Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham could be set for another blow with his senior assistant coach Chris Davies yet to make a decision over the vacant Swansea job.
Spurs rejected an approach from the Sky Bet Championship club to speak with Davies earlier this week, but the Welsh outfit have not given up hoping of hiring Postecoglou’s number two as Michael Duff’s replacement.
Ex-Celtic and Leicester coach Davies was on the touchline for Tottenham’s 2-1 home loss to West Ham on Thursday, which made it four defeats in five for the injury-hit hosts.
Top-four rivals Newcastle are up next for Spurs on Sunday and Postecoglou admitted Davies could still leave for Swansea after that fixture.
“I’ve had a brief discussion with Chris and he knows we’ve got a busy week, so we’ll focus on that,” Postecoglou said.
“He’s an outstanding individual; he’s done some great work with us and great work in the past. It’s not surprising to me that Swansea or other clubs would look at him.
“It’s what you want to be honest. You want good people and when you’ve got good people, they’re going to attract attention.
“From my perspective, whatever that transpires to, it’s very much in Chris’ hands.
“It’s his decision in terms of what he wants to do moving forward and obviously the club will deal with it from there.”
Davies leaving would be another unwanted disruption for Spurs, who remain without several key personnel due to injury and have not tasted victory since October 27.
But Postecoglou added: “I’ve always been relaxed.
“I have said in the past, it is part of my role to develop staff and I am really proud of the fact a lot of the guys I’ve worked with, the reason they are not with me as assistants is because they are senior managers in their own right.
“If you are looking for things that will be disruptive, you can use that as a clutch or an excuse for anything.
“We lost Harry Kane the day before the season started so there is a disruption, we lost half the squad after one game so there is a disruption. There will always be this.
“You can’t work in a vacuum where everything is perfect and, for me, I have been relaxed in these kind of situations because I have always believed the environment will cover whatever challenges we have if we get it right.”
Spurs will need to check on captain Son Heung-min ahead of Sunday’s match after he took a blow to the back late on in the West Ham defeat.
“He was a bit sore after the game obviously, but the extent of it we’ll need to see how he recovers today,” Postecoglou said of Son.
“There were a couple of others with knocks but I don’t think anything else is significant.
“Obviously we got Pape (Sarr) a few minutes last night and I understand him and Richarlison came through OK but there won’t be anyone else coming back between now and the new year.”
The latest round of Premier League fixtures brings the respective battles at both ends of the table into sharp focus.
Leaders Arsenal go head-to-head with surprise package Aston Villa and reigning champions Manchester City attempt to end a rare barren period at the top, while, towards the foot, Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper finds himself in the limelight for the wrong reasons.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the weekend’s games.
Familiar face
Mikel Arteta may not be pitch-side at Aston Villa on Saturday as he serves a touchline ban, but another Spaniard who is well known to Arsenal will be. Unai Emery was in charge at the Emirates Stadium between May 2018 and November 2019, when the Gunners dispensed with his services after a disappointing run of results. Emery returned to England in October last year and has since guided Villa into the top three, just four points adrift of his former employers at the top of the table and a genuine threat on home soil.
Timing is everything
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When Luton secured their promotion to the Premier League via last season’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final, their fans were able to dream of the days when English football’s aristocrats would head for Kenilworth Road. They could be forgiven for watching through their fingers when Manchester City make the trip on Sunday. City, for the first time in seven years, have not won in four league games, but the Hatters have managed only two top-flight victories all season. Few will give the hosts much chance of improving on that statistic this weekend.
Away the lads
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Newcastle travel to Tottenham on Sunday desperately searching for form away from St James’ Park. The Magpies, who won eight times on the road last season as they surged to a fourth-place finish, have collected three points away from Tyneside only once in seven attempts so far this season, courtesy of an 8-0 drubbing of Sheffield United. Spurs have lost their last three games on their own pitch to Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham. Something seemingly has to give.
