Tottenham's players have offered to refund fans who made the trip to St James' Park to see their side lose 6-1 to Newcastle United on Sunday.

Spurs' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League took a blow as they were swept aside by top-four rivals Newcastle.

Newcastle were 5-0 up after just 21 minutes, the second-earliest a side has done so in Premier League history, after Manchester City against Watford in September 2019.

The fallout to the defeat saw acting head coach Cristian Stellini dismissed on Monday, with Ryan Mason appointed until the end of the season.

On Tuesday, Spurs released a statement from the squad, with the players electing to reimburse their away supporters.

"As a squad, we understand your frustration, your anger. It wasn't good enough," the statement read.

"We know words aren't enough in situations like this but, believe us, a defeat like this hurts. We appreciate your support, home and away, and with this in mind we would like to reimburse fans with the cost of their match tickets from St James' Park.

"We know this does not change what happened on Sunday and we will give everything to put things right against Manchester United on Thursday when, again, your support will mean everything to us. Together – and only together – can we move things forward."

Spurs are six points behind fourth-placed United ahead of Thursday's game, having played two matches more.

Tottenham’s players have issued a public apology for the 6-1 defeat at Newcastle and offered to reimburse fans with the cost of their match tickets.

Spurs were humiliated on Sunday afternoon, falling 5-0 behind in a nightmare opening 21 minutes on Tyneside.

Acting head coach Cristian Stellini was sacked on Monday after less than a month in charge, with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy labelling the lacklustre defeat as “wholly unacceptable”.

Former midfielder Ryan Mason will take charge of the first team for a second spell, having overseen the squad following the departure of Jose Mourinho in April 2021 until the end of that campaign.

Spurs currently sit fifth in the Premier League, six points behind Manchester United, who have two games in hand, ahead of Thursday night’s meeting between the two sides in north London.

Captain Hugo Lloris had already apologised to fans for the “embarrassing” defeat at St James’ Park in his post-match interview, acknowledging the team showed a “lack of pride”.

On Tuesday afternoon, the players issued a collective statement accepting the performance was unacceptable and offering the gesture to help cover the cost of the tickets to the game.

“As a squad, we understand your frustration, your anger. It wasn’t good enough,” the Spurs players said in a post on the club’s official Twitter feed.

The players have a message for our fans who went to Newcastle on Sunday… pic.twitter.com/HFfmo8R2iH

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 25, 2023

“We know words aren’t enough in situations like this, but believe us, a defeat like this hurts.

“We appreciate your support, home and away, and with this in mind we would like to reimburse fans with the cost of their match tickets from St James’ Park.

“We know this does not change what happened on Sunday and we will give everything to put things right against Manchester United on Thursday evening when, again, your support will mean everything to us.

“Together – and only together – can we move things forward.”

We pushed for a response from @spursofficial. It's right that the Chairman has accepted responsibility and taken action after the awful events of yesterday. Fans still deserve a refund and we'll continue to press for that. 1/2 https://t.co/QRmrcxcspy

— THST (@THSTOfficial) April 24, 2023

Following Sunday’s defeat, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust called for decisive action to “give us all some hope and something to get behind at the end of a truly awful season”.

After the announcement dismissing Stellini, who was also part of Antonio Conte’s backroom staff, the THST had suggested fans “still deserve a refund” for Sunday’s shambolic display.

“All supporters will now want to get behind Ryan in his attempt to rescue our season,” the THST added.

Pep Guardiola does not believe Wednesday's clash with Arsenal will decide the outcome of the Premier League title race but wants Manchester City to take destiny into their own hands.

City, who have booked their place in the last four of the Champions League and the FA Cup final, will move within two points of Arsenal, with two games in hand, should they beat the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal have drawn their last three league games, while City have won 11 of their previous 12 outings across all competitions.

Asked if there was a reason behind City's menacing form, Guardiola told reporters: "When, early in the season, we lost games, people said it was physicality, that it was not good – that is, bulls***.

