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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called "outstanding person" Rodrigo Bentancur an "unbelievable team-mate" and supported Spurs' decision to appeal the length of his seven-match suspension for a racist remark about captain Heung-Min Son.

Bentancur has been sanctioned over comments he made in an interview aired on Uruguayan TV in June.

The 27-year-old was also fined £100,000 by the Football Association as part of the punishment.

Bentancur handed seven-game ban for Son remarks

Tottenham fixtures: Which games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?

Spurs said in a statement that they "accept the guilty finding" against Bentancur, but "believe the subsequent sanction is severe".

When asked how big a blow Bentancur's absence would be, Postecoglou said during an exclusive interview with Sky Sports: "It's disappointing because he's been great for us this year.

"He's one of the ones whose football has gone up a level. But we understood this was kind of coming and there was an acceptance from everyone that whatever the sort of penalties were… I fully support the club's decision to appeal the severity of the ban, but ultimately we know it's going to be for X number of games.

"We will work with Rodrigo through that and make sure within that time he has all our support in all the right ways so when he is available again he's ready to go.

"I haven't spoken to him since it came out. He's been away with Uruguay and he's not quite back yet. I'd spoken to him in the lead-up to it. As I said at the time, he understands he has made a mistake, he's prepared to accept whatever penalty comes his way and we as a club are going to support him.

"The one thing that's undeniable to me, because I know him, is he's an outstanding person. He's an unbelievable team-mate. He's a person of the upmost character that has made a mistake. I think when that happens our role is to support him in any way we can."

The former Juventus midfielder was asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

While an apology from Bentancur was swiftly forthcoming, due to this being an "aggravated breach", an independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

Son said he and Bentancur remained "brothers" and "nothing had changed" after the Uruguayan immediately apologised to him, admitting he had "made a mistake".

Sky Sports News have contacted Kick It Out for a response to Postecoglou's comments.

Spurs' next seven domestic fixtures

November 23: Manchester City (a) - live on Sky Sports

December 1: Fulham (h)

December 5: Bournemouth (a)

December 8: Chelsea (h) - live on Sky Sports

December 15: Southampton (a)

December 19: Manchester United (h) - live on Sky Sports, Carabao Cup quarter-final

December 22: Liverpool (h) - live on Sky Sports

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has called "outstanding person" Rodrigo Bentancur an "unbelievable team-mate" and supported Spurs' decision to appeal the length of his seven-match suspension for a racist remark about captain Heung-Min Son.

Bentancur has been sanctioned over comments he made in an interview aired on Uruguayan TV in June.

The 27-year-old was also fined £100,000 by the Football Association as part of the punishment.

Bentancur handed seven-game ban for Son remarks

Tottenham fixtures: Which games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?

Spurs said in a statement that they "accept the guilty finding" against Bentancur, but "believe the subsequent sanction is severe".

When asked how big a blow Bentancur's absence would be, Postecoglou said during an exclusive interview with Sky Sports: "It's disappointing because he's been great for us this year.

"He's one of the ones whose football has gone up a level. But we understood this was kind of coming and there was an acceptance from everyone that whatever the sort of penalties were… I fully support the club's decision to appeal the severity of the ban, but ultimately we know it's going to be for X number of games.

"We will work with Rodrigo through that and make sure within that time he has all our support in all the right ways so when he is available again he's ready to go.

"I haven't spoken to him since it came out. He's been away with Uruguay and he's not quite back yet. I'd spoken to him in the lead-up to it. As I said at the time, he understands he has made a mistake, he's prepared to accept whatever penalty comes his way and we as a club are going to support him.

"The one thing that's undeniable to me, because I know him, is he's an outstanding person. He's an unbelievable team-mate. He's a person of the upmost character that has made a mistake. I think when that happens our role is to support him in any way we can."

The former Juventus midfielder was asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

While an apology from Bentancur was swiftly forthcoming, due to this being an "aggravated breach", an independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

Son said he and Bentancur remained "brothers" and "nothing had changed" after the Uruguayan immediately apologised to him, admitting he had "made a mistake".

Spurs' next seven domestic fixtures

November 23: Manchester City (a) - live on Sky Sports

December 1: Fulham (h)

December 5: Bournemouth (a)

December 8: Chelsea (h) - live on Sky Sports

December 15: Southampton (a)

December 19: Manchester United (h) - live on Sky Sports, Carabao Cup quarter-final

December 22: Liverpool (h) - live on Sky Sports

Tottenham have appealed against the length of Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-match suspension for a racist remark made about team-mate Heung-Min Son in a TV interview.

The 27-year-old was also fined £100,000 by the Football Association as part of the punishment.

Spurs said in a statement that they "accept the guilty finding" against Bentancur, but "believe the subsequent sanction is severe".

