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Former Tottenham star axed from Premier League squad after intense manager row

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Former Tottenham midfielder Harry Winks has reportedly been dropped from Leicester City’s squad following a clash with manager Ruud van Nistelrooy over his travel routine.

Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou aren’t the only ones in a spot of bother this season. The pressure’s mounting across the Premier League, and over at Leicester, things are looking just as bleak.

While Postecoglou is taking the heat from fans and the media alike with every passing defeat, Ruud van Nistelrooy is facing his own crisis at the King Power.

The former Manchester United striker, now managing Leicester, has found himself in the firing line after a dreadful run of form.

Fourteen defeats from his last fifteen league games. It doesn’t take a genius to work out why the heat’s rising. And it’s not just the results — dressing room issues are bubbling up as well.

Harry Winks dropped by Leicester City amid Ruud van Nistelrooy dispute

Harry Winks was nowhere to be seen in Leicester’s latest 2–0 defeat to Manchester City — a glaring omission, given he’s been one of their most-used players this season, playing in 22 of their 30 league matches.

Now, reports from The Telegraph reveal why. According to the publication, Winks has been axed from the squad after refusing to budge on his 100-mile daily commute.

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Apparently, things came to a head over the international break when Van Nistelrooy requested that Winks stay overnight once a week at the club’s Seagrave training complex — a request Winks declined.

The England international is reportedly one of three senior players making a long daily trip to north Leicestershire, and the manager’s effort to enforce tighter discipline didn’t go down well.

With tensions already high and results spiralling, Van Nistelrooy’s push for stricter standards has seen Winks pay the price for sticking to his guns.

Tottenham academy graduate has personal reasons behind his stance

According to the outlet, Winks is said to have personal reasons for his daily journey from Hertfordshire, and on Thursday evening, he announced the birth of his baby daughter.

It was also revealed that under Enzo Maresca, the former Leicester manager, this was never an issue, however, Van Nistelrooy clearly operates under a different code.

In fact, Van Nistelrooy himself has been vocal about setting new standards, saying: “One of the first things I looked at when I arrived was to see how things are done here, and then apply my standards in this environment.

“In general, I’ve tried to increase the standards over the past three months. You have to take full advantage of these facilities. That is where the standards come in.

“It’s a perfect place to increase the standards as high as I feel is possible to run a club that wants to be in the Premier League. People have to get used to it. In the short term, you won’t see the effects of it, but in the long term it will pay off.”

Time will tell if that long-term vision includes Winks — or whether this is the beginning of a split that leads elsewhere.

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Match report: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur: Pressure rises on Ange Postecoglou

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Tottenham Hotspur fell short to Chelsea losing 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge, making it 16 losses for this Premier League season.

Just when you think it can’t get any worse for Ange Postecoglou’s men, they somehow find a way to prove you wrong. Tonight was no different – Spurs turned up with their strongest line-up in months yet walked away with another defeat and more questions than answers.

It’s what fans had been waiting for: Romero and Van de Ven back in the Premier League XI, no fatigue excuse, and a proper London derby to set things right. Ange made five changes from the Fulham humiliation, had options on the bench, and still – still – it was just another day at Stamford Bridge.

First half: Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur

It nearly unravelled in under 60 seconds. A long ball from Chelsea’s defence tore through Spurs’ high line. Nicolas Jackson found himself one-on-one with Guglielmo Vicario, who just about got something on it before Micky van de Ven’s desperate touch saw the ball clip the post and stay out. Inches away from another nightmare start.

Both sides kept the tempo high in the early exchanges. Djed Spence linked up well with Son Heung-min on the left, while Malo Gusto volleyed just wide on the other end.

Bergvall and Bentancur were surprisingly more energetic and involved than James Maddison in midfield, yet neither managed to pick out Solanke’s runs through the defence. On the rare occasions they did, Solanke struggled to put in the right foot.

