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Marcus Rashford was sent home from Manchester United training with an illness a day before announcing his plans to leave the club, according to reports. The 27-year-old's efforts to fight for his place in Ruben Amorim's plans were disrupted on Monday when he couldn't join his team-mates on the grass at Carrington.

On Tuesday, a day off for United's first team, Rashford was in good enough condition to visit his old Wythenshawe primary school, Button Lane.

The Red Devils No. 10 gifted all the pupils he visited with 420 Christmas presents during a long-planned event, where he spoke to journalist Henry Winter.

As part of the interview with Winter, who has covered multiple of Rashford's charity ventures, Rashford confirmed that he was ready to walk away from Old Trafford.

"For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps," Rashford explained.

"When I leave, it's going to be 'no hard feelings'. You're not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.

"If I know that a situation is already bad, I'm not going to make it worse. I've seen how other players have left in the past, and I don't want to be that person.

"When I leave, I'll make a statement, and it will be from me. Yes [I'll always be a Red]! 100 per cent. 100 per cent."

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Mail Sport report that a day earlier, Rashford didn't take part in training less than 24 hours after United's incredible 2-1 victory against Manchester City.

Amorim excluded Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho from his matchday squad due to poor form in matches and training, making it clear that he wasn't ready to shoulder any slackers during his rebuild.

The report claimed that Rashford followed the correct protocol by attending Carrington, where a doctor assessed him.

He was deemed to have a high temperature before being instructed to leave the training complex and recover at home.

On Thursday, United travel to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in search of back-to-back away wins against 'Big Six' rivals.

Given that Rashford was absent from training on Monday and had a day off the following day, it seems unlikely he will return to action in north London.

It's up in the air whether the academy graduate will play for the club again after his public comments. Amorim may understandably focus on players who fit his long-term vision.

Either way, an emotional farewell is on the cards as early as next month.

Tottenham Hotspur has been tipped as the ideal destination for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish. The £100million star has struggled to find his best form this season and Troy Deeney believes a move to Spurs could rejuvenate his career.

The winger flourished during his time at Aston Villa and became a key player in City's treble-winning side in 2023. Pep Guardiola's side have fallen below their usually impeccable standards this term and there is a chance that Grealish could be part of an impending squad overhaul.

Despite only making five league starts this term, Deeney is confident that Grealish would easily overtake Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison in the club's pecking order. While Spurs have not ben linked with a move for Grealish, the pundit feels the move would be a huge boost to both parties.

"Spurs, he walks into that team in every position. Whether that's as a winger, No.10 or No.8," Deeney said on talkSPORT. “Arsenal, no, I don’t think he works at Arsenal. Liverpool, he doesn’t at Liverpool. He’s obviously not going to go Manchester United, but he’s better than what they’ve got.

“Newcastle, easy. There’s loads of teams, anyone outside the top four, I’d argue he’d do well at Chelsea, but they’ve got about 75 wingers. He’s probably too cheap for them at £100m to be fair, they’d want to waste a bit more money!

“Anyone outside the top four, he would easily go into and dominate, if he went to Newcastle, it would be considered a massive step down for him. But it’s a great club with a great fanbase and I think Jack needs to feel that again, feel that he’s loved, feel that the fanbase love him, but also he’s the man to drive them forward.”

Birmingham City fan Deeney dismissed the idea of Grealish returning to Villa, partly because of club rivalry but also to remove the potential pressure of living up to his past glories at Villa Park. While the former Premier League striker is confident that Grealish can still be a star player in the top-flight, Deeney acknowleged that the England is approaching a key moment in his career.

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“I think he is in danger of having his legacy ruined,” Deeney said. “And what I mean by that is, I don’t think you can say he hasn’t lived up to his potential, because look at what he did at Villa and he did it for a sustained period of time.

“What’s happening now is, in football, it’s, ‘What have you done lately?’ and he hasn’t done a great deal lately due to injuries and being out of the team.”

