Tottenham must "feel the blood" of their opponents in order to improve, says Antonio Conte.

Spurs played out a thrilling, full-blooded 2-2 draw with London rivals Chelsea on Sunday, with the visitors twice coming from behind at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Kane's stoppage-time equaliser was overshadowed by a touchline fracas at full time, with both Conte and his Chelsea counterpart Thomas Tuchel sent off.

Conte and Tuchel had both previously been booked, and the Spurs boss seemed to have taken issue with how Tuchel shook his hand after the final whistle.

While hopeful he will be allowed to take to the touchline for Tottenham's meeting with Wolves on Saturday, Conte has no regrets about the fierce nature of his side's display against his old club Chelsea.

Indeed, the former Inter coach wants to see more of it.

"Nasty? It's a step that I continue to ask to my players," Conte said. 

"We did a little step forward, but we need to compete this because to be nasty is very important.

"You have to feel the blood of your opponents. You need to win."

One example of that aggression possibly boiling over came when Cristian Romero clearly pulled the hair of Chelsea's new signing Marc Cucurella while the pair competed at a set-piece.

Fortunately for Spurs, referee Anthony Taylor and the VAR failed to punish the infringement.

"I speak a lot with him," Conte said of Romero, who will miss the Wolves game through injury.

"He's really strong physically and has no fear. He has to be really focused to understand the situation. But I speak a lot with him, we have to be strong in the right way."

Tottenham have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games (W9 D3), having lost five of their eight before this run. 

They look well set to continue that strong form, given Wolves are winless in their last nine Premier League matches. However, since they were promoted back to the top tier in 2018, at no side have they won more away league games than they have against Spurs (three).

Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard insisted Diego Carlos has "a part to play" for the team despite being set for a long injury absence.

The Brazilian ruptured an Achilles tendon during last weekend's 2-1 victory over Everton and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Signed for an initial £26million from Sevilla in June, the Brazilian's injury is a significant blow to both the club and the player – who will have hoped to push his way into Brazil's World Cup squad in November.

Gerrard believes there is still a role for the defender to play for Villa this season, however, and intends to use his experience behind the scenes.

"It's certainly a blow to lose a player of his importance. He had successful surgery yesterday, so it's important that we look forward and try to be positive," Gerrard said ahead of Villa's trip to Crystal Palace.

 

"Each day that passes he's closer to a return, and we'll give him all the patience and support he needs from a medical point of view.

"It's important that he stays in amongst the group because he's still got a part to play. That's something which is forgotten in football: injured players taking a back seat. I don't want that to be the case. I want him to be very much involved in the dressing room and to show his leadership skills."

There has been speculation Villa could dip into the transfer market for a replacement, given the injury, and Gerrard said the club are weighing up their options.

"It's something we are analysing, we still have three fully fit centre-backs and Kortney Hause is back in full training," Gerrard said. "We have time to decide if we need more support in that area."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he was close to phoning into a radio show when he heard criticism of Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag has got off to a dismal start at Manchester United, who head into Monday's clash with rivals Liverpool on the back of two defeats in their opening games.

A 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion was followed by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brentford last weekend.

But Klopp, whose team have hardly set the world alight in their two matches so far, drawing to both Fulham and Crystal Palace, said he has been angered by the harsh criticism of Ten Hag.

Using the example of talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor, Klopp suggested the reaction from some in the media has been overblown.

"It was obviously not nice for United after the Brentford game. We forget in these moments how good Brentford are, to be honest," he said in a press conference.

"I drove home and listened to talkSPORT and Gabby. He lost against us 6-0 my first year [Villa v Liverpool, Feb 2016], I couldn't remember him as a mentality monster on the pitch, but what he said about United on that show, I was close to calling in!

"I was close to calling in and telling him 'you have forgotten completely you used to be a player', it was unbelievable, and if ex-players are talking like this, you can imagine how everyone else is going.

"You then have to ask yourself 'how would you want to react in this situation?' You would of course fight back, that's completely normal and that's what we expect. The good news is when we play United it's always the same."

