Reuters.com

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur will be without 10 first-team players ahead of their League Cup semi-final first leg at home against Liverpool, manager Ange Postecoglou said on Tuesday, with the North London side aiming to end a 16-year trophy drought.

Spurs' injury issues continue to mount with key players out while James Maddison and Pape Matar Sarr are suspended after the duo picked up two yellow cards each in previous rounds.

Spurs signed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague over the weekend to strengthen the squad but Postecoglou will have limited options to field against Liverpool in Wednesday's first leg at home.

"We're trying to help the squad and players. We're down significant numbers, we'll have roughly 10 first-team players missing against Liverpool," Postecoglou told reporters.

"That isn't easy, we get one back and then lose a couple. We still need to see if we can help the playing group and the club's working hard on that in a number of areas."

Spurs are without Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Ben Davies and Guglielmo Vicario due to long-term injuries and they are unlikely to be fit before Wednesday's clash.

Postecoglou said Rodrigo Bentancur, who missed Spurs' 2-1 loss to Newcastle United due to suspension, will be back while others are being assessed.

"Bentancur is back but we lose Maddison and Sarr. Mikey (Moore) potentially could be back on the bench. Everyone from the weekend certainly feels better," Postecoglou said.

"Radu (Dragusin) is better and Archie (Gray). Deki (Dejan Kulusevski) was a bit under the weather but he should be fine.

"Richarlison is training but we want him to have two solid weeks of training so if he gets through next week he will be fine. Fraser (Forster) is back in training."

On a positive note, Spurs activated a one-year extension in captain Son Heung-min's contract and Postecoglou said he wants the South Korean forward to end his career at the club with a trophy.

Spurs have not won any silverware since they beat Chelsea in the League Cup final in 2008.

"The main ambition is to make sure he finishes his career here with some silverware," he added.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge

Jan 7 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min will remain at the club until 2026 at least after the Premier League club activated a one-year extension in his contract on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old, who joined Spurs in 2015, has scored 169 goals and provided 90 assists in 431 appearances for the club. His current deal was due to expire at the end of this season, but he will remain in North London until the end of the following campaign.

He is in the Premier League's top 20 goalscorers of all time and is the most prolific Asian player in the competition's history.

The South Korea captain has earned 131 caps for the national side and has featured at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups.

Spurs will play Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge

LONDON, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou came out fighting after another damaging Premier League defeat on Saturday, lauding his injury-hit team's performance and venting his frustration at the injustice of it all.

A 2-1 home loss to Newcastle United was hardly how Postecoglou needed the New Year to begin. With a League Cup semi-final first leg looming against Liverpool on Wednesday and their next Premier League fixture away at Arsenal, things could potentially get worse for the under-pressure Australian.

Tottenham have now taken only five points from their last eight Premier League games and a run of six home league games without a win is their longest such streak since 2008.

There were mitigating circumstances on Saturday, with injuries and illness decimating the squad.

Third-choice keeper Brandon Austin was given his debut with Fraser Forster confined to his sickbed, while Tottenham's patched up central defence featured Radu Dragusin and youngster Archie Gray - both of whom had been ill in the build-up.

Tottenham were already without the likes of injured keeper Guglielmo Vicario, defenders Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven and Ben Davies and forward Richarlison, while midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was suspended on Saturday.

Yet they began the game well, taking the lead in the fourth minute through Dominic Solanke's header, and dominated the second half as they battled to get back on level terms.

Postecoglou has at times cut a gloomy figure during Tottenham's recent struggles, but on Saturday he said his threadbare side had played brilliantly. He was furious that Newcastle's equaliser, scored by Anthony Gordon, had been allowed to stand despite a handball by Joelinton.

'ANGRIEST I HAVE EVER BEEN'

"I'm hugely proud of the performance and shattered we didn't get the reward the players deserved, it was brilliant, outstanding and we deserved to win," Postecoglou, whose team have 24 points from 20 games, told reporters.

"On any other day, on a fair and even playing ground, we would win that game."

Pushed on Newcastle's equaliser, Postecoglou added: "I'm just really, really angry, angriest I think I have ever been in my career that they were denied the right rewards for a fantastic performance.

"Don't keep asking me about the decision. If you guys have no opinion about it that's fine. I know you just want me to say something but I'm not going to. I think it's clear. Now whether people agree with me or not whether it wasn't handball or it was accidental, I'm just not interested in any of that discussion.

"What I'm saying is, on any given day with a fair and even playing field and logical thought processes we would have won that game, that's it. You can make what you want of that."

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had some sympathy, admitting there was a handball but said the rules had been applied correctly. He was keener to talk about his side's fifth successive league win that has put them right in the mix in the battle for a top-four finish.

