Chelsea have issued a statement to describe the conflict in Ukraine as "horrific and devastating" and say they are "praying for peace".

Russia's invasion of its neighbour entered its fourth day on Sunday, with heavy fighting reported in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Chelsea's first public comment on the crisis came hours before they were due to face Liverpool in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

"The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating," the statement said.

"Chelsea FC's thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace."

A day earlier, Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich announced he was handing over "stewardship" of the club to the trustees of the Chelsea Foundation.

Abramovich's name was mentioned in the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament this week as politicians discussed possible sanctions against the Russian state and high-profile individuals in response to the Ukraine invasion.

"During my nearly 20-year ownership of Chelsea FC, I have always viewed my role as a custodian of the club, whose job it is ensuring that we are as successful as we can be today, as well as build for the future, while also playing a positive role in our communities," Abramovich said.

"I have always taken decisions with the club's best interest at heart. I remain committed to these values. That is why I am today giving trustees of Chelsea's charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC.

"I believe that currently they are in the best position to look after the interests of the club, players, staff, and fans."

 

 

Leeds United are being drawn into the relegation battle, mounting pressure on manager Marcelo Bielsa.

The Whites enjoyed a top-half finish in their return to the Premier League last season but have struggled this term.

Leeds have managed one point from their past six league games, conceding 20 goals in their past five.

TOP STORY – BIELSA EXITS STRUGGLING LEEDS

The Sun claims Marcelo Bielsa has quit as Leeds United manager with ex-RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch set to replace him.

Bielsa resigned after Leeds were hammered 4-0 by Tottenham on Saturday, having conceded 14 goals in their past three league games.

The Argentinean's exit from Elland Road is being thrashed out between lawyers, with Fabrizio Romano claiming that Marsch – who left Leipzig in December and previously managed Salzburg and New York Red Bulls – is the favourite to take over.

ROUND-UP

- Chelsea have slapped a £50million price tag on goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who is wanted by Newcastle United, reports the Daily Star. The Blues signed Kepa in 2018 as the most expensive goalkeeper in history.

Manchester United are lining up two young talents according to the Mirror. The Red Devils are set to table bids for PSV's Cody Gakpo and Sporting CP's Joao Palhinha.

Liverpool target Darwin Nunez is interested in joining the Reds according to Football Insider. The 22-year-old Uruguay international is currently with Benfica.

- Mundo Deportivo claims Barcelona are ahead of Bayern Munich in the race to sign Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen.

Christian Eriksen said he was a "happy man" after making his long-awaited return to football in Brentford's 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United, having suffered a near-fatal cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 fixture last June.

The Denmark midfielder joined Brentford on a free transfer in January after leaving Serie A champions Inter, having suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during his country's Euro 2020 group-stage fixture against Finland in Copenhagen.

Eriksen received a standing ovation from both sets of fans when he was introduced as a second-half substitute against the Magpies, 766 days after making his last Premier League appearance, which came for Tottenham against Norwich City in January 2020. 

The timing of his return was not entirely ideal, with the Bees finding themselves down to 10 men after Josh DaSilva's early dismissal, and 2-0 down through Joelinton and Joe Willock goals, a scoreline that remained the same as Brentford's winless run was extended to eight Premier League games.

But, speaking to the BBC after game, Eriksen said he was thrilled to be back in action.

"If you take away the result, I'm one happy man," Eriksen told BBC Sport. 

"To go through what I've been through, being back is a wonderful feeling.

"Thomas [Frank] didn't say much [before the substitution]. I've been speaking to him every day for the last few weeks, he just said 'good luck and enjoy the game'.

"I don't think anyone predicted we'd be down to 10 men so early. The guys did what they could. It was a good fight in the end.

"It [the fans' reception] has been very special since day one. They have taken good care of me. Everyone's been really happy about it, and everyone's been really helpful.

"Everyone is here. My family, my parents, my kids, my mother-in-law, and some doctors who have been helping me. What they've been through is even tougher than what I've been through."

