Sports Mole

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker James Maddison is reportedly set to miss the remainder of the season with the serious knee injury he suffered against Bodo/Glimt last week.

The 28-year-old scored Spurs' second goal in their 3-1 win over the Norwegian side in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, but he was then forced off in the 65th minute with the issue.

There was not any serious concern about Maddison's condition at the time, but Ange Postecoglou took a pessimistic view on his injury following Sunday's 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the Premier League.

The Australian admitted that the initial assessments of Maddison's injury did not look promising, plunging his availability for Thursday's second leg with Bodo/Glimt into serious doubt.

An official diagnosis on the midfielder's issue is yet to arrive, but according to talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Maddison is set to sit out the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.

Tottenham games Maddison will miss with knee injury

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Crook adds that results from Maddison's scans are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours, but there are fears that the 28-year-old picked up a 'significant' problem in the Europa League.

As a result, Maddison will not be available for Thursday's second-leg clash with Bodo/Glimt, or the prospective final with either Manchester United or Athletic Bilbao - likely the former - in Bilbao on May 21.

Spurs also have three games left in their Premier League season; at home to Crystal Palace (May 11), away to Aston Villa (May 18) and at home to Brighton & Hove Albion (May 25), and the midfielder will watch on from the sidelines in all of those matches too.

There is also the possibility that Maddison's injury could be serious enough to rule him out of pre-season and the start of the 2025-26 campaign; the Premier League fixture list for the new season will be released on June 18.

Maddison is now the third Tottenham player out for the season alongside Lucas Bergvall (ankle) and Radu Dragusin (ACL), while Son Heung-min (foot) is also a serious doubt for the second leg.

However, Postecoglou was at least able to deliver a positive update on Dominic Solanke on Sunday, claiming that the Englishman should be fit for Thursday's game after taking a knock last week.

How big a blow is Maddison's absence?

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The case of Maddison has certainly been a curious one throughout the 2024-25 season, as the ex-Leicester City man has often been benched by Postecoglou, but the statistics tell the story of his importance.

The playmaker has produced 23 direct goal contributions from 45 appearances - 12 of his own and 11 assists - and he has been making his mark consistently in the Europa League, especially in the knockout rounds.

Maddison's goal in the first leg with Bodo/Glimt saw him either score or assist for the fourth continental game in a row, having also set up both of Tottenham's strikes over the two-legged quarter-final with Eintracht Frankfurt, and Spurs will miss him to no end.

Tottenham Hotspur will be at risk of suffering an unwanted club first in the Premier League when they battle West Ham United in Sunday's top-flight London derby.

After the highs of beating Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, the trip to the London Stadium is arguably an unnecessary distraction for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Conceding late on Thursday evening gave Bodo/Glimt a flicker of hope for the imminent return fixture, and Spurs will no doubt be prioritising success in the second leg in Scandinavia.

As far as the Premier League is concerned, Lilywhites are now simply trying to salvage a little pride at the end of an embarrassing campaign, which could still end up being their worst-ever in the competition since 1992.

Tottenham's 5-1 beatdown at the hands of champions Liverpool last weekend was their 19th top-flight defeat of the season, and they could now lose 20 games in one Premier League campaign for the very first time.

Tottenham at risk of unprecedented number of Premier League defeats

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The last time Spurs suffered as many as 20 losses in a top-flight season came in the year before the Premier League's formation in 1991-92, where they finished 15th in the table at the end of a 42-game season.

However, Tottenham come into the weekend one place lower than that in a humbling 16th place in the Premier League standings, and they will be leapfrogged by 17th-placed West Ham if they lose to their London rivals.

Spurs' recent travails at the London Stadium do not make for positive reading either, as they have failed to win any of their last four away games against the Irons, being held to a 1-1 draw last April.

Postecoglou's side did rip West Ham to shreds in a 4-1 home win in October, though, and the Hammers have already dropped 14 points from winning positions since Graham Potter took charge.