Everton back in business
Everton’s response to the 10-point penalty which has left them fighting for their top-flight lives has been hugely impressive. Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle – their fourth in six league outings – lifted them out of the bottom three and proved the perfect preparation for Chelsea’s visit to Goodison Park on Sunday. The Blues currently lie in 10th place with 19 points, one fewer than the total the Toffees would have had but for their punishment.
Cooper over a barrel?
Spare a thought for Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper. He has bullishly played down suggestions he could be out of a job if Forest lose a fifth successive league game when they head for Wolves on Saturday. The Welshman guided the club back into the Premier League at the end of the 2021-22 campaign and kept them there last season with four points to spare, the same margin they currently enjoy over the bottom three.
Despite failing to secure a spot in neither the Concacaf Women's Gold Cup group stage nor preliminary round, Jamaica's Reggae Girlz made somewhat of a mark in the final window of League A of the qualifying campaign, as Malikae Dayes and Davia Richards etched their names in the Best XI squad from the just-concluded window.
The two were just a few of the standout players for interim Head coach Xavier Gilbert in the failed campaign where they lost 1-2 and then drew 1-1 with Panama, and also registered 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates against Guatemala.
Dayes, 24, vein of form will boost her prospects at Danish club AaB Fodbold, while 19-year-old Richards will continue to hone her craft at Hill College, where she netted 23 goals, complemented by 12 assists, in the season. It is interesting to note that Richards placed her versatility on display by filling the left full-back position at times.
Here are the 11 players that stood out the most at their respective positions on the road to the inaugural Women's Gold Cup.
Goalkeeper
Alexia Estrada, Guatemala
Guatemala advanced to the Gold Cup Prelims with Estrada making five saves and four clearances in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica.
Defenders
Maria Elizondo, Costa Rica
Elizondo went the distance in both Costa Rica matches, making four clearances and helped keep a clean sheet against Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Davia Richards, Jamaica
Richards was tireless for the Reggae Girlz with a goal from four shots, while making a clearance in the back.
Araceli Torres, Mexico
Torres was very solid for Mexico in making a clearance in 95 minutes of action, helping her side qualify for the Women's Gold Cup group stage.
Cristina Ferral, Mexico
Ferral’s sensational strike earned Mexico a 1-0 win at Trinidad and Tobago, giving El Tricolor a perfect RTWGC campaign.
Midfielders
Gloriana Villalobos, Costa Rica
Villalobos had a goal in each game for Costa Rica, totaling six shots. Her biggest contribution was her playmaking, as she chipped in with four assists.
Alexa Herrera, Costa Rica
Herrera scored a goal that will forever live in Costa Rican football lore, as she found the back of the net on the last kick of the game versus Haiti in the 2-1 win. She finished the window with three goals.
Malikae Dayes, Jamaica
Dayes was a workhorse in midfield for Jamaica in their two matches and had six clearances in the 1-1 draws with Panama and Guatemala.
Forwards
Maria Paula Salas, Costa Rica
Salas set a Costa Rican Women’s National Team record with a seven-goal performance in the 19-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis.
Kiana Palacios, Mexico
Palacios came off the bench and scored two goals to help Mexico secure a 3-0 win at Puerto Rico, qualifying her side for the Gold Cup group stage.
Melissa Herrera, Costa Rica
No player created more scoring chances than Herrera, whose five assists led all players in all leagues during the window. She also had a goal.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not planning to buy a centre-back to cover Joel Matip’s expected absence for the rest of the season but admits the nature of the Premier League means all clubs are “only two injuries away from a real problem”.
Matip’s anterior cruciate ligament injury means Klopp now has five senior players unavailable – Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic – with midfielder Alexis Mac Allister doubtful for the weekend trip to Crystal Palace after sustaining a problem in the midweek win over Sheffield United.
In central defence he has Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate – who has had two spells on the sidelines already this season – Joe Gomez and 20-year-old Jarell Quansah and he believes that will be enough to sustain them providing there are no further setbacks.
