Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the 3-3 result:

(Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

Stopping the Slide –

The biggest takeaway for me is the fact that Tottenham prevented a fourth successive Premier League defeat. Not because it would have made any difference to the long-term project, but because it completely changes the headlines for Spurs this week. They have gone from serial losers and ‘is Postecoglou getting found out?’ to brave Tottenham who played City at their own game and got a point. That is huge for morale.

That Kulusevski Magic –

Three games at the Etihad and three goals for Dejan Kulusevski! It’s fast becoming his favourite away ground in the Premier League, and that is saying something. I was really impressed by his tenacious work in the pockets in the first half as he started in that number ten role again – up against Rodri no less. On the right in the second 45, he had acres to run into. At times, I want to see that Dejan of a year ago when he would take players out wide with his right foot just as often as cutting in. But there is no arguing with his work rate or his ability to put the ball into Man City’s net!

Ange Ball Strikes Again –

All the build-up to the game was about how Postecoglou simply could not play his style of football away to Man City with so many absent players and come out with anything but a hiding. Once again, Postecoglou showed that you don’t have to bow to the big sides. Even if Spurs had lost this evening, I still think people are missing the point. It is not about the short-term with Ange. Win, lose or draw, it’s about creating a new culture and a new way of playing at the club. You don’t change everything just because someone is injured, you simply teach every member of your squad to play the same way and improve together. It’s all a process and the signs are very positive for the long term.

Champions League Places –

Thanks to that point, Tottenham remain in what could be the Champions League places come the end of the season (if England are handed a fifth slot). They remain one point ahead of Newcastle and are just two behind Aston Villa in fourth. But perhaps more importantly, they once again showed they can mix it with the big boys.

Returning Players –

In theory, Tottenham’s woes should get ever so slightly lighter by the next game. Cristian Romero’s ban is now over and Richarlison made an appearance off the bench for Spurs. It’s not much compared to the long list of absentees, but it at least relieves some stress on the starting XI. And I would imagine Romero and Davies will now become the regular back two for the foreseeable future.

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Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Tottenham Hotspur’s Swedish midfielder #21 Dejan Kulusevski (C) vies with Manchester City’s Portuguese midfielder #20 Bernardo Silva (L) and Manchester City’s Argentinian striker #19 Julian Alvarez (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northwest England, on December 3, 2023. (Photo by Darren Staples / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham Player Ratings vs Man City

Guglielmo Vicario – 7.5 – Made some decent stops throughout, the highlight being that diving tip around the corner at the start of the second 45. Also had to do a lot of work with his feet today. Absolutely nothing to complain about. Steady pair of hands, steady pair of feet.

Pedro Porro – 5.5 – It felt like Porro was a little afraid of Doku today, and that is understandable. The right-back opted to step off and off and off rather than meeting Doku head-on. As a result, the Man City winger was able to push his way into the box over and over again, causing a lot of trouble. When the game opened up, Porro was much better in the pockets in an attacking sense.

Emerson Royal – 4 – While it feels harsh to slam Emerson for defensive mistakes while playing out of position, I was disappointed with him on the ball today. He looked nervous with every touch under pressure and gave the ball away in some shocking areas.

Ben Davies – 6 – Once again, you have to remember he is a left-back playing in a back two. I thought Davies did some good work today, but also struggled to deal with the Man City runners. For every solid piece of defending, there was one instance where he looked a little lost.

Destiny Udogie – 6.5 – Not his usual self on the ball in the first half and was nowhere near as much of a threat going forward. Picked up a silly first-half yellow that puts him one away from a suspension and left him walking a tightrope. Much better in the second 45 when he started to contribute going forward.

Yves Bissouma – 5 – It just felt like Bissouma wasn’t switched on today. He has been in and out of the team for the past month, but there were a few times he seemed to lack concentration off the ball. You can’t turn your back on this Man City side for a second. Then, at the most vital of moments, he lost concentration on the ball too. It was a shame because he looked class in the second half.

Giovani Lo Celso – 8 – He at least added the odd positive pass in that midfield, which was really needed at times. Spurs lost some of that solidity that perhaps you need at times under siege. He then stepped up at the perfect moment to bring Spurs level. Looked really dangerous when the game opened up.

Dejan Kulusevski – 8 – Impressed in some really tight situations. Up against the best defensive midfielder in the world, he wriggled free into some great areas. Did well to set up Son’s goal with the ball over the top. Had so much space in the second 45, I just wanted to see him use his right foot and go down the line a bit more. But what a leap in the dying moments to earn Spurs a point!

Brennan Johnson – 7 – Drifted in and out of the game. Showed blistering pace to beat Gvardiol down the right and almost set up Son. Was a little selfish with some shots around the edge of the box when they were good passes on at times. Then, just when Spurs needed a moment, he delivered a pin-point cross for the winner!

Heung-min Son – 8 – Considering he fed off scraps for large parts of the game, I thought Son’s hold-up play was a lot better today. Opened the scoring and assisted Lo Celso’s too, popping up in two key moments when Tottenham needed him most. Could have had a couple more had Gil and Kulusevski played in some earlier crosses.

Bryan Gil – 7 – Unfortunate to go off at half-time but Spurs perhaps needed to change something as they were far too open. Gil is a chaotic little player and will run for you all day long. He had some lovely moments on the ball and set up the Spurs opener with a brave pass in his own box. He just needs more consistency with that final pass.

Substitutes: 

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7 – Hojbjerg was actually really steady after coming on at half-time. It was the right call by Postecoglou. Defended his own box well but used the ball nicely too.

Oliver Skipp – 5 – Only came on for 15 minutes but threw himself about to earn that point.

Richarlison – N/A – Lovely to see him back.

Jamie Donley – N/A – What a great experience for the young lad!

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Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break currently 2-1 behind after the North Londoners had earlier taken the lead through Heung-min Son.

Guglielmo Vicario: City have been trying to put the Italian under pressure from their countless corner kicks, could do little for either goal. 6.

Pedro Porro: Has done well in dealing with the threat of Doku down the right.  At times you have to sympathise with the Spaniard’s positioning. 7.

Emerson Royal: Gifted City the ball in a dangerous area and uncharacteristically Haaland pulled his shot wide.  Struggling in the centre half role. 6.

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Ben Davies: Got turned inside out by Doku, thankfully the shot came back off the bar. Decided to drop deeper when the rest of the Spurs defence kept their line on the edge of the box for Foden’s goal. 5.

Destiny Udogie: A rash challenge on Foden saw him pick up his fourth booking of the season. 5.

Yves Bissouma: Recalled following his one-match ban.  Lost the ball in his own half just after the half hour mark which should have seen Haaland add a third. 5.

Giovani Lo Celso: Needs to do far more to help out the rest of his midfield. 5.

Bryan Gil: Did brilliantly well to set the counter attack away for Son’s opener.  Should have looked to have released the captain just prior to the haf hour mark with an earlier pass that could have created a good chance on goal. 6.

Dejan Kulusevski: Has done really well in his central role and has given Rodri problems. 7.

Heung-min Son: A brilliant run from the South Korean saw him outmuscle Doku and finish neatly beyond Ederson.  Scored at both ends inside ten minutes when City’s cross came off his thigh. 6.

Brennan Johnson: His pace is a threat to the City defence, however, with Spurs having their backs to the wall it just hasn’t been an option. 6.

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Here are our match predictions for the entire month of December as 2023 comes to a close.

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Sunday, December 3: at Man City

Despite outplaying Aston Villa for much of the last match, Spurs fell 2-1 to drop out of the Champions League places for the first time this season.

After a rough end to November, Tottenham’s path back to European football will not get any easier to start the last month of the year.

While Spurs have played well against Man City of late – they have won three of the last four matchups – the timing of this clash could not come at a worse time.

Not only is Tottenham missing a significant amount of the squad due to injury or suspension (Football.London), but City is also coming off a 3-2 comeback win in the Champions League and are unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions.

Prediction: Man City 3-1 Spurs

Thursday, December 7: vs. West Ham

Facing a London rival in the second of a tough three-match stretch, Tottenham will look to keep West Ham from gaining ground on a European spot.

The Hammers are on a decent run of form – four straight wins in all competitions – but can be inconsistent in both scoring goals and allowing them.

Two of West Ham’s recent wins were 1-0 results in the Europa League, but they have only kept one clean sheet in the Premier League this season (September 30 vs. Sheffield United).

If Spurs can find the back of the net against a side that has won just twice against teams in the top half of the table, it will likely result in three points.

Prediction:  Spurs 2-1 West Ham

(Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

Sunday, December 10: vs. Newcastle

Playing their third match in one week, Tottenham hosts a team that is just three points behind them in the standings.