Both Potter and Postecoglou's futures have unsurprisingly been hot-button topics amid their side's domestic plight, but the latter has had players come out in passionate support of him.

James Maddison reaffirmed his commitment to the Australian before the win over Bodo/Glimt, and ahead of the trip to West Ham, it was Brennan Johnson's turn to leap to the defence of his boss.

Johnson insists Postecoglou still has the Tottenham dressing room

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Asked if Postecoglou still had the dressing room on his side, the Wales international responded: "For sure, that's never been in question," as quoted by The Mirror.

"Games like Thursday hopefully show that all the lads listen to everything that he says and at the end of the day, especially in the Europa League, the game plans have come off perfectly as you also saw in Frankfurt.

"Hopefully we can do that again next week and get to the final. Momentum is such a big thing in football, we're looking to get as much momentum going as we can before next week."

Tottenham will be missing Son Heung-min, Radu Dragusin and new absentee Lucas Bergvall for the journey to the London Stadium, as the latter was recently ruled out for the rest of the season with an ankle injury.

In addition, neither Maddison nor Dominic Solanke are expected to be fit for the all-capital clash, as the English duo both sustained knocks in Thursday's first-leg win.

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West Ham United can leapfrog fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table by defeating Ange Postecoglou's charges in Sunday's London derby at the London Stadium.

The Lilywhites hit the road after beating Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final, while the Irons threw away three points in a 3-2 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend, and here Sports Mole rounds up the team news for both clubs.

WEST HAM UNITED vs. TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

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WEST HAM UNITED

Out: Michail Antonio (leg), Crysencio Summerville (hamstring)

Doubtful: Edson Alvarez (back)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Fullkrug

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Son Heung-min (foot), Radu Dragusin (ACL)

Doubtful: James Maddison (knee), Dominic Solanke (thigh)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Sarr, Bissouma; Odobert, Richarlison, Tel

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

Chelsea Women will play their first match since clinching the Women's Super League title when they lock horns with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur Women on Sunday.

The Blues are just two games away from going the whole WSL campaign without defeat, while Spurs are searching for their first win since January.

Match preview

Tenth-placed Tottenham will fall considerably short of last season's top-half finish after winning five, drawing four and losing 11 of their 20 WSL matches this season.

Spurs recorded the most recent of those five victories back in January when Olivia Holdt netted a late winner to seal a 3-2 away win over basement side Crystal Palace.

They followed that result with five consecutive league defeats, before they ended their losing run with a 1-1 draw against Leicester City.

After going on to lose to Aston Villa, Spurs had to settle for a point in last Sunday's away meeting with Liverpool, with a Rachel Laws own goal and a Clare Hunt effort only proving enough for a 2-2 draw at the St Helens Stadium.

As they turn their focus to Sunday's fixture, Robert Vilahamn's side will be concerned by the fact that they lost each of their last four home league games, while they have also fallen to defeat in all 10 of their previous WSL meetings with Chelsea, including a 5-2 loss in October's reverse fixture.

Chelsea ended last weekend in a downbeat mood after their Women's Champions League campaign came to an end with a heavy 8-2 aggregate defeat against Barcelona.

The semi-final exit quashed Chelsea's hopes of winning their first-ever European trophy as well as their aspirations of a quadruple.

However, they ultimately showed great character to bounce back with a crucial 1-0 win in Wednesday's WSL away clash against Manchester United, with Lucy Bronze scoring the decisive goal to seal Chelsea's sixth consecutive league title with two games left to play.

Having clinched the Women's League Cup and the WSL crown in her first season as Chelsea boss, Sonia Bompastor will now have eyes firmly set on the Women's FA Cup final against Manchester United later this month at Wembley, where the Blues will have the chance to win the competition for the first time since 2018.

While the focus will be on the treble, Chelsea will still be keen to finish the league campaign with a couple of positive results, especially as they could enjoy an invincible season in the WSL, having won 17 and drawn three of their 20 league games this season.

