Tottenham Hotspur

Here's what he had to say...

Roberto, your first point as Tottenham manager, but did that feel like a defeat?

Roberto: "Yeah, yes, because we played a good game. Brighton is a very good team. In this moment, they are playing very well, but I think we deserve to win the game, especially if you consider we conceded a goal in extra time when losing one ball in our possession. Anyway, I'm very proud for the performance of my players. I'm very proud because they gave, all of them, their best, with the right mentality, with the right blood, with the right character. We played well with the ball. We played maybe better in the first half without the ball, because in the second half we suffered too much with the ball possession, but in the first half, we regained a lot of ball. When we scored with Pedro Porro, we regained the ball very high, and I'm disappointed just for the result, for my players and for the fans, because it was an incredible atmosphere today. In a very tough situation, a very difficult moment, but the stadium was great, It was amazing."

Before the game you said you wanted Xavi Simons to score more, to assist more - he did both - how impressed were you with him?

Roberto: "He played very well, a great game. I think he can play better and better, because a player like this, he needs to feel confidence from the manager, and I stay here to transfer all the confidence he needs, because I was a player, I was number 10, and I think I know what he thinks, because I thought the same when I was a player. I think I'm lucky to have this player on my team, but also he's lucky because with number 10, I can understand better than other coaches."

Both of the goals you conceded were in extra time of the half - does that show an anxiety the players have?

Roberto: "I don't know. I didn't think like this. The first goal of Mitoma was incredible. The second goal, the ball possession was for us, because Danso - he played another fantastic game - but the ball was with Danso, he lost the ball and then we conceded a goal. I prefer to make mistakes with the personality to play, than to concede a goal without personality, without courage. Now we need courage, now we need to win the game and to win the game, we have to be positive and to play football with the ball and not stay just to defend with 11 players and go in counter-attack."

Do you feel more confident now?

Roberto: "Yes, I always thought and believed in the quality of the players. They played a good game, I think we can play better than today with much more quality and more calm, especially when we are in possession, but in this moment we need this spirit, this attitude and this mentality. It is not finished yet. We have another five games. It is tough. Every one of us knows it is a tough moment, a difficult situation, but we have another five games and 15 points. This team is able to win five games in a row. Now, it is difficult to hear my words, but if you watch the players and analyse the level of the players, I think we can win five games in a row. Not to be arrogant, because I am not arrogant, especially now, but we have the qualities enough to fight and win games in a row."

How do you lift the players - they looked distraught at the end...

Roberto: "No, no. They have to follow me and listen to me. I am proud of their performance. They have to be stronger, focused and come to training ground on Monday afternoon with a smile otherwise they go home. I have no time to see negative people or to see sad players or sad assistants. No. We are lucky because we are working at a big club, a big stadium, we are working in Premier League and we have the qualities, the right qualities to win the game, so we have to be positive. I don’t like the people who cry and who thinks in negative way."

Is that the way you want see the team play from now on?

Roberto: “Yes, absolutely. They have to play like this and have to play showing what they are able to do on the pitch - enjoy with the ball, enjoy when they come to the training ground and to feel in confidence. I have to be good to transfer what I think and what I believe in my players because it is the truth and to prepare game by game."

For our penultimate home game of the season, we are back in N17 for the final time this term – having already faced Chelsea and Everton in north London – as we take on Manchester United on Sunday 26 April (kick-off 12noon UK).

Currently sitting fifth in the standings, we know that a victory would still see us match our best-ever points tally in England’s top flight (32 from 2021/22 campaign) while it will confirm our spot in the top five of the table with two games left to play.

So, as we look to finish the campaign on a high, why not head down to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to support Martin Ho’s side.

Since yesterday’s fixture against Brighton, which took place during the Premier League’s No Room For Racism weekend, Kevin Danso has been, and continues to be, subject to significant and abhorrent racist abuse on social media.

We have heard and seen vile, dehumanising racism. Behaviour that is without doubt a criminal offence. It will not be tolerated.

The club is taking immediate action. We are reporting all identified content to the Metropolitan Police and to the appropriate authorities in the country where perpetrators reside, as well as to relevant social media platforms. We will push for the strongest possible action against each and every person we identify.

Kevin has our complete and unconditional support as a player and as a person. No one at this club will ever stand alone in the face of this.

Nothing about form or league position can ever excuse or explain racist abuse. There is no connection between performance on the pitch and the right to target a player with discrimination. Criticism of performances is part of the game. Racism is not.

We work with specialist third parties dedicated to monitoring online abuse, investigating incidents and identifying perpetrators.

Abusers could face custodial sentences, football banning orders, criminal records, fines, community orders or police-mandated educational programmes. We have successfully secured criminal convictions following abuse of our staff and players, including individuals based overseas, and we have also issued indefinite Club bans.

We call on X, Instagram and all platforms to act quickly and decisively when racist abuse is reported. We also encourage anyone who sees abuse of this kind to report it directly to us at report@tottenhamhotspur.com so we can take the strongest possible action.

There is no place for racism at Tottenham Hotspur. There is no place for racism in football.

