Sports Mole

Manchester United will be looking to book a place in the final four of the EFL Cup when they travel to North London to face Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals on Thursday night.

The Red Devils picked up arguably their best win of the Ruben Amorim era to date on the weekend, beating local rivals Manchester City at the Etihad.

The visitors were a goal behind heading into the final few minutes, however late strikes from Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo allowed Man United to snatch maximum points from their noisy neighbours.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Man United's injury and suspension news ahead of their EFL Cup contest with Tottenham, who enjoyed a five-goal thumping of Southampton on Sunday night in the Premier League

Mason Mount

Status: Out

Type of injury: Leg

Possible return date: Unknown

After building up his fitness from a separate injury during the early stages of Amorim's reign, Mount was forced off in the first half against Manchester City due to a leg issue, with the former Chelsea man out for Thursday night.

Jonny Evans

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Unspecified

Possible return date: December 19 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Evans has seemingly shaken off an unspecified injury but now faces a battle to earn his spot back in the matchday squad of head coach Amorim.

Luke Shaw

Status: Out

Type of injury: Hamstring

Possible return date: Unknown

Shaw was looking to earn consistent minutes in the Man United side but the left-back has now picked up a hamstring problem and is set to be on the sidelines for several weeks.

Noussair Mazraoui

Status: Minor doubt

Type of injury: Knock

Possible return date: December 19 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur)

Mazraoui played 78 minutes of the weekend's Manchester derby before making way for Amorim's attacking changes, however the Moroccan was seen spotted out of the Etihad.

MANCHESTER UNITED'S SUSPENSION LIST

Southampton have sacked manager Russell Martin following the club's 5-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday night.

The Saints conceded five first-half goals against Spurs at St Mary's and they were fortunate that the visitors did not punish them further in the second half.

Southampton ended the weekend last in 20th place with five points after 16 matchweeks and are already nine points from 17th-placed Leicester City.

The club announced on Sunday night on their website that they had sacked Martin, saying: "Going into the start of the season, we all knew the challenges that we would face this year as we readjusted to life in the top flight, competing in the best and most competitive league in the world.

"However, the reality of our situation is clear. The board have supported Russell and his staff and been open and transparent regarding our expectations. We have all been on the same page in recognising the urgency of needing results to improve.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank Russell and his staff for all the hard work and dedication they have given the club on and off the pitch over the last 18 months. Everyone connected with Southampton FC will always have fantastic memories of last season, especially the Play-Off Final win in May."

Southampton also announced that current Under-21s manager Simon Rusk will take charge of the team on an interim basis until a permanent replacement is appointed.

Deserved sacking?

Martin was praised by some for implementing possession-oriented style of play, with the team having averaged 53.2% possession so far in the Premier League, the eighth highest figure in the top flight.

Pep Guardiola even claimed earlier in October that he would "learn a lot" from coming up against the former Saints boss.

However, though Southampton's approach under Martin was no doubt brave, it would not be unfair to suggest that it was also naive considering the south coast club have conceded 36 goals in the top flight.

If they were to continue their current trajectory, the Saints would concede 85 times over the course of a 38 game season which would be the joint fifth worst record in Premier League history.

Perhaps Martin's brand of football would have succeeded with a more established top-flight team, but his expansive playstyle was always going to be risky, especially with a promoted side.

What next for Southampton?

Southampton are set host Liverpool on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, before taking on Fulham away from home in the Premier League four days later.

Rusk is almost certain to be in the dugout for both games, but it is vital that the Saints find a new permanent head coach quickly in order to give the new boss as many matches as possible.

Perhaps they could look to appoint a manager with proven experience in the Premier League such as Steve Cooper - who was sacked as boss of Leicester City in November - or Gary O'Neil, who was sacked on Sunday by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Whoever is chosen to take over as head coach, they will likely have to implement a more pragmatic playstyle given the Saints have made more errors leading to shots and more errors leading to goals than any other Premier League side this season.

This does not mean the club will have to completely abandon Martin's principle, but perhaps a more nuanced approach to matches will see Southampton pick up more points.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho will be back in contention for next week's EFL Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur if they apply themselves correctly in training in the build-up to the match.

