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      Burnley set to cause uproar at rivals Blackburn as Clarets plan cheeky guard of honour request for Ewood Park clash

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      BURNLEY are planning a cheeky request for a guard of honour from their bitter East Lancs rivals Blackburn.Vincent Kompany’s men could clinch the Championship title before their trip to Ewood Park on April 25.
      Vincent Kompany’s Burnley are planning a cheeky request at the home of bitter rivals Blackburn RoversCredit: PA
      The champions are entitled to ask for recognition from their opponents.
      And proud Burnley are keen to pursue the matter.
      However, it is likely to cause uproar in the Rovers ranks.
      The two sides are fierce rivals.
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      Burnley travel to Ewood Park three games before the end of the campaign.
      Kompany’s side are currently 13 points clear at the top of the Championship, and 17 points clear of the play-offs.
      The Manchester City legend has done a superb job since arriving from Anderlecht last summer.
      Burnley are well placed to bounce straight back up to the Premier League following relegation to the second tier last year.
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      The Clarets have lost just twice in the league all season.
      Their only league defeats have come against fellow automatic promotion contenders Sheffield United and play-off challengers Watford. More

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      Fans baffled as Fifa president Gianni Infantino turns up at English football match and they can’t believe which one

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      FOOTBALL fans are scratching their heads after Fifa president Gianni Infantino rocked up at a random Championship game.The 52-year-old Italian-Swiss is rarely seen at matches in England.
      Gianni Infantino was in the stands at The DenCredit: Getty
      Fans were baffled by the game he chose to watch while in EnglandCredit: Getty
      Norwich won the game 3-1 to boost their promotion hopesCredit: PA
      And no one could have predicted the fixture he chose to attend on Saturday afternoon.
      Infantino was spotted at The Den for Millwall’s home game against Norwich.
      The Championship clash finished 3-2 to the visitors as the Canaries moved above Millwall and into the play-off places.
      But it was the Fifa boss’ presence at the match which got fans talking online.
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      Reacting on social media, one fan said: “No way is that really him 😂”.
      Another added: “Clearly asked to see the best team in London 🤷‍♂️”.
      A third replied: “Is he lost!! 🤣”.
      And a baffled fourth fan responded: “🤣🤣 wtf is going on here lol”.
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      Infantino’s bizarre visit to Millwall comes after he hit the headlines back in January for another strange public appearance.
      The Fifa chief appeared to take a selfie while standing by Pele’s open casket during the Brazil legend’s funeral.
      And he was forced to take to Instagram to explain his actions.
      He posted: “I am dismayed after having been informed that I am apparently being criticized by some people for having taken a selfie and pictures at the ceremony yesterday.
      “I would like to clarify that I was both honoured and humbled that teammates and family members of the great Pelé asked me if I could take a few photos with them. And obviously I immediately agreed.
      “In the case of the selfie, Pelé’s teammates asked to do a selfie of all of us together but they didn’t know how to do it. So, to be helpful, I took the phone of one of them and took the photo of all of us for him.
      “If being helpful to a teammate of Pelé creates criticism I’m happy to take it and will continue to be helpful wherever I can to those having contributed to write legendary pages of football.
      “I have so much respect and admiration for Pelé and for that ceremony yesterday that I would never do anything that would be disrespectful in any way whatsoever.” More

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      We’ve proved we’re ready for the Premier League and we’re going to do well there, says Burnley star

