Tottenham are "going in the right direction" despite their dramatic Premier League collapse to Manchester City, but Antonio Conte acknowledges they are "not ready" yet.

Spurs took a two-goal lead into the interval of their Thursday encounter with the champions, only to wildly capitulate in a poor second half showing on the way to a 4-2 loss.

It means they have posted just one win from five league games since Christmas, to see the club slip out of the top four and away from the fringes of the title race.

Defeat to City highlights Tottenham's shortcomings for Conte, but the Italian is adamant they are also showcasing growth despite difficult results.

"In this moment, we are not ready to fight for important achievements," he said. "There are other teams more ready than us.

"We are working hard and going in the right direction. In one or two years, we will win this type of games. If I have to compare this game with last season, we played much better today.

"The performance was good. We played with personality, we created problems for City. Today, we were really brave, but compared to last season, we are conceding too many goals.

"You have to try to justify the goals that we are conceding. This is a period we are not so lucky in. [But] you don't buy experience. We have to build [it] year by year."

Ahead of his side's game with Chelsea, Conte acknowledged he was taking stock of his career following the deaths of several close friends and colleagues in recent months.

The passing of Gian Piero Ventrone, Sinisa Mihajlovic and Gianluca Vialli has affected the Italian, but speaking after the full-time whistle, he insisted he remains focused on the task at hand with Spurs.

"I think that we have to try to understand that we are talking about two different situations," he added. "This situation is my personal situation.

"[There] will be time to make the right decision for me, for the future, for my family, but this situation doesn't affect the work and doesn't affect the team. I'm really focused."

Pep Guardiola took a swipe at Manchester City's home support and said he "doesn't recognise" his side on current form, despite battling to a 4-2 win over Tottenham.

City were booed off the pitch when two goals behind in Thursday's Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, facing a third straight loss for the first time since April 2018.

Ederson played Rodri into trouble and that allowed Dejan Kulusevski to fire Spurs ahead, before Emerson Royal profited from more sloppy play at the back to head in a second.

But City's response was just as emphatic the other side of half-time as Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland had them on level terms by the 53rd minute.

Star man Mahrez assisted that Haaland goal – ending the striker's three-game scoreless run – before scoring two of his own to seal a superb second-half comeback.

It marks the second time City have recovered from two goals down and won a league game this season, having also done so against Crystal Palace in August.

While the win moved City within five points of leaders Arsenal, albeit having played a game more, a tetchy Guardiola was not happy with what he witnessed against Tottenham.

"We have to prepare better. I cannot deny how happy we are but we are far away from the team that we were," he told Sky Sports. 

"Not in terms of play – we played good – but there are many other things, like competitiveness.

"We gave them the first goal. The second goal is ridiculous. There's nothing from the stomach, from the guts. We were lucky, but if we don't change we will drop more points."

Asked what was missing from his side, Guardiola said: "Passion, fire and desire to want to win from the first minute. Our fans were silent for 45 minutes.

"They booed because we were losing but in the second half we played good, we had more chances."

City have won the Premier League in four of the past five seasons, whereas surprise leaders Arsenal are chasing a first title in 20 years.

Guardiola's side still have to face Arsenal home and away, but the Catalan coach insists his side will not catch the Gunners unless something changes.

"Maybe it's the same with our team [as the fans]. Maybe we are so comfortable with winning four Premier Leagues in five years," Guardiola said.

"We have an opponent in Arsenal who have the fire. Two decades without winning the Premier League. Everything is so comfortable [at City] but opponents don't wait.

"I don't recognise my team. They [previously] had the passion and desire to run. We are far away from the team we had in previous seasons.

"Do you think this comeback will happen every time? It won't. Today we were lucky. If we want to win something or compete, then by complaining, complaining, complaining there is no chance we will win anything.

"It's my duty, it's my job [to get the fans back onside]. I want my fans back, I want my fans that are here – not my away fans, they are the best – but my fans here.

"They need to support every corner and every action, because Tottenham are one of the toughest opponents I've ever faced." 

Guardiola was at least more upbeat when asked about the display of Mahrez, who now has 11 direct goal involvements against Spurs, making them his favourite opponent.

"What a player," Guardiola said. "Before the World Cup he was on holiday. Now he has realised, 'oh'."

City return to action on Sunday with a home match against Wolves, with that match kicking off ahead of Arsenal's meeting with Manchester United.

Federico Chiesa has vowed to make an impact for Juventus after a "horrible year" that saw him sidelined with a long-term injury.

The Italy international scored the winner in a 2-1 Coppa Italia victory against Monza on Thursday, his first goal in 378 days after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament 12 months ago.

Juventus have endured a turbulent spell in Chiesa's absence, ceding their Serie A crown to Milan and finding themselves adrift of runaway leaders Napoli this time around, as well as exiting the Champions League in the group stage.

