Sports Mole

The final whistle on the 2024-25 Premier League season cannot come quickly enough for Tottenham Hotspur, who face a daunting trip to champions-elect Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou's men were condemned to a harrowing 18th loss of the top-flight campaign on Monday night, falling to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo's side as their former boss had the last laugh.

Sitting in an embarrassing 16th place in the Premier League table, Spurs are at least safe from the threat of an unthinkable relegation, and their focus is undoubtedly on the Europa League ahead of a critical semi-final with Bodo/Glimt.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Liverpool, who will be crowned champions with just a draw this weekend.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury: Knee

Possible return date: Unknown

Radu Dragusin will remain in the care of the Tottenham medical team over the summer, as the Romanian centre-back will be out for several more months with the serious ACL injury he sustained in early 2025.

Son Heung-min

Status: Out

Type of injury: Foot

Possible return date: Unknown

Son Heung-min had been playing through the pain of a chronic foot problem for a while before finally hitting the pause button, and Postecoglou has admitted that he is not sure when his captain will be fully fit again.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match.

body check tags ::

Nottingham Forest reclaimed third place in the Premier League as they secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Nottingham Forest flew into the lead as Elliot Anderson struck inside six minutes, and though Chris Wood was initially denied a second due to offside, the striker nodded home just minutes later to make it 2-0 to the Reds after only 16 minutes, giving them complete control of the match at the break.

Tottenham unsurprisingly dominated possession as Nottingham Forest focused on defending their lead throughout the second half, but aside from Harry Toffolo's sensational goal-line clearance and a late header from Richarlison to make for a nervy ending, the Reds remained largely untroubled and held on to their lead to secure all three points and climb back to third in the standings.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Few would have predicted at the start of the season that Nottingham Forest would be competing for a Champions League spot and Tottenham would be languishing in the bottom half at this stage, but today perfectly showcased why these teams occupy their current positions.

Nuno Espirito Santo's men were simply far too good for Ange Postecoglou's side, especially in the opening stages, as the Reds elegantly picked Spurs apart with virtually every attacking opportunity, and they were certainly rewarded for their efforts as they took a 2-0 lead after only 16 minutes.

That rapid start enabled Forest to revert to their usual defensive tactics, and while Tottenham did create a handful of chances, a real lack of attacking quality at the final moment - other than for Richarlison's headed goal - meant Spurs were unable to get their way back into the match.

Postecoglou's half-time changes - swapping both of his central defenders - clearly suggests that his focus lies on their upcoming Europa League semi-final, but a dismal performance today will certainly dent their confidence heading into that tie.

There appears to be a real lack of physicality, quality, desire and belief from this Tottenham team at times, and Postecoglou will have to improve their morale before their semi-final if the manager is to have any chance of retaining his job in North London, with a Europa League trophy likely required to secure his future.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST HIGHLIGHTS

Elliot Anderson goal vs. Tottenham Hotspur (5th min, Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Nottingham Forest)

Forest have an early lead!

Anthony Elanga's corner fails to beat the first man, but Pedro Porro's headed clearance is a poor one, falling to Anderson just outside the Tottenham penalty area.

The midfielder connects brilliantly with the ball, and his strike deflects off Rodrigo Bentancur, bounces in front of Guglielmo Vicario and sails over the keeper's hands into the top corner.

Chris Wood goal vs. Tottenham Hotspur (17th min, Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Nottingham Forest)

Wood will not be denied this time!

Elanga has the ball on the left wing and is given time to cut onto his right foot and whip a cross into the centre of the Spurs box, where Wood has positioned himself between the two central defenders.

Vicario attempts to come out and claim the cross, but Wood comfortably beats him to the ball, heading into the empty net and doubling Forest's lead.

Richarlison goal vs. Nottingham Forest (87th min, Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Nottingham Forest)

Richarlison pulls one back for Tottenham!

Spurs continue searching for a way back into the match, moving the ball wide to Porro on the right wing, and the full-back wastes no time in delivering into the box.

The Spaniard's cross finds Richarlison, who expertly directs his header into the far left corner and out of reach of Matz Sels! Do Spurs have time for an equaliser?