"Many things are involved in a game. We know now if we lose games, the situation will be over, so that's why when you are in October, November, you cannot have that feeling, especially after back-to-back championships.

"In the year when we won our first title [2017-18], when we got 100 points, we started the season like every game is a final.

"When we started this season after back-to-back Premier League titles, we did not have that feeling, every game was not a final. Now it is.

"Now we have arrived with the chance in our heads. If Arsenal win, the destiny is in their hands, but if we win, the destiny is in our hands."

On whether Wednesday's encounter was the decisive game in the title race, Guardiola said: "It's really important. Not decisive because still many tough games for both sides but we cannot deny how important it is.

"When you play these kind of teams, it is about everything. Arsenal have always had incredible details and care on the ball, all the players they select to play for the club have the biggest quality, biggest skills.

"Mikel [Arteta] has brought another dimension, they are big competitors, so aggressive. They control a lot of aspects. This isn't anything new. In the two games we've played this season, we felt it, and you have to challenge them or with the speed, intensity they have and quality they have in the build-up, it's difficult."

Arteta said his team will need to be "perfect" to beat City, though Guardiola does not see perfection as being attainable.

"Perfection doesn't exist in football, you cannot be perfect in the game," he said. "We know what happened against Bayern Munich and in the future against top teams, your standard has to be really high.

"They demand to be really good, so we have to do what we can to impose our game."

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claims he could not have expected to be in a title battle with Arsenal after the two clubs made such different starts to the season.

City host the Premier League leaders in a crucial clash on Wednesday which could determine the destiny of the title.

Champions City have clawed their way back into the race after an inconsistent first half of the season while the Gunners have faltered in recent weeks.

An important game ?⏰#ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/LnTBULGtjV

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 25, 2023

Arsenal head to the Etihad Stadium with a five-point lead at the top but City have two games in hand and victory for Guardiola’s side would see the initiative switch firmly to them.

Guardiola said at a press conference: “It’s good to be here. After the first round (of fixtures) Arsenal did it was was difficult to think we would be here in that moment.

“So it is a really, really important game. We could get points our opponents cannot, so our focus is on what we have to do.”

Regardless of the outcome, however, Guardiola insists the matter would not be settled.

He said: “It is really important but not decisive because there are too many tough games for both sides.

“We have more tough games to play but cannot deny how important it is.”

Arsenal’s strong challenge this season has been partly fuelled by the two former City players in Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus that they signed last summer.

Guardiola insists City have no regrets over the decision to let the pair leave.

He said: “Everyone agreed. The players wanted to leave, the club wanted to sell and the club wanted to buy. They were happy and we’re happy. We have no regrets.”

Wimbledon will offer substantial financial support to Ukrainian players and causes this summer after reversing the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes.

At the spring press conference to announce plans for this summer’s tournament, organisers revealed that £1 for every ticket holder – expected to be more than £500,000 in total – will be donated to Ukrainian relief.

Meanwhile, the All England Club and the Lawn Tennis Association will provide two hotel rooms per Ukrainian player free of charge and training facilities for the duration of the summer grass-court season as well as funding a day at the tournament for 1,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Tournament schedule updates ?Environmental enhancements ?Plans for the future ?

Read the latest #Wimbledon announcements in full, regarding The Championships 2023 and beyond ⬇️

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) April 25, 2023

Wimbledon and the LTA announced at the end of last month that the controversial ban on Russian and Belarusian players would not continue after they were left out in the cold by the rest of the sport and punished by the WTA and ATP, with hefty fines and the removal of ranking points.

Chairman Ian Hewitt said: “This was an incredibly difficult decision. I personally say that I found this probably the most difficult decision during my chairmanship.”

In order to compete this summer, players from the two countries must sign declarations that they will not demonstrate any backing for the war in Ukraine or either regime, or receive financial support from the Russian or Belarusian state or companies linked to them.

Several players have already signed the declarations and it remains to be seen whether the stipulations will deter any Russian or Belarusian competitors from entering.

