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Marcos Senesi to leave Bournemouth at end of season

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Marcos Senesi to leave Bournemouth at end of season - BBC
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Argentina defender Marcos Senesi will leave Bournemouth when his contract expires in the summer.

The 29-year-old centre-back will become a free agent after spending four years with the Cherries, who are currently sixth in the Premier League.

Senesi has been free to speak to European clubs about a free transfer since 1 January and is also exploring options to stay in England's top flight.

Bournemouth did offer the defender a new contract, but he will leave Vitality Stadium at the end of the season, as will manager Andoni Iraola.

"I'm proud of everything we achieved over the last four years," Senesi said. "I will look back at my time here with fond memories.

"For now, there are still two big games left of the season and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together."

Sixth would be Bournemouth's highest Premier League finish - and they need two more points to achieve a record points tally.

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Tottenham Hotspur: Ex-chairman Daniel Levy did not foresee Spurs relegation fight

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Tottenham Hotspur: Ex-chairman Daniel Levy did not foresee Spurs relegation fight - BBC
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"Not in a million years" did Daniel Levy believe Tottenham would be fighting for Premier League survival this season after he stepped down as executive chairman in September.

Levy said "relegation was not something we ever considered" during his 25 years in the role, but a wretched run of form in 2026 saw them slip into the drop zone.

After taking eight points from the last 12, Spurs are now two points above third-bottom West Ham with two games remaining.

Levy was appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours list for his services to charity and the community.

Speaking following Wednesday's investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle he said he felt "emptiness" at the team's league position, but insisted he remained "optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League".

Asked if he saw any signs the club would end up in a relegation scrap, he added "never, no, not in a million years".

Levy oversaw the construction of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and although the team reached the 2019 Champions League final, the only trophies Spurs won during Levy's spell as executive chairman were the 2008 League Cup and last season's Europa League.

"What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League... easier said than done," he added.

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Tottenham Hotspur: Daniel Levy 'optimistic' Spurs will stay in Premier League

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Tottenham Hotspur: Daniel Levy 'optimistic' Spurs will stay in Premier League - BBC
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Former Tottenham Hotspur executive chairman Daniel Levy says he is honoured and proud to be made a CBE for his services to charity and the community.

Levy, who left his role at Spurs after 25 years in September 2025, says he is optimistic that the club will avoid relegation from the Premier League.

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Tottenham midfielder Olga Ahtinen signs new long-term contract

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Tottenham midfielder Olga Ahtinen signs new long-term contract - BBC
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Tottenham midfielder Olga Ahtinen has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

The 28-year-old joined in 2023 and has gone on to make 55 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals.

The Finland international missed three months between November 2023 and January 2024 due to a knee injury but helped the squad reach the FA Cup final.

Under manager Martin Ho - who joined Tottenham last summer - Ahtinen has featured 19 times.

"I'm happy that I get to be a part of the journey that we're on," said Ahtinen.

"This season we've taken steps in the way we play. Our day-to-day life has been good and challenging. It's the right place for me to become a better footballer.

"The things that we're doing on a daily basis really show that we're going to be able to compete. We just want to get better every day."

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Tottenham: James Maddison says referees are petrified of making decisions

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Tottenham: James Maddison says referees are petrified of making decisions - BBC
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Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suggested referees are "petrified" to make decisions because of the video assistant referee, after being denied a stoppage-time penalty against Leeds on Monday.

Substitute Maddison went down under Lukas Nmecha's challenge, but referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR dismissed his appeal for a spot-kick.

The match finished 1-1, leaving Spurs two points above the Premier League relegation zone with two games to play.

Maddison, 29, who was making his first appearance of the season after his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, wrote on his Instagram account: "For clarity… The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that.

"But the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS."

It is not the first time Maddison has criticised referees. In September, he said referees and VAR "had an absolute shocker of a start" to the season after Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL] chief Howard Webb implemented a policy of "less intervention" for VAR in the Premier League.

