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Tag Tottenham Hotspur2019/2020 EPL

  • Feb, Sat, 2020
Sport

Long three months ahead for Spurs, Mourinho says

Mourinho
London, Feb. 22, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) A 2-1 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday slammed the brakes on Tottenham Hotspur’s recent revival and left manager Jose Mourinho predicting a “tough three months” ahead.

With strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min unavailable as a result of long term injuries, Tottenham were lightweight against their London rivals.

It ultimately meant the chance to move above them into fourth spot in the 2019/2020 English Premier League (EPL) passed them by.

Mourinho said he had no complaints with the result, pointing out that his players were being asked to perform `miracles’.

Tottenham had closed to within a point of Chelsea after three consecutive league wins, but they are now four points behind.

“I am so proud of the boys. They fought till the last seconds for a result.

“I cannot ask more from them, especially Lucas (Moura), (Giovani) Lo Celso and (Steven) Bergwijn.

“These boys who are playing every minute and trying to do miracles in positions that are not their positions. I cannot complain,” Mourinho told reporters at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham’s lack of striking options are threatening to wreck their top-four ambitions, although Mourinho’s team selection was still puzzling.

Dele Alli was left on the bench while Erik Lamela played only for 20 minutes.

“I am going to be repetitive. I will love to be at July 1. I will love to be in pre-season, working with Harry Kane, (Moussa) Sissoko and Sonny. That’s not possible (for now).

“We have three long months to go in three competitions where we are still (in). It’s going to be three long months,” Mourinho said.

Asked why Alli had not started, the manager said: “We have strange game plans, but we need to have them because there’s not another way.

“For example, while Lamela played so well but only for 20 minutes, you must think I am an idiot.

“That guy (Lamela) who played so well for 20 minutes, in the warm-up, he was in communication with me because he was not sure he could go (on).”

To highlight Tottenham’s attacking problems, Chelsea’s opening goal was scored by French international Olivier Giroud.

He is a player who has hardly featured in the league this season and who was linked to a move to Spurs in January.

The former Arsenal player was later substituted by Tammy Abraham, who has 13 league strikes to his name this season.

Willian, scorer of both goals in Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Tottenham in December was also introduced off the bench.

“Look at Chelsea, they played a striker of the world champions (Giroud). On the bench was the second striker of England after Harry Kane (Abraham), (and they had) in the stands the second striker of the Belgium national team (Michy Batshuayi).

“We have zero strikers on the pitch, zero on bench or zero in stands. We have two in the hospital. That’s the situation, it’s an incredible negative situation,” he said.

Apart from fighting to finish in the top four of the EPL, Tottenham must also try and overturn a first leg deficit in the UEFA Champions League against RB Leipzig.

They equally face Norwich City in the FA Cup fifth round.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dianabasi Effiong and Olawale Alabi)

 

  • Feb, Sat, 2020
Sport

Top-4 finish for Spurs will be incredible, Mourinho says

Mourinho
London, Feb. 22, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Jose Mourinho says it will be “incredible” if his Tottenham Hotspur side finish in the top four of the 2019/2020 English Premier League (EPL), claiming it will rival his greatest achievements.

Tottenham were languishing in 14th place, 12 points behind third-placed Chelsea and 11 off the top four, when Mourinho replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November.

On Saturday they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge knowing a win will take them above Mourinho’s old club into the top four.

Mourinho once claimed that achieving runners-up with Manchester United, 19 points behind Manchester City, in 2017/2018 was one of the best achievements in his trophy-laden managerial career.

However, he now says a top-four finish with Spurs will surpass it, especially as he is likely to be without leading strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-min for the run-in.

“Stats are very silly sometimes, especially when people try to identify the quantitative stats and forget football is much more about the qualitative stats.

“But if you want to go in the direction of the numbers, Harry and Sonny score the majority of goals that Tottenham score.

“So, yes, not for me, or my achievement, but collectively, this group of boys, if they manage to finish in fourth without Harry and Sonny, it will be incredible,” Mourinho told reporters at the club’s training ground on Friday.

Based on a Premier League form table since Mourinho took over, only Liverpool and Manchester City have collected more points than Tottenham in the last 14 games.

In that period Tottenham have taken 11 points more than Chelsea.

“If it was about me I would prefer to skip to July 1 and start a pre-season with my players, without injuries and the same points as everybody else.

“But the boys have done fantastic to put themselves back in the positions where we belong.

“We have gone in three months from being closer to the relegation zone, which was never really a problem, to being one point behind the top four. An amazing effort from everyone.

“We have earned the right to fight for it. Some say it’s impossible but we are ready to fight,” Mourinho said.

In spite of Chelsea’s slump in form, Mourinho said Frank Lampard’s team are favourites to finish fourth.

He added that his return to Stamford Bridge, where he delivered three Premier League titles in two stints as manager, is nothing special.

“The only difference is that at the end of the game I can walk from the stadium to my house.

“But even that advantage I won’t use. I will come back with my players,” the Portuguese said

Mourinho said Erik Lamela, who came on in the 1-0 defeat by RB Leipzig on Wednesday, will play some part at Chelsea in spite of not being able to train fully.

He also added that midfield powerhouse Moussa Sissoko may return for the last six weeks of the season.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Totteham Hotspur goalkeeper Lloris in hospital after injuring arm

Lloris

Brighton (UK), Oct. 5, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was taken to hospital on Saturday after injuring his arm in the third minute in the game against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex stadium.

The 32-year-old Frenchman fell heavily into his goal as he tried to prevent Neal Maupay scoring after parrying the ball into the path of the Brighton striker.

