Darrell Clarke’s men enjoyed the perfect afternoon to win by three goals to nil and secure their place in the third division of English football next season.
It may not have been all plain sailing had Jamie Murphy finished what proved to be Mansfield’s best chance of the afternoon on nine minutes. The Scot reacted quickly after a communication error between Vale ‘keeper Aiden Stone and James Gibbons but from close range only managed to head straight at the goalkeeper to allow Stone to atone for his mistake.
The game began at a frantic pace as both teams searched for that crucial opener but after a sustained couple of minutes of pressure, Port Vale went in front.
Moments after hitting the post with a curling effort from outside the box, on-loan striker Kian Harratt found the net. Having to adjust to a deflected cross, Harratt fired a diving header past a despairing Nathan Bishop to fire his side ahead.
After the goal, no reaction was found by Nigel Clough’s Stags. Instead, Port Vale swarmed forward attempting to further their credentials as play-off winners.
Four minutes after the opener, Harratt’s strike partner James Wilson would double the lead. Vale wing-back David Worrall, who was exceptional all afternoon, marauded down the right-hand side and crossed.
Ben Garrity’s header looked to be looping into the top corner before the bar obstructed him from finding the net, the ball falling kindly to Wilson who was on hand to head home.
It was the perfect start to any play-off game for Port Vale. After half hour played, they were two goals to the good and things were about to get better.
Mansfield centre-back come striker Oli Hawkins had been cautioned early in the second half for an off the ball incident with a Vale defender, throwing him to the ground via his neck. So when Hawkins stopped the impressive Wilson from launching another counter-attack, referee Jarred Gillett had no choice but to produce a second yellow and put Mansfield down to ten.
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Tottenham have a good record against Leicester in recent seasons, Steven Bergwijn’s late double securing a dramatic 3-2 victory for the Lilywhites at the King Power in January.
Antonio Conte’s side have got the better of the Foxes seven times out of their 10 last Premier League meetings, although Leicester did win this fixture 2-0 last season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Whilst Spurs focus is solely on finishing in the top four places, Leicester’s Premier League ambitions are distracted by their hopes in the UEFA Conference League semi-finals. Their clash with Roma at the King Power ended 1-1 after Ademola Lookman’s equaliser.
Brendan Rodgers has slowly regained the nucleus of his squad and ahead of a busy end to the season is excited to see what the Foxes can achieve.
“We’ve still got a busy fixture list to go for the next month, but it’s exciting and the players would rather play than train I’m sure.
“It was a really good performance from us last night,” the Leicester manager continued. “You obviously have to re-energise and recover as best you can. Our schedule over the last number of weeks has, of course, been very challenging, but it’s what you want.
“We’ll continue to play midweek right to the very end of the season. We’ll freshen it up in the team as well, but we always put out a team to get a result.” – Rodgers on Leicester’s end to the season.
Antonio Conte called upon Spurs fans to help the side overcome Sunday’s opposition, who could regain fourth place ahead of Arsenal’s game with West Ham.
“We have a fantastic opportunity, and we have this opportunity through our work. We want to enjoy it and for this reason, our fans will play a big part in this final (stage) of the season. They have to support us from the start until the end, when the situation is positive, when the situation is negative. If they push us, we are stronger.
“This is a great opportunity, and no-one gave us this opportunity, we earned this opportunity. We worked very hard and had fantastic performances.
“Now, we stay there, and we know we deserve to stay there because we’ve improved a lot. It’s important to live with enthusiasm and with the right pressure, to try to stay there and to take this satisfaction, because it would be great for everyone, the fans, the Club, the players, for me, for everybody.”
Leicester are Harry Kane’s favourite opponents with 18 goals in 17 appearances, the England striker hoping to get back on the scoresheet after a goalless display against Brentford.
A win feels pivotal for Spurs if they are to achieve Champions League football which could have huge implications for the future of Harry Kane and Antonio Conte at the club.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta provided a constant target for Palace throughout the fixture and troubled Gabriel in the opening five minutes by backing into him and collecting forwarded passes.
The Brazilian consequently suffered a few loose touches as the Selhurst Park crowd sung loudly on a chilly Monday evening in south London.
Conor Gallagher’s impressive season for the Eagles prompted his song to be first rung around SE19 and the midfielder’s usual mix of technique and determination provided the platform for a positive start for the home side.
It would be Gallagher and Mateta who would be combine for the opening goal. After Ben White fouled Wilfried Zaha, Gallagher’s delivery was kept alive by Joachim Andersen at the back post who found an unmarked Mateta in the area to head home past Aaron Ramsdale.