“I think a fresh start would be great for him and somewhere where he’s the main man again and everyone is giving him the ball,” Deeney added. “Because people like Jack, they need to have the ball every couple of minutes – and not being stood on the side and when they get it, run a little bit and pass it back.

“But I think you’re going to see a new role for him at City, I think you’re going to see him as a No.8 – just driving out of midfield. I think he can handle that position really well, and that’ll be good for England as well.”

Tottenham are set to revisit the scene of Antonio Conte's infamous outburst as they gear up for a clash with Southampton on Sunday, but current manager Ange Postecoglou remains as resolute as ever in his mission to steer the club to success.

It was after a 3-3 draw at St Mary’s in 2023 that Conte unleashed a scathing attack on his "selfish" players and appeared to challenge the board over Tottenham's lack of silverware.

Within just over a week, Conte had parted ways with Spurs by mutual consent, ending a tumultuous 16-month tenure, paving the way for Postecoglou to take the helm. Despite having been at the helm for two months longer than Conte, Postecoglou has overseen 12 fewer games and is currently navigating an injury crisis that has seen Tottenham's form dip, with only one win in their last eight games.

Yet, when quizzed about whether he'd consider exiting following a tirade akin to Conte's in March 2023, Postecoglou stated: "Look, I don’t think it’s fair to comment."

He added, "Antonio is a world-class manager and has his own way of doing things, his own reasons for doing that."

Emphasising his commitment, he declared, "I am here, I am in for the fight. I am in a fight, for sure. For better or worse I am not going anywhere at the moment because everything is still in my power and my responsibility."

Ange Postecoglou, the former Celtic boss, has revealed his unwavering determination to see his team through tough times, stating: "I still have a real desire to get us through this stage so that people see what is on the other side. My resolve and determination hasn’t wavered one little bit."

He also expressed his love for challenges: "I love a fight, I love a scrap, I love being in the middle of a storm when everyone doubts because I know what it is on the other side if you get through it. My job is to get through it."

Reflecting on Antonio Conte's infamous 10-minute press conference, Postecoglou acknowledged being aware of the situation during his time at Celtic and offered insight into the mindset of a manager under pressure: "I was on Planet Earth at that time, and yes I was well aware of it," he said with a smile. "I think you know when a manager gets to that point that there’s obviously some underlying issues."

He further explained the rationale behind such public outbursts: "I think most of the time when managers do that they’re trying to get a reaction, trying to get some sort of impact on the team."

Postecoglou himself didn't shy away from making his feelings known after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Rangers, where he deemed Timo Werner's performance as "wasn’t acceptable" at Ibrox. Werner, who was substituted at half-time due to a series of mistakes, wasn't the only player who failed to meet expectations in Glasgow.

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Postecoglou, facing a squad crunch with Spurs missing key players, has emphasised the need for fit senior players to step up their game at St Mary's, particularly Werner.

"I’ve got no choice. Who else am I going to play? I’m pulling kids out of school, I literally am," he said, referencing the inclusion of 16 year olds Malachi Hardy and Luca Williams-Barnett on the bench.

"That was the reasoning for me pointing it out last night. We need Timo. We need all of them."

He added, stressing the unusual situation: "In normal times if you have a poor game, there’s a price to pay. It doesn’t exist right now. We need everybody we’ve got."

Ange Postecoglou deserves more time to turn things around at Tottenham because his football keeps supporters on the edge of their seats, Spurs icon Teddy Sheringham has told Express Sport.

The Australian boss has found himself under pressure in recent weeks after overseeing a poor run of results, with five losses in their last nine league fixtures.

Their two-goal collapse in a 4-3 home defeat at the hands of Chelsea prompted boos from the home support, while Postecoglou clashed with fans after losing 1-0 to Bournemouth three days prior to the London derby loss.

Spurs now find themselves down in 11th place after 15 games and are seven points behind Manchester City in fourth, although chairman Daniel Levy has lent his backing to the under-fire boss for the time being.

