GUGLIELMO VICARIO’S MASTERCLASS KEEPS TOTTENHAM ALIVE IN TENSE MONACO BATTLE

Tottenham held to a 0-0 draw by Monaco but remain unbeaten in the Champions League. A string of superb saves from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was crucial in securing a point for an under-strength Spurs side.

Guglielmo Vicario’s Masterclass Keeps Tottenham Alive in Tense Monaco Battle
Guglielmo Vicario repeatedly denied Monaco (Philippe Magoni/AP) (Philippe Magoni/AP)

Guglielmo Vicario made a series of excellent saves to help Tottenham draw 0-0 with Monaco and stay undefeated in the Champions League.

Injury occurred. Vicario had to be at the top of his game to deny Folarin Balogun three times before he wonderfully stopped Thilo Kehrer's close-range header in the second half as Spurs were far from their best at Stade Louis II.

After three Champions League games, it ensured Thomas Frank's Tottenham had five points, but after yet another haphazard attacking performance, the away end let out a few jeers at full-time.

Ten players were missing for Spurs, including captain Cristian Romero. Frank again rearranged his lineup, starting £52 million playmaker Xavi Simons on the bench and, strangely, Archie Gray at left-back.

Gray got engaged almost away, stopping a shot from the talented Maghnes Akliouche. Vicario then made a save against Balogun, and Tottenham's makeshift full-back then stopped a risky move by Ansu Fati and intercepted his pass.

After 20 minutes, Wilson Odobert flicked a ball in for substitute skipper Micky van de Ven, giving the visitors their first real danger, but he was only able to head over under duress.

The Spurs custodian brilliantly came out to block after Balogun slipped off van de Ven after Vicario had clawed away a threatening cross from Akliouche.

A few seconds later, Richarlison was brought in by Odobert, but Mohammed Salisu stopped his left-footed attempt.

But in the 36th minute, Tottenham owed Vicario a debt. Mamadou Coulibaly found space once more and picked Balogun out, but the Italian goalie skillfully parried the curled effort from 12 yards out.

Shortly after heading directly at Philipp Kohn, Kevin Danso threw over a corner by Kudus, but he was later given a foul penalty, so it was still goalless at halftime.

Before Odobert went inside and had a shot deflected over by Kehrer, Akliouche placed Joao Palhinha on his backside at the beginning of the second half, only to scuff his effort directly at Vicario.

There were still a few opportunities, and an hour later, Frank made his first substitutions, sending on Pape Sarr and Xavi after Pedro Porro struck the wall with a free kick.

Monaco maintained their lead when Vicario blocked a substitute Aleksandr Golovin's attempt before he scurried across his goal and was greatly relieved when Kehrer headed past the post after a cross from Fati.

The introduction of Brennan Johnson and Randal Kolo Muani was Frank's next move, but it did not stop the momentum.

Vicario's next moment of heroism came in the 75th minute when Jordan Teze was found by a cross from Caio Henrique, but Spurs' active goalie brilliantly stopped his close-range header.

During the last moments, Takumi Minamino, a former forward for Liverpool, took centre stage and lifted a difficult volleyed chance over before missing with another shot.

When Minamino blasted over from Balogun's cut-back with seven minutes remaining, he wasted yet another fantastic opportunity.

Late in the game, Spurs did create an opportunity, but Christian Mawissa stopped Johnson's attempt, and the game ended in a draw.

ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION

Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.

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Arsenal Bag Extra £15.9m Prize Money After Historic Champions League Semifinal - Photo Credit: PA

Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.

Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.

From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.

That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.

By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.

They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.

Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.

It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.

Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.

PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.

Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.

JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL

Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.

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Oblak Demands Mentality Shift At Atletico After Crashing Out To Arsenal - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.

Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”

He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”

On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”

Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”

At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a

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