Rashford and Garnacho were left out of the Man United squad for Sunday's Manchester derby against Manchester City, with Amorim confirming ahead of the match that the pair were not injured.

There had been talk of potential disciplinary issues involving both players, but Man United's head coach insisted that was not the case, and he said that "next week" is a "new life", with the pair in with a chance of returning for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.

"It's important to say why: was not a disciplinary thing," Amorim said during his post-match press conference. "Next week, next game, new life, they are fighting for their places.

"But for me, it's important: the performance in training, the performance in game, the way you dress, the way you eat, the way you engage with teammates, the way you push your teammates, everything is important in our context in the beginning of something when when we want to change a lot of things.

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Rashford, Garnacho could return to Man United squad vs. Tottenham

"When people in our club are losing their jobs we have to put the standards really high and for that they have to fight for a place in the team. And today the team proved we can leave anyone out of the squad and manage to win if you play together.

"I'm going to say again was not a disciplinary thing. It's the small details. You can see the games like I see, there are some things that have to change.

"But it is a new life, it's not a disciplinary thing, it's the performance in training, the performance in game and I have to choose players. Jonny Evans did everything right, he was at home, and he is really important for us.

"If it was disciplinary, I would say that here and it will be a bigger problem but was not that. Sometimes I want to improve my players and you understand that for so long.

"We tried for example with Rash, it does not work. Let's continue to do the same thing or try something different? So it's as simple as that. If they train well with the talent they have we will be so much better with them.

"But they have to work hard, they do, today they trained really hard. New week, new life, let's see. You can dress in a way that I don't like, really don't like, but it's not a disciplinary thing. It's the small details. But the performance in training and games, then I have to choose. That's it. New week, new life. That's it."

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How did Man United perform without the duo against Man City?

Mason Mount and Amad Diallo were selected as the number 10s behind Rasmus Hojlund in the Manchester derby, but the former had to be replaced in the early stages of the contest due to an injury problem.

That led to Bruno Fernandes moving into the number 10 spot, with Kobbie Mainoo being introduced in midfield.

Amorim's side trailed to a Josko Gvardiol header at the Etihad Stadium, but Fernandes levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 88th minute before Amad won it two minutes later with an excellent finish.

Antony and Joshua Zirkzee were the attacking options in reserve against Man City, and Amorim now has a major decision to make ahead of the Spurs match, as Rashford and Garnacho could be valuable options off the bench, but their involvement in that contest will depend on how they respond to the disappointment of being snubbed for the derby.

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Two struggling Premier League sides endeavour to atone for some recent disappointments at St Mary's on Sunday evening, when Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns.

Ange Postecoglou's team drew 1-1 with Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday, while their hosts were condemned to a 1-0 loss at Aston Villa last time out, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for both sides.

SOUTHAMPTON vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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SOUTHAMPTON

Out: Cristian Romero (thigh), Micky van de Ven (thigh), Yves Bissouma (suspended), Rodrigo Bentancur (suspended), Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness), Richarlison (hamstring), Ben Davies (hamstring), Guglielmo Vicario (ankle)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Lumley; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Bednarek, Manning; Downes, Fernandes; Dibling; Armstrong, Onuachu

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Jack Stephens (suspended), Aaron Ramsdale (finger), Will Smallbone (thigh), Juan Larios (unspecified), Ross Stewart (calf), Gavin Bazunu (Achilles)

Doubtful: None

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Forster; Spence, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Son

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 204

Southampton wins: 65

Draws: 52

Spurs wins: 87

Long before the formation of the Premier League, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur would regularly collide in the Western League, Southern League and Second Division during the early to mid 20th century, and the familiar foes have now met 204 times in all tournaments.

Spurs do hold the head-to-head edge with 87 wins over the Saints, including a 5-0 slaughter in the 2024-25 Premier League season, where they scored five goals in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time ever.

The South Coast side have collected a respectable 65 triumphs of their own in this fixture, and 52 other battles - including an unforgettable encounter in March 2023 - have ended level.

