GRANIT XHAKA RULED OUT OF ARSENAL CLASH DESPITE POSITIVE TREADMILL PROGRESS
Granit Xhaka is officially out of Sunderland's trip to Arsenal. Régis Le Bris shares the latest on the captain's ankle recovery.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris says Granit Xhaka’s recovery is going well, but he won’t be fit in time to face his old club Arsenal this weekend.
Xhaka’s been a standout since he came back to the Premier League with Sunderland last summer. He’s played a huge part in their strong season—the club’s first back in the top flight. But he hurt his ankle during Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace and has missed the last two matches against West Ham and Burnley.
No one’s put an exact date on Xhaka’s return, but Le Bris has already suggested his captain might be out for a while. According to The Sunderland Echo, Xhaka could be sidelined for several more weeks, which is a real blow for a team chasing European football.
Missing the Arsenal game stings a bit more for Xhaka personally, since it means he won’t get to play at the Emirates against his old side.
Reporters pressed Le Bris about Xhaka’s latest scan. He said, “Not yet, but he’s going well. He ran on the treadmill today, so that’s positive.”
When asked if there was any upside to Xhaka getting a break from the grind of Premier League football, Le Bris didn’t sugarcoat it: “It’s tough to answer because he’s a really good player. When our best players are on the pitch, things are just better for the team. But that’s football. Injuries and suspensions—they happen, especially at this level. You just have to deal with it. For the guys who step in, it’s a chance to show what they can do.”
Le Bris wants Xhaka back as soon as possible. “He’s still connected with the team. I hope he recovers quickly and comes back as his best self before the season ends.”
Sunderland managed to hold Arsenal to a 2-2 draw back in November at the Stadium of Light—a rare slip for the Gunners this season.
Looking back at that match, Le Bris said, “We learnt we have to show the best version of Sunderland and play with that underdog mentality. Arsenal are a top side—fantastic in the league, brilliant in Europe, and one of the best teams around right now. Playing them is tough, but it’s exciting. The bar is high, so we’ll give it everything.”
Asked whether he enjoys Sunderland’s underdog role, Le Bris didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, for sure. We’re newly promoted. If we keep this mindset and stay humble and stick to our principles, we give ourselves a chance. The level’s high, and mistakes get punished fast, but we can play with freedom. That’s shown in our performances so far.”
He also wants his players to keep showing the confidence and belief they’ve had all season. “Maybe it’s the energy of youth, maybe it’s the club’s identity. Early on, we talked about challenges. If you only expect to win against weaker teams, you miss your shot against the best. You have to believe it’s possible and have that confidence, especially in these big games. But at the same time, you know you’re facing a top squad, and you have to fight for every point.”
IGOR TUDOR CONFIRMED FOR FRIDAY PRESS CONFERENCE AMID TOTTENHAM SACKING RUMORS NOW
Igor Tudor survives for now as Tottenham confirm he will face the press ahead of their high-stakes trip to Anfield.
Tottenham's interim boss, Igor Tudor, somehow gets to fight another day, even after losing every match since stepping in. The club just announced he’ll face the press on Friday, right before their brutal trip to Liverpool. The pressure’s mounting, relegation is suddenly a real threat.
Tudor, 47, hit a new low when Spurs got hammered 5-2 by Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. He made a gutsy call, benching regular keeper Guglielmo Vicario for 22-year-old Antonin Kinsky. It backfired almost instantly; Kinsky let in two soft goals in the first 15 minutes and got yanked before halftime.
Most people agreed Kinsky had to go, but Tudor didn’t even acknowledge the young keeper as he trudged off. That set off former Spurs keeper Joe Hart, who couldn’t believe Tudor didn’t at least try to console him. With this disastrous start, the worst for any Spurs boss, many figured the Croatian wouldn’t last until the Liverpool game.
For now, though, his job seems safe. Since the club confirmed he’ll be at Friday’s press conference, it looks like he’ll be in the dugout at Anfield.
