The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Tottenham Hotspur

  • Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Kane beats Shearer record for most goals in a year

    Harry Kane scored a Premier League record 37th goal in 2017 on Tuesday in Tottenham Hotspur’s game against Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

    The England forward thus toppled a 22-year-old record held by former England striker Alan Shearer.

    Read also: Kane suffers angle ligament damage

    The 24-year-old Kane headed in Christian Eriksen’s free kick in the 22nd minute to overtake Shearer’s 36 goals in 1995 with Blackburn Rovers.

    Kane had equalled the 36-goal tally while scoring a hat-trick in Spurs’ 3-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

    NAN

  • Manchester City not invincible, Wenger insists

    Manchester City not invincible, Wenger insists

    Manchester City have opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the English Premier League, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not convinced they can have an unbeaten season.

    Pep Guardiola’s side have scored 38 goals along the way, prompting some to be predicting an unbeaten season for them.

    City have won 10 of their opening 11 games, and only a home draw against Everton in August deprived them of a perfect start.

    Their 3-1 win over Arsenal earlier this month extended their winning streak to 15 games in all competitions.

    Arsenal are the only team to go unbeaten throughout an entire Premier League season, and that was 2003-04.

    When asked whether City could emulate his “Invincibles” the Frenchman said there was still a long way to go.

    “They are a good side but they are not an unstoppable side,” Wenger said.

    “People always want to predict what will happen in the game.

    “I don’t know more than you. Maybe, maybe not, but at the moment only one team has done it”.

    Arsenal, who trail City by 12 points in sixth, host Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Saturday.

    NAN

  • Martial helps United sink Spurs 1-0

    Substitute Anthony Martial’s 81st minute strike gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday to keep them in touch with Premier League leaders Manchester City.

    After last week’s surprise defeat at Huddersfield Town, Jose Mourinho’s team could not still afford another slip-up, but they found it hard to break down a resilient Spurs’ defence.

    Tottenham, without their top scorer Harry Kane, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury, could have gone in front in the 76th minute when Christian Eriksen threaded a superb ball towards Dele Alli.

    But, the England midfielder’s effort went the wrong side of the post.

    Romelu Lukaku headed a Jesse Lingard cross against the post, United finally broke through and it was in direct fashion.

    A long ball from goalkeeper David De Gea was flicked on by Lukaku into the path of the on-running Martial and the Frenchman confidently slotted past Hugo Lloris.

    United moves on to 23 points, two points behind leaders, City, who also defeated West Bromwich Albion by three goals to two on Saturday, while third-placed Spurs are on 20. (Reuters/NAN)

  • EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    EPL: Some of The Things You Might Have Missed

    English Premier League on Saturday was action pact as expected as 17 goals were recorded from the seven matches that were played.

    Incase you missed the matches including the star match of the day at Stamford Bridge in the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, read below some of the things you might have missed.

    Chelsea 0 – 1 Manchester City

    OPTA FACT

    • Kevin De Bruyne has scored nine of his last 11 Man City goals from outside the box, including each of the last four.

    A game which didn’t quite live up to its billing – not helped, of course, by Alvaro Morata limping off in the first-half with a hamstring injury. After a goalless first-half, Manchester City’s control greatly increased and Pep Guardiola’s playmakers began to make deep incisions into a shuffled Chelsea’s defence.

    When Kevin De Bruyne eventually gave the visitors the lead, after a well-timed pass from Gabriel Jesus and scything move, it was a goal they thoroughly deserved. And, ultimately, it was an advantage they protected well: Chelsea mounted a vague response, but all the best chances in the remainder of the game fell to City.

     

    Saturday’s round-up, as Tottenham run over Huddersfield and Manchester United continue to click through the gears.

     

    Huddersfield 0 – 4 Tottenham

    OPTA FACT

    • Harry Kane now has 13 goals for club & country in September 2017; his best ever goal tally in a single month of his career.

    A real lesson. Huddersfield have begun Premier League life well, but this was not David Wagner’s best day: Huddersfield played into Tottenham’s hands, got caught too high up the field three times inside the first half-hour and conceded as many goals in the first half as they had in their previous six games.

    Spurs spent most of the second half well within their comfort zone, but two goals from Harry Kane (who is now just 14 goals short of Teddy Sheringham’s Premier League record for the club) and Ben Davies capped a performance in which they played some of their brightest football of the season. Moussa Sissoko added a fourth from close range in second-half stoppage-time.

    Goals: Kane 10′, 23′, Davies 16′, Sissoko 90′

    Bournemouth 0 – 0 Leicester

    Bournemouth certainly started like a side determined pull out of the relegation zone before the international break. Jermain Defoe had the clearest opportunity, but slammed his shot against the crossbar. Eddie Howe’s team were the better of the two and certainly posed the tougher questions but, oddly for two teams who don’t exactly specialise in clean sheets, this proved a stalemate.

