Daily Mail

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he made the decision to send Dominic Solanke home after he arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Sunday's game.

The striker was a notable absentee from the starting XI with fans speculating that he must be injured.

However, Postecoglou has now confirmed that Solanke was not well enough to start.

Explaining Solanke's omission from the team ahead of kick-off, the Aussie said: 'He just came in today and he wasn't looking the best.

'He was under the weather so we sent him home. Hopefully a full recovery and ready to go for the next one.'

It was another day to forget for the north London club, who were held to a 1-1 draw by the Cottagers.

After an even first half, Spurs went ahead against the run of play at the start of the second period when Brennan Johnson volleyed in for his 10th goal of the season.

Ange Postecoglou’s team never hit the heights of last weekend’s 4-0 victory at Manchester City and Fulham claimed a deserved leveller through substitute Tom Cairney before he was sent off late on via a VAR review.

Spurs dropped to seventh, with Fulham still a point behind in 10th.

Postecoglou's side now sit three points adrift of the top four after what has been a very mixed start to the season

The Fulham midfielder was surprisingly dropped for his side's trip to Tottenham

Andreas Pereira has since addressed the situation in a lengthy online statement

This Man City team is DONE and Pep Guardiola has been sleeping on the job - LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira has slammed a 'malicious' publication claiming he wants to join Marseille by stating he 'deeply regrets' quotes attributed to him after being dropped for Sunday's trip to Tottenham.

The Brazilian was the surprise omission from Marco Silva's squad with their being initial confusion as to why Pereira hadn't travelled with the team to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

An interview conducted earlier in the week associated Pereira with talking about wanting to leave the club in the January transfer window to pursue a move to Marseille and the midfielder subsequently released a statement just minutes before Fulham's clash with Spurs got underway.

Having been booted out of the matchday squad, Pereira addressed Fulham supporters in a lengthy Instagram update and accused the publication he did the interview with of wrongly translating quotes.

The 28-year-old's presence was sorely felt against Tottenham with Fulham lacking his creativity and goal threat but still managing to rescue a point after Tom Cairney struck late in the 1-1 draw.

Addressing what the former Man United star calls a 'malicious' article, Pereira stated: 'I would like to address the article recently published about me.

'Unfortunately, the piece contains statements attributed to me that I did not make, and the translation into English was done in a malicious and inaccurate manner, completely distorting my words.

'In the interview, I clearly expressed my happiness and satisfaction with being at Fulham and my gratitude for everything the club and the staff have done for me, emphasising at all times that I still have two years remaining on my contract and that I am fully focused on the club.

'However, the article includes comments that are neither accurate nor reflective of what I actually said,' added Pereira.

'I deeply regret the unprofessional conduct displayed in this situation and respectfully request a retraction of the quotes falsely attributed to me.

'It is essential to uphold the truth and ensure that public discourse is based on facts.

'Thank you for your understand. And most importantly Come On Fulham,' he said.

It is yet to be seen whether Pereira will be recalled to the first-team for Thursday's midweek clash against high-flying Brighton at Craven Cottage.

Pereira has made 94 appearances for the Cottagers and scored nine goals during that time after previously joining from Man United two years ago.

His existing contract runs until 2026 with Fulham also having the option to extend the deal for a further year at their own discretion.

Tom Cairney was on the pitch for little more than 20 minutes but he earned Fulham a point and wounded Tottenham.

Cairney came off the bench to score within five minutes, his first goal in almost a year to wipe out Brennan Johnson’s opener.

Then his tackle from behind on Dejan Kulusevski left Fulham to see out the game with 10 men, which they did without too much cause for alarm.

The draw leaves Spurs with only one win in five games, although that just happens to be a 4-0 at Manchester City.

Ange Postecoglou’s injury problems continued to pile up with Archie Gray off injured after coming on near the end.

