Football London

The decision has been made over the first two of the NFL teams will play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year

Two of the NFL teams who will play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year have now been named.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders would be the two participating home teams for the 2026 NFL London games. The two games are scheduled to be played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which has become the home of the sport in the UK as the only purpose-built stadium for the NFL outside of north America.

The Commanders' and Jaguars' opponents, along with the game dates and kick-off times, will be announced when the full 2026 NFL schedule is released this spring.

Tottenham's NFL deal was extended in 2023 until the end of the 2029/30 season and one of former chairman Daniel Levy's dreams was to have a double-header day with Spurs playing a Premier League game at lunchtime and then the grass pitch withdrawing for the artificial surface underneath to host an NFL encounter later that evening.

Levy's other hope was to have a London NFL franchise based full-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one day alongside Spurs. There are hurdles galore to be jumped over before any NFL franchise could exist outside the USA, but the Premier League club have placed themselves in pole position to have one if that ever happens, with some experts tipping it to be a possibility within a decade.

In the mean time the next logical aim would be for a Super Bowl to be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and having the game in London is an idea that gained approval last year from the owner of the Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones.

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Former Super Bowl winner and now Sky Sports pundit Ndamukong Suh was asked about the showpiece NFL game being played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he said: "Without question. There's no doubt in my mind that's on the table, and I would be willing to be bet in the next five years it happens. The world is their oyster where games go."

The NFL invested £10million into the building of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of its initial 10-year deal in 2015. They pay the Premier League club a hire fee for every game, which has been reported as being as high as £2million each time.

Spurs make around £6million for every Premier League match but the finances are different for NFL games as they hire out the ground.

They do get a cut of the millions recouped in food and drink revenue, which is around three times higher than it would be for a Premier League clash because the encounters can last up to four hours and the fans can drink beer in their seats. Tottenham also get a cut of the merchandise sold out of their club shop, which is transformed into an NFL store and the takings are said to be far higher than for the Premier League matches.

Now Spurs will receive their latest cash boost as the next two NFL London Games are played at their home later this year with the Jaguars also playing another game at Wembley Stadium.

Tottenham's home form could yet prove key to their Premier League survival hopes but at this moment in time, it appears to be a glaring weakness that they must rectify

No side in the entire Premier League is averaging fewer points per game at home (compared with away from home) than Tottenham.

While most of that damage was inflicted by Thomas Frank, it should be a major concern for interim boss Igor Tudor, who must quickly seek to rectify the club's struggles on their own patch ahead of the run-in.

His first outing at the helm ended in disastrous fashion last Sunday when the Europa League winners were thumped 4-1 by Arsenal in the North London Derby.

But anyone who has watched Spurs this season will be quick to tell you that their home struggles are nothing new. In fact, they have performed significantly better on the road.

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Wolves (six) are the only side to have claimed less points than Tottenham (10) at home - tied with Burnley - in the Premier League this season.

Yet their away form has remained somewhat respectable having claimed 19 points, the ninth-highest total in the top-flight this season.

However, no club has a bigger difference (-0.75) between their average points claimed at home and average points claimed away.

Spurs are one of six sides currently averaging fewer points at home than on their travels alongside fellow 'Big Six' outfit Chelsea.

The contrast between Spurs' home and away records is incredibly stark though and given away victories have also dried up, it really does not bode well for Tottenham.

Everton, Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and West Ham are also averaging few points at home than they are away.

What's also crucial is the fact Tottenham host the likes of Crystal Palace and Forest in the forthcoming weeks and they must find a way to turn the tide.

They won 1-0 at Palace in late December but were beaten convincingly by Forest at the City Ground in December.

Spurs must be targeting victory against both sides as they look to drag themselves upwards towards mid-table and away from danger.

Tudor's side travel to Fulham on Sunday before hosting Palace and then travelling to Liverpool to face the reigning Premier League champions.

Forest then visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in late March before Spurs enjoy a much-needed break before visiting Sunderland in April.

The Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach is desperate to get players back from the treatment room and on to the pitch as he battles the drop

Tottenham Hotspur interim head coach Igor Tudor is now well aware of the job that faces him and how important getting injured players back will be to his tenure.