And Sheringham, 58, thinks Postecoglou's entertaining style of play is an antidote to the toxic atmosphere that reigned during Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte's stints in the dugout.

"I am firmly on Ange's side. I love the way that he gets bums off seats when they're playing," Sheringham said on behalf of FreeBets.com.

"He's had a lot of injuries recently that he doesn't like to mention until it's all coming on top. And, over the last four years, when you've had Mourinho and Conte, the football hasn't been great.

“I know that if I go watch Tottenham, I'm going to see 12 chances being made and that hasn't happened over the last few years. And that could happen in the first 10 minutes at Tottenham.

“That's the way they play. He's on the front foot. It's exciting. I'm sitting down, I'm on the edge of my seat and that's how I want to watch a football match, to be entertained. And I love his manner.

“Yes, there are one or two things that could be worked on, but I think he'll get there."

Spurs have scored 31 goals and conceded 19 in the league, including a resounding 4-0 over Pep Guardiola's champions at the Etihad Stadium in November. However, they have lost more games (seven) than they have won (six) and their form has dropped alarmingly after a positive start.

Referencing Spurs icon Ossie Ardiles, Sheringham admits the nature of modern football means Postecoglou may need to consider some changes to his backline if he wants to stay in the job.

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“Of course, results mean everything," he added. “It's very much like Ossie Ardiles' reign at the moment, you're entertaining, but losing 4-3 and 5-2. I loved playing for Ossie. He's a legend as a man and a legend as a leader of people.

"The tactics needed to be tweaked and I think that's the same with Ange. I would want to play for him [Postecoglou] because the chances are being made.

“Yes, results are very important because confidence will soon go if you carry on playing the way he's playing, but getting beaten. You've got to be careful to counteract both.

A clash against Premier League bottom-feeders Southampton offers a perfect opportunity to right their wrongs. Failure to beat Russell Martin's side, however, may see Postecoglou given his marching orders instead of the Saints.

Thomas Frank has explained the key factors needed to entice him away from his current position at Brentford - including money and power. The 51-year-old has had a successful managerial career since 2008, starting with Denmark's U16, U17 and U19 teams, before transitioning to club management in 2013.

He first managed Brondby before succeeding Dean Smith at Brentford in October 2018. Over the past six years, Frank has won over the Bees' faithful by leading the team to promotion from the Championship in the 2020/21 season via the play-offs and maintaining their Premier League status since then.

Despite repeatedly expressing his satisfaction with his role in west London, Frank acknowledges that the dynamic nature of football could lead to larger clubs showing interest if his success continues. Speaking on the High Performance podcast from the Brentford dressing room, Frank was asked what questions he would ask potential new clubs.

He said: "I think a couple of things. One, I've said it a million times, I'm very, very happy here. If I ever should go to another club, I think it's difficult sometimes to be in a position to ask the right questions.

"You definitely need to do due diligence yourself. You need to pick your chairman. That can be difficult because it's not that often that you've got the possibility to choose between three clubs, there's maybe two or three managers in the world that can do that.

"So more normal managers, if that club comes and we think it is interesting enough, then it's maybe not an option for us to chose the chairman if we want that challenge."

The Dane also discussed his conditions that he believes any new manager should consider before joining a new club. Frank continued: "This is a general thing I will say now, it's not [just] for me, I think for any football head coach or manager, of course, the ownership/chairman is important.

"I think the club you're going into, can you instantly improve it? Is there low-hanging fruits, or is it difficult to raise the bar? And is their finances good? Can you get the players in and out you want to? I think that's the key."

Despite his contentment at Brentford, Frank did not rule out future ambitions, as he said: "I think there's a part of me that thinks that one day, maybe I need to try something different. Is that a bigger club, Champions League, bigger challenge? I don't know.

"The flip side of me is thinking, because I think I'm a little bit different - I don't know, of course I don't know all my colleagues, their family lives and social life - but I'm a very social person. I love that part of life as well, being together with friends and family and being able to travel and all that.