At the back, Spence stood up well against the flair of Jadon Sancho (probably better than Pedro Porro would have) but Chelsea still found ways to test Vicario. The best came when Sancho laid it off to Cole Palmer, whose pass across goal nearly ended in an Enzo Fernández tap-in, but Destiny Udogie’s block and Vicario’s dive saved the day.

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Vicario himself had looked shaky early on but redeemed himself with a stunning save just before the break. Sancho had the entire goal to himself, and his strike looked destined for the top corner, only for Vicario to get fingertips to it and deny Chelsea what looked a certain goal.

Add in a few heated shoves, yellow cards, and of course a Romero moment, and we reached half-time goalless; somehow.

Chelsea had the better chances as Palmer, Sancho and Jackson all came close, while Spurs only forced one real save from Robert Sánchez via Son.

Second half: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur

What didn’t the second 45 minutes have? It had everything you’d expect in a London derby; except a Spurs goal.

Palmer forced a save from Vicario just four minutes after the restart, and moments later, Chelsea found the breakthrough. Spurs gave Palmer far too much space out wide, and he made them pay with a pinpoint cross. Enzo Fernandez, unmarked, nodded the ball home with ease. 1-0, and deserved.

Chelsea looked like they scored again shortly after. A floated free-kick fell for Moises Caicedo, who volleyed it into the bottom corner. The goal stood; until VAR stepped in. Levi Colwill was offside, and the goal was disallowed after a lengthy review.

Meanwhile, Postecoglou got heat of his own after subbing off arguably Spurs’ best player, Bergvall, for Pape Sarr.

Spurs then thought they equalised through Pape Matar Sarr, who dispossessed Caicedo and rifled one in from 30 yards out. But again, VAR intervened; this time to judge Sarr’s challenge as too high.

The incident that lit the fuse, though, was Ange Postecoglou cupping his ears toward the away end after the goal. Son followed it up by shushing the travelling fans. The manager. however, later clarified that it was just a celebration gesture.

Tottenham had their biggest moment late on. Johnson used his full pace (a rare sight), took on Cucurella (another rare sight) and drilled a low cross into the box for Son. The Spurs skipper did all he could to stretch and connect. But Sanchez made himself big and blocked with his chest.

Plenty of yellow cards, random crosses and twelve minutes of stoppage time followed, but Spurs never truly looked like scoring.

FT: CHELSEA 1-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

What’s next for Spurs?

Even though this wasn’t the worst performance of the season, losing a London derby – again – stings. There’s no defending this form anymore, and patience with Postecoglou is starting to fray.

Spurs still haven’t won a London derby in the big six this season. With eight games to go, this is already shaping up to be their worst league campaign since 1977.

Next up? Southampton at home. Time to play the kids and rest the first-teamers for Eintracht Frankfurt.

COYS

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Tottenham fans react in anger to Ange Postecoglou’s controversial gesture

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Ange Postecoglou has landed himself in hot water with a section of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful after a baffling gesture at the away end during Thursday night’s defeat to Chelsea—Spurs fans did not hold back.

Despite Tottenham Hotspur’s struggles this season, few can fault the fans who have stuck with their team through thick and thin.

Spurs’ last Premier League outing before the international break ended in yet another defeat, their 15th of the campaign, as Fulham claimed all three points at Craven Cottage.

Following that loss, tensions ran high, with Ange Postecoglou involved in a heated exchange with a supporter, a moment that needed intervention from Tel and Spence to defuse.

Thursday night saw Tottenham travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea. Given Spurs’ dismal record away at Chelsea, their 1-0 defeat came as no surprise.

Ange Postecoglou’s gesture sparks outrage at Tottenham

The clash at Stamford Bridge was an eventful one. Chelsea started brightly and eventually broke the deadlock in the second half.

For Ange Postecoglou’s men, it could have been worse in the opening 45 minutes, with the woodwork coming to their rescue inside the first minute after a mix-up involving Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Guglielmo Vicario, and Nicolas Jackson. Not long after, Vicario produced a fine save to deny Jadon Sancho.

