Ryan Mason is looking for Tottenham to pick up where they left off in Thursday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United when they visit Liverpool on Sunday.

Mason took over Cristian Stellini's responsibilities as acting head coach this week, with the Italian dismissed following a dismal 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

While Mason's second stint as interim boss started poorly as United raced into a 2-0 lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a rousing second-half fightback saw Spurs clinch an unlikely draw.

Tottenham's failure to beat United may have killed their slim hopes of Champions League qualification, but Mason wants to see a similar performance at Anfield.

"In football, negativity can spread very quickly, but so can positivity," he said.

"If you create a good feeling and energy, it can accelerate a process. Hopefully we'll continue with what we saw in the second half.

"We were together, we had belief in what we were doing and it's important we continue in this way.

"When you have a result like we did last Sunday, there should be anger. I wanted to see an angry team."

Seventh-placed Liverpool are one point behind Spurs with a game in hand, and the two Premier League giants now appear to be fighting for Europa League football after enduring poor campaigns.

However, the Reds have posted three successive wins ahead of Sunday's game, though boss Jurgen Klopp believes they still have other gears to find.

"I liked big parts of the games, not all of it of course," Klopp said.

"There's always something to improve, and that's fine and that's what we'll try to do now.

"I'm absolutely okay in this moment but it's not like I already trust us so much that I'll say, 'that's it now, we're out of the woods.'

"This season gave us a few lessons I didn't want to learn, but I learned. We have to stay super focused."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

Salah has been involved in 11 goals in his last eight home games in all competitions (eight goals, three assists), scoring at least once on each of his last six appearances at Anfield.

The last Liverpool player to score in more consecutive games at Anfield was Luis Suarez, who found the net in eight successive matches there between April 2013 and January 2014.

Tottenham – Son Heung-min

Six of Tottenham's last seven Premier League goals against Liverpool have been scored by either Harry Kane or Son, with the two forwards hitting three goals apiece during that span.

Son's tally of nine Premier League goals this term is a disappointing one given he shared the Golden Boot with Salah last season, but he will hope Thursday's equaliser against United can act as a turning point.

MATCH PREDICTION – LIVERPOOL WIN

Liverpool have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against Spurs (W13 D6), with the Reds unbeaten in their last 10 since a 4-1 loss at Wembley Stadium in October 2017.

The omens are not good for Tottenham as they hit the road for the first time since being routed at St James' Park – they have conceded 31 away goals in the Premier League this season, already their most in a single campaign since 2008-09 (35).

Klopp's hosts come into this game having won three successive Premier League matches, despite conceding in each of those contests. Their last four-game winning run in the competition came between November and December last year, when they also conceded in each of their victories.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Liverpool - 55.2 per cent

Tottenham - 20.0 per cent

Draw - 24.8 per cent

Gary O'Neil believes Bournemouth need one final push to secure their Premier League status, with the Cherries closing in on safety ahead of Sunday's meeting with struggling Leeds United.

Bournemouth clinched their third successive away victory on Thursday, beating Southampton 1-0 to leave Saints staring at relegation and take themselves seven points clear of the bottom three.

With the most intense relegation battle in recent memory set to go to the wire, O'Neil is keen to ensure Bournemouth do not rest on their laurels.  

"It's still about avoiding the bottom three," O'Neil said. "I still believe 36 points could be relegated.

"I think maybe the world felt we were fine when we left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and then you get a performance against West Ham where we let ourselves down, so that's a real good lesson for the boys.

"You think everything is rosy and then you get a kick up the backside.

"Hopefully that prepares us well for what will be a tough ask against Leeds, to go off the back of a huge effort last night, with two days' fewer recovery against a very intense team."

While Bournemouth are closing in on safety, Leeds are growing increasingly desperate amid an alarming drop-off.

Javi Gracia's side followed up 5-1 and 6-1 defeats to Crystal Palace and Liverpool by drawing a six-pointer against Leicester City on Tuesday, Patrick Bamford missing a glaring chance for a late winner.

With Leeds one point clear of danger and facing several challenging fixtures, Gracia has attracted fierce criticism from areas of the club's fanbase.

Asked if he was worried about his own future on Friday, Gracia said: "I'm just concerned about the situation of the team.