Klopp said rival clubs would not be leaving a top-class centre-back “under the Christmas tree for us” so he would likely manage with what he has.
“Everyone talks about us needing another player but they all cost money and they must be the right player,” said Klopp.
“You tell me a club who wants to sell a top centre-half. Not a centre-half but a top centre-half.
“For four or five days we’ve known Joel will be out for a long time and that’s really bad for us but we still have four centre-halves and that’s absolutely alright.
“If we had a fifth centre-half in beforehand it is a completely different team dynamic: when one is not involved, we don’t see steps with him, so it was like it was and it was perfect.
“Is it now perfect? I would say it is as long as we can go with those four, yes. If not then it would be a bit more tricky with the amount of games coming up.
“But it was never wonderland where you bring in a world-class centre-half until the other one is fit again.
“As long as other clubs don’t put them under the Christmas tree for us and say ‘Take it as long as you need it’ I don’t think so (it is likely to buy a player) to be honest.”
No timescale has been put on Matip’s return but with his contract due to expire in the summer, Klopp expects the club to look after the 32-year-old and offer a new deal.
“I would say so but it’s not my decision in the end,” he added.
“I am pretty sure the club will show their class and am pretty sure the club told Joel already that whatever happens as long as he is injured everything is fine.”
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s return to training ahead of schedule after a hamstring injury – he was not expected back until the visit of Manchester United next weekend – gives him a chance of playing at Selhurst Park and would be timely for a defence now missing 50 percent of its first-choice players with Robertson’s dislocated shoulder sidelining him since October.
With the changes which have taken place in the backline, the return to form of captain Van Dijk is even more important.
“It always was and always will be. Virg is the best defender in the world. Did he have lesser good spells? Yes. If you showed me one who never had I’d be really happy to meet him,” said Klopp.
“When we look in the back in the past (we think) Rio Ferdinand, Jaap Stam, Sami Hyypia were good all the time and always perfect. No-one was and no-one will be. Virg in this shape is super-important.”
With over 20 major trophies to his name and nearing the end of an illustrious playing career, 39-year-old Giorgio Chiellini could be forgiven for enjoying the latter part of his career in the heat of Los Angeles.
But the fire for another trophy to add to his cabinet still burns true ahead of Los Angeles FC's MLS Cup showdown with Columbus Crew on Saturday.
It does perhaps not have the pressure of a European Championship final against England at Wembley, or the annual tussles Chiellini's Juventus had with Milan and Inter in Italy in Serie A, but the veteran defender did not come to LA for everything Hollywood brings with it.
Opta's predictive model suggests the final is too close to call, with LAFC and the Crew both given a 34.5 per cent likelihood of coming out on top.
Chiellini helped LAFC, who were inspired by Gareth Bale, win MLS Cup last year, and despite his countless honours, he is full of desire to make it two titles in the space of two years in the United States.
"We are so happy because last year was a different journey," he told Stats Perform. "We were top of the league for all the season, the play-off for just three games before the World Cup. That was easier. We skipped the first round.
"We played all the games at home and was very different. This year we pushed it hard until June because of the [CONCACAF] Champions League, [but] then we lost the final. We spent a lot of energy on that, and we had some injuries, some periods where we were not so focused, but we came into the playoffs in good condition.
"We fought until the end. We won in Vancouver, we won in Seattle.
"And now in order to win, to take the cup, we have to win in Columbus. And we know how hard it will be, but we are very happy to be here.
"We respect Columbus a lot and the way they play, that style of play, but for sure we want to go there and try to go all the way to win."
Chiellini has a plethora of trophies to his name, including the European Championship with Italy and nine Serie A winners' medals with Juve, but there is room for another one in his cabinet.
"I'm enjoying every day I spend here, training and everything. It's my life. I love what I do," he said when asked if he was considering retirement or leaving LAFC.
"I watch more MLS games than most of my team-mates in their career in this year and a half and I love that. But it's not something I do for me. It's something normal. It's my way of life, this job, I live this life.
