Liverpool.com

Much of the talk leading into Manchester City's game against Tottenham centered around how Pep Guardiola's contract extension would probably be the shot in the arm his players needed after a run of four successive defeats.

In the opening few minutes at the Etihad Stadium, it looked as though that might be the case as City sparked attack after attack, but the game turned on its head in the 13th minute when Dejan Kulusevski's perfect cross was turned home by James Maddison.

Just seven minutes later, Maddison scored again to double the visitors' lead, producing a delicately dinked finish to beat Ederson after a brilliantly worked one-two with Heung-min Son.

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The manner in which Spurs took control of the match in the blink of an eye would certainly cause concern for Guardiola. City went into the match off the back of losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, and the absence of the champions' Ballon d'Or winning midfielder, Rodri, is clearly being keenly felt.

However, one Liverpool fan on social media platform X suggested that City's problems run deeper than the absence of its best player, suggesting that the run of form Guardiola's men are currently on is evidence that their era of dominance is over.

"This City side is us in 22/23," X user @LFCLaurie said. "A team past its prime where the majority of their legs have gone. This isn’t a blip like previous years where they’ll go on a 15 game unbeaten run. They’re genuinely washed."

Liverpool fans will not have fond memories of the 2022-23 season; the Reds finished fifth in the Champions League and suffered early exits in each cup competition.

At the end of that campaign, Jurgen Klopp began the process of overhauling his ageing squad — particularly the leggy midfield — with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving, to be replaced by younger players in Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

City went on to lose 4-0 against Tottenham, handing Liverpool the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the table when Arne Slot's men travel to Southampton on Sunday.

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been handed a seven-match domestic suspension and a huge fine by the Football Association due to comments he made about his teammate Son Heung-min in June.

The Uruguayan midfielder was filmed in a social media clip saying that South Korean people "all look the same" during an interview in Spanish on the television show 'Por La Camiseta'.

When asked by the host if he could obtain a Spurs player's shirt, Bentancur replied, "Sonny's? " and then added, "It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

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The FA stated that Bentancur breached FA Rule E3.1 by acting improperly and using abusive and/or insulting words, bringing the game into disrepute. The statement also noted that this constitutes an "aggravated breach" under FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference to nationality, race, and/or ethnic origin.

Son accepted Bentancur's apology, writing on social media: "He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologized. Lolo [Bentancur] would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all.

"We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one."

Bentancur has been a regular feature for Tottenham this season, making 15 appearances across all competitions and netting his first goal in last Sunday's 2-1 loss to Ipswich. The Uruguayan midfielder recently returned to international duty after serving a four-match ban following altercations in the aftermath of Uruguay's Copa America exit at the hands of Colombia last summer.

However, he now faces another spell on the sidelines, pending an appeal, which will see him miss Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Fulham, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Southampton and Liverpool, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on December 19. He could potentially return to domestic action when Spurs travel to Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day.

Despite the ban, Bentancur will be available for Europa League matches, making him eligible for the home game against Roma on November 28 and the away fixture at Rangers on December 12.

Tottenham youngster Wilson Odobert has been sidelined following surgery on his troublesome hamstring injury. The 19-year-old winger, who made the move from Burnley for $32million in the summer, has seen limited action on the pitch with just 162 Premier League minutes to his name.

Despite a promising start with two early season appearances, Odobert's right hamstring issue flared up, leading to an extended absence after his brief return in Spurs' 1-0 Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar on October 24.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou shared the unfortunate news: "The only one missing out, which is a bit of a disappointment, is Wilson," he said in a press briefing.

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"He's had a setback during the week and it seems like it's a serious one, so we're waiting for more information. It's not exactly the same [injury] but same area."

Following this setback, the club announced that Odobert had gone under the knife in hopes of achieving a long-term solution. The team's statement confirmed: "We can confirm that Wilson Odobert underwent surgery to his right hamstring yesterday (Saturday 16th November)."

They further reassured fans that Odobert will be under thorough medical supervision to ascertain his recovery timeline but he is unlikely to return to action until into 2025.

That means he will miss the hectic festive fixture schedule with Spurs facing some difficult matches, including a visit of Liverpool before Christmas, on December 22.