On that fateful day in the 2022-23 season, Tottenham let a 3-1 lead slip to draw 3-3 with Southampton in their final game under Antonio Conte, who cut an apoplectic figure as he tore into his players during the post-game press conference.

Conte had also overseen a shock 3-2 home defeat to Southampton in February 2022, but Spurs managed to right those wrongs with a 4-1 North London lashing several months later, where a James Ward-Prowse opener was in vain.

All in all, Southampton have only beaten Tottenham once in their last nine meetings across all competitions, although they have been defeated in just two of their last seven Premier League home games against Spurs - winning twice and drawing the other three.

In between a 2-0 home defeat in December 2015 and the 5-0 embarrassment nine years later, Southampton scored in 15 consecutive Premier League games against Tottenham, their longest-ever streak against a single opponent in the competition.

Speaking of goals, Son Heung-min has been a perpetual tormentor of Southampton with an unrivalled 13 goals against the Saints, the same tally that former teammate Harry Kane and Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier managed in this fixture.

Last 20 meetings

Dec 15, 2024: Southampton 0-5 Spurs (Premier League)

Mar 18, 2023: Southampton 3-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Aug 06, 2022: Spurs 4-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Feb 09, 2022: Spurs 2-3 Southampton (Premier League)

Dec 28, 2021: Southampton 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 21, 2021: Spurs 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Sep 20, 2020: Southampton 2-5 Spurs (Premier League)

Feb 05, 2020: Spurs 3-2 Southampton (FA Cup Fourth Round)

Jan 25, 2020: Southampton 1-1 Spurs (FA Cup Fourth Round)

Jan 01, 2020: Southampton 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Sep 28, 2019: Spurs 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Mar 09, 2019: Southampton 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Dec 05, 2018: Spurs 3-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Jan 21, 2018: Southampton 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Dec 26, 2017: Spurs 5-2 Southampton (Premier League)

Mar 19, 2017: Spurs 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Dec 28, 2016: Southampton 1-4 Spurs (Premier League)

May 08, 2016: Spurs 1-2 Southampton (Premier League)

Dec 19, 2015: Southampton 0-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 25, 2015: Southampton 2-2 Spurs (Premier League)

Last 10 Premier League meetings

Dec 15, 2024: Southampton 0-5 Spurs (Premier League)

Mar 18, 2023: Southampton 3-3 Spurs (Premier League)

Aug 06, 2022: Spurs 4-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Feb 09, 2022: Spurs 2-3 Southampton (Premier League)

Dec 28, 2021: Southampton 1-1 Spurs (Premier League)

Apr 21, 2021: Spurs 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Sep 20, 2020: Southampton 2-5 Spurs (Premier League)

Jan 01, 2020: Southampton 1-0 Spurs (Premier League)

Sep 28, 2019: Spurs 2-1 Southampton (Premier League)

Mar 09, 2019: Southampton 2-1 Spurs (Premier League)

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Winless in five matches across all competitions, an out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur outfit seek a shot in the arm when they travel to Premier League basement boys Southampton on Sunday evening.

The Lilywhites could only muster a 1-1 draw against Rangers last time out in the Europa League, while the Saints were narrowly beaten by Aston Villa in their most recent top-flight showdown.

Match preview

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Festive cheer is currently in limited supply at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Ange Postecoglou's job security has been called into question amid Spurs' disheartening winless sequence since their astonishing annihilation of Manchester City.

Since embarrassing the champions at the Etihad, though, Spurs have taken just three points from the last 15 on offer across the Premier League and Europa League combined, most recently leaving it late to snatch a point against Rangers through super sub Dejan Kulusevski.

The stalemate with Philippe Clement's men came after Tottenham capitulated against a team in a similar shade of blue, firing in two early goals against Chelsea before falling to a chastening 4-3 defeat, their second straight loss in the top flight after being conquered at Bournemouth.

With only one success to show from their last five Premier League matches, the Lilywhites have slipped into the bottom half of the top-flight rankings and are just one league defeat away from suffering 15 for the second straight calendar year; not since 2004 have they suffered that fate.

