Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Aston Villa (kick-off 19:40 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Son Heung-min will "definitely" play against Villa but Postecoglou does not know whether he will start or be on the bench.

• He said losing Dejan Kulusevski is "disappointing news" before the Europa League final and confirmed he will be sidelined "at least a few months."

• Midfielder Lucas Bergvall is out of his boot and has taken his "first tentative steps on the grass" but it "will likely be a while" before he is available again.

• On having no luck with injuries: "It's just reflective and consistent with everything else that has happened this season. We just haven't had a smooth run of things. Every time we look like we are getting to a place where we are looking in decent shape squad-wise, invariably we have been hit."

• He said the injuries are in "one area of the park" as Kulusevski followed a season-ending injury for playmaker James Maddison.

• Despite having one eye on the Europa League final, he said he will "put out a team that hopefully gets the job done" at Villa Park and "go out there to try to win the game."

• On using the game for players to prove themselves for the final: "It's an opportunity for them to put their name forward for the big game the following week because, as we have already seen in the past couple of weeks, as much as you would like to think there is an ideal starting line-up things happen and players have to be ready for that."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke has applied more pressures (1,198) and made more off-the-ball runs into the opposition box (290) than any other player in the Premier League this season.

Tyrese King
BBC Sport journalist

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Tottenham have confirmed Dejan Kulusevski has undergone surgery on a knee injury.

The winger injured his right patella in defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.

The club did not offer a timeline on his recovery but he looks certain to miss their Europa League final against Manchester United on 21 May.

"Following further specialist consultation, the midfielder has undergone surgery today (Wednesday) and will commence his rehabilitation with our medical staff immediately," the club said.

This adds to the bad news for Spurs with James Maddison already being out for a reported three months after a serious knee injury in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final against Bodo/Glimt.

Lucas Bergvall has been ruled out for an extended period by manager Ange Postecoglou after he suffered ankle ligament damage in training ahead of the Europa League semi-final first leg.

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Micky van de Ven spoke to the media at an event to preview the Europa League final: "We played unbelievable games to reach the final but it's one game away from the trophy and we want to win the trophy at the end. No one is going to talk about how you reach the final and of course we want to win it. It's going to be difficult but we are going to do everything for it. We can do it.

"The build up will be the same but the feeling is different - it's a final.

"I wouldn't say it's an advantage (playing Manchester United). Those were games in the past. This is a final and in a final anything can happen. We won three times against them, hopefully we can do the same thing for the final.

"The gaffer made sure we stayed together at all times. It's been a tough season, everybody was doubting us, now we've proved them wrong - we reached the final. And the gaffer is believing in us every time over and over again and you can see that. Off the pitch and on the pitch, we are a tight group and we want to make sure that we can bring this trophy home."

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For the players and fans, Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi getting this injury in a situation where the offside flag should have been raised is so frustrating.

The frustration is when it is clear and obvious. Officials have been overseeing games for many years and they would always flag whether they were right or wrong.

Now technology has come into it, they are very reliant on VAR to make the right decision, the factual decision, about an offside. But, I think when an offside is so clear and obvious, it should be the duty of the assistant referee to put their flag up and stop play from the off.

When it is marginal, I understand we are a bit more hesitant when there are really fine margins, and we have seen those fine margins when goals have been given and it is a toenail to keep them on-side. I would understand it from that point of view, but it was on the halfway-line where the offside happened on Sunday, only for play to be allowed to continue.

It has been a matter of time. It has been a time bomb waiting to go off for somebody to get seriously injured. Awoniyi is the one that has got that injury - that horrific injury - because of it. Some will say it is only the first time it has happened in the duration of this rule, but it should never happen. That is how players will be looking at it, how fans and managers will be looking at it and saying 'it should never happen'. We should not wait for something to happen to reassess rules like this.

I don't like the ruling of it - it is on the halfway-line, it is clear and obviously offside, everybody in the stadium could probably see it. It should be for the assistant referee to make the decision. There are small margins in the box, I understand why they are a bit hesitant, but in open play, if somebody is sprinting, you could cause hamstring, quad, and all types of muscle injuries.