"When I arrived, we were in a worse position.

"We wanted to get more points but we are focused on trying our best in the five games left, and that starts with Bournemouth."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Bournemouth – Dominic Solanke

Having scored 17 goals in 23 home league games for Bournemouth in the Championship last season, Solanke has netted just once in 14 appearances at the Vitality Stadium this campaign.

However, the former Liverpool and Chelsea striker has 12 goal involvements overall in the Premier League this term (five goals, seven assists) – at least three more than any of his team-mates (Marcus Tavernier has nine).

Leeds United – Jack Harrison

As well as leading the way for chances created (50) and assists (seven) for Leeds in the Premier League this season, Harrison has made more ball carries (309) and carried the ball a greater distance (3,479 metres) than any other player for the Whites in the competition this term.

Meanwhile, only Rodrigo (11) and Luis Sinisterra (five) have bettered Harrison's tally of four league goals for Leeds this campaign. With Gracia's men on the slide, they need the winger to provide some attacking inspiration.

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Leeds have won 10 of their 13 previous league games against Bournemouth (D2 L1), including nine of the last 10. That represents their best win rate against any opponent they have faced at least 10 times in their league history (77 per cent).

However, only Nottingham Forest (six) have won fewer away points than Leeds' nine in the Premier League this season, and the visitors have only kept one clean sheet in their last 18 road trips.

While Bournemouth's need for points is less pressing than that of Leeds following their midweek victory, the Cherries have taken 15 points from their last eight league games (W5 L3), so they will be hopeful of picking up a result to inch them closer to safety.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Bournemouth - 34.7 per cent

Leeds United - 37.1 per cent

Draw - 28.2 per cent

The Everton Fan Advisory Board has called for club chair Bill Kenwright to be replaced, saying it has no confidence in his leadership.

The statement from the group, which was formed in 2021 and is officially recognised by the club, comes a day after the relegation-battling Toffees suffered a 4-1 Premier League home defeat to Newcastle to drop to 19th place, and reflects long-running issues between fans and the board.

The FAB has repeatedly wanted increased communication between the club and supporters during a second consecutive season fighting against the drop, and also one in which Everton has been referred by the Premier League to an independent commission over an alleged breach of financial regulations.

Kenwright angered many fans with a letter to supporters last week in which he defended the board’s actions, a statement seen by many as being tone deaf considering the club’s predicament.

Members of the board have not attended fixtures at Goodison Park since January, when the club said there were concerns for their safety.

Friday’s statement from FAB said: “The chair of any organisation has a core responsibility for leading the board, ensuring its focus on strategic matters and direction, overseeing the company’s business, and setting high governance standards.

“We were therefore hugely disappointed at the chairman’s statement last Friday.

“At a critical time for our club, when we most needed leadership, understanding, accountability and a recognition of the strength of feeling and concern across large parts of the fanbase, we got the absolute opposite.

“The situation as it stands is not sustainable, not befitting of our great club and as Evertonians we do not deserve it. After careful consideration, we are therefore making a call of no confidence in the current chair of Everton Football Club.”

The statement went on to demand that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri implements broader changes in the boardroom.

“The FAB is also calling on the majority shareholder to urgently take charge of securing stronger expertise, experience and more appropriate leadership for our club and ask that he be ready to explain to fans the action and timetable for making this happen,” it said.

“Finally, we want to acknowledge the work of those doing the day to day work within the club in what must be extremely difficult circumstances, as well as Evertonians who have shown time and time again that they will stop at nothing to support our club.”

Kenwright has been on the Everton board since 1989, acquiring a majority holding in 1999 and becoming chair in 2004. He remained in the post following Moshiri’s purchase of a 49.9 per cent stake in the club in 2016, which he increased to 94 per cent in 2022.

Pep Guardiola has warned the Premier League title race is not over and has reminded his Manchester City players what happened last time they beat Arsenal.

City overpowered the leaders 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to put themselves firmly in the driving seat as they chase a fifth league crown in six years.

The treble-chasing champions are now just two points behind the Gunners with two games in hand and can move top with victory at Fulham on Sunday.

Yet Guardiola remembers well how his side were held to a 1-1 draw by struggling Nottingham Forest just days after winning at the Emirates Stadium in February and does not want a repeat.