 

Eriksen made over 300 appearances for Tottenham in his last spell in the Premier League, scoring 69 goals in a successful six-and-a-half year stint.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank, meanwhile, said the 30-year-old's return to the pitch was a great moment for everyone in football, and is sure the attacking midfielder, who has 109 caps for his nation, will aid his side's fight to remain in the division.

"I think for everyone in football, it was a big moment," Frank said.

"He got a big reception, from the Newcastle fans and all our fans, and it was big for Christian and his family. It was nice to see, and hopefully now he can talk with his feet and speak only about football.

"I've been privileged to see him in training over the last three weeks, and you saw some glimpses of brilliance.

"I'm convinced, 100 per cent, he will help us going forward. He's a top, top player and he's going to add a lot of value to our team."

It is not uncommon for second-choice goalkeepers to be given minutes in the early rounds of cup competitions, only for the number one to return when it comes down to the crunch.

Yet for Kepa Arrizabalaga, that will almost certainly not be the case.

Signed in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6million (€80m), which is still a record fee for a goalkeeper, Kepa undoubtedly struggled in his first few seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, Kepa's form was so worrying that Chelsea, then managed by club great Frank Lampard, decided to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes in 2020, just two years after shelling out that record-setting fee.

Yet since Thomas Tuchel came into the club, Kepa has been given a new lease of life.

While Mendy has solidified his place as the number one, Kepa has stepped up when called upon.

The nervous, shaky youngster has made way for a player who once again seems confident in his own ability and his right to play for the European champions.

With Mendy staying as the first choice in the Premier League and Champions League, for now, Kepa has nailed down a starting spot in the domestic cup competitions, and looks set to start against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.

Should he turn in another match-winning display, as he did in the UEFA Super Cup last year, then Tuchel may well have a decision to make on just who is his first choice after all.

What went wrong?

Kepa's move to Chelsea came in the same window that Liverpool had splashed out on Alisson, and there was plenty of expectation on both goalkeepers.

But while Alisson thrived under the pressure, going on to help Liverpool win the Champions League and then the Premier League a year later, Kepa crumbled.

The Spaniard also made headlines when he refused to be subbed off before a penalty shoot-out in, ironically, the EFL Cup final. Maurizio Sarri's side lost to Manchester City.

Across 36 league appearances that season, Kepa conceded 39 goals. Eight of these came from shots outside the box, with only five goalkeepers conceding more long-range efforts. His overall save percentage was 67.77, ranking him 15th in the competition.

Another way to assess the quality of Kepa's shot-stopping is by using the expected goals on target (xGOT) model to calculate the number of goals Kepa actually prevented. xGOT measures not just the quality of a chance (xG) but the quality of the attempt itself.

Kepa's Premier League xGOT figure for 2018-19 was 37.1. Minus the 39 goals he conceded, Kepa essentially allowed in just over two more goals than the numbers would suggest (-1.9).

In comparison, Alisson finished the season having prevented 5.5 goals in the league through the quality of his saves, while West Ham's Lukasz Fabianski, for example, had an outstanding figure of 12.9. 

Yet it was in 2019-20 that Kepa's form truly dropped off. He conceded 47 times from 33 league appearances, with only seven goalkeepers allowing more goals. His save percentage of 53.47 was the poorest in the league, out of shot-stoppers to play at least 10 times, while his goals prevented figure was -10.7 (including penalties, but excluding own goals).

 

Chelsea claimed a top-four place and reached the FA Cup final, yet it was Willy Caballero, not Kepa, who helped them get to a Wembley showdown and, at the start of 2020-21, they drafted in Mendy from Rennes.

Turning point

Things hardly improved for Kepa at the start of 2020-21. Across the Premier League season, no goalkeeper made more errors leading to goals than the Spain international, who committed three such mistakes in just seven appearances.