With Dominic Solanke sent home unwell before kick-off, Tottenham started with Heung-min Son at centre forward. Son forced Bernd Leno into a save within a minute but does not provide the same physical presence as Solanke.

He offers another kind of threat, dashing onto passes but Spurs found it difficult in the first half to establish any territory. The game fizzed from one end to the other and the visitors were slick in possession, testing Postecoglou’s patched-up defence.

Ben Davies made late interceptions and clearances, and Fraser Forster made some fine saves, the best of them to push a Raul Jimenez volley wide. Alex Iwobi crashed an effort against the bar, as the interval loomed.

Tottenham resisted and found some better rhythm. Radu Dragusin forced Leno into another save with a powerful header from a corner and James Maddison clipped the outside of a post in first-half stoppage-time, with a clever free-kick driven low as all the those in Fulham’s defensive wall jumped.

Maddison clutched his head as he crumpled to the turf. Spurs had spotted the opportunity and came within centimetres of making it pay.

Fulham were brightest again at the start of the second half, exerting pressure with the three former Arsenal forwards in their team causing problems with their pace and movement. Reiss Nelson rolled out the party pieces, turning at the last second to control one long pass with his back.

Forster saved a header from Issa Diop with a knee but just as they seemed to relax into being in the ascendancy Silva’s team were caught out at the back, with Johnson capitalising on space left behind by one of Antonee Robinson’s forays upfield.

Spurs worked the ball briskly from right to left through Son and Maddison before Werner clipped a pass back across to Johnson, who made no mistake on the volley.

This has become the trademark goal of the season for Johnson, a first-time finish at speed cutting inside from the right.

Fulham to their credit refused to panic, continued to pick their passes and levelled through Cairney, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he slammed in a left-footer from 15 yards at the end of a patient passing move culminating in a lay-off by Iwobi.

It was his first goal for nearly a year although his delight soon vanished when his foul from behind on Kulusevski in midfield was picked up by the VAR.

Referee Darren Bond showed his yellow card at first but was referred to his monitor because Cairney caught Kulusevski midcalf with his studs. It did not look good on the slow-motion replays and the card was upgraded to a red.

Gary Neville believes Man City's 3-3 draw with Feyenoord in midweek will have had a more damaging impact on the team than last weekend's 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham

City ended a run of five straight defeats when they drew with the Dutch side at the Etihad on Tuesday night .

However, the result will have felt like a loss for Pep Guardiola's men as they let a 3-0 lead slip, conceding three in the last 15 minutes.

The match came just three days after Tottenham's shocking 4-0 win at the Etihad but Neville thinks the Feyenoord game will have hurt more.

Speaking on Sky Sports on Sunday, Neville said: 'I think the game in midweek in some ways was worse than the one last weekend in the sense that you're three-nil up and might think you're back on track.

'And all of a sudden, the roof caves in on you. I think coming off the back of that one, it's a tough one for them.'

City have their work cut out for them if they are to end their poor run of form as the champions visit league leaders Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds have made a brilliant start to the season and with be 11 points clear of the Citizens if they claim the three points.

And Neville thinks the Anfield atmosphere might prove too much for a team who finds themselves in their lowest moment in many years.

'The problem is this is one of the toughest places for any team to come, let alone City. But there will be something in the back of their minds.

'They're serial winners, all of them. The problem is the reality might hit home when they get out on the pitch and they hear this crowd.'

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Tottenham were twice pegged back by Italian side at home on Thursday night

Result sees Spurs drop out of the Europa League automatic qualification places

This Man City team is DONE and Pep Guardiola has been sleeping on the job - LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday

After the thrilling raid on Manchester City, the prospect of a home fixture against dysfunctional Roma came with laced with peril for anyone familiar with the Tottenham script.

The Italians have been in disarray this season, summoning Claudio Ranieri from retirement to salvage their season and the presence of the architect of Leicester City's miracle in 2016 triggered awkward flashbacks in N17.