    Goals: *Tumbleweed*

    Manchester United 4 – 0 Crystal Palace

    OPTA FACT

    • This is the first time that Marcus Rashford has assisted two goals in a single game for Man Utd.

    Exactly the start here that Palace didn’t want. Only three minutes had passed when Marcus Rashford knotted up Joel Ward before setting up Juan Mata to open the scoring. Ten minutes before the break, an impressive Manchester United performance was further rewarded by their second, Fellaini scoring after good work from Ashley Young. Fellaini would double his tally just after half-time and Romelu Lukaku scored a late fourth for his seventh goal in as many games.

    Goals: Mata 3′, Fellaini 35′ & 48′, Lukaku 86′

    Stoke 2 – 1 Southampton

    OPTA FACT

    • Saido Berahino is now without a goal in 31 hours & 23 minutes of Premier League football (Stoke & WBA combined).

    Stoke have quietly begun to go off the boil, having not won a Premier League game since beating Arsenal in August and having not led in any game at all since their 4-0 win over Rochdale in the League Cup. Mame Diouf gave them the lead here, heading in Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner on 40 minutes.

    It wasn’t all good news in the first half, though, as there was still time for Saido Berahino to miss a penalty. His wait for a first Stoke goal continues. Fifteen minutes before time, Maya Yoshida acrobatically converted Shane Long’s flick to score only Southampton’s second goal away from home this season. Peter Crouch would have the last word, though, scoring late against his old side to win Mark Hughes three overdue points.

    Goals: Diouf 40′, Crouch 85′- Yoshida 75′

    West Brom 2- 2 Watford

    OPTA FACT

    • Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored 3 goals in his last 7 league games, as many as in his previous 57.

    Despite losing, Tony Pulis would have been greatly encouraged by the improvement he saw in his side last Monday at Arsenal and West Brom initially built on that here, scoring twice in three first-half minutes through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. A first goal of the season for each and the first time since May 2017 that Pulis’s team had scored more than one in a game. Abdoulaye Doucoure pulled one back before the interval and then late, late into second-half injury time, Richarlison headed in Jose Holebas’s free-kick to steal a point.

    Goals: Rondon 18′, Evans 21′ – Doucoure 37′, Richarlison 90′

    West Ham 1 – 0 Swansea

    OPTA FACT

    • Swansea have never kept an away clean sheet at West Ham, conceding 75 goals in 32 games in all comps (W2 D7 L23).

    Not a first half that gave anybody great reason for cheer; these really are two sides struggling for confidence. It didn’t really improve in the second period, either, and this game – if anyone chooses to remember it at all – become more notable for Slaven Bilic’s curious substitutions; Javier Hernandez’s withdrawal, in particular, proved unpopular with the home fans.

    Still, West Ham mounted a late siege and, after Andy Carroll had hit the bar minutes earlier, Diafra Sakho (remember him?) finished well to snatch the points. A relief for the home fans, less so the ones who (quite understandably) decided to leave early.

    Goals: Sakho ’90

  • Spurs thrash Watford 4-0 to close in on leaders Chelsea

    Two goals by Son Heung-min helped Tottenham Hotspur thrash Watford 4-0 to close the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea to four points in Saturday’s early game.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after Dele Alli’s majestic curler broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute in the sunshine at White Hart Lane, an 11th consecutive home league win never looked in doubt.

    Eric Dier made it 2-0 six minutes later before Son added a third with a low shot just before halftime.

    After half-time it was pretty much the same story, with Watford only threatening in isolated moments through Nigeria’s attacking duo of Isaac Success and Stefano Chuka.

    Son further confirmed Spurs’ dominance by meeting Kieran Trippier’s perfect cross with a lovely half-volley at the far post to grab his brace in the 54th minute as the hosts cruised through to full-time.

    Harry Kane, returning as a second-half substitute, struck the bar with an injury-time free-kick – the last kick of the game – and Son might have sealed his hat-trick from his earlier pass.

    Second-placed Tottenham’s sixth successive league victory took them to 68 points from 31 games.

    Mauricio Pocehttino’s side are now four points behind Chelsea, who play at Bournemouth later on Saturday.

    They are also 14 points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, who have two games in hand and play at Crystal Palace on Monday.

  • Madu, Simon, Ndidi on Tottenham’s radar

    Madu, Simon, Ndidi on Tottenham’s radar

    English Premier League side, Tottenham Hotspur, is keeping close tabs on Nigerian youngsters – Kingsley Madu, Moses Simon and Wilfred Ndidi ahead of next season.

    The club scouts watched the trio in action during Nigeria’s 3-1 win over Luxembourg on Tuesday night, although they were second half substitutes for the Super Eagles at the Josy Barthel Stadium, Goal reports.

