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Kings rise to No. 1 after Shamsi, Seifert and Charles make short work of Patriots

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The defeat, despite Mohammad Rizwan’s battling unbeaten 60 off 41 balls, left St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at No. 5 on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2025Tabraiz Shamsi was tough to score off, and earned himself two opportunities to show off his familiar shoe-phone celebration. Despite his 2 for 17, however, St Lucia Kings had a big chase on their hands in their CPL 2025 game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots – 178. That Kings got there with 18 balls and seven wickets in hand was down to their openers Tim Seifert and Johnson Charles. 115 runs between them, in just 62 balls, made the chase a canter.Just five runs came off the first over of the chase, bowled by Kyle Mayers. Charles took off after that, against Naseem Shah, and kept going. Kings got 13 off the second over, then 18 off the third, and 21 off the fifth, and finished the powerplay with 72 on the board. Seifert, who was slow to start with – having scored only a run-a-ball 15 by the fourth over – was now batting as quickly as Charles. It was all looking rather ominous for Patriots.Waqar Salamkheil got them the breakthrough – the wicket of Charles for a 17-ball 47 – in the seventh over, but with Ackeem Auguste, the hero of Kings’ previous match, for company, Seifert didn’t let the advantage slip.Auguste and Seifert added 60 for the second wicket, with Auguste contributing 29 in 20 balls. Though Seifert fell in the 15th over for a 45-ball 68, his opening blast had left Kings with very few to get with a lot of time.Johnson Charles smashed 47 in just 17 balls•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyRoston Chase (15*) and Tim David (16*) finished things off by the end of the 17th over.Earlier, after Patriots had been asked to bat by David Wiese at Kings’ home ground, the momentum they would have wanted never quite come. Theirs wasn’t a bad powerplay however, with Andre Fletcher especially showing enterprise as Patriots got to 57 for 1 after six overs.The brakes were applied soon after that, as Shamsi got Fletcher to miscue and attempted heave out of the stadium only to sky the ball to Charles behind the stumps. For his efforts, Shamsi was later named the Player of the Match.The fightback came from Mohammad Rizwan, batting at No. 3, who scored 60 not out in 41 balls, and put together partnerships of 71 in 52 balls with Mayers (27 in 25) and an unbroken 37 in 20 balls with Jason Holder (21* in 14). Still, neither Rizwan nor Mayers could score at the sort of rate Patriots would have wanted on a pitch that, as the outcome suggests, was good for scoring.The win took Kings to the top of the table with eight points from six games, while Patriots are now in fifth position with four points from seven games.

MLB Makes Decision on Where Rays Will Host Potential Playoff Games

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

If the Tampa Bay Rays were disoriented by their forced exile from their Tropicana Field home this offseason, they haven't shown it.

The Rays are 50–47 and 1.5 games out of the American League's final wild-card spot at the All-Star break, despite currently occupying George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa—the New York Yankees' 11,000-seat spring-training home. That's because Hurricane Milton destroyed large parts of Tropicana Field's roof in October.

On Tuesday, commissioner Rob Manfred was asked a question that has suddenly become very pertinent: where will Tampa Bay play home games if it makes the playoffs this year? According to Manfred, the Rays have the green light to host them at Steinbrenner Field.

"Our rule has always been that people play in their home stadiums during the World Series. And I’m not of a mind to change that rule," Manfred told reporters via , presumably ignoring the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. "I understand it’s a unique situation. It’s different, but that’s where they’re playing. That’s where they’re going to play their games."

Tampa Bay is seeking its sixth postseason berth in the past seven seasons, and its seventh winning season in the past eight years.

The crazy £132m offer Mohamed Salah has now received to leave Liverpool

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah has been offered an eye-watering amount of money to leave Anfield, it has been claimed.

Salah has been alarmingly out of form by his world-class standards, but he returned to somewhere near his best on Saturday evening, opening the scoring in the Reds’ 2-0 win at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

It was a special night for the 33-year-old, who became just the third player in Liverpool’s history to score 250 goals for the club, joining Ian Rush and Roger Hunt in the process. Speaking after the Villa game, he admitted his delight at achieving such a great feat.

“It’s very important. We had a few losses in the Premier League and Champions League but I’m glad we start to come back on track now. It’s a good plus before very important games against [Real] Madrid and City. It’s a very important win for us. It’s a great feeling to score goals and win trophies for such a big club. It’s something I don’t take for granted. I’m so proud and so happy about that achievement.”

