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Luka Vuskovic makes next club prediction and Manor Solomon's Roberto De Zerbi hope

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It's time to check in with the remaining eight Tottenham Hotspur players who are out and about on loan away from the north London club

Eight Tottenham players remain out on loan as their seasons head towards their final week away from the north London club.

Spurs originally sent out 18 players on loan to sides across various continents during this campaign with most of those having concluded their seasons this month in the Football League, leaving others still playing for their loan clubs in Scotland, Germany, Italy and South America.

Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi will be running the rule over players young and old in the months ahead as he decides what next season's squad looks like and many of those on loan will be looking to force their way into his thoughts.

Here's how each of the eight remaining Tottenham's loan players have got on across the globe in the past seven days.

Luka Vuskovic (Hamburg)

The Luka Vuskovic hype train shows no sign of slowing down thanks to the continued displays of the talented 19-year-old centre-back.

The Croatian made his first start for Hamburg since April 4 following his knee injury and marked his return by showing yet another facet to his all-round game as he crashed home a powerful low free-kick in the 3-2 home win against Freiburg at the weekend. That made him the club's joint-top scorer this season with six goals.

He might only be a teenager but Vuskovic's impact at HSV has been clear as they lost the three matches he missed and have won both that he has returned for, having secured their Bundesliga status for another season as he came off the bench at Frankfurt almost a fortnight ago.

Spurs are believed to be readying a bumper new contract for Vuskovic to ensure he will be a big part of their future amid interest from Europe's biggest clubs.

The defender believes that his next club will not be Hamburg again next season as he told German media after that home win over Freiburg that "to a 99.9 percent certainty, it was my farewell party".

He added: "It’s a special moment. I’m very happy that I could help this team and I’m very happy that I was allowed to be part of this club."

HSV coach Merlin Polzin substituted both Vuskovic and Arsenal loanee loanee Fabio Vieira in stoppage time of the game to hand them what he called a "special moment".

"I had the privilege of coaching these players for a year, and I’m very happy about that because they played a superb season," he said.

The Croatian has made 29 appearances and played 2,562 minutes for the Bundesliga outfit and was named in the league team of the year. He will play his final game for Hamburg at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon before resting and preparing himself for the World Cup with Croatia.

Mikey Moore (Rangers)

Another talented Tottenham teenager out on loan, Mikey Moore showed his quality on a big stage again but ultimately had a tough week results-wise with Rangers.

The 18-year-old scored yet another Old Firm Derby goal as he clinically fired home a loose ball into the bottom left corner of the Celtic net just nine minutes into last weekend's big game at Celtic Park. Unfortunately, Rangers let the game slip and ended up losing 3-1 on the other side of Glasgow.

The week continued in that trend for Danny Rohl's side, as they now must watch Hearts and Celtic fight out a thrilling finale to the Scottish Premiership season while they themselves fell away to third.

On Wednesday night, Rangers lost 2-1 at home to Hibernian with Moore again starting for the Glaswegian outfit. The teenager played the full match but could only watch on as his Tottenham team-mate Dane Scarlett scored an 89th minute winner for the visitors.

Moore's season has been a big one though on a personal level as he won the PFA Scotland Premiership Young Player of the Year award and Rangers' own Young Player of the Year prize.

Moore has played 46 games at Rangers, getting 2,698 minutes of football to his name, with nine goal involvements in 32 Scottish Premiership appearances. The youngster's final game of a long season comes at Falkirk at lunchtime on Saturday.

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Dane Scarlett (Hibernian)

Dane Scarlett will remember his first goal for Hibernian for the rest of his career after he netted that late winner at Ibrox on Wednesday night to boost his club's European qualification hopes.

The 21-year-old striker came off the bench for the final 12 minutes of the game and after seeing one effort saved by Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, Scarlett finally got the goal he has been waiting for. While it was probably the closest range senior goal he's ever scored, it required some excellent reflexes and technique as he got in behind the Rangers defence to backheel Felix Passlack's low cross over the line.

Scarlett has made 12 appearances north of the border with one goal and one assist and 484 minutes under his belt. His final game for Hibernian this season comes on Saturday at home against Motherwell.

Manor Solomon (Fiorentina)

Manor Solomon has played three 90 minute stints in a row after returning to full fitness following a hip flexor injury. On Sunday, the 26-year-old was again on the left wing as Fiorentina drew 0-0 at home against Genoa to secure their top flight status next season.

The Israel international has played his part in helping the Italian side move away from the drop zone in Serie A and will be hoping that a reunion with De Zerbi sparks his Tottenham career back to life this summer. Solomon played plenty of football under De Zerbi while the duo were at Shakhtar Donetsk together in the 2021/22 season.

Solomon has scored two goals and laid on one assist in 17 matches for the Italian side as a fixture on either wing. He has two games remaining for Fiorentina, at Juventus this weekend and at home against Atalanta the following weekend.

