Tottenham Hotspur

The Premier League announced Sunday's north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed following a request from the Gunners.

Arsenal asked for the postponement because of issues related to COVID-19, injuries and players participating in the Africa Cup of Nations, which left the club without the minimum number of first-team players required to play Sunday's fixture.

"The League apologizes for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters who would have attended or watched the game—we are fully aware that postponements disappoint clubs and fans," the Premier League said Saturday.

Spurs later released a separate statement saying they were "extremely surprised" the Gunners' application was approved by the Premier League Board:

We ourselves were disqualified from the European Conference League after a significant number of COVID cases meant we needed to reschedule a fixture and our application to move our Leicester fixture was not approved—only for it to be subsequently postponed when Leicester applied.

The original intention of the guidance ... was to deal with player availability directly affected by COVID cases, resulting in depleted squads that when taken together with injuries would result in the club being unable to field a team.

We do not believe it was the intent to deal with player availability unrelated to COVID. We may now be seeing the unintended consequences of this rule. It is important to have clarity and consistency on the application of the rule.

Yet again fans have seen their plans disrupted at unacceptably short notice. We shall once again send food deliveries to the local food banks to avoid unacceptable waste. We are sincerely sorry for our fans—some of whom will have traveled great distances.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta raised the prospect of a postponement Thursday after the club emerged from a Carabao Cup semifinal first-leg draw against Liverpool with just 12 healthy players.

"But we try to prepare the game thinking we will play," Arteta told reporters. "We came here and we were missing nine or 10 players. We don't know what to expect the next day so we cannot be looking at that."

The Gunners' group of absences include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Elneny, Thomas Partey and Nicolas Pepe, who are in Cameroon for the Africa Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, Granit Xhaka is suspended after picking up a red card in the midweek match with Liverpool, Martin Odegaard had a positive COVID-19 test ahead of Thursday's kickoff, and Calum Chambers, Bukayo Saka and Cedric Soares face uncertain statuses because of injuries, per ESPN.

Arsenal now has an additional four days to hope at least some players are cleared to return ahead of the Carabao Cup semifinal second leg with the Reds on Thursday.

The Premier League didn't announce a make-up date for the north London derby.

"The League aims to provide as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to be made at short notice, as safety is our priority," it said. "Where possible, the League will endeavor to keep supporters updated if games become at risk."

Next up for Spurs is a Premier League clash with Leicester City on Wednesday.

Arsenal (35 points) is fifth in the table and Tottenham is sixth (33), with both on the hunt for a return to the Champions League next season. The top four Premier League clubs earn a spot in the UCL, with West Ham United (37) surprisingly holding the final berth at this stage of the term.

Tottenham Hotspur announced Tuesday it has signed Antonio Conte to a two-year contract to take over as its new manager after Nuno Espirito Santo was fired Monday after just 17 games in charge.

Conte released a statement after accepting the Spurs job:

I am extremely happy to return to coaching, and to do so at a Premier League club that has the ambition to be a protagonist again. Tottenham Hotspur has state-of-the-art facilities and one of the best stadiums in the world. I can't wait to start working to convey to the team and the fans the passion, mentality and determination that have always distinguished me, as a player and as a coach.

Last summer our union did not happen because the end of my relationship with Inter was still too recent and emotionally too involved with the end of the season, so I felt that it wasn't yet the right time to return to coaching. But the contagious enthusiasm and determination of [chairman] Daniel Levy in wanting to entrust me with this task had already hit the mark. Now that the opportunity has returned, I have chosen to take it with great conviction.

Conte is no stranger to the pressure associated with high-level European football.

The 52-year-old Italian spent 14 years as a midfielder with Juventus during his playing career, and he's served as manager of the likes of Juve, Chelsea and Inter Milan along with a stint leading Italy's national team across 16 years as a coach.

That experience should come to his aid as he attempts to help Spurs find consistency after an up-and-down start to the 2021-22 term. They own a 5-5-0 record with a minus-seven goal differential in Premier League play.

The club opted to let Nuno go following back-to-back losses to West Ham United and Manchester United, which dropped the side to ninth in the Premier League table.

Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici worked alongside Conte at Juve and is hopeful his arrival can provide a spark.

"We are delighted to welcome Antonio to the club. His track record speaks for itself, with vast experience and trophies in both Italy and England," Paratici said. "I know first-hand the qualities Antonio can bring to us, having worked with him at Juventus, and look forward to seeing his work with our talented group of players."

As a manager, Conte has captured four Serie A titles, three with Juventus and one with Inter, and one Premier League championship with Chelsea.

His first match in charge will come Thursday when Spurs host Vitesse in the Europa Conference League. They suffered a 1-0 loss to the Dutch side last month and currently sit third in the Group G table, so they likely need all three points to have a chance to advance.

