News

07 March 2026

SINKING SPURS: Tudor hopeful despite Tottenham being on brink of relegation - The Nation Newspaper

Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke said the team no longer have any excuses after their Premier League survival hopes took another blow with a 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace on Thursday. Spurs -- one of the richest teams in Europe and a founding member of the Premier League -- are just one point above the relegation zone and without a domestic win in 2026. "We've just had a big conversation. We know the position we are in is definitely not where we want to be so we need to figure out how we are going to get out of it as soon as possible," Solanke told TNT Sports. "We know there's been difficulties but we're not in a position to make any excuses anymore. We need to do the job on the pitch. It is easy to say we want to be better but we want to be better on the pitch. "We need to fight and realise the position we are in. We know the club is not used to being in this position so we need to understand it and understand it's not going to be easy and we need to fight every single game, every single minute, to make sure we improve." Spurs' latest defeat was the fifth in a row and the third under new coach Igor Tudor, who was tasked with the responsibility of turning the season around. He watched as his team capitulated in front of a home crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium -- conceding three goals in the first half, having taken the lead and then gone down to 10 men when Micky van de Ven was sent off. Palace took full advantage by scoring three times in seven minutes before the break. That was after Solanke had given Spurs the lead in the 34th minute. Van de Ven was red-carded four minutes later for bringing down Sarr in the box and Palace took control. Plenty of Spurs fans headed for the exit doors at half-time and while Tudor's depleted group showed some spirit in the second half, this latest defeat extended the club's winless run to 11 matches, which is a new club record in the Premier League. "I am very disappointed, like the fans," Tudor said. "We know what the moment is and we need to keep working and believe. "But after this game I believe more than before because I saw something in the team and in the dressing room after the game. When we will be complete it will be good, I believe." The deepening crisis at Tottenham comes after winning the Europa League last season and advancing to the knockout stage of the Champions League this term, where they face Atlético Madrid in the round of 16 next week. But their desperate league form has carried on from last year when they finished one place above the relegation zone -- their lowest final position in the Premier League era. "I need to choose the right guys because the boat is going in the direction that I want to go and needs to go and who is in the boat can stay," Tudor said. "Otherwise they can bow down, or how do you say that, leave the boat. "So, when the other players will come back and choosing the right [players], I'm sure we will have a good team and the victories will come back. It's not easy to accept the moment where we are now but it is how it is." Their plight also comes amid a tumultuous period when they have had seven managers in less than seven years. Tottenham have spent only one season out of England's top flight since 1950 and have been an established member of the Premier League since the competition's inception in 1992. Deloitte ranked Spurs ninth on its most recent rich list in January with revenues of $781 million. That placed Tottenham above giants like Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus.

07 March 2026

Where to watch Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal live stream, TV channel, start time for FA Cup match

In what could be a bit of a lopsided matchup, Mansfield Town will welcome Arsenal to One Call Stadium on Saturday for an FA Cup showdown. Based on history, the odds are against Mansfield Town in this fixture. The Stags are riding the momentum of a stunning win over Premier League club Burnley in the fourth round, 2-1. That defeat ended a 51-year drought from the fifth round of the FA Cup for Mansfield Town. Meanwhile, Arsenal is known for their record-setting performances in the Cup, but they enter the fifth round for the first time since 2020. Portsmouth and Wigan were simple tasks for the Gunners in rounds three and four, and while they're favored in this matchup, Mikel Arteta's men are likely more focused on Premier League and Champion's League trophies. Who will take the win? Here's everything you need to know about Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal, including TV channel and streaming options for the FA Cup match. Here's how to watch this FA Cup match in the U.S.: The match will be shown live on ESPN2 and can be streamed on ESPN+ via the ESPN app, or on Fubo, which offers a free trial to new users. Catch all your favorite ESPN+ action with ESPN Select! Just download the new ESPN app, sign in with your ESPN account, tap Subscribe to ESPN Select, and you're set to stream live sports, originals, and more -- all in one place. Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.) This clash takes place at One Call Stadium in Mansfield, UK. The fixture kicks off on Saturday, March 7 at 12:15 p.m. local time.

