Cartilage Free Captain

‘I would say Yang has been a victim of Coventry’s squad. At the time, they needed a bit of spark on the flanks and back up - then all of sudden they didn’t. When he came in, they were lacking strength in depth on the left and the right wings, that was blatantly obvious for everybody to see and had been all season.

‘The Sky Blues had Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on the right and Ephron Mason-Clark on the left, two outstanding players, so they needed to address that - and went out and got three wingers. Yang and Romain Esse came on loan to cater for the right and left wings. Then they spent money on Jahnoah Markelo, more of one for the future, although he has crept into the squad after a period of getting used to the physicality of the training.

‘Unfortunately for Yang, his arrival conceded with everybody getting fit and, all of a sudden, Frank Lampard is having to leave players out of the match-day squad who are fit, which has been a source of frustration for the manager. He thinks it should be like the Champions League and everyone should be on the bench for matches, believing it’s unfair that lads train all week and are not involved with only nine subs.

‘However, Yang has been a victim of that, everybody has got back. For instance, Brandon Thomas-Asante was playing on the left flank for a period of time really successfully when Mason-Clark was out for a few games, now everybody has returned at the wrong time for him.

‘By all accounts, he’s been working hard behind the scenes and just not included. It’s been a really unfortunate loan for him. He’s a victim of unfortunate circumstance.

…

‘He started against Stoke in the FA Cup, he’s exciting going forward but just looks a bit lightweight and gets knocked off the ball too easily. Yang’s been a bit hot and cold, he caught the eye a couple of times, but it’s difficult to judge a player with such a short period of time on the pitch.

‘His one trademark move was cutting inside onto his right foot and having a shot, he did that a couple of times. Perhaps had he imposed himself more, he would have got more minutes, I don’t know. Lampard always says the team picks itself on the training pitch, so maybe that’s the answer.

‘There certainly looks like there’s a player there, I just think it’s one of those moves which has come at the wrong time for him.’

— Andy Turner, Coventry Telegraph

Hey, want another transfer rumor that has the most obvious of all possible caveats? French newspaper RMC Sport is reporting that Tottenham Hotspur have “made contact” with Paris Saint-Germain over a potential move for 24-year-old keeper Lucas Chevalier. Though it is a bit of an odd rumor — Chevalier only moved to PSG at the beginning of this season, signing for Lille for €55m; his first match was the UEFA Super Cup match against, you guessed it, Tottenham where Spurs lost 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. Since then, Chevalier has been weirdly in and out of the squad, making 17 starts for PSG this season while Russian backup keeper Matvei Safonov has made 11, leading to rumors that PSG might already be willing to cut bait on him.

Sounds pretty good, right? Spurs are going to need a new #1 keeper since it appears pretty clear they’re ready to ship Guglielmo Vicario back to Italy this summer and Chevalier could be a very good addition. There’s just one problem. Everyone say it together!

Honestly, that’s just going to be the way every single Tottenham transfer rumor is from now until they either secure survival or are confirmed to be relegated. And if they ARE relegated, obviously players like Lucas Chevalier, Marcos Senesi, Lucas Robertson, etc. aren’t going to want to come here.

It’s infuriating, but right now it’s understandable, and it’s all we have. Notably we’re not getting ANY rumors about what kinds of players Spurs might be targeting if they DO go down, which also makes sense — not only does nobody want to read those kinds of rumors, but they’re a bit self-defeating. I’m sure Johan Lange, who should be fired out of a cannon, has a plan for if Spurs are relegated, but I’m not sure I’m ready to hear about those rumors myself anyway.

So we’re stuck with Schrödinger’s transfer rumors — they’re either real rumors, or they’re vapor and we won’t know until we open the box and learn our fate.

In the meantime, I’ll just leave you with the meme on your left for your enjoyment, because I suspect we’re going to be posting that a LOT over the next few weeks.

I know we’re still a good week and change away from the turn of the month, but I think we need to do a quick check-in on the EFL Championship.