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As the game progressed, Tottenham grew into it and created chances. Pape Matar Sarr, who replaced Lucas Bergvall, found the net with a low-driven shot that Chelsea’s goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez, failed to deal with properly. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out due to a foul on Moises Caicedo in the build-up.

Before the goal was disallowed, Postecoglou was caught cupping his ears towards the away end. The Australian later clarified that it was not in response to criticism over his substitutions but rather an attempt to encourage louder celebrations for Sarr’s ‘goal.’

The Tottenham boss has since explained that he simply wanted to hear the away fans celebrate and that it was meant as a disrespectful gesture. Unfortunately, that has not spared him from criticism.

https://x.com/MiguelDelaney/status/1907909049099891009

Fans react to Postecoglou’s gesture to the away fans

Spurs fans were far from convinced by Postecoglou’s explanation, with many labelling it as a weak excuse.

One fan said: “He definitely stared at the fans thinking he was a genius because the substitute he made, which the fans questioned, scored. Then it was disallowed anyway… embarrassing.”

Another responded sarcastically: “Yeah, okay mate.” A third supporter commented: “To be fair, it’s not a bad answer. Took him a few to think it up.”

One frustrated fan added: “He’s gotta go. It’s getting more and more toxic! The atmosphere must be horrible right now.”

Another simply stated: “Backtracking again, are we?” while another remarked: “Superb answer, but he did have 40 minutes or so to think that up.”

With tensions rising and results failing to improve, Postecoglou’s relationship with the fanbase appears to be under real strain. Whether he can turn things around remains to be seen, but gestures like this certainly won’t help his cause.

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Ange Postecoglou explains his controversial hand gesture to Tottenham fans

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Ange Postecoglou has risked facing the wrath of the Tottenham Hotspur travelling supporters after something he did when it looked like his team had equalised against Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou is no stranger when it comes to confronting Tottenham supporters at away matches. There have been countless incidents where the Spurs manager has reacted to vocal criticism from the stands, which often comes in the form of verbal abuse.

Recently, Djed Spence had to pull Postecoglou away from an argument with a fan after the 2-0 defeat to Fulham.

It is not surprising that this has continued to be the case as Spurs have been abysmal on the road this season, with a 1-0 defeat being quite a common result. This was once again the scoreline tonight, in what was Tottenham’s fourth defeat in a row against Chelsea.

Spurs have now lost nine matches away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, whilst recording only five victories. This has been a key reason they are 14th in the Premier League table, level on points with West Ham who are in 16th.

Postecoglou’s controversial gesture and response

Ange Postecoglou has got himself on the wrong side of Tottenham’s away supporters yet again. According to Jack Pitt-Brooke, the Aussie cupped his hand to his ear and waved to the Spurs fans when Pape Matar Sarr scored a long-range effort, which was later disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

https://x.com/JackPittBrooke/status/1907893559048523783?t=Y-isKdqzG4Kns…

This was in response to the supporters booing his decision to bring on Sarr as a replacement for Lucas Bergvall, who looked bright on the ball, despite his lack of involvement in the game.

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Ryan Taylor reported cries of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ were also sounded due to his decision. This is the same chant Spurs fans chanted at Nuno Espirito Santo when he replaced Lucas Moura with Steven Bergwijn in a game shortly before his sacking.

https://x.com/RyanTaylorSport/status/1907894503194976679

Postecoglou has since claimed he was not cupping an ear to the fans. In a post-match interview, he said he simply wanted the celebrations to be louder for Sarr’s goal.

https://x.com/MiguelDelaney/status/1907909049099891009

Does Ange Postecoglou have a future at Tottenham Hotspur?

Ange Postecoglou’s response to the Tottenham supporters buying tickets and following the club has caused a storm on social media. It seems there are very few fans left who are still backing the head coach, who is accused of being stubborn and short on new ideas.

Even with his claim that supporters misunderstood his gesture, he will still have caused frustration. No fans want to be lectured on how to support their team, particularly when the goal would not have been all that significant even if it had counted.