For Salah, it’s now a case of kicking on and returning to the form everyone knows he can achieve on a consistent basis, inspiring Liverpool’s changes in fortunes this season. He is contracted at Anfield until the summer of 2027, but now a shock exit rumour has emerged.

Liverpool legend Salah offered £132m-a-year to leave

According to a huge report from Spain, an unnamed club have offered Salah £132m per year in wages in order to tempt him away from Liverpool.

Mo Salah’s reported offer to leave Liverpool

Per year

£132m

Per month

£11m

Per week

£2.5m

Per day

£361,000

Per hour

£15,000

It would be a huge surprise and shame to see Salah leave Liverpool before his recently-signed new deal expires, even though he clearly hasn’t been at his best of late.

He was much-improved against Villa, and remains a hugely influential figure for the Reds, with Arne Slot waxing lyrical over his star attacker after the game.

“It is almost unbelievable if you score 250 goals, let alone 250 goals for one club. You don’t see that much in football any more. Apart from the goal he had a very good performance. When we had to play long, we mainly played to him and he held the ball and the team could come to him. What I liked was that he also helped the team defensively as well.”

Dominik Szoboszlai shows why he is now Liverpool's "most important player"

He was outstanding in the win over Aston Villa

By
Henry Jackson

Nov 2, 2025

Salah is now undoubtedly one of the greatest players in Liverpool’s history, and while such a huge amount of money could turn the head of any player, the hope is that he wants to spend as long at Anfield as possible.

Where does Mo Salah rank among Liverpool's highest-earning players?

Aston Villa considering January move for “fantastic” £70m Champions League ace

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Aston Villa are now considering a January move for a “fantastic” Champions League player, but they will have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal over the line.

Villa looking to boost push for Europe by strengthening in January

Villa have surged up the Premier League table in recent weeks, courtesy of winning seven of their last eight matches, although there have been some suggestions that their current run of form could end soon, given that they have been defying xG.

The Villans’ 16 goals this season have come from an xG of just 11.88 xG, and they have been relying on players scoring from outside the box, with Boubacar Kamara the most recent example, firing home from distance in the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Regardless of how they’ve managed to win games, Unai Emery’s side have placed themselves very much in contention to qualify for Europe yet again, and they are now looking to strengthen in January to bolster their chances.

That is according to a report from Leonino (via Sport Witness), which states Aston Villa are now considering a January bid for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but they may have to break the bank, with the Portuguese club demanding his €80m (£70m) release clause is paid in full.

Sporting have been struggling to tie Diomande down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2027, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park. However, several Premier League clubs are in the race for his signature, including Crystal Palace.

With Sporting unwilling to listen to winter bids, Villa may have to wait until the summer to pursue the centre-back, unless they trigger the release clause, although it is unclear how feasible that would be, given their well-documented PSR issues.

"Fantastic" Diomande could be exciting long-term addition for Villa

The 21-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Harvey Elliott, is at the right age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he impressed right across the 2024-25 campaign, as highlighted by scout Jacek Kulig.

A modern defender, the Ivorian, who has made three Champions League appearances this season, is very comfortable in possession of the ball, as showcased by his performance across some key statistics over the past year, while the youngster also has a keen eye for goal.

Ousmane Diomande’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Non-penalty goals

0.09 (88th percentile)

Passes attempted

67.57 (90th percentile)

Pass completion %

92.7% (98th percentile)

That said, Villa have one of the best defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 11 goals, so there is no pressing need to sign a centre-back, and it may be better to wait until next summer to sign Diomande, at which point Sporting’s asking price will hopefully drop.

Marsh says 'depth is a privilege' as Australia make T20 statement

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The building blocks of a formidable T20 side are coming together with some big names still to slot in

Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-20250:42

Dwarshuis makes early breakthroughs for Australia

Australia’s build towards next year’s T20 World Cup could not have got off to a better start with the 5-0 sweep over West Indies in which several players staked claims for permanent spots in the team, leaving some potentially big calls for the selectors in the coming months.Cameron Green was player-of-the-series for his performances at No. 4, looking the ideal make-up for a role that can be required to play in various ways depending on the start. Meanwhile, Mitchell Owen made an immediate impact in the middle-order, having been challenged to develop his game away from the opening slot that has brought him considerable T20 league success.Tim David produced the performance of the series with his record-breaking 37-ball hundred, batting higher than has often been the case at No. 5, while Josh Inglis settled in at No. 3. With the ball, it’s difficult to see how Nathan Ellis does now not command a full-time place in the XI while Ben Dwarshuis had a productive series.Related