The French striker’s chant from the Palace fans to the tune of the Venga Boys’ ‘Boom Boom Boom’ was next on the Palace playlist as Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal failed to get a foothold in the game.
A Monday night wouldn’t have been the preferred time to play Palace for Arsenal as the Selhurst atmosphere continued to lift Palace.
After his assist for the first goal, Joachim Andersen provided another from centre-back when threading a perfect pass into the feet of Jordan Ayew.
The Ghanian striker, questioned in the lead up to kick-off with many Palace fans preferring Eberechi Eze to start, took the ball away from a sliding Gabriel and covering Nuno Tavares to slot past Ramsdale to double the lead.
An inventive free-kick routine from Gallagher set Zaha away down the line but his pull back was blocked by Tavares. Palace’s hunger to create further chances was evident despite their two-goal advantage with Mateta’s shot clumsily parried by Ramsdale minutes later, thankfully for the England ‘keeper the rebound falling to an Arsenal player.
A tame Arsenal header from the first corner of the match would end the half withArteta surely demanding more of his players in the second half.
Gabriel Martinelli replaced Nuno Tavares at half time for the Gunners as Granit Xhaka slotted into an unfamiliar left-back position. The change prompted Arsenal’s best spell of possession in the game with Palace happy to sit off and wait for opportunities on the counter.
Bukayo Saka weaved his way into the area early into the second half but his claims for a penalty after a challenge from Cheikhou Kouyaté were waved away from Paul Tierney. A fantastic run by Jeffrey Schlupp at the other end brought the first card of the afternoon when he was swiped down by Thomas Partey.
Zaha clearly relished the challenge of facing up against Cedric Soares but the Portuguese full-back defended valiantly when the winger found good positions within the box.
Emile Smith-Rowe was presented with an opportunity to half the deficit for the Gunners but when the ball broke kindly to him within the area, the England international could only roll an effort into the hands of Vicente Guaita.
It took 65 minutes for Arsenal to create a real opening, Martin Odegaard only scuffing a shot wide when the ball was pulled back to him by Saka.
Arteta had decided that the time for attacking reinforcements was now as Cedric’s departure for Eddie Nketiah left central defenders Gabriel and Ben White as the only recognised Arsenal defenders on the pitch.
The substitutions were always going to leave gaps for Palace’s attackers and when Partey’s loose touch allowed Zaha the space to run at the defence, the Ivorian made no mistake.
Twisting and turning his way into the area, Zaha checked back only for Odegaard to sweep his standing leg away and leaving Paul Tierney with the task of pointing to the penalty spot. He would make no mistake from the spot, sending Ramsdale the wrong way to make it 3-0 to Palace.
A mixture of Guaita and Marc Guehi denied Saka and then Smith Rowe as the visitors continued to search for a way back into the game with 10 minutes remaining.
Nketiah’s effort from outside the box smashed against the crossbar but Palace’s dominance on the scoreline meant any Arsenal resurgence was unlikely.
Patrick Vieira’s team had confidently dispatched of the Premier League’s fourth placed team and inadvertently helped his former adversaries Tottenham in the process.
The Gunners sit fifth on level points with their north London rivals but with a game in hand. Palace leapfrog Southampton, Aston Villa and Leicester with the victory into ninth.
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They will be facing up against their former midfielder, Patrick Vieria, who has impressed this season in his first Premier League campaign with the Eagles.
Palace’s record in London derbies will worry the Frenchman though, the 3-0 win over Tottenham at Selhurst Park in September was their first win in 17 such matches. Spurs themselves will be hoping Palace can help their bid for a Champions League spot as the south Londoners aim to beat Arsenal and Tottenham in the same campaign for the first time.
The feeling around Arsenal is one of positivity and Mikel Arteta understands the importance of togetherness in his team during the run-in towards the end of the Premier League.
“For me it’s crucial because it’s the platform and the cement that you can build on,” the manager said.
“Then obviously you need the players, you need the quality, the understanding. You need the club and the supporters to be on board with what you are doing, to support it, encourage it. This is what we try to do.”
In the reverse fixture between the two teams, an Alexandre Lacazette equaliser in 95th minute rescued a point for the Gunners after Christian Benteke and Odsonne Edouard had cancelled out Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s opener.
Vieira spoke this week about how his side is different from that encounter and the lessons they have since learned.
“I think the game we played over there we played with personality and we tried to dictate the tempo of the game. Of course, we knew it would be tough and difficult. But what we can take from that was those crucial moments we have to manage well.
“The game is never finished until the referee’s whistle. It’s about the concentration we have to have, especially against those kind of teams. We know from when we start to today we’re in a different place but there are still some things we need to improve.”
The hosts will have to snap a five-game winless run in the Premier League at Selhurst Park, with the Eagles failing to win in 2022. They have been successful on three outings at home in the FA Cup, winning by an aggregate of 8-1, but Vieria must ensure his men stay focused on the immediate task in hand with Wembley looming later this month.
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Mikel Arteta’s side face former Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace team on Monday night, presenting an opportunity for Spurs to draw on level points with the Gunners, albeit with a game more played.
The combination of this and Manchester United’s failure to beat Leicester on Saturday evening allow Antonio Conte’s Spurs team to stake their claim for the coveted fourth spot in the Premier League.
In the reverse fixture, Tottenham travelled to a noisy St James’ Park which had been buoyed by the fresh arrival of new ownership. After an early Callum Wilson goal set Newcastle’s fresh start off perfectly, Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son all netted in the first half to flip the script.
A late Jonjo Shelvey red card didn’t help matters and although Eric Dier’s own goal provided a glimmer of hope, Spurs held onto a 3-2 win to slightly dampen celebrations inside the ground.
Son will aim to add to an impressive record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, netting eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances at home.
Conte’s side arrive into the fixture on an impressive run of form in the league, having won four of their last five and scoring at least two in each of those fixtures. An impressive victory over West Ham United prior to the international break has also raised spirits amongst the Tottenham fanbase but with Arsenal’s performances continuing to go from strength to strength there is no room for slip-ups.
The positive run has been in large part to the form of striker Harry Kane, who collected the Premier League Player of the Month award for March.
Despite being fresh off back-to-back 1-0 defeats to Chelsea and Everton, Newcastle’s resurgence under Eddie Howe has been notable, with the Magpies’ relegation fears eased significantly.
The former Bournemouth boss has tightened up the backline considerably, with his team not conceding more than once in their last 11 Premier League outings. They do have a poor record against Spurs since promotion back to the top flight in 2017, Joelinton’s goal in a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in August 2019 remaining their only victory.
An away victory would lift Newcastle back above Brentford and really allow Howe to begin to plan for next season. Spurs, however, will be out to continue their assault towards their main target of Champions League qualification, with a huge summer around the corner for the North London side.
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Two of the Hammers’ most important players, Antonio and Cresswell, will be crucial to any attempt to gain European football again next season, starting with West Ham’s Europa League round of 32 second leg against Sevilla on Thursday.
David Moyes’ lack of squad options could be ultimately costing his side injuries, with Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Jarrod Bowen and Craig Dawson all having completed over 3,000 Premier League minutes this season.
Hammers boss Moyes understands that the full extent of his squad will be needed to contribute as the season reaches its finale.
“We need everybody to do a job for us.
“We’re going to get injuries. We’re trying to go as strong as we can in all the games, because we want to be in a European position in the league and we want to try and win the UEFA Europa League.
“There are very few games where we can say: “we can rest a few players here and we can do something different.” At the moment, the biggest thing we can talk about is about the resilience of the players.”
It would be Antonio’s replacement, Andriy Yarmolenko, who would open the scoring at the London Stadium after receiving a ball from Said Benrahma.
Having arrived onto the pitch to raptures of applause in support of the Ukrainian’s recent struggles, the forward brought a cross down well inside the area before poking the ball past Emiliano Martinez to give the home side the lead.
Pablo Fornals would double the advantage 12 minutes later as West Ham turned their first half possession into second half chances to put Villa to the sword.
Jacob Ramsey would restore one back for Steven Gerrard’s men with stoppage time on the horizon with a superb finish from just outside the box, but the visitors had left their attacking intent until too late.
Gerrard rued a day where moments went against his side and felt unlucky to leave London without a point.
“A lot of moments went against us today. It wasn’t our day and we’ve got a couple of injuries on the back of it.
“We go away disappointed with the result. As I said after the game against Leeds when we were feeling great, let’s stay calm, reset and get ready for Arsenal next week.
“We’ve got ten games to go and a lot to play for, in terms of where we finish.”
For Villa, a top-half finish must be the target as they consolidate their Premier League position and build towards another busy transfer window in the summer.
West Ham’s victory on Sunday has ensured their European hopes in the league have been boosted, but now their attention turns to the Europa League.
Moyes will be sweating over the availability of Antonio and Bowen as the match closes in but the London Stadium is set to be rocking whatever the line-up on Thursday night.
Steve Clare will be at the London Stadium for West Ham’s Europa League tie with Sevilla on Thursday.
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The Hammers are fresh off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in midweek but can boost their European qualification hopes for next season with a victory over Steven Gerrard’s Villa side.