Most clubs only have three or four matches to play and there is a lot that’s still to be played for. So let’s do a quick run-down of the run-in:

Promotion secured:

Coventry (86 pts)

I’m not going to get too much into this one. Coventry have been promoted to the Premier League after a two-decade wait!

Race for automatics:

Ipswich Town (76 Pts, +29 GD)

Ipswich Town sit second with a game in hand and some favourable matches. It’s clearly theirs to lose at this point.

Remaining matches at Charlton, at West Brom, at Southampton, QPR

Millwall (76 Pts, +11 GD)

This Millwall side is a lot more resilient than in years past and I favour them against Stoke and Leicester. Oxford United could be a tough final game of the season, but I don’t think it’ll matter too much given Ipswich’s ease of schedule.

Remaining matches: at Stoke City, at Leicester City, Oxford United

Southampton (75 Pts, +24 GD)

Southampton are in the best form in the league right now and haven’t lost a game since January. But they’ve also got a really difficult final few games (that doesn’t include their FA Cup clash against Manchester City). Surely their run has to end at some point, right?

Remaining matches: Bristol City, Ipswich Town, at Preston NE

Middlesbrough (73 Pts, +20 GD)

I think they’re just too far away to surpass all three of their rivals. Three points is a lot at this stage and there isn’t enough road left. That said, I think wins against Wednesday and Watford could give them a slightly easier path in the playoffs. Wrexham remain spoilers.

Remaining matches: Sheffield Wednesday, Watford, at Wrexham

Race for the playoffs

Hull City (69 Pts, +4 GD)

A remarkable season for Hull City, who I thought would be battling relegation. They’ve got favourable games against Leicester and Charlton before closing the regular season against an in-form Norwich City.

Remaining matches: at Leicester, at Charlton, Norwich City

Wrexham (67 Pts, +5 GD)

I think they’ve finally lost steam. They have recent defeats to Birmingham and Southampton, plus a draw against West Brom. That’s probably enough to dash their incredible season. It doesn’t get any easier.

Remaining matches: at Oxford United, at Coventry, Boro

Derby (66 Pts, +9 GD)

It’s possible their fate is determined Tuesday with a tough game against Norwich City. Like Wrexham, I have a hard time seeing them leapfrogging Hull for the playoffs unless the Tigers collapse.

Remaining matches: at Norwich, at QPR, Sheffield United

Race for survival

Charlton (50 Pts, -12 GD)

It looks like they’ve done just enough to survive, but it’ll be close. One point should just about secure it, but where will it come from? Swansea City?

Remaining matches: Ipswich Town, Hull City, at Swansea

West Brom (49 Pts, -12 GD)

West Brom found the right form at the right time by picking up 13 points in their last seven matches. If current form holds, they look just about clear for survival.

Remaining matches: Watford, Ipswich Town, Wednesday

Blackburn (49 Pts, -15 GD)

Five points separate Blackburn from the drop. Even with playing an extra game, they might be okay. Maybe. Unless Oxford can pull a great escape.

Remaining matches: Sheffield United, Leicester City

Oxford United (44 Pts, -13 GD)

That’s the big question: Can they? Where will the points come from? They’ll need to pick up at least a win against either Wrexham or Millwall, plus a win against Wednesday.

Remaining matches: Wrexham, Wednesday, at Millwall

Leicester (41 Pts, -11 GD)

They look doomed. It’s remarkable, but Leicester City are getting relegated to League One unless they win their final three games and get a lot of help.

Remaining matches: Hull, Millwall, at Blackburn

Relegated

Sheffield Wednesday (-3 Pts, -57 GD)

The only question here is whether or not Wednesday finish with a positive goal differential.

Fitzie’s track of the day: But Not For Me, by Ahmad Jamal

And now for your links:

BBC: “Spurs lifeline or good step for West Ham - who’s favourite for drop?”

Jack P-B ($$): “Forget about it. Move on. Win. Spurs just need to win”

Alasdair Gold: “Troy Parrott’s incredible season shows why Tottenham should use transfer clause”

Good morning everyone - Fitzie is back!!! (until late next week)

We return to hoddling duties on a very important day. Today is the Boston Marathon, the greatest of all road races.