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Chelsea Women Women's Super League form:

Chelsea Women form (all competitions):

Team News

Tottenham remain without the services of Luana Buhler, Kit Graham and Hayley Raso due to their respective injury issues.

Eveliina Summanen and Drew Spence could return to the starting lineup after missing the draw with Liverpool through suspension.

Forward Bethany England will be looking to add to her eight-goal league tally when she leads the line against her former club.

Chelsea's absentee list features Kadiesha Buchanan, Sophie Ingle, Femke Liefting, Lauren James and Sam Kerr.

Mayra Ramirez will sit out Sunday's fixture after she was forced off with a knee injury in the midweek win over Man United.

Having secured the title, Bompastor has admitted that she will make changes for the away clash, which could result in starting berths for Ashley Lawrence, Oriane Jean-Francois, Sjoeke Nusken, Guro Reiten, Catarina Macario and Maika Hamano.

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Kop; Morris, Rybrink, Bartrip, Neville; Summanen, Oroz, Spence; Naz, Holdt, England

Chelsea Women possible starting lineup:

Hampton; Lawrence, Bright, Girma, Baltimore; Jean-Francois, Nusken; Hamano, Kaptein, Reiten; Macario

We say: Tottenham Hotspur Women 1-3 Chelsea Women

While Bompastor is set to name an unchanged side for Sunday's fixture, we still believe that the Chelsea squad possess enough depth in quality to claim a relatively comfortable victory against Tottenham, especially as the hosts will be low on confidence following a eight-game winless league run.

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

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Just one point and one place apart in the lower echelons of the Premier League table, London rivals West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur cross paths at the London Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Graham Potter's men have had a week to dissect their excruciating 3-2 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, whereas the Lilywhites have just put one foot firmly in this year's Europa League final.

Match preview

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Aided by the quickest goal ever scored in a Europa League semi-final, Tottenham are well on their way to a likely date with destiny against Manchester United, even if the 3-1 scoreline on Thursday evening was not as emphatic as it perhaps should have been.

Brennan Johnson's first-minute opener, James Maddison's low finish and Dominic Solanke's nonchalant penalty put Spurs in cruise control against Bodo/Glimt, but a late concession gave the Norwegian giants a renewed flicker of hope before their second-leg reunion on artificial turf.

Nevertheless, Postecoglou should now be just 180 minutes from fulfilling his second-season trophy prophecy at Tottenham, but whether a first major honour in 17 years and return to the Champions League would save him from the axe remains the biggest unanswered question.

As Liverpool celebrated the win that clinched the Premier League title last weekend, Tottenham - who took a shock lead at Anfield only to be slaughtered 5-1 - were left to lament a 19th top-flight loss of the season; Postecoglou could now become the first Spurs boss to lose as many as 20 in a single campaign.

A fourth straight Premier League defeat this weekend - and fifth successive top-flight loss on the road - would plunge Tottenham to a scarcely believable 17th place in the standings, but the Lilywhites can take solace from the fact that their hosts' domestic campaign has been nothing short of disastrous either.

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A sign of just how sour things were for West Ham last weekend, Potter's pre-Tottenham press conference on Friday started with the Irons boss being asked if he was genuinely okay, having cut a forlorn and furious figure at the Amex Stadium.

Two-one up against Brighton heading into the final two minutes of normal time, West Ham had two points stolen from them when Kaoru Mitoma levelled matters for the Seagulls, who then astonishingly claimed all of the spoils when Carlos Baleba's speculative strike sailed into the corner via a deflection.

Brighton's delirium was West Ham's dejection on the South Coast, as the Irons' winless Premier League run stretched to seven matches since February's success over Leicester City, and securing their Premier League status thanks to Newcastle United battering Ipswich Town was not much consolation.

The hosts' collapse last weekend makes it 12 points dropped from winning positions since Potter took charge - only doomed Southampton (14) have lost more in that timeframe - and the less said about October's 4-1 humbling at the hands of Tottenham the better.

However, this exact fixture last April ended with West Ham holding Spurs to a 1-1 draw, one that extended the Irons' unbeaten Premier League home run against their London rivals to four matches, last going down to the Lilywhites on their own patch in 2019.

