Football.London

Howard Webb has revealed why Premier League officials haven't awarded a single penalty for handball this season. During the 2023/2024 campaign, the English top-flight saw an influx of 108 penalties, sparking notable complaints from numerous clubs regarding decisions - especially those involving players whose arms were in 'natural positions'.

Adjustments to the handball rule dictate that penalties will be less frequently given if the offence is unintentional, or the player's arm is close to their body - and the changes are being reflected in current officiating trends. Beyond that, players who inadvertently deny a goalscoring opportunity, owing to handball, can expect to receive a yellow card instead of a red.

Webb explained the situation while on Match Officials Mic'd Up. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief said: "We consulted with lots of stakeholders in the game during the latter part of last season and the message we were being given is that there's clearly too many handball penalties being given in the English game, in the Premier League, for situations where players are playing fairly normally and naturally [where] we know players' arms move."

He added: "So we said to the officials [to] look out for those situations where a player either deliberately handles the ball or has an arm that's well away from the body. We've seen situation where the balls hit the arm in the penalty area this season - but the referees applied what we asked them to do and they've stepped away in terms of handball unless it's deliberate or very clearly unjustifiable."

Another change which has been introduced in the Premier League this season is reducing the number of VAR interventions unless the referee's on-call decision is blatantly incorrect. Communication has been enhanced, as well, with disallowed goals set to be displayed on big screens in stadiums.

There has already been controversy around VAR this season with Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes receiving a red card against Tottenham. Officials at Stockley Park chose not to overturn the decision despite the player slipping before making contact with James Maddison.

This follows a vote by stakeholders in June where Premier League clubs voted to retain VAR. At that point, Wolves were the only team opposing the much-talked-about technology.

Tottenham Under-21s boss Wayne Burnett has stated he is "immensely proud" of his players for the "social responsibility and compassion" they have shown to a young supporter. Taking to his X account on Wednesday, Burnett revealed that he had received a message a few months ago from a mother who comes along to games with her 10-year-old son Jacob.

Tottenham's Under-21 matches at the Lamex Stadium in Stevenage play a big role in Jacob's life as it is very much his happy place due to being bullied at school and also his troubles with dyspraxia. Burnett shared this message with his Under-21 players and they subsequently adopted the youngster as their No.1 fan, regularly greeting him at games and even offering him words of encouragement.

Burnett even went on to reveal that some of the players who departed the club in the summer remain in contact with Jacob despite now playing their football elsewhere. Jacob has recently missed out on a couple of fixtures but the Spurs players have ensured he still remains a big part of things after sending him a video message.

Players such as Dante Cassanova, Rio Kyerematen, Jaden Williams, Tyrese Hall and Aaron Maguire were just some of those who could be seen in the video as they thanked Jacob for his support and claimed their latest win was for him. Following the video, Burnett received a poem from Jacob's mother that the youngster had penned last season when coming to games.

It highlighted his struggles at school but also the important role Tottenham's Under-21s play in his life. The actions of the players has made Burnett incredibly proud and he has outlined just how powerful sport can be for people.

"A few months back, I received an email out of the blue from a mother who comes along with her 10-year-old son to watch our U21 games at Stevenage," wrote Burnett. "She told me about the troubles her son had been going through with dyspraxia and being bullied at school, and explained to me that he found solace in coming to our matches at the Lamex. She said that the only time her son was happy was when he would come to our matches, because he felt safe and among friends there.

"I shared this powerful message with our players. We were all touched by this young man's bravery and sad to hear about what was happening to him at school. It underlined to us that what we do can have a profound impact on people's lives.

"We invited him along as our guest at one of the games last season - he is the nicest young man you could wish to meet. The players adopted him as our number one fan, regularly greeted him and gave him some words of encouragement. Some have kept in touch with him even after transferring to a new club in the summer.

"This is something that makes me immensely proud. This is how our young players should carry themselves - they are good people first and foremost. The boy, whose name is Jacob, has been unable to attend the last couple of matches, so the players decided to send him a video message to remind him that we are always here for him.

