Liverpool Echo

Everton go to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday with the north London side fighting to stay up

Tottenham Hotspur could be relegated from the Premier League because of “fuming” Everton manager David Moyes.

That’s the verdict of former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp whose father Harry Redknapp also managed the north London outfit between 2008-12. Tottenham, on 38 points, go into their final fixture of the season at home to the Blues on Sunday with their top-flight status still not secured.

West Ham United, on 36 points, who host Leeds United at the same time with a 4pm kick-off, just six-and-a-half miles away, know they must beat the Yorkshire side to have any chance of survival.

For Spurs, a win over Moyes’ mean would guarantee avoiding the drop while their superior goal difference of 12 better than the Hammers ensures that realistically, a draw would also be enough for them.

OPINION

The Blues have triumphed on seven occasions in Premier League away fixtures this term but last Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat to Sunderland extended their winless run to six matches, gave them a losing record for the campaign as a whole and effectively ended their hopes of European qualification with the Black Cats leapfrogging them in the process.

Chelsea’s subsequent 2-1 win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday mathematically ended Everton’s chances but kept the visitors sweating going into the last day.

Both the Blues and Spurs are two of half a dozen clubs who are ever-presents in the Premier League since it was formed in 1992 (the others being Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) and to date Everton have been the only one of the six to go into the final fixture of a season with their top flight status on the line (three times, in 1994, 1998 and 2023).

However, the boot is on the other now and Redknapp also fears Roberto De Zerbi’s side could be coming up against a dangerous, wounded animal when it comes to Everton while Tottenham though have won only two Premier League games at home all season at their 62,850 base and have not triumphed there since the turn of the calendar year.

Goodison News quote the 52-year-old as telling Sky Sports: “Tottenham are sleepwalking towards relegation. I said it earlier this season.

“The only thing that’s saved them is a couple of good results. When I say good, they beat Wolves, and they beat an Aston Villa side who had seven players out at the time.

“Now they’ve got to find a way to win a game at home. Their home form has been horrendous all season, they’ve had no quality and no character to win a football match.

“Now they’ve got to find a way to beat Everton. David Moyes will be fuming after the weekend and he’ll be going there thinking: ‘We’ve got to get something out of this game’. I’d rather be playing Leeds at home than Everton.”

A look at the potential changes to the starting 11 that David Moyes could make for Everton's last day trip to Tottenham Hotspur

While their own European hopes are now dangling by the narrowest of threads and realistically they’re now playing for snookers, Everton must also consider the relegation battle when it comes to their team selection at Tottenham Hotspur.

If Chelsea defeat Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night then the David Moyes’ men fading hopes for continental competition would be officially extinguished. The west London outfit travel to Sunderland on the last day, so one of the two would be guaranteed to finish above the Blues.

So, even if Everton won handsomely and Brentford were beaten heavily at Liverpool, to turn around the current five goal deficit in goal difference between themselves and the Bees, they would be unable to climb into eighth place. Also, if Chelsea win, then it keeps Spurs fighting for survival going into the last day.

OPINION

Curiously if Roberto De Zerbi’s side were to triumph, or even draw given that they have a goal difference that is 13 better than that of West Ham United, then, while the Blues would not be mathematically out of the hunt, then they would not have to concern themselves with being fair to the Hammers and avoiding experimentation.

Either way, after Jake O’Brien’s struggles in the 3-1 home defeat to Sunderland on Sunday, there are question marks over the Republic of Ireland international. Will he be fit to play against Tottenham Hotspur, and if so, could he be moved to centre-back in place of either James Tarkowski or Michael Keane?

If O’Brien is ruled out or moved into the heart of defence then either Nathan Patterson or Seamus Coleman could step in at right-back but with the former now surplus to requirements and the latter having announced his departure as an Everton player, neither would be a forward-thinking move. Perhaps James Garner could even be asked to reprise his right-back role and move from central midfield?

Maybe Adam Aznou could even making a long-awaited Premier League debut at left-back in place of Vitalii Mykolenko? While Idrissa Gueye remains a fitness doubt for Spurs, if Garner was to move into defence then the likes of Harrison Armstrong, Charly Alcaraz, or even Merlin Rohl who started on the right wing against the Black Cats and netted his first goal in English football, before being moved into the engine room, could step in.

Armstrong, Alcaraz and Dwight McNeil would also be potential options both for wide roles with Iliman Ndiaye having struggled in recent weeks, or even as the number 10 with the form of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall having also dipped. Up front, Beto has been spearheading the attack in recent weeks when fit but after being on a job share with Thierno Barry all season, Moyes could always plump for the Frenchman as the curtain comes down.