"I will see, but I'm enjoying it a lot and there's no heavy situation for me about this stuff, I just enjoy it and it's very fun."
Even though the Italian has been coached by the likes of Roberto Mancini and Massimiliano Allegri, Chiellini does not see his future in the dug-out, though he hopes to remain in the game in some capacity.
"I did a degree in economics and the NBA, and I always had that type of management in my mind," he said.
Digicel is spearheading an initiative to showcase the outstanding achievements of some of the “Star Ballas” -outstanding high school football players emerging from the 2023 ISSA Digicel Manning Cup and Walker Cup Football season.
These exceptional student-athletes, identified by their coaches, strike a commendable balance between excelling in sports and maintaining high academic standards. The Digicel Star Balla series aims to recognise athletes from the top teams for their exceptional abilities. In this inaugural Star Balla feature, St George’s College’s Brian Burkett stands out as a shining example of what Digicel seeks to celebrate.
The 18-year-old Burkett boasts 13 subjects, contributed 20 goals to his school’s success, leading his team to the semi-finals of the Manning Cup - an achievement that Digicel’s Chief Marketing Officer, Tari Lovell, describes as remarkable.
Lovell explained, "Brian is a phenomenal student-athlete and a true inspiration to his peers. It’s not always easy to balance the books while staying ahead of the game. This why we salute Brian for his dedication and discipline.”
Burkett already holds nine CSEC passes in Mathematics, Principles of Accounts, English A, English B, Biology, Spanish, Technical Drawing, Information Technology and Physical Education. Additionally, he achieved four CAPE subjects in Spanish, Communication Studies, Physical Education, and Information Technology.
For Burkett, it’s all about priorities: “I balance schoolwork and football with time management and being disciplined. My parents encourage me to be disciplined, hard-working, and responsible.”
He hopes to pass on his winning approach to his peers: “Through Christ all things are possible. I think we have a good team with a lot of quality, but we just have to remain focused and humble and take it one game at a time,” Burkett noted.
Despite finding time to play for Dunbeholden FC in last season’s Jamaica Premier League, where he scored one goal, Burkett remains steadfast in his ambition to play football at the highest level in the future. “Have a plan. Set small objectives that will help you to improve yourself and help you achieve your main goal or dream. Above all, be disciplined and focused,”
advised Burkett.
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has undergone successful surgery on his back, the LaLiga champions have announced.
The 31-year-old had the operation after sitting out Germany’s matches against Turkey and Austria last month and three subsequent Barca fixtures.
A statement on the club’s official website read: “First team player Marc ter Stegen has successfully undergone surgery for his lower back issues.
“The procedure was performed by Dr Amelie Leglise under the supervision of the club’s medical services, at Sports Clinic Bordeux Merignac. He is out and his recovery will determine his availability.”
Barcelona had revealed on Tuesday that Ter Stegen was set for surgery, at which point the former Borussia Monchengladbach player said in a post on social media: “After intensive conversations with the medical team of the club and various supporting experts, we decided to undergo a surgical procedure.
“The break obviously annoys me. It is the right and safe decision in order to come back in the best conditions for my club and national team.”
In an intriguing draw held on Thursday night, Jamaica's national football team, the Reggae Boyz, discovered their fate in the upcoming 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America. Placed in Group B, they are poised to face formidable opponents such as Mexico, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the tournament set to begin in June 2024.
This marks Jamaica's third venture into the prestigious Copa America, following their spirited appearances in 2015 and 2016. In the Group Stage of 2015, the Reggae Boyz shared the field with Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina, while in 2016, they navigated a challenging path against Venezuela, Mexico, and Uruguay.
Expressing his contentment with the draw, head coach Heimir Halgrimsson acknowledged the tough opponents but remained optimistic about his team's chances. "It is a fairly good draw. All teams are higher than us on the FIFA ranking, but still, it’s teams that we have a good chance of winning, so I am not so unhappy with the draw," stated the coach. He emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming matches while also highlighting the challenge posed by the match venues, situated in Las Vegas, Houston, and Boston, where the summer heat may prove disadvantageous for training.