Alongside Liverpool, West Ham are the only club to have scored in every home Premier League match this season, with Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen leading the scoring charts with eight each.
Antonio has failed to score in his last eight league appearances and will hope to get back firing against the Villans, attempting to break a streak which would stretch to nine games for the first time since a spell between November 2019 and February 2020.
To make their scoring efforts more severe, Bowen will also be absent for the fixture as he recovers from a knock sustained against Liverpool last weekend. Declan Rice is expected to retain his place after returning from illness against Sevilla in midweek.
David Moyes was full of praise for his opponents ahead of the tie:
“I’ve always thought a lot of Aston Villa. I’ve said since last year that they’ve got good players and some really talented young players. They signed well in the transfer window. But the Premier League is full of good teams at the moment. Aston Villa will be a competitive game.
His team are in fantastic form against Villa in recent times, winning their last three Premier League fixtures against them, including a 4-1 win at Villa Park in late October.
Villa have recovered from some rocky form to win three straight against Brighton, Southampton and Leeds to lift themselves to ninth in the table.
Phillipe Coutinho has been added to the Villa ranks since that day and the Brazilian was superb the last time he faced the Hammers, when the Brazilian scored twice and assisted once in a 4-0 Liverpool win in May 2017.
The visitors will have hopes of replicating West Ham’s success in achieving Europe and Steven Gerrard explained it’s a test of how far his team have come when facing up against the Hammers.
“From what I hear from the outside, his coaching staff all do a great job of supporting him and they’re all doing a great job for West Ham.
“They’re competing in Europe, which is a long-term goal for ourselves.
“We need to admire what they’re doing and respect what they’re doing, but it’s a fantastic opportunity for us to show where we’re at, take on the challenge and go toe-to-toe with a good team.”
Marvelous Nakamba is the only absentee for Villa ahead of the fixture, with rumours that Morgan Sanson could get a rare start in midfield if Gerrard decides to rotate after playing Leeds on Thursday.
The match presents an intriguing game if Villa come at their best and with both team’s having play midweek, there will be no excuses for fatigue.
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Spurs fans have adjusted to never settling in a game but after 55 minutes and five goals, Monday’s fixture against the Toffees finally presented an opportunity to relax.
Antonio Conte’s men cut open the Everton defence with relative ease to continue creating chances throughout the 90 minutes in north London.
With rivals Arsenal having won four consecutive Premier League fixtures, the match represents a crucial opportunity to remain in contention for the top four places.
The victory closes the gap back to three points with the Gunners, as well as having a game in hand in the chase for the Champions League.
After the performance against Frank Lampard’s side, confidence should be high heading into a massive clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
In Dejan Kulusevski, Conte appears to have discovered the perfect complement to Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son. The Swedish international has hit the ground running since his arrival from Juventus in January, providing two goals and three assists in six Premier League matches so far.
His ability to receive the ball under pressure sets him apart from Spurs’ other attackers in Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn, with the 21-year-old using his frame to shield the ball and keep possession to lead counter attacks.
The decision making and calmness of the youngster, who already has over 100 senior appearances to his name in Serie A, enabled him to impress the home faithful once again who are relishing the impression made by Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur since their arrival.
Lacking the presence of the Argentine midfielder, Spurs struggled to move the ball to the front three with Bentancur’s air of control in the tightest of areas a quality that Conte will appreciate.
Within that frontline, Kane netted twice on the night to leapfrog Thierry Henry in the Premier League scoring charts to lift his tally to 176.
The forward was outstanding once again for Tottenham and appears to be at his very best under the Italian as he continues to break goalscoring records at the north London club.
The England captain praised his manager after the game when speaking to the Evening Standard.
“I feel like I’m in a great place,” he said. “I’m 28 now, I feel like physically I’m in a really good place. I feel mentally, my game understanding and my awareness on the pitch is at a really high level from just gaining experience over the years.
“Antonio has definitely given me more strings to my bow. I’m always someone who tries to improve. When I’m 35, 36 I’ll still be trying to improve – that’s just my mindset. But for sure, I’m in a good place. It’s nice to be scoring goals, winning games, helping the team.”
By sealing Champions League football for next season, Tottenham could be securing their two most important assets in Conte and Kane.
With those two at the club, alongside claims that Director of Football Fabio Paratici will be handed a healthy summer transfer budget, Spurs fans can believe in a positive 2022/23 campaign.
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The gap to their north London rivals is now six points and with Frank Lampard’s Everton having relegation worries of their own, their opponents have it all to play for.
