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Tottenham's next five fixtures as new manager faces uphill battle amid relegation fears

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Tottenham's next five fixtures as new manager faces uphill battle amid relegation fears - mirror.co.uk
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Tottenham have parted ways with interim coach Igor Tudor and are searching for a new manager with the club just one point clear of the relegation zone ahead of five crucial fixtures

Tottenham have sacked interim manager Igor Tudor following just a short stint in charge after taking over from the dismissed Thomas Frank in February. The choice to part ways with Tudor came after a devastating 3-0 loss to relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest before the international break.

That defeat left Spurs only one point above West Ham United, who currently sit 18th in the drop zone. A club statement read: "We can confirm that it has been mutually agreed for Head Coach Igor Tudor to leave the Club with immediate effect. Tomislav Rogic and Riccardo Ragnacci have also left their respective roles of Goalkeeping Coach and Physical Coach.

"We thank Igor, Tomislav and Riccardo for their efforts during the past six weeks, in which they worked tirelessly. We also acknowledge the bereavement that Igor has recently suffered and send our support to him and his family at this difficult time. An update on a new Head Coach will be provided in due course."

While there's been no official word on who will take the reins, Mirror Football understands that Spurs anticipate naming a new head coach within the next few days, ensuring they're in position when the squad returns from international duty and allowing them roughly 10 days to work with the team.

Bruno Saltor is still at the club and is currently overseeing training for the small group of players remaining at Hotspur Way. Earlier this week, it was reported that the club had discussions with Adi Hutter about becoming their next manager.

However, no deal has been finalised for the 56-year-old, who also lacks Premier League experience. He's not the only manager being linked with the job in north London, as Roberto De Zerbi is also reportedly in the running.

Marco Rose and Edin Terzic could re-emerge as contenders, having both been evaluated prior to Tudor's appointment. Meanwhile, former boss Mauricio Pochettino has also been connected, although he's unlikely to be immediately available as he's still managing the United States until after the World Cup.

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Regardless, whoever takes over will have the massive job of stabilising the team and steering Spurs clear of relegation. With that in mind, Mirror Football has taken a lot at Spurs' next five Premier League matches as they fight to stay up.

Sunderland (A) - Sunday, April 12 (2pm).

Brighton (H) - Saturday, April 18 (3pm).

Wolves (A) - Saturday, April 25 (3pm).

Aston Villa (A) - Saturday, May 2 (12:30pm).

Leeds United (H) - Date to be confirmed.

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Huge Arsenal prediction made ahead of Tottenham as feelings on David Raya crystal clear

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Huge Arsenal prediction made ahead of Tottenham as feelings on David Raya crystal clear - mirror.co.uk
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Former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack backs David Raya to overcome his costly mistake ahead of Sunday's North London Derby and predicts Gunners will beat struggling Tottenham

David Raya has received backing to bounce back from his mistake that cost Arsenal valuable points in the Premier League title race ahead of Sunday's North London Derby.

The Gunners travel the short distance to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Igor Tudor's side, who haven't secured a Premier League victory in eight matches. Arsenal are now only two points clear of Manchester City following Pep Guardiola's team's 2-1 triumph over Newcastle on Saturday evening, and Arteta will be keen to stretch that advantage to five points with victory at Spurs.

Arsenal head into the fixture following back-to-back league draws, though. On Wednesday they could only manage a 2-2 stalemate with bottom-placed Wolves, with Raya's late error presenting Tom Edozie with the opportunity to net his maiden senior goal.

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Ex-goalkeeper Graham Stack has expressed confidence that Raya will leave the error behind him and rediscover his top form. Stack, speaking exclusively to Reach via the best betting apps, said: "I would say that the most experienced and best goalies in the world, the most successful ones, are the ones that are able to deal with failure really quickly, to move on and not dwell on it.

"The best make the fewest mistakes, don't they? But those fewest mistakes, they're probably highlighted the most because of the platform and the team and scrutiny on teams and players at the top of the league. Raya might make one error and even when he make ten absolute worldies in the same game, it'll be that one error that would be spoken about.

"With Raya, I think the team he has around him, in terms of his goalkeeping coach, who he's worked with previously at Brentford, his manager and the players, I guarantee you now they will be giving him nothing but self-belief and confidence throughout the week, which he may or may not need in truth. The strongest individuals are able to park it up, deal with it and move on within minutes, and it's all about the next action in the game. Raya falls into that category for sure of one with an abundance of resilience and mental strength."

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Spurs currently languish in 16th position and sit merely four points clear of the drop zone. As Tudor prepares for his maiden match in charge of the north Londoners on Sunday, the Croatian boss will be desperate for three points - though the odds are heavily against the hosts.

"I really do think Arsenal will win the game, and that's not my heart speaking," Stack said. "I know there'll be arguments saying how can you say they're going to go and turn them over when they've obviously struggled at home against Wolves."

He added: "But I'm not being funny, Tottenham with a new manager will be buoyed, but I think Arsenal will win the game, and that's my brain, that's my football head talking. I really do, because I think Tottenham, I jut think the club is in a bad place and moment in time.

"They're not a good footballing side versus their teams that we’ve seen in past years, I think the stadium is toxic because I think their supporters have had enough, I think they're clutching at straws in terms of they've got a manager until the end of the season, I just think they've completely lost their stability at the club at the minute, I really do, I don't think they've got much stability at all."

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Is Tottenham vs Arsenal on TV? How to watch north London derby

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Tottenham vs Arsenal TV channel and team news for north London derby - mirror.co.uk
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Mikel Arteta drops major Martin Odegaard hint before key North London derby

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Mikel Arteta drops major Martin Odegaard hint before key North London derby - mirror.co.uk
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Arsenal take on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon but the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard remains in question just hours ahead of the game

Mikel Arteta has suggested that Martin Odegaard could still have a massive say on the North London derby even if he is ruled out. The Arsenal captain has missed a huge chunk of the current campaign with various issues.

He was sidelined as Arsenal drew 2-2 with struggling Wolves in midweek. Speaking ahead of this week’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, Gunners boss Arteta has bemoaned his captain being absent.

“We’re missing him for the biggest part of the season,” Arteta said. “You see the percentage of times that he’s been available or not with us is far from ideal.

“But again, he’s been part of that journey in this year to deal with a lot of injuries and a lot of important players out, like we have right now. And the team has done extremely well to maintain the level. Injuries are probably the worst part of our profession.

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“And when a player has a big sequence of events and understanding Martin as well and how involved he wants to be in the team, it is tough. So yeah, we’ve been very close to him.”

Asked if Odegaard could still hold a pre-match team talk even if he is restricted to the sidelines, Arteta replied: “Depends. That normally comes from them.

“If somebody wants to say something or they have discussed with the leadership group what they really think that is going to make the difference on the day, they have absolute freedom to do that.

“So if he wants to do that, more than welcome. When it comes from them, much more powerful.”

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Arteta had already spoken out on the chance of Odegaard taking to the pitch on Sunday, as well as the fitness of Kai Havertz. Speaking about the pair in his pre-match press conference, he said: “Well, we have to wait until tomorrow but there is a big possibility that they are available for the game.”

Arsenal are in dire need of victory in order to put the spark back into their push for the Premier League title. The Gunners now have just a two-point advantage over Manchester City after Pep Guardiola’s side beat Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday evening.

Spurs also need three points for their own reasons, with the North London side having endured a miserable season so far. Ahead of Igor Tudor’s first game at the helm, they sit just four points clear of the relegation zone.

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Bukayo Saka limps off as Arsenal suffer major scare ahead of Tottenham

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Bukayo Saka limps off as Arsenal suffer major scare ahead of Tottenham - mirror.co.uk
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Bukayo Saka limped from the field against Wolves, just days before the North London Derby against Tottenham. Saka got on the scoresheet on Wednesday night but could not last the duration at Molineux.

Saka was replaced by Leandro Trossard in the second period after being hurt in a challenge. The attacker managed to climb to his feet, but the Gunners chose not to take any risks and brought him off the field.

The 24-year-old, who signed a new five-year deal earlier this week, started the game as he continued his return from a hip injury, having pulled out of the Premier League clash against Leeds after suffering an issue in the warm-up. Saka looked in fine form as he opened the scoring with a header.

Saka's effort ended a 15-game goalless run, having not found the net since December 3 in a 2-0 win over Brentford. But despite the star's impact, Arsenal could not earn three points.

In stoppage time, Trossard also needed to be replaced after being barged off the ball by Santiago Bueno. Riccardo Calafiori came on for the Belgian after it was judged he could not continue.

Arsenal's injured pair could only watch on as Tom Edozie took advantage of a mix-up to fire into the net. Calafiori attempted to block the shot but saw it rebound off him following an initial intervention.

Edozie's goal saw Wolves come from two goals behind to upset Mikel Arteta's side, who wasted an opportunity to extend their advantage, and piled pressure on themselves ahead of Tottenham this weekend. The Gunners have failed to convert leads into wins in their last two outings.

It leaves Manchester City in a strong position in the Premier League, despite being five points behind. They still face Arsenal and have a game in hand.

"If Man City win all their games now on, they win the league. It's disappointing," said Paul Merson on Sky Sports.

"You can't play in second gear. When Wolves went to 2-2, there was an urgency. They didn't have that before. You can't play like that. Every game is a cup final to the end.

"You've got to play at a high tempo. If Arsenal play at a high tempo, Wolves can't live with them. But to play the way they play, and it's slow and lazy, and they are giving the ball away, then Wolves are always going to be in the game.

"That could come back to bite them. That is really, really disappointing tonight."

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Thomas Frank fires brutal dig at Eberechi Eze after snubbing Tottenham for Arsenal

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Thomas Frank fires brutal dig at Eberechi Eze after snubbing Tottenham for Arsenal - mirror.co.uk
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Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has responded after Eberechi Eze snubbed his club in order to sign for rivals Arsenal in a blockbuster £67.5million transfer instead

Thomas Frank has fired a not-so-subtle message at Eberechi Eze after he snubbed Tottenham to join Arsenal. Eze is poised to sign for Arsenal from Crystal Palace after the Gunners hijacked Spurs’ move at the last moment.

Spurs had been in talks with Palace for some time over a deal for the 27-year-old midfielder. But Eze, a boyhood Arsenal fan and former member of their academy, had always preferred to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

So when Arsenal returned to the fray on Wednesday and made it clear they were willing to meet Palace’s asking price of £60million plus £7.5m in potential add-ons, there was only going to be one outcome. Eze sat out of Palace’s Conference League play-off first leg against Fredrikstad on Thursday and is now due to have a medical with Arsenal.

His snub came as a major blow to Spurs, who are desperate for creative reinforcements after James Maddison suffered a serious knee injury. But, speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of Tottenham’s clash against Manchester City on Saturday, Frank tried to play down the significance of Eze’s decision.

“I don't speak about specific players unless they are at our fantastic club,” he said. “There have been a lot of rumours including players linked when I think that's interesting because there's nothing in it. There have been a lot of links and lot of links in the future.

“In general, talking generally, I don't want any players that don't want to come to this club and wear this fantastic badge. We don't want them here and I'm sure the fans feel the same.”

Spurs are without Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski and Mirror Football understands they could turn to Monaco midfielder Maghnes Akliouche as their next target. They have now missed out on Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, who signed a new deal with Nottingham Forest to rebuff their interest.

“Of course we need to do everything we can,” Frank added about transfers. “We have six good front players [and] that is very competitive. Kulusevski will come back this season, probably longer term with Maddison, I am also confident we will sign a player before the end of the window.”

Richarlison scored twice in their 3-0 win over Burnley last weekend and, after it was suggested he could move to Palace as part of a swap for Eze, Frank reassured fans of his status in the squad.

“Right now he is my starting No.9,” he said. “He scored two top goals. Richy wants to stay, I want to keep him and there's been no talks about anything else.

“I think we just played the first game and scored three goals so I think that was pretty promising. [Mohammed] Kudus has that spark and creativity. I think Mathys Tel can play in different positions. Dom [Solanke] and Richy can score goals and Brennan [Johnson] is our deep runner. We have variations.”

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Ange Postecoglou comes out swinging before Spurs Europa League final - 'I'm no clown!'

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Ange Postecoglou comes out swinging before Spurs Europa League final - 'I'm no clown!' - mirror.co.uk
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The fiery Tottenham Hotspur boss hit back at a journalist at his press conference in Bilbao ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final against Manchester United

Ange Postecoglou launched a furious attack on his critics ahead of the Europa League final, declaring: “I’m no clown.”

Asked in the final media conference ahead of Spurs’ showdown with Manchester United in Bilbao if he was conscious of a ‘fine line between two different types of infamy and history’, an angry Postecoglou responded: “I'll tell you one thing, irrespective of tomorrow, I'm not a clown and never will be.

"You really disappointed me that you (the reporter’s publication) used such terminology to describe a person that for 26 years, without any favours from anyone, has worked his way to a position where he is leading out a club in a European final.

"For you to suggest that somehow us not being successful means that I'm a clown, I'm not sure how to answer that question …”

The final against United will be Postecoglou’s 100th game in charge of Spurs and most observers expect it to be his penultimate match in charge. Spurs will wrap up their season against Brighton on the final day of the Premier League on Sunday.

At times in Bilbao, Postecoglou gave hints that he knows he is very unlikely to be in charge next season but said that talk about his future was “irrelevant”.

He did, however, claim his long-term Spurs project is still on track, saying: “I don't think my job is done here. I really feel like we are building something and what a trophy does is hopefully accelerate that.

"I still think there is a lot of work to be done. That is quite obvious with the challenges we've had this year, but I think there is some reasoning in the context of that but also there has been some growth that I would like to see through.

"Whether that happens or not, that's not important right now but I don't think this job is finished. I feel like there is some growth there that we can take this club where it needs to be."

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Man Utd could be forced to pay out OVER £30m if they beat Spurs in Europa League final

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Man Utd could be forced to pay out OVER £30m if they beat Spurs in Europa League final - mirror.co.uk
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Manchester United are a week out from the Europa League final but victory will activate a number of Champions League contract clauses - resulting in huge pay rises

Manchester United could end up forking out £30million in contract upgrades if the club win the Europa League final next week. Victory would ensure passage back into the Champions League - which would see the players rewarded.

United need to overcome Tottenham in an all-English final when they head to Bilbao with silverware and huge financial benefits at stake. The Red Devils have massively underwhelmed domestically, but can salvage some pride on the European stage.

A number of the players at Old Trafford have underperformed this term, which is partly why the team languish in 16th place in the Premier League. Yet their exploits in Europe could see them receive new contract upgrades, reports the Telegraph.

The salary hikes are set to total more than £30m. Ruben Amorim and his squad will largely be in line for a 25 percent pay bump if they beat Spurs and land themselves a seat at the Champions League table.

The players also stand to share a bonus pool of around £1m - which is £2m less than the shared bonus that will be handed to the Tottenham players if they edge out the all-Premier League affair.

Victory in the final will go someway to easing the feeling around Amorim, who has his doubters following a slow start to life in Manchester. He's led the team on a lengthy unbeaten run in Europe and admits there is a different feeling around the place for such matches.

He said: "A final is different. This season has been really difficult on everyone - the results and also the change in the staff and you can feel it in our club. We are addressing that during the season, we are changing the way we play during the season, we have so many bad results in the Premier League.

"The environment is different at the moment but I guarantee you when we are preparing a game in the Europa League, the environment is a little bit different, then you can feel the excitement."

United's squad is set to be overhauled this summer, which means certain players may not get the chance to benefit from any potential pay rises. Amorim needs players who can thrive in his unique system and the Manchester hierarchy are set to stick by him for now.

The head coach has also claimed qualification for the Champions League would supersede the trophy on offer. He said: "Personally for me, Champions League is more important, for everything, to prepare the next season, and we are supposed to be in the Champions League, Europa League here is not enough and you feel it here. This is the best way to help us to get to the top."

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Why isn't West Ham vs Tottenham on TV and which games are on Sky Sports today?

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Why isn't West Ham vs Tottenham on TV and which games are on Sky Sports today? - mirror.co.uk
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It's a battle between 16th and 17th as Tottenham Hotspur travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United on Sunday, but the game will not be shown on live TV in the UK

West Ham United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the London Stadium on Sunday as a lacklustre Premier League season for both winds down. The Hammers are languishing down in 17th and could have been scrapping in a relegation battle down to the wire had it not have been for dismal performances from Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town for the duration of 2024/25.

Winless under Graham Potter since their 2-0 victory over Leicester at the end of February, the east London outfit will be concentrating on damage limitation ahead of the summer break.

However, they aren't alone in their hardship from the current campaign, with Spurs sitting just one place above them in the standings by a mere point. Ange Postecoglou has felt the pressure from fans this term after achieving victory on just 11 occasions overall.

Entering the fray on the back of a 4-2 loss to Wolves, a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest, and a 5-1 thrashing from Liverpool that saw the Reds lift the Premier League title last Sunday, spirits are certainly low in north London.

However, Postecoglou may hope to utilise momentum from Spurs' 3-1 win over Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday to inspire a result against their neighbours in the capital this weekend.

While the fixture will be on offer for Premier League fans around the world, it will not be broadcast live on TV in the UK - meaning that the only way to watch along is by securing a spot at the London Stadium. Here, Mirror Football explains why...

Why isn't West Ham vs Tottenham on TV?

The Hammers' clash with the Lilywhites is one of four fixtures which are scheduled for Sunday afternoon, with Brighton facing Newcastle United and Brentford hosting Manchester United at 2pm, while Chelsea welcome champions Liverpool at 4.30pm. Brighton and Newcastle have been selected for live screening by Sky Sports during their 2pm slot, while Chelsea's clash with Liverpool is the main event.

West Ham were initially set to welcome Spurs to east London on Saturday, but the game was rescheduled when the visitors qualified for the semi-finals of the Europa League to allow ample time to recover from their initial clash with Bodo/Glimt.

From next season, however, all matches that aren't set for a 3pm kick-off on a Saturday will be broadcast live across the UK courtesy of a new Premier League TV deal.

How to watch West Ham vs Tottenham outside of the UK

Though football fans won't be able to tune in to watch the game live on TV in the UK, those living abroad may still be able to do so. You can find out who your local Premier League broadcaster is here.

How to follow West Ham vs Tottenham

UK-based football fans won't have to wait long to catch the highlights of West Ham vs Spurs, as they will be shown on the Sky Sports website and on Sky Sports' YouTube channel around 20 minutes after the final whistle. Meanwhile, Match of the Day 2 will show extended highlights of the fixture, as well as all of the action from around the grounds on Sunday evening on BBC One at 10.30pm.

Those who wish to follow it live will be restricted to audio, with BBC London amongst those providing radio commentary in the UK.

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Arne Slot praises 'underrated' Liverpool star for role in Premier League title win

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The Reds confirmed themselves as champions with their 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, as World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister added another trophy to his fast-growing collection

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has praised the contribution his “stand-out” midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has made to their Premier League title success. While the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and even Ryan Gravenberch may be high up in the running for the club’s player of the year Mac Allister has, at times, gone unnoticed.

However, the Argentina World Cup winner started to reach peak form after Christmas and it was his goal to put Liverpool 2-1 up against Tottenham which kicked off the title party at Anfield last weekend.

“I don’t think he is underrated by me because he played maybe every game or close to every game,” said Slot. “Maybe the few times he didn’t play that was because he needed rest or he got a knock, so he couldn’t play. (He’s a) very important player, (has) game intelligence (and is) so comfortable on the ball.

“But what makes him even more special to me is normally players that have so much game inside and are so comfortable on the ball are not as aggressive and intense without the ball.

“He is one of the few players in the world that combines this great game intelligence, great on the ball, but (with) a tenacity without the ball. In our midfield, he stands out in terms of tenacity.”

Slot has promised to make changes in the final four matches of the season to ensure fringe players are given an opportunity to increase their pitch time.

However, even though the title has been secured, holding a 15-point lead over second-placed Arsenal heading into the weekend, that does not mean he expects his players to be any less competitive, although he accepts with the job done there may be a drop in performance.

“We are going into these four games trying to win them all, of course, that’s what we always want, that’s what every player, every Liverpool shirt should aim for – winning a game of football,” the Dutchman added.

“I would judge us more on the amount of points we have now compared to teams that won it in the past four games before the end, because there’s definitely a difference if we’re still competing than the games we play now.

“That’s not to say that we’re going to lose them, we have a lot of trust in the players we’re going to play now as well.”

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