West Ham United Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

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To say that Tottenham's midweek success came at a cost would be a major understatement, as goalscorers Maddison and Solanke both sustained issues in the second half of the win over Bodo/Glimt, while Lucas Bergvall sported crutches on the sidelines after hurting his ankle in training.

Postecoglou has now conceded that he expects Bergvall to be missing for the rest of the season, while Maddison and Solanke will almost certainly be spared for next Thursday's second leg, but the former's condition is of some concern as he awaits scan results.

Captain Son Heung-min (foot) also remains in the infirmary alongside ACL victim Radu Dragusin, and after making a mammoth eight changes at Anfield last weekend, Postecoglou could shuffle the pack significantly again.

While Spurs could lose a centre-forward in Solanke, West Ham will welcome one back to the fold in the shape of Evan Ferguson, who was ineligible to face his parent club Brighton in gameweek 34.

There was no update on Edson Alvarez (back) in Potter's press conference, but the Mexican midfielder is expected to be in with a chance of coming back this weekend, although Michail Antonio (leg) and Crysencio Summerville (hamstring) are long-term absentees.

Surely sensing an opportunity to get one over his distracted visitors, Potter could sacrifice one of his centre-backs for Niclas Fullkrug in a system switch, reverting to a 4-2-3-1 shape from last weekend's initial 3-5-2 formula.

West Ham United possible starting lineup:

Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Fullkrug

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Sarr, Bissouma; Odobert, Richarlison, Tel

We say: West Ham United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

As abysmal as West Ham's recent record may look at face value, each of their last six defeats has been by just the one goal, and they have given the likes of Bournemouth, Liverpool and Newcastle United good runs for their money.

Potter's men therefore have our backing to avoid successive losses, but their winless streak will surely be prolonged as a rotated Spurs side head home with a share of the spoils.

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

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Manchester United are reportedly preparing to go head-to-head with Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of Lyon attacker Rayan Cherki during this summer's transfer window.

Cherki has been in outstanding form for his French club during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 12 goals and registering 19 assists in 41 appearances in all competitions, including eight goals and 10 assists in 27 Ligue 1 matches.

The 21-year-old also managed four goals and eight assists in 12 Europa League outings, as Lyon reached the quarter-finals of the competition before being spectacularly eliminated by Manchester United.

There is currently a host of speculation surrounding Cherki's future, as his contract is due to expire in June 2026, and Les Gones are said to be willing to sell him for the right price during the upcoming market.

According to CaughtOffside, Man United and Spurs are currently leading the race for Cherki, with the pair potentially battling for his signature during the summer market.

Man United, Spurs 'battling' for Cherki deal

The report claims that Bayern Munich are also showing an interest, but the expectation is that he will make the move to the Premier League.

Lyon allegedly want in the region of €35m (£30m) for Cherki, who has also been linked with AC Milan, Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen.

The Frenchman starred during both legs of Lyon's Europa League quarter-final against Man United, scoring in the first match in France before finding the back of the net in the reverse game in Manchester.

Man United head coach Ruben Amorim is believed to have been impressed with Cherki's performance against his side, and his affordable price tag has made him a genuine target for the 20-time English champions this summer.

Where would Cherki fit into Amorim's XI?

It is not difficult to understand why Man United are keen on Cherki considering that he is perfect for one of the number 10 spots in Amorim's 3-4-3 system, with huge changes planned in the attacking department this summer.

Antony, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford are all set to leave, while Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho could both be sold for the right price, with Amorim looking to bring in system players ahead of next season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha is viewed as the leading target, with Man United extremely confident when it comes to signing the Brazil international, while Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze is also admired.

Arsenal will have to take a leaf out of Tottenham Hotspur's book if they are to turn their Champions League semi-final with Paris Saint-Germain around next week.

After all the pre-game hype and raucous atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, Gooners left disappointed as Luis Enrique's side earned a precious 1-0 first-leg win.