Jamaica will open their campaign against Mexico on June 22, Ecuador on June 26 before completing their Group Stage matches against Venezuela on June 30.
In other group pairings, the United States finds itself in Group C alongside Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia. Group D is set to witness a showdown between Costa Rica or Honduras against heavyweights Brazil, Colombia, and Paraguay. Group A promises a tough challenge for Trinidad and Tobago or Canada, who will face off against World Cup champions Argentina, Peru, and Chile.
Saudi Arabia’s sports minister insists everyone will be welcome at the 2034 World Cup despite the country’s criminalisation of same-sex activity.
The Middle East kingdom is all-but certain to host the finals in 11 years’ time after emerging as the sole bidder.
Concerns have been raised at what conditions will be like in Saudi Arabia for individuals from the LGBTQ+ community, but sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal has told the BBC: “Everyone’s welcome in the kingdom.
“Like any other nation we have rules and regulations that everyone should abide by and respect.
“When we come to the UK we respect the rules and regulations, whether we believe in them or not. Through the 85 events that we have had so far, we haven’t had any issues.”
The same issue was prevalent before and during the 2022 finals in Qatar. At that tournament, spectators had rainbow-coloured items confiscated by stadium security guards.
Seven countries’ captains were also threatened with sporting sanctions starting at a yellow card by FIFA if they wore rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands at the tournament.
That competition was played in winter due to the oppressive summer heat in the Middle East, causing disruption to many leagues in Europe, but Prince Adbulaziz said it was not certain that would need to be repeated in Saudi Arabia.
“Why not see what the possibilities are to do it in the summer?” he added.
“Whether it is summer or winter it doesn’t matter for us, as long as we make sure that we (deliver) the right atmosphere to host such an event.”
He also said concerns over the treatment of migrant workers involved in building World Cup infrastructure, which dogged Qatar’s hosting for more than a decade in the run-up to the finals, would not be repeated.
“We have 10 years to work on that, we already started in a lot of the venues, so we have a long time to do it in the right time, in the right process,” he said.
“We’re already developing infrastructure… so we are not required to build a lot more to host such an event.”
There has been criticism of the process FIFA followed that left Saudi Arabia as the single bidder in the race for 2034.
FIFA announced in October that its Council had agreed the Portugal, Spain and Morocco bid as the sole candidate to host the 2030 finals and that the first three matches of the tournament should be played in South America to mark the event’s centenary.
On its continental rotation, that meant only bids from countries in the Asian and Oceania confederations would be considered for 2034.
When Australia announced on October 31 that it would not bid, Saudi Arabia was left as the sole candidate.
Prince Abdulaziz said it was “just a theory” that FIFA had engineered the process in Saudi Arabia’s favour and added: “Everyone was clear on the regulations, nobody objected to them during (the process) so I don’t think there was any lack of transparency from FIFA. It was only that we were ready to do it and maybe others weren’t. That’s not our fault.
“As you can see from the announcement of more than 125 federations in support of the Saudi bid… the world also wants us to host 2034.”
The bids for 2030 and 2034 still need to be fully evaluated and then ratified by all member associations at a FIFA Congress.
Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to show emotion on the touchline despite landing himself with a ban for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa.
The Spaniard will not be in the dugout at Villa Park as Arsenal aim to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League after he received a third yellow card of the season in Tuesday’s last-gasp victory at Luton.
The Gunners came from behind to win 4-3 as Declan Rice headed in the decider deep into stoppage time, with Arteta cautioned by referee Samuel Barrott, who deemed he had excessively celebrated the goal.
However, Arteta – who could face a further touchline ban following a Football Association charge for his post-match comments after the controversial loss at Newcastle – does not want to rein in his demeanour.
“I don’t know how to stop it,” he said.
“It was a really emotional moment with everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are and the space you have to be in.
