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Enzo Maresca did not play down the magnitude of Chelsea's upcoming Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, labelling it a "huge" game.

Chelsea find themselves in the top four heading into the match at Stamford Bridge, but could be out of the Champions League places by the time kick-off comes around.

The Blues are a point ahead of Manchester City, who face Leicester City on Wednesday, with Newcastle United and Brighton also within striking distance.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Spurs (W9 D2), winning the last three in a row by an aggregate score of 10-4.

Ange Postecoglou's side are 14th in the standings, though Maresca said their position in the table meant nothing heading into the London derby.

"It's a huge game. We know how important it is for the fans and the club. It is also important for us to try and finish where we are now," Maresca said.

"Tottenham have a lot of good players, but no matter who is playing, it's going to be a derby, and it's the Premier League and you can struggle against any team.

"We want to be direct and quick when they press higher. We cannot be direct and quick if they sit back.

"In our last three home games, they have all been games with every player behind the ball. When you have players who love to run behind, it is easier.

"If we win, you can build momentum for the end. They are all important games. We need to win as many games as we can, and we will see where we finish."

Maresca was also on hand to discuss the future of Jadon Sancho, who is currently on loan at Chelsea from fellow Premier League side, Manchester United.

Sancho's move to Stamford Bridge included an obligation for the Blues to buy him at the end of the season if they finish 14th or higher in the table.

The reported fee is expected to be between £20-25million, though the 25-year-old has failed to impress for Chelsea this season.

He has registered just seven goal involvements (two goals, five assists) in 23 appearances in the Premier League this campaign.

Sancho's last contribution came with an assist for Cole Palmer in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in January, with Maresca left wanting more from the attacker.

"You probably have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, his situation does not change, it is exactly the same," Maresca added.

"For sure, he can do better in terms of numbers, no doubt, but it is not only about Jadon. We have more players in the same situation.

"I do not need to give Jadon a message, I speak with him every day. I had a conversation with him yesterday.

Enzo Maresca did not play down the magnitude of Chelsea's upcoming Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, labelling it a "huge" game.

Chelsea find themselves in the top four heading into the match at Stamford Bridge, but could be out of the Champions League places by the time kick-off comes around.

The Blues are a point ahead of Manchester City, who face Leicester City on Wednesday, with Newcastle United and Brighton also within striking distance.

Chelsea have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games against Spurs (W9 D2), winning the last three in a row by an aggregate score of 10-4.

Ange Postecoglou's side are 14th in the standings, though Maresca said their position in the table meant nothing heading into the London derby.

"It's a huge game. We know how important it is for the fans and the club. It is also important for us to try and finish where we are now," Maresca said.

"Tottenham have a lot of good players, but no matter who is playing, it's going to be a derby, and it's the Premier League and you can struggle against any team.

"We want to be direct and quick when they press higher. We cannot be direct and quick if they sit back.

"In our last three home games, they have all been games with every player behind the ball. When you have players who love to run behind, it is easier.

"If we win, you can build momentum for the end. They are all important games. We need to win as many games as we can, and we will see where we finish."

Maresca was also on hand to discuss the future of Jadon Sancho, who is currently on loan at Chelsea from fellow Premier League side, Manchester United.

Sancho's move to Stamford Bridge included an obligation for the Blues to buy him at the end of the season if they finish 14th or higher in the table.

The reported fee is expected to be between £20-25million, though the 25-year-old has failed to impress for Chelsea this season.

He has registered just seven goal involvements (two goals, five assists) in 23 appearances in the Premier League this campaign.

Sancho's last contribution came with an assist for Cole Palmer in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in January, with Maresca left wanting more from the attacker.

"You probably have more news than me in terms of Jadon. For me, his situation does not change, it is exactly the same," Maresca added.

"For sure, he can do better in terms of numbers, no doubt, but it is not only about Jadon. We have more players in the same situation.

"I do not need to give Jadon a message, I speak with him every day. I had a conversation with him yesterday.

Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen has confirmed he will retire from professional football at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Vertonghen, who now plays for Anderlecht in his home nation, has been limited to just five appearances across all competitions after Achilles and ankle problems.

The 37-year-old retired from international football last July, ending his career with Belgium as the Red Devils' all-time appearance maker with 157 caps for his country.

Vertonghen started his career with Eredivisie side Ajax before completing a move to Spurs in 2012, and would spend eight years in north London.

The defender made 315 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 14 times and twice being named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

He was also a key figure in Mauricio Pochettino's team that reached the Champions League final in 2019, a game they lost 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

Following his spell with Spurs, Vertonghen joined Benfica on a three-year deal before signing on a free transfer with Anderlecht in 2022 after his previous contract was terminated.

Vertonghen cited an inability to properly prepare for games as key to his decision, and will hang up his boots after Anderlecht's final league game of the season against Genk.

"I have noticed that it is becoming more and more difficult to prepare myself physically for training sessions and matches and to show myself as the player I want to be," he said.

"Not only towards the fans and my fellow players, but also towards myself. That is why I will be stopping after this season."

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bournemouth missed a chance to climb into the top four race as the hosts saved boss Ange Postecoglou from another defeat.

Tottenham lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.

That competition represents Tottenham's last chance of fulfilling Postecoglou's boast that he always win a trophy in his second season.

Languishing in 13th in the Premier League, Postecoglou's side have gone three games without a win in all competitions.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke shook off a back injury for his first league appearance since January, while Cristian Romero returned to the Tottenham defence for the first time since December after a thigh injury.

Despite those reinforcements, Tottenham conceded in the 42nd minute, when Marcus Tavernier applied the finishing touch to Milos Kerkez's pin-point cross after Pedro Porro carelessly conceded possession.