Kota Takai (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Another young Tottenham centre-back in Germany, Kota Takai was again an unused substitute as Borussia Monchengladbach lost 3-1 at Augsburg on Saturday.

The 21-year-old Japan international has played only four minutes of football since February after picking up a muscle strain and struggling to get back in the team.

Takai has made just eight appearances during his loan spell in the Bundesliga, having endured an injury-hit time since arriving in Europe at Tottenham last summer. Monchengladbach end their season on Saturday at home to Hoffenheim and the Japanese defender will be hoping to get some much-needed minutes before the summer.

Alejo Veliz (Rosario Central)

Alejo Veliz had mixed game time this week as he played just three minutes of Rosario's Torneo Apertura round of 16 3-1 win against Independiente on Sunday but then played 105 minutes as they came through extra-time to see off Racing Club in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Veliz has netted five goals in 21 appearances so far this campaign and is expected to head to Bahia at the end of the season after Tottenham agreed a deal with the Brazilian side to sell Veliz once his current loan at Rosario ends. A £7.8m (9m euros) deal was agreed with £871k in add-ons (1m euros) plus a 20% sell-on clause.

Tyrese Hall (Notts County)

Tyrese Hall was an unused substitute as Notts County grabbed a 1-0 win at Chesterfield in their League Two play-off semi-final first leg.

The 20-year-old Jamaica international midfielder has so far scored eight goals and recorded two assists across 1,850 minutes in 39 appearances after heading out of Tottenham on his first loan.

Alfie Dorrington (Salford City)

Alfie Dorrington could come up against Hall in the play-off final this month after he was also an unused substitute as Salford City won their away first leg at Grimsby Town 2-1 at the weekend.

Both second legs will be played on Friday night to decide who meets in the final at Wembley for the chance to step up into League One.

The 20-year-old centre-back has 11 appearances so far for City since switching from Aberdeen during the winter window.

New Daniel Levy Tottenham comments bring strange feelings but his role should not be forgotten

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For 24 years Daniel Levy held a firm grip on Tottenham Hotspur and for the first time this week he has spoken about what has transpired since his ousting.

In September last year, the now 64-year-old was removed from his role after a review into the club, instigated by the owning Lewis family. While Levy remains a big shareholder in Spurs, with his portion being 29.88% of ENIC's 87.62% share of the club he has been left with a minority voice.

For the first time since walking out through the club door, Levy spoke publicly this week in short interviews with media outside Windsor Castle after being made a CBE by the Prince of Wales for his services to the community in Tottenham through charity, supporting education, health, social inclusion and creating jobs, all via the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Talk of course soon turned to Spurs' current plight as they sit two points above the relegation zone and with matches at Chelsea and at home to Everton to decide whether a club that was Champions League finalists just seven years ago and won a Europa League trophy last summer, will even be a Premier League team next season.

Levy was asked by media outlets such as PA and ITV whether he envisaged the club being in a relegation battle and he told both: "Never, no, not in a million years."

When asked how he felt about the club's position in the table, he simply said: "Emptiness… but I’m optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League."

He added: "I could never envisage this at the beginning of the season. Obviously, incredibly disappointed. But let’s look forward and very much hope that next season we’re still in the Premier League.

"I’m feeling the pain but I’m optimistic that we will get through it. It’s been very, very difficult [watching it] but Spurs is in my blood and I’m hopeful we will be OK in the end."

He told ITV News that he still watched "every match" and that a loss "ruins the whole weekend" before saying: "I'm optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League. I think Tottenham has a great coach, and all the fans and all the employees and everyone now is behind this coach… Let’s hope that the players can do it for the last two games."

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Levy also shared his conversation with Prince William while receiving his CBE: "I thanked him for allowing us to beat Aston Villa when we played them a few weeks ago. He wished us luck for the rest of the season, very much hoping that Tottenham survive in the Premier League."

When asked for the highlights of his tenure at Spurs, he said: "I was there for over 24 years and we had so many memorable occasions, the Champions League final, early on, being in Europe many years, opening the stadium, there have been so many achievements."

The former Spurs chairman admitted that he was unable to achieve some of his ambitions during his time in north London: "What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League, which was easier said than done."

For Tottenham supporters, listening to Levy speaking about the club will bring some strange feelings. For much of his tenure, he was a figure of criticism for many, the prudent leader seen as holding Spurs back from achieving those very things he declared he wanted.

Yet, if there's one thing that even many of his fiercest critics would give him in this situation, it's that Tottenham would not currently be where they are right now under him, for Levy would have pulled the plug on the Thomas Frank experiment the moment the fanbase made it clear they did not want the Dane. He would also have been unlikely to have appointed Igor Tudor as his replacement, judging by comments Harry Redknapp made about a phone conversation with the former Spurs supremo.

