The team news for the Premier League game between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City is in, with less than an hour to go until kick off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Follow all the build-up and live text updates of the match here
Anna Howells
Fan writer
We do like to make life difficult for ourselves.
I do not understand Ange Postecoglou's starting line-ups. It seems like every game we are forcing square pegs into round holes and then we have to undo the problems we created!
We have a system that cries out for someone to hold the ball up. We force Son Heung-Min into that role in the middle, where he is ineffective, instead of having him on the left where he is much more productive.
We should then move Kulusevski to the middle (now that Richarlison is injured), as he is more physical and will keep the ball for longer, and play Brennan Johnson on the right as he has more pace and puts in better crosses.
By having our forwards playing out of position, it should come as no surprise that all our goals recently have come from other players in the team.
While Oliver Skipp did a commendable job at left-back, I thought it would have been a no-brainer to start with Mick van de Ven out wide and put Radu Dragusin in the middle.
I do not know if there is more going on behind the scenes, because it baffles me why some other players like Giovani Lo Celso cannot get more game time.
Van de Ven has been the best thing that has happened to us this season. He is an incredible player. If he manages to stay fit and keep his pace, we might struggle to keep him at the club if we do not have a team that is equally as talented.
Anna Howells can be found at Spurs XY, external
If Manchester City win at Tottenham on Tuesday, the result will go a long way in taking the Premier League title out of Arsenal's grasp.
So do Tottenham fans really want their side to lose in order to prevent their bitter rivals from landing the big one?
The Football News Show spoke to Spurs fans Davina and Patrick to find out.
Image source, BBC SportBBC pundit Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches again this season, against a variety of guests.
For Tuesday's crucial game in the title race between Tottenham and defending champions Manchester City, which was postponed from week 34 because of the FA Cup semi-finals, he takes on singer-songwriter and Arsenal fan Sam Tompkins.
Sutton's prediction: 1-3
City fans will point out that they have a poor record at Tottenham's new stadium, where they won in the FA Cup in January but have not scored in any of their four visits in the Premier League, despite having a total of 74 shots.
But I don't see any jeopardy for City here. They are too good for everyone, and they are just a machine when it comes to getting results when it matters.
If Arsenal were in their situation, going into the games City have this week, I'd be a lot less confident. You'd think 'well, you never know', but because City have been there and done it so many times before, I just don't see them slipping up. That's why I don't think anyone other than City fans are that excited about this game, or the title race.
I've seen enough of Ange Postecoglou's teams to know what Tottenham could do if they click, but they have been inconsistent recently and I don't sense they will be at their best here.
With what's at stake for City, and they way they have put their foot down in the past few weeks, I feel like they will always be in control of this game. I fancy them strongly to win, and it should be pretty comfortable.
Sam's prediction: 0-5
Image source, Getty Images"I'm wearing all Tottenham white right now," proclaimed former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"I expect Manchester City to win but also expect Tottenham to go out there and perform. Being at their home ground, they'll want to perform. You want to be in good habits and I think Postecoglou will get them in good habits for next year."
There is much talk about how Tottenham will approach Tuesday's game against the champions, knowing were they to lose, they'd severely dent the title hopes of their great rivals Arsenal.
Monday Night Club's Chris Sutton famously went to Anfield when playing for Blackburn on the final day of the 1994-95 season, when talk was rife that Liverpool would slacken off in order for Sutton's team to beat Manchester United to the title.
Liverpool won the game 2-1 but Blackburn still clinched the title as Manchester United were unable to win at West Ham.
Sutton said: "Everybody thought because of the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United, that Liverpool were going to chuck it basically. That was never going to be the case. We were really hoping they were going to chuck it, of course we were. But nobody wants to lose a game. You go out with the intention of winning. That will be the same for these Tottenham players.
"I get it as a Spurs supporter that they don't want Arsenal to win the league. It's a great game for a Tottenham fan as they go to the stadium and they can't lose in many respects - they end up beating City which is a feather in the cap and if they end up losing, Arsenal won't win the league."
Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily here
Here are the key facts and figures before Tuesday's game between Tottenham and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Tottenham have won their past four Premier League home games against Manchester City without conceding a goal.
