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Europa League fixtures confirmed as Man Utd and Tottenham learn dates

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Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have learned their Europa League schedule ahead of the 2024/25 European campaign.

United earned a spot in the second tier of continental competition following their FA Cup final victory over rivals Manchester City at the backend of last season.

While Spurs ended their season-long hiatus from Europe with a fifth-placed finish during Ange Postecoglou's first season in charge.

The Premier League duo discovered who they were playing during Friday's draw, but had to wait 24 hours to find out when those matches would be.

United's opening Europa League campaign has a very Dutch feel to it, with Erik ten Hag welcoming Eredivisie side FC Twente to Old Trafford, before a trip to Istanbul to face Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce in Matchday Three.

Much like their Premier League rivals, Spurs' Europa League journey will also begin at home when Azerbaijani side Qarabag make the trip to north London.

Spurs will too be playing in Istanbul after Tottenham were drawn against reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray.

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It does of course mark the first season of UEFA's new 'League Phase' format, which has been introduced across all three European competitions this year.

Instead of the previous six-game group stage format against three different opponents, competing clubs will now take part in eight matches against eight different teams.

It's an increase of two extra games in the initial phase, with the teams who finish ninth to 24th taking part in a 'play-off' fixture to earn progression into the last-16.

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The successful play-off winners will be paired up against one of the teams that finish between first and eighth in the league phase.

It means every match in the new format counts, given the difficulty of knockout opponents could be impacted by a club's final position in the league table.

But when will United and Tottenham play their Europa League fixtures this season?

Man Utd and Tottenham Europa League dates in full

Man Utd:

September 25 - Twente (H)

October 3 - Porto (A)

October 24 - Fenerbahce (A)

November 7 - PAOK (H)

November 28 - Bodo/Glimt (H)

December 12 - Viktoria Plzen (A)

January 23 - Rangers (H)

January 30 - FCSB (A)

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Arsenal fall apart in Brighton draw and suffer two huge blows ahead of Tottenham showdown

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Arsenal went down to 10 men and surrendered their lead against Brighton in a gripping encounter at the Emirates Stadium. Kai Havertz and Joao Pedro traded goals in a tense 1-1 draw, with both sides maintaining their unbeaten records after three games, but perhaps holding a tinge of regret over the way the game panned out.

With plenty to pick through, Express Sport presents four key talking points from Saturday's Premier League showdown...

Arsenal fall apart

Brighton will be a formidable opponent for any team this season but victory was there for the Gunners' taking. They snatched the lead when Bukayo Saka bullied Lewis Dunk and played in Havertz, who craftily lobbed the onrushing Bart Verbruggen.

Not many would have bet against Arsenal taking all three points when they trotted out for the second half, but Declan Rice's dismissal four minutes after the restart turned the tie on its head.

Less than 10 minutes later, Yankuba Minteh raced through on goal and saw his rebound turned home by team-mate Joao Pedro. Brighton even had chances to win the game on an afternoon when Mikel Arteta was left to wonder how things went south so quickly.

Two huge blows

Arteta will be without midfield general Rice when his side travel to bitter rivals Tottenham immediately after the international break. The former West Ham star was booked in the first half for a late sliding challenge, and shown a controversial second yellow after the break for delaying a restart.

Rice was fuming after being kicked by Joel Veltman, but referee Chris Kavanagh felt the Brighton defender would instead have kicked the ball if Rice hadn't sneakily nudged it away from the designated free-kick spot.

It remains to be seen whether captain Martin Odegaard will join Rice on the sidelines. The Norwegian took a knock in the first half on Saturday and moved awkwardly until being substituted in the 73rd minute. Arteta will wait patiently to discover the extent of the damage.

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Pedro purrs

Brighton's floating forward, Joao Pedro, put in a superb performance at the Emirates. Thomas Partey and Bukayo Saka were both flummoxed by his body feints, he was positive whenever he got the ball, and he was in the right place to scoop up the rebound and help himself to a second goal of the season when Minteh's shot was saved.

Raheem Sterling hope

Arteta raised eyebrows by starting Leandro Trossard on the left wing instead of Gabriel Martinelli. The Belgian has been so effective off the bench, but it didn't work out for him against the Seagulls and he was the first Arsenal player substituted. The fact that particular position is now completely up for grabs is ideal for deadline-day signing Sterling, who was in attendance at the Emirates and may fancy his chances of going straight into the starting XI.

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Newcastle team news: Predicted XI vs Spurs as Gordon and Trippier decisions made

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Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side will look to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing draw away to Bournemouth with a steely showing against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Magpies needed a late VAR check to prevent them from suffering a defeat against Bournemouth, with Newcastle’s defence tested all afternoon on the south coast.

It’s a welcome return to St. James Park this weekend and an opponent in Spurs who Newcastle demolished less than five months ago.