Lacking inspiration away from their North London base all year long, Spurs head south having only won 25% of their Premier League road contests in 2024 - picking up four wins from a possible 16 - although they have gone unbeaten in their last 13 top-flight games with the team starting the weekend in 20th place.

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Southampton will both start and end the weekend at the foot of the Premier League standings on the back of their 12th defeat from 15 matches in the 2024-25 top flight, succumbing to a 1-0 loss to a rejuvenated Aston Villa side in the West Midlands last weekend.

A first-half strike from clinical Colombian Jhon Duran was all that was needed to send the Saints back to St Mary's empty-handed and hammer another nail into Russell Martin's coffin, but the Southampton boss - who recently branded his team's five-point total "embarrassing" - is still being given a stay of execution by the powers-that-be.

How much longer the hierarchy are willing to hold out is anybody's guess, though, as the Saints are eight points adrift of safety with 15 games gone, boast the worst attacking record in the top division (11 goals) and have only conceded fewer than 19th-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Sunday's hosts have accrued just the one point from their last five attempts in the Premier League, although four of their five points in 2024-25 have been won at their St Mary's base, and their head-to-head record against Spurs also makes for relatively pleasant reading.

Indeed, Southampton have only been beaten in one of their last six Premier League home matches against Tottenham and have netted in each of their last 15 top-flight games against Spurs, their longest scoring streak against a single team in the history of the Premier League.

Southampton Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

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As well as Rodrigo Bentancur, who serves the fifth of his five-match domestic suspension at St Mary's, Spurs have lost Yves Bissouma to a totting-up of yellow cards following his inexcusable tackle on Moises Caicedo inside the penalty box last weekend.

Bissouma and Bentancur should be two of nine Spurs players to miss Sunday's match, as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are out with the thigh injuries they picked up in the Chelsea defeat, while Wilson Odobert (hamstring), Mikey Moore (illness), Richarlison (hamstring), Ben Davies (hamstring) and Guglielmo Vicario (ankle) are sidelined too.

Rather than keep faith with James Maddison, Postecoglou should consider promoting Lucas Bergvall to the first XI over the under-performing Englishman, while Timo Werner will no doubt be axed for Dominic Solanke after his manager ripped into his performance against Rangers.

Southampton are not so fortunate on the injury or disciplinary front either, as Jack Stephens (suspended), Aaron Ramsdale (finger), Will Smallbone (thigh), Juan Larios (unspecified), Adam Lallana (thigh), Ross Stewart (calf) and Gavin Bazunu (Achilles) are still missing.

However, Martin has revealed that Paul Onuachu and Jan Bednarek are both back in contention to play, and there is every chance that the duo will be promoted to the first XI right away, Onuachu taking the place of Cameron Archer up top.

Nathan Wood put in a strong shift in Bednarek's place against Villa, though, so James Bree could give way for the Pole instead, as Martin tinkers ever so slightly with his rearguard setup.

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Lumley; Walker-Peters, Harwood-Bellis, Wood, Bednarek, Manning; Downes, Fernandes; Dibling; Armstrong, Onuachu

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Forster; Spence, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Kulusevski, Sarr, Bergvall; Johnson, Solanke, Son

We say: Southampton 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur

As Spurs' defence has been decimated and the Lilywhites are missing two banned midfield enforcers, do not expect Southampton's magnificent scoring streak against Tottenham to end on Sunday, but Martin's men will surely be restricted to the one consolation effort.

The trip to St Mary's represents a perfect opportunity for a troubled Tottenham to right their recent wrongs, and Postecoglou's men should prove their point to alleviate the pressure on their manager's shoulders, while at the same time putting Martin's job in even more jeopardy.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur delivered a thrilling contest on Thursday evening in the Europa League, finishing 1-1 as the Gers dashed Ange Postecoglou's hopes of securing all three points in his return to Glasgow.

While the first half ended goalless, it was a lively, end-to-end affair that saw both sides create plenty of promising opportunities, with Rangers the happier of the two heading into the break as their energetic performance meant they looked the more likely to score, taking nine shots to Tottenham's six, with Vaclav Cerny looking particularly threatening.

