Internationale nyheder
The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos
Overhead kicks, serenity and scarves in this week’s roundup of the best top-flight pictures
VAR chiefs apologise after Alli blunder
VAR chiefs apologise following Alli blunder
‘I thought VAR was supposed to help,’ fumes Quique Sánchez Flores
• Spurs’ Pochettino: ‘I think our goal was legal’
Quique Sánchez Flores branded VAR “weird” and questioned its objectivity after two controversial moments helped deny his Watford team their first league win of the season at Spurs.
Dele Alli’s late equaliser, which cancelled out an early strike from Abdoulaye Doucouré, was eventually given even though the stadium screens said it had been ruled out, while at the end of the first half VAR failed to intervene in what looked like a clear penalty for the visitors after Gerard Deulofeu was stopped by Jan Vertonghen.
Related: VAR chaos distracts from Pochettino’s relief as Spurs’ Alli pegs back Watford
Continue reading...Poch: We need to be ready in January
'Shambolic!' How VAR chaos unfolded
VAR chaos distracts from Pochettino’s relief as Spurs’ Alli pegs back Watford
Was this a point to be savoured, or another match best quickly forgotten? Spurs fans will probably spend the weekend mulling it over after a late poke from Dele Alli – one that required, and was eventually granted, the approval of VAR – hauled Mauricio Pochettino’s misfiring team back, just, from a deficit they had laboured under since the opening minutes.
For Watford this was one of those so-near-yet-so-far days, but the commitment from his players gave heart to Quique Sánchez Flores. The league’s bottom side were far from the rabble of early season here and, had they been more decisive in one of several counterattacking opportunities, they might yet have secured their first win of the season.
Related: Tielemans gives Leicester win but Burnley denied equaliser by VAR
Related: Raúl Jiménez penalty gives weary Wolves a point against Southampton
Continue reading...VAR confusion as Alli rescues Spurs
Transfer Centre LIVE!
Captain Kane 'needs to act natural'
‘Natural leader’ Harry Kane won’t be fazed by Spurs role, says Pochettino
• England captain will wear armband in absence of Hugo Lloris
• ‘He does not need to feel too much pressure, just to act natural’
Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane is a natural leader and will not be weighed down by the responsibility of taking on the Tottenham captaincy.
Kane, who has worn the armband at England level since May of last year, will captain his club in the absence of Hugo Lloris, who dislocated an elbow at Brighton two weeks ago. Lloris is not expected to return to training before the end of the year.
Related: N’Golo Kanté: so much more than just the Premier League’s best midfielder | Barney Ronay
Continue reading...Tottenham v Watford: match preview
Tottenham could not have handpicked the next fixture after the shock 3-0 defeat at Brighton any better than to have a visit from Watford. Having also been announced as the latest subject of an Amazon fly-on-the-wall documentary for next summer, the US broadcaster will be fully expectant of filming a more joyful episode than it has managed of late, with Spurs winning three in their last 11 games in all competitions. Quique Sánchez Flores has said he is calm despite the current predicament, Watford have four league goals to their name and a goal difference of minus 16. “We are probably at 30 or 35%. We need to improve in many things if we want to be more competitive,” he said. “We are working really hard during the week.” Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon are back in full training for Spurs, who will be without Hugo Loris until the new year. Mark Tallentire
Saturday 3pm
Continue reading...Charlie's Premier League predictions
Euro Papers: Eriksen 'not good enough' for Bayern
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
A crunch clash at Old Trafford, Palace tackle vulnerable champions and could West Ham do for Marco Silva?
The last time Liverpool visited Old Trafford, they met a United side struggling with injuries – even before three players were forced off during the first half. But, though Liverpool were three points clear at the top, they played as though the goalless draw they eventually achieved was an acceptable result. In the event, Manchester City pipped them to the title by a point, and though that required a phenomenal run of 14 straight wins, had Liverpool embraced the pressure and played with their usual intensity in that game they would now be champions of England, not into their 30th season without a league title. On Sunday, Liverpool will arrive able to wear and excuse any slip-up: they are eight points clear at the top, while United, who are not quite as abhorrently awful as they’ve looked recently, will have some key players back from injury and should be up for the fight. Even so, Liverpool would be foolish to entertain those thoughts. They have one foot on City’s throat and the other aimed at United’s solar plexus; allowing them to escape instead of kicking them when they’re down would be a significant oversight with potentially significant repercussions. Playing safe is not always the safe option. DH
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Related: Liverpool fans fuming over Amazon's 8pm Boxing Day fixture change
Related: Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers defends James Maddison over casino visit
Continue reading...Poch denies team unrest after dinner invite
Pochettino says Spurs players still want him and rules out January signings
• Manager invited out to dinner by his squad
• ‘The most important is to stay together’
Mauricio Pochettino has said he retains the love and support of his Tottenham players – and he has the dinner date to prove it. The manager cut an embattled figure before the international break when his team followed the 7-2 humiliation at home to Bayern Munich with a 3-0 defeat at Brighton.
Pochettino’s ability to motivate the dressing room in year six of his tenure has been questioned, with some worrying he has reached the end of the cycle. Spurs have won only three games this season and they looked broken during that harrowing afternoon at Brighton. They can ill afford anything other than victory in Saturday’s home fixture with Watford.
Related: Brighton pile pressure on Pochettino as Tottenham lose Lloris to horror injury
Continue reading...Tottenham vs Watford preview
Updated Premier League fixtures
Huge festive fixtures on Sky Sports