While the battle with Newcastle will take place in North London, playing so many fixtures in a tight window might start to take its toll on Spurs, if it hasn’t already.

And while the Magpies have recorded inconsistent results across all competitions, they are the joint second-highest-scoring team in the Premier League (31 goals).

As a side hampered by injuries, Spurs will be unable to keep high-scoring Newcastle from notching multiple goals.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-1 Spurs

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 14: The official Nottingham Forest club badge on a corner flag during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest and West Ham United at City Ground on August 14, 2022 in Nottingham, United Kingdom. (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)

Friday, December 15: at Nottingham Forest

Tottenham’s fixtures get a bit lighter at this point in the month, with the squad getting multiple days to rest and recover both before and after this match.

The extra time off should help Spurs come out strong against Nottingham Forest, a club currently sitting 15th in the table.

Even though this is an away match, Tottenham should be able to score multiple goals against a side that has allowed the fifth-most in the league (21).

Forest has also recorded just one victory against a top-half side (Aston Villa), so Spurs should have their way with an overall struggling team.

Prediction: Spurs 2-0 Nottingham Forest

(Photo by Visionhaus)

Saturday, December 23: vs. Everton

Following an eight-day break, Spurs will battle a club making more headlines off the pitch than on it.

Tottenham will host an Everton side that was recently deducted 10 points for violating the league’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR), and the latest news is they could be facing another loss of points (Goal).

The Toffees have quite a mountain to climb, as they now sit in 19th place, only ahead of Burnley on goal difference.

Spurs should be able to defeat a team at home that is struggling both on and off the pitch.

Prediction: Spurs 3-1 Everton

LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 08: A general view of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, home of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 8, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Stephanie Meek – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Thursday, December 28: at Brighton

Much like the Villa match that capped off November, Spurs’ match with Brighton will likely be a wide-open affair that features plenty of scoring chances.

Brighton love to create chances and score goals, with their 28 league tallies behind only Aston Villa (31) and Man City’s (33) totals.

Tottenham aren’t far behind on the goalscoring charts (25) and should be able to take advantage of a less-than-stellar defence.

While Brighton plays with an ultra-attacking style, it also leaves plenty of chances for opposing sides to create scoring opportunities. So far this season, the Seagulls have yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League.

Prediction: Spurs 2-2 Brighton 

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Sunday, December 31: vs. Bournemouth 

Spurs end 2023 with what is likely its most favorable opposition of the seven December matches.

Hosting 16th place Bournemouth, Tottenham will look to end the year on a high note with a win and three points.

The Cherries have the third-worst goal differential in the Premier League (-14) and have allowed the third-highest goal total (28) while also scoring the fifth least (14).

Spurs should be able to beat a side that struggles to score goals and that can’t keep them out of the back of their own net.

Prediction: Spurs 2-0 Bournemouth

Final analysis

With seven fixtures and a slew of injuries, Spurs could have a tough end to the calendar year.

Playing seven matches during the month, I predict Tottenham to come away with 13 of a possible 21 points, recording four wins, two defeats, and a draw.

This would put Spurs at 39 points through 20 matches, which would likely keep them in contention for the top four.

For comparison, Tottenham was fifth in the table last season after Matchweek 20 on 33 points.

If Spurs can win the matches they are favoured in and perhaps pick up a surprise result, they will be in good shape to compete for a Champions League spot in the new year, especially as some important players begin to return from injury.

 Where do you see Spurs in the table at the end of the year?

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Countless injuries and suspensions to both key players and squad players, three league defeats in a row, including a 4-1 loss at home to Chelsea, and slipping further and further out of the title race with every passing week, surely it couldn’t get much worse?

The next game? A visit to the champions.

Despite our form against Manchester City being fairly decent in the last few seasons, with memorable wins both at home and away, not even the most optimistic Spurs fan would predict a positive result for Sunday’s trip to the Etihad.

Looking back at the previous game against Aston Villa, another where we scored the first goal but went on to lose, there were no fewer than eleven first-team players unavailable, leaving Ange Postecoglou to pick a starting XI which included a first league start for Giovani Lo Celso in over two years, a first league start for Bryan Gil since January, and no recognised centre back in Ange’s usual 4-3-3 formation.

It was also a first start for Rodrigo Bentancur since February due to injury, though he was forced off with a knock after just half an hour. Despite early signs being promising, however, it has been confirmed that he will be out until the new year at least.

With injuries and suspensions in mind, let’s do our best to predict Ange’s starting XI for Sunday’s trip up north…

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

GOALKEEPER: GUGLIELMO VICARIO

The most obvious choice on the list. Vicario has been a revelation since signing from Empoli in June and seems to pull off world-class saves every week, even when we are up against it.

RIGHT BACK: PEDRO PORRO

Porro has also turned his Spurs career around somewhat, firmly cementing himself as our first choice right back after a shaky start. Another fairly straightforward choice, though with Ange’s tendency to tinker, don’t be surprised if we see him in another position…

CENTRE BACKS: EMERSON AND BEN DAVIES

As Ange clearly does not rate Eric Dier, Micky van de Ven is out until the new year and Cristian Romero will be serving the last game of his suspension, expect to see the same centre-back duo as it was on Sunday. The pair of Emerson and Davies largely kept Villa out, only to be undone by a set piece and clever movement. Will need to put in the game of their lives at the Etihad.

LEFT-BACK: DESTINY UDOGIE

Udogie is another player who has been a revelation this season in his position. Only turning 21 this week, he still has a lot to learn, such as not to put in two stupid yellow-card challenges in a London Derby, but the Italian has looked a breath of fresh air every time he’s played this season.

CENTRE MIDS: BISSOUMA AND PAPE MATAR SARR

A difficult choice in midfield, though Bissouma would surely be put straight into the starting XI after having served a suspension against Villa, another one who has completely transformed under the guidance of Ange. While Sarr was injured for the game at the weekend, signs that he’ll return for the trip to the Etihad are promising and will be much welcome as Bentancur is out.

THE ‘MADDISON ROLE’: GIOVANI LO CELSO

A controversial pick maybe, but Lo Celso put in a fantastic performance on his first league start in two years, bagging a goal and helping to track back when needed as well. While not as creative as Maddison, who is likely to be out until 2024, he is still a player with a point to prove and, under the guidance of Ange, could be starting to see a revival in Lilywhite.

WINGERS: KULUSEVSKI AND JOHNSON

After playing the last game down the middle, Kulusevski may well switch back to his natural position on the right wing at Man City – he is a player who has scored in both of his previous trips to the Etihad. Johnson, meanwhile, has had his injury troubles at Spurs (who hasn’t) but is undoubtedly one who changes games when he plays.

STRIKER: HEUNG-MIN SON

Newly reappointed captain Sonny looks to be back to his best this season, despite enduring a mini goal drought including an unprecedented hat trick of disallowed goals against Aston Villa, so will surely keep his place in his new position of centre-forward. Again, it’s not like we have many options there.

SUBS: FRASER FORSTER, BRANDON AUSTIN ERIC DIER, ALFIE DORRINGTON, BRYAN GIL, PIERRE-EMILE HØJBJERG, OLIVER SKIPP, ALEJO VELIZ, JAMIE DONLEY

The only changes to the matchday squad are the returns of Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, with Bryan Gil dropping to the bench in his place.

Spurs only named eight subs on Sunday instead of the usual nine, again hinting that we are down to bare bones, and it’s entirely possible that it will happen again at the Etihad.

However, if we need to fill spaces on the bench, don’t be surprised if third-choice keeper Brandon Austin sits on the bench to make up the numbers. Other than Gil, it’s the same bench that was named at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at the weekend.

So there we have it – a squad that will turn up to the Etihad, possibly try and play City at their own game, and score the first goal only to lose.

SCORE PREDICTION: MAN CITY 3-1 TOTTENHAM

Spurs goal scorer: Son

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Ange Postecoglou already possesses the kind of attacking roster that most managers would be envious of, but injuries to Ivan Perisic, Manor Solomon, and Richarlison have got the Spurs boss wanting more.

Enter, Samuel Iling-Junior. Apparently, Tottenham are keen on the 20-year-old winger who has been catching the eye during his time with Juventus, and it’s thought the Serie A side could be prepared to accept an offer for their player (Football Insider).

Name: Samuel Iling-Junior
Age: 20-years-old
Place of birth: London, England
Current club: Juventus
Former clubs: Chelsea
International appearances: 3 caps for England U21s (Transfermarkt)
Club appearances: 113 appearances, 21 goals at both senior and youth levels (Transfermarkt)

(Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

Samuel Iling-Junior career stats

He never made a senior appearance for Chelsea before leaving for Italy in 2020 and, understandably given his age, Samuel Iling-Junior has only made his breakthrough at Juventus within the last 12 months.

