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Fans slam Pep Guardiola for 'making excuses' in his post-match interview after Man City's defeat against Spurs

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Pep Guardiola's post-match interview after Manchester City's dreadful defeat against Tottenham Hotspur has been picked apart by rival fans.

On Saturday evening, City took on Spurs at the Etihad Stadium looking to end their four-match losing streak.

However, Guardiola's men were nowhere from start to finish as Spurs took them to the cleaners.

A first-half brace from James Maddison plus goals from Pedro Porro and Brennan Johnson meant Spurs came away 4-0 winners.

As a result, City have now lost five matches in a row ahead of crucial games against Feyenoord and Liverpool next week.

Speaking after the match, City boss Guardiola said to Sky Sports: "We do not expect opponents to not create chances and score goals. We're in the moment. We started really well, we had chances and after the first time they arrive we concede. Then it's a bit more difficult to come back.

"Chances were there. The moment they create the chances the build-up, we coudn't handle the duels like normally. Now we're struggling a little bit. It cannot happen. When you play top level teams we can concede chances but it's part of porcess. In our situation it's a bit tougher.

"I have to see the situation. The players came back late [from internationals]. 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 have the chance to try.

He added: "Of course Rodri is important but we knew that for many months. But Stones can only play 45 minutes. Jack has been injured many times. Kevin, two months and five months. We have to come back and freshen our minds. The season is so long. Many things can happen.

"Before the game I didn't know what will happen today. So I don't know what will happen at Anfield. Everyone knows the situation is new for us. We struggled more without the ball. I don't know how many chances we created. Our game was there."

Reacting on social media, fans were not happy with the excuses that the City boss came up with.

One said: "Hahahaha Pep is always full of excuses.

“The players came back late (from international break)” - same for EVERY team after international break!!!

"We can’t do this we can’t do that. Media give him protection. Imagine if Arteta said this!! The media would bury him!!!"

Another tweeted: "I don’t want to hear any foolish excuses! All this is on Pep!"

A third fan added: "Pep has just reeled every excuse in the book out…"

Someone else wrote: "Excuse making so soon? they're just missing Rodri. a tactical mastermind like Pep can deal with it right?"

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Liverpool fans make their feelings clear after Man City go 3-0 down to Tottenham

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Liverpool fans have spoken out after Premier League rivals Manchester City went 3-0 down to Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium.

After a two week international break, the Premier League is back in action on Saturday with Chelsea, Aston Villa and Arsenal all in action.

The Gunners got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 win over an in-form Nottingham Forest, leading all eyes to the Etihad Stadium as defending champions City welcomed Tottenham Hotspur.

But, in a shocking turn of events, the visitors went 3-0 up after a two goal lead in the first half was cemented with a third goal in the second, and it's got Liverpool fans on social media excited.

Reacting to the scoreline, one Liverpool fan wrote: "Arne Slot is going to win the Premier League in his first attempt.

"You heard it here first."

While another joked: "Arne Slot rocked up, hit this pose, and Pep hasn't been the same since."

And one fan warned his peers not to get carried away yet, writing: "We still have to win our game tomorrow regardless of the Manchester City result. Focus is key lads. One game at a time."

For their next Premier League match, Liverpool travel to St Mary's Stadium to face Southampton on Sunday and, should City fail to mount a comeback, the Reds will have the opportunity to go eight points clear atop the League table.

And next weekend they will have an opportunity to extend their lead over City even further, as they welcome Pep Guardiola's side to Anfield for a mouth-watering top of the table clash.

But before the clash with City, the Merseyside team will host La Liga giants Real Madrid in a Champions League fixture at home.

Speaking ahead of the back-to-back matches against Real and City, Slot said: “Last season, they [players] were competitive throughout the whole season and the seasons before.

"So for them it is not the first time they go into a week where they face two teams that dominated football in the last four or five years in the league and Champions League."

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Man City fans lay into one player after dismal first half against Tottenham Hotspur

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Manchester City fans have directed their anger at one player after a dismal first-half display against Tottenham Hotspur.

On Saturday evening, City welcomed Spurs to the Etihad Stadium looking to close the gap between themselves and league leaders Liverpool, Arne Slot's men currently sit top with a five-point advantage.

The mood around the City camp was positive heading into the weekend after Pep Guardiola signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2027.

However, the bubble was burst during what was a horrific first half by the reigning champions.

A brace from James Maddison meant Ange Postecoglou's men went into the break with a commanding 2-0 lead.

Reacting on social media, City fans were far from happy with the performance of defender Kyle Walker.