Your hoddler-in-chief is still chasing his Boston ambitions. Right now, my age means I have to run a marathon in 2:55.00 or less. I’m only seven minutes north of that which feels not that far but also impossible.

I’m doing my best to recover from my previous race. It’s been a little more than two weeks and I’m still feeling it in my legs. On Sunday I ran for 75 minutes following the Hal Higdon recovery plan. I’m definitely not running as fast as I am used to, and the times I’m trying to run at a stronger pace are pretty difficult.

Still, I ran 10 miles Sunday. That isn’t bad right?

What’s more exciting is all those runners who are going through Boston today!

There’s been some noise about Boston in the last week - mostly about influencers and that Nike “walkers” sign. Both are distractions, I say, from what is the true testament of human endurance in the face of adversity.

I’m looking forward to watching the race on Monday. And I hope you all tune in too!

Fitzie’s track of the day: Running on Empty, by Jackson Browne

And now for your links:

Matt Law: “Crying shame as Tottenham hearts are broken by Brighton”

Football London: “Xavi Simons demands two things from Roberto De Zerbi after Tottenham star left red-faced”

Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton, which took place during the Premier League’s No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media.

We have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that is without doubt a criminal offence. It will not be tolerated.

The club is taking immediate action. We are reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the appropriate authorities in the country where perpetrators reside, as well as to relevant social media platforms. We will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify.

Kevin has our complete and unconditional support as a player and as a person. No one at this club will ever stand alone in the face of this.

Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse. There is no connection between performance on the pitch and the right to target a player with discrimination. Criticism of performances is part of the game. Racism is not.

We work with specialist third parties dedicated to monitoring online abuse, investigating incidents and identifying perpetrators.

Abusers could face custodial sentences, football banning orders, criminal records, fines, community orders or police-mandated educational programmes. We have successfully secured criminal convictions following abuse of our staff and players, including individuals based overseas, and we have also issued indefinite Club bans.

We call on X, Instagram and all platforms to act quickly and decisively when racist abuse is reported. We also encourage anyone who sees abuse of this kind to report it directly to us at report@tottenhamhotspur.com so we can take the strongest possible action.

There is no place for racism at Tottenham Hotspur. There is no place for racism in football.

The Roberto De Zerbi derby was Tottenham Hotspur’s latest attempt to try secure their first league win of 2026 and somehow stave off relegation. With Spurs hosting De Zerbi’s old side Brighton & Hove Albion in North London, the visitors brought some cracking form into this match, pushing for Europe, while Spurs’ survival struggles indicated the likelihood of the Lilywhites taking anything from this match was extremely low.

Spurs’ dire situation was exacerbated by further injuries, with captain Cristian Romero confirmed out for the season; they were buoyed though by the return of Rodrigo Bentancur and the even more surprising appearance of James Maddison on the bench. De Zerbi rung the changes after the loss to Sunderland, with four changes to the starting XI. Kevin Danso came in for Romero in a straight swap, while De Zerbi opted for a new-look midfield pairing in Bentancur and Yves Bissouma. The mercurial Xavi Simons got his first start under the Italian manager, starting in place of Richarlison.

The first half began as a dull affair. Spurs looked like a blunt instrument in possession, while Brighton took time to warm into the match. The home side could have had a penalty midway through the first stanza, as a ball played into the left channel from a set piece opportunity found Destiny Udogie, who went down in Brighton’s box with Yakuba Minteh all over his back. Instead of pointing to the spot, the referee waved the appeals away as the home crowd protested. That moment seemed to be something of a catalyst as the match then kicked into life. Brighton had a dramatic moment of their own, as a cross from the right by Minteh was headed back across the face of goal by Jack Hinshelwood. With Danny Welbeck bearing down on the ball, Micky van de Ven slid in to clear, hitting his own post as the ball ricocheted back out, off the defender, and back across the face of goal in the other direction, somehow not creeping over the goal line.