Iling-Junior made 12 Serie A appearances last season, bagging one goal and one assist, and he also featured in the Europa League and Champions League, picking up another assist in the latter (Transfermarkt).

So far this term, Iling-Junior has had to settle for a place on the Juventus bench most of the time, but he does have four appearances and one assist to his name this year (Transfermarkt). He’s also made the step up to the England U21 squad in the last couple of months, having won three caps at that level since his debut back in September.

Samuel Iling-Junior strengths and weaknesses

Iling-Junior is a good, old-fashioned left winger who likes to stay out as wide as possible, beat a full-back, and send a cross into the box. In an era defined by inverted wingers and inside forwards, it’s refreshing to see a young player taking on the out-and-out winger role like this.

As well as being a tricky customer to deal with in attacking areas, Iling-Junior has an exceptional work rate and will often be seen tracking back to help in defensive areas. He has even been used in the left-back role at times in the Juventus youth team, which shows just how versatile he can be and how high his positional awareness is.

Iling-Junior is also fairly strong and it’s not easy for defenders to muscle him off the ball. This would set him up nicely to re-enter the more physical English game. Think about the way Jeremy Doku plays for Manchester City, and you have a good idea of what Iling-Junior could offer Spurs.

The main discernible weakness in Iling-Junior’s game at this stage is his goalscoring ability. He can finish incredibly well, but the issue is in getting him into dangerous areas to be able to score. Whether he would suit Postecoglou’s preference for attackers playing high up the pitch and contributing goals is unclear, at least based on the way he currently plays in Juventus’ system.

What are people saying about Samuel Iling-Junior?

A lot of people are saying Samuel Iling-Junior fits the profile of the kind of player Spurs are looking for right now under Ange Postecoglou: young, hard-working, creative, confident.

Tactical expert, Nathan Clark claimed as much on Twitter recently, and it seems Spurs fans are keen on the idea of the signing, too. One fan said “Juventus have a history of giving us gems,” with reference to Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, and suggested Iling-Junior could be next.

Another Spurs supporter said “€20m for Samuel Iling-Junior, would be a steal.” According to Gazzetta dello Sport, it may not even require an offer that high, with talk of €15m (£13.1m) being enough to secure the signing.

What do The Spurs Web think?

I do like the look of Iling-Junior, but I don’t know that we’ve seen quite enough of him to take that gamble on signing him right now. I know we like the idea of having young talent, but I feel like we need a bit more experience if we want a player who can walk into the first team.

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Let’s take a look at five things we learned from the match:

(Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Sometimes you just need luck –

In the midst of an injury and suspension crisis, Ange Postecoglou named somewhat of a strange Tottenham line-up today with no central defenders and no defensive midfielders. But it worked! For the first 30 minutes, Spurs were all over Aston Villa and arguably should have been a couple of goals to the good.

The midfield trio of Bentancur, Lo Celso and Kulusevski was creating all kinds of problems in attack, until the former was sliced down by Matty Cash. Postecoglou came up with a game plan that worked, but all that momentum seemed to vanish when Hojbjerg came on, who has a very different skill set. When it rains, it often pours on the injury front.

One in, one out for Man City?

Talking of Rodrigo Bentancur, if the Uruguayan is out for the Man City clash with yet another injury, it could be a case of a midfield revolving door for Spurs. Yves Bissouma will be back from suspension and could take Bentancur’s place in the pivot role, lining up alongside Lo Celso and Kulusevski (unless Pape Matar Sarr makes a quick recovery). How will that attacking midfield cope with Pep Guardiola’s side though?

Man of the Match

For me, Giovani Lo Celso was Man of the Match, and I would be saying the same even if he hadn’t scored the opener. The Argentine came in for some of his first football of the season and absolutely ran the show for much of the game. Almost every Spurs attack that unlocked a stubborn Aston Villa defence involved a nice pass or fancy piece of footwork from the Argentine. I hope he gets the credit he deserves for that all-round performance, despite the defeat. Must start next weekend.

The centre-back problem

Postecoglou has tried Eric Dier and Ben Davies. He has tried Ben Davies and Emerson Royal. He only really has Alfie Dorrington to choose from beyond those three and I doubt he will choose Man City away to throw the youngster in. Against the pace and physicality of Erling Haaland, the sad thing is that there just isn’t a correct answer. I suspect he will stick with Emerson and Davies and just hope to beat Man City at their own game at the other end of the pitch.

Positives to take

Yes, it is another defeat. Yes, that is three losses in a row. Yes, Man City away is next. But I think it would be a mistake to look at any single part of Tottenham’s season this year in isolation and without context. Spurs were missing six players who started in their last win, but still created an abundance of chances against a fellow top-five team.

There are no excuses for losing or for not putting those chances away, but if this is the kind of football Postecoglou can get from a depleted squad of players who don’t all necessarily fit his system, then it is another positive step in the right direction. There are better days and better results ahead.

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Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Tottenham Player Ratings vs Aston Villa

Guglielmo Vicario – 8 – Had one nervy moment when he let Bailey’s shot slip underneath his fingers, but the post saved his blushes. Apart from that, Vicario came up with a number of really smart stops and was quick off his line to sniff out trouble a few times. Top goalkeeper.

Pedro Porro – 7 – A mixed game for Pedro. He was different class in the first 30 minutes, including a lovely ball over the top and some dangerous play in and around the box. Almost scored late on in the game too. But he did give the ball away in some extremely dangerous positions and his set-piece delivery was average at best today.

Emerson Royal – 6.5 – Difficult to mark him today. Overall, I thought he did very well. Tottenham’s second-choice right-back filling in at centre-back, 90 per cent of his work was spot on. Comfortable in possession, carried the ball well, but eventually went to sleep a little to let Ollie Watkins in.

Ben Davies – 6 – The bar is a little higher for Davies seeing as he had a bit of experience in the centre of defence. Again, I don’t think he was awful, but he just doesn’t have the traits needed to play there every week. Lost Torres at the corner in what was a mismatch at the best of times.

Destiny Udogie – 7 – At times in the first half he was playing almost like a second striker. Should have put Tottenham ahead in the first few minutes but blazed over. A constant threat down the left but seemed to run out of steam in the final 20 minutes.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 7 – I can’t give him more than a 7 because he wasn’t on the pitch for that long, but Bentancur looked different class in his cameo. Just keeps Spurs ticking over and looks after the ball so well in those tight pockets. Tottenham went down a gear when he was forced off.

Giovani Lo Celso – 8.5 – Couldn’t ask much more from Lo Celso today. He was both a creative spark in the final third and a fantastic carrier of the ball in the centre of the pitch. I do think his best position is deeper rather than in attack. Took his goal well, albeit with a deflection. Tired towards the end.

Dejan Kulusevski – 8 – Playing a new role today in midfield, Kulusevski was allowed to roam free in the first half before settling in a position on the right of a three in the second. He carried the ball better than anyone and committed defenders every single time he had the ball. Very unlucky not to score in the first ten minutes, but probably his best performance in a long time.

Bryan Gil – 6.5 – Full of energy down the left and you cannot fault his commitment. He ran his socks off and he really hasn’t played much football this year. Ultimately lacked the final pass or shot and ran out of steam in the end, but he has done his reputation no harm with that performance.

Heung-min Son – 6 – Barely in the game today beyond sticking the ball in the back of the net three times for offside goals. Aston Villa defended the centre of their box very well and Son was engulfed in that number nine position. Might have been better to let him drift wide a bit more.

Brennan Johnson – 6 – Had a lot of space to operate in down the right and also had a lot of joy in the first 30 minutes, but his end product wasn’t up to scratch today. Too many overhit crosses and wasted one good chance through on goal.

Substitutes: 

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 5 – Never quite got up to the pace of the game and gave the ball away far too much. The drop-off from Bentancur to Hojbjerg was very noticeable.

Oliver Skipp – 5 – Came on to add some fresh legs but did little more than that.

Alejo Veliz – N/A

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Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break currently level at 1-1.

Guglielmo Vicario: Aside from watching Watkins’ header go into his net and later ruled offside, has not been tested until he had to clear the ball deep into injury time. 6.

Pedro Porro: Played a beautiful ball over the top for Udogie’s early chance and followed it up with another soon after to release Johnson down the right. Had a good opportunity to square to Son for what looked to be a tap-in but his pass was intercepted.  Fortunate with an error just before the break. 7.

Emerson Royal: Operating as a central defender ahead of Dier.  Did well to bail out Porro’s loss of possession in injury time. 6.

Ben Davies: Has done well in possession, thankfully Watkins and Diaby have not tested his pace. 6.

Destiny Udogie: Had the first clear chance of the game when he fired over the bar, has tried to get forward whenever possible. 7.