07 March 2026

Man City transfer news: Citizens hold 'informal talks' with Bayern Munich midfielder who is on Chelsea's radar - Sports Mole

Manchester City have reportedly held 'informal talks' over a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic. The 21-year-old has made 87 first-team appearances since emerging from Bayern's academy system. Bayern Munich Vincent Kompany has full faith in Pavlovic's talents, having handed the youngster 25 starts in all competitions this season. In fact, Pavlovic has started each of Bayern's eight Champions League matches this term and is likely to feature in Tuesday's last-16 first leg against Atalanta. © Imago / Moritz Müller Man City hold informal talks over Pavlovic swoop While he may be focused on Bayern's bid to win multiple pieces of silverware, Pavlovic could find himself the subject of interest when the summer transfer window comes around. According to Caught Offside, Man City are among the clubs that are showing a keen interest in the Bayern star. The report claims that the Citizens have held 'informal talks' with people close to the Germany international. Meanwhile, Chelsea are also said to be among the players' admirers and are set to open talks with Bayern in the coming weeks. © Iconsport / DeFodi Images Bayern outline Pavlovic exit stance Unfortunately for the two Premier League giants, they are expected to experience disappointment in their respective pursuits of the Bayern academy product. That is because the player's priority is to remain at the Allianz Arena, where he is under contract until the summer of 2029. With over three years left to run on Pavlovic's deal, Bayern are certainly under no contractual pressure to entertain transfer offers. The Bavarians view Pavlovic as a key figure to their long-term goals and are in no mood to sanction his departure, especially as they will lose one of their current central midfielders when Leon Goretzka leaves on a free transfer this summer.

07 March 2026

Like Leicester and Bodø/Glimt, Swiss soccer club Thun set to be historic league champion

GENEVA -- Like Leicester's Premier League title in 2016 and Bodø/Glimt's stunning rise in Norway since 2020, Swiss soccer looks set to get its own surprise champion. Thun has never won the top-tier league in the club's 128-year history yet this season has turned the standings into a procession -- even as a newly promoted club. A 2-2 draw with second-place St. Gallen late Thursday stopped Thun's run of 10 straight wins yet coach Mauro Lustrinelli's team is 14 points clear with 10 rounds left. "We are also a young team in the sense that the team is experiencing its first Super League," Lustrinelli told Swiss public broadcaster SRF after his players conceded a stoppage-time goal to drop points for the first time since December. Thun heads Sunday to local rival Young Boys, a 17-time title winner and Champions League regular in recent years, as the current best team in Switzerland. Thun is the latest unheralded European club taking inspiration from Leicester. Last year, Union Saint-Gilloise won its first Belgian title for 90 years and tiny Mjällby was champion of Sweden for the first time in its 86-year history. Title races across Europe see Hearts on course for a first Scottish title in 66 years and Paris Saint-Germain being chased by Lens which won its only French title 28 years ago. The most common link is clubs in provincial towns and cities run on low budgets with a collective team-first ethic. "You really feel that it's like a family," Lustrinelli said last year when extending his contract at the club where he was once a star striker and has coached for four seasons. It took Thun five years to get out of the second division after being relegated in 2020. That period included severe financial issues and being part of a multi-club ownership group backed by American and Chinese investors. Thun is independent and locally owned again, and built a plan with Lustrinelli for a team playing the direct, pressing style he wants with two central strikers. Top scorer this season is 12-goal Elmin Rastoder, a Swiss-born North Macedonia international who could feature in the World Cup playoffs against Denmark later this month. Rastoder's strike partner Thursday was Brighton Labeau, once a teammate of Kylian Mbappé, who is three years younger, when they were both in the Monaco academy. Thun's star prospect is Ethan Meichtry, a Switzerland under-21 midfielder who could yet make the World Cup squad. Thun was one of the smallest clubs to play in the Champions League after Lustrinelli's 20-goal season lifted the team to Swiss league runner-up in 2005. Thun advanced through two qualifying rounds to reach the elite stage, finishing third in a group behind Arsenal and Ajax. Back then, Thun played European games at Young Boys' stadium in Bern because its old home was below UEFA standard. If Thun enters the Champions League in the second qualifying round in July, home games should be at its 10,000-seat Stockhorn Arena -- with artificial turf, just like at Bodø/Glimt inside the Arctic Circle in Norway. The Swiss champion must win through three qualifying rounds to reach the 36-team league phase. Thun will soon be the home of Switzerland's soccer federation. The Swiss Football Home project was approved last August and will include a new headquarters for the federation plus training fields for national teams. Next door will likely be the next Swiss champion. "The road is still long," Lustrinelli said of the 10-game run-in, "and we want everyone who will help us get those 30 points."