The Croatian has won each of his first games at the five clubs he had joined previously but the 47-year-old found that was not such a straightforward task at Spurs. His debut in the Tottenham dugout came against top-of-the-table Arsenal in the season's second north London derby and despite the hosts keeping all things square at the break, the match ended in a 4-1 defeat and Tudor left looking towards the treatment room.

He confirmed to football.london that he was hopeful that he could get both right-back Pedro Porro and central defender Kevin Danso back in action this weekend and both were training on Wednesday morning at Hotspur Way.

"Yeah, probably [the] two of them. We hope," said the Tottenham boss on Sunday.

When asked if the job was bigger than he thought before he walked through the door, Tudor added: "You never know. You never know because this is a situation that I never saw. That we have 10 players plus three players [available]. I see the players want to do. The players want [to], okay they are in this position. Now we need to restart again and waiting for the players who are out. For sure, that's also a big reason. But it is how it is."

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Having Porro and Danso back in the starting line-up, whether it is for Sunday's game at Fulham or Thursday's clash against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will allow Tudor to fix one key problem with his XI - that he is playing midfielders as defenders.

Joao Palhinha is filling in at centre-back while Archie Gray is playing every minute as a right wing-back. Getting either of them back in the centre of the pitch should make Spurs stronger through the middle and more adept at dealing with the back three formation Tudor favours.

Porro will bring some much-needed creativity from the flank with his ability to curl in crosses from the right as well as pinging diagonal cross-field balls into the runs of the strikers and breaking midfielders.

Porro's involvement and potentially switching around the midfielders would allow Tudor to switch from a 3-4-2-1 to a 3-4-1-2 shape to get balls into Dominic Solanke and either Randal Kolo Muani, who flourished at Juventus under the Croatian, or the fit again Richarlison.

Here's the line-up we reckon Tudor might go with once he gets Porro and Danso fit and it's one that could bring goals and more solidity to the team.

(3-4-1-2) Vicario; Danso, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Porro, Gallagher, Palhinha, Spence; Xavi; Kolo Muani, Solanke.

Tottenham Hotspur could reappoint Mauricio Pochettino as their head coach once his contract with the United States national team ends after this summer's World Cup

One-time United States captain Alexi Lalas believes Mauricio Pochettino was a short-term hire by the national team and suggests that their head coach will not remain after this summer's World Cup.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have repeatedly sung for Pochettino to return since the sacking of Thomas Frank. The former Brentford boss is the fifth permanent coach Spurs have dismissed, barely five years after firing the Argentinian.

Igor Tudor is now the second interim coach during that period, with Christian Stellini and Ryan Mason also having spells as the acting boss. Pochettino's impending availability after this summer's World Cup is well-timed.

Lalas spoke to talkSPORT about Pochettino on Tuesday, and the player-turned-pundit said: "A lot of us have been under the assumption, and I think fairly so, that this was a short-term hire.

"There wasn't a [four-year World Cup] cycle involved, [it was] a year and a half, two years, at the most here. [He] didn't have to go through a qualifying process because we are hosting.

Pochettino's appointment was made, according to Lalas, "with the eye to do something that we haven't seen before." The US finished third at the first World Cup in 1930, as one of 13 teams, but they have reached the quarter-finals only once since, in 2002.

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Lalas recalls: "Back in 2002, we were arguably a handball away from possibly going to a semi-final of a World Cup." He then reiterates: "So doing things that we haven't seen before."

Continuing to speculate about Pochettino's future, Lalas said: "Once this is done, if it goes great, we'll build statues to him; if it doesn't, he's going to have plenty of offers, because I think he is sought after, because he is quality. And I think he will go back.

"We've already heard, a couple of weeks ago, he did an interview where he was talking about his goals relative to winning the Champions League and winning a Premier League title and how that would happen. So I think this is short-term, and that's OK; if we get the best out of him, then we will send him on his merry way."

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Lalas references what Pochettino said during an appearance with long-time assistant Jesus Perez on episode 391 of The High Performance Podcast. Asked what trophy he would most like to win in his career, the Argentine explained: "For me, Champions League and Premier League.

"Of course, the World Cup, but the Champions League and Premier League, for me, are things that I don't know how, but I'm going to achieve for sure. I don't know in which club".

In response to the question: "Do you really believe that one day you will win the Premier League as a manager?" Pochettino said "yes" twice before the interviewer Jake Humphrey finished speaking, and added a third once he had.