Rodrigo Bentancur: His first start since his ACL injury and has had some nice touches on the ball, his passing has been impressive. Forced off just after the half hour mark as a result of Cash’s disgraceful tackle with what appears to be an ankle problem. 7.

(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Bryan Gil: A first start for the Spaniard since January.  Inches away from providing an assist when he played a beautiful cross which nearly met the head of Son, has provided some natural width to the left. 6.

Giovani Lo Celso: Has looked very tidy on the ball.  Opened the scoring with a thunderous hit which took a deflection off Carlos’ thigh. 7.

Dejan Kulusevski: Will be kicking himself for doing everything right but saw his shot come back off the post, when it looked easier to score.  Was unlucky with a second effort later on in the game. 7.

Heung-min Son: If he were an inch taller, he would have scored from Gil’s cross.  Also saw an effort ruled offside. 6.

Brennan Johnson: Spurs need to use him as more of an outlet, his pace saw him breeze past Digne. 6.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Came on as a replacement for Bentancur. 6.

The post Spurs half time ratings vs Aston Villa – Missed chances prove costly appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

FOCO has you covered with some of the best and most unique officially licensed Spurs gear. From their popular building block sets BRXLZ, to slippers, drinkware, and more; FOCO has everything on your loved ones’ wish lists!

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The post Best gifts for Tottenham Hotspur Fans from FOCO appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

A win for Spurs could see them make ground on the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal, while a victory for Unai Emery would see Aston Villa leapfrog Tottenham into fourth.

The Lilywhites come into the fixture with a long list of absentees, including the suspensions for Yves Bissouma and Cristian Romero to go with the injuries to James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

We caught up with Tottenham legend and friend of The Spurs Web, Pascal Chimbonda once more to get his best score prediction for the Premier League match.

The Tottenham Predictions

Pascal – 2-2 Draw

Spurs Web – 2-1 Tottenham win

The Rules

The rules are simple – We will be predicting Tottenham scores against Pascal for the entire 2023/24 season. Three points will be awarded for a perfect prediction, while a correct score will get one point.

The Table

Spurs Web – 15 points after 13 games (6 correct results, 3 correct scores)

Pascal – 9 points after 13 games (6 correct results, 1 correct score)

The post Opinion: Pascal Chimbonda vs Spurs Web score prediction – Aston Villa appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

This was a real sign to anyone paying attention to the academy that Daniel Levy never viewed those managers as long-term projects, as there was no parity between the first team and the academy, which made the pathway for youngsters incredibly difficult.

Over the last 15 years, notable graduates can only include the likes of Ryan Mason, Andros Townsend, Oliver Skipp, Kane, and others, with those players barring Skipp earning senior England caps, which is something to be proud of, but when you compare Hotspur Way’s academy output compared to Cobham or City’s academy, it’s just not on the same level.

The biggest success is, of course, Tottenham’s all-time Premier League leading goalscorer Harry Kane, and to produce a centre forward of that immense quality is a testament to the academy; it’s just not consistent enough in producing the expected quality a top club is meant to be achieving. 

In fairness to Jose Mourinho, he was quite good with how he blooded in youth and certainly was the better of the three, although when the fan base is clamouring for Troy Parrott to get minutes in 2020 due to injuries to other first-team forwards, the academy construct wasn’t best preparing Parrott for how Jose would need him to play.

Conte believed that first-team academy players should be ready-made to step up immediately, without the need for much development input from him. While the academy was trying to play expansive, attacking football, any players called up to first-team training would be exposed to a contradictory mentality and formation.

It’s cited that Conte would often call up players from Wayne Burnett’s U21s to be used almost like static training cones in matches, whilst also sabotaging Wayne’s training plans for the day; some would even be called up on matchday, leaving the U21s light with numbers which inadvertently led to a poor season for the U21s as they tasted relegation and we’re only saved by a rule change which expanded the teams in PL2 so they we’re able to stay up.

Since Fabio Paratici’s appointment, he’s made a conscious effort to bring Spurs into the modern, big club mould by increasing the pay structure to retain top talent and bringing Spurs packages and offerings more on par with what other top clubs would be offering. 

We’re starting to see the fruits of Fabio’s labour as Spurs have been able to make a number of top signings under his leadership such as the acquisition of Jude Soonsup-bell from Chelsea and Herbie James from Manchester City.

Retaining top talent has become a priority too after Spurs lost a talent in Romain Mundle, Spurs sought to bring parity to their offers which allowed them to secure the futures of players that are highly sought after by the top clubs such as Mikey Moore and Callum Olusesi.

Despite tasting relegation last season, the Spurs academy boys actually won the U17 and U18s PL cup double last season.

I’m going to highlight 7 current academy players who should be making some form of impact in the first-team squad whether that’s through rotational integration or starting roles.

Callum Olusesi (16) –

Spurs fended off Manchester United to secure the contract extension of the highly-rated midfielder of Nigerian descent. Born in Lambeth, Olusesi has become tied with England U17s, earning an impressive 7 caps already. Yaya Toure, former Tottenham academy coach, highlighted the all-action midfielder and earmarked him for future success, dubbing him a ‘top grade’ talent for his age group.

Olusesi was also part of Spurs’ U17 and U18 Cup double-winning sides, playing an important role last term, he’s also won the Montagu Cup with England U16s.

I envisage Olusesi’s future to be fruitful, he’ll complete this season at Hotspur way with the potential to make some U21 appearances too, next year he should be more fully integrated in the U21s and by the time 2025/26 comes around, either he’ll go on a significant championship loan or gain some minutes in the cups, one to watch.

He’s magic, Olusesi, his dribbles are fast and mazy! He’s magic, Olusesi, he drives the opposition crazy!

Herbie James (16) –

Signed from Manchester City’s academy, young Herbie James hails from Macclesfield and plays on the wing to great effect. Holding a black belt in Karate, the 2006-born winger also holds citizenship in the Bahamas. Signing a significant 3-year contract, James is evident of the shift in mentality when it comes to attracting and retaining talent at the Academy after Paratici increased its wage structure. 

Spurs fought off interest from Everton and Wolves to secure the signing of James on a free transfer, making his U18s debut in a 4-0 win off the bench vs Norwich. I see James progressing well in the academy before making his debut for the first team in a cup game next season and being a serious rotational option on the wing when the 2025/26 season rolls around, due to his versatility and his driven personality.

He was even quoted saying he’s ‘looking forward to playing in the 2026 World Cup’, While that tournament might come a bit too soon for young James, I wouldn’t put it past him to be playing in the 2028 Euros on home territory when he’s a 21 year old.

Herbie James plays on either wing, he gets us on our feet and he makes the Park Lane sing!

ENFIELD, ENGLAND – MAY 07: Jamie Donley of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League 2 match between Tottenham Hotspur U21 and West Ham United U21 at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on May 07, 2023 in Enfield, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

Jamie Donley (18) –

Hailing from Antrim, Northern Ireland, Donley is a left-footed, versatile attacker who grew up in Colchester and has been Tottenham through and through since he joined the academy at the age of 8. His father, also a passionate Spurs fan, has been seen to be super supportive of young Jamie and his teammates. 

Despite some appearances for the youth levels of Northern Ireland, Donley has opted to play more for the England youth set-up with two caps for the U19s. The starlet has been in fine form this season with 17 goal involvements in 11 appearances, driving the U21s forward and at the top of the table with 8 wins out of 8.

In my personal opinion, his playstyle and movement have been similar to Harry Kane’s, certainly not a bad player to emulate. The striking of the ball, particularly the cross shot as he unleashes from the edge of the box, low and hard into the corner reminds me of Kane, so much raw potential.

Young Donley also recently made the bench for Spurs against Wolves, in what should be a great experience for the lad when it comes to experiencing a proper match day, showing him just what it takes to succeed at this level.

I see Donley making his Spurs debut this season with the potential to go on loan for next season in the Championship, rounding his abilities out to be ready to make a first-team impact in the 2025/26 season.

He’s in your head, in your head. Donley! Donley! Donley! ly ly ly.

Will Lankshear (18) –

Tottenham bought Lankshear from Sheffield United for £2m in 2022, signing a 3-year contract. The Hertfordshire-born forward has been lauded for his prolific goal-scoring and natural poaching instincts, earning those merits by scoring 38 goals in 48 appearances for the Sheffield United youth teams. They were ready to offer him a new contract, with manager Paul Heckingbottom being quoted as saying that he has “a good gift to score goals”, unfortunately for Sheffield United, Spurs and Brentford came sniffing around. 

The young forward opted to take the step up with Spurs. 