Postecoglou's men return to Premier League action against Manchester City on Saturday before taking on Roma in the Europa League. There are also matches against Bournemouth, Chelsea, Fulham and Nottingham Forest to come before the start of the New Year.

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur is facing a seven-game domestic suspension from the FA for remarks made about teammate Son Heung-min last summer.

In a social media video that went viral, Bentancur commented in an interview on 'Por La Camiseta,' a Uruguayan TV show, suggesting that "all South Korean people look the same".

The controversy arose when Spurs midfielder Bentancur was asked if he could snag a Spurs shirt for the host, to which he responded "Sonny's? " and then quipped "It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

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Earlier this year, the FA charged Bentancur with an 'aggravated breach' of their regulations. Following this, Bentancur took to Instagram to apologize for what he termed "a very bad joke".

Son has since accepted the apology, expressing on social media "He made a mistake, he knows this and has apologized. Lolo [Bentancur] would not mean to ever intentionally say something offensive. We are brothers and nothing has changed at all."

Adding "We're past this, we're united, and we will be back together in pre-season to fight for our club as one."

Despite the controversy, Bentancur has been a regular feature for Spurs this season but had previously been sidelined from the Uruguay team due to a separate four-match ban post-Copa America altercations.

The father of Tottenham Hotspur's star player Son Heung-min has been found guilty of physically and verbally abusing young soccer players at his academy in Korea.

On Friday, the Chuncheon district court imposed fines of three million won ($2,200/£1,700) and ordered 40 hours of educational programmes for Son Woong-jung, another son named Son Heung-yun, and a third coach who remains unnamed.

Despite denying any misconduct, Son senior expressed in court that he "never spoke or acted in a way that was not based on love for children" after facing charges alongside the two other coaches. However, he did apologize and promised to reassess the coaching practices at the academy, which was established in 2021 with substantial backing from the Tottenham ace.

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The indictments against Son Woong-jung and Son Heung-yun came following accusations from a young player's parents, claiming their child was hit with a corner flag during a training camp in Japan this March, necessitating two weeks of medical care. Additionally, Son Woong-jung faced allegations of swearing at youngsters for errors during practice.

The trio now have a week to appeal the ruling. Meanwhile, Son Heung-min is recovering from a hamstring injury picked up playing for Spurs against Qarabag in the Europa League last month.

A former coach has bizarrely claimed that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur ace Davinson Sanchez is a better defender than Liverpool stalwart Virgil van Dijk. Servet Cetin, who once marshaled the defense for Turkey, has boldly stated that Van Dijk doesn't quite match up to Sanchez's defensive prowess.

Van Dijk is currently navigating his seventh season with the Reds and his leadership role has been more pronounced since he took over the captaincy from Jordan Henderson. With his contract set to expire at the end of this campaign, there's been plenty of chatter about his future at Anfield.

On the other hand, Sanchez is relishing his time at Galatasaray following his move from Tottenham in 2023. His Spurs career saw him rack up 207 appearances, although he didn't get off the bench during the 2019 Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid.

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Servet, who notched up 59 caps for Turkey and was recently part of the coaching staff at Sivasspor, hasn't shied away from explaining why he rates Sanchez above the Liverpool skipper. His reasoning, though, doesn't make the claim any less strange.

''I think Sanchez is a better defender than Van Dijk. In England, defenders play regionally, they do not change their positions," Cetin told Ajannsspor. "They do not enter the level of right back or left back. They constantly take positions in the center. They usually play slowly. They intercept the ball in the center because they are physically good. But they struggle when they have to open up.

"Van Dijk had a hard time against Baris Alper Yilmaz in the Turkey-Netherlands national match [at Euro 2024]. However, Sanchez is both in one game. He has a level, plays in a wider area and does not let anyone pass. He does a much more difficult job. He goes out with the ball very well.

"Sanchez is a much better stopper than Van Dijk. Maybe people will say come on from there, but it wouldn't matter if he was in Liverpool. For example, Sami Hyypia came to Turkey and was not liked. Therefore, Sanchez is better than Van Dijk and many stoppers in the Premier League."