I am totally against this rule of waiting to put up the flag and I think most players and managers are as well. It's disappointing. I think it's a rule that nobody likes, and I'm sure in the summer off the back of this injury, one that will probably be reassessed.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

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Tottenham Hotspur winger Brennan Johnson spoke to the media to look towards the Europa League final: "It's been a rollercoaster I think. It's been some good highs and obviously some disappointments. We have probably lacked a bit of consistency. But where we are now going into the final, if you offered that at the start of the season, we'd be really excited by that.

"For me its about trying to win games and try to be successful because that's where I know this team can be and I feel like last season, we had that consistency more and that's why we were able to finish a lot higher in the league.

"I'm confident. We have to do everything right we can now to prepare for the game and it's down to us. It's about how we perform on the pitch.

"It'd be a dream come true. I think I have had some good moments in my career at the moment but a European trophy would be unbelievable and I'm sure a lot of the lads would say the same thing. It's a special game to be involved in but now it's about mentally and physically preparing for what's to come."

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We asked you to tell us how you are travelling to Bilbao for the Europa Leauge final against Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Kerry: Drive Midlands to London 20.05.25 (my birthday). Eurostar to Paris, metro to South Paris, train to Bordeaux, Flixbus Bordeaux to Bilbao arriving early hours 21st May. Then Bilbao to Santander (accommodation), Santander to Bilbao for the game.

John: Me and my sons are making it a road trip! Eurotunnel Monday after work (flights are impossible and a fortune), stay overnight in France and enjoy a drive down the Atlantic coast Tuesday and got an AirBnB booked for two nights in Bilbao.

John: Got flights a month ago for £80 return to Madrid from Birmingham. A car hire for £24 and two nights accommodation in Burgos (striking distance to Bilbao!) An underground car-park in the city for €20… and ticket sorted this morning.

Paul: Booked a flight from London via a seven hour stop over in Barcelona on the Tuesday night. Staying two nights in Bilbao and returning direct to London on Monday. Uefa need to change this process and consider moving finals where it is two teams from the same nation, but then why would they when the game is about money not fans?

Lewis: Starts with a late night flight from Gatwick to Milan on Tuesday. Leaving Milan for Madrid 6am the following morning then a coach to Bilbao to get there for 3ish. Then no sleep, back on the coach at 2am to Madrid and head back to Milan and onto Gatwick - should be home Thursday evening with trophy in tow!

Keef: Bus from Bristol - 30+ hours!

Darren: Three hour car Norwich-Portsmouth (Sun.18th) 30hr Ferry Portsmouth-Bilbao. Arrive Bilbao Tuesday 20th and find somewhere to get amongst it. Soak it up. Sleep it rough in car somewhere, then 30 hour Bilbao-Portsmouth (Sat. 24th). Arrive Portsmouth Sunday 25th - three hour drive back to Norwich.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has been answering your questions on the transfer window.

Mike: As a Spurs fan, I keep looking at the transfer gossip but what is the point? Ange is probably going to be gone, so why would we be looking at any players before the new gaffer is chosen? However, if they were going to the market, what do you believe they need?

Sami: There is certainly an element of Tottenham being in a state of flux until Ange Postecoglou's future is officially decided, as targets will want to know who the manager is before committing to Spurs.

Also, Tottenham will not know the full size of their summer budget until they know if they are playing Champions League football next season. So there are a few ifs, buts and maybes to conclude before Tottenham can finalise their approach - but they will be in the market for a wide attacker.

They like Eberechi Eze, who has a £60m plus £8m release trigger, but the Crystal Palace man is likely to have other options.

They also have a long-term interest in Matheus Cunha, but Manchester United appear to be ahead in that race.

All eyes will be on the futures of Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie too, who are courting interest from rival clubs. If Romero or Udogie leave, Tottenham will enter the market for a centre-back or left-back, respectively.

Tottenham tried and failed to sign Marc Guehi in January, but the Palace defender remains on their radar.

Read more from a transfer Q&A with our experts

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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If you were Ange Postecoglou, would you start Son Heung-min in the Europa League final?

We can all agree that Sonny has not had his best season in a Spurs shirt. Inconsistent to say the least, our South Korean superstar has struggled to find his form, with some fans also questioning his suitability as captain.

With Son on his way back from injury, it is possible he will not have the match sharpness - the mental agility as well as the physical combativeness - required for a cup final.

There are echoes here of our last European final in 2019 and a certain Harry Kane, who many argued was not match-fit after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the quarter-final of that competition.