The City manager said: “People start to say they have the feeling it’s over, but it’s not over. It will be over when it’s over, and it’s not over.

“We have seven games and in every single game we’ll play for special things for our opponents and ourselves. We have to play our game.

“At the Emirates we won, everyone was happy and saying we had caught Arsenal, but we went to Nottingham Forest and we drew. We played a fantastic game but it was a draw.

“Now we’ve won and we go to Fulham, a special stadium with an incredibly organised team. If we do our job we’ll be closer but nothing is for granted.

“I know it is not 20 games left, but seven games are seven games. It is still a lot of games.”

Arsenal’s challenge has faltered during a miserable April, with their midweek loss at City coming after three successive draws.

Guardiola, however, feels City’s advantage is a slender one and expects Mikel Arteta’s side to bounce back.

He said: “I know Mikel perfectly and the players know that they will not give up.

“If we were 10 points in front I’d say it was almost over but the reality today is we’re two points behind. If the championship finished today they are champions.

“Always I say what happened to them in the last games – three draws, one defeat – can happen to us.

“Impossible? No, it can be possible. You can lose games and drop points in one week.

“We have to be aware of that. If we are it will be easier for us not to drop points.”

After seven successive Premier League wins City – who are also bidding to win the Champions League and FA Cup – appear to be timing their charge perfectly.

“We have good momentum,” Guardiola said. “The feeling is good but we have to prove it again.

“If we don’t get a result at Fulham we will be in the same position as before Arsenal. We have to try to avoid that as much as possible.”

Defender Nathan Ake will miss the game at Craven Cottage as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury but his lay-off should not be a long one.

Guardiola said: “He’s much better, he seems good. The symptoms are good. Still he is not training with the team but I think he won’t be (much) longer.”

Thomas Tuchel admitted Bayern Munich have reached the point where "nothing is easy" as he demanded his faltering team show a reaction to losing top spot in the Bundesliga.

Tuchel was undecided about whether to tune in for Borussia Dortmund's clash with Bochum on Friday, knowing a Dortmund win would lift them four points clear of Bayern.

This weekend sees Bayern have to wait until Sunday for their turn, as they host Hertha Berlin. After that, both they and Dortmund will have four rounds of games remaining.

The clock is ticking, and Bayern's 10-in-a-row title run is under serious threat following a damaging 3-1 defeat to Mainz last weekend.

Head coach Tuchel has injuries to contend with too. Centre-back Dayot Upamecano will miss the Hertha game due to a thigh strain and faces a fortnight on the sidelines, with striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and wing-back Alphonso Davies also set to be absent.

"I don't even know if I'm watching Dortmund," Tuchel said. "For us, the starting position is clear: we no longer have it in our own hands, and now we have to get 15 points.

"We have to improve. It's not too late to show a reaction. We need them right away on Sunday. More than ever, it's all about us. We have to deliver and then hope that's enough."

Hertha, who sit bottom of the Bundesliga, recently brought in Pal Dardai to replace coach Sandro Schwarz, and for that reason, Tuchel described the strugglers as an "unpredictable" prospect.

"That's why we have one more reason to focus completely on ourselves. Nothing is easy for us at the moment," Tuchel said. "The situation is crystal clear. We have to deliver."

Former Chelsea, Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel has experienced a turbulent start to his Bayern reign, since being appointed on March 25, overseeing exits from the DFB-Pokal and Champions League.

Should Bayern also fail to land the league title that has been their preserve for the last decade, it would compound this season's woes.

A draw against Hoffenheim in mid-April was another damaging result, and Bayern cannot afford to fluff their lines this weekend.

"We are very honest with each other, very critical," Tuchel said. "The team know my opinion on the Mainz game.

"In sport there is always the opportunity to make amends. In the last two games we lost points after taking the lead. That's very atypical for us.

"Honesty and openness is the best form of interaction. We've shown that we can do it. It's more the consistency that we lack."

New York City FC centre-back Thiago Martins accepts his side must improve their away form, starting with this weekend's trip to Eastern Conference rivals Toronto FC.

City enter Saturday's contest at BMO Field sitting fourth in the East following back-to-back home victories against Nashville SC and FC Dallas.