“It was unfortunate as now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they make looking strictly at the rules.
“After that I straight away sat on my seat and stayed there for 30 seconds but that was after the emotion. In the moment I think it is very difficult to demand that.”
Asked if he would actually want to stop showing his emotion, Arteta replied: “If I was given the opportunity, no.
“I would like to be with my players because we work closely every single day to achieve what we want, which is to win the games and when you get those moments in sport you should be able to do that.
“I understand as well that there are certain boundaries and you have to respect that you are at an away ground but if I was given the chance I would be there jumping.”
Arteta did suggest that not all managers have been punished for similar reactions, adding: “Maybe we have to extend (the technical area). We just need a very strong rope, or we don’t move. But it means we don’t move – all of us.
“The ‘we’ is different in the context and it is important to look at the ‘we’ in that context.”
Arteta will be in the directors’ box at Villa Park but will be allowed to take the pre-match team-talk and join his players in the dressing room at half-time and full-time before completing his media obligations.
Arsenal will be trying to become the first team to win at Villa since they themselves scored twice in stoppage time to seal a 4-2 victory in February.
Since then Unai Emery has overseen 14 successive home Premier League wins and will be keen to put one over his former club, with Villa sitting third in the table heading into the weekend.
Emery was chosen to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2018 but was sacked just 18 months later to be replaced by Arteta.
The pair both hail from the Basque Country – where fellow coaches Julen Lopetegui, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola also grew up.
Arteta admits Emery was a manager he looked up to as he started out on his own coaching career, saying: “He’s the most experienced and the most successful one, by quite a long distance with everything he’s achieved in the game and everything he’s won. He’s someone I admire.
“I followed him since he was in Almeria and for every team he has always been remarkable. He always improves the players, the team and the club.
“He’s Basque like I am and he is a manager that I really admire for what he has done in the game.
“He has done it in various countries at different levels and always been successful. I am really happy for him.”
Kieran Trippier will not allow a nightmare evening at Everton to derail Newcastle’s season as they attempt to cure their bout of travel sickness.
The 33-year-old England full-back has been one of the stars of the Magpies resurgence since his arrival at St James’ Park in January last year, but two errors in quick succession at Goodison Park on Thursday evening handed first Dwight McNeil and then Abdoulaye Doucoure the chance to score as the Toffees surged to a 3-0 victory.
Eddie Howe’s injury-hit squad head for Trippier’s former club Tottenham on Sunday desperate for a response, and the hugely experienced defender is confident he can put a dark night firmly behind him.
He said: “I don’t hide. We’ve just got to move on now, we’ve got another big game in three days.
“Listen, it’s one of those where you’ve made mistakes. Players make mistakes – I’ve made a couple today, I hold my hands up, I take responsibility and now it’s about getting on the bike again and getting ready for another big game in three days against Spurs.
“For me personally, obviously I’m very disappointed because of my own actions in certain moments in the game, but that’s something I’ll deal with. I’m an experienced player and I can handle these things.
“But the best thing about it is there’s a game in three days where we can try to put it right.
“It’s another tough test, like every single game in the Premier League, but we can’t dwell on this result and like I said, we need to get on the bike and go again.”
Newcastle will head for north London having lost five of their 15 Premier League games this season, the same number as they did during the whole of the last campaign.
Four of those five defeats have come away from Tyneside – at Manchester City, Brighton, Bournemouth and Everton – with a remarkable 8-0 win at Sheffield United and 2-2 draws at West Ham and Wolves all they have to show for their efforts on the road.
There are mitigating factors – Howe had 12 senior players unavailable on Merseyside – but the head coach remains at a loss to explain the disparity in his team’s home and away performances.
He said: “That’s been the frustration for us because it’s a difficult one to work out. We want to play the same way, we want to impose ourselves on the game, grab the game and take the initiative.
“I don’t think we did that well enough against Everton. Hopefully that will change against Tottenham.”