An unlikely success in the Europa League could potentially be enough to save Postecoglou, but with his inability to ignore criticism, he may have turned Tottenham’s supporters against him for good.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is not winning any popularity contests, but perhaps pulling the plug on Postecoglou’s tenure would help take some heat off his back.

Ultimately, it is hard to see how the 59-year-old will be able to recover his relationship with the fans. His reaction, coupled with the fact his team lost yet another London derby, is a really bad look.

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Five things we learned from Tottenham’s awful 1-0 defeat to Chelsea

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Another away day at Stamford Bridge, another defeat for Tottenham Hotspur. Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from Spurs’ latest 1-0 loss as the pressure continues to grow on Ange Postecoglou.

Ange Postecoglou vs Tottenham fans

It’s never a good sign when the fans start to boo your substitutions. That is exactly what happened in 2021 when Nuno Espirito Santo took off Lucas Moura in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. History repeated itself this evening when Ange Postecoglou removed the bright Lucas Bergvall for Pape Sarr.

Of course, context is important – the Spurs boss was likely protecting the Swedish midfielder after a recent bout of illness, not to mention a big European game on the horizon. But that will matter little to Tottenham fans, many of whom are clearly turning against the man in the dugout.

Worrying lack of patterns in Spurs’ build-up

We saw so many clear and unique patterns of play when Postecoglou first arrived in North London. The full-backs inverted and pushed high up the pitch. The team pressed high and won the ball aggressively. The wingers maintained width and peppered the box with crosses.

Tottenham were able to turn possession in their own half into a blistering attack with a neat flick around the corner from their number six. None of that has been visible this season – before the injury crisis, certainly during it, and now out the other side. That is worrying for Postecoglou as it seems the wheels are starting to come off his project in North London.

Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero are back! Oh…

Tottenham endured an injury crisis for so long that we almost forgot about what would happen once it was over. The rhetoric has always been this season that Spurs would bounce back to their swashbuckling, chaotic, free-scoring football as soon as the likes of Van de Ven, Romero and co were back in the XI. Most of the team has been back for a good few games now, but the performance levels have shown little sign of resuscitation.

Both the Argentine and the Dutchman were poor in the buildup today, nervous defensively, and all over the place with their marking in the box. How on Earth you let Enzo Fernandez ghost into the box for a free header with three Tottenham defenders around, I will never know. One thing is for sure, Diego Simeone would not accept that level of defending at Atletico Madrid. If you want to be considered among the best players in the world, or even the best players at Tottenham Hotspur, you simply have to raise your levels.

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Rodrigo Bentancur given the nod over Archie Gray

Rodrigo Bentancur has been inconsistent at best this season, and downright woeful at worst. Archie Gray, on the other hand, has been a standout star for Tottenham across numerous positions. It feels as if Spurs fans have waited and waited and waited for Micky Van de Ven and Cristian Romero to return so Gray could be unleashed into his preferred midfield role, only for the youngster to earn a place on the bench instead.

Of course, he needs to learn the position in his XI and get used to the engine room at Premier League level, but Gray and Bergvall are so clearly the future of this Tottenham midfield, so why are they not being given a chance to grow together? If Bentancur or Yves Bissouma were putting in good performances, it would make sense, but both are underwhelming on and off the ball. If the bar is being set that low, you may as well invest in the future and give Gray his deserved chance to shine.

Eintracht Frankfurt will destroy that version of Tottenham

Make no question about it, if Tottenham play the same as they did tonight across the two legs against Eintracht Frankfurt, they will get dismantled piece by piece. All over the place in defence and toothless in attack – Spurs desperately need to find some form this weekend against Southampton, for a confidence boost if nothing else.

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Tottenham player ratings vs Chelsea – 2/10 star was an absolute bystander

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The referee has blown the full-time whistle at Stamford Bridge, meaning it’s time for our Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur player ratings.

Over the course of the last ninety minutes, we examined each player’s individual performance, rating them on a scale of 1-10. Let’s take a look at how they got on.