However, that's not to excuse Levy for his part in the mess that Tottenham have become. He brought in everyone that has been associated with this disastrous season, whether that's CEO Vinai Venkatesham, sporting director Johan Lange and the bewildering managerial process that landed upon Frank as the perfect head coach to replace Ange Postecoglou.

It was also Levy who had a strong relationship with Fabio Paratici and sparked the strange on and off again dalliance between the club and the Italian, now back in his homeland at Fiorentina.

Levy was also at the helm for the failed transfer moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze last summer, albeit the former was beyond anyone's control.

There is also the long-term aspect of the prudence at Tottenham that kept them financially stable but also created a culture where winning the top prizes never truly felt like the ultimate aim, more a hope if possible. Players soon grew disillusioned, the club's record goalscorer Harry Kane was lost as he knew he was never going to realise what he deserved and managers came and went like London buses, unable to recreate what they did elsewhere within the environment at Spurs.

There's no doubting the quality of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or the Hotspur Way training complex, even if some coaches have complained that the latter is too nice, too comfortable to be a working environment to forge winners. It's been seen as more of a five-star hotel complex than a conveyor belt for sporting success, with some of football aspects and facilities within it needing the impending improvement to take it beyond the surface aesthetic levels.

So yes Spurs would unlikely have fallen this far under Levy, but other than Mauricio Pochettino's years spent punching above the club's weight or Postecoglou's trophy, they never looked like rising beyond the stadium's glass ceiling.

Most ousted employees would raise a smile privately at things falling apart after their exit, but for Levy it probably stings to see what he feels he built tumbling, and also financially he would be affected by relegation as share prices likely fall.

So this appearance from the former chairman, honoured for very worthy improvements to the local community, will hit Tottenham Hotspur supporters in different ways. Some will blame him, some might even miss him but that was Daniel Levy in a nutshell, someone who did and will always divide opinion.

Richarlison reveals 'anxiety' and gives brutally honest Tottenham verdict on relegation battle

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Richarlison has opened up on the Premier League relegation battle and rated his chances of making the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

Richarlison has urged his Tottenham Hotspur teammates to 'stay calm' ahead of next week's clash against Chelsea. The Lilywhites could fall back into the bottom three of the Premier League before they face Calum McFarlane's side at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

Spurs squandered the chance to go four points clear of West Ham in the relegation zone when they were held to a draw by Leeds United on Tuesday evening. Instead, Tottenham only managed to extend their advantage in the race for survival to just two points, leaving the door open for the Hammers to climb the table.

This weekend, West Ham could leapfrog Tottenham with a win over Newcastle United. Unless Nuno Espirito Santos' side were to make up an 11-goal difference at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon, the Lilywhites would only need to draw against Chelsea to climb out of the bottom three again.

That would leave everything to play for on the final day of the season, when Spurs face Everton and the Hammers host Leeds United. In an interview with ESPN Brazil, Richarlison has urged his teammate to 'stay calm'.

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"It’s difficult, but point by point we’re moving forward," said the Tottenham striker. "Depending on the result of next weekend’s game, with one more point we can avoid relegation, but we need to do our part.

"Away from home we’ve managed to pick up points well. Now we have to stay calm," he added. "Now we have to continue over these final two matches."

Earlier this week, Richarlison was named in the 55-man preliminary Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup in the summer. On whether he'll be selected by Carlo Ancelotti, the Spurs striker said: "Anxious, right?

"I think I gave up a lot for that shirt. I’m doing my work here at Tottenham, I’m playing, I’m scoring my goals. I think I’ll be watching with expectation on TV."

Richarlison added: "I’m confident. I believe I can be there. And if I am, I’ll do my best for the national team shirt, like I always have. Regardless of whether I’m there or not, I have brothers and teammates there. I’m very patriotic. I’ll always support Brazil."

Pedro Porro also recently weighed in on the relegation battle. During an appearance on the Spanish radio show El Larguero, as quoted by Cadena SER, the Tottenham defender said: "On the one hand, we want the season to end, but on the other, we have to work until the very end. There’s no other option.

"We have to finish in the best way possible. It’s true that right now we’re two points above them, and they play before us. Now anything goes. We have to consider everything. That’s the reality, and everything counts."

When asked whether he'll be heading to the World Cup in the summer, Porro remained focused on keeping Spurs in the Premier League. Luis de la Fuente will announce the Spain squad on May 25.

"Hopefully, that would be two pieces of good news," said Porro. And when quizzed on his future, the right-back said: "I already have enough on my plate without thinking about that now. The future is next week."

Daniel Levy issues heartfelt response to Tottenham's fight against Premier League relegation

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Daniel Levy departed Tottenham Hotspur back in September, ending a near 25-year stint as the club's Executive Chairman

Former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has shared his surprise at the club's current situation.

