Tottenham Hotspur’s bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League suffered a hammer blow on Sunday as they conceded five times in the first 21 minutes of a humiliating 6-1 defeat at top-four rivals Newcastle United.
Acting coach Cristian Stellini’s side were buried by an avalanche of goals from Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak, who both netted twice, and strikes from Joelinton and Callum Wilson.
Harry Kane’s reply was no consolation for woeful Tottenham, who look certain to miss out on a place in the EnglishPremier League’s top four after a second successive loss.
Photo: Reuters
The north Londoners are six points behind third-placed Newcastle and fourth-placed Manchester United, having played two more games than Manchester and one more than Newcastle.
Fifth-placed Tottenham host Manchester on Thursday and a defeat against Erik ten Hag’s team would surely end their faint hopes of salvaging their troubled campaign.
“It was my responsibility to decide how we play. We decided to do it differently because of the injuries, but it was wrong,” Stellini said of switching to a back four.
“It’s very difficult to understand why the first 25 minutes were so bad. We were not prepared to play this type of tough game. To suffer, control the space and win duels,” he added.
There is a bleak future ahead for Tottenham, who have no permanent manager lined up for next season and no director of soccer after Fabio Paratici’s resignation on Friday.
Paratici stepped down after failing in his appeal against a 30-month worldwide FIFA ban for his involvement in allegations of false accounting at his former club Juventus.
Tottenham’s heaviest defeat of the season was a new low for a club already in turmoil after Antonio Conte’s departure by “mutual consent” in March after just 16 months in charge.
Conte had exposed the rifts behind the scenes at Tottenham when he called the players “selfish” and criticized the club’s culture in an explosive rant after their draw at lowly Southampton.
Tottenham have not won a major trophy since 2008 and their latest setback could increase the chances of England striker Harry Kane asking to leave in the close season.
Fans are also unhappy with chairman Daniel Levy, who has gone through a host of unsuccessful managers since sacking the popular Mauricio Pochettino in 2019.
Tottenham captain Lloris apologized to supporters, saying that the performance was “embarrassing” and accusing his teammates of lacking “pride.”
In contrast to Tottenham’s struggles, Newcastle are riding the crest of a wave that should carry them into the Champions League for the first time since 2003, when they were eliminated in the qualifying rounds.
“You don’t expect that. The quality of our finishing was incredible,” Howe said of the game. “Since I walked through the door here the players have responded so well. I can’t thank them enough.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to