We are pleased to partner with the AELTC to donate one pound for each ticketholder at @Wimbledon to Ukrainian relief ??

Read more about this and our support of Ukrainian players this summer ?

— LTA (@the_LTA) April 25, 2023

Chief executive Sally Bolton said: “We listened very much to the feedback from last year. And that feedback from the (Russian and Belarusian) athletes was that they wanted the choice to be able to sign the declaration.

“We’ve spent a significant amount of time engaging with those players to ensure that they fully understand what they’re signing up to. And, at this point, we have a number of players who are in the process of signing them or have signed.”

Bolton was also asked about the prospect of environmental protestors seeking to disrupt the tournament, as happened last week at the World Snooker Championship.

“There have been some incidents recently that will inform the planning that we will undertake,” she said. “The picture is still emerging and our plans are evolving as time goes on.

“What I would urge anybody attending the Championships to do is to be considerate of those that are also attending the Championships.”

While developments at Wimbledon for players, fans and media have been progressing, there is still no forward movement on the club’s plans to expand into neighbouring Wimbledon Park.

Plans were submitted in July 2021 but have not yet gone before Merton and Wandsworth councils for approval amid considerable local opposition.

Wimbledon had initially hoped to bring the qualifying competition on site – one of the major aims of the expansion – as early as 2025 but organisers now admit that will not happen before the end of the decade at best and could be the early 2030s, providing approval is eventually secured.

Hewitt said: “We really look forward to our application being heard as soon as possible but we do recognise this is an important, complex and long-term project. We are patient and we fully understand that it will be approached carefully and thoroughly from all angles.”

On opposition from neighbours, he added: “I recognise there will be objections but we are proud of the public benefits that our proposals offer and I’m really disappointed that objectors are advocating a course that would deny residents and future generations these substantial benefits.”

Organisers are planning to celebrate the career of Roger Federer, although it is not yet clear whether he will attend the tournament, as well as the 50th anniversary of the WTA, with Billie Jean King a special guest.

Coaching from the stands will be allowed for the first time as part of a year-long trial across the sport while players will be able to fill up water bottles on court in a bid to cut plastic waste.

It was confirmed, meanwhile, that Denise Parnell will take over from the retiring Gerry Armstrong as tournament referee for next summer’s event.

With Debbie Jevans succeeding Hewitt as chair following the championships this summer, it means three of the most senior positions will all be held by women for the first time.

Jurgen Klopp was willing David Moyes to survive at the depth of West Ham's early-season crisis because the Liverpool manager dreaded becoming the old man of the Premier League.

The Hammers took just four points from seven games at the outset of this campaign, but Moyes guided his team to 10 points from the next five to buy himself some time.

There have been turbulent times since, including a run where his players took just one point from a possible 21, but West Ham look like surviving for another season in the top flight after pulling clear of the relegation zone.

On Wednesday, they host Liverpool, who have won 10 of their last 12 Premier League games against West Ham.

The exceptions both came at the London Stadium, with a 1-1 draw in February 2019 and a 3-2 victory for West Ham in November 2021.

When the season began, Moyes was the oldest Premier League boss, and he turned 60 on Tuesday.

Klopp, at 55, is still some way short of being a veteran manager, but he was wary of the possibility of all his Premier League colleagues being younger men.

Managerial situations at other clubs rarely interest him, but this was different.

"In this specific one I was really in it," he said. "Because if West Ham would have sacked David Moyes, I would have been the oldest manager in the Premier League and I wanted to avoid that.

"Yes, David has to stay. David is a top colleague. They have a good team, and they show now their quality again."

Klopp said he had enjoyed having a post-match beer with Moyes in the past, and was pleased he managed to ride out the storm.

"He's a really good person as far as I know," Klopp said, "and I like that he always finds a way to get a team going. It might not have worked out years ago for once at Man United, but that was the most difficult time to join Man United in the history of football, coming after Sir Alex Ferguson."

Moyes, who failed to last a full season when appointed by the Red Devils in 2013, is no longer the Premier League's oldest boss, with 75-year-old Roy Hodgson's mid-season return to Crystal Palace changing that.