Ousmane Dembele's early strike - his 33rd goal of the season in all competitions - was decisive for a PSG side who could have easily scored more in the opening exchanges, although Mikel Arteta's men soon began to get a foothold in the tie.

However, delight turned to despair when Mikel Merino's header was ruled out for offside, while Gianluigi Donnarumma made some crucial saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard in North London.

The Italy international has been lauded for his displays throughout the tournament so far and made five saves in total tonight, the most for any PSG goalkeeper in a Champions League knockout game on record.

Arsenal must emulate Tottenham to progress to Champions League final

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Arsenal will now head to the Parc des Princes next week as huge underdogs to turn the tie around, as only two teams have ever prevailed in a Champions League semi-final battle when losing the first leg away from home.

One of those sides was none other than Arsenal's arch-nemesis Tottenham, who memorably advanced to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-final after a tremendous comeback job against Ajax.

The Lilywhites lost 1-0 at home in the first leg and then fell 2-0 down in Amsterdam in the return fixture, only for Lucas Moura to conjure up a heroic hat-trick to send Mauricio Pochettino's team to the final.

Coincidentally, Ajax were the first and only other side to overturn a Champions League semi-final deficit away from home, doing so in the 1995-96 tournament against Greek giants Panathinaikos.

Again, the Dutch titans were slain 1-0 on their own patch before progressing with a 3-0 victory in Athens, where legendary Finnish playmaker Jari Litmanen struck two of Ajax's three goals on the night.

Arsenal's David Raya: 'We dominated the game'

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The statistics told the story of a closely-fought contest, as Arsenal had 48% of the ball and one fewer shot than PSG, although their Expected Goals (xG) total of 1.65 bettered that of their opponents' 1.14.

In David Raya's opinion, Arsenal were on the front foot for the majority of the match, telling Amazon Prime: "They started quick with a goal and they dominated the first 15-20 minutes but after that we dominated most of the game, created the chances.

"I've not seen [disallowed] goal back but we needed that lift and we showed from the 25th minute of the first half that we can win against any team. We have showed in the season we can win away games too so we'll go to Paris next week trying to win.

"It's only half-time, we take positives. They are a top team but credit to the players for the effort - we could've won the game. We played well, we put them on the back foot, hurt them and we created a lot of chances as well. We know we can win against any team."

Before thoughts of a trip to Paris take precedence, Arsenal must welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates on Saturday in the Premier League, where they are yet to wrap up a top-five finish.

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Looking to salvage their season and win a first European trophy in 41 years, Tottenham Hotspur host Bodo/Glimt in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday night.

Spurs are aiming for some success on the continent following a battering at the base of Liverpool on the weekend, with Superlaget providing unique opposition for the Premier League side in this final-four clash.

Match preview

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Requiring only a point to lift the Premier League title in front of their passionate Merseyside crowd on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool were unsurprisingly too strong for an out-of-sorts Tottenham, who succumbed to their third straight defeat on the domestic scene in sobering style.

There was a four-minute spell of hope for the travelling Spurs after marquee signing Dominic Solanke netted a shock opener at Anfield for the visitors, however Arne Slot's winning machine soon got back on title-clinching track, with the Reds ending the afternoon as 5-1 victors and 20-time English champions.

With four matches remaining of a woeful top-flight campaign, Ange Postecoglou's troops are languishing down in 16th spot in the league standings, meaning that they are on course to match their worst-ever Premier League campaign, spared of a relegation battle by the weakness of the newly-promoted sides this year.

Lifting trophies in his second seasons at Brisbane Roar, Yokohama F Marinos and Celtic, 59-year-old Postecoglou has a glorious opportunity to add a further honour to his CV despite a stuttering campaign, hoping to end the Lilywhites' 17-year wait for a major piece of silverware.

Despite their well-documented struggles in the Premier League, Spurs have been a formidable force in this season's Europa League and provided a memorable night for supporters at Deutsche Bank Park on April 17, when a Solanke penalty was enough to squeeze past 2021-22 winners Eintracht Frankfurt at the quarter-final stage.

