One Premier League icon who went from winning multiple titles to being relegated to the Championship believes Tottenham are on pace to go down

Premier League icon Joleon Lescott believes Tottenham are well on track to get relegated this season based on current form. The club sits 16th in the Premier League and just one point above the bottom three with only nine games to play this term.

Igor Tudor‘s disastrous start as Spurs boss took another nightmarish turn on Tuesday following a 5-2 loss at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The north Londoners are now on the verge of exiting Europe’s premier tournament at the round of 16 unless they can pull off a miracle in the second leg.

Lescott, 43, appeared on the latest episode of the All Out Football podcast alongside Mirror Sport‘s Andy Dunn and gave a dim assessment of Spurs’ prospects between now and May. And after conceding four goals in the opening 22 minutes at Atletico, it appears a drought in confidence could signal a historic period in the club’s history.

“Honestly, in terms of form, yeah,” said the former Manchester City and England defender. “Because again, speaking about experience, none of their players have experienced this fight.

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“I know last season was bad but they had a positive or a bonus of a distraction [winning the Europa League], like Europe was their kind of shining light in that season. Whereas this season now, we’re talking about players and fans that don’t know what it feels like to be in this fight.

READ MORE: Laura Woods shouts ‘wow’ as TNT Sports host gobsmacked by Igor Tudor’s post-match behaviourREAD MORE: Peter Schemichel goes off on Igor Tudor and accuses him of killing Antonin Kinsky’s career

“Like if you’re saying you’re a Forest or a West Ham, they go behind, their fans still support their team because they know they’re likely going to go behind. Now we have to get behind them to get in front and stuff and fight behind that.

“Whereas Spurs fans now are like, ‘Oh, this is nerve wracking’. And then players are like, ‘Oh, I don’t want that pass. I don’t want to show for the ball there’. But it becomes very edgy potentially.”

Lescott cited his own experience of being relegated with Aston Villa in 2016 and how “players go missing all of a sudden.” And he spoke about the increased role pressure plays in how certain players make their decisions, potentially hoping to save their own reputations.

“Say a forward where he’s taken a shot when he’s full of confidence, now it needs to be perfect,” added Lescott. “Now I need to see the whole goal rather than half of the goal.

“And then as a defender, say for me, you’re thinking, ‘I don’t want to play that ball into midfield in case it doesn’t get there, and I’ll go wide’, but now the opportunity is gone. So there’s so many elements that you probably don’t realise when you’re down there.”

Tuesday’s defeat to Atletico was but the latest indictment on Spurs’ season, and by extension Tudor’s still-budding tenure. The Croat has lost four times in as many games in charge, two of which were London derbies fans would have hoped to win (against Fulham and Crystal Palace).

Injuries have played an unfortunate role in hampering Tottenham’s chances, but the club has spent enough in recent years to suggest they have the depth necessary to mount a much better challenge than what’s been witnessed. And Lescott is among those convinced the unthinkable could happen come May as the spectre of relegation grows larger.

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The F1 2026 season continues with the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend after Mercedes’ George Russell sealed pole position in Australia

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The Formula 1 2026 season is well underway and there are some major changes on the to Sky Sports’ TV coverage. Mercedes’ George Russell secured pole position in Melbourne last week, with the drivers now in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ahead of the season, Sky Sports revealed plans to launch what it describes as ‘cutting-edge broadcast innovations’ for its F1 coverage. Fans will soon be able to view an immersive sidebar for TV viewing each race weekend that will display Race Control, in-race standings and a Recap – or replay – feature.

Other standout features of the sidebar include dedicated driver and team pages, enhanced data, explainers and improved homepage navigation. Viewers can also stream onboard cameras for every driver – complete with team radio messages – during each race weekend.

The new features will be rolled out later this year at no extra cost to Sky Sports customers on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q devices, with a launch date to be confirmed. F1 fans who don’t currently have Sky access can subscribe from £35 per month for the broadcaster’s flagship Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.

This includes coverage of every practice, qualifying session and race live from every race weekend this season. The package includes nine Sky Sports channels, around 100 regular TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Disney+.

Sky’s discounted Formula 1 package

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£49

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Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifier and race live with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an introductory deal that saves £336.

As well as nine Sky Sports channels, this includes around 100 regular channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.

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There’s also an option to the £42 Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle, which comes with 35 extra channels and will soon include Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu at no extra cost from March. Sky customers can add Sky Sports F1 to their existing subscription package as a rolling monthly subscription drops from £20 to £15 with a special offer.

