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WHAT ANDONI IRAOLA TOLD AMINE ADLI BEFORE HIS 95TH-MINUTE WINNER AGAINST LIVERPOOL

Amine Adli’s 95th-minute strike seals a wild 3-2 win for Bournemouth, ending Liverpool's 13-game unbeaten run in a January classic.

What Andoni Iraola told Amine Adli before his 95th-minute winner against Liverpool
Bournemouth stun Liverpool in stoppage time

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola couldn’t hide his excitement after his team’s huge win over Liverpool. The Cherries broke free from the relegation zone, and you could feel the relief. They’d only managed one win in their last 14 matches before this. Then, in the 95th minute, Amine Adli slammed home the winner. Liverpool had clawed back from two goals down to make it 2-2, but Bournemouth just kept pushing and snatched it at the death.

“It’s a massive win for us,” Iraola told BBC Sport. “We were in a tough spot, especially last week—numbers were down, defenders missing. But we’re finding ways to get points against tough teams. I’m really proud of the players and what we’re doing. We’re adapting and picking up big results.”

When Virgil van Dijk scored right before halftime, Bournemouth probably feared things might unravel. Then Dominik Szoboszlai levelled it in the second half. But Adli showed up when it mattered most.

“That’s exactly when you don’t want to concede,” Iraola said. “We wanted to hit the break two goals up. Van Dijk’s was a solid goal, and we knew Liverpool would keep coming. We let in two from set pieces.

“But after it went 2-2, we started playing better. It felt like we had nothing to lose. It turned into a proper end-to-end game—Liverpool versus Bournemouth, anyone’s to win.

“We needed this. We’re on 30 points now, but we still need more, and we need them fast. The fight’s not over. We’re still down in the relegation mix, so we have to keep scrapping for every point.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, looked a bit worn out after their midweek Champions League match against Marseille. Manager Arne Slot admitted his players just couldn’t match Bournemouth’s energy.

“A few of our guys ran out of steam, that’s for sure,” Slot said. “I can’t blame them—two days ago, we were playing away in Europe.

“Even though we went 2-0 down, we fought back well. Honestly, it didn’t feel like we deserved to be two behind at that stage.

“The team showed real character, clawed it back to 2-2, and then the game just opened up. Both sides had their chances; maybe Bournemouth even had more than us, which shouldn’t really shock me, considering we just played away in Marseille two days ago.

“We’ve had to lean on the same players for the last stretch of games, and sometimes, by the end, some of them are just spent. You could see that today.”

CONOR GALLAGHER CONFIRMED AS "VITAL" STARTER FOR SPURS FOLLOWING BENTANCUR’S INJURY LAYOFF

Conor Gallagher proved the doubters wrong against Man City. Discover why his €40m move to Tottenham is finally paying off for Spurs.

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Conor Gallagher secured first Spurs assist as Tottenham snatched a point at City

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid both decided Conor Gallagher wasn’t worth the trouble. At Chelsea, he had his moments—Pochettino liked him, but the fans never really warmed up. When Chelsea shipped him off to Atletico, it made sense. Enzo Fernandez stepped up, took over Gallagher’s role, and fit in perfectly next to Caicedo, with Cole Palmer adding that extra spark up front.

Things didn’t get much better for Gallagher in Spain. He barely got a chance at Atleti, lost his spot in the starting eleven, and pretty much ended up on the transfer list before anyone had time to blink. Interest was lukewarm at best until the winter window rolled around. Aston Villa wanted him and went after him pretty aggressively, but then Tottenham swooped in late. Spurs needed someone to patch up the midfield after Bentancur’s injury, so they just paid up—40 million euros, no hesitation.

His start at Tottenham? Rough. Honestly, that was to be expected. He’d played well at Palace before, but after his struggles at Atleti, he needed time to adjust. Sitting on the bench in Spain didn’t do him any favours.

Then Gallagher showed up. People doubted whether he could really add creativity and move the ball forward for Spurs, so his early struggles got people worried. But then came the 2-2 draw against Manchester City. He suddenly looked like the player both Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank were so desperate to sign.

Against City, Gallagher flipped the script. He set up a crucial assist, drove play forward on the dribble, and kept drawing fouls—everything the Spurs needed. Defensively, he was all over the place in a good way: two tackles, three interceptions, a full 90 minutes, and a huge part of the Spurs clawing their way back into the game.

Tottenham fans loved it. They saw the effort, the attitude, and the hunger to win. Gallagher just wouldn’t quit, and in that second half, he, Xavi Simons, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, and Dominic Solanke ran the show. Four of those guys have been carrying Spurs lately, so Gallagher is fitting right in with them. That’s a pretty good sign he’s going to work out just fine in North London.

AC MILAN MEDICAL FAILURE: THE HIDDEN KNEE INJURY THAT CRUSHED MATETA’S £30M MOVE

Jean-Philippe Mateta's £30m move to AC Milan is OFF. Discover why a failed medical has put his France World Cup dreams in jeopardy.

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Mateta’s "dream move" suddenly turned toxic.

Jean Philippe-Mateta’s got a real headache right now. The Crystal Palace striker just watched his £30 million dream move to AC Milan blow up at the last minute, all because a knee problem showed up during his medical.

The thing is, Mateta’s been carrying this injury for a while. Now he’s stuck: should he go under the knife and try to recover in time for the World Cup? He wants to make the France squad this summer, but nothing’s guaranteed. Even if he has surgery, there’s no telling if he’ll be fit enough—or have enough time on the pitch—to convince Didier Deschamps he deserves a spot.

The injury’s been dragging him down anyway. It’s messing with his form and his game time, and he’s worried he won’t get a real shot at proving himself for France if he isn’t at his best.

It’s tough because he’s coming off a fantastic year at Palace. FA Cup winner, big goals, helped the club reach Europe—it’s been a dream run. But now he might have to go back to Selhurst Park, even though he’s made it clear he’s had enough and wants out.

Honestly, it feels like only a matter of time before he leaves. His contract runs out next summer, and Palace can’t risk losing him for nothing. They’ve already watched Marc Guehi go to Man City for a bargain, just because his deal was running down.

Now Mateta has to sit down with Palace and the doctors to figure out what to do about his knee. Surgery would sideline him for months, probably killing his World Cup chances.

He’s gutted about Milan falling through, especially after Juventus cooled their interest and Nottingham Forest had an offer turned down. Over the weekend, he even unfollowed Palace on Instagram and posted a fed-up emoji. No one really knows if he’ll even make the squad for the Brighton game.

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