The Gers made Tottenham wait for the restart, with Philippe Clement's half-time team talk stretching beyond the allocated 15 minutes, but they certainly ensured the fans were not kept waiting, opening the scoring less than two minutes into the second half when Hamza Igamane was expertly picked out by James Tavernier's teasing cross, and the striker made no mistake with his finish, dispatching into the bottom right corner to send Ibrox into a frenzy.

Clement's men continued to persistently hound and hassle the Tottenham players as the game progressed, battling to maintain their lead and even add a second, though Spurs did gradually begin to control the ball for longer stretches as they searched for their way back into the match.

Tottenham did eventually break Rangers' resolve when a prolonged period of possession saw Dejan Kulusevski play the ball to Dominic Solanke before receiving it back just inside the area, with his strike going back across goal, out of reach of Jack Butland, and nestling in the bottom right corner, giving them their equaliser with 15 minutes remaining.

The final stages of the encounter made for a riveting spectacle as both sides pushed for a late winner, with Cyriel Dessers coming closest when his goal was denied by an offside flag, before the final whistle finally blew to bring an end to the superb showing.

RANGERS VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR HIGHLIGHTS

Hamza Igamane goal vs. Tottenham Hotspur (47th min, Rangers 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur)

Igamane gives Rangers the lead, Ibrox has erupted into a frenzy!

Tavernier receives the ball just inside his half, and the full-back steams down the right side before clipping a delightfully teasing early cross into the box.

The cross cuts between the two central defenders and reaches Igamane at the penalty spot, where the striker slots the ball into the bottom right corner with a controlled side-foot finish.

Dejan Kulusevski goal vs. Rangers (75th min, Rangers 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur)

Tottenham have an equaliser, Kulusevski with a wonderful finish!

Kulusevski starts the move as he plays a give-and-go with Pedro Porro before passing the ball into the path of Solanke, who had made a run between full-back and centre-back towards the byline.

The winger continues his run and receives the ball back from Solanke just inside the area, via a brilliant dummy from James Maddison, and strikes back across goal and into the bottom corner.

MAN OF THE MATCH - HAMZA IGAMANE

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The striker may have started the season as second choice behind Cyriel Dessers, but he has certainly made that role his own in recent weeks, reinforcing that with a superb performance tonight.

Igamane was a constant threat throughout the first half, highlighted by a brilliant sequence where he skilfully evaded two defenders in quick succession with successive nutmegs, before securing the breakthrough with a composed finish in the second half.

RANGERS VS. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MATCH STATS

Possession: Rangers 41%-59% Tottenham Hotspur

Shots: Rangers 15-12 Tottenham Hotspur

Shots on target: Rangers 6-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Corners: Rangers 7-7 Tottenham Hotspur

Fouls: Rangers 9-9 Tottenham Hotspur

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

The draw for Rangers means they climb to eighth in the Europa League table with 11 points from six outings, and they will aim to secure their place in the top eight in their final two fixtures against Manchester United and Union Saint-Gilloise in January.

As for Tottenham, their winless run is extended to five matches across all competitions, while they sit ninth in the Europa League table, behind Rangers on goal difference, something they will look to address when they take on Hoffenheim and Elfsborg in the new year.

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Ashley Phillips could reportedly be recalled from his loan spell at Stoke City to help combat the club's injury crisis.

Romania international Radu Dragusin is currently Ange Postecoglou's only fit centre-back in the first-team squad after Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven picked up injuries at the weekend.

Ben Davies was already absent for Sunday's 4-2 defeat against Chelsea after he sustained a hamstring injury in the 1-0 away loss to Bournemouth.

Romero was then forced off in the 15th minute in Sunday's outing, before Van de Ven had to be withdrawn in the 79th minute.

The Argentina international only returned to the starting lineup following a toe injury, but now faces six weeks on the sidelines due to a muscular injury.