Spurs didn’t let that moment discourage them, and soon opened the scoring. Xavi Simons picked up the ball in the half-space on the left and turned inside, before chipping an inch-perfect pass towards the penalty spot. Bart Verbruggen reacted late to come and punch as Pedro Porro ghosted through the center and leaped high to place a glancing header past the Dutch goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Porro pumped the badge on his chest and ran to the crowd as he celebrated a rare goal with the Spurs faithful.

The scoreline could have been 2-0 soon after, as Spurs somehow conspired to not score from a fantastic opportunity. The Lilywhites broke forward, with Xavi Simons cutting inside to shoot from point-blank range. He seemed guaranteed to score but instead hit the post, as Verbruggen palmed Porro’s follow-up attempt over the bar. Brighton then punished Spurs’ profligacy right before the half came to a close, as Kaoru Mitoma, who came on as a first-half substitute for the injured Diego Gomez, struck with a stunning volley. As with Brighton’s earlier chance, the cross came in from the right and Mitoma was open at the back post as Porro was dragged centrally, with the Japanese attacker caressing the ball first time into the top corner and ensuring the sides went into the break one apiece.

Both sides probed for an opening as the second half kicked off. With seemingly no breakthrough incoming, De Zerbi was aggressive with his substitutions, with one almost making an instant impact: Xavi Simons played a one-two with Bentancur’s replacement Joao Palhinha, with Xavi unable to make the most of the opening before the ball came to Palhinha at the top of the box. His attempt was deflected, with Verbruggen moreso letting the ball strike him than making a save, as the ball could have gone anywhere.

With both sides still searching for a winner, more substitutions followed before Simons put Spurs into the lead in stunning fashion. Smart pressing from Bergvall robbed Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke of possession, before Xavi cut inside Mats Wieffer and unleashed a rocket of a shot off the post - this time with the ball bouncing into the net. With the North London crowd in raptures, Xavi tore off his shirt and celebrated with them in a rare moment of joy for Spurs fans.

That joy was short-lived. Brighton continued to pile on the pressure, exacerbated by Simons beginning to struggle with cramp, leaving Spurs short-handed in defense. Eventually, they cracked. Van Hecke this time played pickpocket, stealing in behind Kevin Danso and nicking the ball when the Austrian center back should have been more aware. He cut it back to Georginio Rutter, who placed his strike into the top right and locking in a 2-2 scoreline.

Reactions

From joy to exasperation to joy to despair. This match was a rollercoaster for my emotions. The wait goes on for a win.

Spurs should have won this contest. They were the better side for long chunks of the match, and had several chances to increase their lead. They didn’t, and Brighton made them pay.

How many goals have Spurs conceded this season due to a player just clocking off and doing something dumb? Well, today that player was Kevin Danso.

Xavi Simons. Play that man.

Credit to De Zerbi: he got things mostly right today. I was a fan of his subs as well; though arguably he could / should have saved the third substitution window for later in the match. Being able to pull Xavi when he started cramping might have helped Spurs weather some of the pressure.

I hate to complain about the refereeing - but it feels like every match report I write I am anyway. That’s no different today, as Atwell was horrendous. There was no consistency as to what was called and not, what was carded and not, and I dunno man… that challenge in the first half by Minteh on Udogie sure felt like a penalty.

Another good performance by Kinsky. It’s really nice to see him grow in confidence.

The way Spurs were set up today seemed to work for Gallagher. Having some more controlled players alongside him allowed him to press and embrace a bit of chaos. He’s not a penalty area dribbler though, no matter how much he seems to want to be.

Is relegation guaranteed now? It sure feels like it.

COYS!

It’s time for a real David and Goliath battle; but in this edition, David and Goliath have switched places. The giants of Tottenham Hotspur have the worst form in the Premier League, having not won since… well, I forget, it’s been that long; while the relative minnows of Brighton & Hove Albion are on a fantastic run of form and look a particularly tough side to beat at present.