"On another day maybe we could have led by two at the break and then second half we had to defend really well," he said. "I'm really pleased to get over the line and win the game."

Both sides have a quick turnaround with Newcastle back in north London against Arsenal in their League Cup semi-final on Tuesday, and Tottenham at home to Liverpool on Wednesday.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

Jan 4 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou said he had no issues with James Maddison going to watch the PDC World Darts Championship just hours after the midfielder could not start in their 2-2 home draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers due to illness.

Maddison, who came on as a substitute in the 64th minute against Wolves on Sunday, was pictured alongside Spurs teammate Brennan Johnson at the last-16 clash between Luke Humphries and Peter Wright at the Alexandra Palace in north London.

Injury-hit Spurs drew against Wolves after goals by Rodrigo Bentancur and Johnson, which left them languishing in 11th place with 24 points from 19 matches — the first time they have finished the year lower than seventh since the 2008-09 season.

"I've got no problem with the players having lives," Postecoglou told reporters ahead of Saturday's home clash against fifth-placed Newcastle United.

"It's a lot different trying to play a game of football and living a life. I don't see any problem with that and I don't think it hurt him. He wasn't 100% and it was a game where we needed someone to be 100%. He was still well enough to play.

"If he was bed-ridden, didn't turn up to the game and then still went to the darts, there may be an issue there. But I had no issue with that."

The PDC World Darts Championship concluded on Friday with 17-year-old sensation Luke 'The Nuke' Littler thrashing Michael van Gerwen 7-3 to become the youngest PDC darts world champion.

Postecoglou was happy with 28-year-old Maddison, who has scored eight goals in 19 league appearances this season.

"I still think the key with Madders is to keep him fit, keep him healthy, keep him sharp, and that's by not playing every game, especially with the programme we've got," Postecoglou added.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonali Paul

Dec 27 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur must reinforce the squad in January to deal with the club's ongoing injury crisis, manager Ange Postecoglou said on Friday, with the North London side languishing in 11th place in the Premier League.

Spurs' injury issues continue to mount after Radu Dragusin became the latest addition to their long injury list which includes Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, Richarlison, Ben Davies and Guglielmo Vicario.

"We have a clearer picture of where we are at. I still think we have to be disciplined (in the transfer market)," Postecoglou told reporters ahead of Sunday's home game against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"It is not just a case of bringing anybody in, but there is certainly a need for us to try to reinforce if we can.

"January is not an easy time to do that but the club is working hard behind the scenes to see what we can do to just help the players we have got at the moment, who are giving everything in every game and... try to get us through."

Postecoglou said the Romanian is under assessment while centre back Davies, who was expected to return after injuring his thigh earlier this month, had a setback in training and will be "probably out for another couple of weeks."

Spurs will also be without defender Djed Spence after the 24-year-old was sent off for two yellow cards against Forest.

"Djed got sent off, so we will be missing Djed. From a physical perspective, tired bodies but apart from that no further issues," Postecoglou said.

Spurs, who have only won once in their last six league games, have 23 points in 18 matches -- their worst performance in 16 seasons -- and will face a Wolves side rejuvenated by new coach Vitor Pereira.

Wolves have won both their games under the new manager, including Thursday's victory over Manchester United, to move up to 17th.

"They have a new manager in Vitor who I know pretty well because we crossed paths in Asia a couple of times," Postecoglou said.

"Obviously they had a great result last night. They definitely have some quality players who can hurt you. We saw that last year. A real important game for us back at home."

Sign up here.

Once again, the London club proved great entertainment but that was little consolation to fans who have seen them concede nine goals in their last two home league games.

They also showed their chaotic side in a 4-3 League Cup win over Manchester United in midweek, after which Postecoglou took issue with some pundits who questioned his tactics.

In reality, a three-goal deficit masked the gulf between Tottenham and Liverpool on Sunday, but Postecoglou once again came out fighting in some spiky post-match interviews.

In one, his patience appeared close to snapping when he was asked whether there were other reasons apart from a lengthy injury list as to why his side were down in 11th place in the table heading in to Christmas.

Tottenham started against Liverpool without first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, centre backs Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, left backs Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie and forward Richarlison.

"You know what? I'm just going to stop answering these questions," the Australian told BBC Sport. "If people can't see the obvious I'm not going to point it out. Look, make of it what you want, yes we're conceding goals.

"If you want to discount the fact we're missing a goalkeeper, two centre backs and a left back as well and that hasn't coincided with what we're doing ... I don't know what to say anymore."

According to Opta, Tottenham's Premier League games under Postecoglou average 3.6 goals per game, the highest for any manager taking charge of at least 50 games in the competition.

