Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou played down the chances of getting a free agent goalkeeper in to replace the injured Guglielmo Vicario.
Vicario underwent surgery on a broken ankle sustained during their 4-0 victory over Manchester City last weekend, though Postecoglou suggested he was happy to play Fraser Forster when asked about the possibility of a new face coming in.
"No, that is not going to happen. That's why we've got a squad of players. I don't think us signing a free agent now is going to help us. If I hadn't named Fraser [Forster] in the European squad, that would've been a radical decision," said Postecoglou.
"When you're left with two and they couldn't play in Europe, then you would kind of look at it but unless something else happened, that's why we've got four goalkeepers.
"Young Luca [Gunter], who to be fair has been injured and is not ready, but Fraser I've known for a long time and he's such a strong character within the group and he's ready to play.
"Brandon [Austin] is improving all the time. Alfie [Whiteman] has also sort of been at the club for a while and whatever has been asked, the training capacity that they bring, we are more than capable with what we've got."
When asked about Vicario's recovery following his operation, Postecoglou explained that the Italian is going to be unavailable for the long term.
"It's not going to be weeks, it's going to be months. He's had surgery and with surgery, there are certain timelines and because it is Vic," he said.
"I don't like giving timelines so early in the process on something like that because it puts undue pressure on the player and also, maybe some expectations. I think once we get past the rehab stage, we will have a clearer idea."
Fulham player Antonee Robinson, meanwhile, is heading into the match full of confidence after claiming that Tottenham "are not unbeatable by any stretch".
“We’re going to have had a little bit longer break, us playing Saturday and not having a midweek game, they’re going to have a tough game [against Roma in the Europa League on Thursday]," he said.
“So going into it, hopefully fresh legs play a bit of a factor in our favour. If we’re on form and playing how well we can play, I think we go toe to toe with anyone.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Tottenham – Dejan Kulusevski
Kulusevski has scored two goals and supplied two assists in his last seven league games for Tottenham.
He finished with an assist in Tottenham's 4-0 victory over Manchester City last weekend, while he has also created more chances than any other Premier League player this season (33).
Fulham – Emile Smith Rowe
Smith Rowe has directly contributed to five Fulham goals this season, scoring three and assisting two.
His most recent goal was the opener in Fulham's last away game, in which they beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in November.
MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN
Tottenham come into this match having won 4-0 away to Manchester City in their last league game.
The hosts are sixth in the table with 19 points after 12 matches and have won four (L2) of their six league matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.
Tottenham have lost just one of their last 14 Premier League home games against Fulham (W10 D3), with that 1-0 defeat coming in March 2013.
Despite beating Spurs 3-0 in their last Premier League meeting in March, Fulham were winless in their previous nine (D1 L8) against them.
Marco Silva's side have won just two (D2 L2) of their six away games in the Premier League this season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Tottenham – 54.6%
Draw – 21.7%
Southampton – 23.6%
STETHS end title drought with 3-1 Ben Francis Cup win over Clarendon College
St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) celebrated their seventh hold on the ISSA/Wata Ben Francis Cup in commanding fashion after defeating dethroned daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College 3-1 in an entertaining final at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaieem Lewis (27th), Henry Johnson (45+2), and substitute Jordan Blake (90+3) ended an eight-year title drought for the Santa Cruz-based institution. Their last triumph came in 2015, when they secured a memorable double, winning both the daCosta Cup and the Ben Francis Cup.
This latest success adds to a decorated history in the competition, with previous titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Meanwhile, Justin Hayles (69th) pulled one back for Clarendon College, who finished the season empty-handed for the first time in recent memory.
Winning coach Omar Wedderburn is optimistic that this title win is the start of their resurgence for even greater ambitions in the seasons ahead, as it serves as a reminder of their rich legacy in schoolboy football.
“It feels incredible to finally bring this title back home; we came here today with a lot of heart, so we are really happy. It is almost a decade now since we won anything at STETHS, and I think this is the way to start. We have to creep before we walk, and this is our creeping right now because we have great plans for next year, and this will motivate our programme going forward,” a jubilant Wedderburn said post-match.
STETHS entered the contest with purpose, but it was Clarendon College who initially looked more threatening in the early exchanges.
In the 10th minute, Dameon Simms had an opportunity for the Chapelton-based Clarendon College deep inside the box, only to be denied by Johnoi Steadman in goal for STETHS.
The Santa Cruz outfit began asserting themselves shortly after, with Lewis narrowly missing the target in the 16th minute. STETHS appeared to have broken the deadlock in the 24th minute when Justin McPherson found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled offside.
Still, persistence paid off three minutes later, as Dantay Hewitt's pass found Lewis in the box, and the Trinidadian comfortably slotted home from close range to give STETHS the lead.
Right before halftime, Joshaine Beecher’s dynamic run on the break set up Johnson, whose perfectly timed overlapping run ended with a clinical finish past Clarendon College’s goalkeeper Marco Thompson to put STETHS 2-0 up at the break.
Clarendon College came out with renewed vigour on the resumption, with Justin Hayles forcing two strong saves from Steadman a few minutes in.
The pressure eventually yielded results in the 69th minute when Antwon McDonald was brought down in the box, and Hayles calmly converted the ensuing penalty to reduce the deficit.