Levy, who stepped down from his position after nearly 25 years last September, was speaking at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday afternoon.

He told PA when asked if he ever envisaged Tottenham fighting to preserve their Premier League status: “Never, no, not in a million years."

Spurs are currently just two points ahead of 18th-place London rivals West Ham with two matches left to play.

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Tottenham travel to Chelsea next week before hosting Everton on the final day of the campaign as they look to avoid relegation to the Championship.

Levy, however, is hopeful it will not come to that, stating when asked how he felt about the club's position in the table: “Emptiness… but I’m optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League.”

He added that Tottenham remained 'in his blood' and that he'd continue following the fortunes of his former employers.

Levy also made no secret of the fact he failed to achieve some of his key ambitions during his time in north London, explaining: “What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League, which was easier said than done.”

The 64-year-old Levy was made a CBE by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle for his services to the community in Tottenham, charity, supporting education, health, social inclusion and creating jobs, via the construction of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Levy noted that he spoke to Prince William about football when receiving his accolade, explaining: “I thanked him for allowing us (Tottenham) to beat Aston Villa when we played them a few weeks ago. He wished us luck for the rest of the season, very much hoping that Tottenham survive in the Premier League.”

When Levy departed Spurs last year, he was the Premier League's longest-serving chairman and had reportedly banked over £50million during his time at the helm.

His exit was supposed to mark a new era at the club following the Europa League triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao last May but the club has regressed this season, burning through three new managers.

Roberto De Zerbi currently looks on course to steer Spurs to safety, though there is still a long way to go in the relegation battle as West Ham were handed a lifeline on Monday when Tottenham drew at home to Leeds.

Graham Potter issues injury update on Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski after World Cup blow

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Tottenham playmaker Dejan Kulusevski has been left out of Sweden's World Cup squad amid his ongoing injury struggles

Sweden boss Graham Potter has explained his decision to leave Tottenham star Dejan Kulusevski out of his World Cup squad.

The Spurs playmaker, who has not kicked a ball all season, was hoping to secure a seat on the plane to North America following his nation's play-off triumph in March.

However, he's been unable to prove his fitness in time to make Potter's roster for the finals.

The ex-West Ham, Chelsea and Brighton boss said: "With Dejan, again just a very, very difficult decision.

"I think we have to think about what is right for the team, that's important but also Dejan is in a place where he has had a long fight and he is making progress.

"I think it's important now that this time he can really focus on getting himself ready for the start of the season. Dejan is at a stage where his rehab is so important and he has made some progress.

"I think the aim for him would be to start the next season with Tottenham, hit the ground running and to get back on the pitch and do the thing he loves. I think we have to be careful about that and ultimately that is the priority for him."

Kulusevski is said to have learned his World Cup fate on Monday, exactly one year on from his injury against Crystal Palace.

Potter added: "Once those games start, you're not in an area where you can do big 11 v 11 work, so it would be very, very difficult for him to get up to where we need him to be.

"Sometimes you have to take a decision of what does this look like. What is the impact for the player? What is the impact for the team?

"And it just felt in my stomach it was the right thing for us and for him, but of course now it's tough to see that, because he wants to be there and he wants to play, I understand.

"He is a professional person and he accepts it, of course but it is also very difficult as it is with all the guys. These things don't come along very often, it's a dream and you're ending a dream which is not a nice thing believe me."

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Kulusevski has now been missing for over a year after damaging his right patella in Tottenham's Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2025.

Since then, he's missed Europa League glory in Bilbao, pre-season, Sweden's World Cup qualification and play-off campaign plus a full rollercoaster campaign at Spurs.

Speaking in March, he made it clear he was working his way towards a place in Potter's squad, a goal he has sadly been unable to achieve.

He explained: "One hundred percent. Yes. That [the World Cup] is the driving force I have. To have that opportunity is absolutely fantastic.

"It’s a challenge that I haven’t been able to overcome so far in terms of getting healthy, but it’s not over yet. Now the second game starts.

"That’s how it has to end. Otherwise, it hasn’t gone as I planned. I’m absolutely convinced that we’ll win these two games and I’ll be ready to play and play my first World Cup in the USA. That’s how the movie will end, God willing."

Roberto De Zerbi recently issued a brief update on the 26-year-old's condition, stating: “I don’t know the situation well.

“For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season. But I texted him after [the Villa game].

"He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back [to continue his rehab at Hotspur Way]. And I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player.”

Jude Bellingham sends James Maddison classy two-word message after Tottenham return

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James Maddison marked his long-awaited return to action with a heartfelt statement on social media, and Jude Bellingham showed his support with a classy message.