Liverpool will be in the market for new defenders next season and Danny Murphy thinks he knows just the man

Liverpool should go after Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven this summer, in a bid to bolster their leaky defence, according to former Reds star Danny Murphy.

Arne Slot's side remains on course to qualify for next season's Champions League despite suffering a miserable 3-2 defeat at the hands of Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Reds have conceded 47 Premier League goals this term and will wave goodbye to stalwart left-back Andy Robertson later this month. Ibrahima Konate is still yet to sign a new contract, leaving Liverpool in need of defensive reinforcements and ex-Reds midfielder Murphy believes that the versatility of Dutchman Van de Ven would be ideal for his old club.

Speaking to Aceodds.com, Murphy said: “I think he (Van de Ven) ticks the boxes. I think obviously he's a wonderful athlete, good footballer. Adaptable as well, he can play left-back, left wing-back, he's played different positions for his national team. He's big, he's got presence, he's got Premier League experience.

“I think the rare moments of, call it bad attitude or ill-discipline, if you like, that have come are probably linked to the horrendous, chaotic situation Spurs are in. Very rarely do we see him lose his head. He's generally been pretty well-behaved and conducted himself pretty well."

Van de Ven is highly thought of at Spurs and was part of the team that lifted the Europa League trophy after defeating Manchester United in the final 12 months ago, but the north London club have suffered a torrid season and are currently scrapping to escape relegation from the Premier League.

They are currently a point above the drop zone with three games left to play. However, their poor season could lead to established stars looking elsewhere this summer and the 25-year-old is expected be a target for big clubs both home and abroad.

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Van de Ven has made 31 Premier League appearances for Tottenham this season, but hasn't been without his issues, as Murphy acknowledges.

“My only slight concern with van de Ven is his injury record," he added. "I don't think he's played a full season yet and what you want at the back is durable players who can build relationships.

"But in terms of his ability, he'll be on the radar. There's a lot of good centre-halves out there. I think especially with his pace and physicality, I think if you're going to play front-foot football and go at teams, you need centre-halves who are quick and can recover and he's one of the best, in terms of his recovery, out there.”

If Tottenham Hotspur face the drop this season then Liverpool could take advantage and swoop for one player

Should Tottenham Hotspur face the drop this season, Liverpool must make a move for Dutch defender Micky van de Ven. Spurs currently sit in the relegation zone, two points off West Ham in 17th, after a disastrous campaign.

Following Igor Tudor's haphazard tenure and subsequent sacking, Roberto De Zerbi has been tasked with keeping Spurs afloat. The Italian will also have to convince the club's best players that their future remains at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While not to the same degree, Arne Slot's side have also struggled this season with an inconsistent and injury-hit backline playing its part. A deal has already been pre-agreed for Jeremy Jacquet to sign from Rennes ahead of the 2026/27 season, but additional defensive reinforcements are still needed.

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Ibrahima Konate's unresolved future is a concern, Joe Gomez could leave this summer, while Virgil van Dijk will be 35 come the start of next season. Van de Ven, who has been linked heavily with the Reds, has a contract with Spurs until 2029.

According to talkSPORT, the club have slapped a £100 million price tag on the defender. Yet if De Zerbi's team were to drop into the Championship, the 25-year-old would no doubt be available for a knock-down price.

Is the Spurs ace worth splashing out on? The jury's out after Van de Ven's inconsistent season with Spurs. But ex-Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann thinks Liverpool need a player with the pace of Van de Ven.

He said: "We know in football how important pace is going forward... I think Micky van de Ven is one of the quickest, if not the quickest, in the Premier League. So, yeah, he'd certainly be one who's on the radar."

Former Spurs boss Tim Sherwood also thinks it's the logical move for all parties. "Micky van de Ven is the obvious choice for Liverpool this summer in that left centre-back position," he said.

There are doubts, however. Ex-Liverpool star Dean Saunders has questioned whether Van de Ven possesses the intelligence to make it at Anfield. Past Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has also doubted Van de Ven's suitability for the Reds.

"When speaking about Micky van de Ven, he is lightning quick, but I have played against defenders like him," Saunders told aceodds.com. "I have played against the quickest centre-backs in the world, but it was never a problem for me. Being a top defender is all about your brain.

"It doesn't matter being quick if you don't have the brain. It helps you recover from mistakes, but you shouldn't make those mistakes to start. I am just not sure if Van de Ven's football brain is that good and if he can read the game. At this level, everything is about speed of thought."

Van de Ven is remarkably, and officially, the fastest player in Premier League history, clocking a top speed of 37.38 against Brentford in January 2024.