Lankshear marked his U18 Spurs debut by bagging a brace off the bench to drag his team back level and even scored after just 46 seconds in the UEFA Youth League against Sporting Lisbon. His abilities are well renowned and the U21s make good use of his abilities as a pure striker with 10 goal involvements in 10 games.

Formerly of the Arsenal academy, Lankshear should see plenty of playtime for the U21s to develop as he leads the line along with Jude Soonsup-Bell and Jamie Donley. I can envisage Lankshear going on a strong League One or Championship loan next season before being used as a backup striker from 2025/26 onwards. 

Could his pathway suggest anything close to the career of Harry Kane, Spurs will certainly hope so. 

We love you Lankshear, we do, bleeding Lilywhite, you do! We love you Lankshear, we do! Oh, Lankshear we love you!

Alfie Dorrington (18) –

Local lad Dorrington was born in Enfield, joining us at the age of 13 and internationally capped at England youth levels too, representing England from the U15s at every level to the U19s. The towering centre-back currently stands tall at 6ft 4 inches, a giant for the lad’s age group, he’s currently training with the first team due to suspensions and injuries to first-team defenders, even making the bench alongside Jamie Donley at Spurs’ previous match against Wolves

The captain of Spurs U21s, Dorrington loves driving forward with the ball and making confident, striding runs to support attackers upfield. Seemingly the epitome of what Ange is looking for in his defenders, tall, fast and most importantly, confident on the ball.

Alfie should make his Spurs debut his season and I don’t think he needs to go on loan, he’ll get plenty of playtime when Eric Dier is inevitably phased out and Ben Davies goes back to playing Left-back. The partnership of Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington is an exciting one, with Luka Vuskovic arriving in 2025 to provide seriously strong competition to the England youth internationals. Dorrington will be a blooded first-team player by the time 2025/26 rolls around whilst being on the cusp of an England senior cap.

We’ve got Dorrington, Alfie Dorrington, I just don’t think you understand, big at the back, tall in attack, we’ve got Dorrington!

Alfie Devine (19) –

The most high-profile player on this list, Devine is no secret. Hailing from Warrington, England, Alfie joined Spurs from Wigan in 2020 for around £300,000 and he’d go on to debut for Spurs senior team in January 2021, coming on as a substitute and scoring a goal in Spurs 5-0 FA Cup win vs Marine. 

He became the youngest player to debut for Spurs at 16 years and 163 days, as well as scoring. 

Devine was an academy player at Liverpool but joined Wigan after being released, and left Wigan when they went into administration as Spurs snapped up the youngster. An attacking midfielder with excellent two-footed close control, Jose Mourinho is quoted as saying “he [has] an instinct to appear in finishing zones to score goals”, high praise from a legendary manager.

Winning player of the tournament at the Sportschain AGS Cup with England U16s was only the start for Devine’s international youth career as he started in the 2022 UEFA Euro Under-19 championship final as England went on to beat Israel 3-1 in extra time, adding silverware to his collection. Alfie also trained with the England Senior Squad in September 2023.

Currently, Devine has a brilliant loan in League One with Port Vale, converting a penalty in stoppage time to secure the 3 points against Oxford United. He also scored the winner against Mansfield Town to send Port Vale to the quarter-finals of the league cup for the final time in the club’s history. At just 19, Alfie Devine is already making Port Vale history.

I suspect Aflie to be a first-team player when he comes home next season, as a creative understudy to James Maddison.

He looks so good, he looks so fine, Alfie Devine, you’re on my mind! 

Mikey Moore (16) –

The Southwark-born attacker is the worst-kept secret in wunderkind football. Earning plaudits from Yaya Toure and being sought out by several clubs around Europe according to Fabrizio Romano, Mikey Moore is turning heads with incredible performances for the England and Spurs youth groups.

Moore penned a new contract until 2026 in July earlier this year and since then he’s had 28 goal involvements in 14 games for club and country, including a hat-trick vs Croatia U17s. There is a serious buzz around Moore from all aspects of the academy and the outside world, even becoming one of the highest-rated potential prospects on Football Manager 2024.

He was named by The Guardian as one of the best first-year scholars in the Premier League in October 2023 and the young attacking winger, who can play on both flanks and even through the middle, was one of the youngest ever players to debut for the U21s when he was just 15. He scored a brace in the U17 PL Cup final as a schoolboy, adding the U18 PL Cup to his collection too.

I feel that Moore has something to offer the first team next season as this year is all about development with Spurs U21s and rising higher in the England Youth ranks. It’s been a long time since we were this excited about a prospect breaking through the academy, Postecoglou seems like the perfect manager to integrate him into the squad next season when he’s 17.

Nice on Mikey, nice one Moore, nice one Mikey we’ll sing as you score!

Fabio Paratici has done an excellent job reviving the academy along with John McDermott, Wayne Burnett, Richard Allen, Pat Holland and others working behind the scenes. It’s finally looking like we’ll be able to bolster more successful alumni to Hotspur Way in the near future.

Top clubs consistently have talent on the conveyor belt, whether they integrate them like Arsenal has done with Saka, City with Foden, Chelsea with James and more, or they’re sold for healthy profit like City with Palmer, Chelsea with Livramento etc. 

Spurs are developing a new dimension and are finally on parity with other top clubs to develop enticing packages to attract and retain the best talent for the future of Tottenham Hotspur.

The post Opinion: 7 academy players ready to make Spurs first-team impact in 2025/26 appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

In the 15th minute of the Spurs vs. Chelsea match, Son has just rounded off an electrifying Tottenham attack to put us 2-0 up and back on top of the table. That goal was correctly ruled offside, but the boys were buzzing, and the stadium was a hot cauldron bubbling to the surface that was starting to spill out onto the pitch.

Typical Ange fashion: firing on all cylinders and squeezing the life out of Chelsea, but what we failed to account for is that old habits died hard, and what followed was one of the most chaotic matches the Premier League has ever seen, with Spurs beaten 4-1 after being reduced to nine men and losing two integral players to the system with injuries to Maddison and Van de Ven. 

It’s a bleak picture made even bleaker after the sucker punch we suffered at the hands of Wolves, but in truth, they thoroughly outplayed us after our early opener from Brennan Johnson.

The international break has come at the perfect time for Tottenham, as it gives Postecoglou a chance to drill this makeshift defence into a cohesive unit that can play his football. With big tests coming up like Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Manchester City, no one would blame you for feeling very nervous about those upcoming fixtures.

As I write this, Spurs sit 4th in the table after having played 12 games with 8 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. You ask any Spurs fan at the start of the season if they’d take that start, and they would in a heartbeat. I feel like there’s been a meltdown online from rival fans who seem to think that we Spurs fans are distraught and inconsolable after the injuries, back-to-back losses, and suspensions, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

We are in full support of the players and the manager, and we couldn’t be happier than we’ve finally realigned ourselves with the club’s DNA of ‘To Dare is to Do’.

It’s time for a calm, player-by-player reflection of our season so far.

LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 23: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal with teammate Son Heung-Min during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 23, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Guglielmo Vicario

An under-the-radar style signing when we seemed to move on from Brentford’s hefty price tag for David Raya, not many knew too much or gave too much attention to the man who’s now called up to the Azzurri. Fans were up in arms about Spurs settling for their seemingly second-choice target, but ‘Venom’, as he’s affectionately dubbed, has been a revelation. The large frame of Vicario has brought about a calmness and confidence that Spurs fans haven’t seen for a long, long time. He’s been a top player for Spurs this season so far. 9/10.

Pedro Porro

The Spaniard has won over all the doubters in the Tottenham camp with some creative brilliance and industrial concentration. I can only remember two glaring mistakes, one against Palace and one against Chelsea, but other than that, the boy is on fire and has been stepping up the quality in every match. Bleeds Lilywhite. 9/10.

Emerson Royal

Versatile and adaptive, Royal has proven to be a useful member of the team and puts in at least a decent performance anytime he’s called upon, a perfectly serviceable backup player who really shouldn’t be starting but should be trusted when called upon. He certainly surprised me with his calmness in inverting from the fullback position, although I’d love to see him playing RCB in Romero’s absence because I just don’t think Dier is good enough to start anymore. 5/10.

Eric Dier

The remontada was kicking off when he came on and put in a colossal performance against Chelsea, then it all came crashing down when he started the next game against Wolves. Countless times he had to be rescued by Ben Davies in the Wolves game, and he just switched off for both goals right when it mattered the most. Not his fault, just not good enough for the system. 4/10.

Ben Davies

An underrated component, although not one that should be starting games either; always a solid, decent performance from the lad but obviously lacking in real quality when it comes to competing at the top; a harmless player who fits the unit well. 5/10.

Cristian Romero

It was all going so well for Romero; he seemingly had lassoed in his aggression streak and was channelling it into his new-found leadership role, taking real pride in wearing the captain’s armband when Maddison and Son were subbed off.

His red card against Chelsea was the catalyst for the implosion we’re currently suffering from. At the end of the day, one of our captains has contributed to the fears we are facing now, especially when we have big fixtures coming up and he’s made himself unavailable for them. Mostly imperious, but almost an unforgivable sequence of play vs. Chelsea. 8/10.

Micky van de Ven

Flawless since coming in, with blistering pace and calculated defending, earning plaudits and an Oranje cap, Micky has exceeded all expectations since coming in. His recent injury is a devastating blow, as, in my opinion, he’s the most important player in our system. Come back stronger. 10/10. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA, Micky van de Ven, VAN DE VEN, MICKY VAN DE VEN!

Destiny Udogie

It’s been a baptism of fire for the newly capped Azzurri. Earning plaudits at Udinese for his attacking exploits as a wing-back last season, questions were asked if he could adapt his playstyle to invert into midfield and offer a calming and calculated presence on the ball. Udogie has risen to the challenge against some of the Premier League’s best attackers time after time, despite his head-loss double yellow recently. For his age, he’s got credit in the bank for making those kinds of mistakes, especially owing to how well he’s settled into the intricate Postecoglou system. 9/10. I WANNA DANCE WITH UDOGIE, I WANNA WIN THE LEAGUE WITH UDOGIE!

Yves Bissouma

The Malian proved to be an integral part of Ange’s plans as he’d receive the ball at the back, resist the press, and progress the ball forward, Dembele-esque. Yves has been brought in from the cold by Postecoglou and has been given the license to be his brilliant Brighton self, as he’s controlling the tempo. He has been performing a little off of late after his red card at Luton, but I’m confident he’ll be able to pick it up again soon because he’s just so important for Spurs to beat the press. 8/5/10.

Pape Matar Sarr

The Senegalese international has been in electric form this season, relishing his starting role and contributing heavily to defence, midfield, and attack. We’re still not even sure exactly what type of midfielder he’ll develop into, as he’s so young and doing so much on the pitch already. Here’s hoping he’ll forge his own path and just be good at everything. 8/10. There’s a Sarr mannnn, whos magic on the ball.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

He’s honestly just doing his job, and he does it well. A limited but industrious player, Hojbjerg could absolutely thrive at a club that could better use his abilities, but for now, he’s a solid cog in the machine for us. 6/10.

Oliver Skipp

The lad’s a hard worker but always leaves something to be desired; he’s one of our own, so we should persist with him. I feel like he needs to develop his combative side more and become a tough 6, as I don’t feel he has the dynamism enough to be an 8. 5/10. I just wanted some more OLIVER SKIPP.

James Maddison

His performances have demonstrated that his price tag was an absolute steal, as the Englishman is the jewel in the crown of Postecoglou’s side. Exceeding all expectations, the only disappointment that Maddison has offered up would be the injury he suffered, which will keep him out for many months, which is a crying shame. He’s come a long way from old Bale tweets! He bleeds Lilywhite now. 10/10.

Dejan Kulusevski

I think people are starting to appreciate just how much of a machine he is through his running numbers alone. Not only is he covering the most ground, but he’s also upped his all-around game. It has been a great season so far. 8/10. Gimme Gimme Gimme, a ginger from Sweden!

Brennan Johnson

He is looking absolutely electric in the handful of minutes he’s had so far. It’s unfortunate to have only played so little up until now, but he’s going to have to maintain his consistency as it looks like we’re hitting a rough patch, and we’ll know moments of quality to drag us out of it like Brennan is more than capable of. 8/10.

Richarlison

He’s not been too terrible, chipping in with some goals and assists; it’s not bad, but of course, it’s not mega-money signing worth yet. Apparently, he’s been playing through a pretty significant injury, so I only hope he can come back stronger because, to be honest, it might just be his last chance to win over the Spurs faithful. 6/10.

Heung-min Son

The Tottenham Hotspur captain is demonstrating genuine leadership qualities both on and off the pitch. There was lots of scepticism about who would take the captaincy armband. I personally wrote a piece advocating for Sonny to be chosen, as I felt that his demeanour and attitude were perfect to be Spurs captain. His finishing has been out of this world playing as a striker, and we always knew that whenever Harry Kane was not fit, Son would more than fill his boots. That’s my captain. 9/10. Nice one Sonny let’s have another one!

Those are all the names that have contributed at least significantly to the season so far, so I want to see more from Solomon, Veliz, Gil, Lo Celso and more when they’re back from injury or play more.

Overall, we can’t be too upset; we knew we lacked quality depth, and it’s certainly showing. Ange told us we’d experience some rough times, and Celtic fans confirm that this is just one of those periods.

Keep your faith in Ange Postecoglou, a manager doesn’t win 3 Manager of the Month in a row for nothing.

The post Opinion: Ranking Tottenham first-team players out of 10 for their season starts appeared first on Spurs Web - Tottenham Hotspur Football News.

Thus it was so that I was sat on my sofa, teeth gritted and nerves jangling as Monday’s fixture kicked off.

However, to my pure elation, the form book was absolutely spot on in the first fifteen minutes.

Despite an element of fortune in the finish, the sweeping move for Dejan Kulusevski’s goal was scintillating. Moments later, Son thought he had steered the ball in to make it 2-0. Alas, correctly, the offside flag was raised and after the first of many lengthy VAR checks, play resumed.

This, in my most humble opinion, was where the damage was done.

At the time of that goal, Tottenham were in full flow and who could have begrudged them a two-nil lead? Yet the break helped settle Chelsea and calm their nerves.

If this were a boxing analogy Spurs had come flying out of the traps, scored a knockdown and then, while the opponent was stunned, landed a low blow – allowing them time to regroup.

The mentality at this point became scrambled. Instead of pausing, the boxer desperately tries to start the fight again with the momentum they had initially accrued in the opening stages.

However, the thing about momentum is that it needs to be built up. The opponent then benefited from the almost desperate attempt to regain the initiative and built a foothold. That foothold then panicked the team who had previously looked imperious and they pressed harder to reassert their dominance and in doing so started losing control.

This is exactly what happened on Monday. I think it was and is clear that Tottenham are by far the better footballing team. On Monday’s evidence – even with ten men – it wasn’t close.

The fans saw it and so did Ange Postecoglou.

(Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

The problem is that the players did not quite realise this. If they had they would have realised that they could outplay Chelsea and go on to record a relatively comfortable victory and had ninety minutes to do this.

Instead, they felt as though they needed to put Chelsea away early and go all out to land a knockout. When that blow seemed a bit elusive, it got frantic, desperate and out of control. This rashness was personified by Cristian Romero, who needlessly got himself sent off – giving away a penalty into the bargain.

Before I deep dive into this most significant of moments a little deeper, I must make several things clear about my position on this:

• Romero is an outstanding defender and has the capacity to be in the ‘World Class’ bracket.
• The decision to make him a vice-captain was a brilliant one and demonstrates excellent man-management on behalf of Ange Postecoglou.
• The challenge he made on Monday night (after his almost equally poor decision to kick out whilst prone on the floor) was infantile, hot-headed and quite frankly stupid.

What needs to be ‘cleared up’ first is that it was undoubtedly a red card. To my mind, it is not even a debate.

Online, a plethora of supporters seem to think that putting up a still of Romero’s foot low on the ball and writing ‘Please explain to me how this is a red card?’ means it’s an air-tight defence.

The truth of the matter is that he followed through hard with his studs up and endangered the safety of the opposition player. I don’t care how myopically biased and partisan you are – there is no defending this.

He was getting the ball and deliberately going in to ‘make a mark’. There is no place for that in today’s game – if ever there was.

If you still feel that he was hard done by, imagine that Thiago Silva had done that to James Maddison. You would be spitting feathers, fuming and baying for blood. Anyone still denying that – there’s no hope for you.

But let’s rewind a bit.

Arguably, Romero’s first mistake was moments before when Destiny Udogie lunged in two-footed and somehow escaped a red card, Romero should have been in his ear talking some sense to him and encouraging the team to take a breath and calm down.

I know that it’s probably not in Ange’s playbook, but he could have ‘suggested’ to someone to go down with a ‘slight tweak’ and just take a beat. He is part of the leadership team and that means to lead by example and identify when the collective need to be calmed.

Some may counter this and argue that ‘aggression is part of his game, and if you take that away from him then you lose so much of what makes him good’.

This is a fair point, indeed it’s absolutely true. Yet one can be icily calm and still aggressive. In fact, I want him to judge tackles and go in hard – but fair. I want him to challenge aggressively in the air for the ball – but without throwing an elbow.

Aggression and rage do not automatically have to go together.