Klopp also believes Ten Hag, who oversaw a 4-0 win over Liverpool in pre-season, has a clear plan that he is attempting to implement.

"It's obvious what he wants to do, he wants to build out from the back. We played them in the pre-season [4-0 defeat in Bangkok], you could see and feel the high-press idea," Klopp added.

"We were for sure not ready for that game... we made some mistakes but they used them really well. The quality of United up front is ridiculous, I heard [Anthony] Martial can play probably, he played against us a really good game. Another boy with technique and speed.

"Football quality in midfield, who is it? [Christian] Eriksen, [Bruno] Fernandes, Donny van de Beek, Fred – Gabby doesn't like him I think but I think he's a really good player – and [Scott] McTominay so there's real quality there and it's just about how we deal with that, but again, these one, two games they played in the league, I saw them both and we have to try to figure out if he will change and if we will change and we go from there."

United might well have a new signing to debut against Liverpool, with the Red Devils closing in on a deal for Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.

Nottingham Forest shattered their transfer record with a deal for Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White that could cost the Premier League newcomers up to £42.5million.

The eye-watering move was completed on Friday, with Forest reportedly paying £25million up front and the rest being dependent on performance-related add-ons.

Forest announced 22-year-old Gibbs-White has signed a five-year contract and been handed the number 10 shirt.

It represents a spectacular show of belief in his talents by Forest boss Steve Cooper, who had Gibbs-White in his England team that won the Under-17 World Cup in October 2017.

Phil Foden was also in that side, with both the Manchester City star and Gibbs-White scoring in the final as England beat Spain 5-2 in Kolkata.

Gibbs-White had already made his first-team debut for Wolves at that point, having faced Stoke City as a 16-year-old in January 2017, but his Premier League career record shows plenty of room for improvement.

In 48 top-flight games, including 36 substitute appearances, Gibbs-White has scored just once and managed only one assist.

He was much more productive in the Championship with Sheffield United last season, hitting 12 goals and adding 10 assists from 60 chances created in 37 games, and must show he can carry that form into the Premier League.

Everton were among clubs interested in Gibbs-White before Forest agreed a deal with Wolves, and it has been reported Frank Lampard's side made a late move to try and hijack the deal.

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said on his club's website: "After his successes last season, it was no secret that Morgan declined to sign a new contract at Wolves, but despite that he has always acted with the utmost professionalism and gave everything for the team.

"Morgan leaves as the most valuable Wolves academy graduate in the club's history and will be an inspiration to the next generation of young players in our academy today."

Gibbs-White, who could be in line for a Forest debut against Everton on Saturday, had started both of Wolves' matches this season, though Bruno Lage's team have reinforced their attack with the signing of Goncalo Guedes from Valencia, while midfielder Matheus Nunes arrived from Sporting CP in a club-record transfer on Wednesday.

Bruno Guimaraes will not leave Newcastle this transfer window, says Eddie Howe, with the Magpies boss stating he will not sell his best players among links with Real Madrid.

Reports have suggested the Champions League holders are sizing up a raid for the Brazil international, who moved to St James' Park last season from Lyon, with Madrid facing the potential loss of Casemiro amid Manchester United's push for the midfielder.

Under Howe, Guimaraes has emerged as one of the club's most essential players, and is anticipated to play a crucial role in his first full season in charge.

Asked if Newcastle would consider selling the playmaker if a suitable offer was lodged, Howe was unequivocal that they would not part with his services.

"Absolutely not," he stated. "We're trying to build a squad to make the club successful over the next few years. We want to enhance the group, not take away our best players. He has been incredible.

"I don't mind the speculation. But Bruno has the ability to achieve special things - we need to give him [a] platform to achieve those things here."

Howe acknowledged a hope to conclude further transfer business before the window shuts too, after a surprisingly quiet period of activity from the Magpies.

Sven Botman, Matt Targett and Nick Pope have all come through the door at St James' Park, but further pursuits have been limited for the club, with a degree of caution to their dealings.

"I'm hopeful we can add a player who can make a difference," Howe added. "Time is running out, but I'm hopeful one can drop for us.