He explained: "Champions League is amazing because it's a dream, too, like a World Cup. But the Premier League, because we really love English football and because football was born here, we were so lucky to spend a lot of time in Wembley, it's an amazing stadium.

"I think we deserve, Jesus, I think we deserve, and we are going to try, and for sure we are going to get. In which club? I don't know, I cannot tell you because I don't have a club, I don't own a club. But we are now in our best moment, like our coaching staff."

Asked whether he is the best manager he has ever been, Pochettino said: "I think so."

Tottenham youngster Tynan Thompson is ready for first-team opportunities but he's yet to make his senior bow despite ripping up the UEFA Youth League

One of the key concerns recently raised by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust was the lack of Spurs youngsters being blooded into the first-team.

During his time at Brentford, Thomas Frank was previously praised for developing young players but that proved to be a myth at Tottenham because he very rarely utilised the club's academy talent.

Jun'ai Byfield featured twice from the bench in Champions League wins over Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt and performed well but Frank only called on the defender when he was virtually down to bare bones.

It was one of the Dane's major downfalls because young players have always formed part of Tottenham's DNA and the club's current crop of youth stars are an incredibly talented bunch.

The U19s currently sit seventh in the Premier League 2 standings and there are a number of players knocking on the first-team door including Byfield, Luca Williams Barnett and Callum Olusesi, respectively.

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But there is one talent - Tynan Thompson - who can definitely count himself unlucky not to have received minutes this season because there is no doubt he is good enough.

Thompson, a right-footed left-winger like Liverpool starlet Ngumoha, has remarkable dribbling ability and can leave defenders for dust.

Given the left-flank has been somewhat of a problem position for Tottenham this season following the departure of former captain Son Heung-min, it really is a mystery as to why Thompson hasn't really had a look-in.

Thompson rattled in seven goals and registered two assists in seven UEFA Youth League appearances for Spurs before they were eliminated following a 5-1 defeat against Real Betis earlier this month.

He scored in all but one of their six group stage matches and hit a brilliant hat-trick in the 9-1 thrashing of Slavia Prague in mid-December.

The red-hot winger has only made the first-team bench on two occasions, once in the Carabao Cup against Doncaster Rovers and once in the Champions League against PSG.

He's scored 11 times in 19 youth-team appearances this term and it's about time he was considered to bolster Igor Tudor's struggling squad.

Mikey Moore is undoubtedly ahead of the curve where senior experience is concerned but he will not return from his Rangers loan until next season.

Between now and the end of the campaign, it's imperative that Thompson is at least handed some minutes from the bench because he can bring quality and excitement to the table.

Spurs are currently starved of wide players who can create and score goals, yet there is a clear internal solution already on their books.

Whether Tudor is prepared to throw young players into the firing line at this critical stage of the season is another question but it's certainly a prospect worth considering.

Thompson - like Ngumoha at Liverpool - is a talent worth cherishing and his fearless playing style suggests he has the confidence and self-belief to make a real impact at first-team level.

It would be a travesty if he went the entire season without playing for Spurs because he is among the very best young talents at their disposal.

Tottenham are desperately fighting for Premier League safety as they bid to turn the corner under interim boss Igor Tudor

The devastating cost of relegation to the Championship is not currently worth thinking about for Tottenham Hotspur.

Instead, the club are focusing their efforts on turning the corner under interim boss Igor Tudor ahead of a crucial run of matches for the Croatian.

While Premier League safety remains the absolute top priority, you can't help but feel a number of players are also playing for their futures in N17.

Regardless of what happens between now and the end of the season, it's clear to see that Spurs' squad requires major surgery at the end of the campaign.

Long-serving defender Ben Davies and midfielder Yves Bissouma are both out of contract and are currently expected to depart on free transfers.

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Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the futures of loan duo Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani. Palhinha has been a real asset since joining the club from Bayern Munich last summer but he'll be 31 come the start of next season.

His experience and versatility is undeniably valuable but given Spurs have a £27million buy-option, they may want to weigh up other, younger defensive midfielders, too.

Tottenham do not have a buy-option for Kolo Muani and while he's had success in the Champions League this season (three goals and two assists), Sunday's strike against Arsenal was his first in the Premier League.