  • 'It's close to all guns blazing' – Australia plan to power through any T20 scenario

  • Bailey declares Weatherald 'in the mix' for Ashes

  • 'Not much will change' – Owen plans to bring his T20 approach to ODI cricket

  • More than a finisher: David soars to new heights

  • 'Warming Heady's seat' – Maxwell expects opening role will be short-lived

“Depth is a privilege to have, and hopefully we can keep building on that,” Australia T20I captain, Mitchell Marsh said. “We saw a lot of guys come in: Mitch Owen, I thought Cam Green was fantastic, Nathan Ellis, again, was outstanding. Everyone played their part. It’s going to be a good challenge for us, but we certainly will welcome a few blokes back in.”Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood are expected to return for the series against South Africa which begins in Darwin on August 10, as could Matt Short if he has recovered from the side strain he picked up early in the West Indies tour. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will, however, continue to rest ahead of the home summer, so the major calls around the make-up of the pace attack will wait a bit longer.

However, Ellis can’t have done any more to lock himself in as a starter, regardless of who is available, having conceded 7.88 runs an over in a series where runs came at 10.23 overall and he regularly closed out innings at the death. Australia did not concede more than 39 in the final four overs.”He’s been our go-to guy,” Green told ESPN’s . “And I think he’s, real, real close to getting to that main team, if not in it. He’s the guy that we probably go to [in the] sixth over in the powerplay, we always know that’s so tough, especially when they’ve been none down at a couple of games. I think he bowls three at the death for us, so he’s just doing all the hard roles. He seems to thrive in them. He’s got so many tricks up his sleeve, so we’re really pleased with how he’s going.”Head’s return at the top alongside Marsh, who was the one first-choice batter not to make a significant contribution against West Indies, will likely see Glenn Maxwell slip back to the middle-order, where Owen has made a strong start with 125 runs at a strike-rate of 192.30.”In the last 12 months, [Owen has] done a lot of batting at the top of the order, but we wanted to give him that opportunity to play a finishing role and keep building out his game with guys like Travis Head coming back in,” Marsh said. “He was awesome. He’s a ripping kid, took on the challenge, didn’t seem overawed by the occasion of playing international cricket and seems like a pretty calm figure, so that was great.”Owen contributed 12 of the 64 sixes Australia hit in the series – West Indies struck 53 in what became the second-highest tally for a bilateral T20 series – with this latest iteration of the T20 side shaping as the most powerful yet with no thought of a backwards step. Since the start of 2024, Australia are the fastest-scoring team in T20Is.Attack leader: Nathan Ellis was outstanding throughout the series•AFP/Getty Images”I think the way T20 is going, even again tonight, we were in a little bit of trouble and Tim David came out and batted the way he did,” Marsh said at the presentation. “And teams just keep going now. That’s the way the game’s going.”Perhaps the only question is whether, after the series was wrapped up, Marsh should have taken the opportunity to challenge his side to set a target as he kept winning the toss, but it was never considered. “This outfield was obviously super small and as we saw, it was really hard to defend,” he said.The five wins in West Indies make it eight in a row and 12 from 13 completed matches for Australia since the last World Cup in the Caribbean. Since the beginning of 2024, Australia have won 22 of their 26 completed T20Is, although two of those defeats were to Afghanistan and India in the Super Eights which saw them miss the semi-finals.They have 14 more matches over the next six months, with the three against South Africa next month, followed by three in New Zealand in early October. They will then host India for five as part of their white-ball tour ahead of the Ashes. They then have three matches in Pakistan pencilled in as the final lead-up to the World Cup. If the current form line remains, they will be one of the teams to beat come February in India and Sri Lanka.