Under Pep Guardiola, City have lost more Premier League games against Spurs than against any other opponent (six).
Tottenham have lost their final home league game in two of the past three seasons, as many times as they had in their previous 17 campaigns (W13 D2).
Having won their final away league game in nine of the 10 seasons between 2010-11 and 2019-20, Manchester City have not done so for the past three campaigns (D1 L2). However, they had already won the title at the time of those two defeats - by Brighton in 2020-21 and Brentford last season.
Manchester City have won their past four Premier League away games, including the past three by an aggregate score of 10-0. Only once in their league history have they won four in a row on the road without conceding - in March/April 1903 in the second tier.
Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski has been directly involved in five goals in his four Premier League games against Manchester City, more than he has versus any other opponent in the competition (three goals, two assists).
City goalkeeper Ederson could make his 250th Premier League appearance in this match. He has kept 112 clean sheets in his 249 games so far, with Petr Cech (127) and Pepe Reina (119) the only goalkeepers to record more in their first 250.
Tottenham can still qualify for the Champions League but is that a good thing?
Spurs need to beat Manchester City on Tuesday to keep their hopes alive but would being in the competition disrupt next season too much anyway?
Former Premier League and Tottenham midfielder Michael Brown spoke to The Football News Show about Spurs' hopes and how they can approach a fixture which could prove significant in denying City the title and delivering it to rivals Arsenal.
The New York Times' Rory Smith believes "the silver lining outweighs the cloud," in a situation like the one Tottenham face when playing Manchester City tonight.
Tottenham could help their bitter rivals Arsenal remain at the top of the table if they are able to prevent Manchester City getting all three points in tonight's fixture. But, manager Ange Postecoglou believes "100% of Spurs supporters" want Tottenham to win the game.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Rory Smith said there is "absolutely" a great deal of pain for football fans to see their rivals doing well.
"Spite is an incredible driver of human ingenuity - it's bad that people think like that," said Smith.
"That is how fans think. I have been in a similar situation with a team I support and it's not like you want your team to lose. Just when it happens, you notice it doesn't hurt - because the silver lining outweighs the cloud."
He added: "Postecoglou will want to win and he will want the stadium to be with Spurs - I don't know if it will be. I think the atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium will be really deeply weird."
Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton then said if you were the Tottenham player who scored the goal to help Arsenal win the league title that "in years to come maybe that player won't be getting many after dinner events".
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott said "hopefully it's [Heung Min] Son."
"Everyone loves a bit of Son - I'll take him at Arsenal. He can score and then come to Arsenal no problem," said Walcott.
Walcott, who played for Arsenal for 12 years between 2006-2018, scored for Southampton against the Gunners (who at the time were top of the league) last season in a 3-3 draw and says he still has Arsenal fans coming up to him saying "Theo, we can't forgive you for that."
"I served you for 12/13 years and you can't forgive me for trying to keep the Saints up - it wasn't the case. But it's a strange feeling," he said.
Listen to the whole episode of the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds
Image source, PA MediaTottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has said he "will never understand if somebody wants their team to lose" before Tuesday's game against Manchester City.
The outcome of the game could have a huge bearing on the title race as if Tottenham win or draw, Spurs' local rivals Arsenal would remain as leaders heading into Sunday's final round of fixtures.
At his pre-match news conference on Monday, Postecoglou was asked several questions about the possibility that some Spurs fans would want their own side to lose to City - a result that would reduce the chance of Arsenal ending their 20-year wait for a league title.
He said: "There's a pretty simple notion to this; there's a game of football tomorrow night. What do you think is going to happen? What do you think we are going to do as a team, or any team on this planet? Aren't we going to just try to win? It's a simple premise. How that makes people feel, I'm not really fussed and I don't really care.
"I'd hate to think anyone thinks we would go out with anything other than trying to measure ourselves against a top team and maybe win a game of football that's consequential.
"How are we ever going to become a team that wins things if we don't win the big games, if we shy away from it? Why would would shy away from a challenge that exists?"
Asked later if he felt it was a bigger thing now for football fans to want to revel in the potential misfortune of rivals, the Tottenham boss added: "I understand rivalry, I was part of the biggest ones in the world in the past couple of years with Celtic and Rangers, but I will never understand if somebody wants their own team to lose.