While he has struggled this season, you would be hard pressed to find a Spurs player who hasn't. The Dutch international's aerial duels stand at a respectable 53.62 per cent, while his passing accuracy is a formidable 89 per cent, meaning there would be a lot that Slot could work with.

His seven goals in all competitions this season is one more than Liverpool's top-scoring defender Virgil Van Dijk and the Spurs centre-back would offer the benefit of having a left-footed central defender in the team.

Van de Ven himself also seems to be fond of his potential suitors. Speaking in June 2023, shortly before his £43m move to Spurs, he told Voetbal International: "It's true that the director (then Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, previously worked for Wolfsburg) went there and I know that Liverpool followed me before. But at the moment, I don't know anything. Do I think Liverpool is a nice club? Naturally."

Former Premier League star Sean Davis has lifted the lid on his proposed move from Fulham to Everton

Former Fulham midfielder Sean Davis has revealed that he had a medical at Everton before making his “nightmare” transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

Clapham-born Davis, who made his first team debut for Fulham as a 69th minute substitute in a 3-0 win over Cambridge United in Division Three (now League Two), made 198 appearances for the Cottagers and scored 20 goals, becoming the only player to represent in the club in all four divisions. Although he did not turn out against Everton in David Moyes’ first match in charge, a 3-1 win for the Blues at Goodison Park on March 16, 2002, he did catch the Glaswegian gaffer’s eye in both of the sides’ subsequent meetings the following season.

Davis turned out for the full 180 minutes in Everton’s 2-0 victory at Goodison on September 28, 2002, when Joseph Yobo made his debut for the hosts who triumphed through a brace of goals in the final minute of the first half through Kevin Campbell and Thomas Gravesen and then Fulham’s win by the same scoreline at Craven Cottage on May 3 through a couple of own goals by Alan Stubbs and goalkeeper Richard Wright.

That form convinced Moyes to agree a £5.2million deal to bring him to Merseyside in August 2003 that would have made the Londoner, who was called up for England that year but did not play, his most expensive purchase and the second most expensive buy in Everton history at the time after Nick Barmby. However, the Blues pulled the plug due to Davis’ knee injury and when he did leave Fulham the following summer it was a move across the capital to Spurs where he only made 17 appearances.

Everton News quote the now 46-year-old as telling the Undr The Cosh podcast: “I regret leaving Fulham, if I’m honest. I would have loved to have been a one club man.

OPINION

“Cookie (Chris Coleman) stitched me up there, he rang me. Everton wanted me at the time.

“I was going to go, I was moving to Everton. I had a medical and everything, but Cookie went: ‘I can’t sell you, the fans would lynch me, the only way you can go is to put in a transfer request.’

“Steve Finnan had left, Louis Saha had left, it wasn’t that I’d had my head turned for the money, it was more, was I going to get this opportunity again to test myself? Can I play Champions League football or for teams that are fighting for stuff?

“So, eventually I went to Cookie: ‘Okay, I’ll put in the transfer request, I’ll be the bad guy.

“Then I failed the medical at Everton, I had to come back and we played Everton six weeks later. I ended up going to Spurs and that was a nightmare.”

Davis subsequently turned out in the Premier League for Portsmouth, he was part of their squad when they won the 2008 FA Cup final but did not play; and Bolton Wanderers before finishing off his playing days with a short loan spell with Bristol City in the Championship in the 2011/12 season. Last September, BBC Sport featured him in an article on former footballers who had lost millions in investments, along with former Everton pair Craig Short and Tommy Johnson.

The loan deal for Merlin Rohl contained an obligation for it to become permanent in the event Everton avoided relegation - something that has now been achieved

Merlin Rohl is now expected to become an Everton player in the summer.

Results at the weekend made the Blues mathematically safe from relegation from the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur unable to catch them after their stoppage time heartbreak at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Everton’s top flight survival is the condition that should trigger the conversion of Rohl’s loan move from Freiburg into a permanent one. The deal is understood to be worth around £18m.

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Rohl has, at times, impressed behind the scenes since his summer deadline day move from the Bundesliga. But a series of injuries have curtailed his ability to have a serious impact on David Moyes’ first team.

There have been good performances, most notably in the valuable away wins at Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, victories secured with depleted squads during a winter in which Moyes was without a host of key stars.

But the return of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from injury and Idrissa Gueye from the Africa Cup of Nations, combined with the impressive form of James Garner, have limited the 23-year-old’s chances.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven has been linked with a summer move to Liverpool as Spurs battle against relegation

Micky van de Ven lacks the game intelligence to succeed at Liverpool according to former Reds striker Dean Saunders.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Van de Ven is often praised for his recovery pace when fending off attackers, but ex-Reds and Wales forward Saunders feels that top defenders don't get themselves into such desperate situations, citing former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand as a prime example of someone who perfected the art.

