Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Bukayo Saka for his consistency but claims the youg star still has room for improvement.

Saka has been a key pillar in Arsenal's Premier League success this term, with the side sitting eight points clear of second-placed Manchester City as they chase their first league title since 2003-04.

Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Tottenham's Harry Kane have more combined goals and assists in the league this season, with Saka having netted 12 goals with 10 assists. Saka has also started all 28 of Arsenal's league games this campaign.

"First of all, I think you have to recognise what he's been doing," Arteta told Sky Sports about 21-year-old Saka.

"The consistency he's shown at his age and at this level is something rare to see. He's taken it with normality.

"If you ask me if he has room for improvement, I would say: 'Yes - a lot.' He's never satisfied, he always wants more and he can still do a lot of things better and more efficiently, but we are really pleased to have him."

Talks are ongoing between Arsenal and Saka on a new deal, with his current contract due to expire in 2024.

Last week former Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure urged the club to sign Saka on a 10-year deal to secure his long-term future.

Saka was outstanding for England at last year's World Cup and netted in Sunday's 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley.

Tottenham's managing director Fabio Paratici believes Antonio Conte's exit was "the right decision for everyone" and is confident interim boss Cristian Stellini can oversee a successful end to the season.

Conte and Spurs parted company on Sunday, eight days after the Italian launched a remarkable rant in the wake of his side squandering a two-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Southampton. 

As well as labelling Tottenham's players "selfish", Conte appeared to criticise the club's hierarchy by adding: "Tottenham's story is this – 20 years and they never won something. Why?"

While Paratici acknowledges Conte – who recently missed several games after undergoing gallbladder surgery – has endured a difficult few months in his personal life, he believes his exit will benefit all parties.

"We know how difficult this season was for him personally," Paratici told the club's website."[Spurs' fitness coach] Gian Piero [Ventrone] died and [Gianluca] Vialli, and then his surgery. 

"The club supported him a lot with it, and everyone is close to each other but then we arrived in this mutual agreement, and I think the decision that we made was the right decision for everyone."

Stellini – who served as Conte's assistant at Juventus and Inter – has taken the reins as Spurs battle for a top-four Premier League finish, and Paratici thinks the 48-year-old is ready to make the step up.

"Cristian managed the team even when Antonio was sick this season and was good," Paratici added. "He has a lot of experience as a second coach and he was even first coach in the past. 

"Then we have Ryan Mason who can help him a lot. He has been a part of this club for a long time, and he knows everything about this club and this group of players. We are really, really confident that these two people can do a very good job."

Several high-profile coaches – including Julian Nagelsmann and Mauricio Pochettino – have been touted as possible long-term replacements for Conte, but Paratici will not discuss the search for a permanent boss while the season is ongoing.

"We have to have everyone focused on the last part of the season," he said. "We do not speak about other coaches or follow the speculation in the media because it is just speculation. 

"We are focused, we are now concentrating on helping Cristian and helping the staff, Ryan, and the players. It is an important moment."

Tottenham sit fourth in the Premier League ahead of the run-in, though they are just two points clear of Newcastle United in fifth, having played two games more than the Magpies.

Son Heung-min feels "responsible" for Antonio Conte's Tottenham exit because of his indifferent form on the pitch.

Conte left Spurs on Sunday following a week of intense speculation suggesting his days were numbered after an underwhelming run of form.

The final straw proved to be the 3-3 draw at Southampton – during which Spurs led 3-1 before a late collapse – and Conte's remarkable post-match tirade, which saw him blast his players as "selfish".

Conte also appeared to aim criticism at the club's hierarchy during his rant but reportedly clarified to bosses a few days later that all comments were targeted at the players.

Nevertheless, his employers seemingly decided the relationship between Conte and the club had reached breaking point, with a divorce by "mutual agreement" announced.

Son, speaking on international duty, could not help but feel partly to blame, with the South Korea international's form suffering a significant drop-off this season. He shared the Premier League's Golden Boot last term with 23 goals but has managed only six in 26 appearances in 2022-23.

"As a player, I'm very sorry to him," Son told reporters after South Korea's 2-1 defeat to Uruguay.

"He is a world-class manager and we had a great journey together, I thank him a lot. I don't know how other players are thinking about him, but I'm sorry to him.

"I should have shown more, but I couldn't. I couldn't help the team and I feel responsible because the coach took responsibility and left the club."

