Football is finally coming home for Tottenham fans. After almost two full seasons at Wembley Stadium, the Lilywhites will be returning to N17. The first game at the new stadium has been confirmed by the club for April 3rd against Crystal Palace, and Tottenham fans are already fearing the worst for the clash.

Whilst Tottenham fans may be quietly panicking that they’re set to be embarrassed in front of the watching world when their stadium is finally opened for business, the news that they’re set to leave Wembley is fantastic. With every home game at the national stadium the unrest around their homelessness grew, and as they return the fans cannot wait to get their identity back.

In the Lilywhites’ final season at the old White Hart Lane, they went throughout the entire Premier League campaign unbeaten at home. That is the kind of record that they want to be able to boast at the new place too, and with a tough run-in between now and the end of the season there really is no reason why moving back home can’t be the momentum boost they needed in the race for the top four. However, the fans lack of confidence could be taken as a worrying sign from the tweets below.

You can see what the Lilywhites’ have been saying after the news broke here:

Despite the positive news that the fans have been waiting ages for, the Lilywhites have still managed to put a negative spin on things and don’t look confident of grabbing a win in their grand opening.

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Tottenham fans are missing Mousa Dembele after the Lilywhites suffered yet another setback that could well be the nail in the coffin of their title challenge.

Tottenham lost their eighth league match of the season on Wednesday night, falling to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge to a revitalised Chelsea side, and they are now eight points behind Manchester City.

While the Blues deserve a lot of credit for bouncing back from their cup final defeat, Mauricio Pochettino will not be happy with his side, as they were poor in all three phases.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

Harry Kane and Son Heung-min looked out of sorts up front, while Toby Alderweireld, Kieran Trippier and Hugo Lloris all had difficult evenings at the back.

The midfield might just be the biggest problem of all the three though, where Pochettino has just two players to pick from on a regular basis in Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko.

Neither of them covered themselves in glory on Wednesday night, and fans are bashing the decision to sell Dembele.

The Belgian international departed in January for a fee of around £11m, as the 31 year-old was set to be out of contract this summer.

Despite his contract situation, £11m is pocket change for a player who always delivered in the biggest matches, and the Twitter reactions down below are regretting the club’s decision to move him on…

Sunderland fans will be delighted with their side’s recent form as they’ve consistently produced positive results. But, one slight disappointment will be the fact that they couldn’t secure all three points against Barnsley, as that would have been huge for their promotion push. 

The Black Cats won’t accept anything less than automatic promotion to the Championship in the current campaign having come so far under Jack Ross. Indeed they could soon find themselves in second position as they can move above the Tykes if things stay the same by securing all three points in their game in hand.

Of course, with promotion in the Black Cats’ sights it would make sense for Ross to start looking at bringing in reinforcements. Although, it appears as if the Wearside club currently have their eye on building for the future, as according to TEAMtalk, Sunderland have been looking at former Hartlepool youngster Luca Murphy.

The 19-year-old is a very mature central defender who is arguably one of the hottest prospects in English football. And, His recent decision to leave Hartlepool United has heightened the hype around him, as a number of teams including the likes of Manchester United, Spurs, Leeds United and Wolves have taken an interest.

Indeed, the Black Cats have produced a number of special talents over the years with Josh Maja being one of the latest players to make the step up to the first-team after joining from Manchester City back in 2015.

The Wearside club can surprise everyone by landing the impressive youngster as Man United and Spurs would be the obvious possible destinations for Murphy, as he’d receive a lot of exposure and would be at a Premier League club. So, Jack Ross really could pull off a masterstroke by luring him to the Stadium of Light as he would have pipped a number of big clubs and he has all the ingredients to become a future star.

Sunderland fans, how big of a signing would Murphy be in terms of the future? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

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Sky Sports pundit Danny Higginbotham has criticised Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore’s end product on Sky Sports News (10am on March 7), as per This is Futbol.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Higginbotham was speaking on Sky Sports News prior to the west Midlands outfit’s Premier League trip to Chelsea on Sunday, and he was asked about the 23-year-old attacker.

The summer signing from Middlesbrough has found regular first-team starts hard to come by for Wolves so far this term, but he impressed in a wing-back and then a wing role when handed a spot in the XI by Nuno Santo for the 2-0 win against Cardiff City last weekend.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, via This is Futbol, the 40-year-old said: “It’s his end product, that’s the biggest thing with Traore. I’ve not seen a player quicker than him – he’s so direct, so strong – but a lot of the time it is his end ball.