Hardie ruled out of Australia A tour with shoulder injury

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Allrounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of the Australia A tour of India due to a shoulder injury to add to the list of pace-bowling options to be sidelined.Hardie will be replaced by Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland, who was already part of the one-day squad for the tour and will fly out to India in time for the second four-day game in Lucknow. A replacement for Hardie in the one-day squad will be named at a later date.It is hoped that Hardie will be able to recover in time for the early rounds of Sheffield Shield matches – Western Australia’s opening game is against New South Wales at the WACA on October 4.Related

  • Maxwell named for 50-over return for Victoria despite ODI retirement

  • Morris ruled out for up to 12 months after opting for back surgery

  • Vidler ruled out of Australia A tour of India with a partial stress fracture

  • No regrets for Konstas as he prepares to fight for Ashes berth

Hardie featured in the recent T20I and ODI series against West Indies and South Africa but he struggled against the latter and had not been selected for the short New Zealand trip for three T20Is, instead being included in the A squad. Depending on how his recovery tracks, he may come into consideration for the white-ball series against India.Though an allrounder rather than a specialist bowler, Hardie’s injury adds to a growing list of players sidelined heading into the season. Pat Cummins is the most significant with question marks over whether he will recover from his back injury in time for the Ashes.Lance Morris, a team-mate of Hardie’s at WA, has been ruled out for 12 months having undergone back surgery, while promising quick Callum Vidler has been diagnosed with a stress fracture. Morris had been due to feature in the four-day leg of the A tour and Vidler the one-dayers. Brody Couch had initially been Morris’ replacement but he suffered a side injury during the Top End T20 final with South Australia’s Henry Thornton subsequently called up.The first four-day game against India A starts on September 16 followed by the second on September 23. The three one-dayers, which will all be in Kanpur, are on September 30, October 3 and 5.

Updated Australia A four-day squad

Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott, Will Sutherland (second game only), Henry Thornton

Updated Australia A one-day squad

Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Henry Thornton (one to be added)

Williamson, Dawson lead Spirit charge to dent Brave's knockout hopes

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Jamie Smith sets tone with 44 off 18 as Spirit keep season alive – for now

ECB Media23-Aug-2025

Liam Dawson celebrates Jason Roy’s dismissal with Kane Williamson•Philip Brown/Getty Images

London Spirit are just about still alive in the Hundred after an emphatic win over Southern Brave took them level with their opponents on 12 points and meant that both are still within reach of the third qualifying spot as the men’s competition heads into its defining week.Spirit’s win meant that Oval Invincibles and Northern Superchargers have now qualified for the knockout stages, while Trent Rockets can lock in the third and final qualification spot with a win over Welsh Fire in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon. Spirit and Brave both need Rockets to lose their final two games, to win their own last fixtures, and even then would be reliant on Net Run-Rates.Under the lights at Lord’s, Spirit turned in arguably their most complete performance of the tournament to date. Jamie Smith was immense in the Powerplay, pumping seven of his 18 deliveries either to or over the fence to dominate an opening stand of 66 in 36 balls with David Warner.The Australian’s departure for 25, top-edging a reverse sweep, gave Michael Bracewell his first wicket, and the Kiwi offspinner then induced the mishit from Smith, who picked out Hilton Cartwright on the midwicket fence to go for a brilliant 44.Kane Williamson has simmered so far this summer but here, he unfurled his full repertoire, hooking Jofra Archer for six and then driving him behind square for another maximum. His three sixes here, propelling him to a maiden half-century in the tournament, took his season tally up to five.Jamie Smith struck 44 off 18•Getty Images

Brave’s attack struggled to contain, though their young left-arm spinner James Coles showed his nous, going for just 22 from his 15 deliveries and picking up the wicket of the dangerous Ashton Turner, caught in the deep.In reply, much hinged on the Brave’s two white-ball icons, James Vince and Jason Roy. But when Vince plinked a pull shot off Luke Wood to mid-on, and Roy – after a sprightly cameo, including a monstrous 102-metre six off Richard Gleeson – played all round a straight one from Liam Dawson, the Brave’s assault ran aground.For a brief moment, as Laurie Evans climbed into the spinners Jafer Chohan and Turner, hitting four sixes in five balls to leave the Brave needing 90 from 43, the most unlikely of heists seemed possible. But as wickets fell at the other end, Evans ran out of partners, momentum and belief, eventually succumbing on the long-on boundary to give Gleeson his second wicket.Dawson took care of business at the death, picking up his third clean-bowled of the evening, with Jamie Overton then castling his brother, Craig, to clinch the match and help improve the Spirit’s run-rate.The consolation for the Brave is that they remain in the shake-up, ahead of their final match on Thursday against Welsh Fire, while the Spirit face their capital rivals on Monday at the Kia Oval.

"United career is over" – £120k-p/w ace has played "last game for Man Utd"

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

One player still on the books at Manchester United has been told that his Old Trafford “career is over” by a former Red Devils midfielder.

Players who could leave Man Utd in 2026

2026 could be another busy year at Old Trafford in regards to incomings and outgoings, with Ruben Amorim and INEOS continuing to make their mark in Manchester.