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Despite representing a surprise name in the final four of this season's Europa League, Bodo/Glimt have been shaking up the Scandinavian scene ever since their maiden Eliteserien title in 2020, so it should not be a massive shock that Kjetil Knutsen's troops have become the first Norwegian side to reach the semi-finals of a senior UEFA's men's club competition.

Superlaget have clinched their domestic crown in back-to-back terms between 2023 and 2024, entering the current 2025 calendar as favourites to retain the title, starting their Elitserien campaign unbeaten, winning three and drawing one of their opening quartet of matches.

Bodo/Glimt enjoyed an ideal warm-up ahead of Thursday night's blockbuster trip to N17 on Sunday afternoon, when a Kasper Waarts Hogh brace and a late strike from Ulrik Saltnes was enough to secure a comfortable three-goal success over strugglers KFUM Oslo in the top flight.

Bagging a brilliant double off the bench on the weekend, Danish marksman Hogh is the leading light for Superlaget at the top end of the pitch, netting seven goals across 12 Europa League appearances this term to date, meaning that he is tied at the summit of the competition's Golden Boot race with Ayoub El Kaabi of Olympiacos.

The Norwegian champions have lost all three of their previous meetings with English opposition ahead of Thursday's semi-final first leg, although Knutsen's men were competitive during their latest trip to the British Isles during the League Phase in November, when they snatched a surprise lead at Manchester United before losing 3-2.

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Bodo/Glimt Europa League form:

Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):

Team News

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After making eight changes for their slaughtering at Anfield on Sunday, Tottenham boss Postecoglou should revert to a full-strength XI on Thursday night as his side chase down much-needed silverware.

As a result, centre-back pairing Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will be restored to the team, replacing Ben Davies and winter arrival Kevin Danso.

There are also set to be alterations in the midfield, with Rodrigo Bentancur preparing to start the first leg after sitting out of the Anfield defeat.

South Korean sensation Heung-min Son remains a doubt for the hosts after missing the last four matches, however Spurs are hopeful that the attacker will be fit to feature during the all-important second leg next week.

The Lilywhites are unable to call upon the services of defender Radu Dragusin (knee), whilst Antonin Kinsky and Timo Werner are not registered for the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Bodo/Glimt are speeding towards an availability crisis as they approach their first-ever European semi-final, with Andreas Helmersen, Patrick Berg and Hakon Evjen all suspended for the trip to North London.

Superlaget suffered another major blow to their hopes of victory in England on Sunday, when ever-present defender Odin Bjortuft was forced off with a groin injury during the victory over KFUM.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Tel

Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:

Haikin; Sjovold, Nielsen, Gundersen, Bjork; Fet, Auklend, Saltnes; Blomberg, Hauge, Hogh

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Bodo/Glimt

Despite coming into this two-legged affair as favourites to progress, Tottenham are unlikely to get the job done the easy way, starting with the hosting of Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night.

Superlaget are searching for their first win over English opposition, and although they are unlikely to claim that triumph in North London, they should still be in tie ahead of the second leg at Aspmyra Stadion.

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

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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly had a request to move their Premier League match with Aston Villa 'strongly opposed' by Unai Emery's side.

The Villans and Lilywhites are due to lock horns in the top flight at Villa Park on Sunday, May 18, three days before the Europa League final takes place at San Mames in Bilbao.

Spurs could be contesting the continental final against either Athletic Bilbao or Manchester United if they can get past Bodo/Glimt in their semi-final, with the first leg taking place on Wednesday.

If Ange Postecoglou's men do reach the showpiece match, they would currently only have two full days between their game with Villa and the final to recuperate and travel to Bilbao.

As a result, the Birmingham Mail claims that Tottenham have asked to move their meeting with Villa from May 18 to May 15, giving them ample time to recover for a potential Europa League final on May 21.

Aston Villa 'emphatically oppose' Spurs request

However, Villa are said to be strongly opposed to Tottenham's request, and the Lions have written to the Premier League to make their feelings clear on the matter.