Son added: "He has great skills and experience as a coach, I'm sure he'll have great success in his future career."

Conte's assistant Cristian Stellini has been placed in charge until the end of the season, or until Spurs appoint a new head coach.

Julian Nagelsmann, recently sacked by Bayern Munich, is rumoured to be among the frontrunners, while former Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino has been linked with a return.

Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski was "sad" to see Antonio Conte fired by the club but claimed Spurs players support the decision to remove him from his post.

Conte and Spurs parted company on Sunday after a week of intense speculation suggesting he had already taken charge of his final game.

The Italian made headlines last Saturday when he went on a remarkable rant in his post-match press conference after Spurs threw away a two-goal lead at Southampton to draw 3-3.

He called his players "selfish" and extraordinarily suggested the club's lack of tangible success in recent years was ingrained, saying: "Tottenham's story is this – 20 years and they never won something. Why?"

Conte was reportedly asked by club chiefs to clarify those comments and he was said to have insisted they were aimed at the players rather than hierarchy, though seemingly that was not enough to save his job.

Since Conte's exit was confirmed, media reports have brought to light apparent frustrations with Conte from the squad, though Kulusevski – who was signed during the former Inter boss' tenure – appeared disappointed.

He told Fotballskanalen: "It's always sad when a person you work with and have grown close to has to leave.

"But life goes on and you just have to move on. We have ten games left now and we have to do our best to reach the top four."

Kulusevski added: "He has been very important [to me]. I have learned a lot from him and I will always remember him, but now we have his assistant [Cristian Stellini], who I know very well.

"Then we'll see who comes in next season, but I enjoy the city and the club very much."

Nevertheless, Sweden international Kulusevski clarified that, while he seemed somewhat disheartened by the change, collectively the Spurs squad does not have an issue with the action taken by decision makers.

"It's not me who decides. Whoever is the coach, we players will always accept and play for him and for everyone else," he said.

"Now the club made this decision because they think it is the best, and we players stand behind that."

Spurs are back in Premier League action on Monday when they go to Everton – at that point, Newcastle United, who have two games in hand, could have replaced them in fourth.

Virgil van Dijk accepts he has not been performing at his best level but says footballers "are not robots" after being strongly criticised by Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit.

The Liverpool defender's captaincy credentials were questioned by Van Basten in particular following Friday's 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to France.

Dutch great Van Basten accused Van Dijk of "making noise but not saying anything" and creating chaos that leads to misunderstandings" in the side.

Fellow former Netherlands international Gullit, speaking alongside Van Basten in his punditry role with Ziggo Sport, said Van Dijk "thinks he is better than the rest".

While Van Dijk is open to opinions, he does not believe the criticism is entirely justified.

"It is clear that we played badly. I am one of the experienced guys, so it is completely justified," he said following Monday's 3-0 win over Gibraltar.

"Everyone is allowed to have their own opinion these days, that's the case. Did I set the bar unrealistically high? I was never perfect.

"But we've had a lot of success with the team. Football players [Van Basten and Gullit] know that better than anyone, have high peaks and deep valleys.

"It's quite normal that you can't always play consistently. That you have a phase as a club or player where you are looking for your level. People should not forget that. 

"It is normal that people make mistakes; it is part of football and that it is very human."

Van Dijk has also been far from his best in a Liverpool shirt this season, but he hopes to return to top form soon.

"You know better than anyone when you are doing something right or not," the 56-cap defender said. "These are difficult times at my club, with lots of ups and downs.

"I am very positive about the future and I try to play my best game ever in every game. We are not robots. Let's not forget that. Maybe people sometimes forget that."

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson says it would be "amazing" if Jude Bellingham joins him at Anfield, but added the teenager must choose the club that is best for him.

Bellingham has become one of the hottest prospects in football during his time at Borussia Dortmund, as well as having an impressive World Cup alongside Henderson with England last year.

The 19-year-old midfielder has been linked with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid among others, though recent reports suggested the Reds may struggle to finance a deal should the latter two start a bidding war, with Bellingham expected to demand a fee in excess of £100million (€114m).

Henderson has been as impressed as anyone by Bellingham, and though he hopes to be able to link up with him at club level as well as with England, said the youngster must "think about himself".