Nick Cushing's side are unbeaten in nine home league games stretching back into last season, but they have taken just two points from a possible 12 on their travels this term.

With a run of four successive road games to come, Martins is eager for NYCFC to get off the mark with their first away victory.

"It's not easy, but we need to impose ourselves away from home," he said. "We know away from home they press higher, they have the atmosphere, the stadium, the fans.

"We need to be brave and play the same way we play when we play with our fans in our stadium.

"We played very well last week, but if you want to be a good team, a top team, we need to play like last week away from home. It's difficult, but we need to impose ourselves."

Toronto are six points worse off than NYCFC after winning just one of their opening nine matches, with a league-high six of those games finishing all square.

The Canadian club's seven-game unbeaten run was ended by the Philadelphia Union last week, but midfielder Jonathan Osorio hopes the visit of NYCFC can prove a turning point.

"We're trying to figure it out," he said. "This season has been a weird one to really put your finger on. We're just trying to figure out how we can take the next step.

"The guys are together, speaking, letting their opinions out and seeing where we can move forward and get better. The guys in the locker room care.

"We'll be working really hard this week to figure it out and put it all together to put in a much better performance on Saturday in front of our home crowd."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Toronto FC – Jonathan Osorio

Osorio assisted both of Toronto's goals in last week's loss in Philadelphia, though those goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Richie Laryea came after the Reds had fallen 4-0 behind.

He completed 105 passes in that match, making him the only player since such data was first recorded in 2010 to complete at least 100 passes and assist multiple goals in an MLS game.

New York City FC – Santiago Rodriguez

Rodriguez notched his second and third MLS goals of the season in last week's victory against FC Dallas to move within one goal of his career-best tally from 2022.

It marked the first time the 23-year-old had scored more than once in a single MLS match, having netted just twice in his past 17 games in the competition (including playoffs).

MATCH PREDICTION – NYCFC WIN

NYCFC have won just two of their past 10 away matches, compared to eight victories in their past 10 at home.

Toronto are unbeaten in four successive games at BMO Field, meanwhile, and have lost there just twice in their past 11 outings.

But City have lost just five of their 18 regular-season games against Toronto, including only one of the past five, and will see this as a good chance to pick up a rare road win.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Toronto FC – 31.5 per cent
New York City FC – 39.9 per cent
Draw – 28.6 per cent

Harry Kane heard Manchester United fans chanting his name but insists his full attention is on securing a lofty Premier League finish for Tottenham.

Striker Kane was captain in the absence of injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris as Tottenham fought back from 2-0 down for a 2-2 draw with United on Thursday.

The result came in the wake of senior Spurs players meeting on Monday with chairman Daniel Levy to discuss the team's faltering campaign, which came to a head with Sunday's 6-1 pasting at Newcastle United.

Not long after that meeting, interim head coach Cristian Stellini was ousted from his role and the popular Ryan Mason was given a chance to lead the team.

When Spurs put in a rocky first-half display against United, going behind to goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, the picture for the north London hosts looked increasingly gloomy.

It would have hurt Tottenham supporters to hear United fans chanting "Harry Kane, we'll see you in June", amid recent transfer speculation, but the man himself shrugged that off.

"I heard what they were saying, but I'm just focused on this team and trying to finish strongly," Kane said.

The 29-year-old England skipper has a year remaining on his Tottenham contract, and the coming close season may be the club's best chance to earn a handsome transfer fee if their record scorer decides the exit door really does beckon.

Levy will have Kane's future high on his list of priorities, but for the moment the priority of everyone from the chairman down is on finishing the season strongly.

The Newcastle result pointed to Spurs being in disarray, but Mason's players showed a greater spark against Erik ten Hag's United, and Kane felt the discussions with Levy have proven worthwhile.

"I think it was important [for Levy] to understand where the players' heads were at in that moment," Kane said. "It was an honest conversation of where everyone is at and what we need to try to do to give us the best possible chance to finish the season with something.

"We're still fighting for fourth place, but if it's not fourth, we'll try to finish fifth or sixth – as high up as we can. In this league, it's so competitive, you can easily end up eighth or ninth if you're not careful."