Given PSG paid a whopping £78million to Eintracht Frankfurt inclusive of add-ons to sign him back in September 2023, they will be keen to recoup as much money as possible when selling the Frenchman this summer.

He's hardly set the world alight at Spurs and while Tudor is likely to get a tune out of the player he previously worked with at Juventus, there would need to be a fair bit of convincing done between now and the end of the season for Tottenham to consider a permanent deal.

Richarlison is due to enter the final 12 months of his contract this summer and there's every chance both he and Spurs could decide to part ways.

There's been reported interest from Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the MLS in recent transfer windows so there's every chance there will be suitors. He turns 29 in May and has blown hot and cold, so now could be the perfect opportunity to sell.

Mathys Tel is another player that could potentially depart if things do not improve for the French winger. A number of clubs from across Europe wanted to take him on loan in January as the ex-Bayern Munich starlet was frustrated by his lack of minutes under Thomas Frank. If things do not improve between now and the end of the season, Spurs could seek to cash in.

At the back, it seems highly probable that Guglielmo Vicario could well return to Italy amid reported interest from Inter Milan.

Vicario's performances have repeatedly been scrutinised and equally, Spurs may feel they want to try and sign an upgrade on the Italian before the start of next season.

Finally, Radu Dragusin could well leave the club as he's struggled to hit the heights that were expected of him when he signed from Genoa in January 2024.

The Romanian has endured rotten luck with injury having ruptured his ACL last season but even when he plays, there is a gulf in quality between Dragusin and first-choice pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero.

Igor Tudor took charge of his first match as Tottenham Hotspur boss at the weekend with the 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has explained why he thinks Tottenham Hotspur should have made a different choice for their new manager.

Spurs appointed Igor Tudor earlier this month, on a contract that runs until the end of the season.Tudor was named as Tottenham’s new manager following the departure of Thomas Frank earlier this month.

Sunday saw Tudor take charge of his first match as Tottenham boss, overseeing the club’s 4-1 defeat to Arsenal in the North London Derby in the Premier League.

The loss, combined with results elsewhere across the weekend, leaves Spurs in 16th place in the Premier League table and just four points above the relegation zone.

Despite Tudor being appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, football.london understands that the former Juventus boss will be under consideration for the job on a permanent deal when the summer arrives if the appointment turns out to be a success.

After the defeat to Arsenal, Scholes has explained why he has concerns about Tottenham’s decision to appoint Tudor and believes former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce should have been considered as an option.

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“I think the choice of manager they brought in, I know it’s an interim, but he [Tudor] just doesn’t know the Premier League,” said Scholes on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

“I was walking in there, Sam Allardyce is there. You’re thinking, ‘That’s just got him written all over it.'

“First thing he probably does as a club, when he goes into a team, stop us getting beat so easily, stop us conceding chances.

“He probably wouldn’t care about the rest of it, about scoring goals, because there’s enough quality in that Tottenham team at some point to get you a goal, or even whether it’s a set piece.

“But make us solid to beat. I think there was a stat after about 40 minutes yesterday [Sunday] that Tottenham had touched the ball once in their penalty box, Arsenal had had like 24 touches.

"Did you see that? It’s incredible. And you’re away from home as well? It’s incredible.”

Footage has surfaced online of Tottenham star Archie Gray kicking the ball towards the travelling Arsenal fans after Randal Kolo Muani had levelled things up in Sunday's North London Derby

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has shared what he would consider to be appropriate action against Archie Gray following an incident that occurred during Sunday's North London Derby.

Video footage posted on social media appears to show the versatile Tottenham midfielder kicking a ball into the away end - towards Arsenal supporters - after Randal Kolo Muani had equalised for the home side after Eberechi Eze's opener.

At the time, the incident was seemingly not spotted and went unpunished but the FA could yet review the video footage.

Back in October, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was charged for kicking a ball into the stands and subsequently hitting a fan during a 2-1 home defeat to Southampton at Bramall Lane. Wilder was also shown a red card by the referee at the time of the incident.

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Hackett, however, does not feel this would be the correct course of action on this occasion though, telling Tottenham Hotspur News: “I have seen many different types of reaction and celebration to goals by players. “Rather than issuing a sanction of fine or suspension, I would hope, in the interest of fans safety that a letter from The FA might be sent to the manager of the player's club requesting that he offer appropriate advice to avoid a repeat of this action.”