Julen Lopetegui, appointed by Wolves in November, is also a year Klopp's senior.

Liverpool head to London on the back of wins against relegation candidates Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, results that have helped out West Ham.

This has been a season of torment for the Reds, however, with fifth place looking to be the best they might achieve.

Klopp said his team "have to still prove ourselves" but reasoned there had been "a lot of things to like" in the last two games, and in the second half of the Anfield draw against Arsenal in their previous outing.

He sees West Ham as a threat to Liverpool's ongoing four-match unbeaten run, saying: "It's a super dangerous and difficult game for us, definitely."

After losing three consecutive home league games in November and December, West Ham have lost just one of their last seven at the London Stadium (W3 D3), scoring at least once in each match.

"We have to make the next step," Klopp said, "keeping the standard of the last two games defensively and then going from there. Being uncomfortable to play against, that must be our target."

Conor Bradley will get a chance to break into Liverpool’s first-team squad for next term when he takes part in pre-season, Jurgen Klopp has said.

The 19-year-old has starred on loan at Sky Bet League One club Bolton this year, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 49 appearances as he helped Wanderers lift the Papa John’s Trophy earlier this month while maintaining their play-off push.

Klopp has been impressed by what he has seen of Bradley, who made five appearances for Liverpool last season before heading out on loan. Another temporary move is possible, but Bradley has the opportunity to force his way into Klopp’s squad.

“We are in constant contact,” Klopp said. “Pep Lijnders created a group with our on-loan players – a WhatsApp group – and we are watching really closely what he is doing. It is great, obviously.

“I am not sure if he will become player of the season (at Bolton) but for sure he is a contender for that, which is absolutely great.

“We knew what we had in our hands when he was here, but for young boys there must be an opportunity to make the next step with playing and that was now a typical win-win situation: it was good for us, good for him and good for the club and I liked it a lot.

“Our plans are, bring him back, go in the pre-season and then enjoy the steps he made, then we will decide together what we are doing from that moment on. The plans are in the moment, bring him back and keep him, but we will see.”

Bradley was also one of Northern Ireland’s stand-out players during the international window last month, and has 12 caps to his name despite his tender age.

“I think it’s a confidence boost when you are invited and playing for your country, of course that is great but it is not that often it happens,” Klopp added.

“I think it gives you a better feeling about yourself if you get picked for your country. I never had that situation so I cannot exactly tell you how it feels, but I am pretty sure it is very special and it is a super-positive moment for him.

“Everybody speaks positively about him. I think one and a half years ago only a few football nerds would have known about him and now everybody knows him. That’s cool and that’s the first step.

“He is our boy, which I like a lot. A super mentality, which is extremely helpful, and all the rest will come – and we are all pretty sure about that. So, that’s it.

“Conor will be our player, but how it is in that age group, we have to see if it makes more sense for him going on loan after pre-season or not. We will decide that then and not now.”

Jurgen Klopp believes Liverpool must still prove themselves worthy of European football next season despite boosting their qualification hopes with back-to-back Premier League victories.

The Reds go into Wednesday’s trip to West Ham in seventh place after wins over Leeds and Nottingham Forest ended a run of four league games without a victory, leaving them three points off Tottenham in fifth but nine behind Manchester United in fourth.

But with Brighton lurking a point below – with two games in hand – Klopp knows there is still much work to be done in a season where a lack of consistency has too often been Liverpool’s downfall.

“Nothing,” Klopp said when asked what Liverpool had shown with their last two results. “You could say the same about West Ham, they’ve found their feet as well so let’s see about that.

“We have to still prove ourselves. We cannot talk about consistency when you win two games, especially when you win the second one like we did (a 3-2 victory away to Nottingham Forest) where the defending was not perfect to say the least…

“We have to keep it going. There were a lot of things to like in the last two, two-and-a-half games and that’s what we have to continue. We have to make sure it’s not too difficult for people to watch us, that they like it again.”