Aston Villa apparently believe that rescheduling the fixture for Spurs' preferred date of May 15 would be unfair, as the Lions have often had to play with only two or three days' rest this season due to their Champions League commitments.

Emery's men have played eight times across all competitions in April - five Premier League games, two Champions League ties and one FA Cup fixture - and they have never had longer than three days in between fixtures this month.

Fatigue from such a gruelling season appeared to be evident in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Crystal Palace, where Emery's men were played off the park in a 3-0 loss to Oliver Glasner's side.

Tottenham did not fare any better in a 5-1 Premier League pummelling at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday, a result that secured the Reds the title with four games to spare.

Comparing Aston Villa and Tottenham's end-of-season run-ins

With their European and FA Cup dreams dashed, Aston Villa's sole focus between now and the end of the season is the frantic fight for Champions League football, as they lie seventh in the Premier League table and three points off the top five.

Emery's side will at least now enjoy longer breaks in between matches, facing Fulham on May 3, Bournemouth on May 10, Spurs on May 18 - for now - and Manchester United on May 25.

Fulham are just one place and six points below Villa in the rankings, while Bournemouth are three places and seven points worse off, so dissatisfactory results in those games could significantly harm their European aspirations.

Meanwhile, Tottenham have a date with West Ham United pencilled in for May 4, either side of their two clashes with Bodo/Glimt on May 1 and May 8, the latter of which comes three days before a top-flight battle with Crystal Palace.

The Europa League final on May 21 also comes just four days before their last game of the season at home to Brighton & Hove Albion, so one cannot knock the Lilywhites for requesting to have the game moved, nor can they bemoan Aston Villa for opposing it. body check tags ::

Liverpool slaughtered a sorry Tottenham Hotspur side 5-1 to clinch their second Premier League title and 20th English top-flight crown, equalling Manchester United's all-time record in the process.

Simply needing to claim a point to avoid waiting any longer, Arne Slot's holders-in-waiting did not follow the script in the first 15 minutes, as former flame Dominic Solanke stunned the Kop with a brilliant header from a corner.

However, the response from the Reds was the response of champions, as Luis Diaz's leveller, Alexis Mac Allister's latest thunderbolt and a tidy Cody Gakpo finish saw normal service resume and leave the hosts just 45 minutes away from stardom.

Not content to declare at three, Liverpool went for the jugular against their abysmal visitors and did not end the afternoon without a couple of goals in front of the Kop, as Mohamed Salah notched Premier League goal number 28 for the season before Destiny Udogie's own goal capped off a five-star afternoon.

Slot and Ange Postecoglou embraced on the touchline a couple of minutes before the full-time whistle, which triggered the best kind of Merseyside mayhem as red smoke engulfed the ground.

As Liverpool revel in a guaranteed first-placed finish, Tottenham remain down in 16th spot in the Premier League table, and the perennially serene Slot finally allowed himself to let loose when the party started.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

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The race for the crown is mathematically over today, but it was realistically over a long time ago, and a jam-packed Anfield can finally soak up the glory of a Premier League title win.

COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 did not stop thousands of supporting breaking social distancing regulations to gather outside the stadium, but Liverpool players lifting the trophy aloft in front of empty seats inside the ground was surreal in the worst sense of the word.

However, following a near-seamless transition into a post-Jurgen Klopp world, Liverpool are officially the best team in the land once again, and their fans could hardly have wished for a more emphatic way to rubber-stamp such a status.

Amid all the Liverpool delight, however, there is Tottenham despair, and Postecoglou has now equalled Ossie Ardiles's record for the most Premier League defeats by a single Spurs head coach in one season.

The Europa League of course takes precedence for Tottenham, but the manner in which they capitulated against the champions was nothing short of embarrassing, and even continental glory may not be enough to earn Postecoglou a stay of execution after Sunday's horror show.