Tottenham’s player ratings vs Chelsea

Guglielmo Vicario: Vicario, despite looking like a bag of nerves to begin with, settled down enough to make some important saves. After an awful start, giving the ball away unnecessarily and putting his defenders under needless pressure, he made a big save to deny Sancho before HT. He was later beaten by a powerful header which was the difference in the end, unfortunately. 5.5.

Djed Spence: Spence had a demanding duel on his hands against Sancho, but he dealt with the Englishman well one-on-one. He had a license to roam but he didn’t make enough of the ball when he did surge up the field. 5.

Cristian Romero: Romero put in a decent performance tonight but it wasn’t enough. He showed real passion and desire, as well as boasting his brilliant ball-playing capabilities on several occasions. 4.5.

Micky van de Ven: After a slow, rusty start to the first AND second half, van de Ven was caught ball-watching as Enzo leapt highest and headed home to make it 1-0 to the visitors. Micky just wasn’t himself today. 3.5.

Destiny Udogie: Udogie was a bit of a mess tonight in all honesty. He often passed the ball out of play or to an opposition player and was stopped in his tracks when he tried to surge forward. 3.

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Lucas Bergvall: Bergvall was one of the brighter sparks tonight as his tidy footwork and intricate passing helped Spurs keep hold of the ball many times, but he was surprisingly substituted just after the hour mark. 6.

Rodrigo Bentancur: Bentancur honestly contributed nothing tonight apart from nearly bursting a blood vessel amidst screaming at Chalobah. 4.

James Maddison: Maddison was rather poor going forward, perhaps choosing the wrong pass when advancing into the final third and a lot of the time, he sat too deep to create anything anyway! A frustrating watch was James Maddison tonight. 3.

Wilson Odobert: Odobert was kept quiet and was eventually hooked for Johnson just after the hour mark. He never really got the opportunity to express himself on the ball and often found himself going backwards. 4.

Dominic Solanke: Solanke was non-existent today. A bystander. 2.

Heung-min Son: Son was the outlet for Spurs for much of the game as much of the football flowed down the left. The captain was too wasteful though, and struggled to find the right final pass. 5.

Substitutes:

Pape Sarr: Sarr replaced Bergvall and thought he had levelled the scoring with a screamer from 30 yards but the goal was chalked off for a foul in the build-up. 5.5.

Brennan Johnson: Brennan replaced Odobert and nearly set up the equaliser but Son’s shot was saved. 4.

Mathys Tel: Tel replaced Maddison. N/A.

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Tottenham first-half player ratings vs Chelsea – 3/10 star poor at both ends

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The half-time whistle has sounded in the West End of London, signalling the end of the opening forty-five minutes in tonight’s all-London affair between Tottenham and Chelsea – and it’s now time for our first-half player ratings.

Ange Postecoglou has been told the weight of his job lies on thin ice, depending on how results in Europe turn out.

It appears the club’s full focus has been shifted to the Europa League. Tottenham sit 14th in the Premier League in April and show no signs of escaping the bottom half of the league anytime soon.

In the meantime, Spurs look forward to a European quarter-final against Frankfurt over the course of the next fortnight.

Throughout the first half, we analysed each player’s individual performance, rating them on a scale of 1-10. Let’s take a look at our Tottenham player ratings…

Tottenham’s first-half player ratings vs Chelsea

Guglielmo Vicario: Vicario made a couple of odd decisions that he was lucky to get away with. He fired a pass straight into a Chelsea player who was on the edge of the box before flapping at a cross instead of claiming it. His distribution continued to be a trending issue as the half wore on, as he put passes out of play or players under pressure constantly. He did however make a crucial save to deny Sancho just before half time. 4.

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Djed Spence: Djed had a big physical battle on his hands in the first half as he found himself up against the tricky Sancho. He often dealt with him well though. 5.

Cristian Romero: Cuti and his centre-back partner were cut open inside the first minute and were lucky not to see the ball find the back of the net, as all it took was one straight pass from the back to see Jackson through on goal. The Argentine settled into the game though, playing progressive passes in abundance and winning physical battles left and right. 6.