“That final decision-making, whether he be going for goal, whether it be a pass.”

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

Is he right?

He certainly is.

In terms of sheer pace and trickery the former Barcelona starlet has the world at his feet, and if he can start to add more goals and assists to his game – as he did at times for Boro in the Championship – then there is no doubt that he can go on to bigger and better things.

He has the speed to frighten opposition defenders and get the better of them, and now he needs to show that on a more consistent basis under Nuno Santo.

Following his most recent display and with the club having little to play for in the Premier League, he may be given that opportunity in the coming weeks.

رفض أحد لاعبي تشيلسي الرحيل إلى نادي وست هام، في اللحظات الأخيرة من موسم الانتقالات الصيفي.

وانتهى الميركاتو الصيفي في مختلف دول العالم، بحلول الساعة الثانية عشر بعد منتصف ليل الاثنين.

وذكرت شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية أن اللاعب فيكايو توموري رفض الرحيل عن تشيلسي إلى صفوف وست هام على سبيل الإعارة هذا الصيف.

وأوضحت أن توموري قرر أنه لا يريد الذهاب إلى وست هام في الساعة 22:50 مساء أمس.

وأشارت إلى إنه كان قد تم الاتفاق على كل شيء بين الأندية والوكلاء بما في ذلك رسوم الإعارة “الضخمة”، لكن المدافع قرر تغيير رأيه في النهاية.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been on social media discussing a potential move for Benfica defender Alex Grimaldo in this summer’s transfer window.

According to A Bola, via Hotspur Lane Twitter account, Spurs have scouted the left-back on a number of occasions this season with the view to a potential bid.

Grimaldo came through the youth system at Barcelona, but did not make a single first-team appearance for the Spanish giants before joining Benfica in 2015.

The 23-year-old has scored an impressive seven goals and contributed six assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for his Portuguese club this season.

It would not be a surprise to see Spurs move for a new left-back this summer as neither Ben Davies nor Danny Rose have really convinced for long spells this term.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

And it seems that the London club’s fans are in favour of chairman Daniel Levy pursuing Grimaldo’s signature.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

The notoriety of Portsmouth’s transfer news has lessened somewhat after the carnage of the last decade, and fans would be disappointed to hear that one of their modest recent targets is now excelling in the Premier League.

Before their desperately sad fall from the Premier League into the fourth tier of English football, Pompey fans had seen it all; players who had won Premier League titles; individuals who would go on to win major European competitions; proper, quality footballers who just couldn’t make it work on the south coast.

Now, fighting their way back up the football leagues, we take a look at one player who could have really made a difference…

Sean Longstaff – 2018

Sean Longstaff was a relatively unknown name before his rapid ascent to stardom in Newcastle and was a major target for Portsmouth at the start of the current season, according to the Shields Gazette.

In fact, the deal was almost done until Benitez cancelled (via the Chronicle) on the day he was due to arrive. Probably the right choice from Newcastle’s perspective, but a real nightmare for Pompey.

The young midfielder, who now turns out for Rafael Benitez’s side on a regular basis, scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday night in their victory over Burnley, continuing his run of good form.

Indeed, Longstaff is a truly tenacious player that’s made the most of a golden opportunity to prove himself, battling his way through the system and ultimately earning a place in the public eye.

And that’s exactly what Portsmouth could have done with this season: a quality player desperate to prove himself.

Yes – 4th place certainly isn’t the worst. But they had a great chance to earn an automatic spot into the Championship this season and they’ve all but squandered it to Barnsley and Luton, and potentially the ever-present Sunderland.

The move may have only been on a loan basis but with Portsmouth now struggling could have made a huge impact. Now described as ‘better’ than Declan Rice by BT Sport pundit Martin Keown (via the Daily Star), he could have helped Kenny Jackett’s side keep the pace in League One.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers are the joint-fifth best performing promoted club in Premier League history after 29 top-flight fixtures, according to Opta, but the staggering stat doesn’t come without its negatives.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the west Midlands outfit currently lie in seventh position in the Premier League standings having accumulated 43 points from their 29 fixtures to date, and only five clubs have bettered that record since 1993 – Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.

It of course shows just how well Wolves have done this term that they are already safe from relegation – not mathematically but only team has ever been relegated with a total higher than the one they have now, and that was Crystal Palace with 49 in 1993.

More worrying is the teams that have matched or had a better record than Wolves, and where they find themselves now.

Wolves must buck the trend

Of the sides above Wanderers in the Opta stats table, only Newcastle United are still a Premier League outfit and even they have been up and down to the Championship a couple of times over the last decade. That should serve as a warning to the west Midlands team.

Perhaps the likes of Ipswich Town, Reading and Birmingham City – all of whom are currently plying their trade in the Championship – got too complacent after successful first seasons in the top flight, and took their foot off of the gas in many different aspects of their respective clubs as a result.

Wolves will know they can’t afford to do the same if they want to establish themselves at this level for years to come, and luckily they appear to have the ambitious owner and the links in the transfer market to ensure they don’t become a relegation-battling outfit – for the time being at least.

The fine margins are very small though when you see that a club like Southampton achieved four successive top-eight finishes and have since been involved in two consecutive relegation battles, and the Molineux outfit need to buck the trend and continue to rise from the current position they find themselves in.

Tottenham Hotspur fans will be jubilant with how things are going within the Champions League after they booked their place in the quarter-finals of the competition, although there will be question marks over their ability to win silverware as a whole.

Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup in the fourth round, they were just penalty kicks away from a League Cup final and have seen their title race for the Premier League fall flat after a couple of disappointing results.

Mauricio Pochettino has been adamant things will change for this side in the future and it appears he is looking ahead with one of his potential transfer targets this summer.

What’s the news?

According to a report by Calciomercato, Lazio’s Thomas Strakosha has been identified by Tottenham as a possible long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris.

The 23-year-old Albania international has been a standout for the Serie A side this season and appears to be emerging as one of Europe’s most promising goalkeepers.

The Verdict:

There is no doubt Lloris has been a huge servant for Tottenham during his time in north London, however, the France international shot-stopper has drawn criticism for his performances recently and has not helped his side’s chances of obtaining silverware.

If his displays were disregarded, it must also be remembered that the World Cup winner is 32-years-old now, so it makes perfect sense for Spurs to look at their options and consider someone for the long-term future of the club.

Strakosha could be an excellent replacement as he has shown that he is capable of playing at a top-level, as he has helped Lazio to an impressive Champions League campaign, as well as having conceded just 27 goals in his 26 Serie A appearances.

However, the Italian outfit are unlikely to be willing to let him go unless they receive a large fee for the 23-year-old, but they could also be prepared to offer him a new deal to stay in Rome.

Tottenham fans, do you believe Strakosha is the ideal long-term replacement for Lloris? Join in with the discussion by letting us know your thoughts below.

زار وفد من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” استاد الأهلي we السلام اليوم الأربعاء، لتفقد الملعب ومعاينته للتأكد من موافاته للشروط الخاصة للاتحاد لاستقبال المباريات القارية للنادي الأهلي.

الأهلي على موعد مرتقب أمام الوداد في نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، حيث تقام مواجهة الذهاب بالمغرب 17 أكتوبر، على أن تكون مباراة الإياب بالقاهرة 23 أكتوبر.

وضم وفد الاتحاد الإفريقي، أحمد سالم مدير المسابقات بـ كاف، وشريف أبوالعينين مدير اللجنة الطبية، والدكتور محمد أبو العلا، مرافقا للجنة التفقدية.

وكان في استقبال الوفد خلال زيارته شريف شديد مدير شركة استادات القابضة باستاد الأهلي we السلام، واللواء ممدوح راغب مدير الاستاد، وحنان الزيني مدير العلاقات الخارجية والتراخيص بالنادي الأهلي، والعميد علاء صلاح مدير أمن الأهلي.

وأبدى الوفد الإفريقي إعجابه بملعب (الأهلي we السلام) وجاهزيته لاستقبال مباريات الأهلي الإفريقية في النسخة الجديدة من دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

طالع | الأهلي يشكل لجنة لتنسيق احتفالية كبرى بلقب نادي القرن.. ويكشف تفاصيل الاستاد الجديد

وأكد الوفد على أن ملعب (الأهلي we السلام) يتوافق مع كل شروط الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم لاستقبال المباريات وفق المعايير التي وضعها “كاف” لاستقبال المباريات الإفريقية.