"If there’s another Bruno, please let us know. They don’t grow on trees. It was an incredible piece of business by the club.

"He came with no way out, no escape clause - he was all in from day one. He's an incredible person, a brilliant lad."

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has labelled Manchester United's conduct in the transfer window as "embarrassing".

United sit bottom of the infant Premier League table after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford, with unrest among the supporters being widely documented as they push for the removal of the Glazers' ownership.

Frustration has also stemmed in the transfer market, where United have struggled to land their top targets and have seen a hunt for a new midfielder receive widespread criticism.

Erik ten Hag's side had agreed a deal with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot but pulled out due to the Frenchman's wage demands, while they have chased Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong throughout the summer without making a breakthrough.

United are now widely reported to be pushing for a deal to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid and Carragher has highlighted how the difference between the three players shows the deep-lying issues with the club's recruitment.

"Just look at the Adrien Rabiot deal, which collapsed this week due to the player's wage demands," Carragher wrote in the Telegraph.

"If you are a club like United, you should not be pulling out of transfers - after agreeing a fee with the selling team - due to wage demands. Someone at the club should already know what sort of salary the player wants, long before it reaches this point.

"They have also spent weeks chasing Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, and now they are running around trying to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid. 

"From De Jong, to Rabiot, to Casemiro. They are all different players with different styles and ages. What is the plan here? Where is the strategy? It is embarrassing."

Carragher compared United's transfer approach to that of Liverpool's and the rest of the Premier League, identifying that time and patience is the key to success.

"You have to be patient and do things properly. Liverpool trust in the plans they have put in place, and that is what most top clubs are doing," he explained.

"When you look at United, it reminds you of a team in the bottom three of the Premier League, frantically trying to make a few late signings in the January transfer window. Top clubs should never be panicking like this.

"To be clear, I have very few complimentary things to say about United's current squad of players, as I don't think many of them have the required character or personality to play for the club. 

"But it is evident that their struggles are part of a wider problem, stretching back years."

Jurgen Klopp has told Darwin Nunez not to dwell on the disappointment of his home debut red card against Crystal Palace.

The Liverpool striker was sent off just before the hour mark of their 1-1 draw with Palace on Monday after reacting to a shove from Joachim Andersen by pushing his head into the Dane's face and will be suspended for the Reds' trip to Manchester United on Monday.

Nunez posted an apology on Twitter on Tuesday, and Klopp – who confirmed Roberto Firmino is back in training – insists the Uruguayan should move on quickly.

"Of course we spoke to Darwin, and his reaction was like the reaction is in these situations," Klopp told reporters on Friday. "He was very disappointed with himself obviously that it happened, we spoke to him, the things the centre half did [he] will not be the only player in the world who is doing these kinds of things.

"It's like that, if somebody makes such a mistake and you tell them 'you should not do it' then [the response is] 'yeah, I know'. It's about emotions, it's about these kinds of things.

"He apologised, which is absolutely fine, but we told him it's not necessary to be walking through the building head down, miserable stuff like this. We are human beings, we make mistakes and you have to carry on, it's all fine. It happened once and it's okay."

Klopp also addressed rumours from Germany that midfielder Naby Keita is unhappy with a lack of playing time and could potentially leave the club, with the Reds boss dismissing them out of hand.

"It's really funny when I have to respond on 'news', because what you would learn on my side of the table is how often 0.0 is behind news," he said.

"No, nothing [in the stories], absolutely nothing. Naby was ill for a week, last game on the bench, is full in training, looks really good, all fine. But not a player who is overly happy when he's not playing, but it's completely fine. Nobody came to me and asked me about that."

The German coach said after the draw against Palace he felt "like a witch was in the building" after several players were forced to miss the game with injury issues, including Joe Gomez, who was only fit enough to come off the bench, with Nat Phillips taking his place in the starting line-up in the absence of injured duo Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip.

Klopp did though confirm that Gomez is set to start at Old Trafford on Monday, saying: "He was really unlucky [before the Palace game]. He had a little thing, but I had to make a decision, he only came back to team training on Sunday.

