Jamaica international and Manchester City striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has achieved another remarkable feat in a dazzling career that has left her heat filled with pride and gratitude.

The 26-year-old, whose journey from humble beginnings in Spanish Town, St Catherine to stardom for both club and country, has been nothing short of triumph of talent and tenacity, and copping the Footballer Writers' Association's (FWA) Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2023-24, is another testament of her unwavering determination and indomitable spirit to rise above challenges.

Shaw won the women’s Footballer of the Year award with almost 80 per cent of the voters opting for either the Manchester City striker or Chelsea’s Lauren James.

James finished runner-up with another Manchester City standout Alex Greenwood finishing third. Yui Hasegawa, Elisabeth Terland and Khiara Keating completed the top six.

The prolific Shaw scored 21 goals and got three assists in 18 Women’s Super League (WSL) games for her side who are on the brink of securing their first WSL title since 2016.

“I am very proud and privileged to have received this award and to be recognised in this way is a special honour," Shaw, who recently did a season-ending surgery for a broken leg, said in a statement.

"I want to also thank all of my teammates. They provide me with the chances to score goals and I could not have won this award without them. I also owe a lot to Gareth [Taylor], the rest of the coaching team and everyone else here at City. It’s a pleasure to be part of such a special group.

“Many thanks to all who voted for me and to my fellow nominees. It means such a lot to have won this award. Hopefully the side can now finish off the season in style and give everyone special cause to celebrate,” she added

Meanwhile, another Manchester City stalwart, Phil Foden, copped the Male Player of the Year award.

Foden has enjoyed a fantastic campaign with Manchester City, scoring 24 goals in all competitions so far. He garnered more than 42 per cent of the votes with teammate Rodri, and Arsenal's Declan Rice, named as runners-up.

It is the second time that two City players have won the men’s and women’s awards. Raheem Sterling and Nikita Parris picked up the prizes in 2019.

Bayern Munich travel to Stuttgart this weekend and are ready to rotate their side with the Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid to come four days later, manager Thomas Tuchel said.

The league title has been secured by Bayer Leverkusen, and with the Bundesliga's top five clubs guaranteed Champions League football next season, Saturday's clash between Bayern in second and third-placed Stuttgart is not crucial.

"We will give a few players the chance to pick up some rhythm," Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"Of course, we will also take a few players out and allow ourselves to adapt the rhythm to Wednesday. 

"But that doesn't relieve us of our responsibility, that those who play have to fight and show grit there."

Bayern drew 2-2 at home to Madrid on Tuesday, a game Matthijs de Ligt missed due to injury, and the Dutch defender will also sit out the trip to Stuttgart in the hope of making the return game in Spain.

"Matthijs de Ligt won't be in the squad, as the plan is that he returns to training on Sunday, then we have got three days," Tuchel said.

"Jamal Musiala won't be in the squad. Same procedure there. Dayot Upamecano will try and train [Friday], so we'll see."

Leroy Sane scored in the draw with Madrid, after missing the last four league games through injury. The winger has played three Champions League games in that time and will be in the squad for Stuttgart.

"You always try to have a connection to the players. Leroy's been training with pain for seven or eight weeks, but is always available," Tuchel said.

"He has a high threshold. He deserves the utmost respect there. He's a bit short there at the moment because he can't train properly. 

"But he is in training and is coming to Stuttgart."

Bayern have 69 points, five ahead of Stuttgart with three games remaining.

Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Manchester United wanted to sign Harry Kane last year but were unable to bring him to the club.

The England captain joined Bayern Munich and has scored 43 goals so far in his maiden Bundesliga season.

United instead brought in Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta, though the forward initially struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League, failing to score in his first 14 matches in the competition.

Overall, the forward has netted 14 times in all competitions, with eight of those coming in the top-flight, but Ten Hag admitted that the club did try to bring in a more high-profile striker.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "This club can only have outstanding players because the expectations are so high. Manchester United is the biggest, or maybe second or third, biggest club in the world, the highest fanbase, so expectations will always be there.

"Everyone has an opinion about Manchester United and it can only be outstanding players.