Howe is hopeful of avoiding another addition to his lengthy casualty list after skipper Jamaal Lascelles limped off at Everton with a dead leg.
Son Heung-min has brandished Tottenham’s five-match winless run as “unacceptable” but eased fears over his own fitness.
Spurs suffered a 2-1 defeat at home to West Ham on Thursday night despite taking the lead through Cristian Romero’s 11th-minute header in the London derby.
It was the fifth match in a row Ange Postecoglou’s team had taken the lead, but failed to hold on for victory, which has set an unwanted Premier League record.
“You are winning five times in a row and then you lose that game like that, it is just unacceptable,” captain Son told SpursPlay.
“I am angry because it shouldn’t be happening. Five times in a row is just unacceptable and I think we are soft.
“This shouldn’t be happening and I love them as boys, I love working with the guys, but it shouldn’t be happening.
“In the Premier League 1-0 is never enough, 1-0 is never enough. The players should know and I should know as well.
“We had the chance to kill the game and we were just soft when we play the final third passes or even someone makes good runs and we don’t find it.
“We have to be ruthless and I also feel the responsibility. It was very sad that the fans were turning around and going home. They didn’t look very happy so a big, big sorry and yeah I take responsibility.
“Every single player; young player, experienced player, good player, superstar, you have to take responsibility and move on stronger.”
Son failed to finish the match with West Ham after he was substituted in the 88th minute.
Tottenham’s top goalscorer limped off after a blow to the back, but was hopeful of being fit for Sunday’s visit of top-four rivals Newcastle.
He added: “Yeah I hope so. I had a big kick on my back, in the bone so we’ll see. I didn’t have time to assess so we’ll see what happens.
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“Look, we have to bounce back as strong as ever and it is another home game.
“I know it sounds crazy five games in a row. I hope it was a good lesson and look we have to take the loss and there is no time to regret what we done.
“There is no time to regret so we have to move on, put the chest out, take the responsibility and Sunday we have to make a big step forward.”
What the papers say
Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha is reportedly high on Mikel Arteta’s transfer wish list. According to the Daily Mirror, the Gunners’ boss views signing a new central midfielder as one of his priorities ahead of the January transfer window, with Palhinha considered a top prospect. Any move would also signal the end of Thomas Partey’s time with the Gunners.
Should Palhinha depart Fulham, the Telegraph reports the club already have an alternative in mind. The paper says Brazilian midfielder Andre, of Fluminense, is the club’s number one target to replace Palhinha at Craven Cottage.
Elsewhere, The Independent says Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ready to clean house. According to the paper, the club are willing to hear offers for midfielder Casemiro, defender Raphael Varane and winger Jadon Sancho.
And The Times reports Sunderland are interviewing Swedish coach Kim Hellberg to take over as manager following the dismissal of Tony Mowbray.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jarrad Branthwaite: The Everton centre-back is high on Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou’s wanted list, according to Sky Sports.
Adrien Rabiot: The midfielder is willing to sign a new deal with Juventus, reports Gazzetta Dello Sport.
Ange Postecoglou called on wasteful Tottenham to not feel sorry themselves after they suffered a fourth defeat in five matches with a 2-1 home loss to West Ham.
Injury-hit Spurs appeared on course to claim a first win since October 27 at half-time after Cristian Romero returned from suspension to score in the 11th minute.
David Moyes’ side produced an impressive second-half turnaround, with Jarrod Bowen netting on the road again after 52 minutes before James Ward-Prowse fired a 74th-minute winner after an error by Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie.
It extends Spurs’ winless run to five matches despite them taking the lead in each of those fixtures, which is a new Premier League record but Postecoglou urged them to bounce back on Sunday when Newcastle visit north London.
“There’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, looking for a cuddle anywhere,” Postecoglou insisted.
“There’s only one way to change our circumstances and that is to come here on Sunday and put in a performance. Not just play good football but go out there and show some conviction about ourselves as a team.
“Sometimes we can disguise how we’re going by playing some nice stuff but like I said from day one, that’s not what I’m about.
