Sports
De Zerbi Can Finally Drop Gallagher by Unleashing Archie Gray at Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur have their biggest game since the Europa League final when they face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday afternoon.
Tottenham‘s Europa League final win over Manchester United just under a year ago will live long in the memory, but less than 12 months later they are in genuine danger of an unthinkable relegation to the Championship.
Spurs are involved in a three-way fight to avoid the drop with West Ham United and Nottingham Forest, with Wolves and Burnley already down and Leeds United reaching the magic 40-point mark on Wednesday night with their 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.
The north Londoners lie in 18th spot and two points adrift of West Ham and safety heading into the weekend, with the potential of Forest extending their advantage over the bottom three to eight points if they can beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.
It all means that Tottenham’s visit to the west Midlands is simply a must-win, with just five games of the season left to play.
If Roberto De Zerbi and his men do pick up three points, it would be the first time they have done it in the league since December 28, and would give them much-needed confidence and momentum going into the final four fixtures.
Gallagher Has Been Underwhelming Tottenham Signing
Tottenham were delighted to finally land long-term transfer target Gallagher in January from Atletico Madrid, with the hope that the midfielder would lead them up the Premier League table.
Instead, he has been part of the club’s further decline, and is yet to win a league game wearing the shirt, with their last win coming before he joined in December.
While he has joined a team that is struggling and with little confidence, instead of standing head and shoulders above them, he has merged in and has often offered very little on the pitch.
Having found his starts limited during Igor Tudor’s short reign, Gallagher has started both games under De Zerbi since the Italian was appointed, and his performance showed a slight improvement in the 2-2 draw with Brighton last time out.
Others haven’t been impressed with what they’ve seen though, including talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who suggested Gallagher is ‘absolutely awful’ and a Championship player.
De Zerbi Can Drop Gallagher for Gray at Wolves
Having started his first match in charge at the Stadium of Light, one of the big surprises of De Zerbi’s second starting XI selection was that Archie Gray was relegated to the bench for the visit of Brighton.
De Zerbi preferred Gallagher, Yves Bissouma and the returning Rodrigo Bentancur in the middle of the park, which was a slight surprise given Gray has been one of the club’s best performers in what has been a miserable season.
The 19-year-old has shown more energy, quality and commitment than many of his teammates, especially in recent weeks, showing why he has been labelled as a ‘future £100m player’ in the past.
With Gallagher largely still flattering to deceive, the trip to Wolves is the ideal opportunity for De Zerbi to put Gray back in and unleash him from the start in a game they have to get three points in.
Sports
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Puts Alexi Lalas in His Place During World Cup
Thierry Henry produced a priceless reaction live on FOX Sports after Zlatan Ibrahimovic put Alexi Lalas in his place on live TV following France’s 3-1 win over Senegal at the 2026 World Cup.
The trio have only been working together since the tournament began last week but there have already been moments of tension between Lalas, the former United States international, and his fellow pundits.
Lalas made headlines last week after describing British presenter James Corden as a “full kit w***er” live on TV on day two of the tournament, prompting a shocked reaction from his fellow panellists.
Since then, viewers on social media have been speculating that Zlatan and Henry have little time for the outspoken Lalas.
Zlatan Shuts Down ‘Arrogant’ France Accusations
There was another tense moment between Ibrahimovic and Lalas on Tuesday, following France’s victory over Senegal.
Lalas attempted to spark a discussion over whether the French team were guilty of being arrogant during the goalless first half. The 56-year-old made the comment after former USA star Landon Donovan called Les Bleus “arrogant” and “casual” in their approach during the opening 45 minutes.
“The reality is, if they are arrogant, it’s because they can do things like that,” Lalas said, highlighting France’s second-half performance in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice. However, Zlatan shut down any suggestions of France being arrogant, responding:
“It’s not arrogance, it’s confidence. Ignorant people will say it’s arrogance, intelligent people will say it’s confidence.”
Henry’s eyes widened and stayed that way for several seconds as the dust settled on Zlatan’s cutting response. Watch the clip below:
You scored
out of 20
France, one of the pre-tournament favourites, struggled during the first half against Senegal in hot conditions at the New York New Jersey Stadium. But Didier Deschamps’ side found their rhythm after the break and secured all three points thanks to Mbappe’s brace and another goal from substitute Bradley Barcola.
However, France only find themselves second in Group I after the first round of matches due to Norway securing a 4-1 win over Iraq. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, making his maiden appearance at a World Cup finals, scored twice at the Boston Stadium.
Ballon d’Or 2026 Power Rankings
Tracking the leading contenders to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 2026.
In the night’s other games, over in Group J, Lionel Messi became the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer after netting a hat-trick for Argentina against Algeria, while Austria sealed a 3-1 win over Jordan.
Sports
Ruben Amorim Wants Manuel Ugarte From Man Utd
Ruben Amorim could offer Manuel Ugarte an escape route, as The Mirror claims that the former Manchester United head coach wants the midfielder at his next club, AC Milan.
The Uruguayan international has struggled to make much of an impression since his switch from Paris Saint-Germain, having dropped down the team pecking order in the past year.
Ugarte’s struggles have been well-documented, and as Man United look to bolster their midfield ranks, he has been put among the players shortlisted for a potential exit this summer.
As they look to recoup much of the £42 million spent on the 25-year-old this summer, Amorim could give the Red Devils a much-needed financial boost.
AC Milan Want Manuel Ugarte
According to the report from The Mirror, Amorim is looking at a potential move for Ugarte this summer, with the hopes of reuniting at AC Milan.
It’s stated that Man United have slapped a £30 million price tag on the midfielder, as they hope to land a decent fee to move him on three years before the end of his contract.
As it stands, the Rossoneri are currently unwilling to match that demand, but talks are planned so that the two clubs can reach a compromise to get a deal over the line.
There is some hope that a positive World Cup for Ugarte, who is featuring for Uruguay in North America this summer, will help the Red Devils in their case to get a strong fee for him.
It remains to be seen whether that will be the case, but any move is likely to free up funds for the club to go back into the market for even better options.
You scored
out of 20
Man United’s Midfield Refresh
A transfer exit for Ugarte could help get the midfield refresh at Manchester United firmly underway, replacing a wantaway star with some quality.
Ederson’s move from Atalanta is already agreed in a huge boost for the position, while talks are continuing over the signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.
At least two additions to the central ranks are expected, but an exit for Ugarte for a strong fee could free up funds to add a third midfielder who could make all the difference.
Next Rodri: Man Utd Want £60.5m Midfield Star After Ederson
Manchester United are in the market for midfielders, with a former Manchester City academy player in their sights.
Links have continued for the likes of Alex Scott and Carlos Baleba, who may emerge as strong candidates later in the transfer window.
It remains to be seen if that is possible, especially with interest for a new left-back, backup goalkeeper, and a forward of some description before the window closes.
Sports
Why Tuchel Didn’t Call Up Trent Alexander-Arnold to Replace Tino Livramento
Thomas Tuchel has again decided against calling up Trent Alexander-Arnold to England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup, and his reasons for doing so have emerged.
The Real Madrid defender was excluded from England’s 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament in May, with the likes of Reece James, Djed Spence and Tino Livramento preferred.
Livramento had to withdraw from England’s squad just days before the Three Lions’ opener against Croatia after suffering a calf injury in training.
Tuchel again decided against calling up Trent to replace the Newcastle defender, instead bringing Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah into the fold.
Why Tuchel Decided Against Calling Up Trent Alexander-Arnold
Many football fans questioned Tuchel’s decision to leave out Alexander-Arnold when he initially named his squad, and many are baffled they have overlooked him again.
Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett has now explained the two reasons why the Real Madrid defender, considered one of the best right-backs in the world, was not called up.
He said: “There will be a lot of England fans and pundits saying ‘why not Trent Alexander-Arnold?’ – that’s a question Tuchel will be asked.
“It’s my understanding there are two reasons why it wouldn’t be Alexander-Arnold – firstly, we don’t know where he is. Could the England logistics teams get him here in time before the deadline?
“Also, Tuchel has left some big names out of this squad, Cole Palmer, Harry Maguire and Phil Foden. He didn’t want to bring them if they weren’t going to be guaranteed game time. So the England manager may have had concerns about bringing in a superstar like Alexander-Arnold if he was going to spend time sitting on the bench.”
⚽
World Cup History Quiz
You scored
out of 20
Thomas Tuchel Explains Reasons For Calling Up Chalobah
Tuchel has now addressed Livramento’s injury and explained why he decided to replace him with Chalobah.
He said: “Tino was of course very disappointed and sad. All of us were. It was a bit of a shock when he had to stop training and he had a feeling that this could be an injury that could cost him the tournament. He was unfortunately right after assessment.
“We got the information that it’s about four or five weeks, which is unfortunately too long to keep on rebuilding and reintegrating him into the squad. We took the decision to send him home, which is disappointing.
“We called Trevoh Chalobah, because we can free up Jarell Quansah as a full-back on both sides. Djed Spence can play as a full-back on both sides. Trevoh comes as a centre-back alternative, which gives us full coverage in the back four.”
England get their 2026 World Cup campaign underway on Wednesday evening when they take on Croatia at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
-
Sports2 days agoFIFA Forced Into U-Turn on Spanish Press Conference Rule After Backlash
-
Sports1 day agoUS Denied World Cup Visa For Mum of Cape Verde Goalkeeper Vozinha
-
Sports21 hours agoSaudi Arabia the Only 2026 World Cup Flag That Cannot Touch Ground
-
Sports2 days agoRafael van der Vaart Accused of Making Racist Japan Comments
-
Sports2 days agoFIFA Ban Pre-Revolutionary Iran Flags From World Cup Stadiums
-
Sports2 days agoManuel Neuer Breaks World Cup Kit Rules in Germany vs Curacao
-
Sports1 day agoEmma Hayes Praised For Using Drinks Break For Tactical Analysis
-
Sports1 day agoRodri Labelled ‘Salty’ For Cape Verde Comments After Spain Draw