    Ndidi features for KRC Genk in the Belgian Jupiler League and has a contract until 2020, while Simon who boasts of six international caps for Nigeria, remains a player of KAA Gent till 2019.

    Madu plays for Slovakia’s AS Trenčín.

  • Tottenham stops Yahaya from U- 23 camp

    Tottenham stops Yahaya from U- 23 camp

    Tottenham Hotspur has stopped ex-Golden Eaglets star, Musa Yahaya, from the U- 23 National Team training camp, saying it is yet to receive an official invitation from the Nigeria Football Federation.

    Therefore, the attacking midfielder will continue practicing with the White Hart Lane outfit until February next year when he is expected to link up with the Flying Eagles, ahead of the African Youth Championship in Senegal.

    ”The Nigeria Football Federation has to send an invitation letter to the London club before it will agree to release Yahaya,” a source close to the Mutunchi Academy product told sl10.ng.

    ”NFF have to write to the club. Yahaya is not coming because Tottenham Hotspur officials are unaware of the screening exercise.

    ”Remember that he does not own himself, he has an agreement with Spurs, and will remain with the team till February.”

    The team coach, Samson Siasia, is aware that many of the invited players will not honour the call – up except they get green light from their respective clubs, mostly based in Europe.

    ”The Nigeria Football Federation is expected to send the invitation letters, without that the club won’t release them.

    ”We have done everything, by Monday the federation will start sending the letters to the clubs,” Siasia told sl10.ng.

  • Tottenham still wants Moses Simon

    Tottenham still wants Moses Simon

    Tottenham Hotspur officials hope to revive their interest in AS Trencin striker Moses Simon in the next few months after missing out on his services in the summer transfer window.

    But the English Premier League club faces competition from an unnamed Dutch club, whose identity is unknown at the moment.

    But allnigeriasoccer.com gathered that there is a Nigerian player currently on the payroll of the Eredivisie side interested in the acquisition of the ex-Golden Eaglets’ winger.

    Despite rumours that he is wanted by at least three English Premier League clubs, the London side is in pole position to sign the 19 – year – old  because of his manager  -Tony Harris connection with the club’s top hierarchy.

    It would be recalled that Super Eagles’ midfielder Reuben Gabriel practiced with the White Hart Lane outfit before his shift to Waasland-Beveren earlier this year.

    Gabriel is also managed by the British-born agent.

  • MIKEL BENCHED IN BLUES DERBY WIN

    MIKEL BENCHED IN BLUES DERBY WIN

    SUPER EAGLES and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel was an unused sub in the Blues 4-0 whitewash of Tottenham Hotspur yesterday’s London derby at Stamford Bridge.

    The Nigeria international who was in action for the Eagles in the midweek international friendly against Mexico’s El Tri was not considered for action by Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho as his side moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League courtesy of the victory.

    Two goals and a sending off in the space of four second-half minutes changed the complexion of the game, as the Blues extended their lead over the chasing pack in style.

    The home side came close to making the breakthrough early on as Eden Hazard rounded Hugo Lloris when played through on goal, but he could not find the back of the net, instead firing wide of the post.

    Spurs had a couple of chances to open the scoring themselves in the first half, as first Nabil Bentaleb burst into the box before poking an effort wide, before Sandro latched onto a clearance just outside the area, firing the resulting volley towards goal for Petr Cech to push wide.

    The first goal of the contest came courtesy of Samuel Eto’o, with the striker slotting the ball past Lloris having latched onto an error by Jan Vertonghen in the Spurs’ defence to give Chelsea the lead.

    Four minutes later Hazard doubled the hosts’ advantage from the spot, with the referee awarding a penalty after Youness Kaboul was adjudged to have brought down Eto’o, with the defender being shown a straight red card as a result.

    As the game edged towards its close, two moments of madness condemned Tim Sherwood’s side to a heavy defeat as Ba found the back of the net twice following more errors at the back.

    A Sandro slip allowed Ba to score his first, before Kyle Walker’s weak header back to his keeper was intercepted by the striker to add his second and Chelsea’s fourth of the evening.

  • Agent confirms Reuben at Spurs

    Gabriel Reuben has been training with EPL side, Tottenham Hotspur, his agent Tony Harris has confirmed to MTNFootball.com.

    “It’s true that Gabriel joined Tottenham for training and if the deal materialises, the intention is for him to be loaned out to a club abroad,” Harris told MTNFootball.com.

    “Gabriel is fully recovered and back to the form that earned him rave reviews towards the AFCON 2013 as well as during the Brazil 2014 World Cup qualifiers.”

    He added: “There are several offers on the table but the key thing now is that Gabriel starts playing matches and enjoying his football in a competitive league. I expect his move will be finalised soon.”

    Reuben ended his stay at Scottish side Kilmarnock on a mutual agreement after he requested for his contract to be terminated. He is in a late race to make Nigeria’s squad to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in June.