Add to that the fact that Brighton are Spurs’ new head coach Roberto De Zerbi’s old side, and baby, you got a stew going. That provides an extra challenge for Spurs as well, given many of Brighton’s squad will still be more than familiar with the Italian’s methods, and will potentially have a number of ideas to disrupt Spurs - not that that takes much effort currently.

It’s vital Spurs get some points on the board. Could this be the day they finally secure that elusive win? It’ll be an uphill battle, that’s for sure.

COYS!

Lineups

Lineups will be posted closer to kick-off.

Live Blog

How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Brighton & Hove Albion

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

Saturday, April 18, 2026

Time: 12:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. UK

TV: NBC, Sky Sports Premier League (UK). Check international listings at livesoccertv.com

Streaming: Peacock

Match thread rules

The match thread rules are the same as always. To any visitors coming here for the first time, welcome! We’re glad you’re here! Wipe your feet, mind the gap, and be sure to check out the other pages at this outstanding site. While you’re here, though, we have a few rules and regulations:

Absolutely no links to illegal streams. They’re bad and they get us in trouble. Violators will be warned or banned.

We have rules against “relentless negativity.” Nobody likes a Negative Nancy. Don’t knee-jerk and post outlandish or hurtful things just because you’re frustrated.

Along those lines, outright abuse of players or match officials is also not allowed. It’s fine to say “wow, that was a really bad call,” but it’s NOT okay to direct copious amounts of abuse in the direction of said official over a call you did not like.

Treat other people in the match thread the way you would want someone else to treat your grandmother. Be nice. This is a community of fans, not an un-moderated message board.

NO SPIDERS!

Finally, while we don’t have a rule against profanity, please try and keep the naughty words in check. Also, language that is sexist, racist, transphobic, or homophobic in nature will be swiftly deleted and you will be immediately banned. This is an open, supportive community.

Have fun, and COYS!

“Romero I’m really sorry for him, for his injury. Romero, first of all loves Tottenham and the people have to know he is suffering for this injury. He is suffering because he can’t play anymore for us this season but he is a great captain for us, for Tottenham.

“But we have to be anyway positive. We have Radu Dragusin and Kevin Danso. They are available to play, to play well, to give us quality with the ball and to be strong in the defensive phase. We can win anyway and we want to win anyway.”

“I don’t know [about Maddison], I don’t know yet. I don’t want to push too much because we lost Kudus in this way. I used to waiting the players when they are available, totally available to play and to restart the training. Because it’s better to lose one game more than to take a risk for another new injury.”

“Bentancur is available to play. I don’t know if he will start the game or not. Bissouma is available 100 per cent, more than the Sunderland game.

“Vicario no. Vicario is another top guy and I’m looking forward to working with him. Anyway Kinksy played very well against Sunderland but Vicario is another important player for us. Big experience, big character, big personality and we are waiting for him.”

“Yes I don’t know if we win the game for dinner but I know we eat very well and the food was amazing. And if we win, I’m ready to pay every week one dinner.

“I believe in the people. I believe in the human relationship. I believe in the spirit. I believe in the soul of the players. Before we speak about tactical dispositions, style of play, defensive phase, with the ball, without the ball, set-pieces. All of these things are important but first of all I work with people with their problems.”

Tottenham Hotspur have already started planning their summer business. There are two reasons why that may feel like not the greatest idea right now: one, Johan Lange is still running football operations; and two, Spurs don’t actually know the division in which they will be playing next season which heavily impacts budget and targets.

Nonetheless, it’s good to at least have a plan, and the silly season rumors have already begun to heat up long in advance of the conclusion of the season and the transfer window opening. One such rumor that has popped up in the last few days is the name of Marcos Senesi and an apparent link to Spurs. It’s now slightly more than a rumor, as David Orstein of The Athletic, the Ornacle himself, has a report:

Spurs are reportedly the current favorites to sign Argentine center back Senesi - IF they can manage to keep themselves in the Premier League. That’s a big if.

Senesi’s contract at Bournemouth is up at the end of this season, meaning he will enter free agent status in July. He’s therefore started negotiations with several clubs, but Spurs are supposedly the leading contenders. It’s a move that calls into question the status of several players already at Spurs: could Cristian Romero have played his last match for the club? Will Lange take the Micky van de Ven money and run? Will a club come in for Radu Dragusin?

