14/09/2026

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De Zerbi sorry after toothless Spurs blank again

ROBERTO DE ZERBI said sorry to Tottenham’s furious fans after his win less side were booed off following their 0-0 draw against Everton on Saturday. De Zerbi’s side have yet to score a single goal in four Premier League matches this season and Tottenham supporters showed their frustration at the final whistle. After the jeers had rained down from the stands, Tottenham boss De Zerbi said he understood the abuse. “I’m sorry for the fans. They were fan tastic today. It is normal, the reaction of the fans,” he said. Asked how he felt about the bleak start to the season after Tottenham

spending spree was supposed to end their miserable period of underachieve ment. But De Zerbi admitted his team lacked confidence as the game wore on, with the tense atmosphere in the sta dium adding to their anxious display. “I observed my players with a little less confidence in the second half and I don’t like this. They need to understand that we are in the right way,” he said. “They are human. They are sensitive, they have emotions. My position is to help them and stay focused on the improvement we need to do. If we play 90 minutes like we did the first 30 we will win many games.” – AFP

“We have to work for sure. We have to analyse the quality of the decisions but we made too many wrong deci sions. I’m not positive and I’m not nega tive. I am realistic. “I have to analyse the performance and the potential situations when we could shoot and score with better deci sions.” Tottenham only avoided relegation on the final day of last season and have finished 17th for the last two years. Their summer

defeats from their first four games. Their only win and goals this season came in a League Cup victory over sec ond tier Charlton. Tottenham’s lack of attacking fire power is a major concern and De Zerbi conceded they lacked composure in the Everton penalty area. “We didn’t shoot enough for the quality of the play we showed. We had to shoot more times. We went inside the area 74 times but we didn’t create enough for the qual ity of the play,” he said.

splashed out more than £300 million (RM1.6b) on 10 signings, De Zerbi said: “It is not a tough moment. A tough moment was last season in Sunderland when we were close to relegation. “Now is one of the moments in foot ball when you are rebuilding a team. We played very well in the first 30 minutes then we lost energy because our physi cal condition is not the best. We are working for that.” Tottenham’s miserable form has left them languishing just above the relega tion zone after two draws and two

Reds struggle to click

Attempt at rotation backfires as Fulham earn first Premier League point

Ű BY RICHARD JOLLY

remarkably Iraola has drawn half of his last 42 League matches. The con cerning element for Liverpool is that all three of late, against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and now Fulham, came against bottom half finishers last season. Some issues predate Iraola but Liverpool have only won four League games at Anfield in 2026. Some issues are new to Iraola and his first attempt at squad rotation could scarcely be deemed a success.

under him. “What

I F part of the challenge for Andoni Iraola when he took the Liverpool job was mastering the art of winning Premier League games after midweek Champions League dates, he failed his first test. An Anfield afternoon against a side with the wrong sort of 100% record ought to have been the ideal intro duction to such assignments. Instead, Fulham got their first point of the season. A Spanish man ager with a playing career at right back had much to savour; but it was Alvaro Arbeloa, not Iraola. A terrific defender under Rafa Benitez, Arbeloa contributed to many a clean sheet in his time at Liverpool. Now left wing-backs against Crystal Palace last week, they conceded none to Liverpool’s three £100 million (RM540m) men. “Happy with the point and more happy with the performance,” said Arbeloa. “We were more balanced today. We defended so well.” He had made the bold decision to give the Austrian centreback David Affengruber a debut at Anfield. “He proved how good he is,” Arbeloa said. But Iraola’s side delivered a Fulham have a first in the Premier League in his reign. Having con ceded three goals to

was

lacking was quite clear. It is the first game we h a d

problems to chances

create

and score goals,” he admitted.