“I want to win and that’s why I came to this football club and that’s the message.
“We’ve still got a long way to go, I’ve said that from the start. We’re still right at the beginning of what we need to create and days like today just give me further evidence and fuel of how much we need to do.”
Spurs produced another impressive first-half display, which has become a trademark during the past month but they only had Romero’s goal to show for it after several openings were squandered, while Lo Celso’s late cross was deflected onto the woodwork by West Ham captain Kurt Zouma.
It was a different story in the second period after the Hammers levelled through Bowen, but Tottenham substitute Richarlison did send a free header wide from six yards in the 70th minute when the game was finely-poised at 1-1.
Postecoglou admitted: “I think it’s another game where we’ve dominated a game of football and haven’t turned our dominance into something more tangible and kept the opposition in the game.
“I thought we were really poor in both boxes tonight – both with our finishing and both goals were terrible to concede.
“Us being good means us being 3-0 up. This isn’t about us playing good football, it’s about us winning games of football. That’s what I’ve said from the start.
“1-0 at half-time was not a good performance. A good performance would have been 3-0 or 4-0 up, as was the case against Villa, and when you don’t, and give up goals you shouldn’t like today, then you get what you deserve.”
West Ham boss David Moyes was delighted with his team after they earned a fifth win in six games with Bowen netting on the road again.
The England international only returned from a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace and while he missed a late chance in that draw, he bounced back in this derby to score in a seventh consecutive Premier League away game.
“Jarrod was a little bit off it at the weekend and he’d been out three or four weeks, so he looked a bit rusty,” Moyes reflected.
“When it fell to him, I thought, ‘oh wow he’s got himself another goal,’ and
obviously I want Jarrod to keep doing it for us, but also as long as he keeps doing it, he will keep in Gareth’s (Southgate) mind as well because he’s someone who can play forward or wide and score goals.
“In a competition this summer where you are going to need people to score goals, hopefully Jarrod will be part of that, but as long as he keeps scoring for me at the moment that’s the most important thing.”
Everton boss Sean Dyche hailed the togetherness of his side after they beat Newcastle 3-0 to climb out of the Premier League relegation zone.
Dwight McNeil, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Beto scored in the final 11 minutes as the Toffees took the spoils at a raucous Goodison Park.
Dyche has emphasised the importance of team spirit since the club were hit by a 10-point deduction last month and he believes that was evident in their display.
Dyche said: “The performance level at home has been pleasing all season but you have got win games and you have got to score goals.
“We did that well. I thought it was another good performance, particularly first half against a good outfit.
“I have spoken about the mentality and I think you could sense there is a connected group. Everyone knew what they were doing, they just said, ‘Let’s get on it, let’s go out and play’.
“That’s when you know you are onto something. It doesn’t guarantee anything but I think we’re on to something.”
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe – who played down a post-match scuffle involving Joelinton, Anthony Gordon, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford as “just emotions” – was left to rue a missed opportunity to close the gap to the top four.
“The game was there for us to win in the second half after an even first half,” he said. “I don’t think we played particularly well.
“I thought we had them penned in and then conceded the first goal and that changed the momentum. It was a frustrating evening, a missed opportunity.
“It’s a difficult one for us to understand. Last year our away form was very good, we were free-scoring. This year haven’t got going on the road, apart from the Sheffield United game (an 8-0 victory).”
Howe refused to point the finger at Kieran Trippier after his mistakes presented Everton with their opening two goals.
“Kieran has been absolutely magnificent since he signed, the catalyst for a lot that happened. Collectively we were off our best.”
Howe has had to deal with a number of injuries this season – he has 12 players currently unavailable – but was not prepared to blame fatigue.
“I am in a difficult position to agree because if I do what is there to stop that happening again and again?” he said.
“There are reasons behind every performance. We have struggled to change our plans and have the attacking options we want. You can potentially do it for a short period of time but the longer it goes the harder it gets.”
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