His domestic suspension will remain in place while the appeal is heard, Spurs added.

Bentancur has been sanctioned over comments he made in an interview aired on Uruguayan TV in June.

Tottenham fixtures: Which games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?

The former Juventus midfielder was asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

While an apology from Bentancur was swiftly forthcoming, due to this being an "aggravated breach", an independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

Son said he and Bentancur remained "brothers" and "nothing had changed" after the Uruguayan immediately apologised to him, admitting he had "made a mistake".

Tottenham travel to Manchester City next on Saturday November 23, live on Sky Sports.

What Kick It Out said on Bentancur's ban

A spokesperson for Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination body in football, welcomed the punishment on Bentancur.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, they said: "We welcome today's decision to hold Rodrigo Bentancur accountable for using a racial slur.

"A significant number of reports were made to Kick It Out regarding the incident at the time, highlighting how abuse directed at players from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds not only impacts the individuals involved but also affects fans in the wider community."

Spurs' next seven domestic fixtures

November 23: Manchester City (a) - live on Sky Sports

December 1: Fulham (h)

December 5: Bournemouth (a)

December 8: Chelsea (h) - live on Sky Sports

December 15: Southampton (a)

December 19: Manchester United (h) - live on Sky Sports, Carabao Cup quarter-final

December 22: Liverpool (h) - live on Sky Sports

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Tottenham are expected to appeal against Rodrigo Bentancur's seven-match suspension for a racist remark made about team-mate Heung-Min Son in a TV interview.

Spurs are understood to be appealing the length of the Football Association ban rather than the verdict. The 27-year-old was also fined £100,000.

Bentancur has been sanctioned over comments he made in an interview aired on Uruguayan TV in June.

Tottenham fixtures: Which games will Rodrigo Bentancur miss?

The former Juventus midfielder was asked to show the shirt of a Spurs player and replied: "Sonny's? It could be Sonny's cousin too as they all look the same."

While an apology from Bentancur was swiftly forthcoming, due to this being an "aggravated breach", an independent regulatory commission panel were required to either uphold the FA charge or dismiss the case.

Son said he and Bentancur remained "brothers" and "nothing had changed" after the Uruguayan immediately apologised to him, admitting he had "made a mistake".

Tottenham travel to Manchester City next on Saturday November 23, live on Sky Sports.

What Kick It Out said on Bentancur's ban

A spokesperson for Kick It Out, an anti-discrimination body in football, welcomed the punishment on Bentancur.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, they said: "We welcome today's decision to hold Rodrigo Bentancur accountable for using a racial slur.

"A significant number of reports were made to Kick It Out regarding the incident at the time, highlighting how abuse directed at players from East and Southeast Asian backgrounds not only impacts the individuals involved but also affects fans in the wider community."

Spurs' next seven domestic fixtures

November 23: Manchester City (a) - live on Sky Sports

December 1: Fulham (h)

December 5: Bournemouth (a)

December 8: Chelsea (h) - live on Sky Sports

December 15: Southampton (a)

December 19: Manchester United (h) - live on Sky Sports, Carabao Cup quarter-final

December 22: Liverpool (h) - live on Sky Sports

Dr Tottenham will see you now, Manchester City.

The Spurs surgery has already remedied Crystal Palace and Ipswich this season, gifting them their first league wins of the season.

And now Man City will hope for a cure from Dr Tottenham to end their four-game losing run on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.

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The irony is that Ange Postecoglou's side hurt City last month by beating them 2-1 in the Carabao Cup fourth round to start their malaise.

That defeat has seen City boss Pep Guardiola suffer the longest losing run in his managerial career.

Tottenham have long been a bogey side for the Spaniard too. Under Guardiola, City have lost more Premier League games (6) and conceded more Premier League goals (22) against Spurs than they have against any other opponent.

But even with the stats in Spurs' favour, a timely rehabilitation for City would be in keeping with this Dr Tottenham season.

The term Dr Tottenham is the idea that teams lacking in confidence, form and points will suddenly be healed with a positive result against Spurs.

The recent miracle cures of Palace and Ipswich has only given further credence to the phrase.

The Eagles ended their eight-game winless start to the season with a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park, while Ipswich celebrated their first Premier League victory in 22 years after a 2-1 win in north London.

But surely two winless sides earning their first victories of the season against Spurs has never happened before? Do not doubt the power of Dr Tottenham, because it has.

In 2010, Wigan were thumped in their opening two league games at home by an aggregate score of 10-0 following defeats to newly-promoted Blackpool (4-0) and reigning champions Chelsea (6-0). Yet Spurs somehow found a cure for Roberto Martinez's side, who won 1-0 at White Hart Lane.