MAN OF THE MATCH - ELLIOT ANDERSON

© Imago

Anderson has been an unsung hero at times for Nottingham Forest this season, and the midfielder delivered yet another wonderful performance in the heart of the pitch tonight.

Anderson scored the first for Forest, with the help of a slight deflection, and was unlucky to not grab an assist after Wood was marginally offside, while he also made an impressive eight passes into the final third.

The midfielder is not just a phenomenon in possession, also winning the most duels in the match with 12, making one interception and one tackle and an impressive seven recoveries.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR VS. NOTTINGHAM FOREST MATCH STATS

Possession: Tottenham Hotspur 70%-30% Nottingham Forest

Shots: Tottenham Hotspur 22-4 Nottingham Forest

Shots on target: Tottenham Hotspur 6-3 Nottingham Forest

Corners: Tottenham Hotspur 7-1 Nottingham Forest

Fouls: Tottenham Hotspur 11-12 Nottingham Forest

BEST STATS

WHAT NEXT?

Tottenham's attention may well be on their upcoming Europa League semi-final clash with Bodo/Glimt, but Spurs must first contend with a challenging matchup against Liverpool in the Premier League next weekend.

As for Nottingham Forest, their hunt for a Champions League place through the Premier League will take a brief pause next weekend, as Espirito Santo's men will travel to Wembley Stadium to face Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals.

No Data Analysis info

Bidding for their first Premier League double over Tottenham Hotspur in the 21st century, Nottingham Forest head to North London for an Easter Monday date with the Lilywhites.

Nuno Espirito Santo reunites with the club that sacked him just four months into his reign in 2021, while current Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou gave himself a stay of execution by masterminding his side's progression to the Europa League semi-finals in midweek.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of the team news for both clubs.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR vs. NOTTINGHAM FOREST

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Out: Son Heung-min (foot), Radu Dragusin (ACL)

Doubtful: James Maddison (hip)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Odobert, Solanke, Tel

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Out: None

Doubtful: Taiwo Awoniyi (thigh), Ola Aina (calf)

Sports Mole's predicted XI: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match .

Tottenham Hotspur managers past and present collide in North London during Easter Monday's Premier League offering, as the Lilywhites square up to Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest in the capital.

Spurs are soaring after saving their season with a gritty Europa League quarter-final triumph, while the Garibaldi have a renewed fight on their hands to bring Champions League football to the City Ground.

Featured betting offer: 40/1 on Forest to win at Parimatch

With Spurs fighting at the lower end of the Premier League table while Nottingham Forest battle for Champions League football, Parimatch are offering 40/1 on the Tricky Trees to prevail in Monday night's fixture if you sign up for a new account.

Get 40/1 on Forest to win

Match preview

© Imago

Always one to crack jokes in the face of adversity, Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou quipped to the media that they would have to put up with him for a little while longer after he masterminded a marvellous away win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening.

Seemingly fighting an uphill battle after being held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Tottenham drew first blood at the Deutsche Bank Park through Dominic Solanke's spot kick and produced one of their most dogged defensive displays in recent memory to arguably save the Australian's job.

Ahead of a very winnable two-legged semi-final with Bodo/Glimt in the coming weeks, Spurs must complete the formalities of what has been an atrocious Premier League campaign, one where they have been beaten on a whopping 17 occasions - their most since 19 losses in 2003-04.

Four of those defeats have arrived in Tottenham's last six top-flight games, including a chastening 4-2 reverse at the hands of fellow bottom-six battlers Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, and they have only picked up more points than the doomed Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town since slaying Manchester City 4-0 in late November.

Furthermore, the Lilywhites have been beaten in eight of their last nine Premier League contests against teams starting the gameweek in the top half of the table, but if there is one crumb of comfort for the home faithful, it is their side's four-match unbeaten run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in all tournaments.

© Imago

From four matches to four months, ex-Spurs and current Forest boss Santo only lasted one-third of a year in the Tottenham hotseat before being given the boot by Daniel Levy, but the Portuguese has found the safest haven possible at the City Ground.