"So yeah, big opportunity [for Gomez], he looks great in training. So he's back, he was in the squad last week, but now he's back in normal training and hopefully it stays like this and yeah, he will start." 

The former Borussia Dortmund head coach also warned against facing a wounded animal as he prepares his team to face a United side bottom of the Premier League table after starting the season with two defeats, including last weekend's 4-0 thrashing at Brentford.

"I would prefer to play them after they won 5-0, definitely," he said. "We drew two games so is it better to play us, or worse? I don't know, it's just the situation.

"I think the whole world will watch it, it's Monday night, and we will see how these two heavyweights deal with the situation. I would watch it. I will watch it, by the way!"

At 32 years old, Anthony Joshua should be enjoying the prime of his career, but in his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk on August 20 he faces the prospect of his status as a truly top-echelon attraction coming to an end.

Joshua, an Olympic gold medallist and maybe the most physically imposing heavyweight in boxing, will contest his 12th consecutive world title fight when he steps into the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with nine wins and two losses over that span.

The Watford-born star has lost before – in a shocking upset via seventh-round knockout against Mexico's Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden – which he proceeded to avenge in style, with a dominant unanimous decision victory in the rematch, also in Saudi Arabia.

He will be hoping the story repeats itself after his convincing defeat at the hands of Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September, as he again prepares for his rematch on the other side of the world, away from all the distractions of friends, family and the celebrity that comes with being the heavyweight champion of the world.

But Usyk is a very different proposition than Ruiz ever was.

Ruiz was a late replacement opponent when he faced Joshua, and it was clear the towering, muscle-bound Brit underestimated the stout, stocky Mexican, as he was shocked early by the challenger's power and never truly recovered.

With a full camp and a renewed sense of focus, Joshua picked apart Ruiz in the rematch, with the fight leaving even the most passionate Ruiz fans questioning how he ever pulled off the upset in the first place.

Usyk, on the other hand, is no late replacement for anyone, and he has been on the same path towards the heavyweight throne as Joshua since their amateur days. At the London 2012 Olympics, where Joshua collected the super-heavyweight gold medal, Usyk ran through the heavyweight division, and has since put together a perfect record in the cruiserweight weight class.

After building a record of 16-0, including going 7-0 in cruiserweight world title fights, Usyk made the decision to make the jump up to heavyweight, and after wins against Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora, he earned his shot against Joshua, and took it with both hands.

For Joshua, this time there was no lack of planning, and there was no reason to underestimate Usyk's world-class ability – in other words, there were no excuses. So how can he make sure the rematch is nothing like the original, and become a three-time world champion in the process?

Exploit Usyk's weaknesses

Usyk is a near-perfect heavyweight fighter, with power in his hands to sting anyone, while retaining the foot speed and agility of a much smaller cruiserweight – but like every boxer, he has flaws, and tendencies that can be exploited.

Without a doubt, Usyk fights best as the aggressor, taking the centre of the ring and marching forward to force his opponents to fight with their back near the ropes and nowhere to run.

But Joshua is the bigger (six-foot-six against six-foot-three), longer (82 inch reach against 78 inch reach) and younger (32 against 35) fighter, meaning he has the physical tools necessary to deny Usyk his desired position as the ring general dictating the pressure.

Also, in Usyk's two most competitive world title fights – a majority decision win against Mairis Briedis and a unanimous decision against Murat Gassiev – he showed his defence is far from impenetrable, particularly against left hooks and body shots. The left hook in particular, including feints, seem to draw out the biggest reaction from Usyk, who usually opts to retreat and reset as opposed to firing back a counter.

He is also far from a quick-starter, instead opting to remain relatively cautious through the opening few rounds as he measures his distance and timing, before increasing his pace and volume in the second half of the fight to overwhelm his tiring opponents.

If Joshua is able to hold the centre of the ring early, rely on his length advantage to keep Usyk on the outside, and make a concerted effort to focus on body shots whenever the Ukrainian closes the distance, he could find himself with a healthy early advantage and the momentum heading into the middle stages of the fight.