Gray has been a mainstay in the Tottenham starting XI in recent weeks amid a plethora of injuries. He was booked during the game against Arsenal and slotted in at right wing-back for Igor Tudor's first match at the helm.

Spurs do not play now until Sunday when they travel to Fulham in the Premier League. Speaking after the game, the Croatian ordered his players to fix their "bad habits" as they continue their battle to beat the drop.

Tudor said: "I know the truth [about this team], now I saw the truth. It's not nice, but it is how it is. Of course, I am confident [of survival]. I believe these are good players with bad habits.

"Nobody can tell me we don't have quality. But we need to change a mental switch and have this mental sharpness to be in the game from the first minutes and also the physicality to do this.

"To be physical, you need to work hard, otherwise it's a problem. Too many players had problems. That's the result."

EXCLUSIVE: Tim Sherwood rips Tottenham apart and names four reasons behind struggles - 'Bring them back'

Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has delivered his verdict on Spurs following Sunday's North London Derby and their chances of staying in the Premier League

Tim Sherwood has ripped Tottenham apart and believes that poor recruitment is one of the main reasons behind the club's struggles this season. Spurs have endured a horror Premier League season so far and have been dragged right into a relegation battle in recent weeks following a dismal run of form.

Indeed, Tottenham have failed to win any of their last nine top-flight matches and Sunday's 4-1 North London Derby defeat to Arsenal plunged them further into trouble. They sit 16th in the table after winning just seven of their 27 games, just four points ahead of 18th-place West Ham, who occupy the final relegation spot.

And ex-Tottenham manager Sherwood feels that there are a number of reasons why Spurs have had such a poor Premier League campaign to date - with one of which being the club's recruitment.

The 57-year-old outlined the fact Spurs have hired and fired a number of different managers in recent years and spent more than £200million on transfers last summer but haven't seen much improvement, if any.

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Sherwood told football.london: "I think it's the collective, but always the person who gets to blame is the manager. That's not only Tottenham, that's every football club, because the buck stops at the man who's picking the team, and the results aren't good, everything is bad at the whole football club.

"But I would look at the recruitment. I mean, who is actually picking these players? Because when you turn over so many managers, like the Nuno's [Espirito Santo], like the Ange Postecoglou's, like the Thomas Frank’s, and now you've got Igor Tudor, if they're still struggling at the bottom of the league, then when does the vindication come from the managers?

"And you say, you know what, maybe a little bit elsewhere here, perhaps it's the players. Who brought the players in? And I think they need to have a good look at themselves.

"Then something close to my heart, where is the academy? Have they closed that? I don't know. Where's the academy? They must have closed it and put a spa in there. Where's the academy players? Tottenham Hotspur, where are they? There's a few of them out on loan doing alright. Mikey Moore at Rangers? Bring them back and give them a chance to play. At least you gain something out of the season.

"I mean, at the moment, they're playing the players who they paid or 20s, 30s, 40 millions, 60 millions for, and they're still getting beat every week. You might as well get beat with the kids, at least you're getting some experience into them and seeing whether they're good enough for next year. The whole culture of that club has to change. It is a club I do not recognise from the outside when I was there."

Igor Tudor is the man that has been tasked to turn Tottenham's fortunes around, after he was appointed as Thomas Frank's replacement last week. The Croatian has signed a contract in north London until the end of the season.

When asked if Tudor, whose first game in the dugout ended in defeat to Arsenal, is the right fit for Spurs, Sherwood replied: " Well, who knows? Only time will tell. No-one knows do they?

"It's just an absolute left-field gamble, but anyone is a gamble, no matter if they've got Premier League experience, Thomas Frank had plenty of that, didn't he?"

Although Spurs still have time to drag themselves away from danger, there is some concern among supporters that the club could face relegation to the Championship this season. However, Sherwood still believes that Tottenham are going to survive, despite the issues on the pitch and behind-the-scenes.

"I think they will get out of it," Sherwood said. "I still believe the next two games are so crucial because you can forget about the injuries, you can maybe hold your hands up and say that it was obvious in hindsight that Arsenal were too good. But having said that, Arsenal on paper would be too good for Wolves, especially with a two goal lead and Wolves still got something out of it.