Tottenham will then visit Goodison Park on Sunday to take on Everton in Premier League action before heading into a two-week international break.

Tottenham Hotspur announced the firing of manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Monday, just four months after his appointment.

According to Sky Sports, Antonio Conte has been offered an 18-month contract to be the next manager.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported the club is "at final stages" of discussions with Conte, who is "ready to accept" the proposal.

Conte spent the past two seasons at Inter Milan, helping the team win the Serie A title in 2020-21 before leaving at the end of the campaign.

The 52-year-old also led Chelsea to a Premier League title in 2016-17 and spent time managing Juventus, whom he guided to three Serie A titles, and Italy.

According to James Olley of ESPN FC, Conte was in talks for the Tottenham job in the summer but negotiations fell apart, partially because he wasn't given "wide-ranging control of first-team affairs."

Several other big names were linked before Nuno was handed the role.

The Portuguese lasted just 17 matches with Spurs, including 10 Premier League fixtures that resulted in five wins and five losses. The club sits eighth in the table with 15 points.

A 3-0 loss to Manchester United on Saturday was especially embarrassing, as Spurs failed to register a shot on target. Scoring was an issue during Nuno's tenure, with Tottenham totaling just nine goals in 10 league matches despite boasting elite attacking talent such as Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.

Tottenham were also failing to reach expectations in the UEFA Europa Conference League, sitting third in Group G behind Stade Rennais and Vitesse through three matchdays.

"I know how much Nuno and his coaching staff wanted to succeed. and I regret that we have had to take this decision," managing director Fabio Paratici said in Spurs' statement. "Nuno is a true gentleman and will always be welcome here. We should like to thank him and his coaching staff and wish them well for the future."

According to Olley, multiple senior players had "lost faith" in Nuno.

Spurs are scheduled to face Vitesse on Thursday before their Premier League clash with Everton on Sunday.  

The six English clubs that attempted to join the failed European Super League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have reportedly agreed to pay more than $31 million in combined fines to the Premier League for their actions.

Matt Slater of The Athletic reported Wednesday the agreement also includes a $35 million fine and a 30-point deduction in the table for any future effort to join a conglomerate similar to the ESL. The money collected will be used for grassroots football.

It's the latest punishment for the clubs that swiftly abandoned the Super League idea after it was met with resistance from UEFA and fans. The ESL was suspended April 20, just two days after it was announced, because of the mass exodus of teams.

In April, Der Spiegel (via Max Winters of MailOnline) reported ESL contracts included a $184 million "break-up fee" for backing out of the project.

UEFA then announced in May that nine of the 12 clubs that pulled out had agreed to "reintegration measures" that included a combined $18.3 million donation to grassroots football, a five percent hold on revenue from their next UEFA competition and major penalties for any future breakaway effort.

The governing body of European football also said the cases of the three remaining holdouts—Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid—would be sent to its disciplinary bodies for review and possible sanctions.

In addition, Premier League owners will now be required to agree to a new rule "committing them to the core principles" with the top division of English football or face "significant" penalties, per Slater.

The Super League was a failure of colossal proportions, and the six Premier League clubs involved continue to face the ramifications for the effort to create a lucrative Champions League alternative.

A full announcement from the Premier League about the newest punishment is expected later Wednesday.

Liverpool and Chelsea secured the last two Premier League berths in next season's UEFA Champions League during Sunday's final matches of the 2020-21 EPL campaign.

Manchester City, the previously crowned Premier League champions, and Manchester United had already clinched their UCL tickets in earlier weeks.

Leicester City and West Ham United, who finished fifth and sixth in the table, respectively, will head to the Europa League group stage for the 2021-22 season, while Tottenham Hotspur earned seventh place and will take part in the Europa Conference League playoff round.

The day started with a three-team race for the final two Champions League berths. Chelsea held a one-point advantage over Liverpool and Leicester.

While the Blues' 2-1 loss to Aston Villa left the door open for both chase clubs to leapfrog them in the standings, only the Reds took advantage. Liverpool scored a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, but the Foxes allowed three goals in the final 20 minutes in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Spurs.

The victory by Ryan Mason's side was crucial in their own pursuit of European football next season as Arsenal scored a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, which would have pushed the Gunners into seventh place if Spurs didn't make their comeback against Leicester.

Let's check out the full list of results from Sunday's action:

And breathe 😅 pic.twitter.com/AJXvCksnhA

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 23, 2021

And here's a look at the final Premier League table:

The 2020/21 #PL season: ✅ pic.twitter.com/n34hMYHwHi

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 23, 2021

Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United were the relegated clubs.

Spurs' Harry Kane finished the season with both the most goals (23) and assists (14) in the league. It's just the third player in history to lead the Premier League in both categories, joining Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (1998-99) and Andy Cole (1993-94), per ESPN Stats & Info.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson paced the EPL with 19 clean sheets.