Clarendon College continued to press for an equalizer, but Steadman remained resolute, denying Dusean Petgrave in the 76th minute to maintain STETHS’s advantage.
Though still in charge in the dying moments of the contest, STETHS showcased their composure and teamwork with a fluid sequence involving four or five passes. Substitute Blake capped off the well-worked build-up with a curling left-footed shot past the diving Thompson to seal the 3-1 victory.
Clarendon College’s Technical Director, Lenworth Hyde, expressed a mixed bag of emotions at the outcome.
“Such is the game; this year we have been in an out with players; we lost a lot of our players last year and brought in some new players this year. After we got knocked out of the daCosta Cup, we cut the squad again and brought up some Under-16 players to play as we build for next season. I think we tried, but STETHS was just quicker than us, and we didn’t make use of our chances,” Hyde said.
Over $1 million in cash and prizes up for grabs at Pocket Rocket Foundation's Six- A-Side Football Finals on Sunday
The grand finale of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side ‘Peace Through Sports’ Football Competition is set for Sunday, December 8, at the Red Stripe Sports Complex, 214 Spanish Town Road in Kingston.
After a thrilling set of semi-final matches, Medley Mixers advanced with an impressive 3-0 victory over Legacy, while Friends for Real edged out Legend 1-0 in a hard-fought contest.
Now, the two teams will battle for the championship title in what promises to be an exciting end to the tournament.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, founder and chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation, shared her excitement.
“These past few weeks have been amazing. We have achieved some incredible milestones this year—having the most teams ever in the competition and welcoming our first female player. The games have been intense, but what stands out is the sense of togetherness and community. As the competition wraps up, I am really looking forward to seeing what these teams bring to the finals. It has been such an inspiring journey, and Sunday is going to be a great way to close it all out.”
The closing ceremony will include the presentation of the Championship Trophy, along with cash prizes of $300,000 for the first-place team, $200,000 for the second-place team, and $100,000 for the third-place team.
There are also over $500,000 in prizes for Individual awards for Top Goal Scorer, Best Defender, and Most Valuable Player will also be presented, and participation medals will be awarded to the top three teams.
The event begins at 2pm with an exhibition match between the Hunts Bay Police and GraceKennedy, followed by the third-place playoff between Legacy and Legend at 2:40pm.
The culminating match for the championship title kicks off at 3:30pm between Medley Mixers and Friends for Real.
The competition, now in its ninth year, continues to make a significant impact by fostering peace and unity in the Waterhouse and surrounding communities. With strong support from the Hunts Bay Police, the tournament has helped to create a safe and respectful environment for players, spectators, and supporters.
“For us, this tournament is about building bridges within the community. It gives people a chance to come together in a positive way, promoting unity and creating stronger bonds. The Hunts Bay Police Station is proud to support something that has such a meaningful impact, and we are looking forward to enjoying the finals on Sunday with everyone,” shared Superintendent Damion Manderson.
This year’s tournament has been the largest yet, with 20 teams participating in 36 games over several weeks.
The Six-A-Side competition is sponsored by NIKE, AFIMI, Grace Foods, GraceKennedy’s 876 Water and Lucozade, FESGas, Rymax Lubricants, Dollette and Ken, and Sanmerna Paper Products.
United boss Amorim defends Fernandes substitution in defeat to Forest
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim defended his decision to take off captain Bruno Fernandes as the hosts suffered a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.
Nikola Milenkovic, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood scored as Forest inflicted a second straight defeat on Amorim's side in the Premier League.
Fernandes was one of the better players for United on the pitch and scored their second goal in the 61st minute to set up a tense finish to the game.
But the Portugal international was substituted in the 75th minute, with Mason Mount replacing him as United failed to find inroads into the Forest defence.
"Bruno was too tired and I wanted Mount to play that position of second midfielder who opens a bit on the left," Amorim told Sky Sports after the game.
"Joshua [Zirkzee] plays with Rasmus [Hojlund] to have combinations, [Leny] Yoro goes off because we can't give him too many minutes.
"We put Harry Maguire on because of set-pieces, to control more who was winning all the first balls, the only way to attack Nottingham was transitions, to try and win first and second balls. When Harry was on the pitch, he won all the first balls."
Fernandes was also denied by the woodwork from a free-kick in the first half as United dropped to 13th in the table. They were also beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
"It's not a surprise because we come in the middle of a lot of games," said Amorim.
"It's really disappointing for the fans, after so many times with disappointment, but we are here to do a job and will continue doing the same things to improve the team."
Meanwhile, their opponents moved to fifth place with another impressive victory and are now only two points behind champions Manchester City above them.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side have won seven matches and drawn and lost four apiece to collect 25 points from 15 matches.
Forest scored inside two minutes in both halves at Old Trafford to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City during the midweek.
"The belief of the players, believing every action is important [to scoring early goals]. The beginning of the second half was very good for us too. Composure was good. The team is growing, and improving. We still have things to address but it's nice," Nuno told BBC Sport.
"It's very important always to bounce back after a bad result. We didn't have a bad performance against City. Fresh leg made a difference during the game."
While United face City in their next Premier League outing, Forest welcome Aston Villa in their next outing.
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