom three, and while they have been much better in the Champions League until now, they don’t look as though they are in the same league as Atletico Madrid in terms of ability at present.

But there are some complicating factors, and one potential issue for Atletico is that as many as seven players are one yellow card away from a suspension. A yellow card for any of Pablo Barrios, Thiago Almada, Clement Lenglet, Robin Le Normand, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill or Giuliano Simeone in the first leg will mean they miss the second leg in North London.

Lenglet and Le Normand are a key part of the Atletico back line, while Marcos Llorente’s quality and work rate is a foundational part of Simeone’s game plan. Barrios, meanwhile, is a key player in the midfield but is unlikely to start given this will be his first game back from injury.

Not only are those risks a potential boost for Spurs in the second leg, but the threat of suspension could lead to some players playing with a little less intensity in the first leg in a bid to avoid suspension.

One Tottenham star has hit out at former boss Thomas Frank.

Sign up to our LondonWorld Today newsletter

Sign up

Thank you for signing up!

Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to LondonWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.

Submitting...

One Tottenham star has hit out at former boss Thomas Frank, who was recently sacked amid a rotten run of form. Frank left Tottenham too close to the bottom three for comfort and paid the price, but things have only gotten worse since.

Igor Tudor has taken over on an interim basis and lost all of this games in charge so far, leading to Tottenham slipping to within a point of the drop zone.

It’s a disastrous situation, and Tottenham cannot seem to turn the momentum. Tudor may already be fighting for his job, with Spurs perhaps likely to press the panic button again if they drop into the drop zone over the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, there is a Champions League date with Atletico Madrid in the Spanish capital to prepare for on Tuesday night. Frank at least managed to get a tune out of Spurs in the Champions League, so it’s not going to look good if Tudor cannot.

The portion of blame that Frank deserves for Tottenham’s struggles remains up for debate, with the club’s board and recruitment staff certainly holding a big portion of blame.

But one player who was quietly happy to see the back of Frank was Mathys Tel. The 20-year-old winger was notably left out of Tottenham’s Champions League squad earlier in the season, and he found opportunities hard to come by under Frank.

The winger has now revealed in an interview with Zach En Roue Libre that he did not see eye-to-eye with his old boss. He said: “I disagreed with Thomas on my role within the team and he didn’t like me for it. He didn’t look to try and fix things. I was confused why I was on the bench a lot. I felt I could help the team more than I was.”

Tel has struggled for production for Tottenham this season, scoring only three times in 27 appearances across all competitions. He also struggled to make a big impact at the back-end of last season after joining on a loan deal with the option to buy from Bayern Munich, an option that was ultimately triggered.

But the winger is only 20 years of age, and many feel he has the potential to grow into an important oplayer with more game time and starts. He has only started once under Tudor so far, and that start came in the defeat to Crystal Palace over the weekend.