Only a couple of years ago, Spurs would have been expecting to challenge for the top three while Forest scrapped for survival, but the tables have turned to the maximum this season as the former European Cup winners remain in control of their Champions League destiny.

However, Forest have been knocked off their precious podium place owing to back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Everton since the start of the month, losing the latter contest 1-0 last weekend on account of a last-gasp Abdoulaye Doucoure winner at the City Ground.

Another reverse on Sunday would equal their worst-ever Premier League losing run under Santo - a three-match sequence between February and March of last season - and the absence of any defensive discipline on the road has been costing them dear recently.

Indeed, the Tricky Trees have conceded at least twice in each of their last five Premier League away games - losing four of them - but having beaten Spurs 1-0 on home turf on Boxing Day, Forest are just 90 minutes away from a first league double over the Lilywhites since 1997.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:

Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago

Spurs' success in Frankfurt was not without significant sacrifice, as Solanke's defining penalty was won by James Maddison after the playmaker was taken clean out by airborne Adler goalkeeper Kaua Santos.

Maddison remarkably managed to continue for a short while before calling it quits, holding his hip as he made his way off the pitch, but Postecoglou confirmed that the Englishman had suffered no lasting damage after the incident.

An appearance on Monday therefore cannot be ruled out, but skipper Son Heung-min is still sidelined with a niggling foot injury, while Radu Dragusin (ACL) remains out for the long-term.

With Son still missing, Mathys Tel could write a new chapter of Spurs history; the Bayern Munich loanee has scored in each of his last two Premier League appearances and could become the first teenager to strike in three in a row in the competition for Tottenham.

On Forest's end, Santo was typically tight-lipped when asked for a team news update in his press conference, only stating that the doubtful Ola Aina (calf) and Taiwo Awoniyi (thigh) would need assessing "day-by-day" ahead of the contest.

As pitiful as Forest's performance was against Everton, Santo should keep faith with 10 of the 11 starters from gameweek 32, but Jota Silva will almost certainly cede his place in the final third to the returning Anthony Elanga.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Odobert, Solanke, Tel

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Nottingham Forest

Feeling the effects of Thursday's exertions and struggling for any sort of inspiration in the Premier League, Tottenham's performance on Monday night may be a bit of a reality check after the highs of midweek, especially if Postecoglou makes a multitude of alterations as expected.

Only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals than Santo's Forest this season, but the visitors have scored just twice in their last four games too, so this Easter Monday battle may be anything but a cracker.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Tottenham Hotspur Women will welcome Aston Villa Women to Brisbane Road for Sunday's Women's Super League contest.

The hosts are sitting in ninth place in the WSL standings, while the visitors are six points worse off in 11th position.

Match preview

© Imago

Tottenham are in need of an upturn in fortunes after taking just one point from their last six league games since recording their most recent WSL victory over Crystal Palace in January.

In fact, they lost five consecutive top-flight matches, before they played out a 1-1 away draw with Leicester City in their final game before the international window.

Fortunately for Spurs, they are in no danger of being drawn into a relegation battle, given the fact that they boast a nine-point buffer to basement side Crystal Palace, with four games left to play against Aston Villa, Liverpool, Chelsea and Everton.

Robert Vilahamn's side have already played Villa on a couple of occasions this season, recording a 2-2 draw in September's league game, before clinching a 1-0 victory in November's meeting in the Women's League Cup group stage.

While that League Cup win took place on home turf, Spurs have not claimed a WSL home win over Villa since they picked up a 3-1 victory in December 2020.

© Imago

Aston Villa boss Natalia Arroyo experienced a difficult start to life as a WSL manager, overseeing defeats in each of his first five top-flight matches.

With that in mind, Arroyo would have been relieved to clinch her maiden WSL victory in Villa's away meeting with Liverpool before the international break.

Kirsty Hanson cancelled out Marie Hobinger's penalty, before a late Jenna Clark own goal handed the Villans a precious 2-1 victory, boosting their hopes of extending their five-season stay in the top flight.