Jude Bellingham has congratulated James Maddison for making his first Premier League appearance in over a year. The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a pre-season friendly back in August, was brought off the bench towards the end of Monday night's draw to Leeds United.

With five minutes on the clock and the Lilywhites in search of a winner, Maddison replaced Mathys Tel. Then, the fourth official announced there to be a minimum of 13 added minutes, turning what was meant to be a brief cameo into almost 20 minutes of end-to-end chaos.

Despite the England international's best efforts, he couldn't fire Spurs to victory. After the game, Maddison marked his return to action with a heartfelt statement on social media, thanking the fans, friends, and family for the support.

On Instagram, the 29-year-old wrote: "After the longest, toughest 12 months of my life, the reception you spurs fans gave me yesterday made all the sacrifice & dark days absolutely worth it. Thank you so much.

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"Back where I belong. Thank you to everyone for the support & especially my family & friends for helping me through this journey, wouldn’t have been able to do it without you."

Over a hundred thousand people 'liked' the post, including the likes of Marcus Rashford, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Son Heung-min. Bellingham was one of over a thousand to also leave a comment, writing: "[five red love heart emojis] love it."

Speaking to reporters after the game, Roberto De Zerbi showered Maddison with praise. The Tottenham boss said: "It's great news for us. He is a different player as a quality, as a guy and he will be I hope crucial for us.

"Yesterday I spoke with him about his physical condition, about how many minutes he could play. He played more than what he said yesterday. We are happy for him, but I think we are in the right way."

In what was Maddison's first Premier League appearance since April 27, 2025, when Spurs lost 5-1 to Liverpool at Anfield, he only managed to take home a point, leaving his side in danger of falling into the bottom three.

De Zerbi continued: "It will be tough until the last minute against Everton, for sure, but after the Sunderland game, it was a difficult to imagine ourselves before the last two games to stay up (ahead) two points of West Ham.

"I remember very well the game in Sunderland was my first game and we can’t forget what was the situation just 15 days ago. We can’t forget after four games in a row we made eight points and we can’t forget Leeds the last defeat in Premier League was the 1st of March at home, I think.

"West Ham they have to also play Leeds at home. I think Leeds they will play like today with the same spirit, with the same qualities because they are doing a great season."

The hilarious Cristian Romero moment at Tottenham that might worry Argentina staff

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The Tottenham captain was in the building on Monday evening and could not contain himself when his Spurs team-mate scored

Tottenham captain Cristian Romero got so excited when Mathys Tel scored against Leeds that it appears he tackled one of the club's coaches.

Tel netted with a superb curling strike five minutes into the second half of the Premier League game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night. The stadium went wild and so did the group of injured Spurs players watching the match from beside the dugout.

They included Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Guglielmo Vicario and skipper Romero, who was sat alongside first team academy transition coach Stuart Lewis.

As Tel's shot nestled in the back of the net, the injured players all leapt to their feet and celebrated but Romero went one step, well many steps, further by sprinting across the technical area and appearing to bundle over Tottenham set piece coach Andreas Georgson before grabbing the surprised Swede on the ground and then standing up and hugging Djed Spence.

While Romero, who then went and poured himself some mate, was fully in the moment with his Tottenham team-mates, the sight of him sprinting and bundling into people might have worried Argentina officials who are sweating on the centre-back's fitness ahead of the World Cup after the knee injury he suffered against Sunderland last month when Brian Brobbey pushed him into Spurs goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Unfortunately for Tottenham they were unable to beat Leeds on Monday night as Tel went from hero to villain just 14 minutes later when he caught Ethan Ampadu with an attempted overhead kick clearance in the Spurs box. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored the resulting penalty and the game ended up as a 1-1 draw, leaving the north London side just two points above the drop zone with two games to go.

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football.london had asked De Zerbi what he said to Tel after a match that brought such extremes for Tel.

"A big hug and a big kiss," he replied. "Nothing more because he is a young player, he is a big talent and he scored a great goal. He made a mistake for the experience because he has not the right experience and he has not played too many games in his career and we have to accept, but I am proud and I am happy for the mentality we show.

"We didn't play a great game like in Villa Park, we played a good game and did enough to win. We could lose the game at the end because before the last 15 to 20 minutes, they didn't shoot on our goal and just one in the first half. We had 14 corners against two, five chances to score against two, we came inside of the goal area 50 times against 27 but we didn't score two goals."

James Maddison risks disciplinary action with 'petrified' referee comment after Tottenham return

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Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has displayed his anger after his team dropped points at home to Leeds United in the Premier League on Monday night

James Maddison risks disciplinary action after criticising "petrified" referees after a penalty was not awarded following a challenge on him during Monday night's 1-1 draw against Leeds United. Tottenham Hotspur surrendered a 1-0 lead to drop points at home to Daniel Farke's side.