BBC pundit Alan Shearer has been vocal in his criticism of VAR, saying refereeing standards are "the worst we have seen for a long time" and "only getting worse" because of its use.

Former Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock added VAR is the "worst thing that has been introduced to the game", while ex-England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has said football's emotion is being drained by technology.

Meanwhile, Europe's top leagues have been summoned to a meeting with Uefa in the summer to discuss how VAR technology is being used, with head of Uefa referees Roberto Rosetti saying: "I believe that we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced."

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Premier League relegation battle: Will it be Tottenham or West Ham who survive?

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Premier League relegation battle: Will it be Tottenham or West Ham who survive? - BBC
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Only two horses are left in the race that no-one wants to lose - the scrap for Premier League survival.

With two games to go, and Burnley and Wolves already relegated, either Tottenham or West Ham will be joining them in the Championship next season.

Spurs, in 17th, are two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham after being held to a 1-1 draw by Leeds United on Monday - and also have the superior goal difference.

While a point is not to be sniffed at, the chance to go four points free of the Hammers was missed by Roberto de Zerbi's side, and Spurs remain without a home win in the top flight since 6 December.

"If we want to win, we have to reduce the mistakes," said De Zerbi.

West Ham, who saw Callum Wilson's stoppage-time equaliser ruled out by the video assistant referee (VAR) in Sunday's 1-0 defeat by leaders Arsenal, are rooted in trouble.

"It's going to be tough [to stay up] - we know it is not in our hands," said boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

"We will fight for it and we will keep on fighting."

If West Ham can win at Newcastle - they beat the Magpies 3-1 at home in the league in November - then they will jump to 17th and push Spurs into the relegation zone by one point.

Anything other than a Hammers win, though, would hand the advantage back to Tottenham - who could then ensure their safety by winning at Chelsea.

The chances of Spurs picking up a win at Stamford Bridge, however, might be slim, as they have managed it just once since 1990, with a 3-1 victory in April 2018.

If the battle does go down to the wire on 24 May, both teams have home games, with Tottenham welcoming Everton and West Ham facing Leeds.

The draw with Leeds felt like an opportunity missed. I felt like we deserve to win, but we just weren't clinical in front of goal.

However, we are still in the driving seat, and we need a minimum of four points to stay in the Premier League.

I feel confident [Tottenham can stay up] because in the past four games, we've picked up eight points - two wins and two draws - and there is a real belief and confidence under Roberto de Zerbi.

But one of the remaining games is Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - and we've only won there once in 36 years, so that's going to be tough.

I'm glad De Zerbi came in when he did; it was certainly a waste of time with [former interim head coach] Igor Tudor, his 44-day stint.

But De Zerbi seems to be getting a tune out of these players, so I live in hope.

We're going to now watch West Ham travel to Newcastle, and hopefully they don't pick any points up there, then Spurs need to just go and get a result at Chelsea.

It was hard not to feel defeated after West Ham's controversial home loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

But Spurs' draw with Leeds means there's still a lot of hope that the great escape is on in east London.

If it does go down to the final day, then it's hard to look past West Ham winning. With just one loss from their past seven home games (W3, D3), the fans in a similar voice as they were against the Gunners on Sunday and Leeds having nothing to play for, Nuno Espirito Santo's side will be clear favourites.

If the gap is still two points, then of course West Ham will need former boss David Moyes to do them a favour by beating Spurs away with Everton. A draw won't do because West Ham's goal difference is considerably worse. But an Everton win isn't entirely out of the question, given they'll probably need a victory for a chance of qualifying for Europe, while Spurs have just two home wins to their name all season.

Ideally, West Ham will have their destiny in their hands on the final day, without needing Everton to get something at Spurs. If that's how it's set up, I back us to get the job done. If not, having to rely on results elsewhere is far from ideal.

Either way, this coming weekend is absolutely huge. West Ham could be relegated by Tuesday night, or they could be 90 minutes from Premier League survival.

I'm not sure my heart can take any more.

With two games left, the relegation fight between Tottenham and West Ham is on a knife edge - and their recent form tells two very different stories.