Diogo Jota has scored four goals in those two victories, his first Liverpool goals of a season wrecked by a calf injury.

4️⃣ in 2️⃣ for @DiogoJota18 ? #LIVNFO | @LFC pic.twitter.com/ICYNfweVoS

— Premier League (@premierleague) April 22, 2023

“He just got back up to speed,” Klopp said of the Portugal forward. “He is an exceptional player.

“Since Diogo joined us he did exceptional stuff for us. He’s super smart, can play a lot of different positions, he has super interesting skills for an offensive player.

“He’s not the tallest but an extreme threat in the air, his timing is top, he can finish with both feet which is extremely helpful and has the speed.

“Diogo this season had a really bad injury, that kept him back, nothing else. If he stays fit he is an outstanding player.

Consecutive doubles from @DiogoJota18 had the boss hailing his qualities ahead of #WHULIV ?

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 25, 2023

“When you are injured you need rhythm. It is an ongoing season and nobody waits for you – that is the most difficult thing.

“Now it’s really cool he could score these goals because all of them were – for us – super important.”

Liverpool’s trip to east London may be badly timed, with West Ham picking up form in their fight against relegation.

David Moyes’ side are unbeaten in their last four in all competitions, a run that has included a 2-2 draw with leaders Arsenal, victory over Gent in the Europa Conference League and Sunday’s 4-0 rout of Bournemouth.

Klopp said he expected a tough evening, but joked he had been rooting for Moyes to succeed all season since being told in the summer that the former Everton and Manchester United boss was – before the appointments of Julen Lopetegui and Roy Hodgson – the only manager older than him in the Premier League.

“I don’t look much at other clubs…but this specific one I was into it because if West Have would have sacked David Moyes I would have been the oldest manager in the Premier League and I wanted to avoid that,” Klopp said.

“Somebody told me before the season, I was the second oldest manager. David was the oldest so since then it was fingers crossed for West Ham. David has to stay!”

Ronnie O’Sullivan cut a frustrated figure despite fashioning a 6-2 advantage at the end of the first session of his World Snooker Championship quarter-final against Luca Brecel at the Crucible.

The seven-time champion took some time to settle and muttered “it’s a hard game today” after running out of position midway through a scrappy fourth frame.

O’Sullivan also thumped his leg in anger after missing a black in the seventh frame, but still managed to overhaul a 2-1 deficit and move within seven frames of sealing his place in the semi-finals upon their resumption on Tuesday evening.

A quickfire session looked in store when Brecel opened proceedings with a break of 93 and O’Sullivan responded with a fast 56 which proved enough despite a rare missed black off its spot.

Another error from O’Sullivan served up Brecel for a frame-winning break of 68 to move in front, and only a tenacious 35 clearance in the next allowed O’Sullivan to edge in at the mid-session interval all square.

It was Brecel’s turn to feel frustrated after the restart as a series of costly errors from the Belgian put the momentum firmly in O’Sullivan’s hands.

A break of 59 sent O’Sullivan in front for the first time before Brecel was punished for scattering the reds in the sixth frame as the favourite reeled off an effortless 128 to move two clear at 4-2.

Brecel did all the hard work in the next, getting the two snookers he required for an improbable steal, only to jaw a relatively simple pink as he sought to clear, handing O’Sullivan a 5-2 advantage.

Brecel missed a black off its spot in the final frame of the session and O’Sullivan needed no second chances to mop up with a break of 85 and leave himself well and truly in control.

Russian and Belarusian athletes who receive state funding cannot be considered neutral and must remain excluded from international sport, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said.

Last month the International Olympic Committee published criteria under which global sports federations may consider readmitting athletes from those countries amid their invasion of Ukraine.

The recommendations say only individual athletes from those countries should be allowed to compete – not teams.

Athletes and support personnel who actively support the war in Ukraine must also remain barred, as must any athlete or support staff member contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military or security agencies.