Villa currently boast a four-point gap to the relegation spot, with four games left to play against Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Villans head into the weekend with hopes of recording back-to-back WSL victories for the first time since December 2023/January 2024, and those aspirations may be boosted by the fact that they have won two of their previous three away league games against Tottenham (D1).

Tottenham Hotspur Women Women's Super League form:

Aston Villa Women Women's Super League form:

Aston Villa Women form:

Team News

© Imago

Vilahman has revealed that Tottenham attacker Hayley Raso will miss the final four games of the season with a quad issue.

Luana Buhler and Charlotte Grant are also out of Sunday's match after picking up injuries on international duty with Switzerland and Australia respectively.

In positive news, Tottenham captain Bethany England could return to the matchday squad following a three-game injury absence.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa defender Sarah Mayling remains sidelined with an ankle injury that she sustained in last month's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Man City.

Villa skipper Rachel Corsie has returned to training following a lengthy spell in the treatment room, but it is unclear whether she will be able to feature in Sunday's squad.

Hanson could be rewarded with a starting spot after she came off the bench to score the equaliser in the 2-1 win over Liverpool before the international break.

Tottenham Hotspur Women possible starting lineup:

Kop; Morris, Rybrink, Bartrip, Nilden; Summanen, Oroz; Holdt, Spence, Naz; Thomas

Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:

D'Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker, Pacheco; Taylor, Staniforth; Grant, Salmon, Hanson; Daly

We say: Tottenham Hotspur Women 1-2 Aston Villa Women

Aston Villa would have taken immense confidence from their much-needed win over Liverpool, and we think that they will build upon that result by claiming a narrow win in Sunday's away fixture, especially as they are facing a Tottenham side that have lost each of their last four competitive home matches.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly both been in contact with Eintracht Frankfurt to enquire about a possible move for goalkeeper Kaua Santos this summer.

The 22-year-old was an unknown quantity when he joined Die Adler from boyhood club Flamengo in 2023, but he has quickly come into his own in the Europa League in particular.

Santos excelled during Frankfurt's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their quarter-final last week, making five saves and claiming five crosses to secure a positive result for his side.

Santos is set to guard the posts again in Thursday's second leg, where Frankfurt have the upper hand against Tottenham and will meet Bodo/Glimt or Lazio in the semi-finals if they can progress on home soil.

The 2021-22 Europa League winners still have the Brazilian under contract for another five years, but his performances over the past few weeks have apparently not gone unnoticed by the Premier League.

Man United, Spurs 'speak to Frankfurt' over Santos move

According to SPORT BILD, both Man United's director of football Christopher Vivell and Spurs' technical director Johan Lange were in attendance during Tottenham and Frankfurt's first-leg draw, and the two men spoke to Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche about Santos.

The Red Devils have supposedly been keeping an eye on the 6ft 6in goalkeeper since last autumn, at which point Frankfurt took action to extend his contract by two years and increase his salary.

Die Adler are therefore said to be planning with Santos for the long-term, and suitors have been warned that he will be 'very expensive' to prise away from the Deutsche Bank Park in the upcoming window.

Frankfurt only paid €1.6m (£1.4m) to sign the shot-stopper in 2023, but they would reportedly now demand at least €60m (£51.4m) to let him go this summer, and those close to him believe that he should follow the Manuel Neuer path.

Neuer stayed at Schalke 04 until he was 25 before signing for Bayern Munich, and Santos's camp supposedly feel that he would also benefit from staying at Frankfurt for a couple more seasons.

The 22-year-old has still only made 13 appearances for Die Adler in all tournaments - keeping three clean sheets - and he won two caps for the Brazil Under-20 side.

Could Man United and Spurs both change number ones this summer?

A new goalkeeping target appears to emerge on Man United's shortlist every week, such is the low level of confidence that Andre Onana inspires, while number two Altay Bayindir has not shown himself to be first-choice material either.

It seems clear that the Red Devils will try to upgrade in that department this summer, but Tottenham have already added to their goalkeeping ranks in 2025 with the January capture of Antonin Kinsky.

The 22-year-old inevitably dropped back down to second choice below Guglielmo Vicario following the Italian's recovery from injury, but Ange Postecoglou's number one has also been increasingly shaky of late.

Vicario seemingly still has Postecoglou's trust, though, so it would be a surprise to see Spurs also spend the big bucks on a new shot-stopper for 2025-26.

Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns again for the return leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie at Deutsche Bank-Park on Thursday night.

The sides are level at 1-1 after the first leg in North London last midweek, but the pressure is much stronger on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, who needs success in this competition if he is to save his job.

Match preview

It was the worst possible start for Spurs last week, when Hugo Ekitike put Frankfurt ahead inside six minutes, but the hosts grew into the game and eventually equalised before the interval through Pedro Porro.

Frankfurt's inexperienced stopper Kaua Santos proved to be an impenetrable force in the visiting goal though, keeping Spurs at bay throughout the second half, and earning his side a valuable draw ahead of the second leg.

Dino Toppmoller's side built on that with a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Heidenheim at the weekend, serving as the perfect preparation for the visit of Tottenham this midweek.

That marked a third straight home win for Frankfurt at home, and moved them five points clear inside the Bundesliga's top four, with Champions League football now looking a near-certainty, even if they do not win this competition.

The Eagles are even better at home on the continent, having won four in a row here this season, including the 4-1 thrashing of Ajax, as well as routine league phase wins over RFS, Slavia Prague and Ferencvaros, all without conceding.

Courtesy of that, Frankfurt enter the second leg as favourites to advance to a third Europa League semi-final, which could make them just the third team to achieve that feat, after Sevilla and Manchester United.

SGE have only won one of their five previous meetings with Spurs in Europe, and that came all the way back in 1982, but it was in a quarter-final, that time in the Cup Winners' Cup, coming out 2-1 winners.

History does not bode well for Spurs entering this fixture, because they have lost on six of their last seven trips to Germany in the knockout stages of a European competition, failing to score in four of the last five.

The most recent of those outings came in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2020, when RB Leipzig convincingly swept them aside 3-0, and the fact they failed to win the first leg at home is even more cause for concern.

Spurs' dramatic semi-final win over Ajax in the Champions League in 2019 is the only occasion in the last 10 where they have still advanced from a European tie after failing to win at home in the first leg, and five defeats from their last seven on the road in Europe goes some way to explaining why they are the slight underdogs here.

A 4-2 defeat to Wolves at the weekend made it six defeats from seven away games across all competitions for Postecoglou's men, and resulted in them dropping to 15th, now sitting just two points above 17th in the Premier League table.

Postecoglou simply must win this competition, because the league position they currently occupy would have seen him sacked much earlier, had it not been for their prospects in cup competitions.

Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League form:

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

After welcoming Can Uzun and Elye Wahi back to the squad in attack over the past week, Frankfurt will remain without the important Ansgar Knauff due to a knee injury for this clash.

Goalkeeper Santos was the star man in the first leg, and he should start again with Kevin Trapp still recovering from a shin injury, and Jens Grahl not registered to play in Europe.

Oscar Hojlund came in to play at the weekend with the likes of Hugo Larsson and Mario Gotze rested with this game in mind, but the Dane is also unregistered so will not play any part in this second leg.

Spurs skipper Son Heung-min is a doubt for this clash with a foot injury which ruled him out of the defeat at Wolves, and means he may miss the chance to set a new club record number of appearances in Europe with 68, but Postecoglou does believe he will be fit enough to feature.

Wilson Odobert played no part at the weekend, but that was just to protect the Frenchman ahead of this clash, while Porro, Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven were all left on the bench at Molineux.

Dejan Kulusevski made a welcome return at the weekend, and could be thrown in from the start here, especially if Son is absent, but Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin will remain sidelined in defence.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Kaua Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Shkiri, Tuta, Larsson; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Frankfurt have become experts in this competition over the past few years, winning it in 2022, and reaching the semi-finals in 2019, and they are in good form, so are well worth their favourites tag heading into the second leg.

Spurs have been dismal on the road both domestically and in Europe of late, and missed the chance to take an advantage into this return leg, so the odds are certainly stacked against them on an evening which could seal Postecoglou's fate.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur lock horns again for the return leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie at Deutsche Bank-Park on Thursday night.

