More stories

  • in

    TV viewers left stunned as Tottenham star Davinson Sanchez is ‘tackled by thin air’ during shock loss at Sheff United

    DAVINSON SANCHEZ left TV viewers stunned after a huge gaffe. Sanchez was in action as Tottenham faced off against Sheffield United in the FA Cup, but likely wishes he wasn’t after his embarrassing slip.

    Davinson Sanchez was responsible for a major gaffe in the match vs Sheffield UnitedCredit: Getty
    One viewer described Sanchez as being “tackled by thin air”Credit: Twitter
    The defender struggled to impose himself on the match
    The defender was played a short pass on the right flank, but then lost his footing and consequently the ball.
    And viewers were stunned by the sequence of events.
    One user described Sanchez as being “dispossessed by thin air.”
    A second user sarcastically joked: “It was a tricky pass to handle to be fair.”
    READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
    A third admitted: “Great tackle by the air there to be fair.”
    Spurs fans, however, did not see the funny side, considering they were knocked out thanks to Iliman Ndiaye’s solo effort 11 minutes from full-time.
    One fan slammed Sanchez, saying: “How this guy has lasted as long as he has at the club is scandalous.”
    With a second asking: “How is he still at the club?”
    Most read in FA Cup
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    A third described him as: “Like a toddler who can just fall over for no reason at all.”
    One fan remarked: “Didn’t know we hire comedians,” with another fan responding by saying: “We don’t, we hire clowns.”
    Following the victory over Spurs, the Blades will face fellow Championship side Blackburn in the hopes of landing a semi-final spot at Wembley.
    Indeed, four of the teams left in the competition are outside of the Premier League, the first time this has happened since 2007-08.
    Elsewhere, League Two side Grimsby will face Brighton, and be hoping for a repeat of their visit to Southampton.
    Manchester United completed a late comeback against West Ham to progress into the quarter-final where they will host Fulham.
    Meanwhile, serial winners Manchester City will host Burnley. More

  • in

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

    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.
    read more FA Cup stories
    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.
    Most read in Football
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023

    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.
    Read More on The Sun
    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

  • in

    Watch Holland U21 players hail ‘annoying’ Tottenham ace Skipp and compare him to De Jong in leaked dressing room footage

    LEAKED dressing room footage has shown Holland U21 players comparing Oliver Skipp to Frenkie de Jong.The Tottenham midfielder was playing for the England U21s against the Oranje and was impressing his rivals.
    Oliver Skipp impressed against Holland in an U21s match in 2020Credit: Getty
    Skipp was in the team alongside the likes of Phil Foden, Aaron Ramsdale and Conor GallagherCredit: Getty – Contributor
    His Dutch counterparts praised him in their dressing room
    During the fixture in March 2020, a 19-year-old Skipp was begrudgingly complimented by the Dutch players, despite England losing the game 2-1.
    Despite playing alongside the likes of now-established Premier League stars such as Phil Foden, Conor Gallagher, Eberechi Eze and Aaron Ramsdale, Skipp was who stood out.
    The video of the opposition shows the players hailing the midfielder as he was able to control a lot of the game from midfield.
    The players can be heard saying: “That Skipp guy is an annoying guy. He is a good footballer.
    READ MORE ON SPURS
    “Yeah, really good footballer. Very good in controlling the play.
    “He keeps turning like Frenkie (De Jong).”
    Skipp has had to wait for his chance at Tottenham as he has spent a season out on loan at Norwich City.
    He has also been down the pecking order at the club behind players such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Harry Winks.
    Most read in Football
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    However, a season-ending injury to Bentancur has seen the youngster be given his chance in the first team.
    So far, he has looked like a solid addition to the Spurs side and he starred during the 2-0 win over Chelsea.
    Skipp fired his first goal for the club in spectacular fashion from outside of the box. More

  • in

    Tottenham scout leaves club after leaving board furious by leaking transfer targets in live TV interview

    A SCOUT has left Tottenham after infuriating club chiefs by revealing key transfer targets in a Colombian TV interview.Jeff Vetere, formerly of Real Madrid and Newcastle, left his bosses astounded after talking about players he liked and those the club were watching.
    Jeff Vetere rubbed Spurs chiefs the wrong way by leaking transfer targets from South America scouting expeditionCredit: Alamy
    The scout revealed a target in a sit-down interview with Win Sports TV, angering club chiefsCredit: Getty
    In a sit-down interview with Win Sports TV, Vetere revealed how a South American scouting mission saw Nacional goalkeeper Kevin Mier, 22, land himself on Spurs’ radar.
    And the Daily Mail reports that Vetere’s conduct was deemed to be unprofessional by the Tottenham board.
    A formal meeting was called to review his probationary period having only joined the North London club last September.
    But before that process was finished, the 57-year-old resigned.
    READ MORE TOTTENHAM NEWS
    The report goes on to state that Vetere would have been told to leave anyway and his exit has been welcomed by many at Tottenham.
    Vetere had been out of work since being sacked as Birmingham City’s director of football in 2018.
    But his close relationship with sporting director Fabio Paratici saw him land a key role at Spurs. 
    Vetere is also said to have rubbed existing staff members the wrong way.
    Most read in Football
    The scout said in the interview of the Nacional goalkeeper Mier: “I see a goalkeeper who does not lack anything to cross the pond.
    “We are looking because it is our task to see who the best youngsters are for international football. 
    “Taking advantage of my stay in Colombia, I took the opportunity to go there (Nacional) and meet a goalkeeper who is important to me.
    “I think he’s going to play for the national side soon.
    “He has things, for me, they are not normal for a boy of his age.
    “I was surprised by his confidence and his handling of the ball.”
    Luton-born Vetere is more notable for his time at Newcastle.
    The multilingual figure was controversial at St James’ Park, with the report claiming he contributed to Kevin Keegan quitting as boss following the signing of players he claimed to know nothing about.
    Keegan was, of course, later awarded £2million for constructive dismissal by an independent tribunal panel.
    Nacional’s goalkeeper Kevin Mier is the player the ex-Spurs scout spoke highly of on TVCredit: Getty More

  • in

    Son Heung-min shows off ripped body in just his pants for steamy shoot… but Tottenham pals accuse him of photoshopping

    SON HEUNG-MIN has shown off his ripped body in a spicy photoshoot – but his Tottenham team-mates were quick to make fun of him. The South Korean stripped down to model Calvin Klein underwear for a series of steamy snaps.
    Son showed off his chiselled physique in front of the camerasCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    Spurs fans and fellow Tottenham players were quick to react to Son’s sizzling snapsCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    Son has struggled this season and only has five league goals to his name this campaignCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    It hasn’t quite been happening on the pitch this season for Son with the star enduring arguably his most underwhelming season in a Tottenham shirt.
    But the 30-year-old put those concerns behind him as he posed for the camera.
    Shirtless Son’s array of pictures have attracted over one million likes in only a few hours as fans poured over the snaps of the forward.
    The Spurs star adopts a series of poses as he shows off the latest range of Calvin Klein underwear.
    READ MORE ON SPURS
    In one shot Son poses wearing black briefs while sat in a black chair.
    But in the other snaps he is stood tall and confident with his bulging torso muscles on full display.
    Fans were loving red-hot Son snaps – but some of his teammates couldn’t help but poke fun.
    Cristian Romero joked on Instagram that the pictures were “100% photoshop”.
    Most read in Football
    Little is left to the imagination as Son showed off his absCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    Son’s pics were so eye-catching that some of his teammates jokingly accused him of using photoshopCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    While new January signing Pedro Porro tweeted ‘ice cold’ emojis, Wolves forward and fellow South Korean Hwang Hee-Chan tweeted the ‘dollar signs for eyes’.
    Tottenham full-back Sergio Reguilon, on loan at Atletico Madrid, added: “No words…”
    It is not the first time Son has shown off his pecs in a Calvin Klein shoot.
    Fans will be hoping Son can bring some of the heat from the photoshoot onto the pitch.
    The out-of-form star has had to adjust to life on the bench in recent games after failing to impress so far this season.
    Despite being the joint-winner of last season’s golden boot, Son only has five goals from 23 appearances this season.
    Son’s Instagram post attracted over a million likes in only a few hoursCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    The South Korean star has 11.5m Instagram followersCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7
    Son was the joint-top Premier League scorer last yearCredit: Calvin Klein via Instagram / @hm_son7 More

  • in

    Tottenham and F1 announce new partnership that will see karting track built underneath £1bn stadium

    FORMULA ONE and Tottenham Hotspur have announced a 15-year partnership that will deliver the world’s first-in stadium electric karting facility and London’s longest indoor track.The track will be below the state-of-the-art £1bn Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
    F1 and Tottenham have announced a 15-year partnershipCredit: AP
    The world’s first-in stadium electric karting track will be built below the stadiumCredit: Tottenham hotspur / formula 1
    F1 and Spurs will also develop a new driver academy programme which aims to widen the motorsport talent pool and help identify the next generation of drivers.
    The new deal will deliver educational activities for schools to engage local young people in motorsport and showcase career opportunities such as engineering and software development.
    As part of the partnership, F1 will also collaborate with the Premier League club on sustainability initiatives that promote environmental responsibility. 
    F1’s commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030 is closely aligned to the North London team’s targets.
    READ MORE SPORT NEWS
    The motorsport giants are aiming to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and become net zero by 2040.
    Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO, Formula 1, said: “As we continue to grow our sport, partnering with world renowned brands like Tottenham Hotspur allows us to take Formula 1 and motorsport to new and more diverse audiences.
    “The karting experience will be a destination and place that families, friends, and aspiring drivers from all over the world will want to visit and enjoy, engaging new audiences and offering an accessible entry point to the world of motorsport.
     “Our two brands have a shared vision  to create life-changing career opportunities, promote diversity and inclusion, such as through the recently announced F1 Academy, and driving environmental sustainability – our innovative partnership will bring all of this to life.”
    Most read in Football
    Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: “Since building this stadium our ambition has always been to see how far we can push the boundaries in delivering world-class experiences that will attract people from around the world all year round.
    “We have been able to bring the biggest names in sport and entertainment to London N17.
    “We are extremely excited about what this long-term partnership with F1 will bring for our global, national, and local communities.”
    FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
    And David Richards CBE, Chairman of Motorsport UK, the governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the UK, added: “I congratulate Tottenham Hotspur and Formula 1 on this innovative partnership.
    “This new karting facility aligns perfectly with Motorsport UK’s mission to inspire and enable more people to participate in our sport in a safe, fair, fun, inclusive and progressive environment.
    “I look forward to seeing even more people enjoy karting but particularly to see a greater level of diversity amongst the visitors.”  More

  • in

    ‘Not the offers we were looking for’ – Man Utd and Spurs transfer boost as David Raya turns down TWO contract deals

    BRENTFORD star David Raya has turned down two contract offers as Manchester United and Tottenham circle.The goalkeeper has been in incredible form this season, helping guide the club to ninth in the table and in the race for a European finish.
    David Raya has opened himself up to leaving BrentfordCredit: Getty
    Raya has kept eight clean sheets and made 100 saves, more than any other stopper in the league.
    The 27-year-old has just entered the last 18 months of his contract at Brentford and he refused to rule out leaving the club.
    Raya spoke to The Athletic saying: “I turned down two contracts, one last year and one this January.
    “They weren’t the offers we were looking for. I can only say that.”
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    “I want to focus on playing games and not think too much about my future.
    “I have a contract here, so I’m willing to finish that, but you never know what’s going to happen in the summer.
    “Maybe the club wants to sell, maybe not. Maybe I want to stay. I want to focus on football and see what happens.
    “The club will decide the price and if a club wants to pay money, that will be it. I’m not worried about that. I’m not in charge of that.
    Most read in Football
    HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
    “I want to play in Europe and I want to fight to win a title.
    “I want to fight to win a European title. I trust myself to be able to play in those types of games.”
    This comes as Man Utd and Spurs both reportedly keep tabs on the Spaniard.
    The Red Devils could be in the market for a new number one at the end of the season with David De Gea’s contract expiring.
    Meanwhile, Spurs could look to replace Hugo Lloris.
    The Frenchman’s deal ends in 18 months and aged 36, a younger keeper could be wanted by the club. More

  • in

    Tottenham 2 Chelsea 0: Pressure on Potter reaches boiling point as Skipp and Kane fire Spurs to fiesty derby win

    ANTONIO CONTE can count himself lucky to have missed his first win over Chelsea since getting sacked by them five years ago.A dodgy gallbladder would have been the least of the combustible Italians problems compared to his heart-rate and blood pressure as Tottenham secured a fractious victory over their fierce London rivals.
    Oliver Skipp opened the scoring with a long-range strikeCredit: Rex
    It was Skipp’s first senior Spurs goalCredit: Reuters
    Chelsea manager Graham Potter is without a win in his last sixCredit: AP
    Midfielder Oliver Skipp set Spurs on their way with his first goal for the club in the 47th minute and Harry Kane sealed it with eight to go.
    Three points cements their top four place in the push for Champions League qualification.
    Tottenham boss Conte is at home resting up after surgery and assistant Cristian Stellini took his place in the dugout and retained his 100 percent record while stepping in.
    This is Tottenham’s first win over Chelsea since November 2018 – Conte had only been sacked by The Blues four months earlier to underline how far back the miserable run goes.

    Spurs are now four points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle and ended a run of two tough London derbies in a week with maximum points having beaten West Ham by the same score previously.
    In a bizarre match the performance of ref Stuart Attwell was among the main talking points.
    The official showed Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech a red card at the end of the first half for appearing to shove Emerson Royal in the face, only to downgrade it to a yellow after consulting the pitchside monitor.
    Attwell was also forced to come off briefly in the second half to change his shirt as he threatened to steal the show from a game which only really kicked into life in the second half.
    Most read in Football
    Tottenham vs Chelsea match stats
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
    British-record signing Enzo Fernandez tried to clear the danger in front of his goal but only succeeded in pumping the ball straight to Skipp and the Tottenham academy graduate smashed home a shot from the edge of the area.
    And in the 82nd minute Tottenham sealed a memorable win from a set-piece.
    Eric Dier flicked on a corner from Heung-Min Son and Kane was waiting at the back post to hook the ball home from six yards out.
    Chelsea boss Graham Potter is now under serious pressure after yet another disappointing showing from his expensive team.
    He made six changes from the side which lost at home to bottom club Southampton last weekend but got the same result – lack of energy and cohesion and a thoroughly deserved defeat.
    Chelsea have now lost three games on the spin and won only one Premier League game this calendar year despite a massive investment in eight new players during last month’s transfer window.
    They barely threatened Fraser Forster in the Tottenham goal and lost captain and highly experienced defender Thiago Silva to injury after only 17 minutes.
    Potter’s team is now 14 points off the top four and they have scored only one goal in the last six games.
    Harry Kane scored Spurs’ secondCredit: AP
    The England captain tapped in at the back postCredit: Reuters More