Some are now suggesting that Postecoglou is more interested in style than substance and while Spurs fans still sung his name on Sunday, many took to social media or radio phone-ins to criticise him for Tottenham's fragility.

"If people want me to change my approach, it's not going to change. We are doing it for a reason, we are doing it because we think it will help us to be successful," he told reporters.

"I get the idea that people think that I should just flip a switch and change and somehow that will miraculously make us a better team."

Postecoglou said last month that if his side were 10th at Christmas no one would be happy, confidently predicting that they would have climbed the table by the festive period.

But that is now the reality. Asked whether he was feeling under pressure, he said: "I'm not sure what you mean by pressure. I'm not happy about where we are in the table. I'm not sure about pressure in what sense?

"If you're saying that 10th means I'm not doing a good job and I maybe somehow should be uncomfortable, well that's for others to judge."

Sign up here.

The Reds were 5-1 up and cruising thanks to a quickfire second-half double from Mohamed Salah with just over an hour played, before Dejan Kulusevski and former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke pulled it back to 5-3.

Luis Diaz scored his second five minutes from time to make it 6-3 and finally end a crazy contest, which Slot said was Liverpool's best away performance of his tenure.

"Until 60-65 minutes (in), I really, really, really enjoyed what I saw," Slot told reporters.

"But then you also saw that, no matter how much quality players have, they think they don't have to run anymore.

"In this league, especially against Tottenham because they are so good with the ball as well, they immediately start to create. And that's what they did, and they scored two goals. I was happy that the sixth one went in, to be fair."

The Liverpool boss, who has enjoyed a near-flawless start to life at Anfield, accepted that "maybe it is human that if you are 5-1 up, you think 'OK'".

"I exaggerate a bit if I say they don't run anymore," he conceded.

"Of course they still run, but they don't run to crosses anymore, they don't defend in front of the goal, where until that moment it was every time, wherever the ball was, we were there with two, three, four players."

But Slot said his players needed to be more ruthless, telling reporters: "You have to be on top of your game every second of the game. And if you're not 100%, then it immediately hurts you."

Slot, who won the Dutch league with Feyenoord before joining Liverpool, was happy to be top of the league at Christmas but said there was a long way to go.

"Of course it means something, because you always prefer to be where we are at the moment ... but you know just as well as I know, because I've won the [Dutch] league once, how hard it is to win it," he said.

"You have to keep on going, keep on going, every three days you have to be on top of your game, every minute of the game.

"That's why it's so hard to win it, because it's not always easy to show up every three or four days."

Sign up here.

LONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to four points with a dominant but chaotic 6-3 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday thanks to doubles from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah.

Diaz met Trent Alexander-Arnold's beautiful cross with a diving header to open the scoring before Alexis Mac Allister nodded home from close range to double Liverpool's lead.

James Maddison pulled one back four minutes before half-time after Mac Allister was dispossessed in midfield by Dejan Kulusevski to give the hosts a route back into the contest.

But Dominik Szoboszlai scored in first half added time to restore the Reds' two-goal lead and give Spurs a mountain to climb.

Salah netted twice in seven second-half minutes, passing Liverpool great Billy Liddell on the club's all-time scoring list with his 14th and 15th league goals of the season, to make it 5-1 and send some Spurs fans heading to the exits.

"I'm happy and proud, I'll just keep working hard," said Liverpool's now fourth most prolific scorer with 229 goals.

Dejan Kulusevski's volley was followed by Dominic Solanke's 83rd-minute goal to give Spurs hope of an unlikely comeback, before Diaz made it 6-3 two minutes later and finish a madcap contest that could have had even more goals.

"We were quite good up front but defensively we need to improve as a team," added Salah to Sky TV. "It's quite good the result, and hopefully we just keep going."

Liverpool are top with 39 points from 16 games, four points above second-placed Chelsea who have played a game more.

Spurs remain 11th, with 23 points from 17 games, but boss Ange Postecoglu insisted his side would stick to their attacking style, which has produced 30 goals for both sides in their last five games, despite Sunday's "painful result".

"I think I've been really, really patient the last 18 months, sitting up here answering the same questions over and over again," he told reporters.

"If people want me to change my approach, it's not going to change. We're doing it for a reason, we're doing it because we think it'll help us be successful."

BREATHLESS

The Reds constantly threatened in attack and Salah ought to have put them ahead inside three minutes when Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who made two costly errors in midweek, passed straight to him in the box, but Salah dragged his shot wide.

Salah then hit the bar after beating three defenders with some silky footwork, but the visitors deservedly took the lead in the 23rd minute with Diaz heading home at full stretch.