Virgin Media customers can get Sky Sports channels too with the provider’s £52.99 Sport bundle, which comes with more than 200 channels, 362Mbps fibre broadband and Netflix. A caveat to both Sky and Virgin’s deals is that prices may change at least twice during the 24-month contracts, including the usual April price increase.

Sky touts itself as the ‘ultimate destination’ for F1, with the new features joining existing coverage such as Pit Wall Live, The Grid Walk, The F1 Show and the returning The Notebook. The latter airs post-qualifying and post-race on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively, to deliver analysis and the latest updates from the paddock with reporter Ted Kravitz.

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Announcing the changes, Sky said: “Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recent years. With viewership increasing year-on-year, 2026 promises to be even bigger with new cars and rule changes coming into play.

“Featuring an expert line-up, cutting-edge broadcast innovations, and the only place to watch live coverage of all 24 races, Sky Sports remains the ultimate destination for Formula 1 fans in the UK and Ireland.”

Wrexham host Premier League Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round tonight in the biggest fixture at the Racecourse Ground since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds became owners almost five years ago.

The Welsh side have surged from English football’s fifth tier to the second with three successive promotions and are now lying sixth in the Championship, pushing for a place in the Premier League via the play-offs.

Wrexham went into administration in 2004, and for years the club survived on volunteer labour. A week before the season kicked off, fans would turn up to paint, sweep and fix locks on the turnstiles.

They toppled Nottingham Forest earlier in their FA Cup run, but facing eight-time winners Chelsea is another step up in class.

Liam Rosenior has only lost three games since taking over at Stamford Bridge, all of them to Arsenal, but Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa was a marker of progress after some sloppy dropped points.

Chelsea will be mindful of a Champions League last-16 tie against PSG this week, as well as the pressing priority of qualifying for that competition via a top-five finish in the Premier League.

Win tonight though, and Rosenior will be three games away from a major trophy which would go some way to ingratiating him with a sceptical Chelsea fanbase. Romeo Lavia is back for Chelsea, but Rosenior will not risk wingers Estevao and Jamie Gittens.

Wrexham were part of one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets when they beat Arsenal in the 1992 third round, when Mickey Thomas scored a famous free-kick.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “When you go around the Wrexham area, the game most supporters will speak about is that Arsenal game, and this is our chance now to make some more memories for our supporters in the FA Cup.

“We did that with a great game against Nottingham Forest that went to a penalty shoot-out, and then obviously the Ipswich game. We’ve earned the right to have this kind of prestigious draw against Chelsea.

“We’re on a good run, and we’ve done well at home. It’s all about bringing our best performance to the table on Saturday night.”

Full team news on the way shortly.

Charmaine Hayward-Barnett, 35, was also jailed for six weeks for 20 shop thefts carried out across Harrogate over two and a half months. The town’s magistrates said she had a “flagrant disregard for people and their property”.

They made a two-year criminal behaviour order banning her from all Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Morrison Daily and One Stop shops in the town. She must pay £130 compensation.

There are nine Co-op stores, five Sainsbury’s, two Morrison Dailys and four One Stop shops in Harrogate.

Hayward-Barnett, of Woodfield Square, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to all offences. She stole:

From the Co-op: fruit worth £29.95 on January 4, fruit worth £38.40 on January 11, crisps worth £17.50 on January 17, crisps worth £8 on January 19, laundry products and groceries worth £31 on January 26, biscuits worth £9.25 on January 29; fruit worth £20 also on January 29, crème ages worth £40 on January 31, tea-bags to a value unknown on January 31, mini-eggs worth £46 on February 4, mini-eggs to an unknown value on February 5;

From Sainsbury’s: meat worth £41 on November 22, meat, salmon and potatoes to an unknown value on December 1,

From Morrisons:  laundry products worth £20 on November 24, burgers worth £5 on November 25, meat worth £45 on December 4,

From One Stop: chocolate and other food items worth £56 on December 27, meat worth £29.35 on December 29, toothpaste worth £34.80 on December 20,

From Superdrug: cosmetics worth £86 on December 19.

Statistically, attending a weekly worship service is a remarkably safe thing to do. Global annual attendance totals many billions; the number of people killed in attacks on individual houses of worship in any given year is generally less than a few hundred.

