De Zerbi Aiming High After Spurs Survival Fight
Roberto De Zerbi believes Tottenham can challenge for the title in the future. De Zerbi, whose first game as Spurs boss will be at Sunderland on Sunday, has signed a five-year contract without a relegation escape clause. Tottenham have not been relegated since 1977 but De Zerbi is the third man to sit in the managerial hotseat this season and even though he is focused on the final seven matches of a difficult campaign, he plans to aim high after he signed a five-year contract.
Asked about his relatively short spells at Brighton and Marseille, De Zerbi pushed back: ‘I stayed three years in Sassuolo and then I left (Shakhtar) from Ukraine when the war started. In Brighton I left for different problems and in Marseille maybe the same, (but) I would like to stay four or five (years), for a long time. In my plan, for sure there is the idea to stay for a long time, to try to put Tottenham – and I’m not speaking about the titles because it’s not the right moment now – but to put Tottenham to stay in the first position in the Premier League because everything is here to reach that level.’
Arteta Looks Ahead to New Deal
Mikel Arteta reaffirmed his long-term commitment to Arsenal as he has ‘so much things’ to win, with his contract entering the final 12 months. The Spaniard penned a three-year deal in 2024 which is worth £10 million a season, plus a further £5m triggered by Champions League qualification.
He said: ‘I’m fully committed here, I’m really happy and I feel good. My family is good. I still have so much ambition and things to do in this football club and for now we are in a good place. I think we will have time to discuss that. The full focus is on what we have to do from here until the end of the season.’
Van Dijk’s Emotional Tribute to Departing Duo
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has written a tribute to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, who will both leave the club at the end of this season. Writing on Instagram, he said: ‘Nine years… that’s not just a chapter, that’s a whole era. And when you think about everything we’ve been through in that time, it’s pretty incredible. We know all good things eventually come to an end… Through the highs, the pressure, the big moments, and the celebrations, you’ve been there every step of the way. Together, we’ve won everything. But more than the trophies, it’s the memories, the battles, and the laughs along the way that we’ll remember most. We’ve been through everything together, big wins and tough defeats. But no matter what was happening, when the whistle blew, we knew we could count on each other. You’ve both been more than team-mates, leaders, brothers, and men we could always count on when it mattered most. So thank you both for the effort, the commitment, the laughs, and the memories. Thank you for helping us win everything, and for making the journey even better along the way. You came as team-mates, you leave as legends… and more importantly, you leave as family.’
Pep Demands Consistency in Title Run-In
Pep Guardiola was bombarded with questions about captain Bernardo Silva today but had a message for his team as they now embark on the true run-in. That starts at Chelsea on Sunday – over 24 hours after Arsenal host Bournemouth. ‘We have to win our games,’ Guardiola said, speaking for the first time since Bernardo, 31, revealed he was leaving the club this summer. ‘Playing before or later, we have to win every single game. The situation that we are in in the Premier League, we need to win all of them otherwise it will not give us a chance to try until the end. We were not consistent enough, we dropped points. That’s why we are in a position that now we cannot do differently.’
Hurzeler Responds to Leverkusen Claims
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler says it would ‘take a lot’ to tempt him away from the club, amid speculation linking him with Bayer Leverkusen. Hurzeler has been touted as a possible replacement for Kasper Hjulmand, should he pay the price for Leverkusen’s struggles this term. But the 33-year-old talked up the links he has forged at Albion, who will continue their battle for European football when they face Burnley on Saturday. ‘I feel there is a connection, especially with the fans, a connection that we started building through the highs and lows and now we want a strong finish to the season,’ he said. ‘It will take a lot to take me away from this place. I feel this is a long-term project here, a project where we can be very successful. We need to keep working hard but the main thing for me is how is the relationship with the players, with the team, staff, owners and supporters. I feel really settled and I feel the foundation is really strong and really good that we can build something.’
Under-Pressure Slot ‘Feels Supported’
Arne Slot insists he feels support from ownership and fans at Liverpool after a bruising week in which his side lost to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. It has led some to question Slot’s future with the team needing a minor miracle to overturn a two-goal deficit against the European champions in the second leg of the PSG tie to keep their silverware hopes alive this season. But Slot, whose side now return their focus to finishing in the top five of the Premier League after a poor title defence, still feels the backing from the key figures at Anfield. ‘I am repeating myself a lot but I have said many times I feel a lot of support not only from the owners but from Richard and Michael as well, and as weird as it might sound I also feel the support of the fans,’ he said.
Expectation ‘Warping’ Newcastle Reality
Eddie Howe says he is focusing on the next seven games amid doubt over his long-term future, as he warned of expectation ‘warping’ the reality of Newcastle’s current situation. The head coach was speaking for the first time since chief executive David Hopkinson revealed last week that star players will have to be sold this summer, given the domestic and European financial rules with which the club must comply. Hopkinson also cast doubt on Howe’s future when he said they were not looking beyond the remaining matches of the Premier League campaign. The team are 12th in the table and likely to miss out on Champions League football next season.