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      JOHANN BERG GUDMUNDSSON reckons Burnley have proved they are Premier League ready.The Championship leaders sit 12 points in front of Sheffield United and an impressive NINETEEN ahead of third-placed Middlesbrough before a trip to Blackpool today.
      Johann Gudmundsson has been a tower of strength for Burnley
      Clarets and Iceland winger Gudmundsson, 32, said: “This team is improving every day.
      “But we know if we want to get into the Premier League and  stay there we’ve got to keep improving as there’s a big gap in quality between there and the Championship.
      “But I wouldn’t give it a second thought — we’re going to do well in the Premier League.”
      Burnley’s transformation under boss Vincent Kompany, who was appointed last summer, has been extraordinary.
      The Belgian has introduced a completely different style of play to ex-gaffer Sean Dyche.  
      Gudmundsson said: “It’s a lot more detailed as Vinnie goes into the opposition a lot and how we can exploit different weaknesses and how he wants us to play. We now try to play from the back and make angles for everybody and get everyone having the ball.
      “We’ve done really well and, of course, we’re playing in a different league, so that is a factor as well.
      “The Championship is not as hard as the Premier League, which everybody knows. It’s a big step to that.
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      Vincent Kompany has been a breath of fresh air at Turf Moor
      “We want to return to the Premier League and showcase our talents.”
      The Clarets are bossing possession and have scored 68 league goals already this season.
      They have also maintained the hard work-rate and organisation that made them successful under Dyche.
      Gudmundsson said: “When Vinnie came in, he told us that everything we do is about scoring goals.
      “We want to score as many goals as possible from every phase possible and we’ve shown that throughout this season. There have been so many different goalscorers. We look dangerous in every phase and, for the opponent, that is hard to play against.
      “We were able to adapt to the new styles because so much work and so many meetings took place.
       “There was a lot of time spent on the training pitch where the manager was getting across his ideas.
      “He’s shown a lot of videos of us, telling us what we can do better.
      “It’s been an incredible amount of work but it worked fantastically.”
      Experienced Gudmundsson believes his game has improved, too.
      He added: “It was a long time under Dyche so it was good to try something new  and Vinnie’s ideas have suited how I wanted to play.
      “For me, it’s a bit more on the ball and not as much running off the ball, which suits players like me.
      “Tactically, I think I’ve improved with the  different aspects that the manager  brings into the games. You can see he changes formation quite a lot in midfield and up front.
      “It’s being more tactically  aware on  how he wants us to play.
      “I just enjoy being on the pitch as much as I can.
      “I’m not getting any younger but as long as I can enjoy my football and stay on the pitch, that is good.”
      Kompany is just as demanding as Dyche when it comes to work-rate and mental toughness.
      Gudmundsson added: “Even though we keep the ball a lot, we work hard to get it back as quickly as possible.
      “The intensity and the running stats are high. We’ve kept it as high as we used to  as it’s the identity of the club — but we play a lot more football now.
      “The aggression, the pressing, everything is there — and we need to keep hold of that.
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      “That will take us far when you have that base of hard work  and football comes after that.”
      Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy reckons this is the worst possible fixture for his second-bottom strugglers, but added: “Out of adversity comes strength.” More

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      Marco Silva wasn’t great for my career and was too impatient for success, but he’s good enough to reach Champions League

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      I’M NOT surprised that Marco Silva is proving to be a huge success at Fulham — as  he is one of the most ­infectious personalities I’ve ever met.Normally when you use that phrase you mean that someone is a bubbly character, the life and soul of the party.  But I don’t mean that about Silva.
      Troy Deeney praised Fulham boss Marco Silva’s work in the Premier LeagueCredit: PA
      At Watford, it was his relentless desire for success, to win at all costs and improve players individually which rubbed off on everybody.
      As club captain, you’re involved in internal club discipline — setting down rules and issuing fines for lateness and the like.
      But when Silva was my boss at Vicarage Road for six months or so, standards were so high that I barely even remember anyone getting fined.
      That is rare and it says a lot about what an excellent manager he was.
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      He certainly wasn’t backwards in b******ing players.
      And if you were a 17-year-old kid or a seasoned veteran, he would treat you exactly the same.
      But Silva had an incredible attention to detail.
      After every match, your own individual stats would be left at your spot in the training ground dressing room on the next working day, which is very unusual.
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      He wouldn’t often challenge you about them. But when any professional footballer sees a stat saying he’d only won 30 per cent of their heading duels, he makes damned sure that doesn’t happen again the next week.
      Silva was an extremely demanding boss but in a good way, you wanted to go and work for him. He was interesting and challenging.
       And I am not saying this because he was good news for my own career — if anything the opposite was true.
      I was injured in pre-season when he came in and I didn’t start many matches.
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      Troy Deeney and Marco Silva previously worked together at WatfordCredit: Rex
      He told me that I wasn’t his type of striker, that he ­preferred Andre Gray and Richarlison.
      But that sort of honesty is rare and I respected it. Most managers are nowhere near as honest. As it happened, I played a decent part in a few wins for him.
      The problem with Silva then, and this was five years ago,  was that his drive for success was perhaps too powerful.
      We made a flying start to that Premier League season and, very soon, news got out that Everton were after him.
      That whole situation could have been handled better by Marco and by the owners and results tailed off because of it. Eventually he was sacked but ended up at Everton anyway.
      The Everton saga was the one thing he wasn’t honest about publicly or internally at the club.
      Troy Deeney claims Marcio Silva wasn’t great for his career at WatfordCredit: AFP
      So when he took the Fulham job at the start of last season, I wasn’t convinced that he was well suited temperamentally to managing in the Championship. I wasn’t sure how long he would stick around.
      I think he has learned and matured since his Watford days in that respect, though.
      His Fulham side won the second tier in style, playing some great attacking football and now they are making a genuine challenge for Europe, and have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals.
      Fulham recruited really well last summer — Marco’s excellent knowledge of the Portuguese game helped them get Joao Palhinha for just ­£17million and he is outstanding in midfield.
      Then there’s Willian, who everyone thought looked out of shape and past it at Arsenal a couple of years ago but has  a new lease of life at Fulham.
      I’m sure Silva’s fitness coach, Goncalo Pedro,  one of the very best in the business,  has had a great impact on Willian.
      Marco Silva is pushing for European qualification with FulhamCredit: PA
      A lot of fitness coaches are like drill sergeants and they treat everyone the same in terms of the work they do.
      Not Goncalo. He would  listen, he would treat you like an adult and he would tailor individual fitness programmes for each player. These details matter in professional football.
       I’m sure Goncalo is playing a huge part in their success.
      It’s not just the new signings who are going well for Fulham, though. Players like Tim Ream and Bobby Decordova-Reid, who haven’t truly cracked the Premier League before, have improved immeasurably.
      That doesn’t surprise me because that is what Silva and his team do. They challenge people and make them better.
      Etienne Capoue had been Watford’s best player the previous season and we were all shocked when Silva dropped him and demanded improvement but Etienne responded brilliantly.
      I hope Silva stays at Fulham for four or five years and gets them into Europe because I believe he is capable of that, especially as the club are giving him what he wants in terms of investment.
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      Beyond that, I think he will end up as an elite Champions League boss, he really is that good.
      And just imagine how complimentary I would be about him if he had actually selected me to start very often! More