In a sport where, as a fan, it is all too easy to let your heart control your head, could this be the moment to apply some pragmatism?

On the other hand, Son is our captain and one of the most experienced players in the squad. He has a strong bond with his team-mates, who may well find his presence on the pitch reassuring in high-pressure situations.

Also, Son knows what this game means to the club and the fans. He has missed out on glory before and will have his own scores to settle.

Perhaps the compromise is that he does not start the final, but is used as an impact substitute?

For someone who is often criticised for being stubborn and predictable, maybe now is the time for Postecoglou to inject some healthy uncertainty into his approach - to keep the opposition guessing as to when and how he will use his trusted leader.

Either way, one thing is for certain - Sonny definitely deserves to lift the trophy.

Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external

On the latest episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the panel discusses the upcoming Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Both clubs are in the bottom half of the Premier League table, with victory in the final their only route into European competition next season.

"There is so much fear running through both managers, in terms of if anything happens to key players," former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said.

"Tottenham don't have momentum, Manchester United don't have momentum. This could be one of the worst Europa League finals ever, in terms of two teams going into it who have both been utterly useless.

"For two enormous Premier League clubs, the extremes of this game - it is going to be an absolute catastrophe for the losing manager."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Destiny Udogie spoke to the media before the Europa League final against Manchester United: "I think for me, honestly, this would be my first time so it was a big achievement and would mean a lot. Obviously, it could mean something big [to win the trophy] because it has been a tough year, winning the Europa League could be a big achievement.

"We all want to win, and obviously it's been a long time since this club has won a trophy so that's the goal this season.

"All the players, we are with the manager."

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Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario spoke to the media to look towards the Europa League final: "He (Ange Postecoglou) is the first one that wants to win this trophy. He has always been saying to us that this group could go through this competition and reach the final and we have to be pleased about that and now we have to do the final step all together.

"It is very easy to say and very fair to say poor in the league and amazing in the cup. Of course you always want to be at the top of everything and sometimes dealing with three games in a week is tough but we know our performances during the Premier League campaign have not been good enough.

"Now we have the opportunity to create history for the football club and we want to be ready for that game.

"We need to be able to cancel and eliminate what has been in the past games during the season against them. It's just about focusing from now until the next 10 days and get ready and prepare to play a final."

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Tottenham have given themselves the chance "of something pretty special" and it is going to take "something more than normal" to get over the finish line, says boss Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs will be trying to win their first trophy since the 2008 League Cup and their first European silverware since the 1984 Uefa Cup when they face Manchester United in Bilbao on 21 May.

Speaking at a news conference on Europa League media day, Postecoglou said: "Whenever you get to such a significant moment there is always understanding of personally and, more importantly, as a group what you have overcome to get there.

"Every team has it's own story and those kind of moments. The emotion of it and how you have overcome odds to get there are really important to recognise for the group and for me.

"I was really proud of the fact that it was against some real difficulties and massive challenges for the group to find a way to get to the final and give ourselves the chance of something pretty special."

The Australian has had cup success at former clubs, so when asked whether he could bring that experience to this final, he said: "They are standalone events. There is nothing like them.

"You walk into it knowing it's going to be different to any other game you're going to play. Every game is important but you know the significance of what's at stake. You're never too far away from the eyeline of the trophy that you're going to get.

"It takes a lot out of you emotionally and physically on the day. The players need to try and prepare as they always do but you can't ignore the fact it's a different feeling.

"I try and find the fine line between treating it as you normally would and the fact it's a special opportunity we need to take and sometimes it takes something more than normal to get you there."

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been conducting a media day in advance of their Europa League final against Manchester United on 21 May (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Postecoglou is hopeful Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski will be both be fit enough for the final with the latter, who went off against Crystal Palace, looking like he picked up "just a knock" to his knee which they will let "settle" before assessing.

• The Spurs boss joked he would be wrapping his players "in cotton wool for the next 10 days" after the luck they have had with injuries this season. He said "any extra-curricular activities are going to be at a minimum".

• On the importance of this game for captain Son: "He's been a big catalyst and driver this year and knows more than most what this would mean for the club. He has had an incredible career here and done nearly everything, but you can't beat that silverware that players crave for. He knows how important it is for the club and for him personally."