But the Lilywhites did, however, have a late penalty shout when Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha in added time. Referee Jarred Gillett waved away appeals, but a VAR review followed.

However, the original decision was upheld. Offering an explanation on their Match Centre X account, the Premier League said: "The referee’s call of no penalty to Tottenham Hotspur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that Nmecha played the ball."

And Maddison has now had his say on the incident, risking disciplinary action from the FA after criticising referees over VAR.

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Posting on his Instagram stories, he said: “For clarity… The small tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot not Nmecha and I told the ref that but the check was over in about 20 seconds.

"Officials are petrified to make decisions on the pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS“

Monday night's game was going well for Spurs when Mathys Tel opened the scoring early in the second half with a stunning strike past Karl Darlow. But Tel was also involved in Leeds' equaliser.

The former Bayern Munich forward attempted to clear the ball in his own penalty area, but caught Ethan Ampadu. A VAR review awarded Leeds a penalty, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin giving Antonin Kinsky no chance from the spot.

The hectic fixture saw 13 minutes of added time awarded, giving both teams a chance to secure a crucial win. Spurs had Kinsky to thank for keeping Sean Longstaff out with a brilliant reaction save. There was then the penalty shout for Tottenham in the final minute of added time.

Maddison's time on the pitch was his first minutes since returning from a long-term knee injury. The midfielder could be a key player in the final two matches of the season.

Spurs are next in action in just over a week when they travel to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

They then end the season at home to Everton on Sunday, May 24 (4pm kick-off).

Tottenham get Dejan Kulusevski injury return update as huge announcement made

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The Tottenham Hotspur attacker made it clear that he was looking to play at the World Cup this summer for Sweden

Dejan Kulusevski's World Cup dream appears to be over after the Tottenham attacker was left out of Graham Potter's Sweden squad for the tournament.

While Spurs starlet Lucas Bergvall has been named in the squad that will be heading to the tournament in north America, Canada and Mexico this summer, his compatriot Kulusevski has missed out on Potter's squad on Tuesday. The 26-year-old has not played for Tottenham in more than a year after suffering a complicated patella injury in his knee.

Kulusevski's return date kept being put back, although in the last international break after having had a small procedure in March to clean out his knee he told reporters in his homeland then that he had his sights set on playing at the World Cup for Sweden this summer.

"One hundred percent. Yes. That (the World Cup) is the driving force I have. To have that opportunity is absolutely fantastic. It’s a challenge that I haven’t been able to overcome so far in terms of getting healthy, but it’s not over yet. Now the second game starts," he said.

"That’s how it has to end. Otherwise, it hasn’t gone as I planned. I’m absolutely convinced that we’ll win these two games and I’ll be ready to play and play my first World Cup in the USA. That’s how the movie will end, God willing."

Unfortunately Kulusevski was not named in Sweden's squad on Tuesday afternoon and Tottenham boss Roberto De Zerbi had already expressed some doubts over his inclusion in the competition last week.

The Italian said he was hopeful that the Swede would be back in the country after undergoing rehabilitation abroad and could join his team-mates at the final match of the Premier League season against Everton. De Zerbi said that after a text exchange with the player, he could be returning soon to at least be around the squad for morale on matchdays, like Ben Davies and James Maddison have been doing recently.

When asked then if he thought Kulusevski could still play at the World Cup next month, De Zerbi said: "I don’t know the situation well. I hope so but I don’t know his injury and I can’t say nothing more. For me, it’s difficult to understand how he can play at the World Cup if he didn’t play any games this season.

"But I texted him after [the Villa game]. He told me in the next week, I think, he comes back and I hope he can be available to stay with us in the last game because he is an amazing player."

The curious case of James Maddison's socks and what Micky van de Ven did to Randal Kolo Muani

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What Micky van de Ven did to Randal Kolo Muani and the Mathys Tel warning De Zerbi was given - Football London
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Here are our Tottenham talking points after their frustrating 1-1 draw against Leeds United in the Premier League on Monday evening

Roberto De Zerbi will already be well aware of the sliding scale of Mathys Tel's magic moments.

The 21-year-old can produce something sublime out of nothing as he did five minutes into the second half of Monday night's match with a sumptuous side-footed curling finish into the top right corner of Karl Darlow's net.

It felt like the big moment everyone had been waiting for from Tel. It was the spectacular finish in front of that big south stand that this dark and dingy Spurs season desperately needed to light it up just in time. Captain Micky van de Ven was so happy that he grabbed Randal Kolo Muani around the waist from behind and lifted the Frenchman up in the air as the ball hit the net while others ran off celebrating.

The problem was, apart from Tottenham's inability get various other efforts on target, Tel also has an inexperienced streak, mostly borne of confidence in his own abilities. That confidence brings eye-catching moments like his goal but the Spurs fans will also recount of numerous occasions when the young Frenchman will drift back down the left wing towards his own area and hit speculative passes across his own half.