Jamaica needed a win against Guyana in the early hours of this morning and they made no mistake of that, running out as 2-0 winners to seal their spot at this year’s finals.

The experienced midfielder started the game as Khadija Shaw opened the scoring for their nation after just eight minutes. Shania Hayles then doubled their lead in the closing stages of the match, earning a perfect record in their qualifying group.

The Concacaf Championship finals will take place in November, 2026, with the Reggae Girlz set to face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals.

Pedro Porro headed the opener from Xavi Simons’ cross on 39 minutes and Xavi struck the post soon after, only for Kauro Mitoma to volley home Brighton's equaliser in added time at the end of the first half.

Match report...

Xavi produced a moment of magic to fire home off the post from 20 yards after Lucas Bergvall won possession to spark scenes of jubilation on 77 minutes. However, the visitors had the final word in the 95th minute when Georginio Rutter pounced for a hammer blow equaliser.

Speaking to us afterwards, Roberto reflected: “We played very well. I think we deserved to win this game. I'm disappointed just for the players and the fans because, for me, nothing changes. I'm positive. I believe in my players, not just now after this game, but before coming here.

“We have time enough to reach the target. We have the qualities enough to reach the target. We have to be strong and to be positive and not to be sad and not to be negative and to help inside on the pitch, the changing room, to keep this atmosphere and to come on Monday afternoon with a smile. Otherwise, they don't work with me.

“I said like this inside the dressing room because after one game like this, after the mentality and the spirit they showed, now we have to believe in the target.”

Asked how pleased he was that both of our goals came from high pressure, Roberto added: “I'm pleased for the pressure. I think we can press higher again. We can play better with the bal. We can improve with the ball. We are not working so much in the build-up, because I don't want to give too much information, to give too much instruction. They have to play with confidence and freedom.”

SPURSPLAY

In what was Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge as our Head Coach – coincidentally against his former side – we took a 2-1 lead into the final stages thanks to a truly stunning Xavi Simons curler in the 77th minute and looked to be holding on until Georginio Rutter smashed home from just inside the area to snatch away the win.

Earlier we’d gone ahead when Pedro Porro headed home shortly before the break, only to concede in first-half added time through a wonderful Kaoru Mitoma volley. Both sides had chances throughout a thoroughly entertaining clash but ultimately we had to settle for the single point, although the positives from a good team performance could go a long way to helping us climb up the table.

With the flags waving and the fans in great voice in the lead-up to kick off, we started the game on the front foot and had Brighton pegged back in the early stages. The first moment of note came in the 10th minute when Destiny Udogie went down under the challenge of Yankuba Minteh after a quick free-kick but referee Stuart Attwell waved away our penalty appeals.

We continued to set the tempo and had a couple of opportunities from corners around the 20-minute mark, the first of which was cleared to Xavi on the edge of the area and his low shot took a nick as it deflected just past Bart Verbruggen’s far post. From the next corner, Randal Kolo Muani blazed over the bar.

Slowly though, Brighton grew into the game and Antonin Kinsky did really well to tip away a corner right under his crossbar before we escaped thanks to some incredible defending on 32 minutes. Minteh clipped a ball to the far post which was headed back across goal where Danny Welbeck looked like he was going to tap home but somehow Micky van de Ven got a toe onto the ball to send it against the post, along the goal-line and we cleared the danger. Welbeck then forced Kinsky into a save with a header from a free-kick moments later.

But just as the visitors were having their best spell, we took the lead in the 39th minute. Excellent pressing from Dominic Solanke and Conor Gallagher won us the ball back deep in Brighton territory, Solanke found Xavi who sent over the perfect cross which Pedro Porro headed home from six yards out. And it really should have been 2-0 a couple of minutes later as Solanke broke through, played in Xavi who cut onto his right inside the area, beat Verbruggen but not the post and then the Seagulls keeper made a stunning save to get back onto his feet and tip Pedro Porro’s powerful shot over from the rebound.

We were so on top at that stage, only to concede a stunning equaliser three minutes into first-half stoppage time as Pascal Gross sent in a deep cross which Mitoma met with the cleanest of volleys into the roof of the net and we went in all square at the interval.

The start of the second period saw the visitors with a couple of chances but blocks from Gallagher and Kevin Danso kept out efforts from Yasin Ayari and Mitoma. It continued to be an end-to-end game, played with real intensity and purpose and with chances at either end. We survived a moment of danger when Welbeck smashed a 20-yard free-kick into the wall before Joao Palhinha’s effort from the edge of the box was saved by the legs of Verbruggen. Then, with 13 minutes remaining, we regained the lead in some style. Lucas Bergvall had only been in the pitch for a matter of seconds when he stole the ball off Jan Paul van Hecke which allowed Solanke to lay off to Xavi and the rest was just pure magic as he cut inside onto his right and hit a beautiful curler in off the far post.

