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Tottenham head to Molineux in a must-win match against already-relegated Wolves as Roberto De Zerbi seeks his first win since returning to the Premier League

Molineux stages a major relegation clash on Saturday as already-relegated Wolves welcome a Tottenham side sinking deeper into trouble.

Wolves’ drop into the Championship was sealed on Monday night and Rob Edwards’s men now play out the season with pride on the line. Their brief three-game unbeaten spell sparked hope of a late escape, but it quickly evaporated as they were thrashed in back-to-back defeats to fellow strugglers, losing 7-0 on aggregate. A 3-0 loss to Leeds last time out was their 22nd league defeat of the campaign, and another heavy setback this weekend would see them lose three straight top-flight matches by three or more goals for the first time since 1983.

Tottenham, though, are hardly flying. Roberto De Zerbi’s side remain below the safety line and are still searching for their first league win of 2026, stretching their winless run to 15 games. They looked set to end that drought against Brighton, with Xavi Simons curling home after setting up Pedro Porro, only for Georginio Rutter to strike late and snatch a 2-2 draw. Spurs sit just two points behind West Ham after the Hammers were held by Crystal Palace, but failure to win at Wolves would match the club’s longest ever league winless run — 16 games, set in 1934-35.

Wolves can at least take encouragement from the head-to-head, having gone six games unbeaten against Spurs, and Tottenham’s season-long struggles give the hosts a chance to end their Premier League campaign with a rare high.

Wolves vs Tottenham Prediction

Tottenham to win and both teams to score - 21/10 ( BetGoodwin )

Xavi Simons to score anytime - 5/2 ( BetGoodwin )

Wolves vs Tottenham Team News

James Maddison was back in Tottenham’s matchday squad against Brighton for the first time this season, but he stayed on the bench and is not yet ready to start.

Roberto De Zerbi is still without Guglielmo Vicario, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Dejan Kulusevski, Cristian Romero and Wilson Odobert, while Destiny Udogie is a fresh doubt. Changes are possible after a poor showing last week, with Lucas Bergvall pushing for a midfield start.

Wolves have new injury worries after losing to Leeds, with Angel Gomes (toe) and Ladislav Krejci (whiplash) both doubts, along with Jose Sa and Matt Doherty. Enso Gonzalez and Sam Johnstone are out, as is suspended Yerson Mosquera. If Gomes misses out, Mateus Mane is likely to step in, while Krejci’s fitness could force a defensive reshuffle.

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Manchester United are reportedly weighing up a move for Tottenham star Micky van de Ven, who's also said to be a target for Liverpool during the summer transfer window

Liverpool would be Micky van de Ven's preferred destination if he leaves Tottenham, despite interest from Manchester United. Van de Ven, 25, is considering his future after three years with Spurs, who are fighting to avoid a shock relegation to the Championship.

The Netherlands international made a good first impression when he arrived from German side Wolfsburg for £43million. His pace and ball-playing ability with his left foot quickly made him one of the most coveted centre-backs in the Premier League, although a series of hamstring injuries blighted his second season.

Van de Ven has only missed one game through injury this term, Tottenham's worst campaign in recent history, and he remains a top target for some of England's elite clubs. But in bad news for United, Van de Ven would turn down a move to Old Trafford if a switch to Liverpool was also on the table, according to talkSPORT.

A departure from Spurs isn't guaranteed, though. It's added that if Roberto De Zerbi's side avoid relegation, Van de Ven could extend his stay in north London, especially if Tottenham sell captain Cristian Romero, who's been linked with Atletico Madrid.

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Both United and Liverpool are expected to be in the market for central defenders. United's current crisis at centre-back has highlighted concerns over squad depth as they prepare to return to playing European football next season.

Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November while Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire are also prone to injuries. For Liverpool, it's a similar situation.

Ibrahima Konate is out of contract at the end of this season, although he's expected to sign a new deal, while summer signing Giovanni Leoni has only made one appearance to due a serious knee injury. Their only other recognised centre-backs, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, sees their contracts expire in 2027.

Who should Micky van de Ven join - Liverpool or Man Utd? Have your say in the comments section.

Liverpool have already signed two centre-backs ahead of the summer - 20-year-old Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes and Austria Wien starlet Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who's 18. But Arne Slot may want a more senior figure who can be Van Dijk's successor.

As for United, they'll need to decide how much to spend on a defender, with Van de Ven likely to cost in excess of what Tottenham paid for him in 2023. The Red Devils are set on buying at least one midfielder while they also want to sign an experienced striker and potentially a new backup goalkeeper.