He served De Zerbi an early warning of what might come later in the match with a run back to his own touchline and then what ended up almost being the perfect cross into his own box for Leeds' James Justin to head into the Spurs net, only for Kevin Danso to bail him out with a last-gasp headed interception.

Then came Tel's decision in the 69th minute which nobody could bail him out of. Ethan Ampadu's long throw bounced around the Tottenham box until Richarlison headed it up into the air and then proceeded to kick it even higher.

That left Tel with a header to jump for to nod the ball away, anywhere would do. Instead he decided that inside his own penalty area was the place for an overhead kick. He had not counted though on Ampadu running into the box after his throw and the Frenchman duly caught the Leeds captain's head with his studs.

VAR soon sent Jarred Gillett to his pitch side monitor and any doubt over the contact would have been removed by looking at the stud marks on Ampadu's head. Dominic Calvert-Lewin dispatched the penalty just above the grasp of Antonin Kinsky and Spurs went from looking in control to chasing a win that now would not come.

For De Zerbi, he has seen two loose defensive moments prevent him from winning four games in a row and Tottenham being safe from relegation.

There was Danso being caught in possession in the final moments against Brighton and now Tel's strange decision against Leeds. Both moments came at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to ensure that winless Premier League run there continues to stretch back to early December.

As Danso had been excellent against Brighton, so Tel created chances galore for Spurs before his mad moment. He jinked past challenges into the Leeds area in the first half and saw an effort deflected over near the six yard box. His corner should have been hit home by Richarlison before Pedro Porro's shot struck Struijk in front of goal. Then it was also Tel's cross that ended up falling to Joao Palhinha to fire over when it was easier to hit it under the crossbar.

football.london asked De Zerbi what he said to Tel after a match that brought such wild extremes for the Frenchman.

"A big hug and a big kiss," he replied. "Nothing more because he is a young player, he is a big talent and he scored a great goal. He made a mistake for the experience because he has not the right experience and he has not played too many games in his career and we have to accept, but I am proud and I am happy for the mentality we show.

"We didn't play a great game like in Villa Park, we played a good game and did enough to win. We could lose the game at the end because before the last 15 to 20 minutes, they didn't shoot on our goal and just one in the first half. We had 14 corners against two, five chances to score against two, we came inside of the goal area 50 times against 27 but we didn't score two goals."

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Spurs were indebted to Kinsky for preventing Leeds from taking all three points. The Czech's remarkable renaissance continued first with a terrific save from former Tottenham defender Joe Rodon's header just as it was about to cross the goal line.

That had the fans singing Kinsky's name and they were left in disbelief and gratitude for the late remarkable right-handed reaction save that pushed Sean Longstaff's powerful close range effort on to he crossbar and away to safety.

"He's improving a lot. He's a good goalkeeper. I had no doubt in my first days in Tottenham because I knew him before coming here," De Zerbi said of Kinsky. "He played in Madrid, he made that mistake, and it was tough for him. He has great personality, strong character and he deserves to play a game like today."

It's difficult to see the point of bringing Guglielmo Vicario back in at this point if he does come back to full fitness. The Italian looks set to depart back home this summer and will not be sharp if he returns in the coming weeks, whereas Kinsky is in the groove now and has the kicking ability and calmness that Vicario lacks.

The Italian is a more vocal goalkeeper and had the edge with his reaction saves but Kinsky's recent efforts have closed that gap.

The match also brought the return of James Maddison, nine-and-a-half months after that tear in his ACL fully ruptured in pre-season.

This time it was clear that the 29-year-old would no longer be an unused substitute as in the previous three matches and the clue was in his socks. In recent games, Maddison had worn only normal sort white Nike sports socks when warming up before and during matches.

That was also the case in the first half against Leeds but anyone who spotted the midfielder in the second half would have noticed that for the first time since that night in Seoul, Maddison had changed into his match socks as he warmed up.

The crowd rose as he entered the fray in the 85th minute alongside Djed Spence for what should have been a handful of minutes on his return. Instead 13 minutes of added time were announced along with another two played for good measure.

Those extra couple of minutes came because of a VAR check on Lukas Nmecha's challenge on Maddison in the final moments of the recommended added time. Craig Pawson decided there was the slightest of touches on the ball in the challenge.

It was one of those decisions where there was not enough clear evidence to rule out a penalty had Gillett given it or make him take another look after he had not.

De Zerbi was not interested in discussing the penalty claim, simply saying: "No, no, no, I don't want to come inside the polemic, I didn't see and I didn't watch again. I don't know. Ask me a question about football if you want."

The Spurs head coach had cut a frustrated figure on the touchline throughout the game with the officials, who were booed off the pitch by the Spurs fans at the final whistle.