The issue we have here, is that he acted like an Under-9s player – and I am not saying this to be hyperbolic. Minutes before, Thiago Silva goes into him – aggressively, but fairly. Romero thinks he deserves a free kick and doesn’t like this, then lashes out, not once but twice.

You see it with kids all the time. Something doesn’t go their way, and they are unable to control their emotions, because they believe getting retribution ‘levels the score’. However, children pretty quickly realise, in many cases because their coaches make it crystal clear, that behaving like this is actually fruitless and gains you nothing.

Indeed, if anything you end up being in a bigger mess than you started in in the first place.

The ‘joke’ here is that Romero is not a child. He is not a Year 4 kid in the playground or over the park. He is a grown man at one of the biggest clubs in the world and performing on one of the biggest stages in football, and as of a few days ago, he still has not learned this lesson.

He needs to and fast, because he cost Tottenham massively in that game.

Now I am not suggesting that the subsequent injuries, red card for Udogie and eventual defeat are all things that can be blamed solely on him. Yet his petulant actions shaped the way for the rest of the game.

So, what now? Despite my previous remarks about his immaturity, he will not learn unless he is treated like an adult and with respect. Ange knows this.

The days of being summoned to the office for a dressing down and a bollocking are in the past pretty much – and so they should be.

Ange will have a conversation and it will be frank and to the point. Romero is supposed to be a leader and he didn’t show it.

Now at this point, the conversation goes two ways. Hopefully, he throws up his hands, accepts the point, and believes it, then apologises to the coach and the players. Not in a staged social media post, but properly and from the heart.

If the conversation swings the other way, and he gets all defensive and argues the point – trying to plead innocence, then there is a longer-term issue.

Let’s get it straight – Romero until this point has been immense. A colossus at the back. Yes, he has a ‘colourful’ past at Tottenham before Ange, but I am happy to ignore this, because my opinion is that he was really poorly managed by the previous regime and not used to his strengths.

But this has to be a line-in-the-sand moment for the Argentine. For me and the majority of the fans, there is no animosity moving forward. But there cannot be a repeat.

Cuti Romero. Grow up. Front up. And go on to be the player you are destined to be.

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Let’s take a look at five things we learned in defeat:

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 11: Brennan Johnson of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring the team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux on November 11, 2023 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Lost the Spark –

Partly due to so many changes to the starting XI and partly due to a drop in quality, Tottenham were devoid of any spark today. That quick zip that we associate with Tottenham’s build-up under Ange Postecoglou was missing throughout the 90 minutes. Not only was James Maddison’s creativity missed today, but also the skills of Cristian Romero and Micky Van de Ven in playing out from the back. Whatever the case, others will have to rise to the occasion if Spurs are to consistently score goals still.

Youngsters on the Bench –

There were spots on the bench for Ashley Phillips, Alfie Dorrington, Alejo Veliz, and Jamie Donley today, as Ange Postecoglou handed opportunities for some youngsters to step up and be involved in the squad. The big question is will we see any of them start a game any time soon? Ashley Phillips probably has the best chance of that.

Giovani Lo Celso Decision –

Given how much Spurs lacked creativity today, it might be worth Ange Postecoglou taking a look at Lo Celso as an option from the start. Rodrigo Bentancur could also be an option in a more advanced role, and perhaps he will be ready to start a game in a couple of weeks after the international break. Whatever the case, I worry about a midfield of Bissouma, Sarr and Hojbjerg up against a team like Aston Villa or Man City.

Brennan’s First Goal –

One very slim silver lining for Spurs was that Brennan Johnson got off the mark today. For a long time, it looked like it would be the match-winner. In actual fact, Johnson drifted in and out of the game as Spurs struggled to dictate as they usually do under Postecoglou. But he does look to be making the left side his own, a position that has been occupied by Richarlison, Solomon and Perisic at times already this season.

Bissouma Banned –

It will be a case of one in and one out next game against Aston Villa. Destiny Udogie will return from his suspension, but Yves Bissouma will have to sit one out after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season. The Mali international was not at his best in midfield today and looked a little sloppy at times.

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Let’s take a look at how the individual players got on:

Tottenham Hotspur player ratings vs Wolves

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Guglielmo Vicario – 7 – Quite a quiet game for the keeper when compared to Monday night, but he made a couple of crucial saves and claims throughout the 90 minutes. A nice tip around the post in the first half was a highlight for him. No chance with the two goals.

Pedro Porro – 8 – A really complete performance from the Spaniard. He assisted Tottenham’s goal with a superb cross into the box, but was also just a constant threat down the right. At the back, it was one of his more solid games too. Can’t blame him for the conceded goals late on.

Eric Dier – 6 – He defended his box really well and made a couple of brave and crucial tackles along the way. Everything looked great for 90 minutes. He then gave away possession with a poor ball out from the back in the build-up to Wolves’ first goal and tried to step up instead of tracking the runner for the second goal.

Ben Davies – 8 – A wonderful performance from Davies. Considering he has just come back from injury, he was so solid for Spurs today. Tackles, interceptions, blocks, clearances, he put himself on the line. Unfortunately, he was slightly let down by his teammates in the end.

Emerson Royal – 6 – He did, at times, look like a right-back playing at left-back, which is understandable. Struggled with the foot races he was challenged to over on that side and never quite imposed himself in the final third like Porro did. Lazy defending that allowed Wolves to score late on too.

Yves Bissouma – 6.5 – A little sloppy at times today, but the game was a little like that, to be fair. Picked up a yellow card that will see him miss the next game and was taken off early by Ange.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – 7.5 – A battling performance from PEH. This is his kind of game really – a little scrappy and very physical. Postecoglou clearly trusts him a lot to use him over a more creative midfielder, but Spurs did lack a creative spark in there at times.

Pape Matar Sarr – 7 – Was tasked with filling James Maddison’s position today and was a willing runner/presser all day long. He doesn’t have that same creative spark but he makes up for that in effort.

Dejan Kulusevski – 7 – A strange performance from Deki. He started like a house on fire and set up the goal with a lovely piece of skill. Then he drifted out of the game and wasted a few really promising positions to make it 2-0.

Heung-min Son – 6 – Was barely in the game. Spurs didn’t control possession that well throughout the game and Son was a lonely figure up top. When he did get some touches on the ball, it was all a little sloppy from the South Korean.

Brennan Johnson – 7.5 – A brilliantly-timed run and finish. Had a few nice runs down the left but drifted in and out of the game. Could have done better with his chance in the second half. Pulled up with cramp after he skewed his shot.

Substitutes: 

Rodrigo Bentancur – 6 – Came on to give Spurs more control in midfield but is still lacking that match sharpness.

Giovani Lo Celso – 6.5 – Added a bit of a spark and some urgency to midfield. Almost picked out the top corner to make it 2-0 but was denied by a great save.

Bryan Gil – 6 – Added a lot of energy and pressing without ever getting on the ball that much.

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Ange Postecoglou’s side head into the break currently 1-0 ahead.

Guglielmo Vicario: Did well to get down low to save from Lemina just after the half hour mark which was the first time he had been tested. 6.

Pedro Porro: His pinpoint ball across the six-yard box allowed Johnson to tap home. 6.

Eric Dier: Made his first start of the season.  A couple of nervy moments early on. 5.

(Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Emerson Royal: Has had his hands full with Semedo down the flank.  Booked for a foolish lunging challenge just before half time. 5.

Ben Davies: Made an important block on ten minutes to deny a shot on goal.  Thankfully Wolves have not troubled the Welshman or Dier with trying to get in behind them. 6.

Pape Matar Sarr: Has not played at his usual level, has struggled to make anything happen. 5.

Yves Bissouma: Has not looked as threatening on the ball since his red card at Luton.  Booked and will now miss the match against Aston Villa. 5.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg: Lost possession of the ball on at least four occasions. 5.

Dejan Kulusevski: A clever flick opened the space in behind for Porro to cross to Johnson – Spurs’ biggest threat, especially in the first half hour. 7.

Heung-min Son: Has not had much to play off with so many changes in th side happening behind him, the lack of creativity in midfield is harming the South Korean. 5.

Brennan Johnson: Made a clever run at the back post to tap home to score his first Spurs goal.  Needs to be used as more of an attacking outlet. 6.

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It was clear before Monday’s London Derby that there was a buzz around Tottenham’s current form and the exciting football being played by Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Sitting at the top of the league table as the only remaining unbeaten Premier League team, Spurs fans had something to enjoy that was perhaps unexpected when the season began.

What made it even sweeter from a supporters’ perspective is that while Tottenham was surprising many, city rival Chelsea was – and honestly still is – stuck in a rut, spending and spending while giving the manager role to a former Spurs saviour yet still struggling to get results.