Tottenham Hotspur is sweating over the fitness of star player Son Heung-Min ahead of their high-stakes Premier League encounter with Manchester United.

The Red Devils are gearing up for a crucial match at Old Trafford on Sunday, following a Europa League 1-1 stalemate against FC Twente earlier in the week.

Spurs, meanwhile, kicked off their Europa League journey with a convincing 3-0 victory over Qarabag at home on Thursday night. Goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr, and Dominic Solanke sealed the win, despite Radu Dragusin's early red card.

Concerns arose when Son, after celebrating Tottenham's third goal, seemed to struggle with his fitness. The South Korean was attended to by medical staff and subsequently replaced by Timo Werner in the 71st minute.

When quizzed about Son's condition post-match, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou could not confirm whether the forward had picked up an injury, indicating that further assessment was needed. "I haven't spoken to him," said Postecoglou regarding Son's situation. "He said he felt a bit tired but I haven't spoken to him or medicals yet."

Son's availability for the upcoming clash with United is uncertain, adding to Erik ten Hag's list of potential worries as both teams prepare for Sunday's showdown.

Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia were all absent from the draw with FC Twente due to their individual injury issues. Lindelof and Malacia are on the brink of making a comeback, while Yoro and Shaw are not expected to return until later in the year.

Spurs also have their own injury worries ahead of Sunday's Premier League match. Richarlison and Wilson Odobert are ruled out, but Dragusin could potentially play as his red card only impacts future Europa League games.

Kyle Walker has explained how he and his former Tottenham Hotspur team-mates were left in tears after being beaten 5-0 by Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool back in December 2013.

Luis Suarez netted twice for Rodgers' side that day, with Jordan Henderson, Jon Flanagan and Raheem Sterling also contributing to a resounding victory in North London. Spurs ended the game with only 10 players after Paulinho was shown a red card just past the hour mark, with the scoreline already at 2-0.

And the defeat to Liverpool at White Hart Lane turned out to be the last straw for then Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas. While Liverpool climbed to second place in the Premier League table following the win, Tottenham languished in seventh, trailing leaders Arsenal by eight points. They were struggling to find their footing after selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.

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The loss marked the club's worst at White Hart Lane in 16 years. Despite Spurs being on a five-match unbeaten streak in all competitions before falling to the Reds, the pressure had been mounting on Villas-Boas, especially after a 6-0 away defeat to Man City just three weeks prior and having won only one of their last six home games, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Villas-Boas was dismissed by Tottenham on December 16, less than 24 hours after the final whistle at White Hart Lane. And his sacking clearly had an impact upon Walker and his team-mates. The England right-back revealed there were plenty of tears shed following Villas-Boas' sacking.

"He was just so, so nice. He was so nice and sometimes I think that probably killed him," he admitted on his BBC podcast, 'You'll Never Beat Kyle Walker'.

"He was too nice. I can remember when he left, and I will never forget it, I swear to you, I will never, ever forget it. We were sat in the auditorium and we got wind that he was going. [Daniel] Levy sacked him but he was still in the building and we were still ready to train. He came downstairs and started crying in front of us, he started crying in front of us.

"And I remember his assistant was telling him to pull it together. He started crying, I've got tears running down my eyes. A lot of the lads had tears, Michael Dawson is welling, he's just like he can't stop crying. He's emotionally crying, because that is how much he meant to the lads.

"Now we probably didn't do him justice on the pitch because that's why he got the sack, but for 10-12 men to be crying because the manager has gone, he has done something well in the dressing room. Football aside, he's emotionally connected with us as well. As a team, we probably let him down a bit."

As Liverpool prepares for Arne Slot's Anfield bow, it has been a sorry start to the season for its Merseyside rivals. Everton finds itself rock bottom of the Premier League after shipping seven goals in two matches.

The Toffees were comprehensively beaten by Brighton on the opening day before taking on Tottenham on Saturday. Ange Postecoglou's men ran riot and emerged with a 4-0 victory, which in truth could have been a lot more.