The IOC has postponed a decision on whether athletes from those countries will be allowed to compete at the Paris Games next year, but the recommendations mean that, in some sports at least, Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to enter Olympic qualification events.

Frazer and France’s Olympics and Paralympics minister Amelie Oudea-Castera called for clarity regarding state-funded athletes in statements published on Tuesday as part of a Council of Europe hearing on Russian participation in international sport.

Frazer said athletes in receipt of funding from the state, or from state-controlled companies such as Russian energy giant Gazprom, were “de facto representatives of those states”.

“They are only there by virtue of being funded by, trained by, selected by, supported by, the Russian state,” she added.

Should athletes from Russia and Belarus be excluded from the 2024 Paris #Olympics?

Follow the @PACE_News event live in 5 languages ?? ?? ?? ?? ??

⏰ Today at 10h30 CEST

? https://t.co/lPPyGFjzP7 https://t.co/W7orL2rmCZ

— Council of Europe (@coe) April 25, 2023

“We have seen the IOC start to address some of our concerns and that is to be welcomed, but the IOC’s recommendations do not go far enough for us and they leave far too many unanswered questions.

“There is no reference anywhere in the recommendations to state funding, which I have said is a breach of neutrality.

“None of us should countenance the idea of a Ukrainian athlete being forced to share a pitch, a court, a field, a starting line with state-sponsored athletes from Russia and Belarus.

“The IOC must clarify their position or go back to the drawing board. Resolve the issues I have set out today.

“Implement an approach that guarantees only truly neutral athletes can participate.”

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe @PACE_News hearing today on participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.⬇️Athletes representing the IOC:Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia)Gaby Ahrens (Namibia)⬇️https://t.co/fiyMKVE2OR

— IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) April 25, 2023

Frazer also said it was crucial to ensure other loopholes were not exploited, such as contracts with the military or security agencies being paused for long enough to enable athletes to compete.

Self-funded tennis players from Russia and Belarus will be able to take part at Wimbledon this summer provided they sign declarations of neutrality and do not express support for the war.

Oudea-Castera accepted the IOC had the right to take the “sovereign” decision but agreed with Frazer that there were “open issues” where clarity was required, including whether the exclusion of teams extended to sports featuring pairs of athletes competing together.

Gaby Ahrens, the chair of the athletes’ commission of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa, appeared at the hearing on behalf of the IOC.

She said: “If the Olympic Games become a platform only for athletes coming from like-minded countries or whose governments are at peace, it would not be a true reflection of the world and we would not be able to achieve our mission to unite the world in a peaceful competition despite the differences there are between countries and people.

“If governments took over the decisions regarding which athletes can partake in which competition, it would mean the end of world sport as we know today.”

Ryan Mason has been appointed as Tottenham interim head coach once again following the dismissal of Cristian Stellini after less than a month in charge.

After stepping into the top job on a temporary basis from his backroom role when Antonio Conte was sacked, Stellini lasted just four games before he was dismissed in the wake of Sunday’s 6-1 defeat at Newcastle.

Mason will take charge of the first team for a second spell, having overseen the squad following the departure of Jose Mourinho in April 2021 until the end of that campaign.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the problems which Spurs have to overcome as they try to salvage a Champions League spot from their final six games of the season.

Case for the defence

Stellini looked to shoulder the blame for a change in defensive tactics which had unravelled within the opening 21 minutes at St James’ Park as Spurs swiftly found themselves 5-0 down.

While injuries to key defensive personnel played their part, deploying Ivan Perisic and Pedro Porro as full-backs was a decision which came under the spotlight.

Mason’s first game in charge will be at home to Manchester United on Thursday night, when he could opt for a three-man backline, which helped Spurs regroup and concede just once in the second half, but the damage was already done.

Forster on stand-by

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris apologised to Spurs fans for Sunday’s “embarrassing” defeat, acknowledging the players showed a “lack of pride”.

While Lloris could not be directly blamed for the goals conceded, the Frenchman went off at half-time with a muscle problem which could see him set for another spell on the sidelines.