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      Birmingham training ground shut down after blazing fire overnight with Wast Hills facility suffering damage

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      BIRMINGHAM CITY have announced that a fire broke out overnight at the club’s training facility.The Championship club confirmed their Wast Hills Training Ground has been closed until further notice after being damaged.
      Birmingham City have closed down their training ground after a fireCredit: PA:Press Association
      Birmingham have confirmed the club’s facility has been damagedCredit: Google street view
      In a club statement, Birmingham said nobody was injured in the blaze.
      Fire crews attended the scene in the early hours of Friday morning.
      Birmingham players, and staff who work at the facility, have been contacted by the club.
      A full statement said: “The Club can confirm that Wast Hills Training Ground has suffered damage as a result of a fire.
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      “Hereford and Worcester Fire Service attended the scene and remain on site following the discovery during the early hours of Friday 3 March. No one was injured.
      “Staff and players have been contacted and the facility remains closed until further notice.
      “The Club will continue to liaise with the emergency services and will make no further comment at this time.”
      The BBC claim over 40 firefighters were brought in to tackle the blaze, which is said to have broken out just before 2.30am.
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      Birmingham are next in action on Saturday, travelling to bottom-placed side Wigan Athletic.
      Blues are currently 19th in the table, seven points above the drop zone. More

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      Tottenham interested in Alex Scott transfer raid after £25m-rated winger shines for Bristol City against Man City

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      TOTTENHAM are eyeing up a summer move for Bristol City whizkid Alex Scott.England youth starlet Scott, 19, shone in the Robins’ 3-0 defeat at home to Manchester City this week in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
      Tottenham are keeping tabs on Bristol City wonderkid Alex ScottCredit: Rex
      Jack Grealish described the midfielder as a “top, top talent” on social media after the game.
      Scott, who has racked up 75 games already for Bristol, has plenty of admirers in the Premier League, including Crystal Palace and West Ham.
      Tottenham have a history of signing young British talent and have been following the progress of £25milion-rated Scott for some time.
      The Guernsey-born youngster has represented England at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 level.
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      He is admired by Under-21s boss Lee Carsley too but will likely not receive his first Young Lions call-up until after competing in the Under-20 World Cup, which takes place between May and June in Indonesia.
      Meanwhile, Antonio Conte looks set to miss Saturday’s Premier League trip to Wolves as he continues his recovery from gallbladder surgery back in Italy.
      He is expected to return this weekend though and take the team for their crucial Champions League Last-16 second leg against AC Milan on Wednesday.
      Spurs lost the first leg in Milan 1-0 two weeks ago following Brahim Diaz’s winner.
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      Wing-back Emerson Royal hopes to shake off the minor knee injury that kept him out of Wednesday’s 1-0 fifth-round FA Cup defeat at Sheffield United.
      The Brazilian, 24, was nominated for the Premier League player of the month award for February after a fine run of form.
      This marks a significant turnaround for the defender who had been struggling to impress supporters.  More

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      Meet Alex Scott, the £25m rated Bristol City teen tracked by Newcastle, who Guardiola called “an unbelievable player”

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      ON Tuesday, sandwiched in a crowded midfield that featured internationals Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, and Phil Foden, was teen starlet Alex Scott.The Bristol City wonderkid could have been forgiven for feeling overawed by the company he faced in opponents Man City in their FA Cup 5th round tie.
      Bristol City’s Alex Scott has been a revelation for the Robins this seasonCredit: Reuters
      Scott showed he is capable of mixing with the big boys – starring against Man City in the FA CupCredit: Rex
      But, the teenager, particularly in the first half, was spectacular.
      Like he has done all season, Scott kept the ball beautifully, carried it with style and his decision making in a congested area of the pitch belied his years.
      At just 19, the Guernsey-born youngster seemingly has the world at his feet.
      Even the difficult to please Pep Guardiola was impressed – calling the boy wonder “an unbelievable player.”
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      It’s no wonder Premier League clubs, including Newcastle, Tottenham, and West Ham are keeping tabs on the £25million rated talent.
      Guernsey boy
      Like Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, Scott grew up in the Channel Islands.
      In his formative years, he had to undergo heartbreak to reach the top.
      At 12, he was released by the Saints after spending four years with the club.
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      He told the Secret Scout: “Southampton wanted me on trial after a summer camp when I was eight-years-old. It was a bit mad being so young.
      “From there I was at Southampton for four-and-a-half years. We were flying over every weekend – we had to do it.
      “It was me and either my dad or my mum who’d have to fly over every weekend. The club paid for the hotel that we stayed in every weekend and my parents paid for the flight.”
      He continued: “I was 12 when I got released from Southampton. It’s quite draining. You want to get back in and go to another academy and mentally you think that I’m not good enough for this.
      “It was tough on my parents as well, having to pay for flights each week for four years. We sacrificed so much as a family to make it work which made it really hard to take when I wasn’t offered a contract.”
      A year’s stint at Bournemouth wasn’t enough to convince Scott that his future belonged on the south coast.
      Guernsey-born Scott was released by Southampton aged 12
      Scott has been a first team regular at Bristol City from 2021Credit: Rex
      A bold move
      Instead, he signed for Isthmian League side Guernsey when he turned 16.
      Scott soon made his debut for the Green Lions against Phoenix Sports – making him the youngster player to play for Guernsey.
      His time there would be short-lived. It took just a handful of games to convince Championship side Bristol City that Scott belonged in their academy.
      He was signed on a pre-contract agreement in December, 2019 and moved the following month to the Robins.
      By 2021, the same year he signed his first professional contract, he was a starter in the first team.
      Scott has since gone on to play 75 times for the club, while becoming an England youth international.
      Scott drew England level in their U19 Euros semi-final against ItalyCredit: AFP
      Scott’s exploits have seen him earn the nickname the ‘Guernsey Grealish’Credit: Rex
      He was represented the Three Lions at U18, U19 and U20 level.
      Most notably, he came off the bench in the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final against Italy to score an equaliser with his first touch of the game.
      The ‘Guernsey Grealish’
      At Ashton Gate, where Scott has earned the nickname the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, it was fitting he got to play against his idol, Jack, this week.
      Speaking to ITV after the match, he said: “For me, my favourite player is Grealish. For him to come on and to play against him is a bit of a dream come true for me.
      “Obviously that’s the level I want to be at. Obviously watching De Bruyne, Foden and Grealish growing up, to be on the same pitch as them in real life was a special feeling and that’s where I want to be in the future.
      “I’m 19 now and still have years ahead but playing against players like that and seeing that life in the flesh shows you the level you need to be at to play at the top.”
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      After his performance against Man City – Pep Guardiola called Scott an ‘unbelievable player’Credit: Rex
      Grealish, himself, returned the favour with a compliment of his own. A “top, top talent,” the £100m City player called Scott.
      Next season, maybe the rest of the Premier League will see Scott’s skills on a more regular basis. More

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      Sheff Utd 1 Tottenham 0: Spurs knocked OUT of the FA Cup as Ndiaye sends Championship high-flyers into quarters