Referee Rob Jones came under fire after deciding not to send Brian Brobbey off for a shove on Tottenham captain Cristian Romero during Spurs' recent 1-0 loss against Sunderland

The referee who failed to send Brian Brobbey off against Tottenham has been at fault for FIVE key match incidents this season, a Premier League panel has ruled. Rob Jones took charge of the clash between Sunderland and Spurs on April 12, during which Brobbey made a late challenge on Cristian Romero.

In the 63rd minute, the Sunderland striker tried getting on the end of a pass from team-mate Nordi Mukiele. Romero, however, shielded the ball which ended up in the hands of Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.

Brobbey then nudged Romero in the back, sending him into Kinsky. In the process, the Spurs captain suffered a knee injury which will keep him out for the rest of this season.

Although Jones gave a foul against Brobbey, the Dutchman - who was crucially already on a yellow card - avoided a sending off. VAR are unable to intervene on potential second yellows.

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The Premier League's key match incidents (KMI) panel have now voted 3:2 that Jones made an error, with the majority concluding that 'there was a two-handed push which was an unnecessarily reckless action'.

Of the 12 KMI errors relating to second yellow cards not being shown this season, Jones has been responsible for five. Newcastle's Malick Thiaw (versus Bournemouth), Manchester City defender Ruben Dias (vs Nottingham Forest), team-mate Rodri (vs Tottenham) and Chelsea star Cole Palmer (vs Leeds United) are the other four incidents.

Over the past two seasons, Jones has the joint-most mistakes on second bookings. The Merseyside-born referee, who also overturned a Tottenham penalty earlier in the game, is culpable for 10 of the 42 errors.

When Jones' mistake against Tottenham was revealed to Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi during a press conference on Friday, he replied: "Can we play that game again or not? I think not. It was clear but no problem. We have to move on."

Should Brian Brobbey have been sent off? Have your say in the comments section.

Tottenham will move on when they travel to face already-relegated Wolves for vitally important game at 3pm on Saturday. De Zerbi's side remain in the relegation zone, languishing two points adrift of West Ham, who host Everton at the same time as Spurs are in action.

"It's a tough game because they have nothing to lose," the Tottenham manager said. "It's an important game for us, for sure, but we have to be able to play with not too much pressure.

"Sometimes when one team is losing too many games the rumours are not nice and behaviour and the people speak about not too much serious players, but no, it is not like this in this case."

The closest Paul-Jose M'Poku got to a Tottenham Hotspur appearance came in February 2010. The winger, signed with great fanfare from Standard Liege as a teenager, was named on the bench by Harry Redknapp for a 4-0 FA Cup win over Bolton but didn't make it onto the pitch.

Eleven years later, M'Poku was back in the capital as his younger brother Albert Sambi Lokonga joined Arsenal. Sambi Lokonga got the taste of Premier League football which eluded his sibling but his arrival was a matter of pride - despite it being on the other side of the north London divide.

" I was there as a big brother to advise him like, okay, England is like this, and some of the people that I know in England that can maybe help you to adapt if you ever need anything," M'Poku told Mirror Football. "I was just there as a big brother. I didn't really tell him to do anything or to do something.

"If he needed me then he knew I was there. Obviously we went there for the signing and everything and it was I was so happy for me to see him in the Prem."

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Sambi Lokonga would end up making 51 Premier League appearances - 25 for Arsenal and 26 during loan spells at Crystal Palace and Luton Town - before joining current club Hamburg in September. Rather than holding any bad blood due to the rivalry, M'Poku considered his brother's arrival in England as mission accomplished after his own nearly moment.

"I always said to him that the place that I didn't reach you have to reach, what I didn't win, you have to win," he said. "So for me, I'm so proud to be his big brother and yeah, yeah, I'm proud of him. Not only as a footballer but as a man."

M'Poku's career has gone down a rather different path. He returned to boyhood club Standard Liege after leaving Spurs in 2011 and also spent time at top-flight clubs in Italy, Greece, the UAE, Turkey, South Korea, Romania and Saudi Arabia.

He came through at the same time as Harry Kane, spending time on loan at Leyton Orient alongside the England captain in a spell which had formative elements for both men. While the pair aren't in regular contact these days, they have mutual friends and M'Poku knows Kane's club manager Vincent Kompany and members of the Belgian's Bayern Munich coaching staff.