The Red Devils have four players out of contract at the end of the season, one of which is midfielder Casemiro.

Players out of contract at Man Utd in 2026

Harry Maguire

Casemiro (option until 2027)

Tom Heaton

Tyrell Malacia

Man Utd have the option to extend that by a further 12 months, however, Amorim and INEOS seemingly clashing behind the scenes regarding the Brazilian. Amorim wants to keep Casemiro whereas INEOS want him to take a pay cut from his current £350,000-a-week wage.

There are also numerous loanees away from Man Utd who could seal permanent exits at the end of the season. Rasmus Hojlund is at Napoli, Marcus Rashford is at Barcelona, Jadon Sancho is at Aston Villa and Andre Onana is with Trabzonspor.

United could look to move the quartet out on a full-time basis, with options to buy inserted in Rashford’s move to the Nou Camp and Hojlund’s move to Napoli. Now, another one of the four has been told he has no future at the club by a pundit.

Man Utd now racing Arsenal to sign "complete" £45m Bundesliga attacker

He’s scored more goals than Sesko this season.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 21, 2025 Strachan tells Onana his Man Utd “career is over”

Former Man Utd midfielder Gordon Strachan, speaking to Esports News relayed by The Manchester Evening News, feels that Andre Onana “has played his last game” for Man Utd and would be “shocked” if he played for the Red Devils again.

Onana’s Man Utd contract is worth £120,000-a-week and there is no option to buy for the Turkish side at the end of the season, with the ‘keeper’s Manchester deal not expiring until 2028.

United forked out just under £50m on Onana back in 2023, but after numerous errors at Old Trafford and Amorim now having Senne Lammens, a permanent exit could make sense for all involved next year.

Forget Anderson: Man Utd in talks to sign "world's most underrated footballer"

Paul Scholes claims Arsenal have 'no chance' of winning the Premier League until Mikel Arteta fixes one thing

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Paul Scholes believes Arsenal’s title bid will falter once again unless Mikel Arteta finds a way to improve his team's record in the Premier League’s biggest fixtures. The former Manchester United midfielder issued a pointed critique after Arsenal were beaten in agonising fashion by Aston Villa on Saturday, leaving their position at the top of the table looking increasingly fragile.

Arsenal's lead cut after late collapse at Villa Park

Arsenal remain two points clear at the summit, but the mood around the club noticeably turned sour after Emiliano Buendía struck deep into stoppage time to hand Villa a 2-1 win. Leandro Trossard had earlier cancelled out Matty Cash’s opener, and for long stretches Arsenal appeared destined to escape with an unconvincing draw. Instead, they left Birmingham empty-handed and with renewed doubts hanging over their title ambitions. Those doubts were amplified hours later when Manchester City dispatched Sunderland 3-0, a result that tightened the title race. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportScholes believes Arsenal will falter again

Speaking on podcast, Scholes was unequivocal. Arsenal, he argued, will not end their 22-year wait for a league title unless they begin winning the defining matches of the season.

"Man City have a great chance now, don’t they?" the United legend asked. "I still don’t think they’re quite right but they always get better in the second-half of the season and the thing with Arsenal is they can’t win a big game."

Scholes cited defeats to Liverpool and Villa, as well as draws against Manchester City and Chelsea, as evidence of Arsenal’s limitations.

"Until they start winning big games they’ve got no chance of winning the league," he said. "They lost to Liverpool, they couldn’t beat Man City at home when they were struggling. Aston Villa are a good team, don’t get me wrong, but Arsenal just can’t win big games. They couldn’t beat Chelsea after they went down to ten men. If you’re going to win the league you’ve got to start winning some big games, you’ve got to beat your rivals, and they can’t do it. Historically Man City always get better after January. They were in the Club World Cup so they didn’t really have a pre-season."

Scholes’ former team-mate Nicky Butt echoed those sentiments, predicting that Pep Guardiola’s side are building towards yet another late-season surge.

"I did say I fancied Man City for the title about a month ago," Butt said. "They’re suddenly clicking. The reason I think Man City will win the league is Pep [Guardiola]. He’s got the experience. I can see him winning the league this year and then leaving."

Getty Gvardiol fuels title talk

City have overturned Arsenal’s advantage twice in the past three seasons. In 2022-23, Arsenal spent 248 days at the summit and were eight points clear in April, only to unravel in the final weeks. City thrashed Arsenal 4-1 at the Etihad during the run-in and ultimately finished five points ahead. In the next season, things were closer, but the ending was familiar as City again found a higher gear, sealing the title with two points to spare. 