• He said winning a trophy is "more important in what it means to the club" and "more about the significance of what it does to these people that impacts you".

• The manager added: "When you look at this on the backdrop of this club and journey it has been on over the past 20 years or so, it could be a turning point for the club - one, for how the club is perceived, but also how it perceives itself which I think is the biggest thing."

• On talk in the media about Manchester United often winning finals and Tottenham not: "That is the hurdle this club has to overcome. It will always be there until you actually do it, you are fair-game for people to say you have always fluffed it on the big stage. So, irrespective of what opposition or others say, you have to try and break that cycle. Whatever motivation you need to do that, you tap into."

• On the club's history with trophies and ending the drought: "There have been some world-class players who have played here for world-class managers and you need to understand the history and the magnitude of the task at hand to understand how difficult it will be and how significant it can be."

• He continued: "One of the constants since I arrived is about how we can achieve what others haven't been able to. It's not just about ability, it's sometimes just the luck you need going your way. But to have that luck, you need to put yourself in the position to have that success."

Follow Monday's news conference and the rest of the day's football news

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Tottenham and Crystal Palace

Here are some of your comments:

Tottenham fans

Susan: I think it is disgusting for the fans who pay good money to see their team every week and get a poor display. You expect to win at home but this season it has been abysmal. The fans deserve better! It seems like the team has no pride in their performance and give up too easily. It has become 'I wonder what minute they will go behind' kind of season. OK we are in the Europa League final, but fans have paid for poor performances in the league most of the season.

Nick: Don't let Ange Postecoglou fool you. This defeat against Palace - and our 19 other PL losses this season - is down to nothing but his inability to get a tune out of any combination of Spurs' squad players. It's not the injuries, it's not the schedule - it's Ange and his coaching team. You could give him the Real Madrid squad and he'd still mess it up.

Mike: A very poor first half, where Spurs gave Palace the freedom of the park. Palace looked well organised while Spurs were the opposite. We could have lost by a much bigger margin. Not sure the players should carry all the blame.

Crystal Palace fans

Gareth: Went to the game. A dominant performance where four or five nil would not have flattered us. Numerous outstanding performances across the pitch culminating in a man of the match display from Eberechi Eze. Palace fans were superb. Bring on Manchester City and the cup final.

Keith: Hard to really judge the quality of our performance given Spurs simply didn't show up, but I'll take it. Mentally, it was exactly what was needed going into Wembley.

Bill: Good all-round performance but should be put in context. Spurs didn't turn up and played a weak team that had no interest in the game. We, on the other hand, played to win and should have by at least 5-0. Hope we get an xG of 3.39 against City and convert that into goals!

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Southampton 0-0 Man City

• Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa

• Manchester United 0-2 West Ham

• Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester

• Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

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Tottenham's 2-0 defeat by Crystal Palace on Sunday was the 20th of their Premier League season.

The defeat saw Spurs drop to 17th with only the relegated trio of Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton below them with two games to go.

They are on 38 points from 36 games - one behind their Europa League final opponents Manchester United and two behind West Ham, who climbed to 15th with a 2-0 win against the Ruben Amorim's side.

Adding insult to injury, 20 defeats is the most Spurs have suffered during a single Premier League season in history and the last time they lost as many in the English top division was during the 1991-92 season.

It was also their 24th defeat across all competitions and they have only lost more in a single season in 1991-92, when they recorded 25 defeats.

Their poor derby display might be down to the fact that Ange Postecoglou made eight changes to the side that defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg.

But he was forced into a substitution inside 20 minutes as Dejan Kulusevski, who was one of three to keep their place in the side, became the latest Spurs player to pick up an injury.

Postecoglou's side have won just one of their past 10 league games but will hope to bounce back against Aston Villa on Friday before making the trip to Bilbao to face the Red Devils in the all-important European final.

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Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to Sky Sports after the 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace: "It was disappointing, we never really got into the game and we didn't control it at any time.

"We've handled it well so far, that's not the issue. The issue is making multiple changes, we aren't reacting well to that.

"If you think we wouldn't have 20 league defeats without being in the final, then I don't know how else to describe it.

"I'm disappointed, it's clear we're not anywhere near the level we need to be. We're making changes and the guys are getting opportunities."

On Dejan Kulusevski's injury: "He should be OK."