Kane said he was "glad we reacted like that" against United, ahead of a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Spurs sit fifth in the Premier League, but their grip on that position is tenuous. In-form Aston Villa are on the same points mark in sixth place, while Liverpool are a point back with a game in hand and Brighton and Hove Albion sit five points behind but have three games in hand.

The Premier League title race is "not over" for Manchester City and Arsenal, but ex-player Kolo Toure acknowledged the reigning champions hold the advantage.

Pep Guardiola's side ruthlessly dismantled Arsenal in a 4-1 win on Wednesday, to move two points off the Gunners at the summit with two games in hand.

After dropping points three games on the bounce before their loss to the champions, Arsenal's hopes of a first title since 2004 look to have slipped away.

But Toure, who won Premier League titles with both clubs across his career, feels it cannot be called until the final day of the season, despite City's ascendancy.

"It is not over yet," he told Stats Perform. "There are still some games. [It was a] big statement from City. They showed their qualities, they showed their mentality.

"They showed that they want to win the Premier League. From the start of the season, they have always been the favourite to win it, but [there are a] few games to go.

"Arsenal have been doing very well this season. Challenging City is always really, really hard because of the manager, because of the depth of the team they have.

"But Arsenal are surprising everybody and until the last game, you cannot say that league is done. As soon as you have one mistake, and you lose one game, everything changes in your mind.

"The pressure starts again. That's why, for Arsenal, it's very important that they stay on it. They have to make sure they don't make any mistakes to keep the pressure on City."

Arsenal had been considered rank outsiders for the title in pre-season, but until their recent dip, looked in a commanding position to push on and secure victory.

A slew of draws with Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton have cost them dearly however, with the defeat to City taking matters out of their hands.

Toure disagrees with the idea Arsenal have choked from the pressure however, and believes the Gunners have shown exceptional growth under Mikel Arteta to even be in the conversation.

"It's very harsh [to say so]," he added. "That's harsh because no one expected Arsenal to do what they are doing. Until the season is over, it's not over.

"I would say they're on the right road and the right track, because Arsenal have been suffering for a few years with some of their results. Arteta came, he did a great job.

He has put the club on the right path now. They just have to believe in him, they just have to carry on with what they're doing. I believe they are on the right track.

"[If they] stay calm, keep doing the process, keep putting pressure on those immense clubs like City, like Liverpool, then there is a moment where your time will come to shine."

Arsenal next face a London derby with struggling Chelsea on Tuesday before a clash with top-four rivals Newcastle United a week on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola has warned Arsenal will not give up on their bid to deny Manchester City a third successive Premier League title.

After a Kevin De Bruyne-inspired City thrashed Arsenal 4-1 on Wednesday, Guardiola's men sit two points behind the faltering leaders with two games in hand.

Arsenal are not in action again until they host Chelsea on Tuesday, meaning City have the opportunity to go top of the table when they visit Fulham on Sunday.

With Arsenal only taking three points from their last four league games and City winning their last seven, some have declared the title race to be over, despite the Gunners leading the way.

Guardiola, however, is adamant City still have work to do.

Asked about the importance of going top at Friday's pre-match press conference, Guardiola said: "Psychologically, it's important, but its more the fact it depends on us, we don't have to look at anything except performing as well as possible to win games.

"People start saying they have a feeling that it's over. It's not over. It will be over when it's over. In every single game, our opponents play for special things.

"I know what happened when we played at the Emirates, we won and everybody was happy, people saying we had already caught them. Then we went to Nottingham Forest and drew – it was a fantastic game, but we drew.

"If we do our job, we will be close. But we'll take nothing for granted. We're happy, of course, for the last few games, but that's all.

"I know it's not 20 games left, it's seven games. But seven games is seven games, it's a lot, considering we have the Champions League around the corner."

Arsenal's chastening defeat at the Etihad Stadium was the Gunners' 12th in succession against City in the top flight, with Guardiola's men winning those matches by an aggregate score of 33-5.

While that result has the potential to be a knockout blow after Mikel Arteta's team were held by Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton, Guardiola believes Arsenal could yet fight back.

"I know Mikel perfectly, I think our players know it – they will not give up," he said. "One of their real prizes – to be in the Champions League next season – is done. They will not give up.

"When you are 10 points in front you can say it's over, but the reality today is we are two points behind. 