The sides are level at 1-1 after the first leg in North London last midweek, but the pressure is much stronger on Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, who needs success in this competition if he is to save his job.

Match preview

It was the worst possible start for Spurs last week, when Hugo Ekitike put Frankfurt ahead inside six minutes, but the hosts grew into the game and eventually equalised before the interval through Pedro Porro.

Frankfurt's inexperienced stopper Kaua Santos proved to be an impenetrable force in the visiting goal though, keeping Spurs at bay throughout the second half, and earning his side a valuable draw ahead of the second leg.

Dino Toppmoller's side built on that with a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Heidenheim at the weekend, serving as the perfect preparation for the visit of Tottenham this midweek.

That marked a third straight home win for Frankfurt at home, and moved them five points clear inside the Bundesliga's top four, with Champions League football now looking a near-certainty, even if they do not win this competition.

The Eagles are even better at home on the continent, having won four in a row here this season, including the 4-1 thrashing of Ajax, as well as routine league phase wins over RFS, Slavia Prague and Ferencvaros, all without conceding.

Courtesy of that, Frankfurt enter the second leg as favourites to advance to a third Europa League semi-final, which could make them just the third team to achieve that feat, after Sevilla and Manchester United.

SGE have only won one of their five previous meetings with Spurs in Europe, and that came all the way back in 1982, but it was in a quarter-final, that time in the Cup Winners' Cup, coming out 2-1 winners.

History does not bode well for Spurs entering this fixture, because they have lost on six of their last seven trips to Germany in the knockout stages of a European competition, failing to score in four of the last five.

The most recent of those outings came in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2020, when RB Leipzig convincingly swept them aside 3-0, and the fact they failed to win the first leg at home is even more cause for concern.

Spurs' dramatic semi-final win over Ajax in the Champions League in 2019 is the only occasion in the last 10 where they have still advanced from a European tie after failing to win at home in the first leg, and five defeats from their last seven on the road in Europe goes some way to explaining why they are the slight underdogs here.

A 4-2 defeat to Wolves at the weekend made it six defeats from seven away games across all competitions for Postecoglou's men, and resulted in them dropping to 15th, now sitting just two points above 17th in the Premier League table.

Postecoglou simply must win this competition, because the league position they currently occupy would have seen him sacked much earlier, had it not been for their prospects in cup competitions.

Eintracht Frankfurt Europa League form:

Eintracht Frankfurt form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Europa League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

After welcoming Can Uzun and Elye Wahi back to the squad in attack over the past week, Frankfurt will remain without the important Ansgar Knauff due to a knee injury for this clash.

Goalkeeper Santos was the star man in the first leg, and he should start again with Kevin Trapp still recovering from a shin injury, and Jens Grahl not registered to play in Europe.

Oscar Hojlund came in to play at the weekend with the likes of Hugo Larsson and Mario Gotze rested with this game in mind, but the Dane is also unregistered so will not play any part in this second leg.

Spurs skipper Son Heung-min is a doubt for this clash with a foot injury which ruled him out of the defeat at Wolves, and means he may miss the chance to set a new club record number of appearances in Europe with 68, but Postecoglou does believe he will be fit enough to feature.

Wilson Odobert played no part at the weekend, but that was just to protect the Frenchman ahead of this clash, while Porro, Destiny Udogie and Micky van de Ven were all left on the bench at Molineux.

Dejan Kulusevski made a welcome return at the weekend, and could be thrown in from the start here, especially if Son is absent, but Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin will remain sidelined in defence.

Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:

Kaua Santos; Kristensen, Koch, Theate, Brown; Shkiri, Tuta, Larsson; Gotze, Ekitike, Bahoya

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Pedro Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bergvall, Bentancur, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Son

We say: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Frankfurt have become experts in this competition over the past few years, winning it in 2022, and reaching the semi-finals in 2019, and they are in good form, so are well worth their favourites tag heading into the second leg.

Spurs have been dismal on the road both domestically and in Europe of late, and missed the chance to take an advantage into this return leg, so the odds are certainly stacked against them on an evening which could seal Postecoglou's fate.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

body check tags ::

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!