A month later Dr Tottenham struck again, this time helping London rivals West Ham. The Hammers, who were bottom and had just one point from their opening five games, claimed a 1-0 victory at Upton Park.

Even in the 1990s, Dr Tottenham was healing.

The present-day losses to Palace and Ipswich are the first time that two teams have picked up their first win of the season against Spurs at least five games into the campaign since 1994, when Southampton (Matchday 5) and Leicester (Matchday 6) did so.

Thirty years on, the Spurs surgery remains fully open with a couple of sickly patients up next.

Saturday's opponents City have not won in November and are in desperate need of mending. Spurs go to the champions having won just two of their last 11 Premier League away games (D2 L7), while since the start of this spell in March, no side has lost more Premier League away games than them (7).

But if Postecgolou's side can avoid another Dr Tottenham moment and rejuvenate themselves after that Ipswich upset then they will have the hurdle of poorly Roma in the Europa League five days later.

The Italian side look ripe for a dose of Dr Tottenham.

They are bang out of form, having made their worst start to a Serie A season in two decades, while they sit 20th in the Europa League table (Spurs are in the top eight).

Roma are also set for a new manager bounce, having appointed ex-Leicester and Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri as their new head coach during the international break.

Roma and City feel like two typical Dr Tottenham revivals.

The Spurs surgery must be shut down by Postecoglou.

"I won't give up, that's for sure," said Pep Guardiola prior to his Manchester City side suffering their fourth defeat in a row against Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break.

It was a tone that has rarely been associated with the City boss since arriving in English football back in 2016, but this is new-found territory for him.

This run of four games is the longest stretch he has gone without a win across his managerial career - and it is not set to get any easier.

City's immediate fixture list in the Premier League is one of the hardest and it could not arrive at a worse time, as Guardiola's side continue to struggle with injuries and confidence.

Man City in a 'dark place' - but Pep Guardiola is ready for the challenge

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City's run of fixtures

A defeat to Tottenham kick-started the hysteria, as goals from Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr caused City to crash out of the Carabao Cup.

They will now be tasked with addressing this slump against Ange Postecoglou's team, live on Sky Sports, once domestic action returns on November 23.

A blockbuster clash against league leaders Liverpool, also live on Sky Sports, will follow shortly after and Guardiola will hope to have the likes of Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones back for that game on December 1.

City will then host Nottingham Forest, who have been one of the stand-out storylines across the early stages of the season given their impressive start, at the Etihad Stadium on December 4.

A trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace three days later (December 7) looks the easiest fixture on paper, although the Eagles have caused City problems in recent years.

This of course includes the shock 2-0 victory away from home back in 2021, which will likely linger in the mind of the City boss if his side are in need of a win when the fixture arrives.

Finally, they will finish in dramatic fashion by hosting Ruben Amorim, who will have been in the job over a month by December 15, and Manchester United - live on Sky Sports.

Their rivals are currently an unknown entity but the fear of losing the derby will only mount more pressure on addressing their poor form before a fixture of this magnitude comes around.

The importance of this run laid bare

In terms of league position, City's run is only the eighth-hardest fixture list during the next five games.

However, this does not take into account the club also balancing Champions League matches against Feyenoord (November 26) and Juventus (December 11), as well as the added pressure that will compound with each fixture.

Tottenham, Feyenoord and Liverpool all carry huge importance for City and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that this losing streak extends to seven games before facing Forest.

Liverpool face Southampton in their first fixture after the break and if they go on to secure all three points and City lose their first game back, it would equal the largest points gap that has ever been overcome by Premier League champions after 11 games.

If that margin is stretched to 11 points after facing the Reds, the situation would be teetering on untenable.

Why are City struggling?

Injuries, injuries and injuries.

Winger Jeremy Doku has joined a growing list of key players currently sidelined.

Rodri is the biggest absence but in Grealish, Stones, Dias and Oscar Bobb, Guardiola is lacking crucial depth that he can call upon from the bench.

Only Everton have made less substitutions than City's tally of 35 so far this season, which could highlight why the squad are currently faltering given their lack of fresh legs.

Guardiola has begun to lean on young prospects more frequently, such as 19-year-old Jahmai Simpson-Pusey who has started the last two games in the absence of his injured stars, and might need to do so regularly in the future.

Replacing Rodri

One player that will not be returning in the near future is Rodri.

"Now the seasons are getting longer and the [FIFA Club] World Cup ends on July 13, I have in mind to return this year, as a challenge," said Rodri, speaking on COPE.

"I've already started walking and I'm feeling better than I thought."

Despite the positive update, if City are to address their current issues, they need to find someone who can fill the void left by Rodri in midfield immediately.

Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan have been used in the holding role during the run of defeats and alternative candidates may now be considered.

Stones has previously been utilised in midfield and if he is fully fit, could be a viable option to add more protection to the back four.

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