Now 34, the Congolese international winger is spending the twilight of his career in Baller League, rubbing shoulders with former Premier League players in the indoor, small-sided format. He is still keeping an eye on his old employers, though, and is saddened by Tottenham's plight as they battle to avoid relegation.

"One of the things I remember is when we came to Spurs, they were speaking about the vision that they had, about the new academy training Centre and the new stadium," he said. "Back in the day I remember the club speaking about how they want to build with young players and be in the Champions League and everything in in the next few years.

"So I saw it when I left Spurs with the new training ground, with the new stadium. And for me now, seeing the club in that position is a bit sad because... it does mean something went wrong in one moment."

Spurs travel to bottom-of-the-table Wolves this weekend knowing anything less than a win will guarantee they stay the wrong side of the dotted line. Arsenal, in contrast, are behind league leaders Manchester City on goals scored alone and can move top this weekend with a win at home to Newcastle.

The season could yet end with a double celebration for one side of the rivalry, even if some targets have changed since the start of the season. As M'Poku and Sambi Lokonga have demonstrated, though, some have been able to look past the history between the two famous clubs.

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Ex-Newcastle boss Chris Hughton speaks about cancer battle and recovery for first time

Former Tottenham Hotspur star and Brighton boss Chris Hughton has opened up on his battle with prostate cancer having undergone surgery for the disease last year

Tottenham Hotspur hero Chris Hughton has opened up on his battle with prostate cancer, having undergone surgery to remove the disease.

The 67-year-old was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year. He underwent successful surgery to remove his prostate and is now cancer-free.

He is now keen to raise awareness of the disease, having managed to catch it early. Hughton said: “The news certainly didn’t scare me. I know everyone is different, but my first impression was: ‘I’ll be fine.’ I didn’t instantly think 'this is probably just going to kill me'. I just thought: 'Ok, we’ll have to do what we have to do.'”

Routine helath checks through the League Managers Association helped Hughton spot the early warning signs, having been placed into a 'high risk' category, being a black male over the age of 50 with history of illness within his family. He then underwent blood tests to get a firm diagnosis before beginning treatment.

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He added: “I had very good advice and all the treatment options were given to me, and I decided to have my prostate removed. The recovery has gone really well. I’m one year post operation and I feel good. It’s all gone very well. I’ve got a lot of energy.

“Keeping active and busy is part of how I am anyway, but it’s also about rehabilitation and keeping your mind active as well. I’m very comfortable with my prognosis and my post operation feelings. I’m in a really good place.”

Hughton is an iconic figure at Tottenham Hotspur, having made 398 appearances for the North London during his career. He has also managed them on three occasions as interim boss.

Hughton has also had spells with Newcastle United, Norwich City, Birmingham City, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. Hughton helped the Seagulls to promotion to the Premier League in 2017. He has managed 169 games in the top flight across spells with Newcastle, Norwich and Brighton.

His most recent role was with the Ghana national side, which ended in January 2024.

The ex-defender, who made 53 appearances for the Republic of Ireland during his playing career, was recently linked with a return to former club Tottenham on a managerial basis following the woeful stewardship of Igor Tudor.

But the North London side instead appointed fellow former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi, who is tasked with guiding the club away from relegation over the final weeks of the campaign.

If Tottenham Hotspur face relegation this season then Liverpool could take advantage and swoop for this one player

Should Tottenham Hotspur suffer relegation this season, Liverpool must make a play for Dutch defender Micky van de Ven. Spurs are currently languishing in the drop zone, two points adrift of West Ham in 17th, following a catastrophic campaign.

After Igor Tudor's rotten spell and subsequent dismissal, Roberto De Zerbi has been handed the responsibility of keeping Spurs in the top flight. The Italian will also need to persuade the club's star players that their futures lie at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While not to the same extent, Arne Slot's side have also endured difficulties this season, with an unreliable and injury-ravaged backline contributing to their troubles. A deal has already been struck for Jeremy Jacquet to arrive from Rennes ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, but further defensive additions remain necessary.

Ibrahima Konate's uncertain future is a worry, Joe Gomez could depart this summer, while Virgil van Dijk will be 35 by the start of next season. Van de Ven, who has been strongly linked with the Reds, is contracted to Spurs until 2029.

According to talkSPORT, the club have placed a £100 million valuation on the defender. Yet should De Zerbi's squad drop into the Championship, the 25-year-old would undoubtedly be available for a bargain price.