The closing minutes were tense, almost painfully so as we desperately tried to hold onto the three points. Our task wasn’t helped as Xavi picked up a knock after we’d used our five substitutes and was struggling to get around the pitch as Brighton sensed their chance. And unfortunately it came, five minutes into stoppage time when van Hecke got the better of Danso and cut back for Rutter to slam past Kinsky. We still had time for one last chance when Archie Gray found himself with a sight of goal in the final seconds but his right-foot shot was gathered by Verbruggen and we had to settle for a point, although we probably deserved more.

Line-ups

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Danso, van de Ven (c), Udogie (Spence 76), Bissouma (Gray 57), Bentancur (Palhinha 67), Kolo Muani (Tel 57), Gallagher (Bergvall 76), Xavi, Solanke. Substitutes (not used): Austin, Dragusin, Maddison, Richarlison.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen, Wieffer, van Hecke, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Ayari (Kostoulas 82), Gross, Diego Gomez (Mitoma 20, (De Cuyper 75)), Hinshelwood (O'Riley 75), Minteh, Welbeck (c) (Rutter 75). Substitutes (not used): Steele, Julio, Baleba, Veltman.

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Pedro Porro 39, Xavi 76; Brighton – Mitoma 45+3, Rutter 90+5.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Bissouma, Danso, Xavi; Brighton – Wieffer.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Light cloud, gentle breeze, 16 degrees.

Attendance: 61,167.

Signe Gaupset struck a stoppage time winner for Norway to beat Slovenia 3-2 in their FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifier on Saturday evening.

In a topsy-turvy game at Mestni Stadio in Ptuji, Slovenia, the home side fought back twice in the contest and they looked set to hold on to an important draw in their qualifying group but, in the second minute of stoppage time, our midfielder stepped up with a decisive goal.

With a free-kick delivered from the far right, just inside their half, Signe reacted quickest to the loose ball inside the box to slot home into the bottom corner - sparking jubilant celebration between her and her team-mates.

The 20-year-old went on to make way in the fifth minute of stoppage time, while Julie Blakstad also started the game but was an early substitute in the first half of the game.

That result continues to solidify Norway’s spot second in the group with nine points from four games so far as they edge closer to an automatic qualification spot at next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

Elsewhere, Matilda Vinberg continued her fine form in goal contributions, providing the assist the only goal in the contest as Sweden secured a 1-0 win at home to Serbia.

Earning a start for her nation, Tilly dropped slightly deeper to receive the ball in midfield and played a lovely, weighted pass through the Serbia defence and into the feet of Blackstenius just inside the area who took one touch before slotting home the opener five minutes into the second half.

Our young forward went on to record the only other shot on target in the second period before being replaced five minutes from time at Strawberry Arena in Solna. Amanda Nilden was an unused substitute.

Also in Group One in League A, Olivia Holdt’s Denmark were held to a goalless draw by Italy earlier in the afternoon. Oli remained on the substitute’s bench as her nation maintained an unbeaten start to the qualifying campaign.

Sweden move on to seven points, second in the group, ahead of their final two qualifiers next month against the Danes - who currently occupy top spot - and Italy as they search for an automatic qualification spot.

Toko Koga and Maika both featured for Japan in the early hours of the morning as they suffered a 3-0 defeat to USA in the third and final set of international friendlies this month. Toko started and completed 59 minutes while Maika was introduced at the start of the second half.

Roberto De Zerbi has made four changes to his side from that which started against Sunderland last Sunday.

Kevin Danso comes into the back line to replace injured captain Cristian Romero while Rodrigo Bentancur marks his return from injury to make his first appearance since January as he replaces Archie Gray in midfield.

Yves Bissouma also returns to the starting XI, coming in for Lucas Bergvall, while Xavi Simons also returns to start, with Richarlison moving to the substitutes bench.

For the first time this season, James Maddison is back in the matchday squad as he edges closer to returning to action following the anterior cruciate ligament injury which he suffered in the summer.

Starting XI: Kinsky, Danso, Xavi, Bissouma, Udogie, Solanke, Gallagher, Pedro Porro, Bentancur, van de Ven (c), Kolo Muani.

Substitutes: Austin, Spence, Dragusin, Palhinha, Gray, Bergvall, Maddison, Tel, Richarlison.

Here is how the visitors line up...

Starting XI: Verbruggen, van Hecke, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Welbeck (c), Boscagli, Kadioglu, Diego Gomez, Ayari, Wieffer, Gross.

We'll bring you a taster of the gallery from the programme here on tottenhamhotspur.com...

Next up, our programme against Brighton includes a special gallery featuring Paul Gascoigne, who became a superstar with his performances for England as Sir Bobby Robson's Three Lions reach the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup - then delivered in Lilywhite - providing the magic to get us to the 1991 FA Cup Final, including his world-class free-kick against Arsenal in the semi-final at Wembley - 35 years ago - before getting injured in the final as we came from 1-0 down to beat Forest. One of the all-time greats, a mercurial talent, Gazza scored 33 goals in 112 appearances for us before moving to Lazio in 1992.

Pictured above - Gazza's greatest day in a Spurs shirt, celebrating our 3-1 win against Arsenal in the first FA Cup semi-final to be played at Wembley - just over 35 years ago...