"You say we have two games in hand, but we have to be respectful to the teams we have to play, West Ham and Brighton. We have to beat them. If we beat them, I will agree with you, but we still have to play.

"If the championship finished today, they are champions. It's normal, this tendency, because of what we have done in the past, and Arsenal have not been there for a long time. 

"What happened to Arsenal in the last four games can happen to us. People say it's impossible, no. It's possible."

Alejandro Garnacho has signed a new long-term deal with Manchester United.

The 18-year-old winger on Friday put pen to paper on a contract to keep him at the Premier League club until June 2028.

Garnacho has made 31 first-team appearances for the Red Devils and it appears there will be many more to come.

The United academy graduate said: "When I joined this incredible club, I dreamt of achieving my debut, playing at Old Trafford, scoring my first goal and winning trophies with this badge on my chest. 

"I feel very proud and emotional to have experienced these moments already, together with my family who have supported me every step of the way.

"We are all humbled to have this chance to continue our journey at Manchester United and I have already begun to work on achieving the next set of targets and ambitions. 

"The manager and his coaching staff have helped me to improve in every way, and with their support, I am developing each day to help the team to be successful. 

"I am relishing the future and can't wait to create more special memories with this group, in front of our amazing supporters."

The teenager has been out since last month due to an ankle injury, but is set to make his return as United attempt to secure a top-four finish and win the FA Cup.

United boss Erik ten Hag on Friday revealed Garnacho will not be allowed to represent Argentina when they host the U20 World Cup, which starts on May 20.

Christophe Galtier has hailed the impact made by Sergio Ramos this season as Paris Saint-Germain look to close in on the Ligue 1 title against Lorient.

The former Real Madrid defender arrived at the club ahead of the 2021-22 season but struggled for minutes during a campaign derailed by injury.

However, with a full pre-season and a clean bill of health behind him, the former Spain star has been one of the leading lights for PSG in 2022-23.

Ahead of his side's clash with Lorient, where they can help maintain their eight-point gap at the summit, Galtier has highlighted the impact made by Ramos.

"Sergio had a difficult season last year linked to calf injuries," he said. "[This time,] he had complete preparation. He is a hyper-professional player.

"When you have such a record at this age, it is because you put all the chances on your side. He brings his experience [and] he is an important player in the locker room.

"There have been exchanges between the sports management and him. I am very satisfied with his season and with what he brings on matchdays but also in everyday life.

"He is an example, which all our young players must follow."

Ramos was integral to helping arrest PSG's slide earlier this month, netting in their 2-0 win over Nice to bring a two-game wobble to a close.

He was overlooked by Spain for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and confirmed his retirement from the international game following discussions with new coach Luis de la Fuente.

Napoli's Serie A clash with Salernitana this weekend has been rescheduled by one day due to public security concerns, it has been confirmed.

The Partenopei had been set to play on Saturday, but will now take to the pitch at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday instead.

The move comes with Luciano Spalletti's side poised to win the Scudetto if Lazio fail to beat Inter at San Siro during an earlier kick-off the same day.

Serie A's decision to postpone the fixture, however, has forced a further reshuffle for Napoli's fixture list, with their game against Udinese affected.

Originally due to take place on Tuesday, the game will now be played two days later on Thursday, in what could be their first game as champions.

It also means Udinese have suffered a further postponement of their own, with their clash against Sampdoria delayed by a day from a week on Sunday to the Monday afterwards.

Harry Kane has revealed Monday’s crunch talks with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy revolved around the possibility of the club finishing eighth or ninth after he admitted the Newcastle result had been building since last month.

Levy sacked Cristian Stellini following Sunday’s 6-1 thrashing at St James’ Park and consulted Spurs’ player committee, which is understood to comprise captain Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Kane.

Stellini had only been acting head coach for four matches after he stepped up to replace Antonio Conte, who departed a week after his explosive post-match comments at Southampton where he was critical of his own “selfish players” who he insisted did not want to play under pressure.

Kane, speaking after Thursday’s spirited 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United, hinted for the first time the impact Conte’s words had on the squad.

“The chairman asked for a meeting. Obviously I won’t go into what was said but I think it was important (for him) to understand where the players’ heads were at in that moment,” Kane said.