All of those mistakes came in his first three league appearances of the season, and he did not feature again in the top flight under Lampard, next playing in February. He made four saves, including an impressive stop from Joe Willock late on, as Tuchel's team defeated Newcastle United 2-0.

That, perhaps, was the start of Kepa's resurgence. Chelsea again reached the final of the FA Cup, and again lost - this time to a Youri Tielemans stunner for Leicester City - but Kepa played in all six of those cup matches.

However, the true turning point came in August's Super Cup. Tuchel's side triumphed 6-5 on penalties over Europa League winners Villarreal following a 1-1 draw in Belfast, and Kepa was the hero.

In contrast to that 2019 EFL Cup final, Kepa was the goalkeeper brought on specifically for penalties this time, and he denied Aissa Mandi and Raul Albiol to ensure victory.

Back at his best?

Perhaps Kepa will need to move on to be a first-choice goalkeeper once again. After all, at 27 he can no longer be counted as a youngster, and as it stands Mendy is still Tuchel's number one.

Though Kepa will get his chance in Sunday's EFL Cup final, surely, to help Chelsea claim a third trophy of the season, following the Super Cup and the Club World Cup, in which he featured in the semi-final.

Since that Super Cup success, Kepa has been a consistent performer. In his 13 games across all competitions, he has conceded just eight goals, keeping six clean sheets.

Those eight goals have come from an xGOT of 18.5, meaning Kepa's "goals prevented" figure is now way into the black, at 10.5.

 

In fact, that figure is the best of any goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues in all competitions, proving just how much Kepa has come on over the course of the last year.

Mendy, in comparison, has stopped just over three goals with his saves, while Kepa also holds a better save percentage (83.7 to Mendy's 77.4), and he has established himself as worthy competition.

It may not be what Chelsea had in mind when they paid that world record fee in 2018, but if he helps them to another piece of silverware on Sunday, it would be hard to argue he is not starting to prove his worth.

Pep Guardiola has thanked Everton for their pro-Ukraine gestures prior to Saturday's Premier League match at Goodison Park.

Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and attacks have continued in the two days since, with fighting reaching the capital of Kyiv.

Both City and Everton named a Ukrainian player on the bench, with Vitaliy Mykolenko among the hosts' substitutes and Oleksandr Zinchenko present for the visitors.

Zinchenko was spotted at a rally in Manchester on Thursday as he protested Russia's attack on his home nation, and he received a touching reception from Everton fans during the warm-up.

He and Mykolenko also shared an embrace on the pitch before the match, while Everton fans unfurled pro-Ukraine banners in the stands.

Everton also opted to drop their use of an air-raid siren as the teams entered the field, with the sound used in recent seasons to boost the atmosphere in the stadium.

City players donned white T-shirts bearing the Ukraine flag and the slogan 'no war' written across it – the Everton starting XI took to the pitch draped in flags.

City won the game 1-0 thanks to a late Phil Foden goal, but much of the pre-match focus remained on the emotional scenes.

"I said on behalf of Manchester City thank you so much for the lovely gesture for Aleks and their player and the concern that happened," Guardiola told reporters.

"The concern is all around the world and I'm pretty sure the UK showed what a strange situation it is when people send innocent people that don't hate each other in Ukraine and Russia to kill each other because one guy at home decides to do it.

"Hopefully it can be resolved soon and there are no more victims in this conflict."

Manchester City avoided giving Liverpool further encouragement in the Premier League title race as Phil Foden's late winner rescued a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.

Pep Guardiola's were seemingly struggling to bounce back from their 3-2 home defeat by Tottenham last weekend, but Foden struck eight minutes from time to time to ensure the champions went six points clear again.

Everton were more dangerous in the first half but could not make the most of their opportunities.

City were initially having similar struggles until Foden pounced on Michael Keane's defensive error, and the visitors somehow escaped a late penalty concession when Rodri was not penalised for handball in the area.

Pre-match focus at Goodison Park centred on tributes to Ukraine amid Russia's ongoing invasion, with the public's reaction all the more poignant in the presence of Ukraine internationals Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko.