Is the Spurs star worth investing in? Opinion remains divided following Van de Ven's patchy campaign with Spurs. But former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann believes Liverpool require a player with Van de Ven's speed.

He said: "We know in football how important pace is going forward... I think Micky van de Ven is one of the quickest, if not the quickest, in the Premier League. So, yeah, he'd certainly be one who's on the radar."

Ex-Spurs manager Tim Sherwood also reckons it's the sensible decision for everyone involved. "Micky van de Ven is the obvious choice for Liverpool this summer in that left centre-back position," he said.

Concerns exist, though. Former Liverpool player Dean Saunders has raised questions over whether Van de Ven has the footballing intelligence required to succeed at Anfield. Previous Liverpool defender Glen Johnson has similarly expressed reservations about Van de Ven's fit for the Reds.

"When speaking about Micky van de Ven, he is lightning quick, but I have played against defenders like him," Saunders told aceodds.com. "I have played against the quickest centre-backs in the world, but it was never a problem for me. Being a top defender is all about your brain.

"It doesn't matter being quick if you don't have the brain. It helps you recover from mistakes, but you shouldn't make those mistakes to start. I am just not sure if Van de Ven's football brain is that good and if he can read the game. At this level, everything is about speed of thought."

Van de Ven is, remarkably and officially, the quickest player in Premier League history, recording a top speed of 37.38 against Brentford in January 2024. While he has found things difficult this season, it would be challenging to identify a Spurs player who hasn't.

The Dutch international wins 53.62 per cent of his aerial duels, while his passing accuracy sits at an impressive 89 per cent, suggesting there would be plenty for Slot to develop.

His seven goals across all competitions this season is one more than Liverpool's highest-scoring defender Virgil Van Dijk, and the Spurs centre-half would provide the advantage of having a left-footed central defender in the squad.

Van de Ven himself also appears to be keen on his potential suitors. Speaking in June 2023, shortly before his £43m transfer to Spurs, he told Voetbal International: "It's true that the director (then Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, previously worked for Wolfsburg) went there and I know that Liverpool followed me before. But at the moment, I don't know anything. Do I think Liverpool is a nice club? Naturally."

Tottenham Hotspur are advertising for a new performance psychologist to support their players as Roberto De Zerbi's side fight to avoid Premier League relegation

Tottenham Hotspur are searching for a new club psychologist to 'help heal the minds' of their mentally exhausted players.

Spurs find themselves embroiled in an unexpected relegation battle, with Roberto De Zerbi's squad currently sitting 18th in the Premier League, following the new manager's appointment after the exits of Thomas Frank of Igor Tudor. And they're now resorting to new measures in a bid to stave off relegation to the Championship.

Xavi Simons' goal believed he had dragged Spurs out of the drop zone with a long-range effort against Brighton, only for a stoppage-time leveller from the Seagulls to see Tottenham drop two points on home soil.

The club are now hunting for a sports psychologist as they attempt to address the mentality of their underperforming squad, reports the Daily Star.

In a job listing, Spurs stated: "Tottenham Hotspur Football Club is committed to building a world-class performance environment for our Men’s First Team.

"As part of this ambition, we are seeking an outstanding Performance Psychologist to join our Performance Team. This is a high-impact role embedded within the Men’s First Team environment at Hotspur Way.

“Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team you will lead the delivery of evidence-based psychological support to elite professional players.

"The role encompasses individual player support, systemic work across the coaching and performance staff, and the ongoing development of a psychologically informed performance culture throughout the team.

“This role demands a practitioner who is credible, discreet, and highly effective in a Premier League environment, capable of building trust with players and coaches while operating with the professional rigor expected at the highest level of the game.”

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The identical position has also been advertised for their women's squad.

The job opening has been posted days after De Zerbi referenced the mentality of the Tottenham players in the battle to avoid Premier League relegation.

"My job is not now to change the style of play. I did two or three things with the ball, two or three things without the ball, but the crucial part is not with the ball or without the ball. It's in our mentality to be positive," De Zerbi said after the defeat to Sunderland earlier this month.

"We have to find the right energy, the right spirit. When they stay with me during the week, they will find a positive coach because I believe in them. They are human and ‌maybe they are suffering too much.

"We have to stay all together and close and improve in the details of the football, but to be better as a mentality."

Tottenham return to action on Saturday against an already relegated Wolves outfit. Dropping further points could drag Spurs closer to a drop into the Championship.

De Zerbi's side then travel to Aston Villa before hosting Leeds United, followed by fixtures against Chelsea and Everton.

