Tottenham Hotspur

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Southampton have won just one of their past seven Premier League games against Tottenham, beating them 3-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in February 2022.

None of Tottenham's past 15 Premier League home games against Southampton have finished level (W12 L3). Tottenham have scored in all of those games, while the Saints have also found the net in each of the past eight games.

Son Heung-min has had a hand in 18 goals in 16 Premier League appearances against Southampton (11 goals, seven assists). The only current Premier League player with more goals and assists against a single opponent is Mohamed Salah against Manchester United (13 goals, six assists).

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Southampton (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There hasn't been a lot of time to reflect on the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Thursday night but he intends to do that in training today.

• He said that Tottenham have taken their "fair share of blows this season" but the aim is to "dust themselves off" and "work on repeating a lot of what they showed" against Chelsea last time out.

• He said he doesn't "get affected" by any negativity or criticism he receives from the supporters, but "it is a little bit unfair to target the players in this situation".

• When asked about cupping his ear towards the Tottenham supporters after Pape Matar Sarr's disallowed goal, he responded: "I made a mistake, I celebrated a goal. Since VAR came in, I've made a conscious effort to not really celebrate goals anymore because you have to wait for everything to get checked off."

• He was keen to highlight that his response was to "celebrate and get the fans to make some noise" after the goal, adding: "My mistake was celebrating a goal - VAR has defeated me - so I won't be doing that again."

• His comment about feeling "such a disconnect with the world" was in relation to VAR: "As human beings, we are just so accepting of everything. We accepted mobile phones into our lives and now we are trying to reel them back because of the damage they cause. It's too late - the horse is bolted - and it is the same with VAR in football, but we just let it roll on."

• Micky van de Ven "cramped up" last time out but there is no further injury concern: "He hasn't played for 90 minutes for a while, but the positive thing is that he felt good apart from that. It was a tough game defensively, so he had to work hard."

• Dane Scarlett was left out of the squad due to being "a bit sore" after coming back from a loan spell where he had not played much. He was given the weekend off but has been "working really hard in training to get his conditioning up".

• Southampton's visit to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be an opportunity to "build some momentum" going into their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday.

• There will be a couple of changes and he will rotate his squad "to a certain extent", but the players are "in a good place physically" so he doesn't feel the need to manage their game time.

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

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We asked for your views on Chelsea's win over Tottenham in the Premier League.

Here are some of your comments:

GT: Toothless, passive, hopeless, clueless - take your pick. Ange has no excuse because we have all of our players back. That was shocking.

James: Our style of play under Ange has been so laborious, sloppy and littered with mistakes. We put up a reasonable effort but you would normally look to a manager to instil more discipline in how we play. Antonio Conte used to drill the side and we got results. That's what is missing. I'm looking forward to the summer and hopefully a new manager. Until then, we suffer.

Joshua: Yet another miserable performance. We only showed signs of threat near the end of the game, by which time it was too late. Ange is hanging by his last thread - the Europa League. If he doesn't win that 'trophy in his second year', then I don't see him having a future at Spurs. It was great at the start, but now Ange's reign has to come to an end if we want to improve as a football team.

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Andy: Poor Ange has been out of his depth all season. He is a one-trick pony and the best managers in the world have worked him out quickly. The players look dispirited. We have no chance of winning another game in Europe and even the Southampton game is a worrying fixture.

Dave: The table doesn't lie - 16 games lost. We are wholly incompetent and clueless, on and off the pitch.

Jack: There's nothing to commend, no desire and no intensity. It's just horrible to watch. Massive changes are required at the club over the summer, but they won't happen. The club is in decline on the football side, and it means nothing to the fans that they are doing well financially.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou is looking more isolated than ever.

The Australian directed a brief clap towards the furious travelling away fans from near the halfway line following his side's 1-0 loss at Chelsea but, by then, it could be argued the damage had already been done.

Chants of "you don't know what you're doing" came from the away end after midfielder Lucas Bergvall was replaced by Pape Sarr in the 65th minute.