Ahead of the contest, Express Sport have predicted who Howe might go for in his starting XI.

Newcastle predicted XI vs Spurs (4-3-3)

Goalkeeper: Pope

After a clean sheet on opening day against Southampton, Nick Pope was breached at the Vitality Stadium in Sunday’s stalemate against Bournemouth.

His spot in the XI won’t be under threat though, as Newcastle look to make it two wins from two at home.

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Defence: Krafth, Burn, Kelly, Livramento

Defence continues to be a problem position for Howe, with the English coach unsuccessful in adding more quality to his backline this summer.

Following a summer-long pursuit of Marc Guehi that didn’t pay off, Howe will have to settle for the players at his disposal, with Dan Burn and Emil Krafth expected to feature at the heart of the defence.

One man Newcastle did secure the services of, Lloyd Kelly, should play off the left, while Tino Livramento, who was this week called up to the England squad, features from the right.

It means there’s once again no spot in the Premier League starting line-up for Kieran Trippier.

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Midfield: Guimaraes, Longstaff, Joelinton

There was a time earlier in the summer when it looked like Bruno Guimaraes wouldn’t even be a Newcastle player this season - instead, the Brazil international is captaining the team.

The Newcastle skipper will once again wear the armband for the visit of Tottenham, and be joined in midfield by Matty Longstaff.

Just ahead of the tough-tackling duo, Joelinton, who made an error in the build-up to Bournemouth’s opener last weekend, will look to service a goal-hungry Newcastle attack.

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Attack: Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Another area Newcastle reportedly looked to strengthen late in the window, Howe might not have secured the signatures of any new attackers, but he did at least keep hold of his two biggest threats up front.

Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon, despite heavy links elsewhere, remained at the club beyond yesterday’s 11pm deadline and should provide the biggest goal threat for Newcastle this season.

Harvey Barnes or Jacob Murphy remains the only question for the final spot, with Howe expected to start the latter for the third Premier League game in a row.

Newcastle predicted XI: Pope; Krafth, Burn, Kelly, Livramento; Guimaraes, Longstaff, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon

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Tottenham team news: Predicted XI vs Newcastle as Solanke and Son calls made

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Tottenham are facing a fresh crisis up front as Ange Postecoglou has been left down to the bare bones against Newcastle United on Sunday, with decisions made on Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-min.

Postecoglou's side recovered from a disappointing 1-1 draw against Leicester to thrash Everton 4-0 in their first home game of the season.

A tougher test now lies in wait for them at St James' Park, where they have conceded 10 goals on their last two visits. And Spurs will be left light up front after precautions were taken the club's medical team ahead of the game.

Express Sport looks at how the north London outfit could line up on Tyneside on Sunday afternoon.

Tottenham's predicted XI vs Newcastle (4-2-3-1)

Goalkeeper: Vicario

Guglielmo Vicario has been ever-present for Spurs since his £16m move from Empoli and the Italian remains a key component in the Tottenham defence. Spurs do have three backup goalkeepers in Fraser Forster, Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin should Vicario suffer a late fitness issue.

Defence: Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie

Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have all been in inspired form since the start of the new season, with all three contributing at the goal end. Now Postecoglou will be hoping they can learn from their errors in last season's 4-0 thrashing to register another clean sheet against Newcastle.

Van de Ven reportedly hurt his knee against Everton, but Postecoglou said the Dutchman is "OK" ahead of the clash. Otherwise, there are no other injuries in the backline.

Midfield: Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison

Rodrigo Bentancur is available again after the midfielder suffered a scary head injury against Everton. The Uruguayan was knocked out cold and had to be substituted under concussion protocols, but he has received the all-clear to return to first-team action.

"Rodrigo is all good, he's passed all the protocols we need to, and more importantly he feels really good and the medical team are really comfortable with him being available for Sunday," Postecoglou said.

However, the 59-year-old boss may chose to be cautious in his selection and give the 26-year-old a prolonged rest, with Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma sitting deep. James Maddison will be relied upon to support the three-man attack in the No. 10 role.

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Attack: Kulusevski, Son, Johnson

Spurs have suffered a huge blow after record signing Dominic Solanke was ruled out of the clash at St James' Park. What's more, his deputy Richarlison has also picked up a problem that will keep him sidelined for a "few weeks", according to Postecoglou.

"Dom [Solanke] is close but we're going to be a bit cautious with him, we've got a big programme post the international break, so he'll miss out on Sunday," he said.

The Australian will have to decide between Brennan Johnson, Timo Werner and new £30m signing Wilson Odobert to fill the vacant slot when Son moves across to play as a No. 9.

But he has shown a tendency to select Johnson more often than Werner, while Odobert may need some to adjust after his switch from Burnley. On the other flank, Dejan Kulusevski will keep his place as a relied and trusted creator from the rgiht.