But an ambush Thursday targeting one of the nation’s largest synagogues — the latest in a spate of recent attacks targeting religious buildings — has intensified fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.

Here is a list of some of the notable attacks that have occurred on houses of worship in the past 15 years.

United States

March 12, 2026: A man armed with a rifle rammed his vehicle into a major reform synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security. The attacker drove through a set of doors and into a hallway where something in the vehicle ignited, a sheriff said. In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue, which also houses an early childhood center. No one was injured.

Sept. 29, 2025: An ex-Marine smashed a pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze during a crowded Sunday service and then was fatally shot by police. Four people were killed and eight wounded.

Aug. 27, 2025: Two children were killed and several others were injured in a shooting during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. The shooter, who authorities say died of a self-inflicted gunshot, was a former student at the parish’s school.

Oct. 27, 2018: Eleven Jews attending services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh were fatally shot by a white supremacist with a history of antisemitism. The gunman, Robert Bowers, faces execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

Nov. 5, 2017: A family feud is believed to have prompted the deadliest mass shooting in modern Texas history. Twenty-five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

June 17, 2015: A young man walked into a Bible study session at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed nine people. The victims included the senior pastor, Clementa Pinckney. The shooter was an avowed white supremacist who is awaiting execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

Aug. 5, 2012: Six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the town of Oak Creek were shot to death by a 41-year-old white supremacist who had discussed a racial holy war. One of the injured victims died in 2020 from his head wound, becoming the seventh fatality.

Australia

Dec. 14, 2025: A father and son fatally shot 15 people at a Hanukkah festival on the famous Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the massacre an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

Dec. 6, 2024: As part of a wave of antisemitic attacks, a synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed. The building was heavily damaged, and a congregation member was injured. Australian authorities have accused Iran of directing that attack.

Congo

July 27, 2025: Several dozen people were killed in Congo’s Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers.

Egypt

Egypt reeled in November 2017 from the killing of more than 300 people in a startlingly grisly militant attack on a mosque in northern Sinai frequented by Sufis, followers of a mystic movement within Islam. At that point, Egypt’s military and security forces had already been waging a campaign against militants in northern Sinai.

April 9, 2017: Suicide bombers struck hours apart at two Coptic churches in northern Egypt, killing more than 40 people and turning Palm Sunday services into scenes of horror and outrage. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility and vowed to continue attacks against Christians.

Britain

Oct. 2, 2025: An attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, by a knife-wielding assailant left two congregation members dead. According to police, it was carried out by a man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

June 19, 2017: A man drove a van at pedestrians near a mosque in London as worshippers were leaving after prayers. One man died; a dozen others were injured. The attacker was sentenced to at least 43 years in prison. A judge said he had been radicalized by far-right and Islamophobic propaganda online.

France

Oct, 29, 2020: Three people were killed in a stabbing attack at a Catholic basilica in the French Riviera city of Nice. A Tunisian man charged with the attack was later sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, France’s most severe sentence possible.

July 26, 2016: Two assailants slit the throat of an 85-year-old priest after staging an attack on a Mass at a Catholic church in Normandy. The attackers were killed by police as they left the church. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Germany

Oct. 9, 2019: A right-wing extremist tried to shoot his way into a synagogue in Halle on Yom Kippur while broadcasting the attack live on a popular gaming site. After failing to open the building’s heavy doors, he shot and killed a woman in the street and a man at a nearby kebab shop. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

March 9, 2023: A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses opened fire during a service at a Witnesses hall in Hamburg, killing six people and then himself. Nine other people were wounded.

Oct. 18, 2023: Assailants threw two Molotov cocktails at a synagogue in Berlin. The firebombs burst on the sidewalk next to the building, and two people who had approached the synagogue with them ran away with their faces covered. The attempted arson shortly after Hamas’ attack on Israel drew strong condemnation.

New Zealand

March 15, 2019: A white supremacist gunned down worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers, killing 51. The attacks prompted new laws banning an array of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook. The assailant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the first time the maximum available sentence had been imposed in New Zealand.

Norway

Aug. 10, 2019: A white nationalist Norwegian, Philip Manshaus, killed his Chinese-born stepsister and then drove to a mosque in an Oslo suburb where three men were preparing for Eid al-Adha celebrations. He fired rifle shots at the mosque’s glass door before being overpowered by one of the men.

Syria

June 22, 2025: A suicide bomber opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus filled with people praying, killing more than 20 and wounding dozens, state media reported.