One fan said: "Kyle Walker is BEYOND finished."

Another tweeted: "Kyle Walker for them two goals..."

A third fan added: "If it means Pep Guardiola has to leave just so Kyle Walker stays glued to the bench forever, I will drive Pep to the airport myself."

Someone else wrote: "A serious conversation needs to be had about Kyle Walker."

A fifth commented: "Kyle Walker needs to go, out of position for both goals, constant s**t touches. It's not just this game as well, it’s been months."

Another fan said: "Kyle Walker getting beat for pace . Sir, what do you do here?"

Speaking on Sky Sports, former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville said: "(Rico) Lewis and (Kyle) Walker are getting torn to shreds. They have been torn apart!

"James Maddison, that is absolutely wonderful! The control with the right, the dink with the left is a thing of beauty. That is a brilliant goal."

Meanwhile, ex-Spurs goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live: "This Man City back four are all over the place. They don't like when Tottenham players run at them. Dominic Solanke is occupying the centre halves and then the third man run from the likes of James Maddison and Heung-min Son is really hurting them."

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Roy Keane has already explained why he supports Tottenham as Man Utd legend spotted in Spurs Christmas jumper

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A few eyebrows will be raised when Roy Keane wears a Tottenham Hotspur Christmas jumper in a future episode of The Overlap, but the Manchester United legend has already explained his allegiance to the North London club.

Keane, who made 480 appearances for Manchester United before his abrupt departure in November 2005, enjoyed a trophy-laden 12-year spell at Old Trafford.

He lifted seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League, as well as several individual awards, including the Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

So when Keane revealed his support for Tottenham Hotspur at an event for children's cancer charity Barretstown in 2015. some were understandably taken by surprise.

"Just because I played for Manchester United didn't mean I was a fan of the team," Keane said.

"When I played for Rockmount, one of my teammate's fathers used to bring me to training and he supported Tottenham. That's where it started, I liked their players, the likes of Glenn Hoddle and Clive Allen.

"But after I'd come back from trial at Nottingham Forest, Spurs offered me a trial."

He added: "I turned it down because Forest had been good me, I liked the club and felt some loyalty to them. I had a soft spot for Spurs, and still do."

Almost a decade on and it was confirmed that Keane will wear a Spurs jumper in the not-so-distant future, after reigning darts world champion Luke Humphries posted a series of pictures on X, formerly Twitter.

It appears Humphries, a die-hard Leeds United supporter, will appear as a guest on a Christmas episode of the show alongside Gary Neville, Jill Scott and Paul Scholes.

"Had a great time filming for @WeAreTheOverlap today with some of the best footballers to have played the game," he said on Wednesday. "[It] was a great laugh and enjoyed the experience."

Here's how fans reacted to Humphries' post.

One said: "Keano in a Spurs top… he ain’t real man," and another commented: "Love it! No arm round the shoulder for Roy Keane though."

A second wrote: "ROY KEANE IN A SPURS JUMPER."

A third said: "Go on Roy in the spurs jumper!!" and a fifth added: "Scenes when Luke hits a 9 darter: 'that's his job!'".

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Rodrigo Bentancur handed huge ban over alleged racist remark towards team-mate as FA release statement

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Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur has been banned for seven matches by the FA over an alleged racist remark about team-mate Son Heung-min during an interview.

The Uruguay midfielder was charged by the FA with alleged misconduct over the remark, which was made in an interview with local station Canal 10 in July.

Son confirmed that Bentancur apologised to him privately, with the midfielder also posting a public apology to his Instagram page.

Last week, it was reported that Spurs were braced for the 27-year-old to receive a seven-match ban, which would see him miss crucial matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.

The FA have now confirmed that Bentancur has been banned for those seven matches and fined £100,000.

They state that Bentancur denied the charge against him, but an Independent Regulatory Commission found it to be proven and imposed the sanction.

The statement reads: "It was alleged that the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder breached FA Rule E3.1 as he acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words and/or brought the game into disrepute.

"It was further alleged that this constitutes an 'aggravated breach', which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference - whether express or implied - to nationality and/or race and/or ethnic origin."

The FA have also published their written reasons for the decision, including the full exchange between the Canal 10 TV host and Bentancur for the first time.

"The only part of the interview to which the charges relates is the following translated exchange, which appears to have concerned a request by Mr Cotelo [the host] to see one of the football shirts that the Player had at his home.

"Mr Cotelo: Your shirt, well what about the Korean's shirt?

"The Player: Sonny?

"Mr Cotelo: Or a champion.