The former Tottenham and Nottingham Forest boss has been sampling Champions League football after returning to work

Ange Postecoglou has ventured back into Premier League territory to assess Liverpool as part of his new role. It has been a bruising period for the Australian since he guided Tottenham to Europa League glory last season.

Postecoglou paid the price for Spurs' 17th-place Premier League finish, being shown the door just weeks after that final victory over Manchester United in Bilbao. He subsequently lost his position at Nottingham Forest after 39 days in charge.

However, the former Celtic manager has returned to work after being appointed as a UEFA technical observer. Among his first duties, he was sent to assess Arsenal in the Champions League in January, while one of his most recent assignments brought him to Anfield for Liverpool's second leg encounter with Paris Saint-Germain.

Postecoglou's breakdown of the match, which PSG won 2-0 to seal a 4-0 aggregate victory, has been made available on the UEFA website. The 60-year-old opens the piece by commending Liverpool's pressing style, saying: "Ryan Gravenberch and Dominic Szoboszlai did a really good job of closing down the midfield space. They denied PSG that central area they like to play in."

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He then praised the manner in which Luis Enrique's outfit adjusted by opting for a more direct style of play. Postecoglou said: "Liverpool's approach really made it difficult for them and if they'd just persisted in trying to play like they normally do, they may have got unstuck."

During his time at Spurs, Postecoglou was frequently criticised for not reining in his attacking approach when circumstances called for it. Yet, as he reflected on PSG's victory, he insisted that Tottenham showed flexibility when needed throughout their Europa League campaign.

He said: "A key thing is to understand that, rather than having a predetermined idea about how things could transpire, you need to understand the game in front of you and the immediate task at hand. For coaches, experience teaches you that.

"The reality of it is, whether it's pragmatism or simply understanding what the actual challenge is on the day, the paramount thing is being successful, particularly in Champions League knockout football because the margins are so fine.

"You can't abandon your foundations, and if you look at Luis Enrique's approach, there were still the elements you always see. But there was also a recognition that there was a different challenge to overcome.

"There's a difference to knockout football in Europe, and the approach you take and recognising that, at certain stages, it's not an abandonment of philosophy, it's an acknowledgement of the challenge that's before you and doing what's required.

"And that certainly was our approach with Tottenham in the Europa League final last year, and it wasn't saying that everything we've done up till now doesn't matter."

Viktor Gyokeres has endured a mixed first season with Arsenal following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon and could potentially have landed himself in the bad books with supporters

Viktor Gyokeres has hailed TWO former Tottenham heroes to potentially land himself in hot water with Arsenal fans. The Swedish forward, signed from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, has had a mixed debut season in North London.

He has scored 18 goals in all competitions, 12 in the Premier League. But his contributions elsewhere have earned criticism from some quarters.

Gyokeres might also be in trouble with supporters, having praised two former Tottenham frontmen. Tasked with building his ultimate striker by TNT Sports, he was asked who’s finishing in world football was the best.

He subsequently chose Spurs’ record goalscorer Harry Kane - the England captain having scored 280 goals in 435 appearances for the North London side before a move to Bayern Munich. Kane has continued his stunning goalscoring rate in Germany with 136 goals in just three seasons, while he was recently crowned Bundesliga champion for the second time.

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Another former Tottenham striker was also picked when it came to first touches, with Dimitar Berbatov right at the top of the list. The Bulgarian joined Spurs from Bayer Leverkusen in 2006 and netted 46 goals in two seasons before a move to Manchester United.

Gyokeres however did back himself when it came to penalties, having claimed that particular skill. Meanwhile, he selected Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe for his pace and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for strength.

Ronaldo Nazario was Gyokeres' pick for dribbling, while current Al-Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo earned his selection when it came to composure. Gyokeres will certainly be hoping to harness the skills of some of his selections as he aims to fire Arsenal to the Premier League title over the closing weeks of the campaign.

Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit top but just three points clear of Manchester City following their defeat at the Etihad Stadium. Wayne Rooney slammed Mikel Arteta’s decision to bench Gyokeres for that crucial game.

He said: “I think these decisions if he comes on and scores the winner or scores the equalising goal obviously it’s the right decision.

“I thought with him not starting, Arsenal would’ve tried to sit in there. It was a strange one him not starting because you bring a No.9 in which they’ve been looking for all season, and I actually think he’s done OK, to not start him in such a big game I think that might affect him.”