The 2021-22 Premier League season is scheduled to get underway Aug. 14. The fixtures will be released June 16.

Even if Harry Kane leaves Tottenham this summer, the striker will remain focused on his current club to finish the 2020-21 season.

"He feels fine, looking forward to tomorrow," manager Ryan Mason said Tuesday, per James Olley of ESPN FC. "He is going to be 100 percent committed. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in our beautiful stadium, in front of our fans. So, we are excited about tomorrow."

Spurs play Aston Villa at home Wednesday before ending the year with an away match against Leicester City. The team sits sixth in the Premier League table and is hoping to secure a spot in the Europa League.

Kane has reportedly told Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that he wants to leave during the upcoming transfer window but would prefer to remain in the Premier League, according to Olley.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are all reportedly interested in the 27-year-old, but Tottenham is asking for £150 million in return.

Kane is finishing his ninth season with Tottenham and has been one of the top players in England during this stretch, with 165 goals in Premier League play. The forward has 22 goals this season with two matches remaining, tied with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah for the most in the league.

His 13 assists are also easily the most of his career.

Despite the offensive production from Kane, Tottenham has struggled this season and is likely to finish outside the top four for the second straight season. Manager Jose Mourinho was fired in April, and the club will end another season without a trophy.

It could force Kane to find a new team even with three years remaining on his contract.

Tottenham still expect the elite player to be on the pitch for the final two games as he ends the 2020-21 season.

"I think he starts tomorrow because he is our best striker, one of the best strikers in the world," Mason said. "I said all along—and I've been pretty consistent in my managers, whether that's about my future, managers for next season—the facts are I am here for the next two games, and that is my main focus."

The club is expected to have about 10,000 fans in attendance for Wednesday's match.

Harry Kane's time at Tottenham Hotspur could be drawing to an end.

ESPN FC's James Olley reported Monday that the star forward had told club chairman Daniel Levy he wants to leave this summer. Kane is looking to remain in the Premier League, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all reaching out to his representatives about a possible move.

This is a day Spurs supporters probably feared would come. Tottenham sits sixth in the league table, five points behind fourth-place Chelsea with two matches to go. The club in all likelihood will miss out on qualifying for the Champions League.

Even if they were to climb into the top four, Spurs are well off the level required to win the Premier League.

Kane has been a senior member of the squad since 2009—with some loan spells temporarily taking him away from north London. As much as he has remained loyal, sooner or later, the 27-year-old might want to challenge for trophies.

Frankly you'd be worried about Harry Kane if he didn't want to leave at this stage/age.
Spurs fans won't like it but they'd understand the reasons.

— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) May 17, 2021

The Athletic's Oliver Kay and Jack Pitt-Brooke reported in April that Kane "is running out of patience at Tottenham Hotspur and will push for a transfer this summer if they fail to secure Champions League qualification." However, they added that finalizing a transfer will be easier said than done.

Kane has 22 goals and 13 assists through 33 appearances in the Premier League. Not only has he remained a lethal finisher, but his record of 0.40 assists per 90 minutes represents more than double his career average (0.12), per FBref.

In a vacuum, any major club across Europe would probably love to sign the England captain.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt, though. Olley floated a £150 million transfer fee as the price it might take to prise Kane from Tottenham Hotspur. That's a sizable figure during a normal summer window but especially so given the present financial climate.

Chelsea was aggressive last summer, with a net spend of £152.4 million thanks to the arrivals of Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz and Edouard Mendy. Olley also wrote the Blues "would not be put off by the price tag."

While Kane would be an upgrade over Werner, signing one of the world's best strikers would only add to Chelsea's logjam up front.

United, meanwhile, just extended Edinson Cavani's contract for another season. Landing Kane might be tricky if the Red Devils want to reignite their failed pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho too.

Manchester City arguably makes the most sense because the club's ownership has an almost limitless source of money. Sergio Aguero's impending departure creates the need for a new No. 9 too. Gabriel Jesus is still only 24 but hasn't shown the kind of consistency needed to prove he can be the long-term replacement for Aguero.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane will reportedly seek a move during the summer transfer window if Spurs don't qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.

Oliver Kay and Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic reported Saturday that Kane is "frustrated by a lack of trophies" with the Premier League side and will ask club officials to allow him to find a "new challenge" should they fail to finish in the top four, with Manchester City and Manchester United the leading candidates to land him.

Kane's "preference" is to remain in the Premier League, but he would consider a transfer abroad, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among the other high-profile clubs with interest if they're unable to acquire Borussia Dortmund rising star Erling Haaland, per Kay and Pitt-Brooke.

The England captain was noncommittal about his club future while with the Three Lions in late March.