"That's players who have all the skill set, that is the physical and especially the mental skill set they need to perform and contribute because we have to win every game. There's an expectation around every game from us so you can only fulfil that expectation when you have those outstanding players.

"But in the last decade and in this period, we couldn't always get the players we wanted. But then you have to build, and you have to accept that you get talent in instead of players who already proved it in the past.

"We have had some choices made with talents like Rasmus Hojlund. I can see a striker who already proved it, who we want to sign, and we couldn't get him. And then we went to Rasmus because he's a talent."

When asked if the unnamed striker he was referring to was Kane, Ten Hag confirmed that the 30-year-old had been a target for them.

He continued: "Yes, and you know Harry Kane will get you 30 goals. I think Rasmus will get there, but he needs time. It's not fair to assess him the same as Harry Kane. I would never compare two players because they are very different.

"But with Hojlund, I think we had the biggest potential in the striker position last summer, and we are very happy with him. But he also needs time to adapt, and we are very pleased he showed his assets in scoring goals.

"He had a very good period where he scored many games after he showed it, but before and after, he had some physical issues, which is normal for a young player coming up. But it has a negative impact on the team result and that's what you have to accept."

Adilson Malanda says Charlotte FC are working to deliver a full 90-minute performance against the Portland Timbers on Saturday, having seen plenty of points slip away from them late on this year.

Dean Smith's team have slipped to 11th in the Eastern Conference by winning just one of their last five games, drawing one and losing three.

They conceded a 90th-minute winner in last week's 2-1 loss to New York City FC, and late concessions also cost them in a 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati and a 1-0 defeat at Toronto FC in March.

Defender Malanda says they have focused on setting that right in training this week, explaining: "We know that's one of our problems right now, which we need to fix. 

"We cannot keep giving up goals like that at the end of games. It can kill all the effort we make throughout the whole week. It's tough to accept, but it's part of the game and it happens.

"If you cannot win a game, you have to learn not to lose it, because that has now taken a lot of points away from us."

The Portland Timbers are suffering from almost the opposite problem, giving themselves a mountain to climb in too many games under Phil Neville.

Portland sit 11th in the West amid a seven-game winless streak, last week's 3-2 loss to Los Angeles FC seeing them enter half-time at least two goals down for the third time in five matches.

"We just can't keep giving teams 2-0 starts and expect to win games of football, that's unacceptable and it's on me," Neville said.

"We've got to fix it and we've got to fix it quick. We will do, because we're so close to being a very good team, and if we learn that bit, we'll be a better team."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Charlotte FC – Kerwin Vargas 

Vargas opened the scoring for Charlotte in the third minute against New York last week, the 13th time Charlotte had scored in the opening 10 minutes of a regular-season match, tied for the most of any team since they joined the league in 2022 (with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Houston Dynamo).

The Colombian is one of only two Charlotte players with more than one MLS goal to his name this year alongside Patrick Agyemang, while he has also laid on 11 chances for team-mates. 

Portland Timbers – Felipe Mora

With four goals, Mora sits joint-top of Portland's scoring charts for this season, alongside Evander. 

As doubts persist over the Brazilian's fitness, Mora – whose four strikes have come from seven shots worth 2.03 expected goals (xG) for a 57.14 per cent conversion rate – will carry the Timbers' hopes. 

MATCH PREDICTION – CHARLOTTE FC WIN

Saturday's match will be the first ever between Charlotte and Portland, in what will be the Crown's 91st competitive game since joining MLS.

Charlotte saw their 14-game unbeaten home run halted by a 3-0 defeat to Minnesota United on April 21, but they have not lost back-to-back matches on their own turf since March 2023, when they went down to the New England Revolution and Atlanta United.

They will fancy their chances of getting back on track on front of their own fans, with the Timbers' current seven-match winless run their longest in a single season since 2014, when they went eight without victory between March and April.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Charlotte FC – 43.9%

Portland Timbers – 28.5% 

Draw – 27.6%

Wolves have taken up their option to sign Tommy Doyle from Manchester City on a permanent deal.

The 22-year-old midfielder has made 30 appearances in all competitions for Wolves after joining the club on loan this season.

Wolves have now exercised their option to make the move permanent, which will take effect on July 1, for a reported fee of just under £5 million.