A second looked an inevitability and it came in the 36th minute after Andy Robertson's cross to Szoboszlai bounced kindly for Mac Allister, who nodded past the onrushing Forster.

Mac Allister was at fault for Spurs' first goal, however, which came out of nowhere and ought to have given Spurs a platform to drag themselves back into it.

But Szoboszlai made it 3-1, running onto Salah's through ball and nutmegging Forster at the end of a sweeping move.

Salah got in on the act after the break, tapping home from close range in the 54th minute and then adding another shortly after when Szoboszlai laid it on a plate.

Liverpool showed no signs of sitting back, with Forster forced into a good save to deny Alexander-Arnold, before Kulusevski and then Solanke raised the prospect of a remarkable comeback.

But Diaz placed a clinical finish past Forster with five minutes of normal time remaining to end a breathless encounter, which fell two goals short of equalling a Premier League record.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised his side's offensive display, but admitted he felt slightly relieved with their sixth goal to snuff out Spurs' faint hopes of a comeback.

"Until 60-65 minutes (in) I really, really, really enjoyed what I saw," he told reporters.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Chelsea staged a remarkable comeback to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 and move four points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool but Arsenal dropped points in the title race on Sunday.

Enzo Maresca's Chelsea side were 2-0 down after 11 minutes at their London rivals but hit back in thrilling style with the instrumental Cole Palmer scoring twice from the penalty spot.

Chelsea's fourth successive Premier League win lifted them to second place with 31 points from 15 games.

Liverpool, whose derby at Everton on Saturday was postponed because of high winds, have 35 points from 14 games.

Arsenal have 29 points from 15 games as they were left frustrated by a late Bukayo Saka goal being disallowed in their 1-1 draw earlier in the day at Fulham.

Bournemouth staged a 2-1 comeback win to deny Ipswich Town their first home victory and Leicester City also came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion.

Maresca has talked down Chelsea's title chances but his free-scoring side are now part of the conversation having banged in a league-leading 35 goals so far this season.

"2-0 down, it was the worst picture for us. We conceded two goals from (Marc) Cucurella and a couple more chances from the wrong build-up," Maresca said. "Second half, we deserve to win."

Spaniard Cucurella made an almost comical start to the derby, losing his footing twice under no real pressure and twice being punished with Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski both scoring to give the hosts a dream start.

But once Jadon Sancho rifled in a shot after 17 minutes to reduce the deficit a wide-open game began to swing Chelsea's way. Palmer equalised from the spot on the hour and was heavily involved again as Enzo Fernandez volleyed Chelsea in front after 73 minutes from the edge of the area.

'PAINFUL ONE'

Palmer put the icing on the cake with a cheeky 'Panenka' penalty after he had been brought down in the area. Son Heung-min's stoppage-time goal was only a consolation for Tottenham who are down in 11th place in the table.

"It is a sore one, a painful one," Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said. "We had moments to get our third and at halftime we were in a decent position. The second half is a ding dong, especially at the start."

With Liverpool falling foul of the elements and fourth-placed Manchester City only drawing on Saturday, Arsenal had the opportunity to make up ground but were stunned when Raul Jimenez gave Fulham an 11th-minute lead at Craven Cottage.

William Saliba equalised from close range shortly after the interval and Arsenal thought they had won it in the 88th minute when Saka headed in, but the goal was ruled out by VAR.

"We dominated most of the game... It's frustrating not to win," Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard told Sky Sports. "We have to focus on ourselves. We don't care about the other teams (in the title race). It's a very long way to go. We've said hundreds of times we have to keep going game by game."

Fulham, who also thwarted the Gunners both home and away last season, have lost just one of their last seven league games and are in 10th place.

Bournemouth climbed to eighth in the table after goals from substitutes Enes Unal and Dango Ouattara propelled them to victory over Ipswich, who are four points adrift of the safety zone in 18th place.

Ipswich took the lead in the 21st minute when Conor Chaplin side-footed home and seemed set for three morale-boosting points until Unal headed home in the 87th minute. Ouattara then grabbed the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

"You start to think it's not your day but luckily we took them in the end," Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola told the BBC. "The subs gave us the end product that we were missing. We were arriving in the right places but just not finishing."

Late goals by captain Jamie Vardy and Bobby De Cordova-Reid salvaged Leicester City's draw with Brighton at the King Power Stadium. Tariq Lamptey gave the visitors the lead in the 37th minute with a spectacular left-footed strike before Yankuba Minteh doubled Brighton's advantage in the 79th.

Vardy pulled one back seven minutes later before De Cordova-Reid levelled in added time.

Brighton are seventh in the table and promoted Leicester are five points above the drop zone in 16th.

Sign up here.

Reporting by Lori Ewing and Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis