Antonio Conte claimed Champions League qualification would be life-changing for Tottenham ahead of Saturday s Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Conte also reiterated, however, that Tottenham face a difficult challenge to secure a place in Europe s premier competition, insisting another four clubs were also competing for fourth spot.
Spurs have won four consecutive league games to move into the Premier League s top four, the last two of those by four goals (a 5-1 win over Newcastle United and a 4-0 victory at Aston Villa). Another four-goal win would make Conte s team the first side to win three successive Premier League games by four goals since Manchester City in September 2017.
Tottenham will be confident of extending their excellent form agai…
England midfielder Kalvin Phillips is reportedly on his way out of Leeds United, with Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham said to be the parties most interested in prying him away.
Phillips, 26, has been with Leeds since 2010, but Football Insider has reported he has no interest in remaining with the club next season, even if they remain in the Premier League.
The tough midfielder followed in the footsteps of Wilfried Zaha and Jack Butland as the only English players in the 21st century to earn a senior cap while having never played in any country s top division, and confirmed his class at Euro 2020, starting every game and earning the title of England s 2020-21 Men s Player of the Year.
TOP STORY – PHILLIPS GETS READY FOR EXCITING NEW CHAPTE…
Inter coach Simone Inzaghi backed his side to respond from defeat at Bologna but conceded the Scudetto race is out of the Nerazzurri s hands.
Milan returned to the Serie A summit with victory at Lazio on Sunday and Inter initially made a positive response when Ivan Perisic struck after just two minutes and 53 seconds at the Stadio Renato Dall Ara on Wednesday.
That was the Nerazzurri s fastest league strike of the season but Marko Arnautovic equalised against his former club with his 13th league goal this term, his best tally in a single campaign in Europe s top five leagues.
A costly Ionut Radu error was then punished by substitute Nicola Sansone with nine minutes remaining as Inter dropped ground in the Scudetto race, the 2-1 defeat leaving them two points be…
Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has learned a lesson after serving his three-match suspension for violent conduct, says Jurgen Klopp.
Nunez – signed from Benfica prior to the season – was sent off on his Anfield debut for headbutting Joachim Andersen in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on August 15.
The forward subsequently missed Liverpool s defeat to Manchester United, their 9-0 thrashing of Bournemouth and Wednesday s dramatic 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
Klopp is thrilled to have Nunez back in the fold ahead of Saturday s Merseyside derby with Everton at Goodison Park, while Diogo Jota could also be involved after returning from injury, but Liverpool s manager is sure his new striker has learned a valuable lesson when it comes to keeping his cool.
Peter Vermes is hoping for a competitive match when Sporting Kansas City face off against rivals Seattle Sounders in the MLS on Saturday.
Sporting KC have struggled so far this season, sitting bottom of the Western Conference on just 11 points after winning just two of their games.
They are currently on a 10-match winless streak, but Vermes wants his team to use past grudges against Seattle to inspire a win.
Seattle have always had a very good team, a solid nucleus, Vermes said. We always have battles with them no matter where we re playing. They re an explosive team that can defend very well. It ll be a tough battle.
We re two very competitive teams that are in the middle of competing for the same things. You end up playing each other a lot and having …
Putting in a woeful performance at Selhurst Park on Monday night as Manchester United slumped to a against Crystal Palace, it is starting to look inevitable that Erik ten Hag will be leaving Old Trafford this summer.
While the former Ajax boss might have guided the Premier League giants to this season’s FA Cup final last month as they edged past Championship outfit Coventry, ten Hag has failed to find any kind of stability.
Now facing a real uphill battle in the race to claim a crucial top-six finish over the final few weeks, United have remarkably collected just a single victory from any of their previous seven appearances.
With large sections of the Old Trafford support making it clear that they are demanding a change in the dugout at the end of the season…
UEFA have announced Euro 2020 will be played across Europe as opposed to the traditional format of one or two countries hosting the event.
Gianni Infantino, the general secretary of UEFA s executive committee, held a press conference on Thursday and revealed the decision was prompted by an idea presented by president Michel Platini in June.
The main decision today by the committee was that the Euro 2020 finals tournament will be staged across the continent, he said.
The idea of hosting the Euros in a number of cities comes from an idea by UEFA president Michel Platini from June this year.
It was presented to all of the associations and to all of you (the journalists) on the eve of the final of Euro 2012. After that UEFA consulted all of their 53 natio…
Franck Ribery s playing career has come to an end.
On Friday, the former France and Bayern Munich winger announced his retirement at the age of 39, having agreed to terminate his deal with Serie A club Salernitana.
He signed for Salernitana ahead of last season, though for the first time since the 2004-05 season, failed to score in the league.
His sole Serie A appearance this season came in a 1-0 defeat to Roma back in August, as a second-half substitute, and in truth it was no surprise when rumours recently emerged of his imminent retirement.
There can be no doubt, however, that Ribery will go down as one of European football s greats of the modern era.
In 2013, Ribery was nominated for the Ballon d Or, finishing third in the voting behind Cristi…
With the Champions League group stages getting underway on Tuesday, we are certainly treated to a stacked midweek schedule.
Likewise, with a host of intriguing affairs from across England’s professional flights, there are plenty of eye-catching markets that are worth taking note of.
19:45 Port Vale vs Burton Albion
While Port Vale might have spent large spells of last season looking over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, Tuesday’s hosts have certainly come flying out of the traps this time around. Opening up the midweek fixtures with just their goal difference keeping them off the top of the League One table, the Valiants will be looking to make another statement of intent here.
Last seen over the weekend putting in another rugged perfo…
Toni Kroos says he could give up Germany duty after next year s European Championships.
The Real Madrid midfielder was one of the key players as Germany won the World Cup in 2014.
But Joachim Low s men have failed to follow up that success, losing to France in the Euro 2016 semi-finals and seeing their World Cup defence end early in Russia.
Kroos, 29, is already thinking about whether Euro 2020 could be his final international competition.
After the tournament it will be a good moment to think about it, Kroos told a news conference.
I will not kill myself if I end my career without having won a European Championship.
: had a bit of a bruise after training yesterday. It s very important for a young team to gain familiarity, but we will …