He made three changes but Kostas Tsimikas, one of those he brought in, was hooked at half-time after look ing hapless and the

Their busy week was a factor but, Iraola insisted, it cannot be an excuse. “It is easy (to say) the players were tired, there is a lack of freshness and we cannot hide it,” said Iraola. “It is the worst turn around in terms of 60 or 70 hours (between games) but this is going to happen in the season and we have to adapt.” Liverpool did not. If the work load was new for the head coach, the outcome was familiar for both him and Liverpool. They have drawn their first two League games at Anfield under Iraola, and they drew their

other two, Victor Munoz and Ryan Gravenberch, did not make it until the hour.

It lends itself to the interpretation that Liverpool’s squad is simply not strong enough, despite the £670 mil lion (RM3.6b) outlay in the last 16 months. Only one moment hinted at vindi cation for a spending spree. Alexander Isak dragged a shot just wide from Bradley Barcola’s pass, men with a combined cost that could reach £248 million (RM1.3b) almost combining to deadly effect. Otherwise, Barcola was largely underwhelming on his second start since his £106 million (RM572m) move, though it came in his preferred position on the left. Florian Wirtz’s search for his first goal of the season continues and he scuffed a shot. As Fulham ended with more shots on target and touches of the ball in the opposition’s box, Liverpool created far too little. – The Independent

Liverpool’s Victor Munoz (left) vie for the ball against

last two under Arne Slot as well; meet the new boss, same as the old boss? Probably not, but

disjointed display, failing to touch the heights they reached in their come back against Atletico

Fulham’s Calvin Bassey during the Premier League match at Anfield on Saturday. – AFPPIC

Madrid and failing to score for the first time

Alonso yearns for ‘boring game’

XABI ALONSO admitted he would love Chelsea to give him a “boring game” after their defensive woes allowed Hull to escape Stamford Bridge with a 2-2 draw on Saturday. Alonso’s side were cruising after Morgan Rogers drilled home in the seventh minute, but once again they paid the price for some sloppy defending. Hull’s Algerian winger Mohamed Belloumi blasted the equaliser after Chelsea failed to clear a long ball. And Belloumi put the tireless Tigers in front when his deflected shot flashed in before halftime. Cole Palmer’s incisive run and cut-back in the 66th minute allowed Joao Pedro to bag Chelsea’s equaliser. But the Blues were unable to find a winner

than defending,” said Alonso. “It’s a big topic and a big theme for us. It’s just four games, but the dynamic in terms of conced ing, I don’t like it. “We can do better for sure. When we have the lead, a very important part of the game is to hold together, to keep the distances. I’m sure that we can do better.” Hull have made a superb start after their unexpected promotion last season via the Championship playoffs. Tigers boss Sergej Jakirovic, whose third placed team are still unbeaten, said: “I feel good. We have to be happy. It’s a huge result for us. “We had 2-1 at half-time and we had a 100 per cent chance with McBurnie, but Martinez’s save was excellent. We can be very happy. We took a point in a very demanding match.” – AFP

making. It will take time to fix them. “When we get the lead, you still need to be competing and not give the chance so easily for them to come back, especially for the first goal. We can do much better. It was too soft. “That momentum that we had (was lost), it changed the mood. It’s something we need to keep talking (about) and address. We will get better, but it’s having an impact on our perform ances.” Chelsea have been highly entertaining in the season’s early weeks but their inability to control matches has become a concern. Hull could have been out of sight had Emiliano Martinez not recovered from a fumble to clear the danger as Oli McBurnie looked poised to make it 3-1. “Overall I think that we are attacking better

and have now conceded nine goals in their four Premier League matches this season. They also shipped three goals against Leeds in midweek but ran out 6-3 winners in the League Cup third round tie. That chaotic clash encapsulated Chelsea under Alonso, who was hired in the close season to improve their fortunes after last term’s disap pointing 10th place finish. The Spaniard is well aware that Chelsea’s attacking quality, which has brought 10 goals in four League games, is being dented by their issues in defence. “Maybe entertaining, but I hope one day you’ll say it was a boring game and we win and we don’t give these entertaining moments,” Alonso said. “It kind of repeats some patterns that we are