Doyle has signed a four-year contract with Wolves, with an option for two further years, tying him to the Molineux club until at least 2028.

He previously spent loan spells with Hamburg and Cardiff City, before helping Sheffield United win promotion from the Championship last season. 

The Man City academy product also made seven appearances for Pep Guardiola's side.

"We’ve never seen Tommy as a player on loan, and he hasn’t acted like one," said Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs after the deal was confirmed on Friday.

"He’s gradually earned more minutes and become more important, which I think is an ideal first year. What he offers to our midfield is something different to the others, so there was a huge amount of inevitability to this.

"He buys into who we are as a club and what we’re trying to create culturally within the group. He’s a great player to have for what we’re trying to achieve off the pitch and he gives us so much on the pitch, so he’s the exact type of player I think Wolves should be signing."

Hobbs is confident that Doyle has a bright future in the game, adding: "If you look at the type of players we like to sign as a football club, they generally haven’t reached their ceiling yet and have loads more to come.

"Tommy is a fraction of the player he will become, with the more he gets used to the league and the greater his understanding gets.

"I’m really excited for now but also his future at Wolves."

Man City play Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday, but Doyle is ineligible to take part.

As well as expressing his excitement at joining Wolves, he reflected on his City exit, saying: "I’ve had many, many years as a City player, coming through the academy and eventually playing for the first-team, and I take great pride in what I’ve done for that club..

"It’s nice to close that chapter and open up the new one with Wolves and try to progress as much as I can and keep enjoying it.

"I wanted to have somewhere where I’m stable, essentially somewhere I enjoy, and I enjoy it here. It’ll be good to do it all again next season.

"It’s amazing. I’m really happy. I found out not too long ago what’s going to happen and it’s obviously very exciting for me, having enjoyed this season so far, and I’m looking forward to trying to better what we’ve done next season.

"I’ve known for a little while that there were talks, and the other day it was more official. I’ve enjoyed it here, everyone’s been really great with me, the manager, the staff and especially the lads. It’ll be good to battle in the league again with them next season."

Wolves are 11th in the Premier League with three games to play in Gary O'Neil's first season in charge.

"You can see the way we’ve played this season, some of our football’s been really good," added Doyle, who has played for England up to Under-21 level.

"We’ve been very unlucky with injuries, and it’s died out a bit the last couple of games which has been frustrating, but that’s something we’ll learn from.

"The club said they were happy with what I’ve done this season and, for me, I feel there’s a lot more I can give. We’re going in the right direction as a club, we’re progressing, so it’s exciting to be part of that journey."

Mauricio Pochettino admitted that he will need time to turn things around at Chelsea, but is unsure if he will be given it.

The Blues kept their hopes of a European place alive on Thursday with an impressive 2-0 victory over Pochettino's former side, Tottenham, thanks to goals from Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson.

Despite getting back to winning ways, the Argentinian’s future at the club is still subject to speculation as the end of the season draws closer.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Pochettino said he does not know what the future holds for him at Chelsea.

He said: "Maybe today because we won, I can explain a little bit better. I want to say enough is enough. I think all managers need time to translate their ideas and their philosophy. We need to have time, but it is not my decision.

"It's difficult to see every single week that I am under scrutiny and judgement. Yes, it's not my decision to be here or not to be here.

"I cannot tell you. I can say nothing. If we want to match the history of Chelsea, I think there is a lot of work to do. We will see if we have time to build this way.

"I am so, so proud of the guys, all the squad we have - 25, 27 players. I work for them. We want the best for them. Until the last day, we are going to work for them."

Chelsea were missing 14 first-team players through injury against Spurs but earned three points, which moved them above West Ham into eighth with 51 points.

Pochettino added: "Today was fantastic, full credit to the players. It is my first time in the season I really do feel so, so happy.

"It is the moment after 10 months the team really starts to realise how we need to compete. Today we competed really well against a great team.

" [We may need] some luck to have this type of result, it helps give belief to the players that this is the way. "

Aston Villa captain, John McGinn said that “everything that could have gone wrong, did” after their Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg defeat to Olympiacos on Thursday.

Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick for Olympiacos, netting twice in the first half, though Villa fought back through Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby.