"That's not what sport's about. What I love more than anything else is the competitiveness, challenging yourself to beat someone and come out successful. Anything outside of that has got nothing to do with sport as far as I'm concerned.
"If other people want to treat it that way, where they derive pleasure from others' misery - that's not how I've lived my life and that's not how I perceive my role. My role is to bring success to this football club.
"Whatever proportion - whether it's [speaking to reporters] his two mates or the 99% of the people you know - I know 100% of Spurs supporters want us to win, be successful and win trophies.
"Us winning tomorrow night will help us bringing joy to 100% of Spurs supporters."
Mark Mitchener
BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League title now cannot be decided until the final day of the season but one or two other issues could be settled in midweek.
Aston Villa can clinch the fourth and final Champions League place if they beat Liverpool on Monday.
If they draw, they’ll be sure of fourth place if Tottenham fail to win against Manchester City on Tuesday.
If they lose, they’ll be sure of fourth place if Tottenham lose on Tuesday.
In all other scenarios, it goes to the final day.
Whatever their situation with Villa, Tottenham can ensure a top-five finish (so Europa League at worst) if they avoid defeat against Man City on Tuesday.
If they lose to City, Spurs could still clinch fifth place before their final game if Newcastle AND Chelsea both fail to win on Wednesday.
Newcastle and Chelsea know that whatever they do on Wednesday, they cannot be absolutely sure of European football until the final round of fixtures. However, goal difference means that should Newcastle beat Man Utd, and Chelsea lose at Brighton, it would take a minimum 12-goal swing on the final day for the Magpies to be deprived of sixth place.
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist
Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League match at home to Manchester City.
Here are the main headlines from his news conference:
Midfielder Yves Bissouma (knee) and striker Richarlison (calf) will miss Spurs' final two games of the season because of injuries.
A positive result for Tottenham would hand neighbours Arsenal the advantage over City in the Premier League title race. When it was suggested some Spurs fans may want them to lose for that reason, Postecoglou said he "will never understand if somebody wants their own team to lose" and added: "I think the fans will create the atmosphere they've always created at our home games. We've got a game of football to win."
He continued: "There's a pretty simple notion to this - there's a game of football tomorrow night, what do you think is going to happen? What do you think we're going to do as a team, or any team on this planet? Aren't we going to just try to win? It's a simple, basic premise."
An Aston Villa win against Liverpool on Monday would end Spurs' hopes of Champions League qualification. "I'll be watching the game. I never stress or worry about things I can't control. What I do know is we've got two games left, six points to play for and we want to see how many of those we can get."
On opponents City: "We've got an opportunity to measure ourselves against the best, a team that's consistently striving for honours and a team that we want to try to emulate one day. The best way to do that is to measure yourself against them by being yourself. We'll play our football and see where it takes us."
Having led Celtic to successive league titles in Scotland, the Australian was asked how difficult it is to achieve the feat City are aiming for: "Sometimes people think that once you win it once, it should become easier, but actually it becomes more difficult. You've got a target on your back and every year you've got to get guys to climb the mountain again knowing they've already done it."
Follow Monday's Premier League news and media conferences
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty is answering all of your footballing questions.
George asked: Hi Phil. Can we expect a fully motivated Tottenham side facing Manchester City - when they know many of their fans might prefer to lose than Arsenal win the league?
Phil answered: Hi George. Great question. I’ve already had Spurs fans I know saying they wouldn’t mind losing against Manchester City rather than help Arsenal win the league.
I honestly think all professional footballers are fully motivated for games like this, irrespective of the context. To suggest otherwise questions their professionalism.
There is a rather large complication here as well. If Liverpool beat Aston Villa tonight then Spurs are still right in the mix for a Champions League place, so they would need to give it everything anyway.
The first priority for Spurs has to be Spurs. Not Arsenal.
We asked for your views on Saturday's match between between Tottenham and Burnley.
Here are some of your answers:
Tottenham fans
Daniel: Not the most convincing performance, but got the win in the end with our defenders doing the job of the attackers.