Tottenham have somewhat steadied themselves under Roberto de Zerbi. They are four games unbeaten (W2 D2), their longest run without defeat this season, and one that reflects a side finally showing some resilience after months of turbulence.

Their last unbeaten run of five matches came in December and January, a period that seems a long time ago now.

Momentum has rarely been Spurs' friend this year, but avoiding defeat at this stage is no small thing.

West Ham, by contrast, are sliding at the worst possible moment. Defeat at Newcastle would make it three losses on the bounce, something that has already happened twice under Nuno Espirito Santo - once in October and again in December.

When results dip, they tend to dip quickly, and the Hammers' season has been punctuated by damaging spells that have dragged them back into trouble.

Spurs still have their fate in their own hands, while West Ham's margin for error is shrinking fast. Over the next two defining games, survival may hinge on who holds their nerve.

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Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Leeds United: Roberto De Zerbi's disappointment with officials

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De Zerbi's disappointment with officials

De Zerbi's disappointment with officials

Roberto De Zerbi criticises referee Jarred Gillett for not being calm during Tottenham's 1-1 draw against Leeds United. De Zerbi believes match officials are feeling the pressure after the VAR controversy at West Ham United.

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Manchester City press conference: 'We are still fighting' - Pep Guardiola on title race

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Poll results: Who will be relegated with Wolves & Burnley?

We have had a poll running at the top of our page this morning, asking you guys to select who you think will get relegated between Tottenham and West Ham.

Here are the results:

West Ham - 63%

Tottenham - 37%

Is Newcastle away the toughest possible fixture?

Newcastle v West Ham (Sun, 17:30 BST)

What do you think of West Ham's final two fixtures, Hammers fans?

In any other season, their penultimate fixture - Newcastle away - would be regarded as one of their toughest.

The Magpies generally have a proud home record in the Premier League, but they have lost seven of their 18 league games at St James' Park this season, including five of their last seven.

West Ham won the reverse fixture 3-1 in November and claimed a 2-0 win at Newcastle in the Premier League last season.

The last time Newcastle lost consecutive home games against West Ham was October 1998.

But West Ham are on a barren run in front of goal, having failed to find the back of the net in any of their last three games on the road.

The last time the Hammers went four games without scoring away from home was in May 2015.

And who was the fourth match of that stark run against? You guessed it, Newcastle.

History, it seems, offers little comfort to either side ahead of this weekend’s clash.

How do the run-ins compare?

Tottenham 1-1 Leeds

West Ham in action next as they travel to St James' Park to face Newcastle United on Sunday.

The Hammers have won only four of their 18 Premier League away games this season.

But they can take confidence from the fact that one of their nine league wins came against Eddie Howe's side at the London Stadium in November.

Spurs, meanwhile, have an eight-day break between fixtures, not returning to the field until 19 May as their game against Chelsea was rescheduled due to the Blues' involvement in the FA Cup final this weekend.

It is a fixture that will demand thorough preparation from Spurs, given that they have won at Stamford Bridge only once in the Premier League era.

On the final day of the campaign, Roberto de Zerbi's side host Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while West Ham welcome Leeds United to the London Stadium.

Earlier in the season, Spurs thrashed Everton 3-0 and Leeds beat the Hammers 2-1.

For Spurs, the task is straightforward: match West Ham’s results and they will avoid relegation to the Championship.

Tottenham 1-1 Leeds

It has become a familiar situation for Tottenham.

No, not the feeling of dropping points at home during a nail-biting battle for survival, but the continued absence of penalty decisions in their favour.

Remarkably, Spurs are the only team in the Premier League not to be awarded a spot-kick this season.

The last time the North Londoners won a spot-kick was against Brighton on 25 May, 2025.

For a few seconds on Monday night, it seemed as though that run was about to end as James Maddison went to ground under a challenge from Leeds United forward Lukas Nmecha.

But replays showed that Nmecha made contact with the ball before bringing Maddison down and, as a result, Spurs' wait for a penalty goes on.

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