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      TRUST Tottenham to serve up a car crash of a performance in this week of all weeks.Spurs announced on Tuesday a 15-year “strategic partnership” with Formula One, a tie-up which would see them build London’s longest indoor electric go-kart track beneath the South Stand.
      Substitute Iliman Ndiaye scored to shock Spurs and send the Championship side throughCredit: Reuters
      Harry Kane looks on in disappointement as his side were knocked out of the FA CupCredit: Getty
      It raised a few eyebrows among fans, who will likely be appeased if it end up helping their team’s drive for success on the pitch.
      Yet now, thanks to sub Iliman Ndiaye’s fine, late solo goal, their side are out of the race for their most likely route to silverware for another season.
      It was no more than Spurs deserved, who were poor throughout against what was effectively Sheffield United’s reserve side.
      They rarely threatened, even when Harry Kane came on midway through the second half – though the England skipper did fluff his line with an injury-time header.
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      Both these sides were missing their managers from the dugout. 
      Antonio Conte was still back in Turin recovering from gallbladder surgery, with his assistant Cristian Stellini once again deputising.
      The Tottenham chief is expected to return this week, though possibly not until Sunday, the day after his side’s trip to Wolves. 
      While Blades chief Paul Heckingbottom was serving the first of a three-match ban given for volleying the fourth official’s board out of his hands in fury during last month’s home defeat to Middlesbrough.
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      Spurs sprang a few surprises with their team selection. 
      Richarlison started through the middle, despite Stellini hinting in the pre-match press conference that he would not, while Kane did not start at all, despite Stellini hinting he would.
      In-form Emerson Royal was also ruled out with a minor knee injury – though he should be fine for Wolves on Saturday – meaning deadline-day signing Pedro Porro came in.
      Sheffield United’s focus was clearly more on promotion to the Premier League, which was understandable given their seven-point cushion to third spot in the Championship.
      With a trip to rivals Blackburn to come on Saturday lunchtime, Paul Heckingbottom opted to leave big-hitters including Sander Berge, Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie on the bench.
      Instead, academy lad Andre Brooks was handed his first start.
      But it was the 19-year-old’s loose pass which handed Spurs their first chance of the game.
      It went  straight to the lesser-spotted Lucas Moura, who dribbled into the box and cut it back for Richarlison, but the ex-Everton man’s effort was blocked by Jack Robinson.
      Porro suffered a Spurs debut to forget in the 4-1 lashing at Leicester last month, having signed on loan from Sporting Lisbon with an obligation to buy for £45million.
      You feared how the Spaniard might cope in the wind and driving rain against a canny, Championship side like United.
      But he showed some neat touches, an intent to get forward and when he was cleaned out by Robinson’s firm-but-fair challenge, encouragingly, he just got up and got on with it.
      Davinson Sanchez was playing behind him and it was the Colombian who teed up Richarlison for Spurs’ best chance of the half.
      Brazil’s No9 beat the offside trap to race in down the right-hand side of the box, but smashed his shot from an acute angle over the bar.
      Moura then clipped the top of the crossbar when standing the ball up to the back post, looking for his compatriot Richarlison, causing the home fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
      That was then exactly what Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was doing when his weak header let in Ismaila Coulibaly.
      Fortunately for Spurs, the Malian shanked his shot into the side netting, blowing the best chance of the half.
      But after a run of games WITHOUT individual errors cropping up, Conte will have been worried to see bad, old habits creeping back in as he watched on from his sofa.
      There was no VAR at this game and lucky for George Baldock, as the Blades right-back caught Ivan Perisic on the shin with a nasty tackle but got away with it.
      He was not so fortunate soon after the break when hacking down Son Heung-min and was booked, and the same fate awaited Pape Matar Sarr for a late challenge on Tommy Doyle.
      Things were not going well for Richarlison, who fired a shot so far wide it got the ‘What the bleeping hell was that’ treatment, before his attempted cross deflected back off him for a goal-kick.
      His frustrating night was brought to an end seconds later as Kane entered the fray.
      But the England captain’s introduction made little difference to Tottenham’s toothless attack and the home side grew in belief.
      They brought on their own star striker in Ndiaye and with ten minutes to go, he made the difference.
      In a match that was the football equivalent of go-karting, he provided the one moment of Formula One-esque quality, weaving through a crowd of Spurs defenders in the opposition penalty box before burying it in at Fraser Forster’s near post.
      Heckingbottom, wearing his ear buds, applauded from up in the stands.
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      Conte no doubt will have been screaming at the TV back home, frustrated that his side were not at the races once again in what has been an infuriatingly inconsistent season.
      The Blades shocked Spurs with a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane that led them to the competition’s quarter-finals thanks to Iliman Ndiaye’s winner on 79 minutes. More