El Kaabi converted a spot-kick before a deflected Santiago Hezze strike put the visitors back in control.

Douglas Luiz also missed a late penalty, leaving Villa with a two-goal deficit to overturn in the second leg next Thursday.

Asked what he felt went wrong for the Villans, McGinn, speaking to TNT Sports, said: "Not the game we wanted. We wanted a lot more control. We started the game well.

"They're a good side. We wanted a victory going to Greece. We showed we're capable of coming back.

"Mistakes all round tonight. We'll take responsibility, but it's up to us to go to Athens and turn it around because we're capable.

"They played very well tactically. They played the way we expected, so there were no surprises.

"Everything that could have gone wrong tonight did."

He added: "The manager was still positive in there. There's still a long way to go.

"We need to play a lot better than we did tonight, but we're more than capable of doing it.

"Hopefully we'll have a few players back. The onus is on us to attack Olympiacos and score some goals.

"We have a mountain to climb, but we know we're capable."

Two-time Women’s World Cup winner, Kelley O’Hara has announced that she will retire from football at the end of the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.

Between 2011 and 2023, she played in four Women’s World Cups, becoming just the 12th US player to reach that landmark, and three Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in 2012.

The 35-year-old finished her international career with 160 caps, scoring three goals, including a winner in the semi-final en route to winning the Women’s World Cup in 2015, and assisting 21.

She also won three championships, one in the now-defunct Women’s Professional Soccer and two in the NWSL, helping NJ/NY Gotham FC to their first title last season.

O’Hara said: "It has been one of the greatest joys to represent my country and to wear the U.S. Soccer crest."

"As I close this chapter of my life, I am filled with gratitude. Looking back on my career I am so thankful for all the things I was able to accomplish but most importantly the people I was able to accomplish them with."

Atlanta United are not concerned by their winless run in MLS, so says Caleb Wiley.

The Five Stripes have not won in four MLS games, ahead of a home meeting with Minnesota United on Saturday.

Wiley, however, believes Atlanta’s attacking play has been such that it is only a matter of time until results start turning.

“It will come,” said Wiley. “We are creating so many chances. I know it is frustrating, but the goals will come. We are not worried because we have the talent to do that [score goals].

“We know that it is still early in the season. We still have a lot more games to go. We have so much more to learn. That is what we are all excited about; that is what I am excited about for this team. We have so much more to do, and to show everybody.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s fixture, Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda said: “We have watched all the games.

“We have prepared tactically for whatever lineup or structure they present. So, it is about our principles and how we play. How we can balance their backline, and how we can create enough chances for our attacking players to be near the goal line.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Atlanta United – Thiago Almada

Almada has 11 goals and 13 assists in regular-season home matches since the start of last season, one of two players (Luciano Acosta) with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in home matches in that time.

Minnesota United – Robin Lod

Lod has recorded an assist in four straight matches, equalling Darwin Quintero (2018—19) for the longest regular-season streak in Minnesota United’s history. He is the first Loons’ player to do so within a single season.

MATCH PREDICTION: ATLANTA UNITED WIN

Atlanta’s eight-match home unbeaten run in all competitions (W6 D2) ended with a 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati on April 20. Atlanta have lost consecutive home matches in all competitions in nearly three years, since losing to New England and Columbus in July 2021.

The Five Stripes have won four of five all-time meetings with Minnesota (L1). The Loons’ lone victory was a 3—2 win at Atlanta in October 2017.

However, Minnesota are off to the best start in club history with 17 points from their first nine matches of the season. The Loons have won three of their four road matches (L1) after winning only three of their final 14 regular-season away matches in 2023 (D2 L9).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Atlanta United – 47.7%

Minnesota United – 25.2%

Draw – 27.1%

Daniel Gazdag says the Philadelphia Union must "run through walls" against D.C. United on Saturday, after he saw a personal milestone overshadowed by back-to-back defeats for Jim Curtin's team.

Gazdag became Philadelphia's all-time leading scorer on Tuesday, netting his 57th goal for the club against the Seattle Sounders at Subaru Park. 

However, that goal wasn't enough to prevent the Union from sliding to a 3-2 loss, just three days after they suffered their first MLS defeat of 2024 against Real Salt Lake.