 

Identify what went wrong in the first fight

Both Gassiev and Briedis fought in an orthodox stance, just as Joshua does, while Usyk fights out of the southpaw stance – meaning Joshua will have his left foot forward, and Usyk will have his right foot forward.

In orthodox versus southpaw matchups, the fight is often decided by the footwork battle, and Usyk dominated in that department for all 12 rounds in his first look at Joshua.

Whoever controls the 'outside' foot position is able to fire straight shots to the body and head with their rear hand, while also being able to easily circle away from their opponent's straight shots as they try to punch across their body diagonally.

While Usyk has the advantage as far as foot speed goes, the problem in the first fight was more about Joshua's willingness to concede the positioning battle and try to punch his way out of it, which led to plenty of flailing swings and a lack of clean connection.

One way to dissuade the southpaw from taking the preferred position is to aggressively use the left hook early – to the head, as Joshua loves to do, but more so the body – as it will come from the direction Usyk is constantly trying to move, lean and escape to, while his southpaw stance naturally exposes the vulnerable liver area.

If Usyk begins to feel like that left hook is coming every time he moves towards it – or absorbs an uncomfortable blow to the liver – he could be more willing to hold a neutral stance and level the playing field, completely changing the dynamic from their first meeting and opening the door for Joshua's power and size advantage to come to the fore.

"In comparison with war, boxing is child's play."

Those were the words uttered by Oleksandr Usyk in April after he left Ukraine's front line to prepare for the rematch against Anthony Joshua, which takes place in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Eleven months ago, Usyk placed himself on top of the boxing world with a stunning victory over Joshua at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium – where he dominated what was only his third fight at heavyweight level.

The aftermath saw talk of a unification bout against Tyson Fury, while questions were also raised as to whether Joshua would walk away, but both of those discussions were irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

In February, Russia stunned the world with the invasion of Ukraine and citizens took to the frontline to defend their nation, with Usyk travelling back to Kiev to fight.

Boxing, understandably, was far from the mind of Usyk, who told CNN: "I really don't know when I'm going to be stepping back in the ring. My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt."

Usyk will this weekend put his WBO, WBA Super, and IBF titles on the line against Joshua and shoulder the hopes of a nation who have had to cope with unthinkable trauma.

Sport, in situations like this, is largely irrelevant and few would criticise Usyk if he were to struggle in his rematch given the experiences he has endured – but he may find extra encouragement from Joshua's comments ahead of the bout.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Joshua described the months since he lost his belts to Usyk in north London as a "nightmare", words that may sting Usyk's camp given what has transpired away from the ring.

Many would suggest Usyk, having been the underdog in the initial bout and still with limited heavyweight experience, has nothing to lose – but he would be the first to argue that is not the case.

In terms of preparation, Usyk, like Joshua, has made significant adjustments and, having been at the lower-end of the heavyweight scale for the first clash has bulked up for the rematch, while the Brit has done the opposite.

Joshua had the weight, height and reach advantage for the first bout but did not put it into effect, with it clear after the opening five rounds that he was on the back foot and his best chance of winning was a knockout – but he never pushed for a stoppage.

Usyk, now displaying added bulk, may look to be more aggressive and to take the sort of chances that Joshua passed up back in September, though that is an approach he has not shown yet in the heavyweight division.

The champion's past two bouts have gone the distance and he earned unanimous decisions but, in the heavyweight game, it is a brave approach to look to stand firm, as just a single punch can change the picture entirely.

With additional weight behind him, Usyk should be able to hit Joshua harder this time around, but the full force of his strikes may well come from a different source – the support of his nation.

Promoter Alex Krassyuk told Sky Sports that Usyk travelled across Ukraine to visit high-ranking army officials, fans and injured combatants while supporting the resistance of the Russian invasion, where he received significant support and backing to return to the ring for the rematch.

"People want him to fight. People want him to win. They all want the Ukrainian flag to be risen and the Ukrainian anthem to be heard throughout the planet," he said.

That level of support can inspire Usyk when he faces a rejuvenated Joshua.