Like the Bianconeri, Chiesa has a point to prove on his return and is pushing to aid his colleagues after being helpless amid their struggles in the past year.

"It has been a horrible year for me. I am now focusing on training and getting back into shape," he told Sport Mediaset.

"Let's say I need to get really into shape, getting used to playing every three days. I was not used to it, but I am trying to give my all to help my teammates, seeing as I was unable to help them for a year."

Chiesa's goal gave Juve a much-needed victory following a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Napoli last time out but, while it was a positive result, he admitted better performances are required.

"I think against Napoli we played very badly, we weren't aggressive enough, and I have to congratulate Monza as well for their performance tonight," he added.

"However, we defended well, were aggressive when they reached the edge of the area and know we can always score goals at the other end, but we definitely need to play better.

"As I said, we need to raise the bar. Atalanta will be a fundamental game for us to get back to the track we were on before Napoli."

Improvements are not just limited to the field, however, with significant changes in the club's hierarchy after president Andrea Agnelli, vice-president Pavel Nedved and other directors stepped down from their roles on Wednesday.

Chiesa feels the club is united in pursuit of their goals, as they bid for a successful second half of the season.

"Along with the new owners we will try to take Juve back to where the club deserves to be. We do our job on the field, the club does its off it."

Xavi believes Barcelona have "no secondary players" among their squad, hailing their team effort after brushing aside Ceuta in the Copa del Rey.

A Robert Lewandowski brace, plus goals for Raphinha, Ansu Fati and Franck Kessie saw the Blaugrana sweep past their third-tier hosts on Thursday with a 5-0 victory.

Coupled with their rich form this term in LaLiga, where they have a three-point cushion over rivals Real Madrid, Barca look primed to challenge for silverware.

Former player Xavi, who has steered the club back to steadier waters since his return to Camp Nou, feels he has the team to pull off that pursuit successfully after their latest win.

"The team wants to win, the team is hungry," he said. "It is not easy to come to grounds like these [and win].

"We have been very professional, and we have shown that we have a great squad. For me, there are no secondary players.

"Here, we have players who have had important games for us, and who are going to have them. Marcos [Alonso], Jordi Alba and [Hector] Bellerin have been extraordinary."

Despite facing third-tier opposition, Xavi resisted the urge to rest several players days after victory in the Supercopa de Espana, and shortly before a return to LaLiga action against Getafe.

That included veteran forward Lewandowski, whose inclusion among an otherwise youthful team may have raised some eyebrows among fans.

Xavi was clear in his answer however, adding: "We did not want him to be unemployed for two weeks.

"He has shown us the professional that he is. For us, he is perfect, because he has also scored the goals."

One player not in Xavi's plans however is Memphis Depay, whose move to Atletico Madrid grew nearer on Thursday after the Dutchman trained with the Rojiblancos.

The coach suggested finding a replacement is more preferable than imperative, adding: "Memphis asked to leave.

"I don't know if it is official but he is going to Atletico. It wouldn't be a tragedy [if we didn't replace him] but it is better if we strengthen ourselves."

Dani Ceballos' late goal saw Real Madrid beat Villarreal 3-2 and complete a stunning comeback in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

Madrid were beaten 3-1 by rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday and found themselves two goals down at the break at Estadio de la Ceramica after goals from Etienne Capoue and Samuel Chukwueze.

But Vinicius Junior halved the deficit with a composed 57th-minute finish before Eder Militao prodded home from close range.

With the last-16 tie seemingly heading for extra time. Ceballos proved Madrid's unlikely hero as he lashed home to keep Madrid's hopes of winning a 20th Copa del Rey title alive.

Juventus claimed their spot in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Monza thanks to Federico Chiesa's sublime strike.

Chiesa, a second-half substitute in Thursday's clash at the Allianz Stadium, curled in off the post with 12 minutes remaining.

Moise Kean had given Juve an early lead but his effort was cancelled out by Mattia Valoti.

Kean saw what he thought would be a winner disallowed for offside, but Chiesa struck just after to settle the tie.

Nicolo Fagioli spurned a glorious chance for Juve in the opening moments but that miss mattered little as Kean headed Weston McKennie's cross into the far corner in the eighth minute.

Against the run of play, Valoti struck his third goal in as many Coppa Italia rounds to restore parity – Mattia Perin only able to push the forward's header into the roof of the net.

Juve's youngsters responded well, Samuel Iling-Junior firing wide and Matias Soule forcing a diving save from Cragno, but the hosts could not retake the lead before the break.

Kean came close to a second four minutes after the restart, bounding forward into the area, though Cragno was again on hand for Monza.

Juve had the ball in the back of the net after Danilo's shot deflected off Pablo Mari and against the crossbar, with Kean heading the rebound home, only for the offside flag to cut his celebrations short. 