“Obviously coming off the back of that (Newcastle) result and it wasn’t just that result, it had been building up since the international break when we conceded the two goals against Southampton.

“It was an honest conversation of where everyone is at and what we need to try to do to give us the best possible chance to finish the season with something.

“We’re still fighting for fourth place but if it’s not fourth we’ll try to finish fifth or sixth, as high up as we can.

“In this league, it’s so competitive, you can easily end up eighth or ninth if you’re not careful. That’s what it was – to give us the best chance and I’m glad we reacted like that.”

Kane was applauded off at full-time along with the rest of his team-mates on Thursday night but the atmosphere had threatened to turn toxic when Marcus Rashford added to Jadon Sancho’s early opener to make it 2-0 to United at the break.

It left Ryan Mason, in his second caretaker spell in charge, with a big half-time team talk but the 31-year-old exuded calm and saw Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min net in the second period to help Tottenham restore some pride after Sunday’s humiliation in the north east.

Kane added: “It was quite calm. Ryan said not to try to get back in the game in the first five minutes of the second half.

“He said, ‘there’s another 45 minutes, be compact, be ready to hurt them like we did in the first half but now we have to be more clinical’.

“We all said once we get one, we know we can really put pressure on them and that’s what happened. A shame we couldn’t then get the third but overall, when you’re 2-0 down, it was good to get a point out of it.

“I think Ryan’s been great. He’s come in at a really difficult time after that defeat and he’s not had long to implement any style, so it’s all been about motivation and getting some belief back in the boys.

“I’ve known Ryan a long, long time. He’s a great football brain. He sees the game in a really good way, he’s worked under some fantastic managers so far.

“So look, we’re all fully behind him. We really want to work for him and try to finish the season as strong as we can.

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“And he’s a great guy and a great manager. Hopefully we can finish strong and see what happens.”

The Tottenham players reimbursed the away support at Newcastle and while Kane knows it will not make up for the result, he praised their support during Thursday’s draw with United.

“When you travel that far and you’re 5-0 down in 20 minutes, it’s not acceptable on any level,” Kane accepted.

“So, we know it wasn’t going to magically change their feelings or make the result any better but it was still something as a group we wanted to do to try to show we’re all together in this moment.

“And I thought the fans were amazing.”

Kane did not only receive support from the Spurs supporters on Thursday, with the United away following singing they would see him in June amid speculation over his future with just 14 months left on his contract.

But the Tottenham vice-captain insisted: “I heard what they were saying but I’m just focused on this team and trying to finish strongly.”

Ruben Selles insists he is not overlooking Southampton’s January signings due to a lack of quality after his side slid closer to Premier League relegation.

Paul Onuachu and Mislav Orsic were left out of Saints’ squad for Thursday evening’s damaging 1-0 loss to Bournemouth, while £22million club record signing Kamaldeen Sulemana was restricted to 14 minutes from the bench.

Defeat to the Cherries at St Mary’s left bottom club Southampton six points from safety with only five games to go.

Manager Selles, who replaced the sacked Nathan Jones in February, pointed to the size of his squad as he refuted suggestions he does not rate the recent arrivals.

“Mislav was in the squad last week and Onuachu was also in the squad last week, I don’t think it is the same ones (being left out),” said the Spaniard.

“I don’t think it is a lack of quality, it is about decisions.

“I need to make decisions and then I have to give to you some comment on that. It is not about the quality of the boys.”

Ghana winger Sulemana has struggled to nail down a regular starting role following his move from Rennes, while £15.8m former Genk striker Onuachu has not started in the league since February.

Croatia winger Orsic, who cost a reported £6m from Dinamo Zagreb, has played only six minutes for Saints in the top flight and not featured at all under Selles.

“I will not evaluate the board,” replied the coach, when asked if the club had bought players who are not good enough.

“I have a big squad with 30 or 31 players in the first team. And then of course we talk always about the players who are not there.

“I just know that I have to manage a big squad.

“We can defend any decision with some different parameters but the reality is that because we have that big a squad we will always talk about the ones that are not in the squad.”

Southampton’s uphill survival mission continues on Sunday with a daunting trip to Champions League-chasing Newcastle.

Selles is hopeful captain James Ward-Prowse will be fit to lead the team at St James’ Park after being forced off by illness at half-time on a soggy south-coast evening.