"I'm working very hard at Brentford, but I'm in a club where everything is working. Everything I've been a part of building is you know, all the processes. And then last year, I'm not saying we were fighting relegation but it's not going completely the way we thought.

"So okay then, it's a little bit tougher, but there's a lot of things in this club where it's easier than you going into another club where you need to build the culture, you need to build everything, all that. So that's probably the two questions I need to ask myself. And plus Brentford, maybe there is extra layers.

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"Who knows what will happen in the future when we can do even more? I think that's probably the two questions I'm asking myself. So now I'm just thinking 'What is it that I want in life?'. Is that constant chasing, which I already do a little bit - to want to do better, and better, and better?"

Frank has repeatedly been linked with a move to Spurs, who are currently struggling under the leadership of manager Ange Postecoglou. The Australian-Greek coach took over at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last summer, replacing Antonio Conte, guiding the Lilywhites to a fifth-placed finish in the 2023/24 Premier League season.

Postecoglou's start to the current campaign has been anything but smooth, with Spurs sitting in 11th place after securing six victories, two draws and suffering seven defeats in their first 15 matches. Despite only winning one of their last five Premier League fixtures - a surprising 4-0 demolition of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City - Postecoglou is not yet in danger of receiving his marching orders from chairman Daniel Levy.

Levy recognises that Postecoglou has been hampered by injuries, with the likes of Guglielmo Vicario, Richarlison and Wilson Odobert currently out of action, and is prepared to give his manager more time to reverse the club's fortunes. However, following Spurs' 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth earlier this month, Postecoglou was booed by the travelling supporters, indicating growing dissatisfaction among the fanbase.

Nicolas Jackson had a Sunday to forget at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and he struggled to keep his emotions in check even though his Chelsea team-mates pulled a result out of the bag.

Jackson has been superb this season, netting eight goals and providing three assists in the Premier League alone. But the 23-year-old was ineffective before being hooked off in the 76th minute against Spurs.

Not only did he fail to contribute to any of the three Chelsea goals that had already hit the net by that point in the match, he also trudged to the sidelines without registering a single shot on target, recording a key pass or completing a successful dribble.

What Chelsea fans saw once Jackson took his spot on the bench was equally concerning. A Tottenham supporter sat directly behind him captured close-quarters footage of the striker who, instead of watching and cheering on his team-mates with the match poised at 3-2, was sulking with his head tucked away inside his shirt.

Jackson did not lift his head up to look at the game for the duration of the minute-long clip, which may spark concerns about the player getting more caught up in his own performance than Chelsea's bid to get the three points.

Some may also be keen to see Jackson take a greater control over his emotions. The Senegal international's sulk continued even after the full-time whistle confirmed a 4-3 win for the visitors.

When Chelsea players flocked to the away end to applaud the travelling support, Jackson lagged behind, buried in the hood of his coat. Manager Enzo Maresca even ran back to put an arm around his shoulder and bring him over to the rest of the group.

Jackson's actions are evidence that, with the level of squad depth Maresca has at his disposal, each first-team player is under big pressure at Chelsea. Jackson has been given the nod in the Premier League this season, but back-up forward Christopher Nkunku is knocking on the door, having been prolific in other competitions.

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Nevertheless, Maresca continues to show faith in Jackson. And Kalidou Koulibaly believes that's for good reason, with the former Chelsea defender backing his countryman to one day win the Ballon d'Or.

"Nico Jackson has to believe he can be world class," he told GIVEMESPORT. "All the players who have won the Ballon d'Or believed they could. So you have to put this in Nico’s head. I don't tell him to be selfish and ignore his team-mates, but he has to think about the Ballon d'Or. If you put this image in his head, he can achieve it. And that's what I tell him all the time."

Tottenham have reportedly made a financial offer to sign Jonathan David on a free transfer next summer. The prolific attacker will be available as a free agent if he does not sign a new contract with Lille.

David's record in Ligue 1 and his contract situation make his potential addition an enticing prospect for Europe's biggest clubs next summer. The Canada international scored 26 goals across all competitions last season and has already found the net 17 times in only 23 appearances this term.

