• Summary

• * Tottenham slip closer to the relegation zone
• * West Ham denied at the death by Man Utd
• * Chelsea held at home by Leeds

Yet another Premier League home defeat left Tottenham Hotspur looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone and manager Thomas Frank nearer the exit door on Tuesday as Newcastle United eased their own slump with a 2-1 victory in north London.

Last season’s Europa League winners and qualifiers for this season’s Champions League last-16 were booed off after Jacob Ramsey sealed a rare away win for Eddie Howe’s side.

Tottenham would have found themselves only three points above the drop zone had it not been for Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko scoring a stoppage-time equaliser to deny 18th-placed West Ham United a 1-0 win.

The 1-1 draw kept United in fourth place although it ended caretaker manager Michael Carrick’s 100% record since taking over in January.

Another unblemished record went at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior dropped his first league points since replacing Enzo Maresca, his side drawing 2-2 at home to Leeds United having led 2-0.

Bournemouth came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Everton with second-half goals by Brazilian teenager Rayan and Amine Adli. Everton, who had led through Iliman Ndiaye’s first-half penalty, ended with 10 men after Jake O’Brien was red-carded.

Tottenham have not been relegated from the top flight since 1977 but such is the present malaise at the club it is now becoming a genuine fear as they are in 16th place, five points above West Ham whose form is on the up.

They have not won a Premier League game since December 28 and have managed only two victories from their 13 home league games this season. To make matters worse, their next fixture is at home to north London rivals and leaders Arsenal.

‘UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION’

Whether Frank is still in charge then is beginning to look increasingly unlikely. Not for the first time this season, the Dane left the pitch to chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from Tottenham’s fans.

“I understand the frustration and the easiest thing is to point at me,” Frank said of the fans. “That’s part of the job unfortunately. I will work day and night to turn this around but it is not just one person. There is no doubt we need to improve and I need to be part of that.”

Newcastle completely dominated the first half and the only surprise was it took them until stoppage time to get ahead as defender Malick Thiaw stabbed home a rebound.

Injury-hit Tottenham were marginally better after the break and Archie Gray levelled. But Newcastle deservedly took the points when Anthony Gordon teed up Ramsey for a cute finish, his first goal since joining from Aston Villa.

Newcastle moved up to 10th in the table on 36 points. Tottenham have 29 points from 26 games, with Nottingham Forest, who play bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, on 26 from 25. West Ham have 24.

SESKO SALVAGES POINT FOR MAN UNITED

West Ham were seconds away from a fourth win in five league games as they led with Tomas Soucek’s strike early in the second half after good work by Jarrod Bowen.

United had an effort from Casemiro ruled out but salvaged a point when substitute Sesko struck at the death.

Carrick’s side have 45 points, one more than Chelsea who will be kicking themselves after drawing with Leeds.

“It is a tough place to come and we didn’t have that sharpness to find the answers,” Carrick said. “Great spirit again and we will take the point and move on.”

Chelsea appeared to be cruising with goals either side of the interval from Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer who scored his third penalty in two games.

But they threw away two points as Moises Caicedo fouled Jayden Bogle and Lukas Nmecha converted a penalty before Noah Okafor poked in an equaliser after Chelsea failed to clear a ball into the area.

“If we want to improve and get to where we want to be, we have to make sure we’re switched on for 90 minutes. It’s as simple as that,” Rosenior said afterwards.

The draw lifted Leeds above Tottenham into 15th.

-Reuters

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Rivers United’s campaign in the CAF Champions League suffered a major setback on Sunday after the Nigerian champions fell 1–0 at home to Zambia’s Power Dynamos.

The defeat, recorded in Uyo, leaves Rivers United anchored at the bottom of Group A with just one point from four matches, severely denting their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage.

With only two matches left in the group, the Port Harcourt-based side now faces an uphill task, as both remaining fixtures are against the group’s leading teams;  Morocco’s RS Berkane and defending champions Pyramids FC of Egypt.

Sunday’s result boosted Power Dynamos’ chances, as the Zambian side moved up to third place in the group with four points, three adrift of second-placed RS Berkane. Berkane’s position was weakened earlier in the day after they were thrashed 3–0 by Pyramids in Egypt.

Pyramids FC continued their impressive run in the group, tightening their grip on the standings with 10 points from four matches to remain firmly on course for qualification.

For Rivers United, the loss marked another frustrating night in their continental campaign, with hopes of a late revival now resting on unlikely results against Africa’s in-form clubs in the remaining group fixtures.

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Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has completed a stunning new super-luxury mansion in Portugal, further expanding his already vast global property portfolio.

According to a report by UK tabloid The Sun, the mansion—built in Cascais, an upscale resort town near Lisbon—was completed after construction began in 2020, at an estimated cost of £21.6 million. Ronaldo is expected to live in the property with his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, and their five children.

Set on a sprawling 12,000-square-metre plot, the residence boasts a total floor area of about 5,000 square metres. The report revealed that the interior features high-end Italian marble finishes, gold-plated faucets, and bespoke murals designed by luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton.

The mansion is equipped with both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a private cinema, a fully fitted gym, landscaped gardens, and an expansive garage capable of housing up to 20 vehicles. The Sun noted that Ronaldo’s car collection—estimated to be worth around £22 million—is ironically valued higher than the newly completed home itself. Among the collection is a Bugatti Veyron, reportedly worth about £3.2 million.

With the addition of the Cascais mansion, the total value of real estate owned by Ronaldo and Rodríguez is now estimated at approximately £65 million. Their property portfolio reportedly includes homes in Riyadh and Dubai, Madrid and Marbella, Tuscany, the United Kingdom, as well as Lisbon and Madeira.

Off the pitch, the couple are also said to be considering a wedding later this year. Reports indicate that Ronaldo proposed in August with an engagement ring valued at around £3.7 million.

In an interview with Elle magazine last year, Rodríguez described the proposal as completely unexpected. “The ring is truly beautiful. It was the least he could do after making me wait for 10 years,” she said, adding that she was so overwhelmed by the moment that she left the ring unopened until the following morning.

The Cascais mansion now stands as one of the most luxurious private residences owned by a footballer, underlining Ronaldo’s status not just as a global sporting icon but also as one of the world’s wealthiest athletes.

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