Van de Ven has been linked with a summer move to Anfield as Spurs continue to battle against relegation, but Saunders feels Liverpool may need to look elsewhere.

"When speaking about Micky van de Ven, he is lightning quick, but I have played against defenders like him," Saunders told aceodds.com.

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"I have played against the quickest centre-backs in the world, but it was never a problem for me. Being a top defender is all about your brain.”

"It doesn't matter being quick if you don't have the brain. It helps you recover from mistakes, but you shouldn't make those mistakes to start.

"I want to bring in Man United's former centre half pairing as an example. When Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic played, Ferdinand always came off the pitch with no mud on his shorts.

"Ferdinand would read the situation and get there before the striker, and I am just not sure if Van de Ven's football brain is that good and if he can read the game. At this level, everything is about speed of thought.

"How can I get the ball before Erling Haaland? His brain is fantastic, and I just don't see it with Van de Ven. Ferdinand used to get the ball before me and other defenders were running after me. I am really not sure about Van de Ven and his brain.”

Saunders admits that Liverpool face a tough act in eventually replacing Virgil van Dijk, whose contract expires next summer, and Ibrahima Konate, whose current deal runs out at the end of this season. Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck has been linked with a move to Merseyside along with Van de Ven, but Saunders says the challenge for anyone joining the Reds will be a steep one.

“Well, to be honest, I have not seen enough of Nico Schlotterbeck," he added. "I just have to state that if you are playing as a centre half for Liverpool, you have to be one of the best in your position in the world. It is not enough just to be a good player.

"It will be nearly impossible to replace Van Dijk and I actually think Konate is a very good player as well. Of course, he has suffered, but anyone would suffer if they have had seven different right backs playing aside you."

Tottenham Hotspur boss Igor Tudor has spoken about a viral moment before the draw with Liverpool at Anfield last week

Tottenham Hotspur interim boss Igor Tudor has clarified that he did not make a mistake after a viral moment on the touchline of the draw with Liverpool at Anfield. The Reds were forced to settle for a point in their 1-1 stalemate last weekend in the Premier League, but a moment on the touchline went viral across social media.

As Tudor made his way down the tunnel, he went on to greet Tottenham’s team manager and player liaison officer Allan Dixon, who is also the brother-in-law of ex-Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

Many on social media believed the Spurs boss initially thought it was Liverpool head coach Arne Slot, with the moment going viral across social media in the days that followed the draw at Anfield.

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Tudor has now explained why it was not a mistake on his part that day against Liverpool, with the Tottenham boss also explaining how he has given Dixon a nickname related to Reds head coach Slot after the moment.

"What happened was my son, who is 20 years old, said 'in Croatia everyone is laughing at you because you made this mistake'.

"I said, ‘What mistake?’ You do know who the guy is?’. ‘No, I don’t know’. I said, 'it’s Allan Dixon, I’m spending all my days together with him'.

“So I came out [at Anfield] and he’s standing in front of my bench. What other coach can be there in front of it? It’s my training zone. He was there, I came to him to make a joke. If you understand, I came from this side (Dixon's right), I touched him and went to the other side. When he turned I was not surprised, I was laughing.

"I can imagine in Croatia because maybe they don’t know who Allan Dixon is. But in England do they think I don’t recognise the guy I spend every day, ten hours, with?! I come out and don’t know he is? It was a little bit ridiculous."

Tudor went on to say that he and Dixon went on to recreate the moment on purpose before Tottenham’s Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid earlier this week.

He said: "Now [against Atletico] we did it on purpose to make a joke, because from now on I call him ‘Arne’! It’s not Allan, it’s Arne!

"But this is how it works, this is 2026, it’s about news, to have fun. It’s part of the work of today, but sometimes it's really ridiculous. I don't understand it, but you need to invent some news."

The pundits have been having their say on Arne Slot after fresh questions were asked of Liverpool's Premier League title-winning boss following the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday

After boos rang out at Anfield following Liverpool’s disappointing 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, speculation has grown surrounding the future of head coach Arne Slot, who led the Reds to their 20th league title last year.

While Slot appears to retain the backing of the ownership, pundits have had their say after the draw with the Premier League’s most out-of-form side left his team two points outside the top four.

Jamie Carragher said there was a “big shift” in the Anfield crowd’s attitude towards their manager at the weekend.