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Son Heung-min's dad 'summarily indicted for child abuse charges' at Spurs star's academy

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Tottenham star Son Heung-min’s father Son Woong-jung has reportedly been 'summarily indicted’ for charges relating to 'abusing young players at his South Korean football training centre'.

The Tottenham captain started his side’s first two Premier League matches of the season and bagged a brace as Spurs thrashed Everton 4-0 last weekend.

The 32-year-old is in line to feature when his team travel to Newcastle on Sunday for their third match of the campaign.

According to Seoul-based news agency Yonhap, regional prosecutors in Chuncheon have said that Son and two of his assistant coaches at the Son Football Academy have been ‘ordered to pay an undisclosed fine and to complete a training programme designed to prevent further child abuse’.

And if the court or the defendants decide not to seek a public trial, the prosecutors’ orders will be finalised.

One of the assistant coaches is Son’s older brother Heung-yun. The three coaches are accused of ‘physically and verbally abusing young players’.

Read more... Eze signs as double deal completed - Tottenham's dream transfer deadline day

The outlet have explained that the parents of one player reported Woong-jung and his staff to police in March. They claimed that their son had ‘sustained injuries to his thigh area that required two weeks of treatment’ after Heung-yun had ‘struck him with a corner flag’ during a training camp in Japan.

The boy’s parents said that Woong-jung had ‘hurled profanities at players for making mistakes’ during football sessions which had taken place at the same Okinawa camp.

The news agency reported that they had obtained and viewed video clips that showed Woong-jung ‘kicking a player during a match’ and other coaches ‘hurling profanities at players’. Woong-jung has maintained that many of the charges are ‘not true’ and has said that he ‘hasn’t done anything that was not based on love for the players at the academy’.

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Son Heung-min is one of Tottenham’s longest serving players, having joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

The forward has bagged 164 goals and 84 assists in 410 appearances for the Lilywhites and helped the club reach the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

Last season, Son featured 35 times in the Premier League and contributed 17 goals and 10 assists as his team narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth in the table, two points behind fourth-place Aston Villa. The star has also racked up 48 goals in 127 appearances for South Korea and currently captains his country.

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Europa League draw: Man Utd and Tottenham to face Rangers as fixtures confirmed

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Manchester United and Tottenham will find out which opponents they will face in the newly-revamped Europa League league phase.

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Europa League draw time, TV, live stream, who Man Utd & Spurs can get

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Manchester United and Tottenham are set to discover their Europa League opponents in the revamped league phase draw. UEFA have overhauled the format of their second-tier competition, replacing the old group stage with a leaderboard system involving 36 teams.

Each team will play eight other sides, split evenly between home and away fixtures. The top eight will advance to the knockouts, while those ranked ninth to 24th will face a two-legged tie, with the remaining teams being eliminated.

The Red Devils and Spurs won't be able to face each other but could potentially meet Rangers. Here's all you need to know ahead of tuning in to watch the draw.

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When is the Europa League draw?

The Europa League draw will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. It couldn't be held any earlier than today (Friday, August 30) as the second legs of the final play-offs only concluded last night.

What time is the Europa League draw?

It will get underway at 1pm local time or 12pm (BST) for UK viewers.

How can I watch the Europa League draw?

TNT Sports, who once again hold the UK TV rights for European competitions this season, will broadcast the draw for subscribers. However, it will also be available to watch for free via a live stream on the TNT Sports YouTube channel and UEFA.com.

Who is in the Europa League draw?

United, Tottenham and Rangers will join Roma, Porto, Eintracht Frankfurt and Lazio in Pot 1 for the Europa League draw. Olympiacos and Lyon have secured their spots in Pot 2.

Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar's pot placement will depend on the results of Thursday's qualifying matches - either 1 or 2. Malmo, Athletic Club, Hoffenheim, Nice and Twente are guaranteed to be in either Pots 3 or 4.

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How will the Europa League draw be conducted?

UEFA have announced a change in the traditional hand-drawn ties due to the new format, which would take approximately four hours to complete. Instead, dedicated AI software will select eight opponents for each team - two from each of the four pots.

Each team will play one opponent from each pot at home and one away. Teams from the same country will not face each other during the league phase, and each team will only play against a maximum of two teams from another nation.

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Eberechi Eze signs as double deal completed - Tottenham's dream transfer deadline day

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Ange Postecoglou has orchestrated a major rebuild of his Tottenham ranks this summer, and further changes could be on the cards in the final 24 hours of the transfer window.

Timo Werner, Archie Gray, Dominic Solanke and Wilson Odobert have all arrived to inject quality into the Spurs ranks as they look to help the club end its trophy drought this season. Several stars have left the club to fund some of those signings, such as Emerson Royal and Oliver Skipp, with other youngsters being loaned out to gain some much-needed experience by playing regularly at a lesser level.