It was a very different Palace line-up than started for Glasner in October. Former captain Marc Guehi joined Manchester City in January, while the arrivals of Strand Larsen, Evann Guessand and Brennan Johnson – all of whom started – infused new energy, but none were influential enough.

61 North Bondgate is believed to have been built in the late 19th or early 20th century.

However, it has been significantly altered over the years and has stood empty since 2017.

Due to structural concerns, the owner, The Auckland Project, submitted a proposal to tear it down.

Plans were given the green light by Durham County Council on March 10.

Demolition is to take place on weekdays between 8am and 6pm, and Saturdays between 8am and 2pm.

No public objections were made to the plans.

As the US-Israel war against Iran is well into its second week, with no sign of ending, it is having ever wider global ripple effects. Beyond severe consequences for the world economy, the political and diplomatic fallout has also had a significant impact on Europe.

Europe is being forced to address the consequences of two wars of choice that are not of its making: the Trump-Netanyahu war against Iran and Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. The European Union is increasingly straining to maintain unity as its institutions and member states struggle to align their interests confronted by such an unprecedented situation.

Divisions at the top of the EU institutions are increasingly playing out in the open. The EU is drawn between trying to maintain at least a minimum of transatlantic cohesion to keep the US on side in its confrontation with Russia, and its defence of an equally minimal pretence that international law still matters.

The result is mixed messaging on the US-Israeli war against Iran. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was first clearly at odds with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, before being contradicted by the commission’s executive vice-president Teresa Ribera and EU council president António Costa.

Such public spats between top EU officials are highly unusual. In fact, one of the least expected and most remarkable developments over the past four years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has been the extent to which the European Union has changed and yet remained broadly united.

The EU’s response to Russia’s aggression was – uncharacteristically – one of breaking several taboos and at high speed. First, Brussels provided EU funds to non-member Ukraine for military equipment and training its armed forces. Over the past four years, the EU has risen to become Ukraine’s most important supporter. Second, and as significantly, the EU embarked on the process of making the development of Europe’s military capabilities a core future priority for Brussels. For a bloc whose core philosophy is focused peace through economic integration, this, too, was unheard of before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

These changes would not have been possible without the support of key member states, many of whom have abandoned longstanding and often highly cherished traditions as well.

Critically, this has been led by Germany and France, the EU’s two largest powers. In Germany, the then-chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Zeitenwende (turning point) speech just days after the war started triggered a fundamental rethink about the country’s relationship with Russia which had undeniably turned from a potential partner to an openly hostile adversary. This paved the way, among other things, for the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU.

Scholz’s succcessor, Friedrich Merz, completed Germany’s geopolitical repositioning with his commitment to a European defence identity that will ultimately be independent from the US. This reflects an acknowledgement that the transatlantic pillar of US security for Europe has become too fragile under Donald Trump to continue to provide a dependable safety net for the continent.

The French embrace of European strategic autonomy may have been less surprising than in the German case. However, Paris recently announced concrete steps to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal and extend the French nuclear umbrella to eight European allies. This is a significant shift in doctrine. It will see nuclear-capable planes of the French air force stationed abroad for the first time.

Berlin’s participation in this scheme breaks another major taboo in Germany, while British participation is a clear indication that EU defence thinking has become more flexible. The idea of a “coalition of the willing” that includes members of both the EU and of Nato breaks with the traditional division of labour between them. It has the potential of providing a new anchor of European security that could overcome the rigidity of EU and Nato structures, including their dependence on consensus decisions.

All of these, and other, shifts in the EU’s geopolitical awakening have come at a cost, however.

European disunion

A longstanding row between Hungary and Slovakia, on the one hand, and Ukraine, on the other, over Russian oil deliveries via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline has significantly escalated. Budapest has vetoed the delivery of an agreed €90 billion (£77 billion) loan to Kyiv and threatened to block new sanctions against Russia.

There is now also an open debate in Brussels – principally between some member states and the European Commission – on at least the timing, if not the broader prospects, of Ukrainian accession to the EU.

None of these challenges will quickly disappear, nor are there easy answers to them. The idea of the heart of the European project – that economic integration and investment in a rules-based liberal international order would make the continent safe – turned out to be naive.