"There is more. After we sent the video, Jacob's mum sent me the attached poem, which unbeknown to us, Jacob had written last season while coming to our games. This is heartbreaking, first and foremost. But it also makes me proud to know that in some small way, we can play our part to help a young person overcome adversity.

"We sometimes get caught up in life and forget what's important. Like I said, I am so proud of the sense of social responsibility and compassion that our players have shown to this young supporter. Most importantly, I have been informed that our number one fan is doing well at school these days. He has overcome so much and he should be an inspiration to so many."

Burnett finished off his tweet by stating: "Whoever you are, whoever you support, please be kind. And don't underestimate the power of sport."

My Happy Place by Jacob, age 10

I am so lonely, I am so sad, the people I thought were my friends well they just make me feel sad.

They say horrible things, they punch and they kick, they say that I'm stupid, they say that I'm thick.

They say no one cares, that they wish I would die, then they laugh harder if this makes me cry.

The days seem so long and sometimes all I want is a break but what they don't know is I have an escape.

A place called the Lamex where Spurs academy play, where I can be me and have a safe play to stay.

Where I can get lost in the time on the pitch and a football is the only thing that gets kicked.

Where Luca can save all worries with a catch, where my thoughts are no further than the next match.

With Jude and Tyrese balling and Wayne at the helm I find an escape from this living hell.

George is there with a killer block and I want to stay I want to stop the clocks.

I wish I could stay here forever I say, I feel safe here and happy and I want to stay.

It helps that we are like really really good, we're gonna win it all I think, I mean we really could!

Things will get better, Yago always says, and I hope that they will one of these days.

But for now I have them, and they have me, so you'll find me there happy as can be, just me and mum and we will cheer so loud. You'll find me there, happy in the crowd.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham star Micky van de Ven is in line for a prominent role with the Netherlands during the October international break. The 23-year-old has started seven of Spurs' 10 games in all competitions this season with one of those absences in the Premier League because of injury.

Ange Postecoglou's preferred defensive style of play makes Van de Ven arguably his most important player. His electric pace has got Tottenham out of several tricky situations and now it is being used as one of the club's biggest weapons with Van de Ven picking up two assists from blistering runs forward and precise passes.

In last month's international break, Van de Ven remained at Hotspur Way because of injury but Ronald Koeman has chosen to bring him back into the squad for upcoming games against Hungary and Germany. Ahead of those fixtures, Van de Ven has been speaking to the Dutch press about Tottenham and his favoured position.

"Going from Wolfsburg to Tottenham is a big step for a footballer," he said. "But I know my qualities. I wouldn't have made this step if I thought I couldn't handle it." Asked about his role in the national team, he replied: "My favourite position is the centre back position. Nathan Aké is now injured, [Jurrien] Timber is injured. I hope to fill in the spot now, yes."

When playing for his country, Van de Ven is often deployed at left-back and the injuries in the squad could see him potentially start both games in that position. Given his history of injuries and Postecoglou's comments about him playing in that role, it will certainly be a major concern for Spurs.

“I’ve been mindful of Micky," Postecoglou said after utilising him at left back for the final 30 minutes of a win against Burnley. "He’s had a couple of injuries and I’ve got to be careful with him when it comes to the demands of playing left-back in our system. I’ve got to think about the future and the physical demands are different at left-back."

Elsewhere, Dominic Solanke has received a first call-up to the England senior squad in seven years with the new Spurs striker also potentially set for significant minutes. As announced by the Three Lions, Harry Kane is a doubt to face Greece in the Nations League as he continues to work on an "individualised programme".

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins will likely be ahead of him in the pecking order but an appearance of the bench is possible and that could subsequently result in being named from the off a few days later when England play Finland.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Japhet Tanganga has put his injury hell behind him to get his career back on track at Championship side Millwall. Coming through Tottenham's academy to make 50 senior appearances for the north London club, the versatile defender ended his long association with the Lilywhites in the summer.