Wide-ranging reports suggest that David is open to moving on from Lille when his contract expires. Spurs have been linked with a deal for the striker amid their inconsistency under Ange Postecoglou this season.

According to Spanish publication Sport, the North Londoners have made 'an important financial offer' to the player. They are waiting to find out how David will respond to their proposal but will reportedly not wait too long.

Spurs' path to signing David may have been cleared by Barcelona's reported hesitation over a deal. It is claimed in the report that the La Liga club is the 24-year-old's preferred destination.

But Los Blaugranas head coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco reportedly have reservations over David's ability. It is understood that both believe that the forward struggles when he does not have space to exploit. In a Barca team often playing against low blocks, that could cause an issue.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have previously been linked with a move for David. It is unclear if their reported interest will materialise in an offer over the coming months.

Spurs have struggled to secure consistent positive results this season and pressure is mounting on Postecoglou ahead of a crunch run of fixtures. They were beaten 4-3 by Chelsea on Sunday, having led 2-0 early in the first half.

Spurs paid an initial £55million to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer. The 27-year-old was the only one of the club's five signings who was aged about 20 at the time of their arrival.

Solanke has scored seven goals in 19 appearances this season but his campaign has been disrupted by a couple of injury issues. He recently missed Spurs' 1-1 draw with Fulham due to sickness. The potential signing of David could help to ease the scoring burden from Solanke's shoulders.

Spurs are 11th in the Premier League having won only six of their 15 matches so far this season, losing seven. Postecoglou's side face Southampton, Liverpool and in-form Nottingham Forest over their next three top-flight matches.

Ange Postecoglou is reportedly expected to remain in charge of Tottenham for the capital club's upcoming run of matches and has the full backing of the board.

Spurs slipped to another disappointing defeat over the weekend, despite Postecoglou's men having raced to a two-goal lead against Chelsea inside the opening 15 minutes.

Jadon Sancho's strike reduced the deficit before the break, but an Enzo Fernandez leveller and two Cole Palmer penalties gave Chelsea what proved to be an unassailable lead.

Son Heung-min set up a grandstand finish with Spurs' third in added time, however, it was too little too late as Tottenham lost again.

It now means Spurs have won just one of their previous seven outings across all competitions, of which, four have been defeats.

The pressure is mounting on Postecoglou, but any Spurs fans hoping for a change in the managerial department might be forced to wait a little longer.

As per The Telegraph, Spurs aren't looking to make any knee-jerk decisions on Postecoglou's future, with the hierarchy convinced he's the best man to lead them out of their current rut.

The report did state that things could change if Tottenham's form continues to spiral downwards.

A banana skin trip to Ibrox to face Rangers awaits Tottenham on Thursday, before a trip to relegation candidates Southampton on Sunday.

After that, a potentially season-defining run of fixtures comes before the New Year, with a League Cup quarter-final against Manchester United to come, as well as the visit of Liverpool in the Premier League.

It doesn't get much easier after that, as European challengers Nottingham Forest, who currently sit six places above Spurs in the table, are next up on the schedule.

Postecoglou will be crossing his fingers and hoping he can inspire his team to a change in fortunes.

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Speaking after Tottenham's defeat in north London, Postecoglou said:"We started the game really well but as our season has been going, we lose [Cristian] Romero after 20 minutes and that disrupts us a bit and they score straight after.

"We had moments to get our third and at half-time we were in a decent position. The second half is a ding dong, especially at the start, they scored but we had a big chance with Son, we didn't take it and then they 3-2 up.

"I thought both penalties were poor decision by us, we have to show more discipline. In the end the critical moments got us. I think there were quality opportunities but I don't think there was an abundance of them. I can't remember the keepers making a load of top quality saves.

"We more than matched a good side in that department and when there is quality out there you are going to have moments. There were things we could have done better for sure."