Spurs chased Leicester all the way that year and somehow finished up in third, and here was Ranieri back at the age of 73 to aggravate them all over again. This time with an equaliser crashed home from close range by Mats Hummels in stoppage time.

'Frustrating the way the game ended,' said Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou but he rejected the idea of making his team boring in pursuit of points 'Would you really prefer us to scratch out a few nil-all draws?

'I'd much rather we're exciting to watch. It's edge-of-the-seat and sometimes you don't get the reward. But if you want those games there's plenty in world football you can watch every week. I like to think if you tune in to see us, you'll get entertainment.'

It was frenzied and often fraught, with woodwork rattling and three Roma goals ruled out and it started badly for Hummels, the 35-year-old defender released by Borussia Dortmund at the end of last season and picked up by the Italian club as a free agent.

MATCH FACTS

Tottenham (433): Forster 6; Porro 7, Dragusin 6, Davies 6, Gray 6; Kulusevski 7.5, Bentancur 6 (Bergvall), Sarr 6.5 (Bissouma 69, 6); Johnson 7 (Maddison 69, 6), Solanke 6.5, Son 6.5 (Werner).

Subs: Austin, Whiteman, Bissouma, Maddison, Udogie, Bergvall, Werner, Olusesi, King, Williams-Barnett, Hardy.

Goals: Son 5 (pen), Johnson 33,

Bookings: Kulusevski, Bentancur,

Manager: Ange Postecoglou 6.5

Roma (343): Svilar 7; Mancini 6, Hummels 6, N'Dicka 6; Celik 5 (Zalewski 65, 6), Paredes 6.5, Kone 6, Angelino 7; Dybala 7 (Soule 46, 6.5), Dovbyk 6.5, El Shaarawy 6 (Saelemaekers 69, 6).

Subs: Marin, Ryan, Cristante, Pellegrini, Abdulhamid, Le Fee, Baldanzi, Saelemaekers, Zalewski, Pisilli, Sangare.

Goals: NDicka 20, Hummels 90+

Bookings: Paredes

Manager: Claudio Ranieri 6.5

Ref: Glenn Nyberg (SWE) 6.5

Att: 53,379

Hummels scored an own goal from the bench on his debut - a 5-1 defeat at Fiorentina - and did not play again under Ivan Juric, who was sacked in November after a dozen games in charge.

Here, on his first start for Roma, he conceded a penalty inside two minutes, late on Pape Matar Sarr who needed little encouragement to tumble over.

Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg waved the appeals away at first, only to be referred to his monitor by the VAR. Heung-min Son converted once the decision had eventually been confirmed.

Fraser Forster, making only his fifth appearance in 18 months, performed well and made his first save of the night from Paulo Dybala but was soon beaten by Evan N'Dicka, who glanced in a header off the bar from a from a free-kick.

The visitors thought they had the lead when Stephan El Shaarawy connected sweetly with a flick by Dybala and fizzed a volley into the net from just inside the penalty area. The ball was on the centre spot with both teams lined up to restart by the time the VAR check came through and the goal was ruled out for offside.

Angelino made a vital block on his own line to deny Brennan Johnson before the Spurs winger soon found the net in typical style, arriving at pace to rattle in his ninth of the season, a crisp finish to a low cross from Dejan Kulusevski.

Postecoglou's team were in control before half time and should have settled the tie during this period. Kulusevski hit a post, Son crashed the rebound over and was then denied by keeper Mile Svilar.

Tottenham broke four on two early in the second half without making it count. Hummels recovered to make a sliding challenge as Kulusevski took aim.

Roma were stronger in the second half. They had two more goals disallowed for offside in quick succession.

First Artem Dovbyk strayed a yard offside before his cross was tapped in by Manu Kone. Then a flag went up as Dovbyk applied the finish to a low cross from the right.

Pedro Porro deflected an effort by Angelino against the bar. Kone slid a good chance wide form the edge of the penalty box. Porro clipped the bar from a free-kick and Solanke headed against the bar before Roma generated pressure and a strong finish.