The Italian was booked for the second home game in a row by the referee. He will no doubt be wondering why managers such as his north London counterpart Mikel Arteta spend so much time out of the technical area but rarely get yellow cards - such as his one for celebrating against Atletico Madrid - while De Zerbi seems to be a watched man. One more card and he will already be suspended from the dugout for the next game.

"The first minute until the end of the game the referee went to me 'if you go out, yellow card' and I think they were not calm today," the Spurs boss told football.london .

"Maybe they suffered the pressure of yesterday the West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR. For sure we suffer the pressure today for the speed of the ball, for the order of the pitch and we didn't play with patience on the ball. Frenetic and we were rushed but also the referee was not calm.

"I don't know, I can't understand the polemic about yesterday and the VAR because it was a foul, 200 per cent, not 100 per cent if you want to talk about football."

De Zerbi was delighted at least with the return of Maddison to the pitch and so was Leeds boss Daniel Farke, who coached the midfielder as a youngster at Norwich.

"Yes I'm so happy and delighted for him. It's great to see him back because if you love football and you love a baller then you also love James Maddison," said the German.

"He can be unbelievable and is one of the most creative players in this country. Of course it was difficult for him after being out for so long to come into this crunch moment, but the effect he can have, he has shown in the last minutes.

"He was smart, he knows how to win a free-kick or what he has to do in the box, perhaps to win a penalty. Great set pieces, great delivery, a top character. Fingers crossed he can stay fit and healthy."

De Zerbi added to football.london : "Great news for us. He is a different player as a quality, as a guy and he will be I hope crucial for us. Yesterday I spoke with him about his physical condition and about how many minutes he could play. He played more than what he said yesterday. We are happy for him but I think we are in the right way."

The Spurs boss needs attacking help in these final matches against Chelsea and Everton for that end of the pitch faltered on Monday night.

Richarlison fluffed his lines with various efforts and it looked to be that kind of night for the Brazilian from the moment he took a heavy touch on Porro's through ball to him in the opening minutes that should have set him away on goal.

Kolo Muani continues to be an enigma that can't be solved. The 27-year-old occasionally shows a great touch and can beat a man at will in one moment but can't find a nearby team-mate with a pass in the next. Also for someone who has scored goals wherever else he's been, he never looks confident to take a shot.

When put through by Porro not long after Tel's goal, the Frenchman could have fired a shot into the far corner to put Spurs in control, but pulled it back at shin height for Richarlison to volley over the crossbar.

De Zerbi called Kolo Muani "one of my problems" a couple of weeks ago and he looks no closer to solving that particular one, other than getting the Frenchman working harder in his tracking back.

Tottenham's destiny remains in their own clutches even if a two-point gap is far scarier than a four-point one from the drop zone. They know that they must better West Ham's result in at least one of the remaining matches and they have been a far better team under De Zerbi than under his predecessors, despite the lack of available players.

The Hammers travel to Newcastle next Sunday with Eddie Howe's side still holding a slim hope of European football next season in their final home game of the campaign as the various permutations could bring Conference League football all the way down to 10th spot in the Premier League.

Two days later, Spurs will then head to Stamford Bridge to take on a Chelsea side that will have played in the FA Cup final three days earlier.

The final day brings home games for both clubs. Spurs welcome Everton, who are also chasing European football, while Nuno Espirito Santo's side host Leeds and De Zerbi is hoping Farke's side show as much spirit that day as they have in recent months and on Monday night despite being safe from relegation.

"It will be tough until the last minute against Everton, for sure but after the Sunderland game, it was a difficult to imagine ourselves before the last two games to stay up two points of West Ham because I remember very well the game in Sunderland was my first game and we can’t forget what was the situation just 15 days ago," he told football.london .

"We can't forget after four games in a row we made eight points and we can't forget Leeds the last defeat in Premier League was the 1st of March at home I think. And West Ham they have to also play Leeds at home. I think Leeds they will play like today with the same spirit, with the same qualities because they are doing a great season."

De Zerbi could have Dominic Solanke back as an attacking option for the game at Stamford Bridge while Maddison will be able to take on more minutes eight days after his 20 minute showing. He understandably looked like a player after almost 10 months out trying to find the pace of the game again and the required strength in which to hit corners and crosses.

It has been difficult for the midfielder to watch on as Tottenham have struggled without him.

"Definitely it's tough because you watch through a lens of 'what would I be doing? What could I do differently?' It’s been a tough season for Tottenham. Really tough for the fans, really tough for the players. Lots of manager changes. It's been a season to forget really. Not being able to affect it and help the club has been difficult," said Maddison.

Monday night was yet another missed opportunity in a season of such moments both on and off the pitch for Tottenham Hotspur. Their destiny remains in their hands but sometimes with the north London club, that can be a dangerous thing.