While Gazdag was pleased to seal his place in franchise history, he was frustrated it didn't count for more and wants to make amends this weekend. 

"It's obviously a nice number. I'm happy that I've become the all-time leading goalscorer for the club. That's amazing," Gazdag said. 

"When I got here three years ago, I wouldn't have dreamed about it. I'm happy with that, I'll be happy in the future, for sure, but it's just annoying we played like that.

"After two games like this, we have to go out there and just run through walls to win the next game, it doesn't matter who we're up against."

Philadelphia sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from nine games, an identical tally to that accumulated by D.C. through 10 matches.

Troy Lesesne's men beat Seattle 2-1 last Saturday to halt a three-match winless run, but he says they are yet to produce a complete performance since he took charge. 

"With the ball, what we want to do is keep the tempo high," Lesesne said.

"We want to see out a complete performance, which is still something we're going after, and hopefully against Philadelphia we can have another go at that."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

D.C. United – Christian Benteke

Benteke scored both of D.C.'s goals against Seattle last week, moving to eight goals in MLS this season. Only Lionel Messi, with nine, has outscored the former Liverpool man.

The Belgian has also netted 12 of his team's last 21 MLS goals in a run dating back to late September (0.57 per cent).  

Philadelphia Union – Julian Carranza 

Carranza scored two hat-tricks against D.C. United in the 2022 season. 

The Argentine, who has four goals in MLS this term, is looking to break new ground on Saturday – no player in MLS history has scored three hat-tricks against a single opponent before.

MATCH PREDICTION – PHILADELPHIA UNION WIN

The Union have won six of their last eight regular-season away matches against D.C. (one draw, one defeat), scoring 24 goals in those matches including nine in the last two. 

They are favourites to preserve their strong record at Audi Field, having gone unbeaten through their first five road games of an MLS season (two wins, three draws) for the second time (also in 2021).

Since 2015, only the 2022 New York Red Bulls have opened a season with a six-game unbeaten run on the road. Philadelphia have what it takes to replicate that feat, with D.C. not winning consecutive matches within a single season since April 2023. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

D.C. United – 29.2% 

Philadelphia Union – 42.4%

Draw – 28.4% 

Aston Villa were stunned by Olympiacos as they suffered a 4-2 home defeat in the Europa Conference League.

On what the Villa faithful hoped would be a famous night at Villa Park, they instead saw their team dispatched by their Greek opponents in the first leg of their semi-final encounter.

Ayoub El Kaabi scored a hat-trick for the visitors, who were 2-0 up inside 30 minutes on Thursday.

Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby struck either side of the interval to restore parity, but El Kaabi sealed his hat-trick from the penalty spot before Santiago Hezze added further gloss with a sensational finish. To add to Villa's misery, Douglas Luiz then missed a penalty late on.

In the other semi-final tie, Fiorentina took a 3-2 aggregate lead against Club Brugge.

M'Bala Nzola was Fiorentina's hero in stoppage time, scoring in the 91st minute to nudge the Serie A team ahead.

Hans Vanaken had scored from a penalty following a VAR check for handball in the 17th minute, cancelling out Riccardo Sottil's early opener, though Fiorentina restored their lead through Andrea Belotti before half-time in a frantic first half.

Thiago equalised for Brugge, but it was ultimately not enough.

Bayer Leverkusen put one foot in the Europa League final as Florian Wirtz and Robert Andrich scored in Thursday's 2-0 semi-final first-leg win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma were masters of their own downfall as Wirtz opened the scoring after 28 minutes, Rick Karsdorp's horrible error allowing Alex Grimaldo to race into the area and tee up Wirtz to finish into an unguarded net.

Though Daniele De Rossi's hosts improved after the break, Andrich added a spectacular second with 73 minutes on the clock, the midfielder giving Mile Svilar no chance as he side-footed into the top-left corner from 25 yards out.

Roma should have pulled one back four minutes into stoppage time, but Tammy Abraham could only nod over from inside the six-yard box after a goalmouth scramble, and they now have it all to do in next week's second leg.