Forster made a fabulous reflex save from Gianluca Mancini but could do nothing to stop Hummels scoring from the corner which followed.

'Let's see how the season ends before saying it was the right decision to come out of retirement,' said Ranieri. 'I thought I could be travelling the world, but I knew in bottom of heart there were two teams who if they called I could not say no. Roma and Cagliari but I hoped they would never call because that would mean they needed me.'

Follow Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates from the two Europa League games involving English clubs as Manchester United take on Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford and Tottenham host Roma at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Guglielmo Vicario faces months out of action after surgery on a broken ankle

Postecoglou has backed Fraser Forster to deputise in the Italian's absence

Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all on bombshell chat with Mo Salah - LISTEN NOW to It's All Kicking Off! New episodes every Monday and Thursday

Ange Postecoglou has backed England veteran Fraser Forster to fill Tottenham's goalkeeping void, claiming he won't expect him to transform into one of world football's pass masters.

'There's a misconception around that,' said Postecoglou when asked if Forster could adapt to the demands placed upon a modern keeper in a possession-based team.

'I do want to play out from the back but don't need my goalkeepers to be Maldini or Platini. In fact, the simpler they can keep it the better for me. I keep saying to the players, don't pass it to the goalkeepers, they've got the gloves on, they're the goalkeepers and you're the player.'

Forster, 36, has made only four appearances in 18 months but is needed by Spurs with Guglielmo Vicario out for months after surgery on a broken ankle, starting against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday.

Postecoglou ruled out signing a free agent as emergency cover and played down the idea of changing the club's transfer plans in January, because of his faith in Forster.

'It's not about their technical ability,' he added. 'Look at the way we play out from the back, and Joe Hart is a great example of that when he came to Celtic, it's about them executing really simple passes.

'They're actually quite good at it, all goalkeepers. It's more about mindset. Them not thinking what they're doing is risky, that's what it comes down to. I'm not asking them to ping 50 yarders. That's actually a harder skill.'

Vicario broke his right ankle in the first half of the 4-0 win at Manchester City on Saturday but stayed on until the end, before scans the next day confirmed a fracture that needed an operation.

'It's not going to be weeks, it'll be months,' said Postecoglou. 'He's had surgery and there's certain timelines. Because it is Vic, and I don't like giving timelines so early in a process like that because it puts undue pressure on the players and some expectations, but once we get past the rehab stage and he's getting out there we'll have a clearer idea.'

On the idea of picking up a free agent, he said: 'That's not going to happen.' And on plans for the January transfer market, he said: 'Any club that gets a significant injury in their goalkeeper kind of assesses where' they're at.

'It's not just another injury, but at the same time, it is just one injury. We've been dealing with setbacks for a while.

'January, we're always working towards the next window of what the best scenario is for us, and a lot of that will depend on where we're at from the squad perspective and the game's perspective. Just this injury doesn't change any plans for January.'

Spurs are without centre-halves Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore.

Will Lankshear is banned and cannot play against Roma after a red card against Galatasaray.

Rodrigo Bentancur, who is serving a seven-match ban in domestic football, can play in the Europa League.

Spurs possible 433: Forster; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son.

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Jack Grealish was supported by his girlfriend Sasha Attwood and baby daughteer Mila as Manchester City played Spurs on Saturday.

The Manchester City player, 29, and his girlfriend welcomed their first child together in September.

And as Man City faced Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, Sasha stepped out to support her beau with their newborn.

Taking to Instagram, Sasha shared a sweet snap of her in the VIP section of Etihad Stadium.

In the snap, Sasha was holding her daughter Mila - who was sporting an adorable Man City top with his dad Jack's number and name on it.

Jack was benched for the match against Spurs before being brought on at the 74th minute while Man City were 3-0 down.

But he was unable to help turn the game around for the team and the eventually lost 4-0 - their fifth consecutive defeat.

The couple announced on Instagram they had welcomed their first child together back in September.

They shared an adorable black and white snap of their newborn little girl, who they named Mila Rose Grealish.

She was sweetly wrapped up in a patterned baby grow and a knitted blanket as she slept peacefully while holding the attacking midfielder's finger.

Jack wrote: 'Mila Rose Grealish 27/09/24'.

The couple said that welcoming their little girl is 'the most special moment of their lives'.

Sharing the same photo, Sasha wrote: 27/09/24 Mila Rose Grealish. The most special moment of my life'.

The family appearance comes after Jack sent fans wild when he revealed he would 'love to do' I'm A Celeb in response to Ant and Dec trying to sign him up for next year.

The England footballer sent a video message to the excited hosts after they quizzed him about whether he would consider going Down Under.

In a video shared to Ant and Dec's official X account, Dec quipped: 'Jack Grealish. What do you think about Jack Grealish for next year?'

'I think Jack Grealish will be very very good,' admitted Ant, with Dec responding: 'I asked Jack Grealish whether he will do the show. I said people had been suggesting him and this is what he said.'

'Oh my God!,' replied Ant, as Dec held his phone up to reveal what the football star said.

Donning his Manchester City football kit, Jack said: 'Hey guys, Jack here. I've heard that a few of you guys want to see me in the Jungle. I can't lie, it is something that I'd absolutely love to do.

'It's a show that I've watched, you know, for years and years, since I was little. And yeah, a show that I love.

'I don't know how I'd get on in there. I don't think I'd be the best to be honest but yeah, I'd give it a go.'

He clarified: 'Obviously not this year - I don't think Pep would be too happy if I ended up in there this year. But you know, never say never, it could happen one day.'

After the clip ended, the I'm A Celeb production team errupted into cheers and Ant shouted: 'Oh my God! Jack Grealish. We love you Jack.'

Also pleased by his response, Dec went on to chant: 'We love you Grealish, we do. Oh Grealish, we love you.'

Pep Guardiola admitted that Manchester City are inside their own heads after the Premier League champions lost an unprecedented fifth straight game.

Tottenham stunned City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with James Maddison netting a brace – a result that hands a major title advantage to Liverpool before they face Southampton on Sunday.

City go to Anfield next Sunday and could be 11 points behind Arne Slot’s leaders were they to lose again on Merseyside. It’s the worst run of form in Guardiola’s managerial career and City’s heaviest home defeat in 21 years.

‘In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation,’ Guardiola said. ‘Now we have to live it and break it by winning the next games, especially the next one. Now we see things in one way, maybe in a few weeks we see it differently.

‘We’re a bit fragile, that is obvious. We struggled to score and then we’re playing in our thoughts a little bit of negativity.

‘There were a few reasons we're not able to be consistent. Now the balance is not in the right moment. But it happened. We have to do it, talk and on Tuesday against Feyenoord (in the Champions League) have the chance to try. Hopefully the players can follow me.’

Asked if the title has gone if they do slip 11 points behind Liverpool, Guardiola replied: ‘Yep. In terms of Liverpool winning, winning, yep.’

City also lost their 35-match unbeaten home record in the league and Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou claimed the visitors targeted Guardiola’s full backs to inflict maximum damage.

‘I thought if we got the ball out to them early… City are so aggressive in their approach, man to man,’ the Australian said. ‘Our build-up play today… we persisted in hitting those areas we needed to. We looked really threatening.

‘It is significant because they’ve got an unbelievable record at home. You can’t be blasé about it. We’ve reached these standards before but it’s about not dropping.’

City captain Kyle Walker blamed collective defensive issues for their slump – and attempted to issue a rallying cry ahead of Anfield.

‘It's a great game to turn it around and take three points from the team who sit above you,’ Walker said. ‘But we can't put in a performance like that or we'll get walked over.

‘I wouldn't say we've lost confidence together. You have to go back to the basics and get a clean sheet.’