Even as Tottenham missed out on European qualification last campaign, they were able to secure four points in two matches against the Blues, highlighted by a 2-0 win in February.

It seemed this season that the rivalry would begin to shift even more in favour of the North London club, as Chelsea entered the match in 11th position.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 06: Referee Michael Oliver shows a red card to Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

The match

The match began the way fans have already become accustomed to, with Spurs playing an entertaining brand of football as Chelsea struggled to deal with Postecoglou’s side.

It took a mere six minutes for Tottenham to go in front, thanks to a goal from Dejan Kulusevski. It seemed Spurs were on their way to a big derby victory and another three points to move back to the top of the standings.

But around a half hour into the match, chaos ensued.

A poor challenge from Cristian Romero – not a first for him – not only conceded a penalty but sent the Argentine defender back to the locker room and Tottenham down to 10 men at the 33-minute mark.

Even as Chelsea converted the penalty to even the scoreline a few moments later, Spurs did not change their tactics despite being down a player. They continued to push forward and create chances, which included a Son Heung-min goal being disallowed for offsides. The match remained level heading into halftime, yet it was still clear which side had the better performance in the period.

Somehow things went from bad to worse for Tottenham in the second half, when a late challenge from Destiny Udogie saw him sent off following a second yellow card offence only 10 minutes following the break.

Being down to nine players on the pitch with around 35 minutes plus stoppage time remaining, Spurs had every reason to fold. At this point, both Micky van de Ven and James Maddison had also been forced off due to injury.

Postecoglou could have easily changed his tactics to sit back and defend in an attempt to pick up at least a point in a match that had gone completely sideways.

(Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

A positive change

Seeing the sides of the past handfuls of seasons, I habitually expected Spurs to implode, with players showing no fight when it seemed the result was set in stone. I had been trained to see the team, with its collective heads down and an apparent lack of drive or passion, let the events of the match get to them as they accepted defeat.

But it is clear that Postecoglou, even early on in his tenure, is changing the culture at the club.

Even with the odds stacked against them, Tottenham fought to the bitter end. Players created chances even down to nine men. They made tackles and crucial saves. Each player on the pitch fought for the manager, the club, the supporters, and each other.

Spurs eventually lost the match 4-1, but supporters saw the effect of Big Ange’s attitude and never-give-up mentality on full display.

Yes, losing to Chelsea at home is disappointing, and doing so while losing players to injury made it that much more painful.

And while it won’t be the last time Spurs lose a league match this season, we learned a lot about the heart and fight of this group of players and the manager even in defeat.

As a Spurs fan, all you can ask is that the team on the pitch and touchline give it their all every match, and they did just that.

No matter where they finish in the table, Tottenham will be an enjoyable watch that supporters can get behind together.

The “To Dare is to Do” mantra is back at Spurs, and it’s here to stay.

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Guglielmo Vicario was the hero of Monday night, despite Spurs losing 4-1 to Chelsea, and he retains his spot between the sticks once again.

At the back, Pedro Porro is the only survivor from Monday’s XI, with Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero picking up red cards, and Micky Van de Ven injuring his hamstring.

Instead, Postecoglou names Eric Dier, Ashley Phillips and Ben Davies from the start, although there is a chance Emerson Royal could fill in at left-back if the Welshman is not fully match fit.

In midfield, James Maddison is replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma keeping their spots. Giovani Lo Celso may count himself unlucky, while it is still a little too early for Rodrigo Bentancur to start.

Up front, Brennan Johnson, Heung-min Son, and Dejan Kulusevski at least survived Monday as a front three, and the trio start again.

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After a few stellar seasons at Leeds and with an impressive European Championships under his belt, he got his ‘dream move’ to Manchester City – and with it an opportunity to dine at the top table of English football.

At the time, I have to admit to furrowing my brow. Good as Phillips is, there was no way he was going to be a regular starter at City, with the world-class Rodri in the team, it would have taken an injury for a projected run in the first team. Even at his best, Phillips doesn’t compare with the Spaniard.

My instincts were correct and sixteen appearances in the Premier League over two seasons is not a return he would be happy with (transfermarkt).

My brows were further furrowed when the Yorkshireman made the decision to remain in Manchester for the start of the season, despite a loan offer away (Daily Mail).

A strange choice, seeing as Pep obviously does not fancy him in his City team, with gifted youngster Rico Lewis being preferred in the middle.

Now, however, with a European Championships looming, Phillips seems resigned to his fate that he does not have a future at the Etihad.

Arguably his place in the England squad is not up for question, seeing as Southgate happily picks players who are never played, or play in a tin pot league.

That being said, Philips obviously would like to get minutes in his legs and build up a modicum of form before the tournament, and it seems like Tottenham are the latest club to be linked with him (The Sun).

So why has the link with Tottenham arisen and should he be considered a viable option? So far this season, the central midfield area at Spurs has been settled and impressive, with all three of the regular starters: Maddison, Sarr and Bissouma featuring in Sofascore’s top 50 players for average ratings (sofascore).

And with the return of Bentancur, Tottenham are genuinely looking at being able to rotate in the middle of the park with little, if any, drop-off in quality.

However, with the turn of the year comes the African Cup of Nations and the departure, and for a few weeks at least of Bissouma and Sarr will be on international duty, leaving the cupboard slightly barer when it comes to options. So is Phillips a signing that makes sense?

The biggest question would be, which Kalvin Phillips would we be getting? The one from Leeds under Bielsa would definitely be an asset. At his best Phillips is incredibly athletic and covers the ground well.

He would operate best in a single pivot at the base of the midfield – receiving the ball from the defenders, breaking the lines and distributing the ball forward. Arguably, his range of passing is better than that of Bissouma.

Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images

Should Tottenham try and sign Kalvin Phillips?

Off the ball, he demonstrates excellent positional awareness and can be effective in predicting where counterattacks may originate and thwarting them at the source. For any who are interested in a deep dive into his qualities, I highly recommend this article – (Coaches Voice).

However, one thing that needs to be considered is Phillips’ injury record which is not the best and since October 2021, he has missed a combined 236 days with various injuries. Most notably, two shoulder injuries – a joint that is notoriously susceptible to re-injury.

As mentioned earlier, the amount of inactivity severely hampers players, especially over a significant period of time and it would take Phillips a number of games to get up to speed – but by that point, one of Bissouma, or Sarr, or both could be back at the club.

If we are signing someone with one eye to covering them, they need to be able to hit the ground running – not be in need of thawing out after being frozen out for eighteen months.

Another question is whether he is better than what we already have. Again, it is hard to judge based on the fact that we do not know what Kalvin Phillips might walk through the door. However, if we were to assume that he was relatively close to the player he was at Leeds, what’s the answer?

Frankly, he is a superior player to Oliver Skipp. The problem Skipp has, and it pains me to say it, is that he does not have a varied enough skillset to be a top-four midfielder.

Certainly, he is industrious and hardworking and has the ability to be a destroyer in the middle. However, he is not good enough on the ball and looks rushed and panicked when he receives it, especially in tight spaces.

The more complex comparison is with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Admittedly, I am a big fan of the Dane and he has been the consummate pro this season, when relegated to the role of bit-part player.

More so than Skipp, he is more comfortable on the ball and when he has been brought off the bench to solidify the midfield he has done so. The reality is, that if Phillips were to be brought in, then one of Skipp and Hojbjerg would have to make way.

A significant question must be: what kind of deal would Tottenham would be looking to do? The Sun article, cited earlier, suggests that a loan deal or a permanent switch are both on the table – dependent on the £50m price tag being met.

The idea of a permanent move for Spurs is a non-starter. We are not a club that can happily splash that sort of money on guaranteed starters, let alone for a squad player, whose form and fitness are definitely in question.

Therefore it leaves a potential loan deal. Similar to a permanent deal, a loan with an obligation to buy would be too much of a gamble, and a loan with an option to buy looks unlikely, seeing as even if he performed well in the short term, he would struggle to break into the starting eleven and you’re left with the same pickle.

The only viable option, to me, would be a simple loan deal, but again, if he is unlikely to have a longer-term future at the club – what is the point? I would rather see someone brought in from the scouting department, who have been so successful recently.

So to conclude. Although a couple of years ago, Phillips was a top player at Leeds, at this current moment, he is too much of an unknown quantity.

Added to that, the chance of him being in Tottenham’s long-term plans looks unlikely and he doesn’t significantly improve upon Hojbjerg to warrant a short-term move.

The transfer policy appears to be looking for younger, slightly lesser-known players with a high ceiling like Vicario, Van de Ven and Udogie – not players, who in all reality have already peaked and are hoping to rediscover that zenith again.

Therefore, it’s a no from me.

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