If the answer to the first of those questions was a yes, Senesi would be an intriguing (albeit worse) replacement for Romero. Like his compatriot, Senesi is excellent on the ball, with a very good passing range and the ability to ping a long ball as well. The problem is that he’s not really that great a defender. His positioning has improved this season, but he is often stood up too easily by dribbly attackers and isn’t exactly a dominant aerial presence either. He’s also about to turn 29 (until which time he is 28, of course) so he’s not exactly a long-term investment.

Of course, all of this could (and quite possibly will) be moot come July. Senesi is not interested in playing in the Championship, and has a number of other Premier League clubs vying for his signature. If Spurs go down, Senesi will head to one of those other suitors and not give the Lilywhites a second look.

We have six matches left to see which outcome comes to fruition.

This might really be happening. Tottenham Hotspur is in 18th place, meaning it no longer controls its own destiny. Opta projects Forest to finish with 41 points and West Ham with 38, and expecting Spurs to gain nine points from its final six matches is very uncomfortable. Sure, it certainly is possible for that to happen, but it really does feel like relegation is finally the more likely outcome.

Last weekend was more of the same despite the managerial switch, with lifeless efforts nothing new. Roberto De Zerbi now gets a crack at his old club, who comes into North London having won five of its last six in the Premier League. Hopefully seeing Brighton & Hove Albion brings something extra out of De Zerbi’s men, though no one is banking on that to happen.

Match Details

Date: Saturday, April 18

Time: 12:30 pm ET, 5:30 pm UK

Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

TV: NBC (US), Sky Sports Main Event (UK)

Table: Spurs (18th, 30 pts), Brighton (t-9th, 46 pts)

Spurs and Brighton last met a long time ago, drawing 2-2 at the Amex thanks to a two-goal Tottenham comeback. The visitors came into the contest having three of its first four league matches, but obviously have not done a lot of winning since then. In terms of De Zerbi, despite decent success at Brighton, his sides did go just 1-0-3 against Tottenham (though he personally missed one of the losses due to a health issue).

Two Things to Watch

Reinvigorated attack

De Zerbi is here to throw the kitchen sink forward and finally generate some goals for a side that has not scored more than once in any league fixture since the start of February. That did not change at all against Sunderland, and he now faces a defense that is tied for the fifth-fewest goals allowed this season, conceding just three times in its past six league outings.

Obviously the Richarlison-Dominic Solanke-Randal Kolo Muani gambit did not yield any results, but do not expect the aggressive manager to back down. Especially with Cristian Romero now out, this club’s only hope — as slim as it may be — is to keep the foot on the gas and to attempt to overwhelm its opposition. There is not creativity healthy right now, but maybe energy and effort can bridge those gaps.

It does feel like Brighton is not a great side to try this against, but what other options are there? The Seagulls do not offer the league’s most dangerous attack, but have scored multiple goals in four of the past six and are unlikely to be kept off the scoresheet completely. Tottenham needs a little chaos on Sunday, and hopefully some aggression can finally pay off.

The calendar

My journey into this sinking reality is not unique, but seeing Spurs in an actual relegation position IN APRIL has really done it for me. Betting odds have this ultimate disaster at roughly 50 percent, and knowing that Forest and West Ham losing out would still not even be enough unless Tottenham does some work itself is an extremely frightening place to be.

This match feels like the linchpin. Either way, next weekend’s trip to Wolves absolutely must end in three points no matter what, but stumbling again ahead of that makes the pressure for Molineux even heavier. The vibes would be hurt even more by De Zerbi falling to his former employer, and having the home crowd leave disappointed would not help.

The pressure continues to grow, and this will definitely not be the last Cup Final sort of outing. But one look at the fixture list shows just how few opportunities actually remain. Forest have Burnley this weekend, West Ham have Palace; both could easily grab points. If Spurs fall flat once more, the race against the clock might essentially be over.