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Tottenham considering Ashley Phillips recall

Like Romero, Van de Ven was making his return from injury and now faces another spell in the treatment room following his latest setback.

In the short term, Postecoglou is likely to use Archie Gray as a makeshift centre-back to help cover the defensive injury crisis.

However, according to the Evening Standard, Spurs are considering whether to recall Phillips in January to bolster Postecoglou's central defensive options.

As it stands, the 19-year-old is set to spend the whole season on loan at Stoke, but Spurs have the option to activate a recall clause in the new year.

Spurs will have to take into account that Phillips would be unable to play for another club this season if he makes an appearance for Postecoglou's side.

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Has Phillips been playing regularly for Stoke?

Phillips is still waiting to make his first senior appearance for Spurs after joining the club from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2023.

The centre-back spent the second half of last season on loan at Plymouth Argyle, gaining valuable minutes in 20 competitive appearances.

Phillips experienced a difficult start to his loan spell at the bet365 Stadium, making just one Championship appearance up until October 26.

However, he has since established himself in the starting lineup, having started each of Stoke's last nine league matches.

The Europa League offers up a Battle of Britain on Thursday night, when Scottish giants Rangers welcome Premier League Tottenham Hotspur to Ibrox.

Both clubs are in contention to finish in the top eight of the league phase, despite underwhelming domestically this season, ahead of the first meeting between the two in over six decades.

Match preview

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Not only will this be a momentous clash between two British clubs competing for the top eight, it also is for the fact that Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou will return to Glasgow where he led Rangers' bitter rivals Celtic to two Scottish Premiership titles.

The Aussie manager won six of his 11 Old Firm derbies in charge of Celtic, and beat Rangers to the title in both of his seasons at the club, so there will be no love lost from the home crowd on his return.

Postecoglou goes into this tie under increasing pressure though, after his side threw a 2-0 lead away to lose 4-3 at home to London rivals Chelsea at the weekend.

That came just a few days after losing 1-0 on the South Coast against Bournemouth, where the scoreline extremely flattered Spurs.

The last seven games have now yielded just one win for Tottenham, and that came in the remarkable 4-0 success away to Manchester City, meaning they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League.

This recent run of form has also affected their standing in the Europa League, because Spurs have fallen out of the top eight following two disappointing results against Galatasaray and Roma.

No team has spent longer in the lead than Spurs in the Europa League this season (276 minutes), and they led for 80 minutes on matchday five against Roma, but Mats Hummels's injury-time leveller saw the Giallorossi snatch a point in North London.

On their last away trip on the continent, Postecoglou also oversaw a 3-2 defeat in Istanbul, with another scoreline that seriously flattered Spurs, despite still losing.

The visitors will therefore hope they can maintain their unbeaten all-time record against Scottish clubs, never tasting defeat in six previous meetings, including winning both legs of their Cup Winners' Cup second round tie with Rangers in 1962, on their way to winning the competition.

Rangers will certainly be no pushovers if recent form is anything to go by though, because manager Philippe Clement has responded to serious doubts surrounding his future at the club with four straight wins.

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After drawing 1-1 at home to Dundee United on November 23, essentially ending Rangers' title hopes, it appeared the Belgian may be on his way out, but he quickly put things right by thrashing Nice away from home 4-1 on matchday five.

The three league games since have also produced three more victories, all without conceding, and scoring 10 goals in the process against St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and Ross County.

While the title may be gone, Europe could once again offer the Gers an opportunity for a successful season, like it did in 2021-22, when they reached the final of this competition.

Only Lyon have beaten Rangers in the Europa League this term, and their last outing at Ibrox ended in a convincing 4-0 win over FCSB.

Their tally of 12 goals so far is just one shy of their record total in the group stage of a European competition, so facing an open and expensive Spurs team will provide them with opportunities to break that record.

This game comes at the start of a massive few days for Clement's side though, with a League Cup semi-final against Celtic on the horizon at the weekend, with the two games coming up both potentially being pivotal in the direction their season goes.

Rangers Europa League form:

Rangers form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

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Rabbi Matondo has returned to Rangers training recently, but this game will likely come too soon for him, while Tom Lawrence and Oscar Cortes are also unlikely to shake off knocks in time.