The pressure finally told in the 78th minute, with Chiesa finding room down the left-hand side of the box and curling an effort in off the right-hand post.

Manchester City recovered from two goals down at half-time to defeat Tottenham 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium and close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Spurs took advantage of some poor City defending – with Ederson in particular at fault – through goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Ederson Royal just before the interval.

But City's response was just as swift as they were level eight minutes into the second half thanks to Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland, who ended his mini goal drought.

City survived a scare when Perisic hit the post, but Riyad Mahrez put them ahead and added another late on to move his side within five points of Arsenal, who have a game in hand.

Like he did in Spurs' 3-2 win here last year, Kulusevski opened the scoring after Rodri poked the ball into his path when put under pressure following Ederson's poor pass.

Emerson headed in a second for Spurs moments later after Kane won a tackle against Rodri and had an angled drive pushed back into danger by Ederson.

Guardiola opted against making any changes at the break, but his side's response was instant, with Alvarez firing home a loose ball after Riyad Mahrez's cross was not dealt with.

City, who left Kevin De Bruyne on the bench all match, were on level terms two minutes later through Haaland's close-range header after Mahrez headed the ball back across goal.

Ivan Perisic had a shot blocked right in front of goal by Rico Lewis, with the loose ball hitting the post, and that would prove a big moment as Mahrez completed the comeback.

Mahrez first fired a low, hard shot past Lloris at the Spurs keeper's near post, before capitalising on Clement Lenglet's poor touch to race in and double his tally at the death.

Christian Wood will miss at least one week after the Dallas Mavericks announced on Thursday he had suffered a fractured thumb.

The injury occurred during Wednesday's loss against the Atlanta Hawks, which was Wood's 42nd appearance this season out of 46 possible opportunities.

In his 17 outings since being introduced into the starting line-up, the Mavericks' key offseason addition has averaged 20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game, functioning as his side's second option behind superstar Luka Doncic.

While primarily known for his offensive ability, Wood has begun to become a more imposing shot-blocking presence, tying his career-high with 1.3 blocks per game, while trending towards a career-best season.

He averaged 1.6 blocks during the month of December, and has taken it up another notch in the new year, averaging 2.3 blocks during his eight games in January.

That 2.3 blocks figure would have him fourth in the NBA if he could maintain it over a full season.

Out of the four games Wood has missed this season, the Mavericks have only won one, and their next week of action includes fixtures against playoff contenders the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns.

Barcelona sailed comfortably into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals thanks to a second-half splurge of goals in Thursday's 5-0 win over third-tier Ceuta.

The Blaugrana started slow at Estadio Alfonso Murube, but ultimately had few issues in sealing a place in the last eight.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the second half, either side of goals from Ansu Fati and Franck Kessie, to ensure Barca's progression was routine enough, with Raphinha having put the visitors ahead before the interval.

LaLiga leaders Barca are well in the hunt for a domestic clean sweep after their Supercopa de Espana victory over Real Madrid.

Despite naming a side littered with top-tier talent, Barca did not impose themselves as well as might have been expected throughout the first half.

The visitors struggled for clear-cut opportunities despite posting an overwhelming 69.8 per cent possession figure.

It was a piece of individual brilliance that unlocked their hosts four minutes before half-time, when Raphinha curled beyond Tomas Mejias.

Barca doubled their lead five minutes after the break, when Kessie picked off a wayward pass deep in Ceuta territory to set Lewandowski up for an easy finish.

Fati capped a fine solo run with a deft touch to put Barca 3-0 up, with Kessie turning from provider to scorer as he headed in from Raphinha's cross seven minutes later.

Lewandowski got his second in the 90th minute, drilling low into the corner to cap off an emphatic win after Kessi, Fati and Jordi Alba had gone close.

LeBron James remained the overall leader in the third fan returns of NBA All-Star Game voting announced Thursday.

In the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo passed Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant for the top spot.

Los Angeles Lakers talisman James has received 6,506,682 votes and Antetokounmpo is now up to 5,970,196, which is 132,014 votes ahead of Durant in the East.

Durant’s status for the All-Star Game on February 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah is unknown as he’s currently sidelined with an MCL sprain in his right knee.

The top three frontcourt players along with the top two guards in the East and West will be the starters in the All-Star Game. The overall leading vote-getters from each conference will be named captains and then pick their teams.

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (4,718,218) and the Lakers' Anthony Davis (3,838,171) are behind James in the West among frontcourt players. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors leads all West guards with 5,151,822 votes, 246,167 ahead of the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic.

In the East, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (4,521,414) trails Antetokounmpo and Durant among frontcourt players. Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving (3,968,041) and Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers (3,851,233) lead in voting for guards.