In obvious pain, Lloris was treated for six minutes by medical staff before being taken from the pitch on a stretcher while being given oxygen.

“He is in the hospital now,” said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. “There is no other news at the moment.”

Spurs went on to lose the game 3-0.

“Hugo Lloris’ injury had massive impact on the game,” Pochettino added.

“It was so early in the game. To concede so early and losing our captain, it had an emotional impact on the team.

“We tried to find solutions, a different way to play but it was impossible. It’s a very difficult moment.” (Reuters/NAN)

KIA/ABI

Sport

Maddison fires Leicester City to win over Spurs amid VAR drama

EPL

Leicester (England), Sept. 21, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) James Maddison scored a brilliant winner to help Leicester City come from behind and beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday in a match dominated by VAR drama.

The Video Assistant Referee was heavily involved early on after Wilfred Ndidi had bundled the ball into the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

There was no question over the opening goal in the 29th minute as Harry Kane finished superbly past Kasper Schmeichel to give Spurs the lead.

Serge Aurier thought he had doubled the visitors’ advantage only for VAR to intervene again, much to the home fans’ delight, with Son Heung-min adjudged offside in the build- up.

That proved crucial as Ricardo Pereira levelled things up in the 69th minute from 12 yards, swinging the momentum in the home side’s favour.

Maddison completed the turnaround with a superb strike from 25 yards five minutes from time, drilling the ball past the despairing dive of Spurs goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

The victory moves Leicester up to provisional second in the table.

“If we score the second the game is over,” Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “It gives belief to a team that could have been dead.

“It is true to concede two goals every game makes it difficult to win.”

There was a reshuffle in the Spurs ranks for their trip north, with Hugo Lloris absent from squad after his wife had given birth to their third child.

Dele Alli was also absent.

As a result of the changes, Spurs looked sluggish from the off, with Harvey Barnes going close in the first minute.

Gazzaniga then spilled an effort from Youri Tielemans and Ndidi pounced, wheeled away to celebrate, but the referee, after a short delay, gave an offside to deny the hosts.

The home fans’ fury was compounded as Kane, despite being totally off balance after forcing his way into the box, somehow hooked the ball into the net.

It was the England captain’s 13th career goal in 12 starts against Leicester.

Jamie Vardy came close to an equaliser early in the second half, before Aurier scored what he though was his first goal since January for Spurs.

The effort was again checked by the VAR, who ruled that Son was offside. Replays showed the decision was marginal.

“It’s what happens with VAR, you have to get your head round it,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said.
“It works for you and against you. Worked both ways for us today.”

Pereira arrived right on cue three minutes later to convert Vardy’s low cross to equalise.

At the death, Maddison got the ball out of his feet to fire in the winner, sending the King Power into raptures. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Buhari Bolaji/Maharazu Ahmed

Sport

Son shines as Tottenham Hotspur thrash Palace

Son
London, Sept. 14, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Son Heung-min scored his first goals of the 2019/2020 campaign on Saturday as Tottenham Hotspur put their early season struggles behind them by thrashing Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.

Crystal Palace who boasted the meanest defence in the top-flight before the game, conceding twice in four matches, could not help losing heavily this time in a 4-0 defeat.

Two strikes from Son and a goal apiece for Serge Aurier and Erik Lamela inside 45 minutes gave Spurs their first win since the opening day.

Roy Hodgson’s Palace side were behind after nine minutes, when Son ran on to a long ball from Toby Alderweireld before shifting it on to his left foot in the area and driving into the bottom corner.

The South Korean then turned provider in the 21st minute, playing the ball to Aurier who was overlapping on the right into the box.

The former Paris St. Germain (PSG) defender struck a low cross, only for it to deflect into the net off Palace defender Patrick van Aanholt.

Aurier returned the favour barely two minutes later.

A deep cross by the Ivorian found Son at the far post to volley in the third before Lamela got a fourth just before half-time.

He fired home Harry Kane’s cross from the edge of the six-yard box.

Spurs took their foot off the gas in the second half, presumably with one eye on their opening UEFA Champions League group game against Olympiakos Piraeus on Wednesday.

But Crystal Palace barely registered any dangerous attacks to threaten their fellow Londoners.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dorcas Jonah and Olawale Alabi)

Sport

Arsenal fight back against Tottenham Hotspur to draw London derby

Derby
London, Sept. 1, 2019 (Reuters/NAN) Arsenal striking duo Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette scored as their side roared back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

It was a thrilling north London derby in the English Premier League (EPL) but it was the away team who drew first blood.

Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen nudged the ball into an empty net on the rebound to give the visitors an early lead.

The goal came after a superb piece of hold-up play from Son Heung-min allowed Erik Lamela to fire at goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Arsenal had most of the ball but Spurs were far more threatening on the break and Leno was forced to keep out stinging efforts from Kane and Eriksen.

Tottenham were then awarded a penalty kick for a clumsy foul by Granit Xhaka on Son.

Kane scored it from the spot in the 40th minute to put Spurs on track for a first league win on enemy territory in nine years.

However, Lacazette halved the deficit right before half-time with an emphatic strike after an exquisite pass from Nicolas Pepe.

Kane came close to sealing the points for Tottenham when he struck the post but Arsenal became galvanised when Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos came off the bench.

He smashed a shot which goalkeeper Hugo Lloris did well to tip over.

An equaliser looked ever likelier and duly arrived when Gabon striker Aubameyang prodded a lofted pass from Matteo Guendouzi into the net in the 71st minute.

It was his third goal in four Premier League games this season.

Arsenal’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos had a goal ruled out for offside while Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko spurned a last-gasp chance in a thrilling finale by blasting over the bar.

Arsenal have seven points while Spurs are on five from four games each. (Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)