Remarkably, Sarr found the net with an excellent long-range strike just four minutes later, leading Postecoglou to cup his ear and turn to the away end, only for VAR to then rule out the goal for a foul on Moises Caicedo.

Reports suggest Postecoglou is under severe pressure. Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Fulham's Marco Silva and Brentford's Thomas Frank have all been linked with his job.

The 56-year-old, who became Spurs boss in June 2023 and is contracted to the club until 2027, even suggested in midweek, external there were plenty of outstanding candidates, to replace him.

However, Spurs are expected to at least wait until the culmination of the Europa League campaign - a chance not only to win a first trophy in 17 years, but also to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Jamie Redknapp, speaking to Sky Sports, said after the match: "I think for Ange Postecoglou, it feels like he's going to make history or be history.

"When you lose 16 games in a season as Tottenham manager, still having great players at your disposal, it's not going to wash with the fans."

Like Postecoglou, chairman and co-owner Daniel Levy has faced criticism from the fans.

But Levy has given the head coach resources to shape a squad - Postecoglou has spent £214.8m.

That extra spend was an attempt to salvage the season while alive in three cup competitions, but after elimination from the domestic cups, it is Europa League or bust.

With little to play for in the Premier League, a end to the Spurs trophy drought would end the season on a high.

Read Nizaar's full analysis on Postecoglou here

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to Sky Sports after Thursday's 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge: "A difficult night, a tight game and not an easy place to come. We had to work hard to stay in the game. We let in a disappointing goal then fought our way back into the game but weren't able to get anything out of it.

"It is still a work in progress. In the final third, we could've been a bit cleaner with our football but for the most part we handled it quite well.

"It's a tough ask coming here, there was still enough there tonight to show the lads are getting back to the level we need."

On the intervention of VAR after it ruled out a Pape Matar Sarr equaliser: "It's killing the game mate, it's not the same game it used to be.

"You are standing around for 12 minutes. It's just killing the game, but no-one cares about that - they just love the drama and controversy and I'm sure there will be 24 hours' discussion about it and that's what everyone wants. They're not really interested that it's killing the spectacle of the game.

"If a referee sees that and he needs to see it for six minutes, what's clear and obvious about it?"

On claims he cupped his ears towards Spurs fans: "Oh, jeez mate. It is incredible. We just scored - I wanted to hear them cheer, I wanted them to get excited. I wanted to win the game with the momentum - it wasn't the first time my substitution was booed.

"I am at some disconnect with the world these days - I don't know. Maybe you are right."

Did you know?

• Only the Premier League's current bottom four teams have lost more games this season than Tottenham, with Spurs losing 16 league games in a campaign for the first time since 2003-04 under Glenn Hoddle and David Pleat (19).

• Tottenham have failed to win any of their past nine Premier League games against teams starting the day in the top half of the table (drawn one, lost eight).

Tottenham hope to avoid losing 24-year-old midfielder Dejan Kulusevski this summer, amid interest from AC Milan and Napoli. (GiveMeSport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Emily Salley
BBC Sport journalist

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The unwanted stats and records keep mounting up for Ange Postecoglou.

And the the fans seem to turning against him, too, with sections of the away support at Stamford Bridge singing "you don't know what you're doing".

The defeat saw Postecoglou become the first Spurs manager ever to lose each of his first four league encounters with Chelsea.

The result leaves Tottenham a significant 10 points off the top 10, a whopping 39 points behind leaders Liverpool and just 14 points above the relegation zone.

On course to finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time in 17 years, Spurs are also at risk of matching their worst ever Premier League finish - when they finished 15th under manager Ossie Ardiles in 1994.

This Premier League season looks to be a lost cause for Spurs and Postecoglou's future at the club now seems to rely heavily on success in the Europa League.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

What did you make of Tottenham's display?

Come back to this page on Friday to find a selection of your replies

This is a great game to finish the week off. It ended up 4-3 to Chelsea earlier in the season, and there are likely to be a few more goals this time too.

Chelsea have people like Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke back from injury to bolster their attack, but Spurs have got some key players like Micky van de Ven fit again too.