First, Moscow’s willingness to disrupt the international relations of Europe by force dealt a serious blow to the idea that the EU’s combined power could sufficiently constrain a revisionist and expansionist Russia. Second, and perhaps even more sobering, Washington’s willingness to stake a claim for the acquisition of Greenland, initially not ruling out the use of force, threatened the territory of Denmark, a European Nato ally and EU member. This at once cast the dependability of the transatlantic alliance into a whole new, and unwelcome, light.

The EU’s age of innocence is now over. Trump and Putin have delivered major shocks to the political psyche of European leaders. While this continues to be a painful process, Europe as a whole cannot afford a breakdown in the hard-won consensus over the need to support Ukraine and invest in its own defences. This would have serious negative consequences for the continent’s ability to survive in a world in which once-established rules of state conduct are rapidly dismantled.

After four years of war and more than a year of Trump 2.0, the EU has shaken off the conception of being a “civilian power”. But reshaping the current chaos into a new order that is once again conducive to the European project will require hard work for Europeans to be seen as being geopolitically relevant.

Jeff Blair died in hospital having suffered serious injuries in what has been described by his employer as “a shocking and horrendous incident” on Dent Street in Shildon.

The Northern Echo understands that the 55-year-old former police officer was working at the time of the attack shortly after 1pm on Tuesday (March 10). He died shortly after arrival at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Jeff Blair, 55, died following a suspected assault in Dent Street (Image: DURHAM POLICE)

Robert Davies, 49, of Dent Street, Shildon, was arrested on Tuesday. He has tonight (Thursday, March 12) been charged with murder, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, March 13.

Jeff, a former Durham Constabulary police officer, had worked as a response PC across the south of the county for 22 years before retiring in 2017.

Police searching drains on the scene today (March 12) (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Alderson, who is leading the investigation, said: “This has been a deeply upsetting incident which has caused a great deal of shock to the local community.

“Our thoughts are with Jeff’s family and all those who knew and loved him at this difficult time.

“We will continue to have a police presence at the scene, and I’d like to thank the public and nearby residents for their patience, understanding, and cooperation while we work to establish exactly what has happened.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could help the investigation and has not yet spoken to us.”

Dent Street, Shildon (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals Service said earlier: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Jeff Blair’s family, friends and those who worked with him.

“This was a shocking and horrendous incident. Violence against our hardworking staff is completely unacceptable, and we are providing support to our colleagues affected by this tragedy.”

It is understood a review into working practices will now take place to decide whether further protections are needed for bailiffs.

A police van and police car were still in place at the cordon on Dent Street this afternoon (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Following his death, Jeff’s family paid tribute to him, saying: “Jeff was a much-loved son, brother, father, partner, uncle, and good friend to many.

“His ability to apply humour and laughter to any situation and lighten the mood will be irreplaceable to our family.

“We are devastated to lose Jeff in such tragic circumstances, and he will be forever missed and remembered always, with much love and affection.”

Darlington Storm Basketball Club said Jeff was a former player, coach and committee member.

In a tribute shared on social media, the club said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very traumatic and troublesome time.”

Durham County Council is set to approve the changes as part of plans to make tenancies “fairer and more flexible” for plot owners. 

Vehicles, parts and caravans are currently banned, but a transition rule allows tenants who already have a caravan to keep it until their tenancy ends or the caravan becomes a hazard.

The proposals follow a public consultation carried out by the local authority earlier this year, which received 343 responses from the public. 

Nicola Lyons, cabinet member for stronger communities and belonging, said: “Your feedback has helped to shape these proposals, which we believe will result in fairer and more flexible tenancy agreements that not only reflect modern growing practices, but the need to ensure allotments remain tidy and productive.”

Cabinet members will be asked to agree to several changes to its allotment policy, transition rules and tenancy agreements at a meeting on Wednesday (March 18). 

Also included in the proposals are plans to reduce the minimum cultivation level from 75 per cent to 50 per cent, including what is grown in greenhouses and polytunnels. 

The qualifying period for co-workers to automatically gain the tenancy of a plot if the lead tenant gives it up would be reduced from five years to three.

Demand for allotments remains high in County Durham, with more than 2,300 people on the waiting list.

Meanwhile, the current ban on cockerels due to noise nuisance is set to be lifted. 

Cllr Lyons added: “Allotments are valued community assets, providing a space for people to grow their own food and experience the health benefits of time spent outdoors. They also bring families together and create a sense of connection among people of all ages.

“We know how much allotments mean to people; that’s why we were so keen to hear from tenants and anyone with an interest in allotments before making any changes. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation.