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Spurs remain without a league win this season and only netted their first goals of the campaign after the visitors had surged into a 3-0 lead on Saturday.

Villa had also struggled for goals themselves since the side that won the Europa League last season was torn apart during the transfer window.

But new signings Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson struck either side of half-time to give Unai Emery’s new-look team their first league win before Emi Buendia’s wonder strike.

Even Tottenham’s first late consolation needed the aid of a Villa deflection when Conor Gallagher’s effort went in off Matty Cash before Jan Paul van Hecke headed home in stoppage time.

Spurs splashed out more than 300 million pounds ($400m) on new players to try and avoid a repeat of the battle for survival they endured last season.

Yet there remains little return on that investment.

In keeping with recent performances, Spurs started brightly before fizzling out.

Twice in a matter of seconds, Savio was kept out by Suzuki before the Japanese goalkeeper spread himself to turn behind Archie Gray’s powerful strike.

Villa had picked up just one point from their opening four league games but have missed their club record signing Manzambi for most of that period.

The Swiss international opened his Villa account when he tapped home Boubacar Kamara’s cross.

However, Tottenham will protest about new laws that force a player off the field for at least a minute after receiving treatment for an injury.

A head knock to centre-back Micky Van de Ven left them a man down at the back when Manzambi swept home.

Spurs only had themselves to blame for the second goal as van Hecke failed to deal with a long ball straight down the middle.

Jackson did well to evade the Dutch defender and then fired down into the ground and past Antonin Kinsky.

The Czech goalkeeper was powerless to stop Villa’s third 11 minutes from time when Buendia took aim from long range and brilliantly picked out the top corner.

A chorus of boos greeted Buendia’s strike as thousands of home fans headed for an early exit.

But those that left missed finally have something to celebrate.

Fine persistence from Mohammed Kudus teed up Gallagher to find the bottom corner via the outstretched foot of Cash.

Van Hecke then bulleted in from Andy Robertson’s free-kick with virtually the last touch of the game.

Spurs now must stew on another defeat for a three-week international break while rooted in the relegation zone.

Villa, by contrast, will hope victory can prove the catalyst to storm up the table as they did last season.

Emery’s men failed to win any of their first five league games a year ago, but ultimately finished fourth.

Inter ‌Milan have signed England international ⁠Djed ⁠Spence from Tottenham Hotspur on a five-year contract, the ⁠Serie A club said.

British media reported that the Italian champions paid about £30 million ($40.59m) for the 26-year-old.

“The English wing-back, born in 2000, joins the Nerazzurri from Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent transfer; ‌Spence has signed a contract with the club until 30 June 2031,” the club said in a statement on Saturday.

Spence departs from North London after four years, where he made 85 appearances and won ⁠the Europa League.

Limited first-team ⁠opportunities saw him spend time on loan at Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa before eventually establishing ⁠himself at Spurs.

The England international was also part of Thomas ⁠Tuchel’s squad at the ⁠2026 World Cup, making eight appearances, including in England’s victory in the third-place playoff.

At Inter, Spence will link ‌up with England defender John Stones, who joined on a two-year ‌contract ‌after leaving Manchester City.

West Ham United were relegated and Tottenham Hotspur survived on an emotional final day of the Premier League season when Pep Guardiola and Mohamed Salah made their exits after record-breaking spells in English football.

West Ham beat Leeds 3-0 on Sunday, but that was not enough to climb out of the relegation zone because fourth-to-last Tottenham also won, 1-0 at home to Everton, to stay two points clear of their London rivals.

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Spurs kicked off against Everton needing, realistically, only a draw to avoid relegation for the first time since 1977 – as they sat two points clear of the Hammers with a significantly better goal difference.

Joao Palhinha released the mounting pressure at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just before half-time, poking home after his header thundered back off a post.

That meant West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League was over and Tottenham will be in the top division for a 49th straight season.

Guardiola’s decade-long tenure at Manchester City – which has included six Premier League titles – ended with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa that featured a mid-match guard of honour, first for Bernardo Silva, and then John Stones, two of Guardiola’s stalwarts.

Guardiola hugged both and wiped away tears with his T-shirt

In Liverpool, Salah was given a standing ovation – before he kissed the Anfield turf – during his second-half substitution in his 442nd and last game for the Reds, in which he grabbed an assist in a 1-1 draw with Brentford.

The Egyptian winger finished his nine years with the Reds with 257 goals.

The point sealed Champions League football for Liverpool next season.

Meanwhile, Arsenal had already clinched the title and closed their first championship-winning campaign since 2004 with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

Sunderland became only the fifth side ⁠in ⁠Premier League history to qualify for Europe in their first season following promotion ⁠after beating Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday.

Sunderland will join Bournemouth, who drew 1-1 at Nottingham Forest, in the Europa League next season with Chelsea missing out on Europe entirely after finishing in 10th place – just 10 months after winning the Club World Cup.

The Conference League spot went to Brighton ⁠in eighth despite a 3-0 ⁠home defeat by Manchester United.

United, whose talisman Bruno Fernandes scored a goal and supplied a record-breaking 21st assist of ⁠the season, had Champions League qualification wrapped up, as did ⁠champions Arsenal, Manchester City and ⁠Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace can also qualify for next season’s Europa League if they beat ‌Rayo ‌Vallecano in the Conference League final in Leipzig on Wednesday.

In Sunday’s other games, relegated sides Burnley and Wolves played out a 1-1 draw, while Fulham beat Newcastle 2-0.

Haaland crowned Premier League’s top scorer

Erling Haaland won a third Premier League Golden Boot in four seasons at Manchester City on Sunday despite not featuring in Guardiola’s farewell at the Etihad after being left out of the squad.

Norwegian star Haaland scored 27 times in 35 league appearances as City fell just short in their quest to deny Arsenal the Premier League title.

Haaland joins Alan Shearer and Harry Kane as three-time winners and trails Salah and Thierry Henry as the only players to win the award four times in the Premier League era.

Brentford’s Igor Thiago finished second to Haaland on 22 goals, which propelled him into the Brazil squad for the World Cup.

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Spurs host Arsenal for a crucial North London derby.

Who: Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal

What: English Premier League

Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK

When: Sunday, February 22 at 4:30pm (16:30 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 13:30 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

Arsenal will look to banish their untimely bout of title race anxiety as the wobbling Premier League leaders head to bitter rivals Tottenham for the north London derby.

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Mikel Arteta’s men are in danger of blowing a commanding position in the title race after successive draws against Brentford and Wolves left them with just two wins in their last seven league matches.

The Gunners squandered the lead in both matches, with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at bottom-of-the-table Wolves especially galling as they conceded a stoppage-time equaliser having led 2-0.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side will move two points behind Arsenal if they beat Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s new coach, Igor Tudor, faces a baptism of fire in his first game in charge of the club as he is tasked with steering Spurs out of a relegation battle.

Thomas Frank was sacked as Tottenham manager following the defeat to Newcastle earlier in February, as a dire domestic campaign has left Spurs in 16th place going into the weekend, just five points above the relegation zone.

Saka urges Arsenal to ‘get over the line’

On February 7, Arsenal players walked off the field after a convincing 3-0 home win against Sunderland with their lead in the Premier League at nine points. Then things started to go wrong.

Defiant Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka is adamant his side will eventually “get over the line” and end their trophy drought.

After allowing City to overhaul them in the 2023 and 2024 title races, the north Londoners, who have not won silverware since the 2020 FA Cup, face pointed questions about their ability to handle the mounting tension.

Saka said Arsenal must silence the doubters by getting back on track at archrivals Tottenham on Sunday.

“I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we’re able to win trophies and make history for this club,” Saka said. “We’re back where we belong, fighting for everything.”

Arteta dismisses ‘bottlers’ talk

Arsenal’s boss rejected the term “bottlers’ ahead of Sunday’s Premier ⁠League visit ⁠to Tottenham Hotspur.

“It’s not part of my ‌vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about the term being used regarding their latest wobble in the title race.

“That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to ⁠respect that. That’s what I said after ⁠in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on the ⁠chin. It’s part of our role.”

“What I’m very interested in is the next one, ⁠what we are made of, what ⁠we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here.”

‘No time to find excuses’

Tottenham Hotspur’s new interim head coach Tudor says instilling the players with confidence is his most urgent task.

“First priority is to give everything the team needs in these moments. The team need, I believe, first of all, to get some confidence, to get some courage, but also, in same way, the concrete things in the pitch,” Tudor told Spursplay.

“Of course, I’m coming here knowing that situation is not easy. There is no time to find excuses. What I said from the first day here, each of us, need to give something more, something extra.”

He added: “The position of the club in this moment is one that nobody can accept. Every Tottenham fan cannot accept the situation. We are aware of that. But it’s not enough to just be aware of that.”

Tudor wants a team prepared to ‘suffer’

While Tudor is aware of the significance of a derby win over Arsenal, he is more concerned with building a strong team spirit to help fuel their survival bid.

“I understand the importance of this game. This is a derby, a north London derby,” he said.

“This is a team that is full of quality, full of talented players, with good motor engines. But my goal in these first training sessions is that we become a team, with a really right way of going to war.

“A team who want to suffer. To fight, to run, to have the right mentality. This is the start.”

Head-to-head

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have locked horns on 212 occasions; Arsenal won 90 of the games, while Spurs won 67, and 55 were draws.

Arsenal are now unbeaten against Spurs in their last seven games. Earlier this season, Eberechi Eze scored a hat-trick in November as the Gunners thrashed Tottenham 4-1 at the Emirates.

Arteta’s side also did the double over their bitter local rivals in 2024-25, winning 1-0 at Tottenham and earning a 2-1 victory at home.

Tottenham’s team news

Spurs were dealt a big blow when promising young winger Wilson Odobert ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against Newcastle.

He joins a long injury list of players who will miss the derby, including James Maddison, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Destiny Udogie, Kevin Danso and Lucas Bergvall.

Cristian Romero will serve the second of his four-game suspension after the Spurs captain was sent off in the defeat to Man United earlier this month.

Brazilian forward Richarlison is back in training after a knock and could be available for selection, while Pedro Porro faces a late fitness test as he looks to return from injury.

Predicted starting XI:

Vicario (GK); Palhinha, Dragusin, Van de Ven; Gray, Gallagher, Sarr, Spence; Kolo Muani, Simons; Solanke

Arsenal’s team news

Versatile midfielder Mikel Merino has undergone surgery for a stress fracture in his right foot, an injury sustained in January, and could miss the rest of the season.

Leandro Trossard is a serious doubt for the derby after he went off injured in stoppage time against the Wolves.

But Arteya has said he hopes to have captain Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz available for selection after they were struggling with injuries, and youngster Max Dowman has returned to training after an ankle problem.

And while Saka also limped off against Wolves, he is expected to be declared fit for this match.

Predicted starting XI:

Raya (GK); Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli

Tottenham Hotspur have sacked manager Thomas Frank after eight ⁠months in charge, ⁠the Premier League club said on Wednesday, after a woeful run of results left the North London club hovering ⁠five points above the relegation zone.

Pressure on Frank had been mounting, and Tuesday’s 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle United left his ⁠team in 16th place with 29 points from 26 matches and looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone.

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“Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and ‌support needed to build for the future together,” Spurs said in a statement.

“However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”

Frank, who joined Brentford in 2018 and established them as a top-flight club after gaining promotion, has struggled to replicate those ⁠methods for last season’s Europa League winners, Tottenham.

The writing looked to be on the wall for the 52-year-old after Tuesday’s defeat by Newcastle United – their 11th of the league campaign.

Supporters left no doubt about their ⁠feelings with jeers ringing out around the club’s stadium and chants of “You’re getting sacked in the ⁠morning” directed at Frank.

It was Tottenham’s seventh ⁠league defeat at home in the Premier League this season and they have won only two of their 13 league games in front of their own fans.

Tottenham supporters ‌were also singing the name of former coach Mauricio Pochettino, who got them to the 2019 Champions League final, on Tuesday. The ‌Argentinian ‌is currently the manager of the United States men’s national team.

Manchester United profited from Tottenham captain Cristian Romero’s red card to stretch their perfect start under Michael Carrick to four games, with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes on Saturday ended an eight-game winless run against Spurs for the Red Devils, who cemented their position in the Premier League’s top four.

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United close to within two points of third-placed Aston Villa and open up a five-point cushion over Liverpool in sixth.

A place in the top five is likely to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition.

Spurs’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position have long since disappeared, as another damaging defeat for Thomas Frank leaves Tottenham in 14th.

But there could be lasting consequences for Romero after his ill-discipline cost his side just days after a social media outburst aimed at the club’s hierarchy.

Frank said the Argentinian international had been “dealt with internally” after he described Tottenham’s threadbare squad as “disgraceful” following the closure of the transfer window.

Romero’s future as skipper had already been called into question, and the 27-year-old will now be suspended for four matches after his second red card of the season and sixth of his Spurs career.

The centre-back lunged in to catch Casemiro on the ankle on 29 minutes after playing himself into trouble just outside the Tottenham box.

United had been the better side during the opening half hour, even against 11 men, and made their numerical advantage count.

Mbeumo stroked into the bottom corner for his third goal in four games since Carrick took charge, after a clever corner involving Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo freed the Cameroon international at the edge of the box.

Amad Diallo and Matheus Cunha had goals ruled out for offside as the home side dominated but had to wait until nine minutes from time to make the points safe.

Fernandes showed Romero how to lead from the front with another fine individual display.

The United captain prodded in Diogo Dalot’s cross at the back post for his 200th goal or assist in 314 games for the club.

Carrick said before the game that United cannot afford to rush their choice of a new permanent manager.

But the former midfielder, who enjoyed a stellar playing career at Old Trafford, is making his case for that job as he continues overseeing United’s stunning turnaround in fortunes since the departure of Ruben Amorim last month.

Fernandes had plenty of praise for Carrick in a post-match interview with TNT Sports.

“The energy ⁠is different because we are winning games and when you win games, everything is brighter,” Fernandes said.

“Michael came in with the right idea of giving the players more responsibility and freedom to make decisions on the pitch. I was always sure Michael could be a great manager, and he is showing that.”

Meanwhile, it is now two Premier League wins in 16 for Frank and his Spurs side.

“I think the first 30 minutes were a good away performance,” Frank told TNT Sports after the game.

“I’m very proud of the players, the resilience, staying in the game, mentality [to] still be a threat at times, to try to create something. Very proud of them.”

Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario told TNT Sports that Romero had apologised to his teammates for the sending off.

“Yeah, of course, he’s disappointed, because he knows that this card could have been avoidable, and so he apologised,” he said.

“He made his mistake, but we know the player he is, and he’ll be back for sure, stronger, and he’s going to help us massively.”

Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as Man United host Spurs at Old Trafford.

Who: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur

What: English Premier League

Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, UK

When: Saturday at 12:30pm (12:30 GMT)

How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 10:00 GMT in advance of our live text commentary stream.

A rejuvenated Manchester United will look to extend interim coach Michael Carrick’s perfect start and make it four wins out of four against a troubled and injury-ravaged Spurs side.

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Carrick’s United followed up statement wins over Manchester City and league leaders Arsenal with a battling 3-2 victory over Fulham on Sunday, leaving the Red Devils in fourth place in the table with 41 points.

While Spurs are languishing in 14th place on 29 points and are without a win in six Premier League games, they are also unbeaten in their last four games, including an impressive comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Manchester City on Sunday.

And while Tottenham’s dire home form has hobbled their season, five of their seven league victories this season have come on the road, with only Arsenal and Aston Villa winning more away points than Spurs so far.