Leverkusen's unbeaten run for 2023-24 stands at 47 games across all competitions (39 wins, eight draws), and they are now overwhelming favourites to stamp their ticket to the final in Dublin.

The other semi-final tie remains in the balance at the halfway stage, with Atalanta being pegged back in a 1-1 draw with Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.

Having scored twice in La Dea's memorable win at Anfield in the last round, Gianluca Scamacca took in Teun Koopmeiners' pass before finishing low across goal 11 minutes in, but Gian Piero Gasperini's team couldn't hold on.

Chancel Mbemba was the unlikely goalscorer for Marseille, stepping out of defence to clip a 25-yard effort against the far post and in after 20 minutes.

Neither side could find a winner from there, meaning it's all to play for ahead of next week's return fixture at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo.  

Luciano Acosta has hailed FC Cincinnati for coming through a testing period as they look to make it three straight wins in MLS play at Orlando City on Saturday.

After going unbeaten through their first six games of the season, Cincinnati suffered back-to-back 2-1 defeats against the New York Red Bulls and CF Montreal.

However, they have since bounced back with two wins over difficult opponents, seeing off Atlanta United and the Colorado Rapids by the same scoreline.

Acosta scored his 44th goal for Cincinnati – the most of any player in franchise history – in that latter game, and he believes their resilience has been key. 

"I think it's just about our mentality," Acosta said. "We lost those two games and it was a bit of a punch that woke us up. But now it's about the mentality and getting back to it."

Head coach Pat Noonan said of Acosta: "I think what makes it more impressive is teams are going to try to prevent him from having an impact. 

"When you're a key player and you're able to do what he's doing with the focus on stopping you in a lot of ways, that's what is unique."

Orlando, meanwhile, were beaten 2-1 by Toronto FC last week, halting their four-game unbeaten streak and dropping them to 13th in the Eastern Conference. 

Forward Duncan McGuire felt the Lions should have taken maximum points from that game and is desperate to atone at Inter&Co Stadium.

"I definitely think we should've won," he said.

"I think how difficult this felt and how this feels for us right now is going to push us and motivate us to train hard all week, to get a win for the fans at home and get the job done."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Orlando City – Duncan McGuire

Maguire scored his fourth goal of the MLS season against Toronto last week – no other Orlando player has netted more than once in 2024.

Those goals have come from an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.7, with the United States international also attempting a team-high 27 shots this campaign.

FC Cincinnati – Luciano Acosta 

Acosta has contributed to at least one goal in four straight MLS matches (one goal, three assists). 

It is Acosta's fifth streak of four or more straight regular-season games with a goal contribution for Cincinnati, with Brandon Vazquez the only other player to achieve that feat for the team.

MATCH PREDICTION – ORLANDO CITY WIN

Orlando earned a win and a draw against Supporters' Shield winners Cincinnati last season, making them one of two teams (also the New England Revolution) to play Cincinnati twice in the 2023 regular season and not lose either match.

The Lions may just fancy their chances of another positive result against Noonan's men, who have only won one of their last three away games (one draw, one defeat).

Orlando have only lost two of their last 17 regular-season home matches dating back to last April, winning nine and drawing six, so viewers should expect a response to their loss last time out.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Orlando City – 49.3%

FC Cincinnati – 23.6% 

Draw – 27.1%

Tottenham simply have to put in the hard graft as they look to salvage something from what is turning out to be a disappointing end to the campaign.

Spurs' Champions League hopes appear to be fading fast after they lost for a third straight game in the Premier League, going down 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

Tottenham have four games remaining, albeit that includes meetings with Liverpool and Manchester City, and they are seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.

They were particularly vulnerable from set-pieces once again, with both of Chelsea's goals coming from such scenarios.

Asked how Spurs can turn it around, Postecoglou said told BBC Sport: "Just hard work mate, there's no major formula. We will work hard and make sure we get it right."

He added: "It wasn't a great night for us. We didn't play at the levels we needed to and didn't deserve something from it.

"We lacked belief and conviction in our game. I don't know if it is low confidence but we are not playing with the mindset we need to play the football we want to and that is something I have to look at.

"It is on me to fix it. That is what we will be doing. We had bigger issues tonight than set pieces."

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Tottenham boss said: "I feel like we've lost a bit of belief and conviction in our football and that is on me to change that.

"It wasn't about conceding the [first] goal, it was our approach to playing football and we were nowhere near good enough. That is on me.

"We've been in a bit of a grind for a while now, that is part of our challenge and part of our growth. We have to go out there and perform and sometimes you have to grind out. We were poor today."

Spurs defender Micky van de Ven, meanwhile, conceded Champions League qualification looks out of sight.

"It will be difficult. I don't want to look up to the Champions League after this game, it was not a good performance from us and it is important we play a good game on Sunday," he said.

Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, became the first manager to complete a Premier League double over Tottenham having previously managed them in the competition.

Chelsea are up to eighth, just three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.

"So happy and so pleased. So happy for our players," Pochettino said.

"The first half was fantastic. Then you have to contain and suffer. Tottenham have quality players. Not too much to say, all credit to the players."

Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson scored as Chelsea dealt a huge blow to Tottenham's Champions League hopes, recording a 2-0 derby win over Mauricio Pochettino's old club at Stamford Bridge.

Exactly eight years on from the memorable "Battle of the Bridge" between the teams, which saw nine Spurs players booked in a fiery 2-2 draw that confirmed Leicester City as champions, Chelsea inflicted more woe upon their rivals.

Spurs paid for lacklustre set-piece defending midway through the first half as Chalobah headed Conor Gallagher's free-kick home, then Jackson pounced when Cole Palmer rattled the crossbar from another dead ball 72 minutes in.

Ange Postecoglou's side were far from their free-flowing best and have now lost three straight Premier League games. They stay fifth, seven points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with just one game in hand.

Chelsea, meanwhile, climb above West Ham into eighth, just three points adrift of Manchester United in sixth.

The Blues went agonisingly close to a fifth-minute lead as Jackson raced through on goal to slot his effort under Guglielmo Vicario, but Micky van de Ven raced back to hook it off the line and Palmer could not sort his feet out on the rebound.

Chelsea were ahead after 24 minutes, though, as Chalobah met Gallagher's deep free-kick with a looping header into the top-right corner, the goal being confirmed by VAR following a check for a possible foul by Marc Cucurella.

Mykhailo Mudryk went close with a curling effort as Tottenham continued to toil, the visitors' best chance of the first half coming when Cristian Romero headed Pedro Porro's free-kick wide.

Ange Postecoglou cut an animated figure before half-time, and his side improved after the restart, but Chelsea could have had a second when Palmer shot over at the end of a promising break.

Chelsea did double their advantage with 18 minutes to play, the opportunistic Jackson heading into an unguarded net after Palmer's free-kick clattered off the woodwork with Vicario at full stretch.

Tottenham never looked like responding from there, and they now need a minor miracle to secure a top-four finish.

Pochettino haunts former employers

Having also overseen Chelsea's memorable 4-1 win in November's return fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Pochettino completed a league double over his former employers.

He is the first coach to ever beat Spurs home and away in a single Premier League campaign having previously managed them in the competition.

The Argentine's first season at Stamford Bridge may not have gone entirely to plan, but there may just be green shoots of recovery emerging in the closing weeks of the campaign.

Having endured a run of one win in 14 home Premier League games between March and November last year (seven draws, six losses), Chelsea – who face West Ham next – have now won eight of their last 10 on their own turf (one draw, one defeat).

Set-pieces costing Spurs

Tottenham have a set-piece problem. Arsenal ruthlessly exploited some slack marking from their neighbours to score two goals from corners in Sunday's north London derby, and on Thursday, it was two free-kicks that undid Postecoglou's men.

Prior to this game, Spurs had conceded 12 goals from set-pieces, excluding penalties, in the Premier League this season. Only Manchester United (15.3) and Burnley (14.9) had allowed opponents a higher cumulative expected goals (xG) figure from such situations than their 14.3.

They did not learn their lesson, Emerson Royal and Brennan Johnson getting nowhere near Chalobah as he headed home from a routine delivery to the back post for the opener.

Those fine margins could prove incredibly costly, with Tottenham now a long way adrift of top-four rivals Aston Villa with daunting fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City still to come.