Tottenham's league campaign has been disappointing - it is winning the Europa League or bust for them - while Chelsea are still chasing the Champions League places.

Spurs looked tired to me before the international break, so it will be interesting to see what they are like here. We know how exciting they can be on their day, it is just those days have been few and far between this season.

Chelsea have been a bit flat as well, but maybe this is the game where both teams come to life and serve up a thriller - that is what I am hoping for anyway.

Sutton's prediction: 3-2

Read the full predictions and have your say

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Chelsea have lost just one of their past 12 Premier League games against Spurs, winning the past three in a row by an aggregate score of 10-4.

Chelsea have won more Premier League games (36) and scored more Premier League goals (120) against Tottenham than they have against any other opponent.

Ange Postecoglou has lost all three of his Premier League meetings with Chelsea - the only side he has faced without yet picking up a point in the competition. He could become the first ever Tottenham manager to lose each of his first four league games against Chelsea in charge of the club.

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game at Chelsea (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Postecoglou had no issue with Mauricio Pochettino's recent comments about wanting to return to the club: "If he wants to come back one day, then I hope it happens for him. I don't feel disrespected."

• He dismissed further questions about his future as Tottenham manager: "I don't deal with it. It doesn't rock my world - it doesn't consume me. I know my responsibilities are and I am sure if the club decides to go in a different direction, there are some outstanding candidates for it. And you know what, maybe someone will think: 'Ange Postecoglou is not a bad coach - maybe we'll take a punt on him'."

• In doing so, he reiterated his commitment to what he is trying to achieve at Tottenham: "I am passionate about what we're doing. I was brought in to change the way the club plays, rejuvenate the squad and bring success. I am focused on that and that is what I'll keep doing."

• Postecoglou confirmed there are "no new injuries" in his squad, but Thursday's match will likely come too soon for Richarlison: "[There is] a chance to play the weekend if he keeps training as he has been. [Dejan] Kulusevski and Kevin [Danso] should return in the next few weeks.

• He was positive about the international break: "Guys like [Cristian] Romero, Destiny [Udogie], [Mathys] Tel, Wilson [Odobert] and all these guys who missed a lot of football recently all got some good game time.

• On facing opponents Chelsea at Stamford Bridge: "Talented squad with good manager. They've had a positive season in terms of what they're trying to build. Playing away from home, against a loud fanbase, against a quality opponent where certainly, if we can come through that test it gives you confidence about what is ahead."

• He added: "They've also been hit with injuries. At their place, they're a tough team to beat. We know we have to play well to beat them. We need to try to build some momentum into the rest of the season and finish in a positive way."

Follow all of Wednesday's news on our daily football live page

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Tottenham midfielder Callum Olusesi has signed a new contract at the club until 2029.

The 18 year-old made his first-team debut in a Europa League match against Hoffenheim, and has also been captaining the club's under-21 side during this campaign.

Ali Speechly
Fan writer

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I would not be surprised if the international break was met with a sigh of relief from everyone involved at Spurs - including fans.

The loss to Fulham a couple of weeks ago had me checking our fixture list to see how much more of this season there was left to endure.

As we prepare to return to action in the Premier League against Chelsea on Thursday, I am increasingly convinced that Ange Postecoglou needs to do more than win the Europa League to secure his job.

Even if winning it were to be enough, I think he must improve his side's performance in the domestic league in order to have a chance of winning the Europa League anyway.

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I appreciate that cup competitions are unique and that anything can happen. Indeed, some teams have been known to win a cup and get relegated from the league in the same season.

But I also think it is naive to assume that we can be so desperately poor in the Premier League and then suddenly turn it on in Europe.

We need to build momentum every time we play, not just in one competition. Of course, injuries and fatigue need to be carefully managed, but players also need consistent opportunities to gain and maintain confidence - which, as we know, has a direct correlation with high performance.

Ange needs to prove that he knows how to manage this team because, as wonderful as it would be to win the Europa League, there would still be concerns about how his style of play and player management has resulted in such a poor position in the Premier League table.

The old cliche of every game feeling like a cup final seems more pertinent to Postecoglou and Spurs than ever before.

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