LONDON: Christian Eriksen scored twice before substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson’s stoppage-time goal saw Tottenham Hotspur come from 2-0 down to beat Southampton 3-2 in the Premier League at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
This dramatic victory saw Tim Sherwood’s side keep their hopes of Champions League football alive as they moved up into fifth place, albeit still six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal and having played a game more than their north London rivals.
It looked as if it would be ninth-placed Southampton who would be climbing up the table when the visitors went 2-0 up through goals from England duo Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana.
But before half-time Spurs pulled one back through Eriksen and just 44 seconds into the second half the Dane brought the teams level with his second goal.
It seemed the match was heading for a draw when, deep into stoppage time, Sigurdsson struck to complete Spurs’ comeback.
In front of the watching Roy Hodgson, Rodriguez pressed his case for inclusion in the England manager’s World Cup squad by giving the Saints a 19th minute lead.
Spurs right-back Kyle Naughton misjudged Artur Boruc’s long goal kick downfield, ducking under the ball to allow Rodriguez a clear run on goal.
The Saints star still had work to do but made no mistake with a precise finish into the far corner, beyond the reach of Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
And fewer than 10 minutes later, Southampton were 2-0 up after another Naughton error saw him fail to control the ball as Spurs looked to clear a corner.
Naughton’s mistake allowed Saints striker Rickie Lambert to take possession on the edge of the box.
His neat control and precise pass released fellow England international Lallana on the overlap and the midfielder made no mistake.
Southampton were now 2-0 up in the 28th minute, with Tottenham looking anything but the side that had given Benfica a scare in midweek during a 2-2 draw in Lisbon that nevertheless saw them eliminated on aggregate from the Europa Cup.
But three minutes later, Tottenham pulled a goal back.
And this time it was Southampton’s right-back Nathaniel Clyne, who played a key role by letting a seemingly harmless cross go under his feet and so leaving Eriksen with a simple finish at the far post.
No sooner had the second half kicked off then Spurs were level.
Spurs striker Roberto Soldado shrugged off the challenge of Dejan Lovren and pulled back for Eriksen, who turned the ball in from close range to even things up at 2-2.
Eriksen then had a chance to complete a hat trick but, under pressure from the Saints’ defense, blasted the ball high over the crossbar.
But Tottenham got the third goal they’d been seeking when, two minutes into the four added on at the end of normal time, Sigurdsson, on as a half-time substitute for Mousa Dembele, struck.
Jose Fonte headed out a deep ball into the box and Erkiksen laid it off into the path of Sigurdsson, whose 20-yard shot went low and fast past the right hand of the diving Boruc and into the bottom corner.
Eriksen double sparks Spurs revival against Saints
Eriksen double sparks Spurs revival against Saints
Real Madrid, Zalgiris headline adidas NextGen EuroLeague in Abu Dhabi
- 8 top under-18 teams compete for place in Athens final in May
- Tournament is at city’s Space42 Arena from Feb. 27 to March 1
RIYADH: Abu Dhabi will have Europe’s brightest young basketball talent this week at the adidas NextGen EuroLeague tournament.
Eight of the continent’s leading under-18 teams will compete from Feb. 27 to March 1 at Space42 Arena, with a place at the finals in Athens on the line. The finals in May will be staged alongside the EuroLeague Final Four in the Greek capital.
Defending continental champions Zalgiris Kaunas and five-time title holders Real Madrid headline the Abu Dhabi qualifier, which forms part of the 2025–26 adidas NextGen EuroLeague season.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four and will play in a round-robin format. The winners of each group will advance to Sunday’s championship game, while placement fixtures will determine the remaining standings.
The Abu Dhabi event follows the Ulm qualifier, won by U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana, who have already secured their place in Athens. The winners of upcoming tournaments in Bologna (March 13–15) and Belgrade (March 20–22) will complete the finals lineup.
Group A features Real Madrid alongside U18 Aris Thessaloniki, U18 Dubai Basketball and U18 AS Monaco.
Aris enter their third season in the competition, having finished seventh at the Munich qualifier last year with a 2–2 record after placing sixth in Abu Dhabi the previous campaign.
Dubai Basketball are also competing in their third NextGen season. The UAE side finished eighth in Ulm last year with a 0–4 record but claimed a notable win over U18 Mega Super Belgrade at the NextGen Finals.
However, they missed another victory against U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan to finish 1–2 overall. Dubai previously hosted a 2024 qualifier, ending with a 1–3 record.
Monaco make their second appearance after an eighth-place finish in Paris in 2024.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, will be aiming to reassert their dominance after an uncharacteristic third-place finish at last season’s Munich qualifier ended a streak of 11 consecutive qualifying tournament victories.
The Spanish powerhouse had also won 19 straight NextGen games dating back to the 2022 finals in Belgrade before falling to Zalgiris in the group stage last year.
Real are the competition’s most successful club with five continental titles (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024) and are competing in their 19th consecutive season since 2007–08.
Group B has reigning champions Zalgiris Kaunas take on U18 London Lions, U18 Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi and U18 Valencia Basket. London Lions make their tournament debut as the club continues to expand their European presence.
The Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi compete in their fifth season and second under head coach Dogus Balbay, a two-time EuroLeague champion. He is assisted by former Italian international Massimo Bulleri and Kheeryoung Rhee.
Valencia Basket are making their 10th appearance in the competition and their eighth in succession. The Spanish side have twice reached the finals, in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2019 and as hosts in 2021, and finished runners-up in Munich last season after three consecutive fifth-place finishes.
Zalgiris, one of the most storied names in the tournament’s history, are appearing in their 24th edition — having featured in every NextGen season since its inception.
The Lithuanian club won the inaugural event in 2003, added another title in 2007 and lifted the trophy again last summer in Abu Dhabi. They also reached the championship game in 2005, 2006 and 2011, underlining their pedigree at youth level.