The contest itself took a little while to capture the imagination, but it was Everton who first went close, with Jonjoe Kenny slamming into the side-netting.

Richarlison should have done better with a close-range snapshot shortly after, hammering it straight at Ederson, who then watched Anthony Gordon's 25-yard free-kick fly agonisingly over on the stroke of half-time.

City livened up at the other end in the second half as Foden, Joao Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva all tested Jordan Pickford in a short period.

But he was helpless as Foden capitalised on Keane's inability to cut out a deflected pass to break the deadlock.

Everton might have been given the chance to level from the spot, but neither referee Paul Tierney nor the VAR felt the need to punish Rodri for handling in City's box.

Ralf Rangnick criticised Manchester United's sharpness after they failed to capitalise on their dominance in a frustrating 0-0 draw with Watford.

After scoring four goals at Leeds United in their previous Premier League encounter, United drew a blank despite having 22 shots at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Just three hit the target, with United's Expected Goals of 2.43 against the Hornets the highest for any Premier League team not to score in a game this season.

The stalemate dealt a blow to United's hopes of a top-four finish, leaving them just two points ahead of fifth-placed Arsenal, who have three games in hand.

"We did everything apart from score. It's hard to take that result," Rangnick told Match of the Day. 

"In the end, if you miss that many chances it is difficult to win the game. We were in full control for almost the whole game, we didn't allow them hardly any counter-attacks.

"We need to be sharper in front of goal, you can hardly create more chances than we did today. In the end it is a very frustrating afternoon.

"Had anyone told me that we would create that many clear chances I would have said 'yes, that is enough for us to score one of two goals at least'. But we didn't."

Cristiano Ronaldo went closest to scoring for United, hitting the post in the fifth minute, his misfortune setting the tone for a game in which Watford successfully rode their luck.

On Ronaldo's opportunity, Rangnick added: "That was not the only one [chance]. In the first half we had five massive chances then in the second half we had another three or four. Today we had enough chances to win that game.

"Sometimes we are unlucky, when we hit the post, but we also had a few opportunities one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

"This is not luck, it is a question of sharpness and efficiency in front of goal."

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich announced on Saturday he is handing over the "stewardship and care" of the club to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

Manchester City and Everton showed solidarity with Ukraine ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting at Goodison Park.

The reigning champions and Frank Lampard's strugglers both have Ukrainian players within their squads – Oleksandr Zinchenko and Vitaliy Mykolenko – who were named on the respective benches.

Zinchenko and Mykolenko embraced during the warm-ups and received a warm reception from fans inside the ground.

More tributes were paid before kick-off, with Ukrainian flags and a banner showing support for Mykolenko on show from the Everton faithful.

City's players came out for kick-off in tops bearing the slogan 'NO WAR' and the Ukraine flag, while Everton's squad made their way onto the pitch with Ukrainian flags draped around their shoulders.

Everton also elected against playing an air-raid siren prior to their walk-out anthem of Z-Cars, with The Hollies' ballad 'He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother' played over the tannoy. It was previously used by the club to show solidarity with rivals Liverpool over the Hillsborough disaster.

Zinchenko and Mykolenko both seemed close to tears on the sidelines.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, to international condemnation. The fighting has since escalated.

Zinchenko attended a vigil in Manchester on Thursday, with Pep Guardiola saying the full-back was "incredibly strong".

Manchester United's top-four aspirations suffered a setback as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Watford.

United appeared to have found their goalscoring touch during a 4-2 win at Leeds United last Sunday.

But they reverted back to what has often been their type under Ralf Rangnick, dominating possession and chances but ultimately disappointing in front of goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Anthony Elanga and Paul Pogba were all guilty of spurning opportunities as struggling Watford clung on to claim a valuable point in a result that will serve as a further boost to United's rivals in the chase for Champions League football.