Fraser Forster proved an able deputy for Lloris earlier in the campaign and should Mason be deprived of the French goalkeeper for a key run of fixtures, the veteran former Southampton stopper will offer a safe pair of hands to help steady the ship.

Richarlison at the ready

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richarlison (@richarlison)

Brazil forward Richarlison is another member of the Spurs squad who has been hampered by fitness problems.

After recovering from a calf injury suffered before the last international break, Richarlison has made a couple of late substitute appearances.

Dejan Kulusevski could be the man to make way for Richarlison to start against Manchester United as Mason looks to breathe some new life into Spurs’ frontline.

Reconnect with the fans

Sunday’s shambolic start at St James’ Park saw some Spurs supporters heading for the exit well before the half-time whistle.

The Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust called for decisive action to “give us all some hope and something to get behind at the end of a truly awful season”.

Whether or not the swift departure of Stellini and the rest of his support staff will provide that, putting faith in Mason once again at least restores a connection back to ‘one of their own’ in the dugout.

Ignore the outside noise

Former Spurs midfielder Mason has been part of the coaching staff for the past 18 months, and has already seen plenty of changes behind the scenes.

Mason’s previous caretaker stint showed he can be his own man, helping Spurs finish seventh at the end of the season, one point above rivals Arsenal, and in doing so securing qualification for the Europa Conference League.

While the debate continues over the future direction of the club under chairman Daniel Levy and whether or not England captain Harry Kane will still be there next season, Mason just has to cut out all of the background noise and focus on producing the required results across their six remaining games – which also include trips to Liverpool and Aston Villa, who both still have their own European ambitions.

The FA Cup final will kick off no later than 4.45pm after the Metropolitan Police deemed the Manchester derby at Wembley to be a high-risk fixture.

The PA news agency understands no decision has yet been taken regarding the kick-off time for the match on June 3 – between Manchester City and neighbours United – but the police will not sanction a 5.30pm start time.

Manchester United’s penalty shoot-out victory over Brighton set up the first Manchester derby in a cup final in the competition’s 151-year history.

ITV was preparing to screen the match and the Epsom Derby on the same afternoon.

The race had been due to start at 4.30pm but neither the Jockey Club nor ITV has yet confirmed whether the police advice regarding the cup final would affect their scheduling.

Former Manchester City captain Andy Morrison has warned that Arsenal could roar back into form in Wednesday’s crucial title clash at the Etihad Stadium.

The Gunners head into the eagerly anticipated fixture with a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League but momentum is firmly with second-placed, Treble-chasing City.

Arsenal have seen their advantage eroded after three successive draws while champions City have won their last six and have two games in hand.

Victory for City would see the initiative shift firmly in their direction but Morrison says it is not as simple as that.

The Scot told the PA news agency: “Statistically it is going to be a big ask for Arsenal because of the form they are in and the record City have at the Etihad, which is phenomenal.

“Everything is against them but you need a platform, an opportunity to create something special, and it is there for them. They need to grasp it.

“They’ve had three draws and lost the position of strength they were in but they haven’t lost the opportunity.

“If they lose this game it becomes very difficult for them but they still have that opportunity and while that’s still alive, if they beat Man City, they’ll be on the front foot.

“They’ll be vibrant and back at it. It’ll be back in their hands with everything to play for. It’s a massive game and I think it’s a lot closer than people are saying.”

In their three recent draws, Arsenal twice surrendered two-goal leads – against Liverpool and West Ham – before needing to fight back from 3-1 down at bottom side Southampton.

With the game against in-form City looming it seemed their challenge was crumbling but there is pressure on both teams.

Morrison, who captained City to their Second Division play-off final win in 1999, said: “I have heard a lot of people over the last month say Arsenal have still got to go and play Man City but the opposite of it is Man City have still got to play Arsenal.

“It is easier said than done because they are up against a phenomenal team but, in life, you need a platform and this is their chance.

“The emotions and the pressure are massive in this game but there’s an opportunity to win the game and go on to win the title.”