"So, Tottenham should have done better, just trying to find a way, but they haven't. They've got to dust themselves down, have a look for now, get calm heads, see where they are. You've got to go away to Fulham and home to Crystal Palace, if you get nothing from them two games, then the hole gets bigger. And you start looking up thinking, we're never getting out of this."

With Tottenham surviving, Sherwood has tipped West Ham, alongside Wolves and Burnley, to drop out of the Premier League. It would also mean that Nottingham Forest, who sit in 17th and two points behind Spurs at this present moment, would remain in the top flight.

"Well, West Ham at the moment, because they haven't got the points on the board," Sherwood finished. "But having said that, I've been looking at West Ham and they look like they've got a real bit of fight in them. It looks like they're really organised as well. Probably got more players capable of, mentally, realising they're in a relegation fight, rather than when you look at Tottenham squad, the worry is none of them come to Spurs to play in a relegation battle.

"They finished 17th last year, so a lot of people will say they should have been ready for it because they finished 17th. We all know why they finished 17th, because they put all their eggs in the Europa League basket and actually won it. So, they changed manager [in the summer] and now they've decided to change again.

"For me personally, I wouldn't have done it. I would have kept Thomas Frank there. I felt like they’d been safe with him. I feel like they’d be safe without him. But Igor Tudor has got a really tough job on his hands."

Tudor's second game in charge of Tottenham is a trip to Fulham on Sunday. Spurs then host Crystal Palace four days later before travelling up to face Liverpool on Sunday, March 15.

Tim Sherwood was speaking to Midnite, ahead of his appearance on their fan-led Youtube series Defend Your Career...

Arsenal may have comfortably won the North London Derby, but Declan Rice's actions in the match has casued some concern for Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes has criticised Declan Rice for allowing his emotions to cloud his judgement during Arsenal's North London Derby triumph against Tottenham. The 27-year-old endured a mixed performance in Mikel Arteta's commanding 4-1 away win over Spurs.

Whilst Rice worked tirelessly across the pitch, he bore responsibility for Randal Kolo Muani's equalising goal and subsequently surrendered possession when the Frenchman found the net again, though that effort was ruled out. The England midfielder's mistake for Tottenham's goal was not helped by the sight of him urging his team-mates to maintain concentration before losing the ball himself.

The £105million signing from West Ham United has rarely faced scrutiny since his high-profile switch to the Emirates Stadium and has been one of the club's standout players this season. However, Scholes didn't hold back in his assessment of the midfielder, suggesting he'd allowed the occasion's intensity to compromise his performance.

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Speaking on the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, Scholes and fellow former Manchester United star Nicky Butt analysed Rice's showing in detail. Butt acknowledged Rice's potential to become an influential figure for the north Londoners, whilst noting he's yet to demonstrate the commanding presence of Premier League icons such as Roy Keane.

In response, Scholes said: "When Roy [Keane] was getting the team together and leading the team really well, there was a certain calmness about it. When I look at Declan Rice, he almost looks too emotional.

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"He's lively, he's, 'Come on! Come on! Come on!' and then he makes his mistake. When you're going for a league title, when you've got tough games, there has to be a calmness about you.

"I think potentially [he's a captain]. It's just when I look at him now, he's so emotional."

The former United midfielder then focused specifically on the instance where Rice urged his team-mates to maintain concentration immediately after Eberechi Eze's opening goal, before the England international lost possession to Kolo Muani moments later.

Scholes said: "I don't like all that [Rice geeing up the crowd just moments before Kolo Muani's goal]. I don't like people being so emotional like that.

"People will call me a miserable b****** and say that you don't want to take emotion out of the game. And of course we don't, we want emotion but it has to be in the right way.

"Scoring goals and celebrating, that's great. But game-management in game situations, there needs to be a calmness."

Rather than dwelling on Rice's mistake, Arteta opted to highlight the midfielder's response to his error. The Gunners manager said: "I said at half-time: we carry on playing, with the attitude like Declan has done today. When he made an error, the way he played after.

"That's attitude, personality and courage to stand up in a difficult moment. Attitude, how you approach things. You can feel sorry for yourself. You can look at: 'Oh look at this stage'/

"But when you're kids, you dream to play these kind of games. You recognise the opportunity that we are lucky to be where they are."