Today belongs to the men in red, though, and with the evergreen Virgil van Dijk and Salah staying on to keep the Slot machine whirring next season, who knows what the Liverpool luminaries could achieve next.

LIVERPOOL VS. TOTTENHAM HIGHLIGHTS

Dominic Solanke goal vs. Liverpool (12th min, Liverpool 0-1 Tottenham)

Something about cats and pigeons.

Tottenham sew the smallest seed of doubt into Liverpool fans' minds, as James Maddison's corner is bang on the money for ex-Reds striker Solanke, who easily evades Diaz and heads into the far corner past a stranded Alisson Becker.

Luis Diaz goal vs. Tottenham (16th min, Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham)

Never in doubt.

Salah slips in Dominik Szoboszlai down the right-hand side of the Tottenham box, and the Hungarian squares for Diaz to scramble home the equaliser on his 100th Premier League appearance.

The linesman initially believed that Szoboszlai was just ahead of the last defender, but a VAR review shows that Kevin Danso just played him on, and Liverpool have their champions status back.

Alexis Mac Allister goal vs. Tottenham (24th min, Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham)

Death, taxes, and Mac Allister scoring screamers.

Tottenham have not helped themselves whatsoever since Solanke's opener, and the Lilywhites get caught playing out from the back as Ryan Gravenberch gets his body in the way of Archie Gray and the ball.

Mac Allister picks up the pieces, shifts the ball onto his left and rifles a wonderful 20-yard strike into the top corner; it was past Guglielmo Vicario in a flash, and that aforementioned seed of doubt has surely now been extinguished.

Cody Gakpo goal vs. Tottenham (34th min, Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham)

The trophy engraver can probably get a head-start right about now.

Mac Allister stands over a corner on the right-hand side, and the wind prevents him from launching a cross into the box a few times before he finally gets his delivery in.

Lucas Bergvall can only half-clear to Gakpo just inside the box, and the Dutchman works a yard of space before picking out the far corner with a wonderful finish through a sea of bodies.

He gets a yellow card for removing his shirt and showing off his "I belong to Jesus" vest - the same message Kaka famously sported - but that might be the most trivial booking of the season.

The perfect end to a near-perfect afternoon.

A Tottenham attack is stopped in its tracks and Liverpool break away through Szoboszlai, who has Salah free to his right and lays off the Egyptian just outside the Tottenham penalty area.

Udogie is powerless to stop Salah cutting inside onto his left foot, and the Golden Boot leader ends a four-game Premier League goal drought with a thunderous finish inside Vicario's near post.

A selfie with the Kop to celebrate a new contract, a second Premier League title, and a goal that makes him the competition's highest foreign goalscorer of all time.

Destiny Udogie own goal vs. Tottenham (69th min, Liverpool 5-1 Tottenham)

That Solanke header feels like an age ago for Tottenham now.

A deflected Diogo Jota effort falls into the path of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose low ball across is intended for Salah, but Udogie accidentally taps into his own net in his attempts to deny the Egyptian a second.

MAN OF THE MATCH - ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER

© Imago

If Arsenal got Declan Rice half price, what did Liverpool get Mac Allister for?

Not just adding to his collection of wonder strikes, the Argentine fulcrum put in an energy-zapping display that typified his astounding season, also putting in six tackles, registering three shots and creating two chances for his teammates.

Team of the Season worthy? Hard to argue against it.

LIVERPOOL VS. TOTTENHAM MATCH STATS

Possession: Liverpool 63%-37% Tottenham

Shots: Liverpool 25-8 Tottenham

Shots on target: Liverpool 8-3 Tottenham

Corners: Liverpool 8-2 Tottenham

Fouls: Liverpool 16-9 Tottenham

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Party time.

And once that is over, Liverpool complete the formalities of their triumphant Premier League season, firstly heading to Chelsea on May 4 before hosting Arsenal seven days later.

Meanwhile, all Spurs eyes are now on the first leg of their Europa League semi-final with Bodo/Glimt on Thursday, which precedes a Premier League London derby away to West Ham United on May 4.

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