Micky van de Ven: Micky appeared slightly sluggish and slow to begin with, which aren’t words we often associate with the Dutchman. As the half grew on, he settled down more and made some important physical challenges against Jackson. 5.

Destiny Udogie: Udogie showed exciting flashes of brilliance going forward but fans were often knocked back down to earth whenever he passed the ball out of play or to a blue shirt seconds later, which just about sums up his season. The Italian was just way too wasteful in the first half, unnecessarily halting Spurs attacks while struggling to stop Chelsea’s. 3.

Lucas Bergvall: Bergvall was the tidiest player on the pitch in that first half. He didn’t get on the ball too often, but when he did, he was always two steps ahead looking to create the next chance. 6.5.

Rodrigo Bentancur: It was nice to see Bentancur sprinting for once, and the Uruguayan midfielder wasn’t half bad in the first half. He did nothing special, but he did nothing bad either. 5.

James Maddison: Maddison, despite being trusted as the most advanced midfielder, found himself too deep at left-back too often throughout the first half. It’s a strange approach considering his best work develops in the final third. 4.5.

Wilson Odobert: Wilson was kept quiet by Cucurella in the first half, as the young Frenchman wasn’t allowed the space or the time to boast his trickery at the Bridge. 4.

Dominic Solanke: Solanke had a couple of ‘nearly’ moments in the first half but nothing ever developed enough to turn into a clear-cut chance. He was quiet, otherwise. 4.

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Chelsea v Tottenham Team Line Ups: Ange makes van de Ven and Romero decision

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The Tottenham Hotspur side has been confirmed for this evening’s Premier League match against Chelsea.

Tottenham have not played since the 2-0 defeat to Fulham on March 16th and now face a tough test against their London rivals at Stamford Bridge.

There is no doubt that Tottenham’s season rests on their success in the Europa League given their lowly fourteenth place position in the Premier League table has made qualifying for Europe through the league an almost impossible task.

The pressure is firmly on Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou to salvage a horrific 2024/2025 campaign, beginning with a win against Chelsea ahead of the crunch first leg at home to Eintracht Frankfurt next Thursday.

Who starts in the Tottenham team vs Chelsea

Dejan Kulusevski is ruled out until the Europa League second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on April 17th, while Kevin Danso’s hamstring injury also keeps him sidelined.

Richarlison is back in training and could be included to face Southampton on Sunday.

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Chelsea have the likes of Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and former Tottenham academy graduate Noni Madueke back available.

This is who takes to the pitch in west London this evening:

Chelsea: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Enzo; Neto, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Subs: Jorgensen, Acheampong, Badiashile, Tosin, James, Dewsbury-Hall, George, Madueke, Nkunku.

Tottenham: Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Odobert, Solanke, Son

Subs: Kinsky, Porro, Davies, Gray, Bissouma, Sarr, Moore, Johnson, Tel.

For those wondering how to watch Chelsea vs Tottenham in the UK, the match is being televised live on Sky Sports.

Tottenham’s next five fixtures in all competitions

Tottenham face a crunch handful of fixtures which will not only decide the fate of their season, but also likely whether Ange Postecoglou could be sacked by Spurs come the summer.

Given lowly Southampton are next up on Sunday, it will be likely that Postecoglou could decide to keep the likes of Micky van de Ven and Heung-min Son fresh for Frankfurt.

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Huge Liam Delap development as Tottenham learn about reduced price tag

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Tottenham Hotspur have learned that Liam Delap’s contract has a release clause, which will become active this summer under one condition, but the Lilywhites are expected to battle five other Premier League rivals for the striker this summer.

Top-class number nines are hard to find in today’s market, which is why Delap’s impressive performances since his switch from Man City to Ipswich last summer have captured many people’s attention.

It has been widely reported over recent weeks that Spurs are keen on securing Delap’s services this summer, particularly as the Tractor Boys look set to go straight back down.

Spurs have now received some bittersweet news regarding the future of the striker and what it will take to bring him to N17 this summer.

Liam Delap’s release clause revealed as Tottenham linger

The Daily Mail have now claimed that the 22-year-old’s contract at Portman Road Stadium has a release clause of £40m, which will become active if Kieran McKenna’s men get relegated this season.