Tottenham’s record against the Toffees is impressive, losing only once in their last 18 Premier League meetings. Although that defeat did come in this fixture last season when a Dominic Calvert-Lewin header secured a 1-0 win on the opening day of the 2020/21 campaign.
Conte’s men can also take confidence in their results when playing on a Monday, winning nine of their last 12 Premier League fixtures on that day.
Everton ‘keeper Jordan Pickford is set to make his 200th Premier League appearance, becoming the fifth player to reach this milestone on their birthday.
The reverse fixture at Goodison Park signalled Antonio Conte’s first game in charge of Spurs and the two sides played out a dull 0-0 draw. After a 4-0 victory at Leeds and then FA Cup defeat against Middlesbrough, the Italian is still searching for a level of consistency from the Lilywhites.
Spurs’ manager addressed these concerns in his pre-match press conference ahead of the fixture.
“Tottenham’s story is this, many ups and downs, but to be competitive, to try to win something, to try to fight for something important and become a strong team, the first thing that has to happen is to be stable and avoid these ups and downs.
“To do this and to change this type of situation that is happening for many, many years in Tottenham, it’s not simple. In a short time it’s impossible to do this, not only for me but I think for any manager or coach to come in and change the story in one second.
“Especially when this club for 20 years has this type of situation. For sure, sometimes you have to be upset. I think it’s normal to be angry when we lost. One thing is to be angry when we lose and another thing is to speak about my reaction and emotion. They are two different situations.”
He remains without Oliver Skipp and Japhet Tanganga for the fixture, whilst Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Moura both return from injuries sustained against Burnley last month.
The away side are hopeful that Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Demarai Gray could return to bolster their attacking threat, with Ben Godfrey returning to first-team training this week but still unavailable.
Andre Gomes is available for selection after injury but Yerry Mina (quadriceps), Fabian Delph (thigh) and Tom Davies (hamstring) will definitely miss the game for the visitors.
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Cristian Romero’s sliding tackle on Tariq Lamptey during the first half brought Spurs fans to their feet and a roar erupted within the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Returning alongside Heung-Min Son, central defender Romero reminded everyone of the quality he brings to the Tottenham backline against Brighton.
The Argentine’s aggressive press of Neal Maupay coupled with an air of comfort in possession outlined his potential importance to Antonio Conte.
A player who won Serie A Defender of the Year last season playing centrally in a back three, Romero was deployed in the same position and regularly put Tottenham on the front foot in the early stages by stepping out, reading play and progressing the ball forward.
With Eric Dier missing the fixture as a precaution with a thigh injury, it remains to be seen who Conte’s preferred three-man defence will be.
Cristian Romero. That is all. pic.twitter.com/Qg1khaOdtT
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 6, 2022
Able to step into midfield to collect possession to support Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Romero injects an intensity into Spurs’ play with a composure that hears the words ‘Rolls Royce’ muttered amongst Tottenham fans.
Spurs’ attack matched a solid defensive performance against the Seagulls, with Harry Kane netting twice.
The England captain’s first goal came after 13 minutes when pressure on the Brighton defence turned the ball over, and when Kane collected it on the edge of the area, he delivered a trademark curling finish past Robert Sanchez.
Against a Brighton team who have given Tottenham tough games in recent years, Conte’s side pulled further ahead after 24 minutes in a dominant first-half display.
Romero would be involved in the second, intercepting the ball before finding Winks in the midfield. The Englishman then fed the ball through to Emerson Royal to drive the team forward.
With little help in the area, the Brazilian drove on and on before firing a speculative cross into the area. Fortunately for him, the effort deflected off Solly March, over Sanchez and into the net.
There would be further chances for Kane and Son to further condemn Graham Potter’s team but a 2-0 scoreline gave Tottenham confidence to secure a place in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.
A switch to a back four for Brighton would see them dominate the opening exchanges of the second period and find a way back into the match through the impressive Yves Bissouma.
Deciding to take matters into his own hands, the Mali international drove across the Tottenham 18-yard box before reversing a shot back across Lloris, who was wrong-footed by a deflection off a defender.
Any hopes of a comeback would fade quickly for the visitors as Spurs reaffirmed their two-goal cushion when Kane reacted quickest to a loose ball after a bursting run from Son into the area.
There would be time for debuts to be handed to Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski as the pair begin their adaption to life in English football.
Uruguayan international Bentancur impressed with his reading of the game and neat footwork, including a neat flick to get out of danger much to the delight of the Spurs faithful. Meanwhile, Kulusevski could have enjoyed an assist on debut if not for a Steven Bergwijn miss from close range.
A trip to Middlesbrough awaits in Round Five for Tottenham as Antonio Conte aims to maintain his record of reaching the FA Cup final.
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