“He wanted to play but with the weather conditions that we had during the first half it was too much for him, so he ran out of energy,” Selles said of the England midfielder, who had a sore throat.

“I need to speak with the doctor. I think he will be OK but with those things the doctor needs to let me know.”

Marcus Tavernier’s deflected strike moved Bournemouth seven points clear of the drop zone, while VAR denied Southampton substitute Che Adams a late equaliser due to offside.

Adams’ 89th-minute finish initially looked set to compound Gary O’Neil’s frustration after the visitors were denied a second-half penalty when Jan Bednarek handled Ryan Christie’s cross.

“I don’t see any difference between that and some of the ones we’ve had given against us this year,” said the Cherries boss.

“His arm’s a long way from his body, the ball’s going into a dangerous area, I can’t see why.

“To have it dismissed so quickly…I remember sitting in our dugout when they go against us for ages waiting, they’re watching eight different camera angles being played in slow motion.

“This one, maybe an eight-second check and then we’re told it’s clear. And then I see the replay and I cannot believe that’s not been given as a penalty.”

Juan Mata has named Didier Drogba as the best team-mate he played alongside in the Champions League, while Lionel Messi is the Spaniard's most revered opponent.

Drogba, a legend at Stamford Bridge, scored the winning spot-kick in Chelsea's penalty shoot-out victory over Bayern Munich in the 2012 Champions League final.

It brought up Chelsea's first European crown, one they followed up nine years later by beating Manchester City 1-0 in Porto.

Drogba's coolly taken penalty was his memorable final contribution during his first stint at Chelsea, albeit he returned for a brief second spell in 2014.

Mata, who now plays for Galatasaray, had left for Manchester United by that time, but for him, Drogba will always be the former team-mate synonymous with big Champions League moments.

"If I think about the Champions League, and the times we played together at Chelsea, and when we won the competition, the first big man that comes to mind is Didier Drogba," Mata said in an interview with the Go Turkiye YouTube Channel.

"He scored the goal in the final, he scored the last penalty, he was a leader on and off the pitch, and he is definitely one of the best strikers of the last 20 or 30 years, so he has to be there. 

"He was very helpful to me during my time in London, and he comes to my mind when I think of the Champions League.

"I also have to mention John Terry, [Frank] Lampard, Wayne Rooney, [Robin] van Persie, and many other greats that I had the chance to play with.

"But when I think of Champions League and that final in Munich, it has to be Didier."

 When it came to the toughest opponent playmaker Mata has faced, there was only one player who came to mind.

"I'll have to go with Messi," Mata said. "I played against him in the Spanish league with Valencia, but also in the Champions League with Chelsea.

"I remember those semi-finals when we won it, and he missed a penalty, and he was very unlucky.

"But he is an unbelievable player, still playing at such a great level, we got to see what he did at the World Cup.

"I admire him, and it was a pleasure for me to play against him, hopefully we can play against each other again.

"For me, I have to say he is the one."

Hamit Altintop, who played for Bayern and Real Madrid, echoed Mata's sentiment, though it was not as easy for the former Turkey international to pick out an individual.

"Didier is a real leader on and off the pitch, I played with him in Galatasaray," he added.

"One of my friends asked me if I could make my best XI. In goal: Oliver Kahn, Manuel Neuer, Iker Casillas… These names are all unbelievable players that get mentioned if you talk about the Champions League.

"Iker Casillas is amazing, Cristiano [Ronaldo] the same, if you're talking about the Champions League, you have to mention Messi, of course. All of these names come to mind."

An Italian team is guaranteed to reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2017, when Madrid beat Juventus, with a Milan derby on the cards in the semi-finals.

Manchester City and Madrid face off in the other semi-final tie, and Mata pointed out it is not always the strongest team that goes on to win the competition.

"Sometimes in the Champions League, the best teams don't win, because it's not as long as a normal league, so sometimes you need a little bit of luck: a post, a save, a penalty or other things like that," the 34-year-old said.

"If you don't have mental strength, and if you don't all behave as one, you're not going to win. I felt like that is what happened with Chelsea at that time, we felt like it was meant to be, we felt that was the year.

"For me the mental aspect of football, sometimes it is undervalued, but for me it is key."