Talking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, the Liverpool great said: “The booing at the end, that was proper booing. That was a really unhappy and disgruntled fanbase and I think it is going to be very difficult to get them back.

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“Once you lose that crowd, it is very difficult.”

After Manchester United beat Aston Villa earlier on in the day, a win for the Reds would’ve seen them return to the top four. Instead, another poor result has put their hopes of Champions League qualification in further jeopardy.

Former Everton and Man United striker Wayne Rooney said on his BBC show: "I don’t know what the board’s objectives were at the start of the season, but obviously as champions, he [Slot] would be expected to finish in the Champions League spots.

"I think there will be conversations if he doesn’t and see what happens from there. Liverpool have been inconsistent this season. There have been many new signings, but other players are not playing as well as in previous seasons.”

The Reds face Galatasaray at Anfield in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie tomorrow (Wednesday), looking to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit.

After Saturday's Premier League trip to Brighton & Hove Albion, they have a FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester City at the Etihad after the international break.

And Kop legend Robbie Fowler thinks winning a trophy this season is a necessity for the defending Premier League champions.

Speaking on Premier League Productions, he said: “The problem with them winning the league last year is that everyone's expectations are going to rise and if you're not challenging, expectations are going to drop.

“It's a must they get into the Champions League. But I think they have genuinely got to win a competition.

“We'll be stood here towards the end of the season and if they haven't got any of them, questions will be asked about the manager again.”

Fowler also believes that the Spurs match stands as a missed opportunity for Liverpool.

“They had a good chance to put a bit of a stamp on their own season, get into that top four and stay there,” he explained. “But, again, they have faltered.”

After winning the league last term and spending north of £400m the following summer, it’s fair to say Liverpool’s title defence hasn’t gone to plan.

And Roy Keane claimed Slot gave his players too much downtime after securing the title with four games to spare.

Speaking after the Tottenham match, the ex-Man United captain said: "They were partying with four weeks to go, there were celebrations after every league game. It is Liverpool Football Club, are you not expected to win league titles? When you do, enjoy it but back it up next year.

“They've been bad champions. To be 21 points behind Arsenal, what a drop off that is. So I think there are issues going on.

“I don't think they are on the same page, there doesn't seem to be the same chemistry with the players.”

Jamie Carragher has sent a warning to Arne Slot after his Liverpool side were booed off following their 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham on Sunday

Jamie Carragher has warned Arne Slot he faces a challenge to get Liverpool supporters back onside after his side were booed off against Tottenham Hotspur. Richarlison’s late equaliser sparked an exodus before the remaining Reds supporters booed their team off the field on the final whistle.

Speaking after the game, Slot said he didn’t blame Liverpool fans for venting their frustration at the full-time whistle. But Carragher has warned Slot that the draw with Spurs, along with the defeats to Wolves and Galatasaray, has brought a shift in the fanbase.

"The bigger point is how worrying it is for the manager, and I think there is a difference between most support in terms of what we see online and social media compared to the match-going fans,” he said on Monday Night Football.

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"And I think for a lot of this season when people have turned on Arne Slot, the match-going fans have stuck with him.

"You think even what happened with Mo Salah the next game was away in the San Siro, and they (the fans) were chanting for Arne Slot. And it is not easy for a Liverpool crowd to turn on a manager who has won a title 12 months before.

"But I felt there was a big shift yesterday in terms of how the crowd felt in terms of their Liverpool team and their manager.

"The booing at the end, that was proper booing, that was a really unhappy and disgruntled fanbase and I think it is going to be really difficult to get them back.

"Once you lose that crowd, it is very difficult. Now something really special could happen in terms of a Champions League, or maybe you win the FA Cup and you qualify for the Champions League.

"But I think a lot of the supporters have gone on the back of what has happened in this last week, especially one point from Wolves and Tottenham and losing the first-leg to Galatasaray in the Champions League, and I am not that confident, certainly as I was a few weeks ago, about going through against Galatasaray.”

Carragher also believes Liverpool's biggest problem is their pressing, saying: "I think they're really deep. I said on commentary yesterday that they are lots of things wrong with this Liverpool team, nothing's working. But the biggest thing that stands out for me that Liverpool have lost is the press.

"Pressing wasn't just a Jurgen Klopp thing, but the whole point of people saying, 'It's tough going to Anfield,' is not that Liverpool are always amazing on the ball or got the best players. It was that it's a tight pitch, the fans are on top of you, Liverpool get after you and win the ball back and go forward – and that is something that is sorely lacking and is the biggest problem at Liverpool right now."

Before he added: "They're not a team, they're a team of individuals. Quality players, yes, but just been dropped in with no cohesion.