"I just want him to be the best player he can be – of course, if it ended up being Liverpool that would be amazing," he said. "But it's got to be right for him, and it's going to be every club you can think of that will want him.

"He has to think about himself and make sure he makes the right decision for his career. But there's going to be one lucky club that will end up getting him, whether that is now or in a year or two it will be a lucky club."

Bellingham has 10 goals and six assists in 34 games for Dortmund this season, and Henderson detailed what it is about the former Birmingham City player that makes him stand out.

"His potential is through the roof, really," Henderson added. "He can be as good as he wants to be – but he's got the right mentality, which is the most important thing.

"He is a really special player and I can't believe his age and his mentality, how he applies himself to training and the games, everything. I've never seen it before, so I'm pretty confident that he'll be a pretty good player for many years to come.

"Honestly, I can't believe his age, how mature he plays, how mature he is off the pitch, in the gym, training, everything, recovery day after the game. He is just dedicated to football.

"He's a special player, but I've said it before we just need to be careful not to apply too much pressure on him but let him play football. When you let him play football you can see what he does for Dortmund, you can see what he does here for England.

"Every time he puts on an England shirt he grows and is getting better and better all the time. Of course there are things he can improve on and get better at – he's only 19 – but the platform and the basis he has got he can go as high as he wants to."

Emerson Royal will miss a string of important games for Tottenham in the Premier League run-in after he undergoes surgery on a left knee injury.

The Brazil international faces a battle to play again this season, with the news of his setback coming as the club head into their final 10 games of the league campaign.

Spurs have Pedro Porro at their disposal at right-back, and the Spaniard is set to have a run in the side with Emerson Royal sidelined.

The north London giants let Matt Doherty join Atletico Madrid on loan in January, so acting head coach Cristian Stellini will hope Porro stays fit.

Tottenham said in a statement: "We can confirm that Emerson Royal suffered a meniscus injury to his left knee while on international duty with Brazil last week.

"The defender will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation with our medical staff."

Emerson Royal has made 32 appearances for Tottenham this season, taking all competitions into account, including 23 starts.

He played in Brazil's 2-1 friendly defeat to Morocco on Saturday, suffering the injury in the 90th minute after a challenge from Sofyan Amrabat.

Harry Kane is not ruling out scoring 100 goals for England after becoming his country's all-time leading goalscorer this international window.

The Tottenham striker's penalty in last week's 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifying victory over Italy moved him in front of Wayne Rooney outright on 54 goals for the Three Lions.

He added to that tally with another strike in Sunday's 2-0 win over Ukraine at Wembley to make it 55 goals in 82 appearances since making his debut in 2015.

Only Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo (122) and Iran great Ali Daei (109) have reached triple figures for men's international goals, while Argentina's Lionel Messi is one short.

But Kane, who will only turn 30 in July, is looking to chase down that big milestone ahead of qualifiers with Malta and North Macedonia in June.

"Getting 100 will be tough for sure, but I never count out anything," he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

"I am still young – I am 29, I am still fit and strong. I want to play for England for as long as I can. Every game there is I will be putting myself forward to try and play.

"We will take it step-by-step. The next step will be trying to get into the sixties.

"A hundred is not out of the question. It will be extremely tough, but we will have to see how the next few years go."

Kane has scored 39 goals with his stronger right foot for England, seven with his left and nine via his head.

While he has yet to win a trophy with England – or indeed with Tottenham at club level – he won the Golden Boot with his six goals at the 2018 World Cup.

"I am extremely passionate about my country. I love playing for England," Kane, who also recently became Tottenham's record scorer, said of his Three Lions career to date.

"To think of all the English legends and strikers that have played the game and to be number one now is just beyond my dreams.

"Playing for England is special and to have this record is special.

"I don't think I dreamed this far. I dreamed of playing for England and scoring for England – to be record goalscorer was not even in my dreams.

"I have had so many great moments and hopefully there are more to come."

Thomas Partey is a fitness concern ahead of Arsenal's return to Premier League action next weekend after sitting out Ghana's match with Angola.

The 29-year-old played a full part in Tuesday's 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over the same opponents, but was not called upon for Monday's 1-1 draw in Talatona.

Ghana head coach Chris Hughton later explained Partey, who missed two Arsenal games in February with a back injury, was not risked due to a minor problem.

"Thomas has some small issues," Hughton said at his post-match press conference. "We felt it was too big of a risk to start him."