We are just three weeks into the new Premier League campaign and already fantasy football managers are getting twitchy over their team selection.

While a number of big-name players have made a fast start to the season, others have yet to get going and some tough decisions have to be made.

Whether you're looking to make up ground on the leaders or consolidate your position among the early pacesetters, matchday three presents a chance to get points on the board.

With the aid of Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker for your consideration.


DEAN HENDERSON (Everton v Nottingham Forest)

David de Gea's shaky start to the season at Manchester United has coincided with Henderson's good form at Nottingham Forest, where he is spending the season on loan from Old Trafford.

Henderson conceded twice against Newcastle United on the opening weekend, but he starred in last week's 1-0 win over West Ham to give Forest lift-off on their top-flight return.

No goalkeeper has made more saves (11) or prevented more goals (2.2) in the Premier League than Henderson this season, while his save percentage of 75.52 since the start of 2019-20 is the best of any keeper to have recorded at least 50 saves.

 


RAYAN AIT-NOURI (Tottenham v Wolves)

Wolves are seeking their first win of the season at the third attempt this weekend, having so far struggled to find a way past opponents with just one goal in two games.

That is not down to a lack of trying from Ait-Nouri, as only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Cresswell (six) have created more than his four chances among defenders.

Ait-Nouri's expected assists (xGA) return of 0.53, meanwhile, is bettered only by Alexander-Arnold (0.97) and Reece James (0.48) in the same positional category.

 


KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Newcastle United v Manchester City)

Picking up from where he left off last term, De Bruyne has assisted a goal – and scored one of his own – in each of City's opening two Premier League matches.

The Belgium playmaker's three direct goal involvements this term is bettered only by former team-mate Gabriel Jesus, who has scored two and assisted two for Arsenal.

De Bruyne has been involved in 24 goals in his past 22 games in the competition, and he is one of four players to have scored and assisted in 20 different games since 2015-16.

 


OLLIE WATKINS (Crystal Palace v Aston Villa)

England international Watkins may be seeking his first goal of the campaign, but he chipped in with two assists in last week's victory over Everton.

The 26-year-old has now been involved in six goals in his past seven Premier League matches, scoring three and assisting three, having also ended last season strongly.

That form could spell bad news for Palace, as only against Liverpool (five) has he been involved in more top-flight goals than he has against the Eagles (three).

 

Albert Pujols produced a career-first as he blasted his 690th home run with a pinch-hit grand slam in the St Louis Cardinals' 13-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

The 42-year-old slugger, who will retire at the end of this season, came off the bench to deliver the slam at the bottom of the third inning to extend the Cards lead to 10-0.

The 374-foot blast was Pujols' 11th home run of the season and his 16th career grand slam, tying him with Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Dave Kingman at 10th overall, but it was his first ever as a pinch-hitter.

Pujols drove in five for the game, with two hits from three at-bats, as the Cards flexed their muscle with their fourth win in a row and 12th from their past 13 games.

The victory improved the Cards' record to 66-51, to lead the Milwaukee Brewers (63-54) by three games in the National League Central division.

Right-hander Adam Wainwright helped shut out the Rockies on the mound with seven strikeouts across seven innings, allowing only three hits.

Bregman career-high in Astros barrage

Alex Bregman led the way as the Houston Astros made an emphatic statement with a 21-5 barrage over the Chicago White Sox.

Bregman had a 12-total base day, going four-for-six at-bats with two home runs and two doubles, with a career-high six RBIs.

Houston scored in seven of the nine innings and tied a franchise record with 25 hits, while the 21 runs was joint second-most in Astros history.

Springer and Vlad lead Jays past Yankees

George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr starred to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-2 win over the slumping New York Yankees in a key victory for their American League Wild Card hopes.

Springer went five-for-five with two runs and one RBI, while Guerrero blasted a three-run homer in a five-run second inning as the Jays improved to 63-54.

Jose Berrios impressed on the mound with nine strikeouts across six-and-two-third innings, allowing two runs as the Yankees lost for the 13th time in their past 17 games.

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