Leeds United have reportedly established when they intend to make a decision over the future of Manor Solomon.

Having suffered a serious knee injury during his early months at Tottenham Hotspur, the winger soon dropped down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou.

As such, a loan switch to Championship giants Leeds United was facilitated last summer in an effort to get the 25-year-old's career back on track.

The arrangement has proven to be an overwhelming success, the Israel international contributing eight goals and nine assists from his 35 appearances in the Championship.

With Leeds now sitting five points clear of third spot in the Championship table, they are closing in on a return to the Premier League for 2025-26.

What is Leeds' Solomon stance?

Nevertheless, as per Leeds Live, Daniel Farke and club officials have no intention of making a decision over whether to retain Solomon's services until it has been determined whether they will be competing in the Premier League.

That said, according to football.london, Solomon would be interested in remaining at Elland Road should the opportunity arise.

The relevant parties are seemingly aware that the player will not be short of offers during the summer transfer window, while it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Solomon returns to the Spurs squad.

With Postecoglou's future as head coach up in the air, Solomon may first return to pre-season training at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before making any further decisions.

How could situation pan out?

Solomon has played his football in England since 2022-23 when he made the switch to Fulham, his reward for his form at Craven Cottage a move to Spurs.

In total, he has 13 goals and 12 assists from 67 appearances in English football, and he has previously stated that he is a fan of living in London or Leeds.

Although offers may arrive from the continent, it is reasonable to expect Solomon to be playing Premier League football next season.

Ange Postecoglou will reportedly be sacked by Tottenham Hotspur regardless of whether they win the Europa League this season.

The 59-year-old's future in North London has been under the microscope for some time, with Spurs in danger of ending their miserable Premier League campaign as low as 17th in the table.

Spurs currently sit 15th but only the bottom three clubs - already-relegated Southampton (26), Leicester City (22) and Ipswich Town (19) - have lost more Premier League games this season than Postecoglou's side (17).

A 4-2 loss at Wolves last weekend piled more misery on Tottenham, whose terrible total of top-flight defeats remarkably matches the total former boss Mauricio Pochettino suffered across a three-year period in charge of the club between 2015 and 2018 (17).

It seems highly unlikely that Spurs will miraculously sneak into the European places at this late stage in the season, as they currently sit 11 points behind the top eight with only six games remaining.

Levy to sack Postecoglou regardless of possible Europa League glory

Tottenham could qualify for next season's Champions League if they triumph in the Europa League, and Postecoglou has put pressure on himself to win silverware - and the club's first trophy since 2008 - after stating at the beginning of this season that he "always win things in my second year".

However, former Spurs scout Mick Brown, who remains well-connected within the game, has revealed that club chairman Daniel Levy has already made the decision behind the scenes to part ways with Postecoglou.

Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level recruitment after over a decade at Manchester United, claims that the only remaining decision for Levy to make is whether Postecoglou is given the opportunity to see out the rest of the season.

Levy is said to have already begun assessing potential replacements, but decisions are still to be made about the direction the club want to go in after Postecoglou's departure.

It has been suggested that Postecoglou's position in the dugout has now become untenable after a breakdown in his relationship with the club and the fans.

Spurs already searching for Postecoglou replacements

Speaking to Football Insider about Postecoglou's future, Brown said: "The pressure has been on Postecoglou all season.

"Every week people are speculating about when he will be sacked and at this stage it feels inevitable that he will go at some stage.

"Daniel Levy knows what he's going to do, he's made the decision already behind the scenes and for all intents and purposes it's done.

"Whether that is officially announced now or at the end of the season is the only question. I think they'll give him that chance to win the Europa League, but even that won't save him now.

"Now that decision has been made, I'm told they've already been looking for his replacement. They've got plenty of ideas on that, the direction they want to go in and who they want to get, but it comes down to that decision-making process.

"Levy has this high turnover of managers, and he'll know what he's doing, now it's a case of wait and see."

Spurs travel to Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday night for the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final, with the tie currently level at 1-1 from the first leg.