But let’s be honest, if Tottenham get thrashed by Liverpool, Tudor’s future will be front and centre. They’ve lost four in a row and are now just one point above West Ham in the drop zone.
West Ham is hosting Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest (17th) plays Fulham. If both those teams win and Spurs lose, Tottenham will tumble into the bottom three.
On top of that, it sounds like Tudor is losing the dressing room. Football London reports that plenty of Spurs players think he’s been too strict and even disrespectful since arriving.
That moment in Madrid summed it up: after pulling Kinsky just 15 minutes in, Tudor didn’t say a word to him. Conor Gallagher, Joao Palhinha, and Dominic Solanke, all on the bench, chased after Kinsky down the tunnel, probably realising how much that rough debut stung.
The squad noticed Tudor’s silence, and he didn’t do much to back Kinsky in his post-match interview either. He did offer a bit of support during the press conference, saying:
"Unfortunately, it happened in this big game, these mistakes. He was sorry. The team is with him; I'm too.
"I was speaking with him. He understands the moment; he understands why he goes out. As I said, he's a very good goalkeeper.
"We are with him; we are all together. It's never about one player. It's happened. It's the Champions League again. We paid for this at the start of the game."
That’s about as much as he offered. Whether that’s enough for his players or the club remains to be seen.
THE 9-POINT GAP: UNEARTHING HOW A ASTON VILLA VICTORY COULD PERMANENTLY DERAIL CHELSEA’S TOP-FOUR HOPES
Champions League race: Read why Aston Villa vs Chelsea is a "must-win," the latest on Pedro Neto’s ban, and Emery’s injury news.
Unai Emery’s team wants to put some real distance between themselves and Chelsea in the Champions League race. Villa are hoping for a big win at home, especially since Chelsea haven’t exactly looked sharp lately; they’re trying to snap a three-game winless streak.
Villa sit fourth in the Premier League, level on points with Manchester United but just behind on goal difference. Their last match didn’t go the way they wanted. They lost 2-0 at Molineux, with Joao Gomes and Rodrigo Gomes both finding the net. They haven’t won there since December 2020, so that defeat stung – a wasted chance to get ahead of the other teams chasing a top-four spot.
Right now, Villa have only picked up one win from their last five league games. When Emery was asked if this match is a 'must-win', he kept it real: 'Our objective is to be in Europe, and we are in. Even if not in good form, we are in. And, of course, we are every day trying to recover our good form and our confidence, and tomorrow, Chelsea is our opponent, and of course, it’s a tough match.”
Villa have missed their captain, John McGinn, plus midfielders Youri Tielemans and Boubacar Kamara. Still, they’ll want to make it three straight league wins over Chelsea. If they do, they’d open up a nine-point gap and make a real statement about sticking in the top four.
Chelsea, in sixth place, also lost their last match. Arsenal beat them, and most of the damage came from set pieces plus an own goal by Piero Hincapié. Chelsea couldn’t defend corners, and discipline is still a big issue. For the ninth time this season, they finished a game with fewer than 11 players. Pedro Neto got two yellows in just three minutes.
That’s two red cards in as many games. It’s hurting their chances and points to a real problem keeping cool when it matters. Liam Rosenior didn’t sugarcoat it before this match: “I need to see an improvement in the behaviour now; it’s not just Pedro [Neto]. We’ve had bookings for needless dissent and fouls. It needs to improve. My job is to create a culture of accountability where if you make a mistake, it’s ok, but you have to hold your hand up and not do it again.”
Wesley Fofana is back from suspension, but Pedro Neto is now out. Jamie Gittens is sidelined with a hamstring problem, Estêvão’s got a thigh injury, and Marc Cucurella probably won’t be ready in time to play at Villa Park.
Villa aren’t at full strength either. They’re still without McGinn and Tielemans, and Kamara probably won’t play again this season. Andrés García has a thigh strain, and Harvey Elliot just hasn’t been able to make an impact since joining due to injuries or whatever else; it just hasn’t clicked.
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