Andy: Yet again, majority possession only to be let down by an inept attack with Kulusevski and Johnson missing chance after chance. We need an upgrade on those players I mentioned if we are going to challenge for trophies.
Harry: I was at the match. It was a game of two halves. A nervy first with slow build ups from the back with the full-back distributing a lot of balls forward. The second half the midfield were able to open up their defence and created more chances.
Craig: You cannot escape the fact that it’s three points and a win, which after the four previous games is very welcome. But it wouldn’t be Tottenham without huffing, puffing and making hard work of beating a now-relegated team, at home. A total of 21 shots and we only score the winner with eight minutes to go, typical Tottenham.
Burnley fans
Francis: Today's game typified our season. Some nice play but a struggle in defence and up front. A frustrating season after the euphoria of last year, which was the best for years. This relegation will be good for us in the medium term.
Steven: A really good away performance just like quite a few this season. Berge was outstanding for a hour. Just hope we can keep most of this team together for next season as well as Kompany. In Vincent we trust!!
Keith: Usual Burnley. Played well, helped opposition to a goal and didn’t understand urgency of getting a winner.
Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's eight Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer here.
And you can watch highlights of Sunday's games on Match of the Day 2 here.
Also, listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live match commentaries in full on BBC Sounds:
Millwall have agreed a deal to sign on-loan 26-year-old English defender Japhet Tanganga on a permanent transfer from Tottenham. (Mirror), external
Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesWhatever happens over the final week of the season, Ange Postecoglou's debut campaign can only be considered a successful step in the right direction.
The style of the Australian manager has galvanised the club. The substance could still be a place in next season's Champions League.
Tottenham's chances of overhauling Aston Villa remain slim, but breaking Burnley's resistance keeps them in the hunt for the top four.
Even if they can't make up the four-point gap in the final two games, a spot in the Europa League is almost secured.
As Postecoglou pointed out afterwards, this season was always viewed as a building block with a raft of players - including Saturday's goalscorers Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven - far from seasoned Premier League players.
So even if Spurs miss out on the Champions League, it feels like there could be exciting times ahead for this young Spurs squad.
Ange Postecoglou, spoke to BBC Sport after Tottenham's victory over Burnley: "We were dominant enough, their keeper was outstanding today and we had enough chances.
"It's always difficult when you lose four matches in a row and it is only natural there will be a bit of anxiety and a bit of stress there.
"For the most part I think we handled the game well and we finished the game strong.
"It should have been a more comfortable victory but the most important thing is we won the game."
Tottenham have rescued 25 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season, their most in a campaign (previously 24 in 2010-11). Indeed, only Liverpool (28) have come from behind to win more points in the Premier League this term than Spurs.
Since their debut Premier League campaign in 2009-10, no side has been relegated from the top-flight on more occasions than Burnley (4 times, level with Norwich), facing the drop in 2009-10, 2014-15, 2021-22 and now 2023-24.
All three of Micky van de Ven’s Premier League goals for Tottenham this season have been winners, also netting against Luton in October and Nottingham Forest last month.
Burnley have dropped 27 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Brentford (30) losing more. Indeed, the Clarets have won just five of their 16 league games in which they’ve led this term (D6 L5).
Tottenham have gone 1-0 down in each of their past five Premier League games, their longest such run since conceding first in seven consecutive league matches between October 2022 – January 2023.
Five of Jacob Bruun Larsen’s six Premier League goals this season have put Burnley one goal in the lead, with each of his past four strikes being the opening goal of the game.
Burnley have been relegated from the Premier League after they could not secure a win at Tottenham which would have kept their hopes alive.
The Clarets, who knew a draw or defeat meant they would no longer be able to catch fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest, took the lead when Jacob Bruun Larsen slid in a 25th-minute opener.
The joy among the travelling fans was tempered seven minutes later when Pedro Perro hammered in an equaliser.
After dominating the second half without finding a way through, Spurs were finally rewarded when defender Micky van de Ven burst forward and expertly slotted the winner into the bottom corner.
The draw would have done few favours for fifth-placed Tottenham, who needed a win to keep the pressure on Aston Villa in the race for the Champions League.
Were you at the ground or following along from home?
Spurs fans, give us your thoughts on the game.
Tell us what you made of the performance, Burnley supporters.