Tottenham are reportedly running out of patience with Ange Postecoglou after their two-goal collapse in a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

The Australian boss enjoyed a fine start to life in north London following his appointment in June 2023, with his side even tipped as title contenders after a fast start last year. But their form has fallen off a cliff this term and Spurs find themselves 12th in the table below Bournemouth and Fulham with 20 points from 15 games.

Their latest defeat in the London derby comes just days after Postecoglou was involved in an angry confrontation with fans after losing to Bournemouth, and their loss was their fifth in nine Premier League games.

If Levy does decide to pull the trigger on the former Celtic boss, there will be a long list of candidates vying for the job. Express Sport looks at five potential candidates to be Spurs' next manager.

Kieran McKenna

Rumours continue to swirl suggesting that McKenna will be the frontrunner to take the vacancy should Postecoglou depart, but it would represent a move to come out of left field for Levy.

Having appointed experienced coaches such as Postecoglou, Antonio Conte, Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho since sacking Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, it shows his preference for managers with a full CV rather than a budding coach with the world-class potential.

The 38-year-old guided Ipswich back to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years with back-to-back promotions, an impressive feat that shouldn't go unmentioned. But the Tractor Boys have struggled with only one win in 15 Premier League games and are 19th in the table.

Why would Spurs entrust McKenna to lift them out of this slump? Well, his only win this season came against Spurs, so he may be able to identify where their issues lie within the squad. He also spent seven years playing with Spurs' academy and rejoined the club in 2015 as an Under-18s coach, before going on to work at Manchester United.

His prior knowledge of the club and relative success in the lower leagues could put him at the top of Levy's list, even if his appointment carries a large amount of risk.

Thomas Frank

If Levy is looking for a plug-and-play replacement for Postecoglou, he won't do much better than Brentford manager Frank. The Dane is a well-respected coach in the Premier League after turning the Bees into a top-flight mainstay.

He's popular with his players, honest in defeat and charismatic on the sidelines. The 51-year-old also has an eye for talent, bringing in Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard for modest fees and reaping the rewards.

There's also a pragmatic approach to how he prepares for games - unlike Postecoglou he's not married to one style of play and the west London side are effective from set pieces, which is all the rave right now. What's more, Brentford boast the best home record in the league and have scored 26 goals in eight home fixtures.

Of course, he has never managed a club bigger than the Bees and Spurs would represent be a significant step up in terms of external pressure. But hiring Frank may be the most obvious choice if Postecoglou is handed his pink slip.

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Graham Potter

Spurs have a tendency to hire former Chelsea managers when the going gets rough - Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte to name a few - and it hasn't worked before. That said, is seven months really a fair amount to judge Potter's reign at Stamford Bridge?

This is the type of job he has been waiting for, rejecting approaches from Crystal Palace and West Ham in recent months, as he firmly believes he belongs at the top of the game.

The 49-year-old's preference for slow possession football is a direct contrast to the high-tempo football on display from Postecoglou's men. But it does offer more defensive security, something that has deserted Spurs this season.

It may well be a marriage of convenience for Spurs and Potter to join forces when they need a show of faith. Likewise, Levy may feel it's time to hire an Englishman as a permanent manager, having not done so since Harry Redknapp in 2008.

Fabian Hurzeler

Premier League chairmen and owners have a weakness for paying heaps of money for shiny new things and taking the plunge on the manager of the moment is one of their favourite activities. Levy may not consider himself to be amongst that group of gentlemen, but even the Spurs supremo must be impressed with how Brighton have fared under Hurzeler, the league's youngest-ever manager at 31.

The German clearly has something in his locker after guiding St Pauli back to the Bundesliga in his first professional job before his shock appointment by the Seagulls. Since taking over, the South Coast outfit have lost only three times out of 15 games, with their extraordinary comeback to beat Spurs 3-2 at the Amex arguably the highlight of his reign.

Of course, Hurzeler's side have displayed some tactical naivety hauntingly similar to Postecoglou, often failing to defend sturdy leads as highlighted by their 2-2 draw with Leicester - despite leading 2-0 with 86 minutes on the clock.