United quickly set about an onslaught on the Watford goal and saw a pair of gilt-edged chances go begging as Ronaldo turned and struck the left-hand post from Aaron Wan-Bissaka's cross, and Bruno Fernandes could only shoot straight at Ben Foster after a wonderful move involving Ronaldo and Anthony Elanga.

Ronaldo then had the ball in the net only to be correctly flagged for offside, before Fernandes skewed wide from Paul Pogba's cross with the goal at his mercy.

Fernandes was soon guilty of similar profligacy, heading wide under no pressure after Ronaldo had skipped over Foster and found his compatriot with a cross from the right.

Pogba made a dismal waste of a superb far-post ball as United continued in the ascendancy after the interval.

Ronaldo was aghast not to see Kevin Friend point to the spot after he went down under Hassane Kamara's challenge, and all around Old Trafford were stunned not to see Elanga find the back of the net after he latched on to a deft flick from Pogba.

There was further incredulity when Elanga then inadvertently blocked a goal-bound effort from Ronaldo following excellent work down the left byline from Fernandes.

Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were each thrown into the fray as United sought the breakthrough.

But a deserved winner did not arrive as Watford secured a stalemate that will be cheered heartily in London with Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham all chasing United.

Antonio Conte believes he saw signs of Tottenham looking like one of his teams for the first time as they beat Leeds United 4-0 on Saturday.

Spurs cruised at Elland Road, racing into a 2-0 lead through Matt Doherty and Dejan Kulusevski inside 15 minutes before Harry Kane got their third before the half-hour mark as Leeds looked beaten even prior to the break.

Kane then set up Son Heung-min to complete the scoring late on, Spurs' star duo combining for the 37th time in the Premier League as they set a new record.

It was undoubtedly a timely boost for Spurs, given their midweek defeat to Burnley was followed by an emotional outburst from Conte that had many thinking his days at the club were numbered.

Yet his post-match comments on Saturday were a far cry from that.

"For the first time I have seen my mark, about this system," Conte told reporters. "The creation from one wing-back and the other wing-back scoring – it means that the work is starting to work. It was a good performance for us against a strong team that is not simple to play against.

"We played a really good game, good football. What I wanted to see today was the right spirit, the right character to fight and win the ball and duels, against a team that are masters in this situation.

"I asked this of my players. I wanted an answer not only in football aspects but also in these aspects, which are very important in my opinion.

"Usually, my teams are not only strong on the pitch but mentally in their desire and spirit. The opponent that plays us has to know this. We are also working on this aspect.

"I asked for this answer, especially after the Burnley defeat. We lost that game because the opponents had more desire."

It is not the first time Conte has lauded his Spurs team, though. The Italian was highly complimentary after last weekend's win at Manchester City, yet that was followed by the shock loss at struggling Burnley.

As such, Conte is demanding consistency rather than showing spirit on an "episodic" basis.

"Sometimes I use soft words, sometimes with strong words, but only with one target: to improve," he continued.

"We need to improve in many aspects. Today I have seen a great desire to fight in every zone. This needs to be the start, not just episodic.

"My words were very clear. I repeat, I am a coach that for me it's not enough to play the game and to enjoy the game, to come back in England and enjoy to play in the best league in the world.

"I want to create something important, to fight, to win. I want this. My words were very clear."

Marcelo Bielsa insisted he remains the right man at Leeds United after watching his side slump to a 4-0 home defeat to Tottenham on Saturday.

Harry Kane inspired the visitors to a comfortable victory at Elland Road as Leeds suffered a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat for the first time since a run of six in 2003-04.

Their latest loss came after a 6-0 thrashing by Liverpool on Wednesday and a 4-2 home defeat to Manchester United last Sunday. Indeed, Leeds have conceded 20 league goals in February, which is the most by a top-flight team in a calendar month since Newcastle United conceded 21 times in April 1986.

Leeds are in real danger of being dragged into the relegation zone if results do not improve, and there are reports that the club are seriously considering replacing Bielsa with former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch.

However, when asked if he were confident he can keep Leeds up this season, Bielsa told BBC Sport: "I always have confidence in what I can do."

