Daily Express

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has expressed his confidence in the team's progress ahead of their Premier League clash with Tottenham on Saturday. Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Amorim said: "We are more confident. We manage better the moments of the game. But if you remember that game, they had that shot on the goal and won the game. I expect a different game. We can play better, but also have a little bit of luck to win."

The Red Devils will be facing Tottenham for the first time since their defeat in the Europa League final in Bilbao. United head into the match undefeated in their last four games, having won three of them. Amorim was optimistic about United's chances of winning at his pre-match press conference, especially given the team's impressive run of results in October.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Stay up-to-date with the latest Man Utd news Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

Only four players who started against Tottenham at the San Mames Stadium - Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Amad - are practically guaranteed starters this weekend.

When discussing why United have improved since the final, Amorim mentioned "confidence" but also highlighted the importance of the summer signings.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, both of whom arrived with Premier League experience, have been instrumental in transforming the team's performance this season.

Amorim made further bold choices at both ends of the pitch which have proved equally crucial, offloading Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana to Italy and Turkey respectively. The choice to ditch Hojlund was somewhat brutal.

He was keen to remain and battle for his position - and would have gained from featuring as the reserve striker this campaign - but Amorim had witnessed sufficient evidence. Hojlund failed to find the net frequently enough last term and suffered the consequences.

United appeared blunt with Hojlund leading the line in the Europa League final and acquiring a new striker was essential.

Benjamin Sesko arrived with a comparable background to Hojlund, considering his youth and absence of Premier League experience, and he appears to be steadily settling in Manchester following a sluggish beginning at the club.

Gary Neville claimed Sesko was "miles off it" following the Nottingham Forest stalemate. Neville has received criticism for his remarks, but Sesko would acknowledge he would prefer to have more than two strikes to his credit at this stage of the campaign.

Sesko possesses enormous promise and can develop into a 20-goal-per-season striker. The choice to recruit him from RB Leipzig should prove worthwhile ultimately, though United supporters may need to exercise patience.

That is precisely why Senne Lammens' displays have been so remarkable. Every young overseas player requires time to adjust to the Premier League, but Lammens has managed a flawless transition. Amorim held back Lammens' debut until a match against Sunderland last month, and the chants of "are you Schmeichel in disguise?" were testament to his performance that day.

Despite being just 23 and playing in one of the most scrutinised positions at one of the country's most closely watched clubs, Lammens exudes confidence and assurance. His laid-back, intelligent demeanour is evident when he speaks, explaining his significant impact on the team.

"I think you just try to be like yourself, don't really overthink it, it's just a game, to be honest, at the end of the day," Lammens commented after the Liverpool victory, which he celebrated with a close friend over dinner.

After only four appearances, the Belgian has been hailed as a significant improvement on Onana, who was prone to errors and caused his teammates to doubt themselves.

Amorim's decisions to revamp both ends of the team appear to be paying off, with the Lammens decision already proving fruitful, while Sesko remains a work in progress.

However, this doesn't mean there isn't room for Lammens to improve or that Sesko hasn't been a good signing. Lammens will inevitably make mistakes, and while Sesko has shown promise, he needs to add more goals to his tally.

United splashed out £215million in the summer transfer window (excluding add-ons), and the recruitment appears to have been successful. It's not often United have been able to say that about their transfer windows over the past decade.

Tottenham are set to face Manchester United at home this weekend, following a triumphant 4-0 victory over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night. This comes after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend. United, meanwhile, have been performing well, remaining unbeaten in their last four Premier League matches, including a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.

Ruben Amorim's squad currently sit eighth in the league table. However, the two teams present starkly different injury reports. United are heading into Saturday's match with a relative clean bill of health, while Spurs are not so fortunate. Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Kota Takai and Archie Gray are all ruled out for Spurs. Lucas Bergvall is also questionable after suffering a concussion during the match against Chelsea.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Stay up-to-date with the latest Man Utd news Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

As per The FA's guidelines, following an initial 24 to 48 hour period of 'relative rest', Bergvall will be permitted to gradually return to full daily activity. The 19-year-old midfielder can train, but only at a rate that does not worsen existing symptoms'.

The FA's 'Graduated return to play' (GRTP) programme could potentially sideline Bergvall for a minimum of 21 days. Additionally, the sporting body has an 'Enhanced care pathway' for players over the age of 18, which allows RTP after 12 days – or after seven days provided exceptional criteria are met.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

However, there is a glimmer of hope for Spurs, as Mohamed Kudus, who was absent on Tuesday due to an injury, might be fit for this weekend's match. However, it's suggested that Tottenham boss Thomas Frank could face an anxious wait on the forward's fitness.

Meanwhile, for United, Lisandro Martinez returned to full training last week, but it remains uncertain if he will be included in Saturday's matchday squad.

Speaking on Thursday, Amorim confirmed he has no new injury worries. He stated: "No, there's no change [to what we are doing about injuries].

"It's one game every week and then a little bit of luck, because sometimes you have problems with players with knocks, it's not something that is soft tissues.

"So you never know what is going to happen in the next training. If you play with intensity in training, something can happen, but I think the big reason... of course, we try to do everything well, the big reason is [we have only] one game every week.

"You can give one extra day to the players that you know could struggle in the next training. I think that is the biggest reason."

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS have agreed to shell out around £5million to Tottenham Hotspur in order to swiftly settle a lawsuit, per reports. The company, co-owned by the Manchester United mogul, was accused of breaching a five-year minimum contract worth £17.5m that allowed Tottenham to promote the company's Grenadier as the club's "official 4X4 vehicle partner."

The agreement was thought to have been inked in 2022, but INEOS had been collaborating with Spurs since they were acknowledged as the club's "official hand-sanitiser supplier" during the Covid-19 outbreak. Tottenham severed their ties with Ratcliffe's company in March and initiated legal proceedings three months later. They claim an annual instalment exceeding £5m was not paid on December 1, having already allegedly failed to pay an inflation-related sum of approximately £500,000.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Stay up-to-date with the latest Man Utd news Join us on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

As per reports from the Telegraph, the total amount paid to Spurs remains undisclosed, but a source close to the matter suggested the agreed figure was roughly half of what the north Londoners were seeking which was around £11m.

Furthermore, Spurs were pursuing nearly £5.3m in damages when the deal was terminated with more than two years remaining. Shortly thereafter, INEOS retaliated by counter-suing Spurs for over £1m.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

They accused the north Londoners of engaging in sponsorship talks with Audi, which were tied to Harry Kane's potential transfer to Bayern Munich.

INEOS, in their counterclaim, stated: "On or around 3 August 2023 (i.e. early in contract year two), Todd Kline of the club indicated to Ashley Reed of INEOS that the club had been in discussions with the German car manufacturer Audi AG in connection with rights which were the same as, or substantially similar to, the rights granted to Ineos under the agreement and/or the club had been negotiating with Audi in respect of rights which were exclusive to Ineos under clause 4 of the agreement.

"According to Mr Kline, the discussions and/or negotiations related to a proposed transfer of the club's player Harry Kane to the German club FC Bayern Munich."

INEOS' defence also highlighted that the commercial partnership had "not materialised", leading to Spurs and INEOS agreeing they "could terminate the agreement with effect from the end of year three of the contract term."

They firmly asserted: "In the circumstances, it is the club which owes INEOS more than £1m for failing to provide any rights to Ineos in the final part of year three."

Spurs acknowledged holding commercial discussions with Audi, but rejected suggestions these talks entitled Ineos to terminate their agreement, given that Tottenham never finalised a deal with the German automotive giant.

Tottenham assert the arrangement with INEOS "involved annual payments starting at £2.125m in year one and increasing to £4.6m in year five, all plus VAT and index-linked to the rate of inflation" and that they would be pursuing interest "further or other relief as the court thinks fit".

At the time, an INEOS spokesperson said: "INEOS Automotive was a partner of Tottenham Hotspur from 2022, expanding on a partnership agreement that Ineos Group had in place with the club since 2020. We had a contractual right to terminate our partnership contract and in December 2024 exercised that right."

INEOS have severed partnerships with numerous major sporting organisations they had previously backed. They have already terminated arrangements with Ben Ainslie's sailing squad and the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union side.

In February, the Telegraph also reported the latter were launching legal proceedings, alleging their contract, which was anticipated to continue until 2027, was concluded prematurely, despite an existing agreement.

INEOS have maintained they have been compelled into budget reductions due to "extreme" green carbon levies in Europe. Ratcliffe has attributed the closure of their synthetic ethanol plant in Grangemouth, Scotland, which resulted in the loss of 80 direct roles and a further 500 indirect jobs, to escalating energy prices and taxes.

Arsenal could potentially gain an upper hand in the Premier League title race due to the ongoing Champions League campaigns of their London rivals, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The Gunners are one of only three clubs with a perfect record in the league phase, alongside Bayern Munich and Inter, while their capital counterparts are not performing quite as well.

Tottenham remain undefeated in this season's competition, joining Manchester City and the aforementioned trio. However, they have drawn both of their away matches so far, 2-2 with Bodo/Glimt and 0-0 against Monaco. Having won both of their home matches, 1-0 over Villarreal and 4-0 versus Copenhagen, Spurs currently sit 10th in the table. Just a point and two places behind them are Chelsea.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Like Tottenham, the Blues have a flawless home record, having defeated Benfica 1-0 and Ajax 5-1. However, they have yet to secure a win on the road, as Bayern triumphed 3-1 in Munich, while Chelsea had to rally to draw 2-2 with Qarabag in their last outing.

At the halfway point of the league phase, both clubs occupy play-off spots for the knockout phase, albeit as seeded sides. If they remain between ninth and 24th place, they will face a two-legged tie in February, much like City did last season.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Coincidentally, that is the same month Arsenal face both teams for the final time this season. They will travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the weekend of February 21 before welcoming Chelsea the following week.

The first leg of the knockout phase play-offs is set to commence in the week starting February 16, just days before the Gunners face Spurs. The second legs are due to start from February 23.

According to Opta Analyst, Chelsea have a nearly 69 per cent chance of being in the knockout phase play-offs, while Tottenham's odds are slightly over 71 per cent. Arsenal, however, have the slimmest chances, at just under two per cent.

This indicates that it's highly unlikely for the Gunners to require a play-off. The possibility of their London rivals vying for a spot in the last 16 ahead of their league matches could provide a welcome boost for Arsenal.

Chelsea are scheduled to host Barcelona at Stamford Bridge later this month, before travelling to Atalanta in December. They then welcome Pafos in January and conclude their league phase in Italy against Napoli.

Spurs' next European match is an away game against Paris Saint-Germain, followed by a home fixture against Slavia Prague next month. Borussia Dortmund will visit them in the New Year, before they head off to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Arsenal are set to host Bayern before the end of November and then travel to Club Brugge for their final Champions League match of the year. Inter are their first opponents in January, followed by a home game against Kairat.

Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Teddy Sheringham has dismissed the idea that the Reds could benefit from a tense atmosphere at Spurs' home ground, following the London club's recent defeat to Chelsea. After a 1-0 loss to their city rivals, Spurs fans expressed their dissatisfaction with Thomas Frank and his team's performance.

However, Tottenham bounced back on Tuesday night with a convincing 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. Despite this, Sheringham, speaking to Oddspedia, believes that any notion of the Reds capitalising on a potentially nervous atmosphere in north London is misguided.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Instead, he anticipates a united front when United visit this weekend. "I was at the Spurs game last night and I was interested to see what the reaction of the supporters would be like after the Chelsea game," Sheringham said.

"They were up for it again and Tottenham ended up putting in a good display. It wasn't fantastic - they probably ended up playing better with 10 men than they did with 11 - but I don't think the United game is the type of game for Spurs fans to not appreciate what's going on.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

"Everyone loves it when Manchester United come to town and everyone raises their game, so I don't think it's this type of fixture that will be a problem for Thomas Frank. I think Tottenham will be up for it and so will their supporters - so it will be a fantastic game.

"It's the other games that Tottenham are expected to win when they're playing against the likes of Brentford at home where it starts to become a bit sticky." With loyalties split between both clubs, Sheringham is anticipating an entertaining, hard-fought encounter.

"I was going to say there's goals in it, but Manchester United's defence has tightened up a bit recently and Tottenham look solid at the back with Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero," he concluded. "I'll go for a 1-1 draw."

Both teams enter the clash level on 17 points and - should either emerge victorious - they would climb to second place in the Premier League table, albeit potentially for just a matter of hours.

Micky van de Ven has insisted that his frustrated exit from the pitch alongside Djed Spence following the loss to Chelsea had nothing to do with Tottenham boss Thomas Frank. The 22-year-old Dutchman has been making headlines for all the right reasons after netting a stunning solo goal in the Champions League, which saw him dribble from his own penalty area before beating the Copenhagen keeper at the other end of the pitch on Tuesday night.

This spectacular goal came during a 4-0 victory for a 10-man Tottenham side, after Brennan Johnson was shown a red card, and followed a weekend where Van de Ven felt compelled to apologise to Frank due to an uncomfortable incident post Saturday's derby defeat to Chelsea. The Spurs head coach had witnessed Van de Ven and full-back Spence heading towards him and off the pitch, and requested the pair stay and acknowledge the disappointed home supporters. However, both players declined and proceeded straight past the Danish manager and into the tunnel, leaving him to awkwardly watch them leave.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

The next day, both men independently visited Frank's office at their Hotspur Way training ground to offer their apologies. After scoring his remarkable goal on Tuesday night, Van de Ven was eager to move past that frustrating incident and emphasised it had nothing to do with Frank.

"Of course it's the past so I don't want to make it bigger than it is. Djed and I walked [off], we were just frustrated after the game and everything got really exploded by the media, it was nothing big to be honest," said the centre-back. "Everyone thinks it was the gaffer, there was nothing to do with the gaffer.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

"We were just frustrated after the game because of a bad performance from myself as well. We want to play well and I didn't play well in my opinion, so I was just frustrated and I just wanted to go quickly inside. As I said it got exploded by the media out of nowhere."

Frank had joked after the central defender's incredible goal on Tuesday: "It seems like we had Lionel Messi turned into Micky van de Ven, roaring down from his own goal all the way to the other end and scored a fantastic goal. I think he's our top scorer in all competitions, so he can keep going. He can keep walking past me if he's angry after a game!".

Van de Ven confessed he and Spurs had disappointed the supporters on Saturday and that the crowd contributed to everyone recovering against Copenhagen.

"The fans were good tonight and I think also it helped that we played a good performance," he said. "Saturday was really frustrating. We played a derby at home against Chelsea and it's a massive game for us but also for the fans, we didn't play really well as a team, it was a bad performance from our side. We needed to bounce back in a positive way and I think we did that really well."

Van de Ven embarked on a similar box-to-box surge last season against Everton only to set up Son Heung-min for a late strike, but this time the route was clear for the defender to find the net himself.

"Today I got the ball in my own box, I saw the gap opening every time in front of me when I started dribbling. At one point I thought some players were around me and I came through and I saw the way was open to the goal so I was like 'ok I keep going now I need to finish this'," he said. "At that point I was saying 'I need to score this one'. Luckily it happened.

"The one against Everton with the assist there were some defenders in front of me. When I was past these defenders [this time] the route was all the way open. Then I was like 'now I need to go myself'."

Van de Ven, who featured as a striker during his youth career, now boasts six goals this campaign, having failed to find the back of the net in his debut season. So is he targeting 20 goals now as a forward would?

"No, six goals is a lot already to be honest!" said the Dutchman. "I don't know where it's going to end but hopefully I can score more goals this season."

Van de Ven had kind words for his fellow countryman Xavi Simons, who delivered his finest performance for Spurs since arriving in a £51million switch from RB Leipzig at the end of the summer transfer window. "He had a great performance. He really created some big opportunities from our side. It was a good game from his side and also in the last couple of games," praised the defender.

"Of course he's in a new country so everything is different. Everyone expects a lot from him straight away, he played good games but you guys (the media) are always on him in certain ways of course. But game by game you see he's making steps. He was brilliant tonight."

Tottenham Hotspur have released a statement offering their support for defender Destiny Udogie after the Italian international was allegedly threatened with a gun. The Metropolitan police have launched an investigation into the incident which took place in September earlier this year.

Udogie was allegedly walking down a busy street in London with a friend when the incident is said to have occurred. Police were called at 11:14pm on September 6, with a full investigation now underway.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

An agent was arrested and detained last month on suspicion of brandishing the firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, as reported by The Sun.

The arrested agent, who does not work for Udogie but represents stars which include an England international, is also being investigated for allegedly blackmailing and making threats against the footballer’s friend.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

A Tottenham Hotspur spokesperson said: "We have been providing support for Destiny and his family since the incident and will continue to do so. Given this is a legal matter, we cannot comment any further."

The agent has not yet been charged with an offence, though police did a sweep of his Hertfordshire home two days after the incident.

He was later given bail on September 9 with the condition that he did not contact the player. The agent has been banned from visiting the player’s club training ground, while they were also prevented from travelling abroad.