Postecoglou sent on Son Heung-min at half-time in a bid to spark Tottenham and the South Korean was inches away from equalising as his deflected strike whistled wide.

Bournemouth struck again in the 65th minute as Evanilson raced onto Justin Kluivert's pass and lifted a composed finish over Guglielmo Vicario.

But Pape Sarr reduced the deficit two minutes later, the Tottenham midfielder catching out Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a misjudged cross that somehow dipped in at the far post.

Tottenham completed their escape in the 84th minute as Kepa conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge on Son.

Son calmly slotted home from the spot for his first goal in 10 games, taking him to 11 in all competitions this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham faces the exciting and dynamic Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, who eliminated Galatasaray in the playoff round with a 4-1 victory in Alkmaar, followed by a 1-0 win in the initial phase.

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This Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Tottenham Hotspur will host Manchester City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London for Matchday 27 of the Premier League. This encounter is pivotal for both teams: Tottenham aims to extend their winning streak, while Manchester City seeks to bounce back from recent setbacks and maintain their European aspirations.

Tottenham Hotspur, led by Ange Postecoglou, has shown remarkable improvement, securing three consecutive Premier League victories, including a 1-0 win over Manchester United. This streak has revitalized their campaign, positioning them 12th in the standings. However, the coach has opted to rest Ben Davies for this fixture, preserving him for key upcoming matches. Meanwhile, Timo Werner has recovered from a thigh injury and is available for selection.

On the other hand, Manchester City, managed by Pep Guardiola, is going through a challenging period after being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Real Madrid and suffering a home defeat to Liverpool. These setbacks have raised concerns about the team's consistency, as they currently sit in 4th place. Adding to their worries, Erling Haaland's participation remains uncertain due to a knee issue. Although he trained without discomfort, his inclusion in the starting lineup will depend on further assessment.

The Wales international, whose father David played for the Tractor Boys between 1997 and 2001, bagged a first-half double, while Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski were on target later on to seal all three points at Portman Road.

Johnson was in the right place at the right time twice in the space of eight minutes to convert a pair of Son Heung-min assists, though Omari Hutchinson halved the deficit before the break with an impressive first-time strike for the hosts.

The result remained in the balance until the closing stages, when a deflected Spence effort and Kulusevski's fine individual goal ultimately condemned Ipswich to a seventh defeat in eight home league matches.

Kieran McKenna's side remains 18th on the league table, but is now five points from safety after Wolverhampton Wanderers' surprise win at high-flying Bournemouth.

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs, meanwhile, stay 12th and are six points adrift of the top 10.

His side is enjoying a welcome upturn in fortunes, which has been inspired by the return of several players from injury.

"The fact that we can throw people on from the bench who can contribute means everyone gets a boost," said the Spurs boss.

"From our perspective, these last two weeks have given us a breather and reset our football. I'm pleased the boys have embraced it."

Postecoglou added: "Ipswich are one of the hardest-working teams in the league. You know you're going up against a battle and a contest – we had to do that.

"First half, we could have done better. We allowed them some moments. But in the second half, we dug in. That allowed us to execute and play our football.

"When you come to a place like this, the crowd creates some energy, so we had to weather that storm.

"But we were always a threat. Sonny [Son] was unplayable in that first half and it's so great to get Brennan back; he scores so many goals for us in those areas."

Spurs remain down in 12th place but Johnson is confident in his side's prospects when it has its best players available.

"He [David] had a great time here and he holds the club in high accounts," Wales international Brennan, who now has nine league goals this season, said about his father.

"For me, it was about getting the three points for Tottenham. They beat us last time and that was in our heads because we didn't want to lose.

"We have always tried to believe. When we have all the players back we have won the last two Premier League games and that's something we wanted to keep in mind.

"We played good football, but also defended well. It's Tottenham Hotspur – we want to be as high as we can. We want to get right up the league."

In recent months, Spurs have been plagued by injuries and, as such, have struggled for form, as they sit 14th on the Premier League table after suffering an 11th defeat of the season against Arsenal in midweek.

They have already signed a new goalkeeper this month, with Antonin Kinsky joining from Slavia Prague to ease some of the pressure between the sticks after Guglielmo Vicario suffered a broken ankle.

Spurs are also without first-choice defenders Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero, as well as winger Wilson Odobert for the long term, and with more issues piling up, Postecoglou insisted he needed reinforcements.

"The club is working as hard as it can and that's all you can ask for," he said. "I do know a lot of work is being done behind the scenes.

"We need reinforcements and need to try and make that happen if we can this week.

"It is trickier in January because you're trying to acquire players from clubs who might want to replace that player, so a lot of logistics involved."

Spurs were rumoured to be in the running to sign Paris Saint-Germain's Randal Kolo Muani on loan in this window, although he is now reportedly closing in on a deal with Juventus.

Asked if his club were in the mix for the France international, Postecoglou said: "It depends what you mean.

"We've been interested in and were looking at a number of players, but did we get to the point we thought he was coming to us? No."

Timo Werner, Brennan Johnson and Yves Bissouma have all added to Spurs' lengthy injury list in the last week. Werner is set for a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, while the latter two sustained issues against Arsenal.

However, Spurs are boosted by a defensive return as Ben Davies, who has missed the last month with a hamstring problem, is in line to return against Everton on Monday (AEDT).

"There's a couple still sore from midweek. Just waiting to see how Brennan Johnson is, he has a bit of a calf complaint," Postecoglou added.

In the video, you can see how the player attempts to take a shot on goal towards Liverpool’s net when he suddenly collapses unconscious on the grass, alarming everyone present. Fortunately, they were able to react in time to attend to the Uruguayan international.

The London club reported: "We can confirm that Rodrigo is conscious, speaking, and will be taken to the hospital for further tests."