And the expense of hiring a manager only six months into a three-year contract may be something Levy is looking to avoid.

Edin Terzic

If success is the one thing that Spurs are striving for, then hiring a manager who took Borussia Dortmund to their first Champions League final in 11 years might be a good start. Terzic, 42, is arguably one of the biggest names on the market who would jump at the chance to work in the Premier League after two eye-catching stints with the Schwarzgelben.

The German guided them to the DFB-Pokal in 2020-21 in his stint as caretaker after succeeding Lucien Favre and, when hired for a second time in 2022, he almost snatched the Bundesliga title from Bayern Munich - only to lose out on goal difference after drawing with Mainz 2-2 on the final day.

In his 156 games in charge of Dortmund, Terzic won 103 times and that offers him an impressive win rate of 66 per cent. For context, that puts him comfortably above Mikel Arteta at Arsenal (59 per cent) and Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund (56 per cent).

His Dortmund side played Real Madrid off the park in the Champions League final back in June and a 2-0 defeat didn't do justice to how the game played out. If he can promise the same kind of impact at Spurs, there is no telling just how far he could take them.

Enzo Maresca continues to downplay any talk of a title race despite Chelsea's thrilling comeback victory over Tottenham, which saw them reduce Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to just four points.

The Blues found themselves 2-0 down after just 11 minutes in North London, with Spurs capitalising on two slips by Marc Cucurella to score through Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski.

However, Jadon Sancho quickly pulled one back for Chelsea, who were fortunate not to see Moises Caicedo sent off for a high tackle on Pape Matar Sarr. This proved pivotal as Caicedo was later fouled by Yves Bissouma, earning Chelsea a penalty.

Cole Palmer converted the spot-kick and then brilliantly set up Enzo Fernandez for Chelsea's third goal. Palmer added another from the penalty spot, his 12th of the season, before Son Heung-min scored a late consolation for Spurs.

Despite the win, Maresca urged his players to remain focused.

He said: "To be focused in the day-by-day, in our session, in the next game on Thursday then Sunday, because if you start to think in two games, three games or in four games where we are? It's completely wrong.

"The main focus has to be enjoy the day off, with family or friends, but when they come back go again 100 per cent, train well, go for the game and no more than that.

"We are happy that our fans are happy. They can dream, they can think everything because on the outside it is quite clear, also inside, the reality is that I said many times for me we are not ready to be there, but the important thing is we improve day by day."

While Maresca downplayed Chelsea's title aspirations, he acknowledged the ingredients of the victory highlighted the mentality of the squad - the youngest in the Premier League. "This for sure is an important win," he added.

"First of all for the way that it arrives because to come into this stadium, against this team and to concede two goals but to continue with the same plan on the ball, off the ball, it show how the players are in this moment mentally strong. This is important.

"Since we start, we are trying to work the way we want to play on and off the ball, but also we are trying to work in terms of mentality and togetherness.

"To come into this season to think you are going to win or compete without suffer or without some bad moments is impossible. We were ready for that. It is probably too much after 15 minutes to give away two goals but it is the perfect win probably because of this."

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Spurs' woes under Ange Postecoglou continued as they slumped to another defeat, leaving them languishing 11th in the league. The return of Cristian Romero was cut short by injury just 15 minutes into the game, and both Brennan Johnson and Micky van de Ven were also sidelined later on.

A contentious incident occurred when Caicedo's challenge on Sarr was deemed only a foul with VAR upholding referee Anthony Taylor's decision. Postecoglou expressed his frustration, saying: "There's a couple of decisions I thought today that definitely went against us.

"It almost feels like no-one is in control because everybody is scared to make a decision to overturn somebody else. Referees are scared to make decisions in case they get it wrong, VAR don't want to intervene and I get that because you don't want disruptions to the game. You just have to cop out.

"We worked awfully hard, but to give away two goals and you give away two penalties unnecessarily against a quality side anyway, you make things very difficult for yourself."