Tottenham announced at the beginning of June that Tanganga would be one of four players to depart Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following the conclusion of his contract. Previously linked with a move to Serie A and having enjoyed such a successful loan spell with Millwall at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, the 25-year-old's next move was very much up in the air.

At the start of July, Tanganga was officially confirmed as a permanent Millwall player after penning a long-term contract at The Den. The former England Under-21 international had excelled in his loan spell with the Lions, starting 17 of his 18 appearances after initially not playing a single game for German side Augsburg during the first part of the campaign because of injury.

Tanganga has so far played in seven of Millwall's nine games this season, with the player missing the first two Championship fixtures following his red card on the final day of last campaign at Swansea City. Very much a new start for him after his previous Tottenham injury woes, Tanganga has revealed that his final day as a Spurs player was "difficult" but he is convinced that his ex-teammates will reach and final and win it sooner rather than later.

“Tottenham will always be my first home and will have a special place in my heart," said the defender in an interview with Gianluca Di Marzio. "I had already accepted the decision to leave and look for continuity, but the day of the farewell was still difficult.

“And in fact, now I continue to follow them, I cheer for my former teammates, and I know that sooner or later they will return to a final and win it, they deserve it.”

Tanganga had some rotten luck during his time with Tottenham due to a catalogue of different injuries. An extremely challenging time for a footballer, the former Spurs man looks back at them as "gifts of God".

"Injuries are tough times for a footballer. You see the team training and you are still. I often wondered why my body kept falling apart," said Tanganga. "But even if it may seem strange, from my perspective they were gifts. Gifts of God

“Now I feel good: I returned to Millwall in the summer after six months on loan to feel like a protagonist. The fans are incredible, their love was a decisive factor in my choice. They sing at the top of their voices: it’s one of the most beautiful atmospheres in England."

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Ange Postecoglou will still have eight of his Tottenham players to work with during this international break as others fly off around the globe.

Some of Spurs' key players have been called up for international duty for the fortnight ahead with Dominic Solanke getting his first England call-up in almost seven years, while Pedro Porro has also earned a recall into the Spain squad. Cristian Romero has joined up with Argentina, while Destiny Udogie and Guglielmo Vicario are both with Italy and Micky van de Ven is with the Netherlands and Radu Dragusin with Romania.

Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Brennan Johnson are with Senegal, Mali and Wales respectively while Dejan Kulusevski and Lucas Bergvall have been called up by Sweden. Various youngsters have been selected for international duty with Mikey Moore on England U19s duty with Leo Black, while Will Lankshear is with Ashley Phillips, Luca Gunter and Dane Scarlett in the England elite squad and Archie Gray with the U21s.

So who has remained at Hotspur Way to work with Postecoglou and his coaches?

First, off there are those recovering from injury in the shape of captain Son Heung-min, who has not linked up with South Korea this fortnight due to his hamstring issue. Wilson Odobert also has his own hamstring injury while Richarlison is on his way back finally from his calf problem.

Those not in the treatment room and able to train this week include James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur - who is suspended from international duty and awaiting the verdict on his FA charge, Timo Werner, Djed Spence, Sergio Reguilon and the goalkeepers Fraser Forster, Brandon Austin and Alfie Whiteman.

The eight players will combine with U21s players for training sessions as well as getting some time off during this fortnight before beginning the preparations to face West Ham United on October 19.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Seven games into the new Premier League season and Tottenham have used 21 players. 16 of those have started matches. Ten were signed since Ange Postecoglou's managerial appointment in the summer of 2023.

Add in Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr - both of whom were already on the books but had been out on loan before being integrated - as well as Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro, who had played for the club but were yet to make their moves to north London permanent, and the number of 'Postecoglou players' is 14.

The list of those who have departed since the Australian came in is even longer. It leaves a remarkable rate of change from an ageing and underperforming squad Antonio Conte oversaw to the vibrant and expressive one on show.

Consistency is a major source of frustration in Postecoglou's current team but idly standing by is no longer an option. Since Postecoglou's arrival, Daniel Levy as chairman has sanctioned £352million worth of transfers coming into north London, recouping less than half of that with £147.5million coming in.

A lot of the exits have been on free transfers, demonstrating the age and plateau many had gotten to in their Tottenham careers. It is worth adding that players like Min-Hyeok Yang and Manor Solomon have been accounted for here as well despite not being part of Postecoglou's options this season.

Alongside the signings, he has offered a glimpse of a pathway to Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear, Alfie Devine, and Alfie Dorrington from the academy as well. Three transfers windows, two summers, but just over 14 months in, and it's hard to argue that this isn't very much Postecoglou's squad.

Looking at the list of those who are involved now and hadn't played for Tottenham before Postecoglou (12 players in total), the success on this front is clear. Using estimates from respected football data site Transfermarkt, these are the findings.

Under Postecoglou (and including Udogie and Sarr), Spurs signed nine of the 12 players for more than their market value. However, compared to some of their rivals, they didn't overshoot the mark by much.

The combined fees for the so-called 'Postecoglou players' (minus Kulusevski and Porro) was £310million. Transfermarkt suggests that at the time of buying, they were worth £239million. Given the age profiles of these players and how the value is generated, it's not quite as bad as a £70million overpayment might look.

For example, Spurs will hope that the best years are still ahead of all the 'Postecoglou players' perhaps other than Timo Werner, who is still only on a loan. That means that the chances of them increasing in value is high, and the likeliness of that being a sharp rise is also big.

This will come with on-field success as well, but even someone like Radu Dragusin - who has hardly lit the world up since his move in January, has risen in value across 10 months. What makes things better for Levy, and is certainly not the case at Chelsea and Manchester United, is that wholesale improvement can already be seen.

Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Sarr, and Udogie, cost a combined £78.2million but would almost certainly go for double that at current rates. In fact, evidence of this is that in just over 12 months of Postecoglou's tutelage, their value have already jumped to £150million.

In essence, for just over a year of ownership, Spurs would be set to bank an enormous profit. Of course, the aim is to see this born out into victories on the pitch, which is still showing signs of being behind some of their competitors.

Take the Van de Ven - Vicario effect, as it can be quickly called, and add that to the rest of the squad, the 12 'Postecoglou players' have a Transfermakt worth of £368.8million. That is already over £130million more than the value attributed to the same group when they were signed, and is almost £60million that the actual fee paid as well.

Given that someone of Archie Gray's stature - still only 18 - is a long-term investment and only deemed to be worth half the price Tottenham spent, this is mightily impressive. Compare it to Manchester United, who are also in the Europa League this season thanks to their unexpected FA Cup triumph in May, and it's night and day.

Erik ten Hag, who United hired a year before Postecoglou went to Tottenham, has a bigger influence on transfers at Old Trafford and has an outlay of £472.2million on players he signed that have been used this season, therefore discounting £77million on Leny Yoro and Malacia. Between just three players they are judged to be in a £113million value deficit.

The general trend in that squad is on the way down, although bright youngsters brought through offer a ray of light. As for Tottenham, their business has been much less flashy but so far more effective.

The next step is for Postecoglou to deliver the sort of results that a squad of this talent is capable of. Until then Levy may well be left as frustrated as many who watched the second-half capitulation at Brighton, but in reality his methods have already sown the seeds for financial and sporting reward further down the line.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke has discussed his delight at being recalled to the England squad for the first time in seven years.

The 27-year-old, who moved to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from Bournemouth in the summer in a deal worth £65million, is among those to be named in Lee Carsley's squad to take on Greece and Finland in the Nations League. The striker was last with the Three Lions in 2017 for a friendly with Brazil at Wembley Stadium.

Tottenham's No.19 has had a decent start to the season, scoring three goals in eight appearances, and will be looking to score his first England goal in the coming days. Speaking exclusively to England's social media channels, via the official Tottenham website, Solanke said: "[I've been] working, working, working. It’s been a good few years and it’s been a while since I’ve been here so I’m delighted to be back - back with the boys and representing my country.

"There’s still a few familiar faces and I know a few of the boys, and obviously back at St George’s Park. So it’s nice. It’s good."

Speaking about the moment he received the news, the striker said: "I actually had a game on the Thursday (Spurs' 2-1 win over Ferencvaros) so I was waiting for, hopefully, the call in the morning. I got the message to give him a call. I called him, we had a chat and notified me that I would be in the squad. So from that moment I was obviously buzzing."

So, who did Solanke tell the good news to first? "My mum," he revealed. "She was obviously over the moon. She’s followed my whole career so it’s a special moment for her as well."

Speaking at the England squad announcement at St George’s Park last week, Carsley said: “Dom’s a player I’m fully aware of and worked with in the past – he was close to being in the last squad. He’s taken that form from Bournemouth into Spurs, he has a lot of attributes I like as well as being a nice person. He’s extremely talented and good we’ve got him.

“Like all of the players it’s a challenge with the squad we’ve got. We have so many talented players. We always look at finding the balance, who complements who in terms of how we play and don’t get caught up in positions, it’s more the attributes and how we can potentially attack the opposition.

“There’s a lot of players that were close to being in the squad, the talent we have available to us. It would be quite easy to name a 40-man squad and justify having them all in, but the challenge is making sure we pick a competitive squad and one where we can win the two games.

“It’s just a case of using the next two camps to experiment a little bit and look at other players. The players who have been left out have all got a case to be in the squad but we saw the benefit of the other squad being fresh and feeling fresh and that it’s not a copy and paste.

“I’ve made it completely clear to the players that this is a short-term decision from myself. We have this camp and next to just keep playing good football for their clubs.”

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham coach Ryan Mason is a leading candidate to become the new head coach of Belgian side Anderlecht.

Brian Riemer was sacked as Anderlecht boss last month after two years at the club with them struggling in the Jupiler Pro League and they currently sit fourth in the table with just four wins from their 10 matches so far. Now 33-year-old Mason is being tipped strongly as one of the frontrunners to take over as the new head coach of the Belgian giants.

Mason is currently part of Ange Postecoglou's coaching staff and has had two previous spells in caretaker charge of Spurs, first after Jose Mourinho left the club and then in the wake of Antonio Conte's departure. Highly rated within the game, football.london understands Mason has held talks over the job and is strongly in the running in the final stages of the process to appoint a new Anderlecht boss.

It would be his first managerial post and the Belgian media around the club believe he is set to be handed the role. Mark van Bommel dropped out of the race for the role and former Watford boss Vladimir Ivic has also been linked with the job.

The young coach took charge of 13 matches in total for Tottenham, recording six wins, one draw and six defeats, with 26 goals scored and 21 conceded. He was at the helm for Spurs' Carabao Cup final appearance against Manchester City in 2021, which Pep Guardiola's side won with a late Aymeric Laporte goal. He was only 29 during his first spell in charge of Spurs and was the youngest manager to ever coach a Premier League match.

Mason will have seen the impact Anderlecht had on Vincent Kompany's career, as the former Manchester City defender moved to Burnley and then Bayern Munich. He will also have one cautionary tale from the Belgian league in former Spurs midfielder Scott Parker's tough time at Club Brugge, with Postecoglou's current assistant boss Matt Wells, for a spell that only lasted three months.

If Mason does make the move to Anderlecht, then all eyes will be on whether Postecoglou looks to replace him in his coaching set-up, or with the arrival of Nick Montgomery and Sergio Raimundo to replace Chris Davies in the summer, the Australian feels he has enough staff to work with.

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Tottenham Hotspur have now played 10 games this season in all competitions so it's time to rate the players and Ange Postecoglou's efforts so far.

Spurs have put in some strong displays, including a run of five victories on the trot featuring 13 goals scored and just three conceded, but haven't always taken away the result they should have, particularly following Sunday's dreadful second half display at Brighton which came after a fantastic opening 45 minutes at the Amex Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou's side have won six of their 10 matches so far, drawn one and lost three. As an international break staple here at football.london, it's time to rate the players and the head coach for the performances so far. Any player who has played less than 90 minutes will simply have a review of their display or displays by their name and as usual, these ratings are more about expectations versus reality for each player rather than a tool to compare them all with.

Let's start with the goalkeepers.

Guglielmo Vicario

On the whole Vicario has made a strong start to the season, with three clean sheets to his name from his nine matches but many good saves throughout. He had a couple of wobbles against Brentford and might have done better for Arsenal's winner, but in the main he's been one of Spurs' more consistent players and he's played the most minutes for the team with 810 so far this season. His distribution with his feet has also been excellent on the whole and often helped Spurs get around the opposition press. 8

Fraser Forster

Just the one game against Coventry and he looked shaky with one poor pass early on, a complete mess when he collided with Dragusin when running out and was beaten easily by Thomas-Asante's goal. Dropped a few crosses as well before gathering at the second attempt. Postecoglou hasn't used him since. 3

Pedro Porro

Headed home Spurs' first goal of the season and has brought some really good performances mixed in with some defensively shaky ones. Has played in eight games and his form has earned him a recall to Spain's international squad. He's been one of Tottenham's most important players in building up attacks. Hit an amazing pass that Solanke should have scored from late on against United. 7.5

Cristian Romero

Has had some good moments, including a thumping header to score against Everton in his 100th game for the club and he was excellent against United and Brentford, while his passing out from the back has been key to getting Spurs up the pitch. However, Romero has switched off a number of times in key moments this season, including at Leicester, against Arsenal and at Brighton on Sunday and has been caught flat-footed in plenty of situations. By his own standards, the World Cup winner has not had the impact he would have wanted this season so far on the whole. 6

Micky van de Ven

Seven appearances for the Dutchman and two fantastic assists for Son and Johnson. The Brighton match was the first occasion when he's looked a bit shaky but otherwise it's been another strong start to a season for the young centre-back. 8

Radu Dragusin

Three starts and four appearances for the 22-year-old Romanian. He was solid against Newcastle and Coventry in the main but made a complete mess in the seventh minute against Qarabag and got himself sent off. Better days will come this season for the centre-back. 4.5

Destiny Udogie

Hadn't played since April, missed most of pre-season and he's looked like a player trying to regain his sharpness since. He's played in nine of the 10 games but his first half at United before going off injured was the only real highlight as he tries to find his rhythm again. Really struggled at Brighton. 5.5

Djed Spence

It's been a really positive reintroduction to life at Spurs for Spence and he should have got more game time. We won't even talk yet about him being left out of the Europa League squad which still makes little sense. He changed the game at Coventry, scoring a good goal, and was excellent in replacing Udogie at United amid another couple of positive cameos from the bench. In terms of his expectations at Spurs for this season when everyone thought he was leaving, it's been a really positive time so far. That's why we've bumped up his rating and you sense the 24-year-old is going to get his first start before too long. 7.5

Ben Davies

Three appearances for the Welshman and he's been out of three matchday squads. Made an important sliding goal-saving block at Coventry after Forster's mess of a run out of goal, was shaky at times against Qarabag and had to move back to centre-back against Qarabag after struggling in the left-back role. 4.5

Archie Gray

We're putting the 18-year-old here because he's played at right-back whenever called up on. Had a lot to deal with at Coventry, worked really hard against Qarabag and was excellent at Ferencvaros. He's got a great engine, terrific technique and tactical intelligence. It would be great to see him used in the midfield at some point. 6

Pape Matar Sarr

Back-to-back goals in the Europa League and an assist against United, yet Sarr has found his place in the team taken by Kulusevski on the whole. Hasn't hit the heights of last season but he's contributed. 6.5

Yves Bissouma

Suspended for the game at Leicester, but bounced back with a rocket of a shot in off the crossbar for his first official goal for the club against Everton. Was one of Spurs' better players at Newcastle as well, but has found himself to be second choice behind Bentancur. Recent displays when he's started have been decidedly mixed. 6

Rodrigo Bentancur

A tough start to the season for the Uruguayan. He was playing solidly at Leicester before suffering that head injury, he then missed the Everton game through the concussion protocol and came off the bench at Newcastle. However, he was a key part of Spurs' five-game winning run and was particularly excellent against Brentford and United. 7.5

James Maddison

A really strong start to the season with two goals and three assists but also so much work earlier in moves as he's taking up slightly deeper roles while playing in a midfield three with Kulusevski. He's fully fit and it's allowing him to make more of an impact on matches. Vanished in the second half at Brighton but so did everyone else. 8.5

Lucas Bergvall

Still adjusting to the step up to Premier League football. There have been glimpses of just how good he's going to become for Spurs and also moments where you can see where he has to learn and adapt. Was really unfortunate to come off early against Qarabag due to Dragusin's red card and that lack of game time showed as he tired at Ferencvaros. Still enough positives for an 18-year-old making a big jump from Swedish football. 6

Dejan Kulusevski

One of Spurs' best players this season. Has played in plenty of positions but he's excelled in the deeper role in midfield and while he's got a goal and two assists, he's contributed so much more earlier in moves. Full of confidence and his link-up play and strength has been remarkable. Postecoglou believes he's got a huge ceiling in the deeper position. 9

Wilson Odobert

A promising start to life for the teenager at Tottenham albeit showcasing plenty of threat without the end product yet. The injury at Coventry has been a major blow and he'll provide an important option for Postecoglou when he returns. 6

Son Heung-min

Two goals and two assists for the captain in two excellent performances against Everton and Brentford and you do wonder how many goals he would have got in recent games with Spurs now finding their attacking groove if he had been available following that hamstring problem. Not at his best yet compared to his high standards, but he's still contributed. 7

Timo Werner

The German has been effective in carrying out the basics of Postecoglou wing play in being able to beat his man and pull the ball across. However, he's missed a string of big chances to either score or pick out his target in the box and that will continue to hamper his rating until he starts to contribute in the final third. Did get an assist at Brighton but he has the tools to do much more. 5

Mikey Moore

A really bright full debut against Ferencvaros and was involved in both of Spurs' goals and has appearances in half of Tottenham's games so far this season. Has got 116 minutes to his name across those matches and he'll be starting again within the coming weeks without doubt. It's been a really bright start to the campaign in that respect for that 17-year-old and that's reflected in his mark. 7

Brennan Johnson

Struggled in his first two games before coming to the fore again in an impressive second half at Newcastle, forcing the own goal. Then after a tough day against Arsenal and the subsequent social media abuse, he deactivated his Instagram account and hasn't looked back since with a goal in each of the next six matches. So confident now and he's one of the in-form wingers in the Premier League. Six goals and one forced own goal in 10 appearances and long may it continue. The 23-year-old can still get much better as well. 9

Dominic Solanke

Took a little while to get his sharpness after a pre-season injury, the late summer move to Spurs and then an ankle injury suffered early on at Leicester. He's found his groove now with three goals in as many games before a brilliant first half at Brighton as a creative force, getting an assist and being involved in plenty more with his passing and hold-up play. He's going to be a major player for Tottenham this season. 8

Richarlison

Had a big late chance from Bergvall's free-kick at Leicester but headed it over unmarked and then had a longer cameo against Everton in which he worked hard before getting a muscle injury in training and we haven't seen him since. Just the 25 minutes so far. N/A

Will Lankshear

Made his debut at Ferencvaros and did well in a battling performance. Could have grabbed himself a couple of goals with better connections with the ball. The 19-year-old will get more chances as the season progresses. N/A

And the boss

Ange Postecoglou

Six wins out of the first 10 games for Postecoglou and while the results haven't always shown it, there has been progress made this season. In the Premier League alone, Spurs are the fourth top scorers, have the second highest shots per game behind Manchester City, the fourth highest XG, the second highest possession and third highest pass success rate.

At the other end of the pitch, the Brighton goals were particularly disappointing because on the whole the defending has been far better from Spurs other than the odd individual mistake. They have only conceded the one set-piece goal to Arsenal and scored two themselves from them.

The second half at Brighton will mask it somewhat, but there's more of a complex structure to the team and an understanding of how to play Postecoglou football. The run of five wins with 13 goals scored and three conceded was a real driving force in pushing the season on before those 18 dreadful minutes at Brighton.

The performance at Old Trafford was magnificent, long before the red card and is one that really saw Tottenham rise to the occasion.

That's not to say that it's all been positive. Spurs were wasteful in the final third in three of their opening four games and even in the victories should have scored far more. They are joint top in the Premier League with Arsenal for big chances missed with 18.

The performance against Arsenal was disappointing even though the result was narrow, Spurs were extremely fortunate to get past Coventry in the Carabao Cup and that second half at the Amex Stadium was abysmal, even if it followed one of the best halves of the season so far.

Postecoglou isn't blameless and while he's affected some games with his changes, he's also failed to alter them in others, most notably on Sunday. Having more of his options back, fit and available will help the Australian to make his preferred raft of 60-minute substitutions to keep the energy high.

The decision to leave Spence out of his Europa League squad was also a strange one, especially as he's not playing Forster in the competition.

As part of the overall rebuild, it's been a decent start to the season but it could have been even better for Postecoglou had his team taken more of those many big chances they've created and missed. 7

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.

Troy Parrott has opened up on challenges of trying to break into the Tottenham first team following his summer move to AZ Alkmaar.

The 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international moved to the Eredivisie side in a £6.7million deal with the north London club inserting a 20% sell-on clause into the transfer, football.london understands. Spurs sanctioned the move after Parrott enjoyed a successful season-long loan in the Netherlands, with the striker netting 17 goals for struggling Excelsior Rotterdam as they slipped to relegation from the Dutch top flight.

Parrott has already scored six goals for AZ Alkmaar this season, four of them in a 9-1 Eredivisie demolition of Heerenveen, and rubbed shoulders with some of the continent’s big boys in last Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League defeat at Athletic Bilbao. He had been tipped for big things in north London after making his Premier League debut for Spurs as a 17-year-old in December 2019, but appearances were limited and the striker was sent out on a number of loans.

Now, ahead of Ireland’s Nations League clashes with Finland and Greece, Parrott admitted the chance to learn his trade without the scrutiny under which he was placed in England is a welcome relief. “I was younger – I’ll tell the truth, it used to get to me a bit," he said.

“But now I am older, I have played more games, I have been in England and the Netherlands and am experiencing new things, so being away, it’s not necessarily being out of the spotlight, it’s just a new experience for me I’m really enjoying.”

Parrott joined Tottenham back in 2017 as a 15-year-old from Irish side Belvedere and despite plenty of high hopes for his ability he was only able to make four appearances for the first team. He spent five loan spells away from the club at Millwall, Ipswich, MK Dons and Preston with varying degrees of success in the Football League until that loan in the Eredivisie with Excelsior last season really kicked on his career.

Asked how the pressure had affected him, he said: “Trying to live up to the hype at such a young age. It was never going to happen that early because football isn’t so easy. For me it was more about growing up a bit and trying to block out the noise.”

Parrott scored his first senior Ireland goals – two of them – in a 4-1 friendly victory over Andorra in June 2021, but has not added substantially to his tally since with Ireland struggling for positive results during Stephen Kenny’s reign, which drew to a close in November last year. Asked if his country had seen the best of him yet, he said: “Me, personally? No, I don’t think so.

“I’ve had some good moments in the Ireland shirt to date. But to answer the question, no, you’ve not seen the best of me.”

Parrott is now hoping he can really kickstart his international career, with Ireland facing the Finns on Thursday, before heading to Athens on Sunday after back-to-back defeats by England and the Greeks in new boss Heimir Hallgrimsson’s first camp last month.

He said: “It’s been a difficult couple of campaigns for us in terms of results and quality of group opponents," Parrott said. "The last group was Netherlands and France, world-class countries. It’s on us to try turn it around and start picking up results more regularly to get back to where we want to be.”

Listen to the latest episode of Gold & Guest Talk Tottenham! Click here for in depth Spurs chat on your preferred podcast platform.