Ipswich are hot favourites to drop down to the Championship, with the club currently sitting 12 points away from safety.

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However, it is made clear that the Man City academy graduate also ranks fairly high on Man United’s wishlist ahead of the summer.

The Red Devils are expected to fund a deal for the centre-forward by offloading Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, with Rubem Amorim’s side said to view the England Under-21 international as a cheaper alternative to some of the other number nines on their wishlist.

Four more Premier League giants are eyeing Delap

The Daily Mail add that Delap is also attracting interest from Premier League giants Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, and Manchester City ahead of the summer.

It is explained that City added a buy-back option for the striker when they sold him to Ipswich last summer, but the value of the clause is not revealed.

It thus looks like Tottenham Hotspur will have their work cut out if they are to win the race for Liam Delap this summer.

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Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy loses one of his biggest defenders in the media

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Simon Jordan has issued a stern warning to Daniel Levy, insisting that the Tottenham chairman can no longer make any excuses as to why the North London club cannot be competitive at the top end of the Premier League.

Tottenham fans are evidently at the end of their patience with how the club is being run, with thousands of Spurs fans marching in protests against Levy and ENIC earlier this season.

A couple of days ago, Tottenham announced they had made a loss yet again for the financial year ending June 2024, which is the fourth year in a row where they have posted a loss.

While announcing the figures, Levy warned that the club’s transfer spending over the last few years is not sustainable. He also made it clear that Spurs will not make any decisions this summer that will jeopardise their financial health.

Many Tottenham fans blasted Daniel Levy for his warning on the club’s spending, seeing it as further evidence that he cares more about the bottom line than on-pitch success.

Simon Jordan says that Daniel Levy is running out of time and excuses

Simon Jordan has now remarked that Tottenham Hotspur fans will not care about the club’s sustainability and that they will continue to turn up the pressure on the ownership until they see on-pitch success.

He suggested that the supporters will expect the club to show ambition this summer and added that the Spurs chairman is running out of road to defend the way he operates.

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When asked about Levy’s warning and the reaction of the Tottenham fans, the former Crystal Palace told talkSPORT: “The bottom line is football fans expect ambition from their club, they expect aspiration.

“If Spurs and Daniel Levy aren’t delivering it because his pursuit of sustainability and the model that he wants to work to isn’t going to give them the outcomes that they want, then they have the right to say it. I personally think with Daniel that his road is running out in terms of the opportunities he has to defend his position.”

Jordan has been a defender of Levy in the past, but he insisted that irrespective of any of Tottenham’s financial commitments, fans have a right to expect the club to be competing for honours, six years after moving into their new stadium.

He added: “I defend Daniel against one-sided arguments because I’ve been an owner on the other side of the equation and I can’t help defend owners to some extent because I know what the other side of the conversation is. But I also suggest that Tottenham Hotspur cannot go around not achieving things.

“Of course, we’ve had COVID since the stadium was built and the opportunities of revenues. There were hundreds of millions of pounds lost to football clubs during that period of time that is now being caught up with and Daniel will run that particular argument.

“And he’ll run the argument about covenants and the amount of money they’ve got available to themselves but fans are not interested in that. If they’ve been told that the building of a stadium is going to make them more competitive with the opposition and then the argument being run is that they can’t meet the opposition because they’ve got to service debt then you can’t have it both ways.”

Can Tottenham achieve success while being run sustainably?

There is no doubt that clubs can be successful even if they are run sustainably, with transfer spending and wage spending not always directly correlating with success.

For example, Liverpool have shown that it is possible to remain a top side while operating within their means, something Spurs themselves have done in the past under Mauricio Pochettino.

However, Levy and the Tottenham board have not shown anything over the last six years to suggest that they are capable of delivering on-pitch success while running the club in the manner have.

Fans will just continue to put pressure on the owners to sell the club, particularly as reports continue to suggest that investors from Qatar are showing an interest in a takeover of Spurs.

Source