Yves Bissouma opened the scoring for Spurs with a long-range effort before a moment to forget for Jordan Pickford gifted Spurs and skipper Son Heung-min the chance to double the lead.

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Pickford received a pass back from James Tarkowski, when he took a heavy touch and could not sort his feet out before Son closed him down and won back the ball. The England No.1 has arguably kept Everton up in recent years but this latest error was well received by Liverpool fans.

He has been involved in a number of high-profile incidents in derby matches including a horror tackle on Virgil van Dijk, before he was famously taunted by Alisson over his theatrics back at Anfield a couple of years ago.

Pickford actually commented on the Liverpool No.1 in 2018 after he was caught out trying a turn in his own box in a match against Leicester. At the time, the 30-year-old insisted he would not make such a mistake in posession.

"'It's a risk - if it comes off it looks good. But if it doesn't... It's a style of play and I think that's the way Liverpool want to play as well.

"Mistakes will happen and it's about not making the next one. I'm going to try not to put myself in that position to make those mistakes. It's the timing of the game, really. You don't want to get too comfortable if you're winning and start trying to be a No 10.

"If it's on to do I'll do it and if it's not we'll manage the game. That's where I learn more. The more games you play the more game management you learn."

Son added a second for Spurs with Christian Romero also on target in the resounding victory. Everton boss Sean Dyche finds himself under pressure after the dismal start to the campaign.

It's been a strangely quiet transfer window for Liverpool — the lack of signings is well-publicized, but the Reds are also yet to make a senior sale. However, its first major windfall of the summer looks to have arrived, with Tottenham sealing a move for Dominic Solanke that has triggered a sell-on clause.

That means Michael Edwards gets to enjoy the fruits of his labor. The clause was inserted under his watch before he left his post as sporting director in 2022, but he has since returned to the FSG fold, with oversight over the club's business.

The injection of funds could be timely, too. There's no indication that Liverpool's lack of activity has been down to budget constraints, but the pursuit of Martin Zubimendi may yet require a single lump payment to trigger his buyout clause, so cash-flow might well be important.

But just how much is Liverpool set to make from Solanke's move to Spurs? The exact final sum will depend on the completion of add-ons within the deal, but we can work out the initial figure.

When Solanke went from Liverpool to Bournemouth in 2019, Edwards negotiated a clause that entitled Liverpool to 20 per cent of the profit on any future sale. That deal was worth $24m (£19m/€22m) — and after his time at Anfield, few would have expected this stipulation to be a money-spinner in the future.

But the only person who deserves more credit than Edwards is Solanke himself. He has taken the long path back to the top, but has slowly built an impressive reputation at Bournemouth, finishing as the joint fourth-highest scorer in the Premier League last season (one ahead of Mohamed Salah).

That's convinced Spurs to spend big. In a record purchase, they will pay an initial $70m (£55m/€64m) to Bournemouth, with a further $13m (£10m/€12m) in potential add-ons (BBC).

The initial fee represents a $46m profit for Bournemouth on the price it paid Liverpool back in 2019. As such, the Reds are entitled to 20 per cent of that, which equates to $9.2m (£7.2m/€8.4m).

With add-ons, Liverpool stands to make a further $2.6m (£2m/€2.4m), leaving the final potential figure at $11.8m (£9.2m/€10.8m). That's a very useful sum.

While it won't be a total game-changer in the transfer market, it's the equivalent of a particularly lucrative sale from the youth ranks (it's slightly more than Liverpool made on Taiwo Awoniyi or Ryan Kent, for instance). For a player who left Anfield five years ago, it's a massive bonus.

It also makes the overall Solanke deal look even more incredible for Liverpool. The initial fee it received from Bournemouth looked impressive after the striker struggled to make a mark with the Reds, but the full package could now rise to as much as $35.8m.

For a player picked up for a compensation fee from Chelsea, that's amazing work. If nothing else, it's a reminder that whatever the plan is for the rest of the summer, Edwards has earned fans' trust and patience.

Liverpool.com says: Best of luck to Solanke at Spurs. He's done really well for himself — and while the sell-on clause might have been speculative, Liverpool always knew that he had potential, even if he was at Anfield at the wrong time in his career.