Fan voting, which accounts for 50 percent in determining the starters, ends on Saturday. NBA players and a media ballot account for 25 percent each.

The captains and starters will be announced on January 26.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich as part of a slew of changes made by head coach Todd Bowles.

After an 8-9 regular season and swift exit from the playoffs, the Bucs will assemble a new-look coaching staff for the 2023 season with several notable departures.

Leftwich was among six coaches to be dismissed, along with running backs coach Todd McNair and assistant defensive line coach Lori Locust.

The Buccaneers have also lost three coaches to retirement, quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen among them, with Bowles plotting for the future after falling short of their objectives.

"We appreciate the hard work and contributions that all of these coaches made to our successes over the past four seasons," he said.

"As a collective group, we did not meet the high standards that had been set for this past year and my focus now is on doing what is needed to ensure a successful 2023 season.

"These were very difficult decisions but something that I felt was necessary for our football team going forward."

In the first of four seasons with Leftwich running the offense, Jameis Winston threw for 5,109 yards.

Tom Brady's first year alongside Leftwich saw the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV, but Tampa Bay lost in the 2021 Divisional Round, and signs of a decline started to emerge.

Injuries ravaged the Tampa Bay offensive line in 2022 and the team struggled to find a rhythm, looking at their best when forced to run the two-minute drill, where Brady stepped up.

The Buccaneers' turnover ahead of 2023 may not just be in the coaching department, with Brady's status uncertain, so a significant rebuild is on the cards.

Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman announced his resignation Thursday after six seasons with the team and four as its primary play-caller.

Roman said he is leaving to pursue other opportunities in a statement released by his agency, Athletes First. The 50-year-old’s job security had been a topic of speculation after the Ravens struggled to consistently produce points during the late stages of a season in which star quarterback Lamar Jackson missed the final six games with a knee injury.

"After visiting with coach [John] Harbaugh and after huddling with my family, I have decided that now is the right time to move on from the Ravens so that I can explore new challenges and opportunities," Roman said.

"I'll truly miss Baltimore, but at the same time I am excited to attack my next opportunity with passion and focus."

Roman’s tenure as offensive coordinator began with a flourish, as the Ravens set an NFL season record with 3,296 rushing yards and averaged a league-high 33.2 points per game in 2019.

Jackson was named the NFL’s MVP that year after setting a league season record for rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206) and leading all players with 36 touchdown passes.

Baltimore finished seventh in scoring the following season and sixth in total yards in 2021, but slipped to 19th and 16th, respectively, in those categories this season amid injuries to Jackson and the team’s top two wide receivers, Rashod Bateman and Devin Duvernay.

Those struggles were most prevalent after Jackson went down in Week 13, as the Ravens averaged just 13.1 points over the final seven games of a season that ended with Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Wild Card round playoffs.

Baltimore ended the campaign 28th in passing yards and 30th in touchdown efficiency within the red zone.

"Greg has led the development and success of a record-setting offence in Baltimore for several seasons," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "He is a tremendous football coach, as well as family man and person.

"Greg devised and led our offence to no fewer than 26 historical and franchise achievements. He established an identity for our offence."

Andy Murray does not believe night matches dragging on into the early hours is beneficial to anybody.

Murray came back in stunning fashion at the Australian Open in a second-round match that started late on Thursday but dragged well into Friday in Melbourne.

The former world number one reached the third round with a marathon 4-6 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 7-5 victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis.

At five hours and 45 minutes, the five-set thriller was the longest match of Murray's career and the second-longest in Australian Open history, as the Briton claimed victory shortly after 04:00 local time.

Murray, though, sees no benefit of playing so deep into the night.

"I don't know who it is beneficial for," he said in a press conference. "We come here after the match, and that's what discussion is [about], rather than it being [on an] epic match.

"It ends in a bit of a farce. Amazingly, people stayed until the end. I really appreciate people doing that, creating an atmosphere for us.

"Some people need to work the following day. If my child was a ball kid for a tournament [and] they are coming home at five in the morning, I'm snapping at that.

"It's not beneficial for them, it's not beneficial for the umpires, the officials. It's not good for the players. We talk about it all the time. When you start the night matches, these things are going to happen."

Murray's career appeared to reach a potential end at this very tournament four years ago due to his longstanding hip issues, and it is a testament to his determination that he remains capable of going the distance in matches.

But he acknowledged there could be a health risk from long encounters such as this one, adding: "Potentially. It's strange because the courts are fast.

"When we started tonight, it felt like there was no pressure in the ball. It's just difficult to hit winners. There was a 70-shot rally yesterday, which is not normal. [We] probably need to look at that."

Kokkinakis was blunter in his assessment, posting on Twitter: "This f****** sport, man."

Murray, a five-time finalist in Melbourne, will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round, having progressed to that stage of the Australian Open for the first time since 2017.