Tottenham have also recently become a bit of a bogey team for United, who have not beaten Spurs in their last eight encounters.

Carrick stresses importance of Munich air disaster to United’s history

United’s players must “understand the history” of the Munich air disaster, Carrick says, as the club prepare to mark the 68th anniversary of the tragedy.

The United team were on their way back from a European Cup draw with Red Star Belgrade on February 6, 1958, when their plane crashed in Munich, after a stop to refuel, causing 23 deaths, including 11 players and staff of the English giants.

Carrick made the comments at Thursday’s pre-match news conference ahead of the clash against Tottenham, moved forward a day so as not to coincide with Friday’s service at Old Trafford to mark the disaster.

“Munich is probably the biggest part of the history of this club in terms of the tragedy itself, how the team and the football club bounced back from it and then went on to success, and everything from there was carried on,” said Carrick, who has served United as a player, coach and manager.

Tottenham ‘certainly bring a challenge’

Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Carrick said Spurs would pose a tough test for his side.

“They’ve got really good attackers who look to stretch the backline and play forward and attack the box an awful lot. It’s something we’ve got to be aware of,” he said.

“A slightly different game to maybe what we have played over recent weeks in some ways, but we’re looking forward to it. We’re in a good place, the boys have worked well again this week.”

He added that while “the three wins have been fantastic in different ways” United need to keep their “feet on the ground, let’s not get carried away with what has gone on.

“It’s about what’s next. A big challenge ahead but we’re looking forward to it.”

Spurs boss says Romero outburst ‘dealt with internally’

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank said Cristian Romero’s outspoken social media comments about the club’s transfer policy had been “dealt with internally” as he refused to confirm whether the Spurs skipper had been disciplined.

Romero made headlines on Monday when he revealed on Instagram that he played with an illness in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against City and called it “disgraceful” that the squad were left with only 11 fit players.

It was a view which resonated with many Tottenham fans, given the north London club’s lack of transfer activity since the signing of Conor Gallagher on January 14, especially as Spurs have lost nine players to injuries since the start of 2026.

But Frank, speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to United, said: “If you want to know what he meant, you of course need to ask him.”

Frank added: “[Romero] is a very passionate character and player. He wants to leave everything on the pitch and he is very ambitious and wants to win every time.

“Sometimes when you are like that, sometimes there can be an outburst, which happened this time. It is something we have dealt with and dealt with internally.”

‘We are getting closer and closer’

Tottenham’s poor season has put Frank’s position in peril, but the Spurs boss said he saw signs of improvement in recent games and pleaded for patience.

“I think there has been, I said it for a while, I think the performances are more competitive and consistent. Are they perfect? No, but we are getting closer and closer,” he said.

He acknowledged that while some recent second-half performances were encouraging, ” I think we can also add up more in the first half. [But] I think we are in a place where we can look forward.”

Head-to-head

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have faced each other 206 times, with United winning 96 of those encounters, Spurs winning 58, and 52 ending as draws.

Spurs are unbeaten in their last eight games with United, winning five and drawing three – with the most consequential win being the 1-0 Europa League final victory in May.

United’s team news

Patrick Dorgu remains out with a hamstring injury he picked up after scoring in the 3-2 win at Arsenal, while Carrick said Matthijs de Ligt and Mason Mount are nearing a return to action but will miss the Tottenham game.

Predicted lineup:

Lammens (GK); Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo

Tottenham’s team news

Frank has to contend with a lengthy injury list, as Kevin Danso, Richarlison, Pedro Porro, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, and James Maddison are all ruled out.

Dominic Solanke starred with two goals against City last weekend after returning from a lengthy injury layoff, however, he is again a worry for Spurs after he limped off in the second half of Sunday’s game.

Defender Micky van de Ven has returned to training and is available for selection. Romero and Djed Spence are also both expected to be declared fit to play after recovering from illness and a calf problem.

Predicted lineup:

Vicario (GK); Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

Follow our live build-up, with full team news coverage, before our text commentary stream of the EPL clash in London.