Partey, who was accompanied on Ghana duty by Arsenal physio Simon Murphy, has played in 30 of the Gunners' 39 games this season.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are back in action on Saturday with a home match against Leeds United, before travelling to Liverpool eight days later.

New Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has reportedly communicated to the board that Tottenham striker Harry Kane is his top priority in the upcoming transfer window.

Kane, 29, is just five goals away from overtaking Wayne Rooney for second on the Premier League's all-time leading scorers list, after recently surpassing Rooney as England's all-time top scorer and Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's record holder.

With his personal legacy in England already secured, the logical next move is somewhere the striker can secure some team silverware, and that is an area Bayern can deliver.

While Tottenham will be desperate to convince their star to stay put, any indication that he will not sign a new contract will likely force the club to cash-in on their top talent.

TOP STORY – TUCHEL HOPING TO MAKE KANE BAYERN'S NEW CENTREPIECE

According to Football Insider, Tuchel "is a huge fan of Kane from his time in the Premier League managing Chelsea", and he has communicated to the Bayern board that he should be the main focus going forward.

Despite Kane approaching the final 12 months of his deal, Tottenham are still expected to demand a fee in the £100million (Є113.8m) range to part ways with their club icon, but it remains exceedingly unlikely that they will allow his contract to run out.

However, the report adds Kane would potentially be open to an extension if Spurs can secure former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann as Antonio Conte's replacement.

ROUND-UP

– 90min reports 27-year-old Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips is prepared to leave the club amid concerns his limited playing time will affect his spot in the England team, but Football Insider claims Phillips is prepared to stick it out.

– According to Sport, all 29 MLS clubs have agreed to split the salary of Lionel Messi and would allow him to choose whichever franchise he would prefer.

– Paris Saint-Germain are planning to capitalise on a two-week window at the start of July when 26-year-old Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae has a temporary release clause of €52.5m, per Foot Mercato.

– Fichajes reports Barcelona will likely be forced to sell 20-year-old winger Ansu Fati in the next transfer window for financial reasons.

Marcus Bettinelli committed his future to Chelsea after signing a new deal with the Premier League side.

The goalkeeper put pen to paper on an extension to his existing contract, keeping him with the Blues until 2026.

Bettinelli has mainly served as a back-up option to Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy since joining Chelsea from West London rivals Fulham in 2021.

The 30-year-old's sole competitive appearance for the Blues came during their commanding 5-1 victory over Chesterfield in last season's FA Cup.

Nevertheless, he is thrilled to extend his stay with Graham Potter's side.

"It is a privilege to be at a club like Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world," he told the club's official website. "A couple of years ago when I signed, I was delighted to be here, delighted to sign.

"To be here now and see the club going through this transition and seeing what we are developing, it is amazing to be a part of, and I am buzzing to be here for an extra couple of years."

Chelsea return to Premier League action after the international break when they host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Blues are 10th in the table with 11 games remaining, and 11 points shy of fourth-placed Tottenham.

Antonio Conte thanked Tottenham fans for their "unforgettable" support as he broke his silence following his exit from the club.

Conte left Spurs by mutual consent on Sunday, a week on from a remarkable outburst after a 3-3 draw with bottom side Southampton in which his side squandered a two-goal lead late on.

The Italian labelled his players "selfish" and questioned the club's lack of silverware during Daniel Levy's time as chairman.

That tirade ultimately cost him his job, with assistant Cristian Stellini taking charge until the end of the season as Spurs bid to finish in the Premier League top four for a second straight campaign.

Conte posted on Instagram on Monday, thanking Spurs and their fans while wishing them luck for the future.

"Football is passion," Conte said. "I would like to deeply thank everyone at Spurs who appreciated and shared my passion and my intense way of living football as a coach.

"A special thought to the fans who always showed me support and appreciation, it's been unforgettable to hear them singing my name.

"Our journey together has ended, I wish you all the best for the future."

Spurs' first game in the post-Conte era will be a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on April 3, as they look to cling onto the fourth spot that they currently occupy to achieve Champions League qualification for next season.

Chelsea put losses of £121million in their latest financial records down to sanctions on former owner Roman Abramovich by the UK government.

The Blues posted their annual accounts, covering the 2021-22 season, showing significant losses in a period that included having to work under a special licence.

Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, believing he had close ties with president Vladimir Putin and freezing the assets of several individuals as a result.

That saw Chelsea forced to operate under a special licence, which restricted the club from selling tickets, accept event bookings and signing contracts with players until Todd Boehly's takeover was completed on May 30, 2022.

In a statement on Monday, Chelsea added that these sanctions would be felt again "in the following years".

"The results for the year have been impacted by the sanctions placed on the club's previous owner on 10 March 2022," the statement read.

"As a result of the sanctions, the club was required to operate within the limitations of a special licence issued by the UK government. These restrictions were in place until the completion of the Club's sale on 30 May 2022.

"During this period, the Club was restricted in a number of areas including, but not limited to, its ability to sell matchday and season tickets, sell merchandise, accept event bookings, as well as sign contracts with players and commercial sponsorship partners, which collectively resulted in extraordinary expenses and loss of revenue.

"Furthermore, some of these limitations are also expected to have an impact on the financials in the following years due to the long-term impact from restrictions on entering into new contractual arrangements.

"Towards the end of the sanctioned period, the club was permitted to sell certain matchday tickets, with the Premier League committing to donate all revenue from these sales to charity. The restrictions were lifted following the change in ownership, and all operations have now resumed."

The Blues announced an overall net loss of £121.3m, though they confirmed they continue to meet the Premier League and UEFA's financial regulations.

Steven Gerrard can understand what Harry Kane might be thinking as he weighs up whether to leave Tottenham in pursuit of silverware.

Aside from a series of loan spells as a teenager, Kane has spent his entire club career at Spurs.

He is now Tottenham's record goalscorer, also becoming England's leading marksman during this international break.

But Kane remains without a major honour to his name, losing three finals with Spurs and one with England.

That wait for glory will not end this season, with Tottenham eliminated from the FA Cup and Champions League before Antonio Conte departed on Sunday.

With Manchester City dominant, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United rejuvenated and Liverpool and Chelsea likely to improve next season, the window in which Spurs can succeed may be closing.

That has prompted plenty of debate around Kane's future, but Gerrard is in a good position to consider the England captain's options.

Gerrard spent all but the final 18 months of his career at Liverpool.

Although he did win silverware – most notably the Champions League in 2005 – the Reds favourite never lifted the Premier League trophy and surely would have enjoyed greater success elsewhere.

Gerrard, appearing on Channel 4, said of Kane: "He's got a big decision to make career-wise.

"I've been there myself, where you're thinking: 'Is my team good enough to get me the medals? Am I going to get out of my career what I want to get?'"

Gerrard's emotional ties to Liverpool meant he stuck by them in pursuit of a long-awaited league triumph, but he believes a potential move will be playing on Kane's mind.

"It's different for me," Gerrard added. "I knew winning one trophy more with Liverpool would have meant a lot more to me than being anywhere else.

"He's got a big decision to make. I can't give him any advice on that, but I bet you every single day of his life now moving forward, it's going to be on his mind."

Kane pushed for a move to Man City in 2021, but Tottenham stood firm. City went on to sign Erling Haaland last year.

Man United appear more likely suitors for the 29-year-old this time, looking for a big-name striker to pair with Marcus Rashford following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

Robin van Persie backed Arsenal to fend off the threat of Manchester City and win the Premier League for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

The Gunners entered the international break with an eight-point lead over Pep Guardiola's defending champions, who have a game in hand, and are just 10 games away from clinching glory.

A tough month lies ahead for Arsenal in April, with trips to face Liverpool and City as well as a home clash with Chelsea, while high-flying Newcastle United await in May.

Arsenal have fallen short in their quest to end their Premier League trophy drought and the side's inexperience in such situations raises concern, though former captain Van Persie sees no such issues.

"Arsenal are doing really well, they play consistently. They play really good football that is nice to watch," he said after the Rangers' Match of Legends game.

"It's intense, defensively and attacking wise, it looks very good. In my opinion, they do deserve to win the league.

"It will still be tough because City will push Arsenal until the last day.

"If you look at this period of time, this is where every single point really counts. There have been a couple of difficult games but they got the three points there, which is what a champion team is made of.

"They have been proving that but the last stretch is always a difficult one. It will be interesting to see but my personal opinion is that they will go for it and they will win the league.

"It has been a while, so I'm happy for them to win it."