"I think that's a hard question to answer right now," Kane told reporters when asked whether he'd have to leave Spurs in order to win more trophies.

"Look, I try to stay out of that speculation as much as possible," he added. "I'm fully focused on doing the job on the pitch from now until the end of the summer, and then we'll see where we go from there."

A separate report from Wayne Veysey of Football Insider suggested the 27-year-old has privately told people that "Spurs are going nowhere" and noted he's "100 percent thinking of moving on" but won't publicly request a transfer in order to maintain the fans' support.

Tottenham head into Sunday's match against Manchester United with 49 points, three points behind West Ham for the EPL's fourth and final Champions League berth. It's a crowded race, with Chelsea (51 points), Liverpool (49) and Everton (47) among the other clubs in contention.

Spurs will have an opportunity to claim at least one trophy this season when they take on Manchester City in the 2021 Carabao Cup final on April 25 at Wembley Stadium.

The club has stood firm in its stance that Kane is "unambiguously not for sale," and chairman Daniel Levy, who retains a "very good relationship" with the standout striker, will make the final decision on any potential transfer, according to The Athletic.

Kane has recorded 19 goals and 13 assists across 28 Premier League appearances this season.

Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn is in the midst of his second season at Tottenham Hotspur, who enter Saturday second in the English Premier League table and just three points behind leaders Liverpool.

In a B/R AMA on Friday, Bergwijn discussed what it is like to play for manager Jose Mourinho and alongside superstars such as Harry Kane and Gareth Bale, plus much more.

      

@samfire: How did it feel to score that wonderful goal against Manchester City?

A dream for me, make your debut and you score in it. It's a dream.

    

@JohnTheBomb: Who is the funniest teammate in the locker room?

Lots of funny guys but I think Serg [Aurier].

     

@SharkAttack23: What was your favorite team growing up?

I watched a lot of Barcelona.

     

@Twill03_09 Who is the best player you've played with so far, for the national team and at club level?

Harry Kane and Son I think.

     

@proboscismonkey9: Which Premier League goal that you have scored is your favorite?

Against City.

     

@Samabitanta: What was the main reason you joined Spurs?

Big club you know, big players and an amazing league with a great fanbase.

      

@KingMendyll: What do you like to do outside of playing football?

Nothing, just relax and hang with my friends and family. I play a lot of FIFA, though not as myself, and NBA.

 

@RIOxHD: What's it like to play for Mourinho who demands a lot out of his players?

It's nice, it's a big coach who won a lot of trophies. As a kid I watched him win the Champions League. Everybody wants to go for him.

    

@samabitanta: What would you rather win the Champions League or the Premier League?

This one is difficult, I don't know man. I'll say both.

 

@SanDiegoSports: Who was your favorite player to watch growing up and why?

Ronaldinho.

 

@thegreennbean: What's your favorite pizza topping and/or food?

Pepperoni.

 

@msuspartans19: What is the meaning behind your celebration?

We played FIFA one time and one friend told me 'You should do this when you score!' And since then I just do that haha.

    

@arlogrey8: How has playing without fans influenced you as a teammate?

It's difficult, you want to play for them and the atmosphere. Our fans are looking on still and safety first of course.

      

@sportsfan1214: Who is your best friend on the team?

I'm good with everybody but especially the French guys.

      

@DSEVEN: Do you believe Tottenham can win the Premier League?

Absolutely, it's a good start but it's only the beginning we've got a lot of games to go.

      

@gavghav: What transitions did you have to make moving from The Netherlands to England?

The facilities of course and the intensity of play. Everyone is physical here in England.

     

@gbedell827: Would you say your passing or your dribbling is better?

Dribbling.

     

@5FilsonSoccerFCB: If there's one thing you could tell youngsters playing the game what would it be?

I think the most important thing is to enjoy playing.

      

@SammyGogliuzza: How did it feel when Bale joined the club?

For me it was amazing because I also watched Bale win the Champions League and he is a world player.

       

@OrkolsRoy: What was a specific moment in your life when you told yourself 'I'm going to be great'?

I always said that. In school I wasn't the best guy, but I always thought I'd be a professional footballer.

      

@A_Butch: What is your favorite movie?

Paid in Full.

      

@grapejelli: Who's got the best wardrobe on the squad?

Yeah it's me.

      

@Donk25: What is your favorite sport besides soccer?

NBA I really like.

      

@Khalinatieh: How much do we the public not know about what happens beyond the media's reach?

I think 90 percent stays in-house, maybe more.

      

@LosDoyers123: Being from the Netherlands, from 1 to 10 how much do you like those fries with mayonnaise?

10!

      

@barnzinojones4: Who scores the most in training? Son, Kane or Bale?

Kane.

     

@AmericanCR7: What type of music do you listen to?

Rap, R&B. Pop Smoke is one of my favorites.