Bielsa did accept his side were outplayed by Spurs and acknowledged the importance of sharpening up a defence that has conceded 60 times already this season. The only time in Premier League history they have let in more in a single 38-game campaign was when they were relegated in 2003-04.

"It was a fair defeat," the Argentine said. "The difference should have been smaller, however – not so much due to how we played but because of the goals we could have scored.

"The feeling of dominance over the game was for Tottenham. We know clearly how [Antonio] Conte's Tottenham play and obviously, what we tried to do, you can perceive it.

"The way they played was not surprising for us and we tried to overcome them but we couldn't manage to take the ball off them in the build-up, nor could we neutralise the influence of their forwards. We couldn't manage to put them at risk when they built up the play and they managed to find their forwards.

"We need to defend better. We need to make the opponents feel more worried when they have the ball and to try and manage to be able to attack without defending poorly and defend without it preventing us from attacking.

"We would get back and defend quickly after attacking and then attack quickly after defending but we have lost that virtue.

"Evidently there are factors that had a positive influence before but are not having the same impact."

Manchester United posed with a banner calling for peace ahead of kick-off of Saturday's Premier League match with Watford at Old Trafford.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick, surrounded by players from both sides, held a placard with "peace" written in different languages.

Rangnick had spoken this week of the "desperately sad" situation in Ukraine following Russia's invasion of their neighbour, which has prompted international outrage.

"When I still watch TV in the morning and the evening I still cannot believe what I see there," he said.

"This is just a terrible situation and I very, very much hope the politicians all over the world can help to deescalate the situation and finish those kinds of things that are happening there."

United this week ended their sponsorship deal with Aeroflot, the Russian airline, in light of the situation in Ukraine.

"We share the concerns of our fans around the world and extend our sympathies to those affected," a club spokesperson said.

Tottenham responded to their setback at Burnley with a comfortable 4-0 win over struggling Leeds United on Saturday.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte had called his own future into question after they slipped to a fourth defeat in five Premier League games at Turf Moor, and his players produced the response he would have wanted at Elland Road.

Goals from Matt Doherty, Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane effectively settled the contest within the first 30 minutes as the visitors breathed new life into their Champions League aspirations.

Kane teed up Son Heung-min for Tottenham's fourth as they combined to make Premier League history, leaving Leeds, who have now lost three consecutive home games in the top flight for the first time since November 2003, in no doubt that they are in a relegation battle. 

After Pascal Struijk glanced a good chance wide, Tottenham took early control of the game and broke the deadlock after nine minutes, Doherty providing a fine side-foot finish to Ryan Sessegnon's low cross.

The home fans, quietened by that early blow, fell eerily silent just six minutes later after Kulusevski bustled his way into the box from the right and drilled a shot past Illan Meslier at the near post.

Robin Koch hit the base of the post as Leeds sought a way back into the contest, but they were 3-0 down before the half-hour mark, Kane expertly turning home Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's simple ball over the top, with Meslier rooted to his line.

Marcelo Bielsa made two changes at half-time, but it did little to disrupt Spurs' control. Kane slid in Doherty for a second goal but Meslier saved well, before Son's follow-up was blocked by Koch.

Leeds' one clear chance of the second half summed up their recent fortunes: after Hugo Lloris made a mess of sweeping up a long ball, Stuart Dallas strode towards the unguarded net but dithered for too long and saw his shot closed down by Ben Davies.

Emerson Royal should have scored from a Kane throughball, but Son made no mistake with five minutes remaining as he latched onto Kane's long pass and fired beyond Meslier.

It was the 37th time those two have combined for a goal in the Premier League, overtaking the record held by Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

What does it mean? Spurs ease tensions around Conte

Conte apologised for his outburst after the Burnley loss but admitted he had expected Spurs to be "more ready to fight and to win" when he arrived.

They certainly shrugged off a difficult few days in impressive style here, killing the contest within half an hour for just their second league win in six.