More business is on the cards in north London today. Express Sport takes a look at their dream deadline day…

Eberechi Eze signs

Many expected Eze to be a marquee signing for a ‘Big Six’ club this summer, but he remains at Crystal Palace as it stands. Spurs were very interested in the England international previously and could look to strike a last-minute deal for the versatile playmaker despite his release clause no longer being valid.

Eze would provide star quality to the Tottenham ranks, and his ability to play on either wing will be music to the ears of Postecoglou.

Double deal with Real Betis

Spurs are keen to offload both Sergio Reguilon and Giovani Lo Celso before the transfer window closes, and the latter is high on the wishlist of Spanish side Real Betis. With Nabil Fekir leaving the club, the La Liga outfit have shortlisted Lo Celso as their top target to replace the Frenchman and talks are ongoing over a potential deal. With such little time left in the window, Tottenham could offer Reguilon to the Spaniards in the hope of striking a double deal to get the pair off of their books.

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Europa League group stage draw: New structure & league phase

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The Europa League is set to undergo a major revamp for the 2024/25 season, following in the footsteps of the Champions League. Manchester United, who clinched the FA Cup, and Tottenham, who secured fifth place in the Premier League last season, along with Scotland's Rangers, are eagerly awaiting the new-look draw scheduled for midday UK time on Friday.

Mirroring the Champions League, UEFA's second-tier competition will now feature 36 teams in a single league. Teams will face eight different opponents in their quest to reach the knockout phase, which will now include an additional play-off round before the round of 16.

The league action gets underway at the end of September and concludes in late-January. Before then, here's everything you need to know about the draw...

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Draw process

In the past, teams were hand-drawn based on their seeding status. However, UEFA has deemed this method unfeasible under the new format as it could take up to four hours.

In line with modern advancements, AI technology will be utilised to expedite the process. Clubs will still be seeded according to their coefficient, but matches will be randomly drawn by dedicated software instead of being hand-picked. To dispel any allegations of draw-rigging, UEFA assures that the automated system will be regularly monitored independently.

Teams will be divided into four pots. For instance, when a team from pot one is manually drawn, the software will select eight opponents, two from each pot. The software will also randomly determine which side plays at home and away. The format will see each team play one side from each pot at home and one away.

Clubs from the same country will be kept separate in the league phase, with each team playing a maximum of two opponents from one other nation. While United and Spurs, who will be in Pot 1, are unable to face each other in the league phase, they could potentially come up against Rangers.

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Knockout phase

Your position in the league will dictate your future in the competition. The aim for every team after their eight matches is to secure a spot in the top eight, which guarantees an automatic place in the round of 16.

Teams finishing between ninth and 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16. Clubs from 25th to 36th will exit the competition.

What about the Conference League?

UEFA's recently-introduced third-tier competition will follow a similar format but with a slight difference. Teams will be seeded in six pots, with each team facing six opponents, one from each pot.

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Man Utd and Tottenham get special bonus in revamped Carabao Cup third-round draw

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Manchester United and Tottenham are the only two non-Champions League clubs who are guaranteed not to face one of last season's top-four in the third round of the Carabao Cup next month.

A revamped draw format will see the Champions League qualifiers placed in 'Bowl 1' alongside United and Spurs, who will both compete in the Europa League this campaign. The 26 other teams involved in Wednesday's draw will be drawn from 'Bowl 2'.

Given that all six of the teams in Bowl 1 will be drawn against sides from Bowl 2, The Red Devils and Tottenham already know that they will avoid the main heavy-hitters.

Chelsea, who finished two places above United last season but ended up in the Europa Conference League, are at risk of drawing a top side. United leapfrogged Chelsea into the Europa League by winning the FA Cup in May.

Tottenham qualified by virtue of their fifth-place Premier League finish in Ange Postecoglou's first season at the helm.

On Wednesday, ahead of Newcastle United's Carabao Cup second-round clash with Nottingham Forest, a pre-draw will take place to determine whether each of the six teams in Bowl 1 will play home or away in the third round. The main draw will take place after the match as those same six sides, with their home or away status already determined, will come up against a team from Bowl 2.

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The remaining 10 fixtures will all see one Bowl 2 club pitted against another. A congested European fixture list has forced Carabao Cup organisers to split the third round into two midweeks this season. Due to United and Spurs' Europa League status, their games will take place in the week commencing September 16. Another round of fixtures will be played in the week commencing September 23.

The Red Devils ended a six-year wait for silverware and clinched Erik ten Hag's first trophy as manager in 2023 by beating Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final.

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The Magpies took their revenge last season by thrashing United 3-0 at Old Trafford in the round of 16.

Tottenham's most recent trophy win came in the 2008 Carabao Cup under Juande Ramos. The north Londoners have since reached the final three times without adding to their cabinet due to defeats against United in 2008, Chelsea in 2015 and Manchester City in 2021.

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