However, they have been permitted a bail variation by a judge at magistrates’ court after the man requested his passport in order to leave the UK on pre-booked trips. Nevertheless, he is reportedly required to return it to police when he returns.

A source told The Sun: "This was a terrifying incident and one which has sent shockwaves through the business side of football.

"The player was understandably shaken up — to have threats made against you with a gun is shocking.

"He reported it right away. It was the right thing to do for his safety. He has been supported by his friends and club and they all hope it will not impact his performances.

"But there will be serious questions about why this happened, which the police are now trying to answer."

Tottenham secured a 4-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, despite being reduced to 10 men. The North London team were keen to bounce back after their disappointing performance against Chelsea in Saturday's derby. Head coach Thomas Frank was without Lucas Bergvall due to concussion protocol, while Mohammed Kudus and Djed Spence missed Monday's training session at Hotspur Way.

Although Spence made it to the bench, Kudus was absent from the squad. Brennan Johnson broke the deadlock 19 minutes into the game. Xavi Simons delivered a flawless pass to the Welsh international, who then skilfully manoeuvred past the goalkeeper and netted a beautiful goal from outside the box.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Randal Kolo Muani squandered a few significant opportunities late in the second half but redeemed himself in the 51st minute. He chased down a long ball from Pedro Porro and managed to intercept the goalkeeper's attempted clearance.

The Frenchman then expertly controlled the ball before setting up Wilson Odobert to score the second goal.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

However, the match seemed to take a negative turn when Johnson was sent off after the referee reviewed his tackle on Marcos Lopez, which had caught the Copenhagen player's heel.

Tottenham delivered a double blow to their opponents. First, Micky van de Ven sprinted from the edge of his own penalty area, continuing his run before slotting a shot past the goalkeeper inside the left-hand post.

Then, Spurs struck again as Odobert dashed up the pitch and passed the ball to Romero, who had kept pace with the Frenchman. The captain then fired it across to substitute Joao Palhinha to slide home via the keeper's hand.

There was still time for academy striker Dane Scarlett to win a penalty after some impressive play to get into the box before he was tripped. Richarlison sent the resulting penalty crashing off the crossbar and not quite over the line, as he had done with a header not long before.

Here are our Spurs player ratings from the Champions League victory...

Guglielmo Vicario

He didn't have much to do but handled crosses well and sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate Van de Ven's wonder goal. 7.

Pedro Porro

Active down the right and curled the long ball over the top that Kolo Muani did well with to set up Odobert's goal. 7.

Cristian Romero

Spurs just look so much better with their skipper at the back and he showed great energy to keep up with Odobert and set up Palhinha's goal. 8.

Micky van de Ven

What a goal!

The Dutchman's execution was reminiscent of Son Heung-min, as he collected the ball from Bentancur's challenge on the edge of the Spurs box and sprinted the length of the pitch before firing past the goalkeeper and inside his near post. 9.

Destiny Udogie

He brought balance to the left with his driving runs and occasionally moved inside to allow Odobert to go wide. His presence improved the team's forward momentum. 7.

Pape Matar Sarr

His energy was a significant boost for Spurs throughout the match, particularly when they were reduced to 10 men. 7.

Rodrigo Bentancur

From the get-go, he pressed and won the ball back for Van de Ven's goal. He's an essential part of the Spurs machine, and they need him to replicate this performance against United. 8.

Xavi Simons

He provided a fantastic assist with his curling pass into Johnson's path. He tried to make things happen and should have had a second first-half assist after setting up Kolo Muani in front of goal and another ball to the Frenchman just before half-time that was headed over.

After Johnson's red card, he was substituted for Palhinha and was understandably upset. 8.

Brennan Johnson

He opened the scoring with a good run beyond the keeper and an excellent finish from out wide and outside the box. He set up Sarr for a headed chance with a run and cross.

His red card was harsh, and he'll now miss three games after what had been a bright performance until that point. 7.

Randal Kolo Muani

Started off with a bang and could have netted twice before half-time following excellent work from Xavi, one shot wide and the other headed over. Showed great skill in setting up Odobert for Spurs' second goal and demonstrated plenty of quality throughout the match, despite those two misses. 7.

Wilson Odobert

Worked well with Xavi as they both shone down the left and through the centre. Earned his goal from Kolo Muani's pass.

Robert Sanchez insists Chelsea boast the finest midfielder on the planet in "animal" Moises Caicedo. The dynamic Ecuadorian proved the driving force behind the Blues' derby victory over Tottenham, registering seven recoveries whilst also securing four interceptions alongside his decisive assist for Joao Pedro.

Goalkeeper Sanchez declared after Pedro's first-half strike secured Chelsea maximum points: "I don't really need to talk about him but he's an actual animal. He's the best player on the planet in his position. He's one of the best in the world, who is better than him in that position? He's a beast. Every 50-50, every challenge he wins and is so composed on the ball."

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

Sanchez also observes that Caicedo remains the same modest, quietly-spoken individual he initially met in the canteen at Brighton whilst adapting to Premier League football.

He continued: "I haven't seen him change much. As a player and as a character, he's always been the same, hard work, effort, quiet but a very good guy.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

"Obviously, he's filled out with his body a bit more with age and with experience, he's just got better and better on the pitch. His confidence has also gone higher and higher. He's a boss at winning the midfield."

Only Arsenal have netted more Premier League goals than Tottenham from corners since the start of last season but Sanchez commanded his penalty area to neutralise Spurs' set-piece danger and secure a vital clean sheet. The towering Spaniard is gradually winning over the fans as well.

He added: "I enjoyed myself. When you play for one of the world's top teams, a massive club, there's always going to be pressure when the team or you don't perform.

"Obviously, being the last line of defence, you usually get the blame, even if it's not your fault but that's the life I chose, that's what I like and I enjoy it.

"I have the confidence of my teammates, the manager and the club to keep performing as well as I am. "My initial transition into Chelsea was challenging. I arrived in a rush, only had about three days of training with a new manager, a new team and it was a bit of a struggle.

"I adjusted, then suffered a severe knee injury around Christmas which sidelined me for the rest of the season. Then I returned, got stronger, then a new manager came in again and new signings, so I had to start from scratch. Now, I'm doing well."

Chelsea's commanding performance - coupled with the 4-3 Carabao Cup victory at Wolves - was the perfect answer to last weekend's surprising 2-1 home loss to Sunderland.

Sanchez insists Enzo Maresca is thrilled with how his Club World Cup champions have rebounded. The 27 year old goalkeeper said when asked about his manager's post-match dressing room comments: "He said that it was amazing, that we had an unbelievable reaction.

"He said if we play like this every game, it's pretty hard to lose a game. The 50-50s, challenges, set-pieces, helping everyone, creating chances.

"Against Sunderland we needed to do better and just learn from it. We've struggled this week mentally but at the same time, we've pushed hard to get those three points today."

Alfie Whiteman, the former Tottenham goalkeeper, has called time on his playing career at just 27 years of age. The shot-stopper made the decision at the end of last season when he was merely 26. Whiteman, who was a member of the Europa League-winning squad, had been at Spurs since joining their youth setup before securing his maiden professional deal.

Throughout his time at Tottenham, he enjoyed two temporary moves - both to Swedish club Degerfors - but struggled to establish himself in the senior side and frequently found himself well down the hierarchy. His lack of first-team opportunities led him to pursue alternative interests, including drama lessons, media work, and photography.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

According to The Athletic, Whiteman had expected to continue his footballing journey following his release from Spurs at the end of last season.

Nevertheless, the keeper chose to retire on his own terms during the summer and is now forging a career in photography, admitting he felt unfulfilled as a professional footballer.

Article continues below ADVERTISEMENT

He revealed: "I signed for Spurs at 10 years old. Then I left school at 16 and went straight into this full-time life of football.

"When I was around 17 or 18, living in digs, I just had this feeling inside of, 'Is this it?' Getting on the mini bus, going to training, doing the Sports Science BTEC and going home to play video games.

"I realised, 'Oh, I'm not happy here' from quite a young age. The stereotype of a footballer is generally quite true. It's the golf, washbag culture.

"I was that young footballer. I wanted the Gucci washbag and I drove the Mercedes. You all just become a reflection of each other.

"You're a product of your environment. It's the way football is in this country, it's so shut off from anything else. You go to training and then you go home, that's it."

Whiteman went on to say: "Football is a short career regardless, even if you do really well, and I knew that I didn't want to stay in it.

"It was about trying to gain experience and be proactive in learning about these things I was also interested in, but mainly because I was enjoying it, and was surrounded by the kinds of people that were doing what I enjoyed as a job.

"They were making things. It was really inspiring."