For Matondo, it will be tough to see him breaking into the team on his return anyway, given the form of Hamza Igamane, who has scored four goals in four games since being handed an opportunity in the side by Clement late last month.

Neraysho Kasanwirjo is the only other injury absentee for the hosts heading into this one, with the defender's knee injury ruling him out for around six months.

Tottenham saw both centre-backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero forced off in the defeat to Chelsea with recurrences of the injuries that had made them doubts for that fixture.

Brennan Johnson was also taken off due to illness, and Ben Davies suffered a hamstring injury at Bournemouth a few days earlier, joining a lengthening list of absentees for the visitors.

Richarlison, Wilson Odobert and Mikey Moore all remain out in attack, but Will Lankshear could feature after serving his European ban in the draw with Roma.

Rodrigo Bentancur should start with his current seven-game ban not applying in European matches, and Yves Bissouma may play alongside him, considering he will be suspended in the Premier League on Sunday at Southampton.

Rangers possible starting lineup:

Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Balogun, Jefte; Raskin, Hagi; Cerny, Diomande, Igamane; Danilo

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Forster; Pedro Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Udogie; Sarr, Bentacur, Bissouma; Johnson, Lankshear, Son

We say: Rangers 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Rangers have not beaten English opposition in their last six attempts, and despite Spurs' recent struggles, this is still set to be one of their toughest games on the continent this season.

Spurs made little fuss in beating Qarabag and Ferencvaros earlier in the campaign, but even though Rangers are on a similar footing, being away at a raucous Ibrox during a poor run of form will make this far from routine.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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The Europa League will throw up an all-British affair for the first time this season when Rangers welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Ibrox on Thursday.

Rangers will also face Manchester United later in the campaign, adding to the list of English clubs they have faced since their return after expulsion from the top flight over a decade ago.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 2*

Rangers wins: 0

Draws: 0

Spurs wins: 2

*competitive games only

The history of Rangers and Tottenham is extremely brief, and dates back quite a few generations, with their only competitive meetings coming in the 1962-63 Cup Winners' Cup, as well as a 2022 friendly which Spurs won 2-1.

In a thrilling second-round tie, Jimmy Greaves was among the Tottenham scorers in a 5-2 home win in the first leg, handing them the initiative before travelling to Ibrox.

There was never any threat of a comeback either, with Greaves scoring an early opener in the second leg, before Bobby Smith got himself a brace to hand Spurs a 3-2 win, sending them through 8-4 on aggregate.

Spurs would then go on to win the CWC that season, beating Slovan Bratislava and OFK Beograd to reach the final, where they thrashed Atletico Madrid 5-1.

That was one of a long list of defeats to English clubs that Rangers have suffered, with just three wins from the 16 encounters they have had against clubs south of the border in Europe.

Interestingly, Rangers played in the FA Cup for one season, back in the late 1800s, losing to Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

More recently, they have fared even worse, especially when they faced Liverpool in the Champions League in 2022, being utterly humiliated 7-1 on home soil by Jurgen Klopp's men.

With a clash against Man United on the horizon in January, they will renew acquaintances after meeting in the group stages of the Champions League in 2003 and 2010.

Rangers failed to score a single goal across all four matches - losing three - with their only result being a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in September 2010.

Spurs have very little experience of facing Scottish sides, with Aberdeen being the only other club they have met in a competition proper, beating the Dons 5-2 on aggregate in the second round of the UEFA Cup in 1973.

The only other occasion it has happened was when Harry Redknapp's Spurs were drawn against Hearts in qualifying for the Europa League in 2011, where they thrashed them 5-0 at Tynecastle, before playing out a bore draw at White Hart Lane.

Previous meetings

Jul 23, 2022: Rangers 1-2 Spurs (Friendly)

Dec 11, 1962: Rangers 2-3 Spurs (Cup Winners' Cup Second Round Second Leg)

Oct 31, 1962: Spurs 5-2 Rangers (Cup Winners' Cup Second Round First Leg)