"The Player: Or one of Sonny's cousins as they all look more or less the same."

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Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur set to be handed massive ban for alleged racist remark

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Rodrigo Bentancur is set to be handed a significant ban from football over an alleged racist remark, it has been reported.

The Uruguay midfielder was charged by the FA with alleged misconduct over a remark he made on a television programme in July about team-mate Son Heung-min.

In an interview with Uruguayan station Canal 10, Bentancur was asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player, and allegedly replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

Son later stated that Bentancur had apologised to him, and added that he still 'loves him'.

He said: "He knew. He apologised straight afterwards when we had holiday. I was at home - I didn't even realise what was going on. He sent me a long message and you could feel it was coming from his heart.

"When we came back from pre-season, he felt really sorry and he almost cried when he apologised publicly and personally."

As well as his personal apology to Son, the midfielder also posted a lengthy apology on his official Instagram account.

Bentancur faced calls to be hit with a lengthy ban by the FA for the remark.

And it has now been reported by the Daily Mirror that Tottenham are prepared for the Uruguayan to receive a seven-match ban from domestic competitions.

Such a ban would mean he is eligible for Europa League fixtures, but would not be available for Premier League or Carabao Cup matches.

What games would Bentancur miss if he's given seven-game ban?

Bentancur would miss crucial upcoming fixtures against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. He would return on Boxing Day.

The FA's rules surrounding misconduct, which covers E3.1 and E3.2, states: "[Rule E3.1] A Participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and shall not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.

"A breach of Rule E3.1 is an 'Aggravated Breach' were it includes a reference, whether express or implied, to any one or more of the following:- ethnic origin, colour, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation or disability."

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Fan footage shows Ange Postecoglou clashing with his own supporters as pressure builds on Tottenham boss

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Shocking footage of Ange Postecoglou clashing with a fan after Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town has emerged online.

On Sunday afternoon, newly-promoted Ipswich Town earned their first win of the season beating Tottenham Hotspur in London.

Despite many predicting Tottenham would challenge for the top four this season, the loss leaves Tottenham in 10th, while it took Ipswich out of the relegation zone and into 17th.

And after the final whistle, footage on social media has revealed that Spurs boss Postecoglou clashed with a home fan at the ground following the disappointing result.

The footage posed on X by Chris Cowlin shows the Australian manager heading towards the tunnel with his players after the match.

But as he prepared to leave the pitch, a fan shouted something at Postecoglou which clearly struck a nerve, as the Tottenham boss stopped to look at the crowd and figure out who had made the comment.

The frustrated fan was not the only one in the stadium angered by the performance, as boos from the home supporters could supposedly clearly be heard once the final whistle was blown.

Sunday's result comes as the 59-year-old continues to face mounting pressure about his future at the club, as he has struggled to establish consistency in his side's performances.

With 16 points, Tottenham have won five matches in the Premier League this season, losing another five and drawing one.

This leaves them three points away from a pack of four teams who sit from third to sixth, only separated by goal difference, and a massive 12 points off league leaders Liverpool.

When asked about his side's inconsistency this season, Postecoglou told BBC Sport: "It's just down to me. I’m not getting consistent performances from the players.

"It's something I need to address. I'm the person in charge so that's usually the way it goes.

"I take responsibility when their performances don't meet the levels that they should."

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Frank Lampard labels one player as Tottenham’s ‘weakness’ after huge win over Aston Villa

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Frank Lampard has picked out one Tottenham Hotspur star as the team’s weakness after their win over Aston Villa.

On Sunday afternoon, Unai Emery’s men travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to take on Spurs.

Morgan Rogers fired the visitors into a 1-0 half-time lead but Ange Postecoglou’s men came out a different side in the second period.

A brace from Dominic Solanke plus goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison sealed a massive 4-1 win.

Speaking on Sky Sports after the match, former Chelsea and England midfielder Lampard picked out Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as a potential weakness.

He said: “I just felt the goalkeeper allowed himself to be so unbalanced through the movement of it. He will understand that he will be getting it in every game now. People are going to get in your way, so Tottenham, it’s certainly a weakness that they haven’t quite put right.

“Vicario, not the most dominant of goalkeepers. Doesn’t come off his line. It’s a flat delivery to the near post, Spurs don’t deal with it. Vicario getting involved with Rogers on the line, distracted by him. Does make a decent save but Rogers has the simplest of tasks, tapping in from two yards.”

Speaking after the match, Postecoglou said: “Villa are a good side. The first half was a bit of an arm wrestle. They have a consistent level of performance. We have other gears in us which we showed in the second half.”

When asked about striker Solanke, the Australian added: “Unbelievable effort. The work he did midweek against City. His goals are unbelievable but his general play, his work-rate, I can't speak highly enough of him.

“Seven days is a long time in football. Seven days ago I was a grumpy old so and so. We have to say true to the course we're on.”

He added: “We made sure not to feel sorry for ourselves and back to the team we want to be.”

Spurs will be back in action on Thursday night when they take on Turkish Super Lig side Galatasaray in the UEFA Europa League.

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Carabao Cup quarter-final draw: Man Utd handed nightmare tie, Liverpool face Southampton

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The quarter-final draw of the Carabao Cup has been made on the back of Tottenham Hotspur's clash against Manchester City.

On Tuesday night, Premier League duo Southampton and Brentford survived tough tests from Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday to seal their place in the last eight.

The likes of City, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and holders Liverpool were all in action on Wednesday night as they hoped to advance into the next round.

Liverpool came out on top after a thrilling 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex while United thrashed Leicester City 5-2 at Old Trafford.

Speaking after the match, United interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy said: “I have to say we had some luck as well, I am so happy for Casemiro though and [Alejandro] Garnacho and Bruno [Fernandes]. Five goals but the chances against West Ham and Fenerbahce, we created so much and couldn't finish., All of a sudden we had some luck on our side and that made it a great night.

“It is always the target to react and attack. The reaction of players after the Leicester goals were excellent and they deserve the credit. I am glad the crowd go home happy.”

Meanwhile, Aston Villa suffered a shock 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace and Chelsea were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

Mikel Arteta’s men proved too good for Championship side Preston North End as the Gunners ran away 3-0 winners.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs managed to beat City 2-1 thanks to goals from Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr, Matheus Nunes was the scorer for Pep Guardiola's men.

On the back of the match between Spurs and City, the draw for the quarter-final was made.

Spurs will take on United at home, with North London rivals Arsenal hosting Crystal Palace. Newcastle United will play against Brentford at St. James' Park and defending champions Liverpool will head to the South Coast to take on Southampton.

The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full:

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester United

Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Newcastle United vs Brentford

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Fans spot Didier Drogba's priceless reaction after Kaka claims Tottenham is a 'big club'

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Brazil and AC Milan legend Kaka believes Tottenham Hotspur are a 'big club' - but former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba made it clear what his thoughts were on the matter with a priceless reaction.

Kaka won the Ballon d'Or in 2007 and was at the peak of his powers with AC Milan, whom he represented in two spells and won Serie A and the Champions League.

The Brazilian attacking midfielder, who moved to Real Madrid in 2009 in the same summer Cristiano Ronaldo moved to the Santiago Bernabeu from Manchester United, spent four years at the Spanish capital before heading back to the San Siro in 2013.

The now 42-year-old ended his career with Orlando City in the MLS, which also involved a loan spell back at Sao Paulo in his home country.

Drogba is best known for his time at Chelsea after moving to Stamford Bridge in 2004 from Marseille.

The former Ivory Coast international won a total of four Premier League titles across two spells at Chelsea, as well as a quartet of FA Cups, three League Cups and the Champions League.

Drogba came up against Spurs many times in his Premier League career, with the Blues often finishing above the North London side.

However, Drogba was on the losing side when Spurs won their last trophy, the 2008 League Cup.

Drogba netted the opener at Wembley, but Spurs drew level in the second half thanks to Dimitar Berbatov's penalty, and Jonathan Woodgate scored the winner for the North London side in extra-time.

Drogba, Kaka and Juventus legend Alessandro del Piero have been discussing Heung-min Son as part of promotion for the new EA Sports FC game, where the trio laud the South Korean's impact.

Kaka said: "I love him because of things that Ale and Didier said already, the technique and everything.

"I've never met him but it seems that he's a nice guy. He's happy, he's always laughing and had this relationship with the supporters.

"When you have an opportunity to be in a big club like Tottenham for many years, that is something really special. It's not easy to be in the same team for a long period and doing good like he's doing, so I like him."

But fans on social media have noticed when Kaka mentioned Spurs are a 'big club' the shot of Drogba looking awkwardly in the Brazilian's direction with his hand on his chin, making it fairly clear he does not agree with Kaka's assessment of the North London side.

One fan said: "Drogba 's face when kaka said Tottenham was a big club. lol."

Another wrote: "The look on Didier Drogba face when Kaka mentioned Tottenham as a BIG CLUB."

Another fan said: "He’s like what’s bro waffling about."

And another wrote: "Drogba you beauty."

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