Spurs are now four points outside the top four with a game in hand, while Leeds could be dragged into the bottom three depending on Saturday's other results.

Wing-back wizardry

Conte's 3-4-3 system caused persistent problems for Leeds, particularly through the runs of Doherty and Sessegnon.

They combined for the opening goal and set up a further three chances between them, Doherty also assisting Kulusevski with a one-two.

Llorente led a merry dance

Diego Llorente endured a dreadful outing in which he managed to make life easier for Spurs' attackers.

After stepping over the ball when it seemed he would stop Kulusevski cutting in and scoring, he played Kane onside for the third goal and fell in the move that saw Sessegnon come within inches of adding a fourth.

What's next?

Spurs are in FA Cup action at Middlesbrough on Tuesday before their next league game at Everton on March 7. Leeds have a week to prepare for a trip to Leicester City.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min have set a new Premier League record after combining for Tottenham's final goal in their 4-0 rout of Leeds United.

Having scored Spurs' third in the first half, Kane dropped an exquisite pass over the top of Leeds' floundering defence in the 85th minute, with Son racing through before finishing coolly.

It was the 37th time that the Spurs duo have directly combined for a Premier League goal since Son's move from Bayer Leverkusen in August 2015.

That surpassed the long-standing English top-flight record set by Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba during their time together at Chelsea.

It was also the 20th time they have directly combined away from home in the Premier League; their nearest challengers being Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg's tally of 16 combinations.

The landmark moment came almost five-and-a-half years after their first successful link-up against Stoke City in September 2016. 

In fact, there are only five player combinations that have produced over 25 goals since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min – 37, Tottenham Hotspur (2015-present)

After they combined on Wednesday, Kane and Son have now scored 231 goals between them since the start of the 2015-16 season.

In 2020-21, they directly linked up 14 times; a record tally for a single Premier League campaign.

Last season also saw the England captain win the last of three Golden Boot awards, while he topped the assists chart and Son reached goalscoring double figures for a fifth successive year.

Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba – 36, Chelsea (2004-2012)

A combination that helped bring three Premier League titles to Stamford Bridge, Lampard and Drogba were central to Chelsea's success at the beginning of the Roman Abramovich era.

After arriving from Marseille in 2004, the powerful presence of Drogba landed two Golden boots that included an impressive haul of 29 during the 2009-10 season.

That year also saw the prolific Lampard chip in with 22 from midfield as the Blues claimed a third domestic crown in seven campaigns.

Thierry Henry and Robert Pires – 29, Arsenal (2000-2006)

Providing flair on the wing and elegance up front, the iconic French duo brought two Premier League titles to Highbury during the early 2000s.

The second of which came during the 'Invincibles' season of 2003-04, when they scored 44 goals between them as the Gunners completed the campaign without defeat.

Henry won four Golden Boots in the space of five years, while Pires reached double figures in three successive seasons.

Sergio Aguero and David Silva – 29, Manchester City (2011-2020)

The mercurial skills of Silva and clinical finishing of Aguero was always going to provide a recipe for success at City.

Indeed, their combination went on a long way to securing four Premier League titles in the space of nine seasons at the Etihad.

They also left their mark individually. Aguero scored 184 times in the English top flight – a tally only bettered by Alan Shearer (260), Wayne Rooney (208) and Andy Cole (187) – while just five players have recorded more assists than Silva's 93. 

Teddy Sheringham and Darren Anderton – 27, Tottenham (1992-1997, 2001-2003)

While they did not land any domestic silverware, Sheringham and Anderton formed part of an exciting attacking Spurs line-up during the mid-1990s that also featured the likes of Jurgen Klinsmann.

Sheringham top-scored in the inaugural Premier League season of 1992-93 with 22 goals, while he also reached double figures in the following three years.

The two linked up for goals 27 times in the top flight, notably assisting each other in an entertaining 4-3 win at Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of the 1994-95 campaign – and what was Klinsmann's Spurs debut.

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