Tag: Tottenham

Guardiola admits pressure to win Champions League at Manchester City | Football News – Times of India

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LONDON: Pep Guardiola admits he has felt under pressure to win the Champions League since becoming Manchester City manager after they qualified for the quarter-finals for a fourth successive year.
The Premier League leaders sealed a 4-0 aggregate win against Borussia Moenchengladbach in Budapest on Tuesday after a 2-0 victory in the second leg, courtesy of goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan.
The Champions League is the one major prize that has eluded Guardiola since he arrived at the Etihad in 2016.
“Since the first year I arrived they told me that you have to win the Champions League,” said the City boss, who won Europe’s elite club competition twice as Barcelona manager.
“It is always on our shoulders but I’m not concerned about that. If you deserve it in football, you go through. If you don’t, you don’t.”
City, who have never been crowned European champions, are chasing an unprecedented quadruple in the current campaign.
They look almost certain to win a third Premier League title in four seasons, face Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday and play Tottenham in the final of the League Cup in April.
“I’m more than incredibly impressed and delighted for our players in this tough year for everyone in society,” said Guardiola.
“Being 14 points clear in the Premier League, in the final of the League Cup, quarter-final of the Champions League and going to play to get to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“This is more than winning one quarter-final or one last-16 game. It means that in nine to 10 months, every three days, you are there — and this is the best title you can get.
“Of course for the prestige for all of us, because we are here to win like all other clubs, we have to try in the end to lift some titles,” added the 50-year-old Catalan.
City already had one foot in the last eight before they returned to the Hungarian capital to complete the job they started against Moenchengladbach at the same venue three weeks ago.
Early strikes from De Bruyne and Gundogan put the match beyond the reach of the Bundesliga club.
The matches were moved to Budapest because of coronavirus travel restrictions.

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Premier League: Tottenham edge past Fulham thanks to Tosin Adarabioyo own goal | Football News – Times of India

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LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur rode their luck in the quest for a top-four finish in the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Fulham on Thursday thanks to an own-goal by Tosin Adarabioyo and the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Victory dragged Tottenham back into the race for a Champions League spot with Jose Mourinho‘s eighth-placed side on 42 points from 26 matches, four points behind Everton in fourth, ahead of Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace.
“In this period we need three points. Fulham are a very good team,” Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld told BT Sport. “We should be better on the ball but without it we did everything we could to keep a clean sheet.”
Seconds after an unmarked Harry Kane failed to head his team in front, Tottenham took the lead from a quick counter-attack in the 19th minute when Son Heung-min’s cross was met by Dele Alli before going over the line following a touch by Adarabioyo.
Fulham began the second half brightly and thought they had equalised through Josh Maja but his effort was chalked off by VAR after Davinson Sanchez kicked the ball onto Mario Lemina’s hand as Tottenham looked to clear.
“For the players and maybe referees it’s a difficult one because some are high intensity and not on purpose but they get given,” Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg said.
“As players I think what we wish is some kind of consistency in the reviews with the handball situations but I haven’t seen it so I can’t say if it was on or not.”
Midfielder Alli looked sharp in his first league start since the opening day of the season and combined well with Son late in the first half, but the forward was unable to head in the England international’s cross from a tight angle.
Fulham pushed on after going behind as Antonee Robinson weaved his way into Spurs’ penalty area in the dying seconds of the first half and found Maja who set up Lemina, but the Gabon midfielder’s shot flew over the crossbar.
Fulham stayed 18th in the table and deep in relegation trouble, three points behind Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion.

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