However, Josko Gvardiol warned that the pressure will intensify for both teams as they approach the halfway point of the season.

"I remember in my first season we were on the top and fighting for the Premier League and you go Fulham away, all the games, you need to win. If you lose or drop points that's it," the City defender told reporters. "First of all they have a good team. It's not just them, it's Aston Villa, Chelsea is good. Sunderland two weeks ago were there at the top. It won't be easy and the season is long. We're not even at the halfway stage. Still a lot of games to play. Two points behind so we are getting closer. We need to build it up like we have for the last two or three months. We will see at the end. Every game is important and we need to win every game."

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Arsenal look to regroup ahead of Wolves test

Arteta has consistently insisted that his team are evolving and learning from narrow defeats, but the narrative of his side falling short in high-stakes clashes is becoming harder to ignore. However, Saturday’s home match against bottom-placed Wolves presents Arteta with an opportunity to steady the ship and reassert authority at the top of the table. 

'A very bad night' – Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario apologises to Spurs fans after north London derby thumping as he rips into 'passive' tactics

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario has apologised to the club's travelling fans after a "very bad night" in their 4-1 loss at Arsenal. A Leandro Trossard goal and an Eberechi Eze hat-trick condemned Spurs to a thumping defeat at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Richarlison's consolation did little to lift the mood of Vicario, who criticised his team's "passive" approach.

Arsenal heap misery on Spurs

For Tottenham, this was, arguably, their biggest game of the season. A chance to beat the Premier League leaders, and their biggest rivals, on their home patch and boost their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League. What played out on Sunday was quite the opposite. Arsenal ruthlessly cut apart a sorry Spurs side, who were far too tentative to threaten Mikel Arteta's team. The Gunners strove to claim all three points with an attacking display, whereas the visitors seemed content to come away with a point. In the end, they got nothing. The result saw Arsenal go six points clear at the top of the table, whereas Tottenham are now down to ninth.

AdvertisementAFPVicario rues match to forget

The Spurs keeper began by apologising to the thousands of Tottenham fans who attended the game after a horror night in enemy territory. He also said that the game plan they prepared was very different to the one they executed at Arsenal.

He told Sky Sports: "A very bad night for us. First of all we have to apologise to the people that support us every day. They expected us to fight and today we didn't fight. That's not negotiable to do in football in this level. It's a tough night, a very bad defeat, but we have to stick together. We have a big night on Wednesday but we need to stick together. Tonight we didn't show the things we are normally capable of. The emotions are high, but we need cool heads and apologise to the people that support us and have travelled today. I think we waited too much to get into the game. We were too passive. The game plan we prepared was different. Today we didn't fight. We have to apologise first of all for this. But we have to stick together and move on because on Wednesday we have a big night."

Vicario did appeal that Eze's first goal should have been ruled out as a couple of Arsenal players were in his eyeline and were offside. But he later said that it would not have mattered to the scoreline.

The 29-year-old added: "I think the way the game went it wouldn't have changed anything. There were three people in front of me so of course they impacted me. But we didn't lose the game for that."

Frank 'pained' by Arsenal rout

Tottenham boss Frank said he felt confident going into the north London derby but what he got was an "extremely bad" performance. He said he tried to replicate the tactics they deployed in their narrow UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain in August but these two displays were like night and day.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's extremely painful to stand here after an extremely bad performance. Against the worst team we could put a bad performance in against. It was the perfect storm. I think especially first half we lacked the ability to have pressure and get close to them and be aggressive enough in the duels. We had to absorb to much pressure throughout the first half. In the second half we got a little bit better but nowhere near the level we want.

"That's an extremely hard defeat to take. We are all emotional and frustrated and need to look at it with calm heads. I was very confident going into the game that we could be competitive and we weren't, which was disappointing. We tried to do something different that was very successful against PSG. Today it wasn't and I always take responsibility for my decisions and then when it doesn't go the way we want it to go, that's on me. We changed it at half-time but I am 1000% sure that no matter what formation you play if you don't win enough duels or are aggressive enough, it doesn't matter what formation you play."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Tottenham?

Tottenham will look to bounce back immediately from this thrashing when they return to Champions League action on Wednesday. Unfortunately for them, the fixtures don't get any easier as they take on defending champions PSG in Paris.

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